The Missing Cross to Purity

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Afterwards we returned to Heads, Badcow, and Garshore, where the said lady Margaret Hambleton was convinced; who afterwards went to warn Oliver Cromwell and Charles Fleetwood that the day of the Lord was coming upon them.

On First-day we had a great meeting, and several professors came to it. Now the priests had frightened the people with the doctrine of election and reprobation, telling them, 'that God had ordained the greatest part of men and women for hell. And if they were ordained for hell, whatever prayer, preaching, singing and good works, they had, it was all to no purpose. That God had a certain number, which were elected for heaven; and whatever they did, they were still going to heaven,' i.e. David an adulterer, and Paul a persecutor; yet both were elected for heaven. So the fault was not at all in the person, more or less; but God's who had ordained it so. I was led to open to the people the falseness and folly of their priests' doctrines, and to show them that the priests had abused those scriptures, which they had brought and quoted to them! (As in Jude, and other places) For whereas they said, "there was no fault at all in the person;” I showed them that the fault was in Cain, Korah, and Balaam whom Jude says were ordained of old to condemnation. For did not God warn Cain and Balaam, and put the question to Cain, "If you do well, shall you not be accepted?" And did not the Lord bring Korah out of Egypt, and his company? Yet did not he disagree with both God and his law, and his prophet Moses? So there was fault in Cain, Korah, and Balaam, as there is fault in all that depart from the way of God and go their own ways. For if they, who are called Christians: resist the gospel as Korah resisted the law, err from the spirit of God as Balaam did, and do evil as Cain did; is there not fault that has occurred? The fault is in themselves, and is the cause of their reprobation, and it is not God’s fault. Does not Christ say, "Go, preach the gospel of salvation to all nations?" He would not have sent them into all nations, to preach the doctrine of salvation, if the greatest part of men had been ordained for hell. Was not Christ a propitiation for the sins of the whole world, for those that became reprobates [sin still lives in them] , as well as for the saints? He died for all men, the ungodly as well as the godly, as the apostle states in scripture. 2 Cor 5:15 and Rom 5:6. And "he enlightens every man that comes into the world," that through him they might all believe. And Christ bids them believe in the light; but all they that hate the light, which Christ tells all believe in, are reprobated. Again, "The manifestation of the spirit of God is given to every man with which to profit;" but they that vex, quench, and grieve the Spirit, are in the reprobation; and the fault is in them, as it is also in them that hate his light. The apostle said, "The grace of God, which brings salvation, has appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." Titus 2:11-12. Now all those that live ungodly, and in the lusts of the world, that turn this grace of God into negligence of restraint, and walk despitefully against it, and so deny God, and the Lord Jesus Christ that bought them, the fault is in all such that turn the grace of God into negligence of restraint, and walk despitefully against what would bring their salvation, and save them out of the reprobation. But it seems the priests can see no fault in such as deny God and the Lord Jesus Christ that bought them, nor fault in such as deny his light; the light which they should believe in, and his grace, which should teach them to live godly, and which should bring them their salvation. Now all that believe in the light of Christ, as he commands, are in the election; and sit under the teaching of the grace of God, which brings their salvation. But such as turn from this grace in rejection of authority are rejected by God (the reprobation); and such as hate the light are in the condemnation. Therefore I exhorted all to believe in the light, as Christ commands, and own the grace of God their free teacher; and it would assuredly bring them their salvation: for it is sufficient. Many other scriptures were opened concerning reprobation, and the eyes of the people were opened; and a spring of life rose up among them.

Site Editor's Note: Predestination theories come from the scripture: For those whom He foreknew, He also destined from the beginning to be molded into the image of His Son, that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. Rom 8:29. As futher expained in the Quaker writings: God lives outside of time, so he knew at the beginning of creation, who would choose to turn from evil to seek his face. He draws us all to him, (every man has his day of visitation), but few show sincere desire to persistently seek his presence until they see him and have fellowship with Him; few then are chosen to receive his changing, purifying grace. Fox has a very detailed writing on this subject; click here to go to it.

