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to come and visit me. When we were come to Scarborough, they had me to an inn, and gave notice to the governor, who sent half a dozen soldiers to be my guard that night. Next day they conducted me to the castle, put me into a room, and set a sentry on me. I being very weak, and subject to fainting, they for awhile let me go out sometimes into the air with a sentry. They soon removed me out of this room, and put me into an open room, where the rain came in; and the room smoked exceedingly, which was very offensive to me. One day the governor, who was called Sir Jordan Crosland, came to see me, and brought with him one called Sir Francis Cobb. I desired the governor to go into my room, and see what a place I had. I had got a little fire made in it, and the room was so filled with smoke, that when they were in they could hardly find their way out again. He being a Papist, I told him that was his purgatory which they had put me into. I was forced to lay out about fifty shillings to stop out the rain, and keep the room from smoking so much. When I had been at that charge, and made it somewhat tolerable, they removed me into a worse, where I had neither chimney nor fire-hearth. This room being to the sea-side, and lying much open, the wind drove in the rain forcibly, so that the water came over my bed, and ran about the room, that I was fain to skim it up with a platter. And when my clothes were wet, I had no fire to dry them; so my body was numbed with cold, and my fingers swelled, that one was grown as big as two. Though I was at some charge on this room also, yet I could not keep out the wind and rain. Besides they would suffer few Friends to come at me, and many times not any, no not so much as to bring me a little food; but I was forced for the first quarter to hire one of the world to bring me necessaries. Sometimes the soldiers would take it from her, and she would scuffle with them for it. Afterwards I hired a soldier to fetch me water and bread, and something to make a fire of, when I was in a room where a fire could be made. Commonly a three penny loaf served me three weeks, and sometimes longer, and most of my drink was water, with wormwood steeped or bruised in it. One time, when the weather was very sharp, and I had taken a great cold, I got a little elecampane-beer; and I heard one of the soldiers say to the other, they would play me a pretty trick, for they would send for me up to the deputy-governor, and in the mean time drink my strong beer out;' and so they did. When I returned, one of the soldiers came to me in a jeer, and asked me for some strong beer. I told him, they had played their pretty trick, and took no farther notice of it. But inasmuch as they kept me so very strait, not giving liberty for Friends to come to me, I spoke to the keepers of the castle to this effect: I did not know till I was removed from Lancaster castle, and brought prisoner to this castle of Scarborough, that I was convicted of a premunire; for the

judge did not give sentence upon me at the assizes in open court. But seeing I am now a prisoner here, if I may not have my liberty, let my Friends and acquaintances have their liberty to come and visit me, as Paul's friends had among the Romans, who were not christians but Heathens. For Paul's friends had their liberty, and all that would might come to him, and he had his liberty to preach to them in his hired house; but I cannot have liberty to go into the town, nor for my Friends to come to me here. So you, that go under the name of christians, are worse in this respect than those Heathens were.'

But though they would not let Friends come to me, they would often bring others, either to gaze upon me or to contend with me.

One time there came a great company of Papists to discourse with me, who affirmed, the pope was infallible, and had stood infallible ever since Peter's time.' I showed them the contrary by history: for one of the bishops of Rome, Marcellinus by name, denied the faith, and sacrificed to idols; therefore he was not infallible. I told them, if they were in the infallible spirit, they need not have gaols, swords, and staves, racks and tortures, fires and faggots, whips and gallows, to hold up their religion by, and to destroy men's lives about religion; for if they were in the infallible spirit, they would preserve men's lives, and use none but spiritual weapons about religion. I told them also what one that had been of their society told me. A woman lived in Kent, who had not only been a Papist herself, but had brought over several to that religion; but coming to be convinced of God's truth, and being turned by it to Christ, her Saviour, she exhorted the Papists to the same. One of them, a taylor, being at work at her house, while she opened to him the falseness of the popish religion, and endeavoured to draw him from it to the truth, he drew his knife at her, and got between her and the door. But she spoke boldly to him, and bid him put up his knife, for she knew his principle. I asked the woman, what she thought he would have done with his knife? She said, "he would have stabbed her." "Stab thee!" said I," what would he have stabbed thee for? thy religion?" "Yes," said she, "it is the principle of the Papists, if any turn from their religion, to kill them if they can." This story I told those Papists, and that I had it from a person who had been one of them, but had forsook their principles and discovered their practices. They did not deny this to be their principle, but said, what! would I declare this abroad? I told them, yes, such things ought to be declared abroad, that it might be known how contrary their religion was to true christianity; whereupon they went away in a great rage.

