of the Lord ye may all Live; that in that ye may 1664 ' all receive God's Wifdom, by which all things were 'created; that by it all may be ordered to God's Laneafter • Glory.

This is from them that love all your Souls,
and feek your Eternal Good.

Being now a Prifoner in Lancafter-Caftle, a deep fenfe came upon me of a Day of fore Trial and Exercife, that was come and coming upon all, that had been high in Profeffion of Religion; And I was moved to give forth the following Paper, as a Warning

unto fuch:

NOW is the Day, that every one's Faith and Love to God and Chrift will be Tried; and 'who are Redeemed out of the Earth, and who are ' in the Earth, will be manifefted; and who is their Mafter they ferve: and whether they will run to the Mountains, to Cover them. Now will it appear, who are the Stony-Ground, who are the ThornyGround, and who are the High-way-Ground, in whom 'the Fowls of the Air take away the Seed, and the 'Thorns and Cares of the World choke, and the Heat of Perfecution fcorches, and burns up your green Blade For the Day trieth all things. Therefore let not fuch, as forfake Truth, for faving the Earth, fay, that your Brother Prieft only ferveth not the Lord Jefus Chrift, but his own Belly, and mindeth Earthly things; for fuch themselves alfo do the fame, and do hug and embrace Self, and not the Lord. • Now it will be made manifeft, who is every ones God, and Chrift, and Saviour; and their Love will "be manifeft, whether it be of the World, or the Love of God: for if it be the Love of the World, it is Enmity; and the Enmity will manifeft it self, what it is and the Day will Try every Spirit and his Fruits. Therefore, all my dear Friends, in the Everlafting Seed of God live, that is over all the House of Adam and his Works in the Fall: and fo dwel

Caftie.

1664. ling in the Seed, Chrift, that never fell, in him you all have Vertue, and Life, and Peace; and Lancaffer through him ye will overcome all, that is in the Fall.

Cafle.

G. F.

I writ alfo another fhort Epiftle to Friends, to Warn them to keep out of that Spirit, that wrought in John Perrot and his Company against the Truth.

Dear Friends,

Dwell in the Love of God, and in his Righteoufnefs, that will preferve you above all Changeable Spirits, that be foul and unclean, and that dwell not in the Truth, but in Quarrels. Avoid fuch, and keep your Habitations in the Truth, and 'dwell in the Truth, and in the Word of God, by which ye are reconciled to God. And keep your Meetings in the Name of Jefus Chrift, that never fell; and then ye will fee over all the Gatherings of Adam's Sons and Daughters, you being Met in the Life over them all, in which is your Unity, and Peace, and Fellowship with God, and one with another, in the Life, in which ye may enjoy God's • Prefence among you. So remember me to all Friends in the everlafting Seed of God. And all they, that are gotten into Fellowship in outward things, their Fellowship will corrupt, and rot, and wither away. Therefore live in the Gofpel, the Power of God, which Power of God, the Gofpel was, before the Devil was. And this Fellowship in the Gofpel, the Power of God, is a Mystery to all the Fellowships in the World. So look over all outward Sufferings, and look at the Lord, and "the Lamb, who is the Firft and Laft, the Amen; in whom farewell.

a

G. F.

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Part II.

George Fox his Journal.

59

fter Af

In the Sixth Month the Affizes were held again at 1664at Lancafter, and the fame Judges, Twifden and . Turner, came that Circuit again: but Judge Tur. Lanca ner then fate on the Crown-Bench; and fo I was fixes brought before him. But before I was called to the Bar, I was put among the Murderers and Fellons for about the space of two Hours; the People, the Juftices, and the Judge alfo gazing upon me. After they had Tried feveral others, they called me to the Bar; and impannel'd a Jury: And then the Judge asked the Juftices, Whether they had tendered me the Oath at the Seffions? And they faid, They had. Then he bid, Give them the Book, that they might fwear, they had tendered me the Oath at the Seffions? And they faid, They had. Then he bid, Give them the Book, that they might fwear, they had tendered me the Oath according to the Indictment. Some of the Juftices refufed to be Sworn: but the Judge faid, he would have it done to take away all Occafion of Exception. Now when the Jury were fworn, and the Juftices had fworn, That they bad tendered me the Oath, according to the Indiament; then the Judge asked me, Whether I had not refufed the Oath at the laft Affizes? I faid, 'I never took Oath in my Life; and Chrift, the Saviour and Judge of the World, faid, Swear not at all. The Judge feemed not to take notice of my Anfwer; but asked me: Whether or no I had not refused to take the Oath at the laft Affize? I faid: The Words, that I then fpake to them, were, That if they could prove, either Judge, Juftices, Prieft or Teacher, that after • Chrift and the Apoftle had forbidden Swearing, they commanded, that Chriftians fhould Swear, I would Swear. The Judge faid, He was not at that time to difpute, whether it was lawful to Swear; but to Inquire, whether I had refufed to take the Oath, or no. I told him, Thofe things mentioned in the Oath, as Plotting against the King, and owning the Pope's, or any other Foreign Power, I utterly deny. Well, faid he, Tou Say well in that but did you deny to take the Oath? What Say you? What would't thou have me

