and Barton-Abbey to Skipton, where he at- exertions to obtain his release. Margaret Fell tended a general meeting of Friends from "many counties concerning the affairs of the church." He had recommended the institution of this meeting several years before. It was sometimes attended by members from most parts of the nation, and was useful in advising and assisting Friends under the multiplied sufferings to which they were subjected. Representations of these were prepared to be laid before justices, judges and the parliament; and collections made for the relief of poor Friends and others. It had stood for several years, and the civil or military officers had frequently come to disperse Friends, but when they found the object for which they had convened, they not only passed away without molesting them, but commended the care of the Society in providing for its own poor, as well as its liberality in relieving the wants of others, who were not in religious connexion with it. In the course of his travels in 1660, he came to Swarthmore in company with his friends Francis Howgill and Thomas Curtis. He had not been there long, before he was arrested under a warrant from Henry Porter, a justice of the peace, and carried to Ulverstone that night, and next morning to Lancaster. The hearing of his case took place before justice Porter, who charged him with many things which as usual he could not, and indeed did not attempt to prove, but committed him to prison. George desired a copy of the mittimus that he might know for what he was imprisoned. It was refused, and the jailer ordered to lock him up in a part of the jail called "the dark house," and to let none come to him, but keep him close prisoner until he was delivered by the king or parlia ment. The numerous falsehoods put in circulation respecting this valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, produced some singular notions of his character in the minds of the ignorant class of people. At the constable's house where they detained him the night of his arrest, they set a guard of sixteen men to watch him, some of whom sat in the fire-place lest he should take flight out of the chimney. One of them remarked, he did not think "a thousand men could have taken him." Next day, as they were proceeding to Lancaster, "one wicked fellow knelt down and lifting up his hands, blessed God that he was taken." The people seemed disposed to glory in his arrest, but George says, he "was moved to sing praises to the Lord in his triumphing power over them." The illegality and injustice of this commitment, induced Friends to use considerable and Anne Curtis applied in person to king After some consultation, they agreed to take his bare word for his appearance; and he whom they had represented as so dangerous a person, was permitted to go at large; and travel at his leisure up to London, to take his trial on an indictment, charging him with insurrection, sedition, and attempting to shed the blood of his fellow-subjects. At the time of assize many came to see him, to whom he preached from the jail windows, and showed them the fluctuations which attended the profession of religion, among the various denominations; each, as it rose into power, persecuting the rest for non-conformity to its formula of faith. All plead, in their turn, that people "must be subject to the higher power," that is, to themselves, whoever had the rule; but George Fox "directed them to Christ Jesus, that they might be built upon him, the Rock and Foundation that changeth not." He also gave forth the following paper, concerning true religion :— "True religion is the true rule and right way of serving God. And religion is a pure stream of righteousness, flowing from the image of God, and is the life and power of God planted in the heart and mind by the law He was of life, which bringeth the soul, mind, spirit, the government, the effect of which was to and body to be conformable to God, the Fa- bring great suffering on Friends. For although ther of Spirits, and to Christ; so that they they were in no way connected with those discome to have fellowship with the Father and the turbers of the peace, but uniformly bore tesSon, and with all his holy angels and saints. timony against all plots and insurrections, yet This religion is pure, from above, and unde- as those persons made pretences to religion filed before God; it leads to visit the fatherless, in their wicked designs, the suspicions of the widows, and strangers, and keeps from the government were excited against all who spots of the world. This religion is above all dissented from the established religion, and the defiled, spotted religions in the world, that their meetings were assailed with great vio keep not from defilements and spots, but leave lence. George Fox, perceiving that it was their professors impure, below, and spotted; likely to be a time of trial to the Society, whose fatherless, widows, and strangers, beg remained in London, to bear his part with up and down the streets. G. F." his suffering brethren, and to encourage and Besides this, he wrote a paper against per-strengthen them by his example. secution and one for the purpose of settling soon arrested and carried to Whitehall; and the minds of those who were agitated with the while waiting for audience before those who change of government. He also addressed the were to examine him, he began to preach to king on his peaceable accession to the throne the people. This being observed by some of his ancestors; exhorting him to extend persons in authority who happened to be pass mercy and forgiveness towards his enemies, ing, they directed that he should be put into a and to suppress the profanity and debauch- place of confinement "where he could not ery which overspread the nation on his return; stir." The order was promptly executed; but warning him, with his accustomed plainness, he observed to them, that "although they that if he did not exercise forgiveness, and en- might confine his body, they could not stop force by his authority, the laws for arresting up the Word of Life." Through the kind inthe flood of vice and corruption, and also stop terference of an officer of the king's bedpersecution, the Almighty would not hear his chamber, who knew his innocence and was prayers, or those who prayed for him; but friendly to him, George Fox was soon disblindness and hardness of heart would come charged; and after preaching to the soldiers, over him, and the country become like Sodom he went to visit a number of his friends, who and Gomorrah, for wickedness. were imprisoned in an inn near Whitehall. Richard Hubberthorn and he drew up a declaration against plots and fightings, setting forth the peaceable and non-resisting principles of Friends, which prohibited them from being engaged in forcibly setting up or pulling down any government. It is as follows: viz.