These things soon came to the priests' ears; for the people that sat under their dark teachings began to see light and to come into the covenant of light. So the noise was spread over Scotland, among the priests, that I had come to their country; and a great cry was heard among them, that all would be spoiled; for they said, ‘I had spoiled all the honest men and women in England already,' (so according to their own account, the worst were left to them). Upon this they gathered great assemblies of priests together, and drew up a number of curses to be read in their several steeple-houses, and that all the people should say Amen to them. Some few I will here set down; the rest may be read in the book before mentioned of 'The Scotch Priests' Principles.'

The first was, 'Cursed is he that said, Every man has a light within him sufficient to lead him to salvation: and let all the people say, Amen.'

The second, ‘Cursed is he that said, faith is without sin: and let all the people say, Amen.'

The third, ‘Cursed is he that denies the Sabbath day: and let all the people say, Amen.'

In this last they make the people curse themselves; for on the biblical Sabbath day, (which is the Seventh-day of the week, which the Jews kept by the command of God to them), these peoples markets and fairs were open; and so the curse returned upon their own heads.

As to the first, concerning the light, Christ  said, 'Believe in the light, that you may become children of the light:' and 'he that believeth shall be saved; he that believeth shall have everlasting life: he that believeth passes from death to life, and is grafted into Christ.' 'And you do well,'  said the apostle, 'that you take heed unto the light that shines in the dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.' So the light is sufficient to lead unto the day star.

As concerning faith, it is the gift of God: and every gift of God is pure. The faith, which Christ is the author of, is precious, divine, and without sin. This is the faith which gives victory over sin, and access to God; in which faith they please God. But those are reprobates [sin still lives in them] themselves concerning this faith, and are in their dead faith, who charge sin upon this faith under pain of a curse; which faith gives victory over their curse, and returns it into their own bowels.
 
There were a company of Scots near Badcow, who challenged a dispute with some of our Scotch Friends, for with me they would not dispute. So some of the Scotch Friends met them at the market-place. The dispute was to be concerning the sabbath day, and some other of their principles before mentioned; and I having got their principles and assertions, showed the Friends where they might easily be overthrown; and a Scotch Friend, a smith, overthrew them clearly.
 
There were two Independent churches in Scotland, in one of which many were convinced; but the pastor of the other was in a great rage against truth and Friends. They had their elders, who sometimes would exercise their gifts among the church members, and were sometimes pretty tender; but their pastor speaking so much against the light, and us, the friends of Christ, he darkened his hearers; so that they grew blind and dry, and lost their tenderness. He continued preaching against Friends, and against the light of Christ Jesus, calling it natural; at last one day in his preaching he cursed the light, and fell down as dead in his pulpit. The people carried him out, laid him upon a grave stone, and poured strong waters into him, which fetched him to life again; and they carried him home, but he was, spiritless. After awhile he stripped off his clothes, put on a Scotch plaid, and went into the country among the dairy-women. When he had stayed there about two weeks he came home, and went into the pulpit again. Upon which the people expected some great manifestation or revelation from him; but, instead of that, he began to tell them what entertainment he had met with; how one woman gave him skimmed milk, another buttermilk, and another good milk. So the people were obliged to take him out of the pulpit again, and carry him home. He that gave me this report, was Andrew Robinson, one of his chief hearers, who came afterwards to be convinced, and received the truth. He said he never heard that he recovered his senses again. By this people may see what came upon him that cursed the light, which light is the life in Christ, the word; and it may be a warning to all others that speak evil against the light of Christ.
 
Now were the priests in such a rage, that they posted to Oliver Cromwell's council in Edinburgh with petitions against me. The message was, 'that all was lost;' for several Friends had come out of England, and spread over Scotland, sounding the day of the Lord, preaching the everlasting gospel of salvation, and turning people to Christ Jesus, who died for them, that they might receive his free teaching. After I had gathered the principles of the Scotch priests, and the sufferings of Friends, and had seen Friends in that part of Scotland settled by the Lord's power upon Christ their foundation, I went to Edinburgh, and on the way came to Linlithgow; where lodging at an inn, the blind innkeeper's wife received the word of life and came under the teaching of Christ Jesus her savior. That night a large number of soldiers and some officers came, and we had long discussions with the officers; some of them were rude. One of the officers said, 'he would obey the Turk's or Pilate's command, if they should command him to guard Christ to crucify him.' He was so far from all tenderness of heart, or a sense of the spirit of Christ, that he would rather crucify the just, than suffer for or with the just; when in fact many officers and magistrates had lost their positions before they would turn against the Lord and his just one.
 