Another Papist came to discourse with me, who said, all the patriarchs were in hell from the creation till Christ came, and that when Christ suffered he went into hell, and the devil said to him, what comest

thou hither for, to break open our strong holds? and Christ said, to fetch them all out. So,' he said, 'Christ was three days and three nights in hell to bring them out.' I told him, that was false; for Christ said to the thief, "this day thou shalt be with me in paradise." And Enoch and Elijah were translated into heaven. And Abraham was in heaven; for the scripture saith, Lazarus was in his bosom; and Moses and Elias were with Christ upon the mount before he suffered.' These instances stopped the Papist's mouth, and put him to a stand.

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Another time came one called Dr.Witty, who was esteemed a great doctor in physic, he came with him that was called lord Falconbridge, the governor of Tinmouth castle, and several knights. I being called to them, Witty undertook to discourse with me, and asked me, What I was in prison for? I told him, Because I would not disobey the command of Christ, and swear.' He said, I ought to swear my allegiance to the king.' He being a great Presbyterian, I asked him, whether he had not sworn against the king and house of lords, and taken the Scotch covenant? and had he not since sworn to the king? what then was his swearing good for? but my allegiance, (I told him,) did not consist in swearing, but in truth and faithfulness.' After some further discourse, I was had away to my prison again; and afterwards this Dr. Witty boasted in the town amongst his patients, that he had conquered me. When I heard of it, I told the governor, 'It was a small boast in him to say, he had conquered a bondman.' I desired to bid him come to me again when he came to the castle. He came again awhile after, with about sixteen or seventeen great persons, and then he ran himself worse on ground than before. For in discourse he affirmed before them all, That Christ had not enlightened every man that cometh into the world;' and that the grace of God, that brought salvation, had not appeared unto all men, and that Christ had not died for all men.' I asked him, what sort of men those were which Christ had not enlightened? and whom his grace had not appeared to? and whom he had not died for? he said, Christ did not die for adulterers, and idolaters, and wicked men.' Then I asked him, whether adulterers and wicked men were not sinners?' he said, "Yes.' 'And did not Christ die for sinners? (said I,) did he not come to call sinners to repentance?' 'Yes,' said he. Then (said I,) thou hast stopped thy own mouth.' So I proved, that the grace of God had appeared unto all men, though some turned from it into wantonness, and walked despitefully against it; and that Christ had enlightened all men, though some hated the light. Several of the people that were present confessed it was true; but he went away in a great rage, and came no more to me.

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Another time the governor brought a priest, but his mouth was soon stopped. Not long after he brought two or three parliament-men, who

asked me,' whether I did own ministers and bishops ?' I told them, 'yes, such as Christ sent, such as had freely received, and would freely give, such as were qualified, and were in the same power and spirit the apostles were in. But such bishops and teachers as their's, that would go no farther than a great benefice, I did not own; for they were not like the apostles. For Christ saith to his ministers, "Go ye into all nations, and preach the gospel;" but ye parliament-men, who keep your priests and bishops in such great fat benefices, have spoiled them all. For do ye think they will go into all nations to preach? or will go any farther than a great fat benefice? judge yourselves whether they will or no.'

