G. F.’
Sharp indeed was this letter; but G. Fox thought himself moved thereto by the Lord: and it is remarkable that this justice Sawrey, who was the first persecutor in those parts, afterwards was drowned, and so died not a natural death. To the priest William Lampitt he writ also, and another letter to others, to reprove them for their wickedness.
Some time after he went to Westmoreland, where mischief was intended against him, but prevented by justice Benson, and some considerable men besides. Coming to Grayrigg, he had a meeting there; where a priest came to oppose, but was confounded; and there being many people, some of the milk-pails that stood upon the side of the house, tumbled down by reason of the crowd; from which the priest afterwards raised a slander, that the devil frighted him, and took away one side of the house. And though this was a known falsehood, yet it was given out as true in public print.
Another time this priest came to another meeting, and fell to jangling; saying first, that the Scriptures were the word of God. To which G. Fox said, that they were the words of God, but not Christ, who is the Word. And when he urged the priests for proof of what he had said, the priest, being at a loss, was not long before he went away. Some time after coming again into a meeting, and hearing that G. Fox directed the people to Christ Jesus, the priest taking out his bible, said, it was the word of God. Then G. Fox told him, it was the words of God; but not God, the Word. The priest however persisted in what he had said; and offered to prove before all the people, the Scriptures to be the word of God. But this quarrel tending to vain logomachies, or contest about words, ended in confusion; and many of the priest’s followers came to see the vanity of his assertions.
1653.
The year being now come to an end, and a war kindled between England and Holland, King Charles II. then in exile, asked the Dutch to be received in their navy as a volunteer, without any command: but this was courteously refused by the States-General. Oliver Cromwell, in the meanwhile, strove for the supreme authority in England, the more because he perceived how some of the parliament, jealous of his increasing greatness, endeavoured to cross him in his design. This made him labour to get the parliament dissolved: but they not going on so quickly as he would have them, to put a period to their sitting, he resolved arbitrarily to make an end of them. And entering the house in the month called April, 1653, after having rudely inveighed against them, that they had made a bad use of their authority, and that without their dissolution the realm would not be safe, &c. he at length cried out, ‘You are no parliament:’ and then ordering some musqueteers to enter, he made the members depart the house, and ordered the doors to be shut; thus putting an end to this assembly, that had been sitting nigh thirteen years.
But what is remarkable, G. Fox not long before being come to Swarthmore, and hearing judge Fell and justice Benson discoursing together concerning the parliament, he told them, ‘That before that day two weeks the parliament should be broken up, and the speaker plucked out of his chair.’ And thus it really happened: for at the breaking up of the parliament the speaker being unwilling to come out of his chair, said that he would not come down unless he were forced: which made general Harrison say to him, Sir, I will lend you my hand; and thereupon taking him by the hand, the speaker came down. This agreed with what G. Fox had predicted. And a fortnight after justice Benson told judge Fell, that now he saw George was a true prophet; since Oliver had by that time dissolved the parliament.
Now in Cumberland great threatenings were spread, that if ever G. Fox came there again, they would take away his life. He hearing this, went thither; but nobody did him any harm. Returning then to Swarthmore, where justice Anthony Pearson was at that time; he so effectually declared truth, that this justice was convinced, and not long after entered into the society of the despised Quakers.
G. Fox then, going again into Cumberland, went to Bootle, and there found preaching in the steeple-house, a priest from London, who gathered up all the Scriptures he could think of, that speak of false prophets, antichrists, and deceivers, and made application of them to the Quakers. But when he had done, George began to speak, and returned all those Scripture places on the priest; who being displeased at this, said that he must not speak there. But G. Fox told him that the hour-glass being run, and he having done, the time was free for him, as well as for the priest, who was himself but a stranger there. He having said this, went on, and showed who were the false prophets, and what marks the Scriptures gave them; directing people to Christ their teacher. When he had done, the priest of the place made a speech to the people in the steeple-house yard, and said, ‘This man hath gotten all the honest men and women in Lancashire to him; and now he comes here to do the same.’ To which G. Fox returned, ‘What wilt thou have left? and what have the priests left them, but such as themselves? for if it be the honest that receive the Truth and are turned to Christ, then it must be the dishonest that follow thee, and such as thou art.’ Some words were also exchanged about tithes; and G. Fox told them, that Christ had ended the tithing priesthood, and had sent forth his ministers to give freely, as they had received freely.