When I had stayed awhile at Edinburgh, I went to Leith, where many officers of the army joined in a meeting with their wives; and many were convinced. Edward Billing's wife was one. She brought a great deal of coral in her hand and threw it on the table before me to see whether I would speak against it or not. I took no notice of it, but declared the truth to her, and she was reached. Many Baptists were very rude; but the Lord's power came over them, so that they went away confounded. Then there came in another sort; one of whom said, 'He would dispute with me; and, for argument's sake, would deny there was a God.' I told him, 'He might be one of those fools that said in his heart, there is no God; but he should know him in the day of his judgment.' So he went his way, and a fine precious time we had afterwards with several people of account; and the Lord's power came over all. William Osborn was with me. Colonel Lidcot's wife, William Welsh's wife, and several of the officers themselves were convinced. Edward Billing and his wife were at that time separated, and lived apart; and she was reached by truth and become loving to Friends. We sent for her husband, who came, and the Lord's power reached to them both; and they joined together in it, and agreed to live together in love and unity as man and wife.

After this we returned to Edinburgh, where many thousands were gathered together, with many priests among them, discussing the burning of a witch; and I was moved to declare the day of the Lord among them. When I was finished, I went from there to our meeting, where many rude people and Baptists came. The Baptists began to vaunt with their logic and syllogisms; but, ‘I was moved in the Lord's power, to thresh their chaffy light minds; and showed the people, that, after that fallacious reasoning, they might make white seem black, and black seem white: or, because a chicken has two legs, and because the people each had two legs; therefore they were all chickens. Thus they might turn anything into lightness and vanity; but it was not the way of Christ, or his apostles to teach, speak, or reason after that manner.' At which point the Baptists went their way; and after they were gone, we had a blessed meeting in the Lord's power, which was over all.

I mentioned before, that many of the Scotch priests, having been greatly disturbed at the spreading of truth and the resulting loss of their members, had gone to Edinburgh to petition the council against me. When I came from the meeting to the inn where I lodged, an officer belonging to the council brought me the following order:

Thursday, the 8th of October, 1657, at his Highness's council in Scotland:
'ORDERED,
     ‘That George Fox do appear before the council on Tuesday the
            18th of October next, in the morning.    E. DOWNING,
                                                                                    Clerk of the Council

When he had delivered me the order, he asked me, 'whether I would appear or not?' I did not tell him whether I would or not; but asked him, ‘If he had not forged the order?' He said, 'No; it was a real order from the council, and he was sent as their messenger with it.' When the time came I appeared, and was taken into a great room, where many people came and looked at me. After awhile the doorkeeper took me into the council chamber; and as I was going in, he took off my hat. I asked him, 'Why he did so, and who was in there that I might not go in with my hat on? I told him, ‘I had been before the protector with my hat on.' But he hung up my hat and took me in before them. When I had stood awhile, and they said nothing to me, I was moved of the Lord to say, 'Peace be among you. Wait in the fear of God, that you may receive his wisdom from above, by which all things were made and created; that by it you may all be ordered, and may order all things under your hands to God's glory.' They asked me, ‘What was the occasion of my coming into that nation?' I told them, I came to visit the seed of God, which had long lain in bondage under corruption; that all in the nation, who professed the scriptures, the words of Christ, of the prophets and apostles, might come to the light, spirit, and power, which they were in who originally spoke them; that in and by the spirit they might understand the scriptures, know Christ and God correctly, have fellowship with them, and one with each other.' They asked me, 'Whether I had any outward business there?' I said, 'No.' Then they asked me: 'How long I intended to stay in that country?' I told them, 'I could say little to that; my time was not to be long; yet in my freedom in the Lord I stood, in the will of him that sent me.' Then they told me to leave; and the doorkeeper took me by the hand, and led me out. In a little time they sent for me in again, and told me, 'I must depart the nation of Scotland by that day seven night.' I asked them, ‘Why? What had I done? What was my transgression that they passed such a sentence upon me to depart out of the nation?' They told me, ‘They would not dispute with me.' I desired them to hear what I had to say to them.' They said, 'They would not hear me.' I told them, 'Pharaoh heard Moses and Aaron, yet he was a heathen; and Herod heard John Baptist; and they should not be worse than these.' But they cried, 'Get out, get out.' So the doorkeeper took me again by the hand and led me out. I returned to my inn, and stayed in Edinburgh; visiting Friends there and in the area, and strengthening them in the Lord. After a little time I wrote a letter to the council, to lay before them their unchristian dealings, in banishing me, an innocent man that sought their salvation and eternal good.

