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laying open before them the deceits they lived in, and directing them to the power and Spirit of God, which they wanted. But they haled me out, and stoned me along the street, till I came to John Lawson's house.

On another first-day I went to another steeple-house by the water side, where one Whitehead was priest, to whom, and to the people, I declared the truth in the dreadful power of God. And there came to me a doctor, who was so full of envy, that he said he could find in his heart to run me through with his rapier, though he was hanged for it the next day; yet this man came afterwards to be convinced of the truth, so far as to be loving to friends. And some people were convinced thereabouts, who willingly sate down under the ministry of Christ their teacher: and a meeting was settled there in the power of God, which has continued to this day.

After this I returned into Westmoreland, and spake through Kendal upon a market day and so dreadful was the power of God that was upon me, that people flew like chaff before me into their houses. I warned them of the mighty day of the Lord, and exhorted them to hearken to the voice of God in their own hearts, who was now come to teach his people himself. And when some opposed, many people took my part, insomuch, that at last some of the people fell to fighting about me; but I went to them, and spake to them, and they parted again; and several were convinced.

On the first-day after I had a very large meeting in Underbarrow, at Miles Bateman's house, where I was moved to declare, that all people in the fall were gone from the image of God, righteousness, and holiness, and were become as wells without the water of life, as clouds without the heavenly rain, as trees without the heavenly fruit, and were degenerated into the nature of beasts, and of serpents, and of tall cedars, and of oaks, and of bulls, and of heifers. So that they might read the natures of these creatures within, as the prophet described them to the people of old that were out of truth. I opened to them how some were in the nature of dogs and swine, biting and rending; some in the nature of briars, thistles, and thorns; some like the owls and dragons in the night; some like the wild asses and horses, snuffing up the wind; and some like the mountains and rocks, and crooked and rough ways. Wherefore I exhorted them to read these things within, in their own natures, as well as without; and that, when they read without of the wandering stars, they should look within, and see how they wandered from

the bright and morning star. And they should consider, that as the fallow ground in their fields must be plowed up, before it would bear seed to them, so must the fallow ground of their hearts be plowed up, before they could bear seed to God. Now all these names and things I shewed them, were spoken of and to man and woman, since they fell from the image of God; but as they do come to be renewed again into the image of God, they come out of the natures of these things, and so out of the names thereof. Many more such things were declared to them, and they were turned to the light of Christ, by which they might come to know Christ, and to receive him; and might witness him to be their substance and their way, their salvation and true teacher; and many were convinced at that time.

Now after I had travelled up and down those countries, and had had great meetings, I came to Swarthmore again. And when I had visited friends awhile in those parts, I heard of a great meeting the priests were to have at Ulverstone, on a lecture day; whereupon I went down to it, and went into the steeple-house in the dread and power of the Lord; and when the priest had done, I spake among them the word of the Lord, which was as an hammer, and as a fire amongst them. And though Lampitt (the priest of the place) had been at variance with most of the priests before, yet against the truth he and they all joined together. But the mighty power of the Lord was over all; and so wonderful was the appearance thereof, that priest Bennet said the church shook, insomuch that he was afraid and trembled; and when he had spoken a few confused words, he hastened out, for fear the steeple-house would fall on his head. There were many priests got together there; yet they had no power as yet to persecute.

When I had cleared my conscience against them, I went up to Swarthmore again, whither came up four or five of the priests; and coming to discourse, I asked them, whether any one of them could say he ever had the word of the Lord to go and speak to such or such a people: none of them durst say he had; but one of them burst out into a passion, and said he could speak his experiences as well as I. I told him experience was one thing, but to receive and go with a message, and to have a word from the Lord, as the prophets and apostles had and did, and as I had done to them, this was another thing. And therefore I put it to them again, could any of them say he had ever had a command or word from the Lord immediately at any time; but none of them could say so. Then I told them,

the false prophets, and false apostles, and antichrists, could use the words of the true prophets, and true apostles, and of Christ, and would speak of other men's experiences, though they themselves never knew nor heard the voice of God or Christ; and such as they might get the good words and experiences of others: this puzzled them much, and laid them open. For at another time, when I was discoursing with several priests at judge Fell's house, and he was by, I asked them the same question, whether any of them ever heard the voice of God or Christ, to bid him go to such and such a people, to declare his word or message unto them; for any one (I told them), any that could but read, might declare the experiences of the prophets and apostles, which were recorded in the scriptures. Hereupon one of them, whose name was Thomas Taylor, an ancient priest, did ingenuously confess before judge Fell, that he had never heard the voice of God, nor of Christ, to send him to any people, but he spake his experiences, and the experiences of the saints in former ages, and that he preached. This very much confirmed judge Fell in the persuasion he had, that the priests were wrong; for he had thought formerly, as the generality of people then did, that they were sent from God.