— In about three weeks, according to his engagement, he appeared at the bar of the king's bench court in London. The charges against him were read; and when they came to that part which represented him as a dangerous person, the judges lifted up their hands in astonishment. George asked them if they could believe, that the sheriff and magistrates of Lancaster would have suffered him to come. up alone, if he was such a man as the indictment alleged. The great improbability of the charges, and the fact that no accuser appeared against him, made way for his discharge; which was by order of the king, dated 24th of October, 1660-after he had been a prisoner about twenty weeks. "A declaration from the harmless, innocent people of God, called Quakers, against all sedition, plotters, and fighters; for removing the ground of jealousy and suspicion from both magistrates and people in the kingdom, concerning wars and fightings. "Presented to the king the 21st day of the 11th month, 1660. At the time Charles II. was proclaimed king "Our principle is, and our practices have there were about seven hundred Friends in always been, to seek peace and ensue it; to different prisons in England, who had been follow after righteousness and the knowledge committed under the governments of Oliver of God; seeking the good and welfare, and and Richard Cromwell. The king, on his ac- doing that which tends to the peace of all. cession to the throne, set them all at liberty. We know that wars and fightings proceed There seemed, at that time, an intention on from the lusts of men, as James iv. 1, 2, 3, the part of the king, to grant liberty of con- out of which lusts the Lord hath redeemed us, science to his subjects, but the rash and tu- and so out of the occasion of war. The occamultuous behaviour of some disorderly_per- sion of war and the war itself, wherein ensons defeated this desirable object. They vious men, who are lovers of themselves more were termed Fifth-monarchy-men, and made than lovers of God, kill, and desire to have an insurrection in the city of London against men's lives or estates, arise from the lusts. VOL. I.-No. 2. 7 All bloody principles and practices we, as to our own particulars, do utterly deny, with all wars, strife, and fighting with outward weapons for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever: this is our testimony to the whole world. "And whereas it is objected: "But although you now say, 'That you cannot fight nor take up arms at all; yet if the Spirit move you, then you will change your principle, you will sell your coat and buy a sword, and fight for the kingdom of Christ.' and truth; that thereby all people, out of all different judgments and professions, may be brought into love and unity with God, and one with another; and that all may come to witness the prophet's words fulfilled, who said, 'Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more,' Isa. ii. 4. Mich. iv. 3. "We, whom the Lord hath called into the obedience of his truth, have denied wars and fightings, and cannot any more learn them. This is a certain testimony unto all the world, of the truth of our hearts in this particular, "To this we answer, Christ said to Peter, that as God persuadeth every man's heart to Put up thy sword in his place;' though he believe, so they may receive it. For we have had said before, he that had no sword might not, as some others, gone about cunningly sell his coat and buy one, for the fulfilling of with devised fables, nor have we ever denied the law and the Scripture; yet after, when he in practice what we have professed in princihad bid him put it up, he said, 'He that taketh | ple; but in sincerity and truth, and by the the sword shall perish with the sword.' And word of God, have we laboured to be made Christ said to Pilate, 'Thinkest thou, that I manifest unto all men, that both we and our cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?' And this might satisfy Peter, after he had put up his sword, when he said to him, 'He that took it, should perish by it;' which satisfieth us. In the Revelations it is said, 'He that kills with the sword shall perish with the sword; and here is the faith and the patience of the saints.' So Christ's kingdom is not of this world, therefore his servants do not fight, as he told Pilate, the magistrate who crucified him. And did they not look upon Christ as a raiser of sedition? and did not he pray, Father, forgive them?' Thus it is, that we are numbered amongst transgressors, and amongst fighters. "That the Spirit of Christ by which we are guided is not changeable, so as once to command us from a thing, as evil, and again to move unto it. We certainly know and testify to the world, That the Spirit of Christ, which leads us into all truth, will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the kingdom of Christ, nor for the kingdoms of this world. "First, Because the kingdom of Christ God will exalt, according to his promise, and cause it to grow and flourish in righteousness. 