To the council of Edinburgh.

You that sit in council, and bring before your judgment seat the innocent, the just, without showing what evil I have done, or convicting me of any breach of law; and afterwards you banish me out of your nation, without telling me for what; though I told you, when you asked me 'how long I would stay in the nation' that my time was not long, (I spoke it innocently;) yet you banish me. Don’t you realize that all who fear God will see this as wickedness on your parts? Consider, did not they sit in council about Stephen, when they stoned him to death? Did they not sit in council about Peter and John, when they forced them out of the temple, put them out of their council for a little while, and took counsel together; and then brought them in again, threatened, and charged them to speak no more in that name? Was not this to stop the truth from spreading in that time? Had not the priests a hand in these things, with the magistrates and in examining Stephen, when he was stoned to death? Was not the council gathered together against Jesus Christ, to put him to death, and had not the chief priests a hand in it? When they persecute the just, and crucify the just, do they not then neglect judgment, mercy, and justice, and the weighty matters of the law, which is just? Was not the apostle Paul tossed up and down and imprisoned by the priests and the rulers? Was not John Baptist cast into prison? Are not you doing the same work, showing what spirit controls you? Now, do not you show the end of your profession, the end of your prayers, the end of your religion, and the end of your teaching, who have now banished the truth, and him who came to declare it to you? Does not this show all you have are words, out of the life of the prophets, Christ, and his apostles? They never banished anyone. How do you receive strangers; which is a command of God among the prophets, Christ, and the apostles? Some by receiving strangers have entertained angels unknowingly; but you banish one that comes to visit the seed of God, and is not an expense to any of you. Will not all that fear God look upon this to be spite and wickedness against the truth? How are you able to say you obey the command to love enemies, and banish someone who is friendly? How can you obey the command to do good to them that hate you, when you do evil to them that love you? How can comply with the command to heap coals of fire on their heads that hate you, and to overcome evil with good, when you have banished us this way? Do you not show  to all who are in the truth that you do not have the Christian spirit? How did you treat me justly, when without any conviction of evil, you still banish me? This shows that truth is banished out of your hearts, and you have joined against the truth with evil doers; with the wicked, envious priests, stoners, strikers, and mockers in the streets; with these, you that banish have joined; when you should have been a terror to these evil doers, and a praise to them that do well, and nurturer of those in the truth; then you might have been a blessing to the nation, and not have banished him that was moved of the Lord to visit the seed of God, and thereby have brought your names upon record, and made them to stink in ages to come, among them that fear God. Were not the magistrates stirred up in former ages to persecute or banish, by the corrupt priests; and did not the corrupt priests stir up the rude multitude against the just in other ages? Therefore your streets are like Sodom and Gomorrah. Did not the Jews and the priests make the Gentiles' minds envious against the apostles? And who were they that would not have the prophet Amos to prophesy at the king's chapel; but told him to go away? Did not the priests join with the princes in putting Jeremiah in prison, in the dungeon, and in the stocks?  Now see all, that were in this work of banishing, imprisoning, persecuting, whether they were not all out of the life of Christ, the prophets, and apostles? To the witness of God in you all I speak. Consider, whether or not, it was always the blind magistrates who turned their sword always backward, who did not know their friends from their enemies, and so hit their friends? Such magistrates were deceived by flattery.

George Fox

When this was delivered, and read among them, some of them, I heard, were troubled at what they had done; being made sensible that what they had done would not be to their benefit. But it was not long after they had banished me, that they were banished themselves, or glad to get away; who would not do good in the day when they had power, nor allow others that would. 