There came another time the widow of him who was called the old lord Fairfax, and with her a great company; one of whom was a priest. I was moved to declare the truth to them, and the priest asked me, 'Why we said thou and thee to people? for he counted us but fools and idiots for speaking so.' I asked him, Whether those that translated the scriptures, and made the grammar and accidence, were fools and idiots, seeing they translated the scriptures so, and made the grammar so, thou to one, and you to more than one, and left it so to us? If they were fools and idiots, why had not he and such as he, who looked upon themselves as wise men, and could not bear thou and thee to a singular, altered the grammar, accidence, and bible, and put the plural instead of the singular? but if they were wise men, that so translated the bible, and had made the grammar and accidence so, then I wished him to consider, whether they were not fools and idiots themselves, that did not speak as their grammars and bibles taught them; but were offended with us, and called us fools and idiots for speaking so?' thus the priest's mouth was stopped, and many of the company acknowledged the truth, and were pretty loving and tender. Some would have given me money but I would not receive it.

After this came one called Dr. Cradock, with three priests more, with the governor and his lady, (so called,) and another that was called a lady, with a great company. Dr. Cradock asked me, what I was in prison for?' I told him, 'for obeying the command of Christ and the apostle, in not swearing. But if he, being both a doctor and a justice, could convince me, that after Christ and the apostle had forbid swearing, they commanded christians to swear, then I would swear. Here was the bible, I told him, he might if he could show me any such command.' He said, it is written, ye shall swear in truth and righteousness.' 'Aye,' said I, it was written so in Jeremiah's time; but that was many ages before Christ commanded not to swear at all; but where is it written so since Christ forbade all swearing?' I could bring as many instances out of the Old Testament for swearing as thou, and it may be more too; but of what force are they to prove swearing lawful in the New Testament

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since Christ and the apostle forbade it? Besides,' said I, 'in that text where it is written, "ye shall swear," what [ye] was this? was it ye Gentiles, or ye Jews?' To this he would not answer; but one of the priests that were with him answered, 'it was to the Jews that this was spoken.' Then Dr. Cradock confessed it was so.' Very well,' said I, 'but where did God ever give a command to the Gentiles to swear? for thou knowest that we are Gentiles by nature.' 'Indeed,' said he, ‘in the gospel-times every thing was to be established out of the mouths of two or three witnesses; but there was to be no swearing then.' Why, then,' said I, dost thou force oaths upon christians, contrary to thy own. knowledge, in the gospel-times? And why,' said I, dost thou excommunicate my friends?' (for he had excommunicated abundance both in Yorkshire and Lancashire.) He said, ' for not coming to church.' Why,' said I, 'ye left us above twenty years ago, when we were but young lads and lasses, to the Presbyterians, Independents, and Baptists, many of whom made spoil of our goods, and persecuted us because we would not follow them. We being but young, knew little then of your principles, and the old men that did know them, if ye had intended to have kept them to you, and have kept your principles alive, that we might have known them, ye should either not have fled from us as ye did, or ye should have sent us your epistles, collects, homilies, and evening songs; for Paul wrote epistles to the saints, though he was in prison. But they and we might have turned Turks or Jews for any collects, homilies, or epistles we had from you all this while. And now thou hast excommunicated us, both young and old, and so have others of you done; that is, "ye have put us out of your church, before ye have got us into it," and before ye have brought us to know your principles. Is not this madness in you, to put us out before we were brought in? indeed, if ye had brought us into your church, and when we had been in, if we had done. some bad thing, that had been something like a ground for excommunication or putting out again. But,' said I, what dost thou call the church? Why,' said he, that which ye call the steeple-house.' Then I asked him, whether Christ shed his blood for the steeple-house? and purchased and sanctified the steeple-house with his blood? and seeing the church is Christ's bride and wife, and that he is the head of the church, dost thou think the steeple-house is Christ's wife and bride, and that he is the head of that old house, or of his people?' 'No,' said he 'Christ is the head of his people, and they are the church.' 'But,' said I, 'you have given the title church to an old house, which belongs to the people; and you have taught them to believe so.' I asked him also, 'why he persecuted Friends for not paying tithes? and whether, God ever commanded the Gentiles to pay tithes? and whether Christ had not ended tithes when he ended the Levitical priesthood that took tithes? VOL II.

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