'Not by might, nor by power of outward sword, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord,' Zech. iv. 6. So those that use any weapon to fight for Christ, or for the establishing of his kingdom or government, their spirit, principle, and practice we deny. ways might be witnessed in the hearts of all. And whereas all manner of evil hath been falsely spoken of us, we hereby speak the plain truth of our hearts, to take away the occasion of that offence, that so we, being innocent, may not suffer for other men's offences, nor be made a prey of, by the wills of men, for that of which we were never guilty ; but in the uprightness of our hearts we may, under the power ordained of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well, live a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For although we have always suffered, and do now more abundantly suffer, yet we know it is for righteousness' sake: For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world,' 2 Cor. i. 12, which for us is a witness for the convincing of our enemies. For this we can say to all the world, we have wronged no man, we have used no force nor violence against any man, we have been found in no plots, nor guilty of sedition. When we have been wronged we have not sought to revenge ourselves, we have not made resistance against authority; but wherein we could not obey for conscience sake, we have suffered the most of any people in the nation. We have been counted as sheep for the slaughter, persecuted and despised, beaten, stoned, wounded, stocked, whipped, imprisoned, haled out of the synagogues, cast into dungeons and noisome vaults, where many have died in bonds, shut up from our friends, denied needful sustenance for many days together, with other the like And the cause of all these our "Secondly, We earnestly desire and wait, that by the word of God's power and its effectual operation in the hearts of men, the kingdoms of this world may become the king-cruelties. doms of the Lord, and of his Christ; and that sufferings is not for any evil, but for things he may rule and reign in men by his Spirit relating to the worship of our God, and in obedience to his requirings. For which cause and is tender of as the apple of his eye; neiwe shall freely give up our bodies a sacrifice, ther seek to destroy the heritage of God, nor rather than disobey the Lord; knowing, as turn your swords backward upon such as the the Lord hath kept us innocent, he will plead law was not made for, i. e. the righteous; but our cause when there is none in the earth to for the sinners and transgressors, to keep them plead it. So we, in obedience to his truth, do down. For those are not peace-makers nor not love our lives unto death, that we may do lovers of enemies, neither can they overcome his will, and wrong no man in our generation, evil with good, who wrong them that are but seek the good and peace of all men. He friends to you and all men, and wish your who hath commanded us, 'That we shall not good and the good of all people upon earth. swear at all,' Matth. v. 34, hath also command- If you oppress us, as they did the children of ed us, 'That we shall not kill,' Matth. v. So Israel in Egypt, if you oppress us as they did that we can neither kill men, nor swear for when Christ was born, and as they did the nor against them. This is both our principle Christians in the primitive times, we can say, and our practice, and hath been from the be-The Lord forgive you;' leave the Lord to ginning; so that if we suffer, as suspected of taking up arms or making war against any, it is without any ground from us; for it neither is, nor ever was in our hearts, since we owned the truth of God; neither shall we ever do it, because it is contrary to the Spirit of Christ, his doctrine, and the practices of his apostles; even contrary to him for whom we suffer all things and endure all things. "And although men come against us with clubs, staves, drawn swords, and pistols cocked; and beat, cut, and abuse us; yet we never resisted them, but to them our hair, backs, and cheeks have been ready. It is not an honour to manhood or nobility to run upon harmless people, who lift not a hand against them, with arms and weapons. "Consider these things, ye men of understanding; for plotters, raisers of insurrections, tumultuous ones, and fighters, running with swords, clubs, staves, and pistols, one against another, we say, are of the world, and have their foundation from this unrighteous world, from the foundation of which the Lamb hath been slain. This Lamb hath redeemed us from this unrighteous world. We are not of it, but are heirs of a world of which there is no end, a kingdom where no corruptible thing enters. Our weapons are spiritual, not carnal, yet mighty through God, to the pulling down of the strong holds of sin and satan, who is the author of wars, fighting, murder, and plots. Our swords are broken into ploughshares, and spears into pruning-hooks, as prophesied of in Micah iv. Therefore we cannot learn war any more, neither rise up against nation or kingdom with outward weapons, though you have numbered us amongst the transgressors and plotters. The Lord knows our innocency herein, and will plead our cause with all people upon earth, at the day of their judgment, when all men shall have a reward according to their works. "Therefore in love we warn you for your souls' good, not to wrong the innocent, nor the babes of Christ, which he hath in his hand, deal with you, and not revenge ourselves. If you say as the council said to Peter and John, you must speak no more in that name;' and if you serve us as they served the three children spoken of in Daniel, God is the same as he ever was, that lives for ever and ever, who hath the innocent in his arms. "Oh! friends! offend not the Lord and his little ones, neither afflict his people; but consider and be moderate. Run not hastily into things, but mind and consider mercy, justice, and judgment; that is the way for you to prosper and get the favour of the Lord. Our meetings were stopped and broken up in the days of Oliver, under pretence of plotting against him; in the days of the Committee of Safety* we were looked upon as plotters to bring in King Charles; and now our peaceable meetings are termed seditious. Oh! that