This Thomas Taylor was convinced at this time, and travelled with me into Westmoreland; and coming to Crossland steeple-house, we found the people gathered together there; and the Lord opened Thomas Taylor's mouth amongst the people (though he was convinced but the day before) so that he declared amongst them, how he had been before he was convinced; and like the good scribe that was converted to the kingdom, he brought forth things new and old to the people, and shewed them how the priests were out of the way; which did torment the priests. Some little discourse I had with them, but they fled away; and a precious meeting there was, wherein the Lord's power was over all, and the people were directed to the Spirit of God, by which they might come to know God and Christ, and to understand the scriptures aright. After this I passed on, visiting friends, and had very large meetings in Westmoreland.

Now began the priests to rage more and more, and as much as they could to stir up persecution. Whereupon James Naylor and Francis Howgill were cast into prison in Appleby goal, at the instigation of the malicious priests, some of whom prophesied that within a month we should be all scattered again, and come to nothing. But blessed for ever be the worthy name of the Lord, the work of the

Lord went on and prospered. For about this time John Audland and Francis Howgill, and John Camm, and Edward Burrough, and Richard Hubberthorn, and Miles Hubbersty, and Miles Halhead, with several others, being endued with power from on high, came forth in the work of the ministry, and approved themselves faithful labourers therein, travelling up and down, and preaching the gospel freely; by means whereof multitudes were convinced, and many effectually turned to the Lord. Amongst these Christopher Taylor was one, who was brother to Thomas Taylor before mentioned; and had been a preacher to a people, as well as his brother; but after they had received the knowledge of the truth, they soon came into obedience thereunto, and left their preaching for hire or rewards. And having received a part of the ministry of the gospel, they preached Christ freely; being often sent by the Lord to declare his word in steeple-houses and in markets; and great sufferers they were.

After I had visited friends in Westmoreland, I returned into Lancashire, and went to Ulverstone, where

Lampitt was priest; who though he had preached of a people that did own the teachings of God, and had said that men and women should come to declare the gospel, yet afterwards, when it came to be fulfilled, he persecuted both it and them. To this priest's house I went, where abundance of priests and professors were got together after their lecture, with whom I had great disputings concerning Christ and the scriptures; for they were loth to let their trade go down, which they made of preaching Christ's, and the apostles' and prophets' words. But the Lord's power went over the heads of them all, and his word of life went forth amongst them; though many of them were exceeding envious and devilish. Yet after this many priests and professors came to me from far and near; of whom, they that were innocent and simple-minded were satisfied, and went away refreshed; but the fat and full were fed with judgment, and sent empty away for that was the word of the Lord to be divided to them.

Now when meetings were set up, and we met in private houses, then began Lampitt the priest to rage; and he said we forsook the temple, and went to Jeroboam's calveshouses; so that many professors began to see how he had declined from that which he had formerly held and preached. Hereupon the case of Jeroboam's calves was opened to the professors, priests and people; and it was declared and manifested unto them, that their houses (which they called churches) were more like Jeroboam's

calves-houses, even the old mass-houses, which were set up in the darkness of popery, and which they, who called themselves Protestants, and professed to be more enlightened than the Papists, did still hold up; although God had never commanded them: whereas that temple, which God had commanded at Jerusalem, Christ came to end the service of; and they that received and believed in him, their bodies came to be the temples of God, and of Christ, and of the Holy Ghost to dwell in them, and to walk in them. And all such were gathered into the name of Jesus, whose name is above every name, and there is no salvation by any other name under the whole heaven, but by the name of Jesus. And they that were thus gathered, met together in several dwelling-houses, which were not called the temple, nor the church; but their bodies were the temples of God, and the believers were the church, which Christ was the head of. So that Christ was not called the head of an old house, which was made by men's hands, neither did he come to purchase and sanctify, and redeem with his blood, an old house, which they called their church, but the people which he is the head of. Much work I had in those days with priests and people concerning their old mass-houses, which they called their churches; for the priests had persuaded the people that it was the house of God; whereas the apostle says, 'whose house we are,' &c. Heb. iii. 6. So the people are God's house, in whom he dwells. And the apostle saith, Christ purchased his church with his own blood; and Christ calls his church his spouse, and his bride the Lamb's wife; so that this title, church and spouse, was not given to an old house, but to his people, the true believers.

After this, on a lecture-day, I was moved to go to the steeple-house at Ulverstone, where were abundance of professors, priests, and people. I went up near to priest Lampitt, who was blustering on in his preaching; and after the Lord had opened my mouth to speak, John Sawrey the justice came to me, and said if I would speak according to the scriptures I should speak. I stranged at him for speaking so to me, for I did speak according to the scriptures, and I told him I should speak according to the scriptures, and bring the scriptures to prove what I had to say; for I had something to speak to Lampitt and to them. Then he said I should not speak, contradicting himself who had said just before I should speak, if I would speak according to the scriptures, which I did. Now the people were quiet, and heard me gladly, until this justice Sawrey (who was the first stirrer up of cruel persecution in the

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