{I saw that General Monk was a man who had bowed before Oliver Protector, and he had a covering [was just acting], and that when the cover was removed [when he stopped acting] he would resume being the man he had been before Cromwell. Those that banished me, would themselves be banished not many years after; for when they had the power, thay did not do good, or allow others to do good either. [Monk had served Charles I. When Cromwell replaced the King by revolution, Monk became Cromwell's assistant and Commander-in-Chief in Scotland, where he had numerous Quakers under his command as soldiers. Fox wrote he and the army in Scotland a long letter. Upon the Restoration of the monarchy, Charles II came in to succeed Cromwell, and Monk did exactly as Fox had forseen; he joined the Stuart Royalist cause again, showing what an adroit actor he was].}

After I had spent some time among Friends at Edinburgh, and the area, I passed from there to Heads again, where Friends had been in great sufferings; for the Presbyterian priests had excommunicated them, and given orders, that none should buy or sell with them, nor eat nor drink with them. So they could neither sell their commodities, nor buy what they wanted; which made it go very hard with some of them; for if they have bought bread or other victuals of any of their neighbors, the priests threatened them so with curses, that they would run and take it back from them. But colonel Ashfield, being a justice of peace in that country, put a stop to the priests' proceedings. This colonel Ashfield was afterwards convinced himself, had a meeting settled at his house, and declared the truth, and lived and died in it.

After I had visited Friends at and about Heads, and encouraged them in the Lord, I went to Glasgow, where a meeting was announced; but not one of the town came to it. As I went into the city, the guard at the gates took me before the governor, who was a moderate man. I had a great deal of discussion with him; but he was too light to receive the truth; yet he set me at liberty, so I passed to the meeting. Since none of the town's people came to the meeting, we declared truth through the town; then passed away, visiting Friends' meetings in the area, and returned towards Badcow. Several Friends declared truth in their steeple-houses, and the Lord's power was with them. One time as I was going with William Osborn to his house, a company of rude fellows were found on the roadside, where they had hidden themselves under the hedges and in the bushes. Seeing them, I asked William, 'Who are these people?' 'Oh'  he said, 'they are thieves.' Having been moved to go to speak to a priest, Robert Widders was left behind intending to come to us afterwards; so I said to William Osborn, ‘I will stay here in this valley, and you go find Robert Widders.' But he was unwilling to go because he was afraid to leave me there alone with those fellows; until I told him, 'I did not fear them.' Then I called to them, asking them, 'Why they were hiding there?' I bid them to come out and to me; but they were reluctant to come. I warned them to come out, or else it might be worse with them. Then they came trembling to me; for the dread of the Lord had struck them. I admonished them to be honest, and directed them to the light of Christ in their hearts, that by it they might see how evil it was to commit theft and robbery; and the power of the Lord came over them. I stayed there until William Osborn and Robert Widders came back, and then we went on together. If we both had gone on when we first discovered these thieves, and if Robert Widders had returned to meet us alone, he probably would have robbed because there were three or four thieves.

We went to William Osborn's, where we had a good opportunity to declare the truth to several people that came in. Then we went among the Highlanders, who were so devilish that they almost severely injured us and our horses by running at us with pitchforks; but through the Lord's goodness we escaped them, being preserved by his power.
 
From there we passed to Stirling, where the soldiers arrested us and took us to the main-guard. After a few words with their officers, and the Lord's power coming over them, we were set at liberty; but the town was so closed up in darkness that we could not get a meeting among them in the town. The next morning a man arrived with a horse to run a race, and most of the town's people and the officers went to see it. As they returned from the race, I had a magnificent opportunity to declare the day of the Lord and his word of life among them. Some confessed to it, and some opposed; but the Lord's truth and power came over all of them.

Leaving Stirling we came to Burnt-Island, where I had two meetings at captain Pool's; one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. While they went to dinner I walked to the seaside, not having the freedom to eat with them. Both he and his wife were convinced, and became good Friends afterward; and several officers of the army came to the meeting and received the truth.