men should lose their reason, and go contrary to their own consciences; knowing that we have suffered all things, and have been accounted plotters all along, though we have always declared against them, both by word of mouth and printing, and are clear from any such thing! Though we have suffered all along, because we would not take up carnal weapons to fight against any, and are thus made a prey upon because we are the innocent, and cannot avenge ourselves! These things are left upon your hearts to consider; for we are out of all those things in the patience of the saints, and we know as Christ said, 'He that takes the sword shall perish with the sword,' Matth. xxvi. 52. Rev. xiii. 10. "This is given forth from the people called Quakers, to satisfy the king and his council, and all who have any jealousy concerning us, that all occasion of suspicion may be taken away, and our innocency cleared." *The Committee of Safety were chosen by parliament after the resignation of Richard Cromwell. They held the reigns of government until the restoration of Charles II. 66 66 POSTSCRIPT. sense of the grievous sufferings of his friends, and tender sympathy with them, George Fox addressed them in an epistle of Christian consolation, as follows:— My dear Friends, "In the immortal Seed of God, which beating, stoning and imprisonment. The pri Though we are numbered amongst trans- sons were filled with the peaceable Quakers, gressors, and have been given up to rude, and accounts were received in London that merciless men, by whom our meetings are several thousands had been thrown into jail broken up, in which we edified one another in the space of a few weeks. Under a lively in our holy faith, and prayed together to the Lord that lives for ever, yet he is our pleader, in this day. The Lord saith, They that feared his name spoke often together,' as in Malachi; which were as his jewels. For this cause, and no evil doing, are we cast into holes, dungeons, houses of correction, prisons, will plead its own innocency, who are inherisparing neither old nor young, men nor women, and made a prey of in the sight of all tors of an everlasting kingdom, which is innations, under pretence of being seditious, &c. corruptible, and of a world and riches that so that all rude people run upon us to take fade not away, peace and mercy be multiplied possession; for which we say, The Lord for- amongst you in all your sufferings. Your give them that have thus done to us. backs were not unready, but your hair and He doth and will enable us to suffer; and never cheeks prepared; who never feared sufferings, shall we lift up hand against any man that as knowing it is your portion in the world, doth so use us; but that the Lord may have from the foundation of which the Lamb was mercy upon them, that they may consider slain; who reigns in his glory, which he had what they have done. For how is it possible with his Father before the world began. He is your rock in all floods and waves, upon for them to requite us for the wrong they have done to us? Who to all nations have sounded which you can stand safe, with a cheerful us abroad as seditious plotters, who were never countenance, beholding the Lord God of the plotters against any power or man upon the whole earth on your side. So in the Seed of earth, since we knew the life and power of God, which was before the unrighteous world in which the sufferings are, live and feed, wherein the bread of life is felt, and no cause Friends, of complaint of hunger or cold. your sufferings all, that are or have been of late in prison, I would have you send up an account of, and how things are amongst you, that it may be delivered to the king and his council; for things are pretty well here after Jesus Christ manifested in us, who hath redeemed us from the world and all works of darkness, and plotters therein, by which we know the election before the world began. So we say, the Lord have mercy upon our enemies, and forgive them for what they have done unto us. "Oh! do as ye would be done by; do unto all men as you would have them do unto you; for this is the law and the prophets. "All plots, insurrections, and riotous meetings, we deny, knowing them to be of the devil, the murderer; which we in Christ, who was before they were, triumph over. And all wars and fightings with carnal weapons we deny, who have the sword of the Spirit; and all that wrong us, we leave to the Lord. This is to clear our innocency from that aspersion cast upon us, That we are seditious or plotters.'" the storm. G. F. During the year 1660, much blood was shed in England, in consequence of the change which had taken place in the government; and Colonel Hacker, with others who had been active in persecuting Friends during the time of the protector, was brought to the gallows. Often had these men been warned by Friends against their cruelty and persecution, and of the day of retribution which would overtake No entreaty or persuasion that could be them, when the Lord should arise to plead the used, served to arrest the fierceness of perse-cause of the oppressed, of the destitute widows cution. Men and women who were known and fatherless children, whom they had made to be Friends, could scarcely pass without such, by their unrelenting severity. That day violent abuse through the streets and high- was now come; the overflowing scourge enways, on their lawful business, or to procure tered among them, and brought a dread and provisions for their families. Many were fear over the minds of the people, so that they haled out of their houses, and some who who had deridingly nicknamed Friends Quawere sick, were cruelly dragged from their kers, were made to tremble and quake for beds to prison. Amid this storm of ill usage, themselves. Many now would gladly have Friends continued steadfast to their principles taken refuge among this despised people, as a and faithfully attended their meetings, although shelter and hiding-place from the storm; and they went to them with a full expectation of some, through the distress that came upon |