From thence he went to Cockermouth, near which place he had appointed a meeting; and coming thither he found James Lancaster speaking under a tree, which was so full of people, that it was in danger of breaking. G. Fox now looked about for a place to stand upon, for the people lay spread up and down. But at length a person came to him, and asked if he would not go into church. He seeing no place more convenient to speak to the people, told him, yes. Whereupon the people rushed in on a sudden, so that the house was so full of people, he had much ado to get in. When they were settled he stood up on a seat, and preached about three hours; and several hundreds were that day convinced of the truth of this doctrine.
From thence he went to other places, and particularly to Brigham, where he preached in the steeple-house with no less success. Afterwards coming into a certain place, and casting his eye upon a woman unknown to him, he told her that she had lived a lewd life; to which she answered, that many could tell her of her outward sins, but of her inward, none could. Then he told her, her heart was not right before the Lord: and she was so reached, that afterwards she came to be convinced of God’s truth.
Then he came near Coldbeck, to a market town, where he had a meeting at the cross, and some received the truth preached by him.
From thence he went to Carlisle, where the teacher of the Baptists, with most of his hearers, came to the abbey, in which G. Fox had a meeting. After the meeting the Baptist teacher, who was a notionist, and an airy man, came to him, and asked what must be damned? and he told him, that which spake in him was to be damned. And this stopt his mouth. Then he opened to him the states of election and reprobation, so that he said, he never heard the like in his life, and came afterwards also to be convinced of the Truth. Then he went up to the castle among the soldiers, who by beating of the drum called the garrison together. Among these he preached; directing them to the measure of the Spirit of Christ in themselves, by which they might be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God: he warned them also to do no violence to any man, &c. G. Fox having thus discharged himself, none opposed him, except the serjeants, who afterwards came to be convinced. On the market-day he went into the market, though he had been threatened that if he came there, he would meet with rude treatment. But he willing to obey God more than man, showed himself undaunted, and going upon the cross, he declared that the day of the Lord was coming upon all deceitful ways and doings, and deceitful merchandise; and that they should put away all cozening and cheating, and keep to yea, and nay, and speak the truth to one another.
On the First-day following, he went into the steeple-house, and after the priest had done he began to preach. Now the priest going away, and the magistrate desiring G. Fox to depart, he still went on, and told them he came to speak the word of life and salvation from the Lord amongst them. And he spoke so powerfully that the people trembled and shook, and they thought the steeple-house shook also: nay, some of them feared it would have fallen down on their heads. Some women in the meanwhile making a great bustle, at length the rude people of the city rose, and came with staves and stones into the steeple-house: whereupon the governor sent some musqueteers to appease the tumult; and these taking G. Fox by the hand in a friendly manner, led him out. Then he came to the house of a lieutenant, where he had a very quiet meeting. The next day the justices and magistrates sent for him to come before them in the town-hall. So he went thither, and had a long discourse with them concerning religion, and showed them that though they were great professors, (viz. Presbyterians and Independents,) yet they were without the possession of what they professed. But after a long examination they committed him to prison as a blasphemer, an heretic, and a seducer. There he lay till the assizes came on, and then all the talk was, that he was to be hanged: and the high sheriff Wilfrey Lawson, was so eager to have his life taken away, that he said, he himself would guard G. Fox to execution. This made such a noise that even great ladies came to see him, as one that was to die. But though both judge and magistrates were contriving how they might put him to death, yet the judge’s clerk started a question, which puzzled them and confounded their counsels, so that he was not brought to a trial as was expected; which however was contrary to law. But such was their envy against him, that the jailer was ordered to put him amongst thieves and murderers, and some naughty women; which wicked crew were so lousy, that one woman was almost eaten to death with lice: but what made the prison the worse, there was no house of office to it, and in this nasty place men and women were put together against all decency. Yet these prisoners, how naught soever, were very loving to G. Fox, and so hearkened to his wholesome counsel, that some of them became converts. But the under jailer did him all the mischief he could. Once when he had been at the grate, to take in the meat his friends brought him, the jailer fell a beating of him with a great cudgel, crying, ‘Come out of the window,’ though he was then far enough from it. But whilst the jailer was thus beating him, he was so filled with joy, that he began to sing, which made the other rage the more, so that he went and fetched a fiddler, thinking thereby to vex him. But when this fellow played, he sang a hymn so loud, that with his voice he drowned the sound of the fiddle, and thereby so confounded the player, that he was fain to give over and go his ways.
Not long after, Justice Benson’s wife felt herself moved to eat no meat but what she should eat with G. Fox, at the bars of the dungeon-window. Afterwards she herself was imprisoned at York, when she was big with child, for having spoken, it is like, zealously to a priest. And when the time of her travail came, she was not suffered to go out, but was delivered of her child in the prison.
Whilst G. Fox was in the dungeon at Carlisle, there came to see him one James Parnel, a little lad of about sixteen years of age; and he was so effectually reached by the speaking of G. Fox, that he became convinced of the truth of his sayings; and notwithstanding his youth, was by the Lord quickly made a powerful minister of the gospel, showing himself both with his pen, and his tongue, a zealous promoter of religion, although he underwent hard sufferings on that account, as will be mentioned hereafter.