to

w

Lanca

Her Af

1664. to fay, faid I? for I have told thee before, what I did fay. Then he asked me, If I would have thefe Men to Swear, that I had taken the Oath? I asked him, "If he would have thofe Men to Swear, that I had refufed the Oath? At which the Court burft out into Laughter. I was grieved, to fee fo much Lightnefs in a Court, where fuch Solemn Matters are handled; and thereupon asked them: "If this Court was a Play-houfe? Where is Gravity and Sobriety, faid I? for this Behaviour doth not become you. Then the Clerk read the Indictment and I told the Judge, I had fomething to speak to it, (for I had informed my felf of the Errors, that were in it.) He told me, He would bear me afterward any Reafons, that I could alledge, why he should not give Judgment. Then I fpake to the Jury, and told them, That they could not bring me in Guilty, according to that Indictment; for the Indictment was wrong laid, and had many grofs Errors in it. The Judge faid, I must not speak to the Fury, but he would speak to them: and he told them, I had denied to take the Oath at the laft Affizes; and, faid he, I can tender the Oath to any Man now, and Premunire him for not taking it: And he faid, They muft bring me in Guilty, Seeing I refu Jed to take the Oath. Then, faid I, what do ye do with a Form? Ye may throw away your Form then. And I told the Jury, it lay upon their Confciences, as they would answer it to the Lord God before his Judgment-Seat. Then the Judge fpake again to the Jury; and I bid him, do me fufiice. So the Jury brought me in Guilty. Whereupon I told them, That both the Juftices, and they too had forfworn themselves; and therefore they had fmall 'cause to laugh, as they did a little before. Oh the Envy, and Rage, and Malice, that was there against me, and the Lightnefs! But the Lord confounded them, and they were wonderfully ftopt. So they fet me afide; and called up Margaret Fell, who had a great deal of good Service among'ft them: and then the Court brake up near the Second Hour.

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In

In the Afternoon we were brought up again, to 1664. have Sentence paffed upon us: And Margaret Fell defired, that Sentence might be deferred, till the next Lanca Morning. I defired nothing, but Law and Juftice es

at his hands; for the Thieves had Mercy: Only I defired the Judge to fend fome to fee my. Prifon; 'which was fo bad, they would put no Creature they ' had in it: and I told him, that Col. Kirby, who was 'then on the Bench, faid, I should be locked up, and no Flesh alive should come to me. The Judge fhook his Head, and faid; When the Sentence was given, be would leave me to the favour of the failer. Now moft of the Gentry of the Country were gathered together, expecting to hear the Sentence; and the Noife among the People was, That I should be Tranfported. But they were all croffed at that time: for the Sentence being deferred, till next Morning; I was had back, as I came, to Prifon again. Upon my complaining of the badness of my Prifon, fome of the Juftices, with Col. Kirby went up to fee it: But when they came to it, they durft hardly go into it; the Floor was fo bad and dangerous, and the place fo open to Wind and Rain: and fome that came up, faid; Sure, it was a Fakes-houfe. When Col. Kirby faw it, and heard what others faid of it, he excufed the matter as well as he could, and faid; I should be removed from that place, ere it was long, to fome more convenient place.

fter Af

Next day, towards the Eleventh Hour, we were called forth again to hear the Sentence: And Margaret Fell being called firft to the Bar, fhe had fome Counfels to Plead; who found many Errors in her Indictment: Whereupon, after the Judge had acknowledged them, fhe was fet by. Then the Judge asked, What they could fay to mine? Now I was not willing to let any Man plead for me; but to speak to it my felf: And indeed, though Margaret had fome, that pleaded for her; yet the Spake as much her felf, as She would. But before I came to the Bar, I was moved in my Spirit to pray, That God would con⚫ found