There were also many others, who not sticking at any adversities, came to be zealous preachers of repentance; among these was Thomas Briggs already mentioned, who went through many cities, towns, and villages, with this message: ‘Repent, repent, for the mighty terrible day of the Lord God of power is appearing, wherein no worker of iniquity shall stand before him, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, for he wills not the death of a sinner; and if ye repent, and turn to him, he will abundantly pardon.’ Sometimes he went into markets and steeple-houses, and was often cruelly abused. Once being in a steeple-house at Warrington in Lancashire, and speaking a few words after the priest had done, he was very violently knocked on his head: after which, a man taking hold of his hair, smote him against a stone, and pulled off an handful of it, which Thomas taking up from the ground, mildly said, ‘Not one hair of my head shall fall without my Father’s permission.’ At another time he speaking to a priest in Cheshire, as he was going in his journey, the priest was much offended at him; and one of his hearers, as it were in revenge of this pretended affront, struck him on the head, and knocked him down; but Thomas getting up again, and turning his face to the smiter, he smote him on his teeth, so that the blood gushed out exceedingly; which some of the standers by could not but cry out against. But not long after, the man that struck him thus, fell sick, and died, crying upon his death-bed, ‘Oh that I had not smitten the Quaker!’ This Thomas once going through Salisbury, and calling the inhabitants to repentance, was apprehended, and brought before several justices, who proffered him the oath, under pretence of his being a Jesuit: but he saying, he could not swear, because Christ had commanded, not to swear at all, was sent to prison, where he was kept a month. He also went up and down the streets of Yarmouth, proclaiming the terrible day of the Lord, that all might repent, and fear Him, that made heaven and earth, and the sea. And being followed by a great multitude of rude people, and turning about, he spoke so powerfully to them, and with such piercing words, that they ran away for fear. At length an officer came and took hold of him, but leading him gently, he had opportunity to continue preaching to the people, and to clear himself. Being brought before the magistrates, they ordered him to be led out of the town; which being done, Thomas came in again by another way, and having performed his service there to his satisfaction, he departed the town.
When he came to Lynn, and warned people to repent, a great mastiff dog was set upon him, but the dog coming near him, fawned upon him. Thus he went through many places, passing sometimes five or six towns in one day; and though swords were drawn against him, or axes taken up to hew him down, yet he went on, and spoke so awfully, that even some, who did not see his face, were so reached by the power that accompanied him, that they became converts. Coming to Clanzous in Wales, and many hearing him attentively, the constable stirred up the rude people, and cried, ‘Kill him; Kill him;’ as if he had been a mad dog; and they threw such great stones upon him, that he admired they did not kill him; but he was preserved by such a mighty power, that according to his relation, they were to him as a nut, or a bean. Many other rude encounters he met with, but was preserved wonderfully in the greatest dangers; which strengthened him not a little in the belief, that God, who so miraculously saved him, did require this service from him. He was also in America, and died in a good old age, after having laboured above thirty years in the service of the gospel.
Miles Halhead was also one of the first zealous preachers among the Quakers so called. He was the first of those of his persuasion, that was imprisoned at Kendal. Once he went to Swarthmore to visit his friends, and to assist at their meeting; by the way he met the wife of the justice Thomas Preston, and because he passed by her quietly, without the ordinary way of greeting, she grew so offended, that she commanded her man to go back and beat him; which he did. At which Miles being kindled with zeal, said to her, ‘O thou Jezebel! Thou proud Jezebel! Canst thou not permit and suffer the servant of the Lord, to pass by thee quietly?’ She then held forth her hands, as if she would have struck him, and spit in his face, saying, ‘I scorn to fall down at thy words.’ This made Miles say again, ‘Thou proud Jezebel, thou that hardenest thy heart, and brazenest thy face against the Lord and his servant, the Lord will plead with thee in his own time, and set in order before thee, the things that thou hast done this day to his servant.’ And so he parted with her, and went to Swarthmore. About three months after this, he felt himself moved to go and speak to her; and when he came to Houlker Hall, he asked for Thomas Preston’s wife: she then coming to the door, and Miles not knowing her, asked her, if she was the woman of the house; to which she said, ‘No: but if you would speak with Mrs. Preston, I will intreat her to come to you.’ Then she went in, and coming back with another woman, said, ‘Here is mistress Preston:’ but then it was manifested to him, that she herself was the woman. It is true, as hath been said, some time before he had seen her on the way, and spoken to her; but it may be, she was then in so different a dress, that by reason thereof he did not know her; yet firmly believing that it was she, he said, ‘Woman, how darest thou lie before the Lord and his servant? Thou art the woman I came to speak to.’ And she being silent, not speaking a word, he proceeded, ‘Woman, hear what the Lord’s servant hath to say unto thee: O woman, harden not thy heart against the Lord; for if thou dost, he will cut thee off in his sore displeasure; therefore take warning in time, and fear the Lord God of heaven and earth, that thou mayest end thy days in peace.’ Having said this, he went away, she, how proud soever, not doing him any harm, being withheld, without knowing by what. But, notwithstanding that, she continued the same: for several years after, when G. Fox was prisoner at Lancaster, she came to him, and belched out many railing words, saying amongst the rest, that his tongue should be cut off, and he be hanged. But some time after, the Lord cut her off, and she died, as it was reported, in a miserable condition.