We passed from there through several other places in that country, until we came to Johnston's; where there were several Baptists, who were very bitter, and came in a rage to dispute with us. Vain janglers and disputers indeed they were. When they could not prevail by disputing, they went and informed the governor against us, and the next morning they raised a whole company of foot, and banished me, Alexander Parker, James Lancaster, and Robert Widders, out of the town. As they guarded us through the town, James Lancaster was moved to sing with a melodious sound in the power of God, and I was moved to proclaim the day of the Lord, and preach the everlasting gospel to the people. For the people generally came forth, so that the streets were filled with them; and the soldiers were so ashamed, that they said, 'they would have rather gone to Jamaica than have guarded us so.' But we were put into a boat with our horses, carried over the water, and there left. The Baptists, who were the cause of our being thus put out of this town, were themselves, not long after, turned out of the army; and he who was then governor was discarded also when the king came in.
 
Being thus thrust out of Johnston's we went to another market town, where Edward Billing and many soldiers quartered. We went to an inn, and desired to have a meeting in the town, that we might preach the everlasting gospel among them. The officers and soldiers said, 'we should have the meeting in the town hall;' but the Scotch magistrates in spite appointed a meeting there that day for the business of the town. When the officer of the soldiery understood and perceived that this meeting was appointed in malice, they wanted us to go into the town hall anyway. But we told them, 'no, by no means;' for then the magistrates might inform the governor against them, and say, ‘they took the town hall from them by force, when they were to do their town business within it.' We told them,'we would go to the marketplace.' They said, 'it was market-day.' We replied, ‘it was so much the better; for we would have all people to hear the truth and know our principles.' So Alexander Parker went and stood upon the market cross with a bible in his hand and declared the truth among the soldiers and market people; but the Scots being a dark and carnal people, gave little heed or hardly took notice of what was said. Soon after, I was moved of the Lord God to stand up at the cross and to declare with a loud voice the everlasting truth, and that the day of the Lord that was coming upon all sin and wickedness. At that point the people came running out of the town hall in such numbers together that at last we had a large meeting; for they only sat in the court as a means to keep us from meeting in the town hall. When the people came out of the town hall, the magistrates followed them. Some walked by, but some stayed and heard; and the Lord's power came over all and kept all quiet. The people were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for them, and had enlightened them, that with his light they might see their evil deeds, be saved from their sins by him, and might come to know him to be their teacher. But if they would not receive Christ, and own him, it was told them, that this light which came from him would be their condemnation.

Several of them were very loving to us, especially the English, and some came afterwards to be convinced. But there was a soldier that was very envious against us; he hated both us and the truth, spoke evil of the truth, and very despitefully against the light of Christ Jesus, which we bore testimony to. He was a zealous supporter of the priests and their hearers. As this man was holding his hat before his face, while the priest prayed, one of the priest's hearers stabbed him to death. So he, who had rejected the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, and cried down the servants of the Lord, was murdered among them whom he had so cried up, and by one of them.
 
We traveled from this town to Leith, warning and exhorting people as we went, to turn to the Lord. At Leith the innkeeper told me, the counsel had granted warrants to apprehend me, 'because I had not left the nation after the seven days had expired in which they had ordered me to depart the nation.' Several friendly people also came and told me the same. To whom I said; 'Why do you tell me of their warrants against me? If there were a cart load of them, I would not regard them; for the Lord's power is over them all.'

I again went from Leith to Edinburgh where they said the warrants from the counsel were out against me. I went to the inn where I had lodged before, and no man interfered with me. After I had visited Friends in the city in the morning, I told those who traveled with me to get their horses ready, and we rode out of town together. With me were Thomas Rawlinson, Alexander Parker, and Robert Widders. When we had gone out of the town, they asked me, ‘Where was I going?' I told them, ‘It was upon me from the Lord to go back again to Johnston, (the town out of which we had been lately expelled), and to set the power of God and his truth over them also.' Alexander Parker said, ‘He would go along with me;' and I wished the other two to stay at a town about three miles from Edinburgh until we returned. Then Alexander Parker and I crossed over the river, which was about three miles away, and rode through the country; but in the afternoon, his horse was weak and not able to keep up with mine. So, I went on and went into Johnston's just as they were drawing up the bridges. The officers and soldiers never questioned me, and I rode up the street to captain Davenport's, from where we had been banished. There were many officers with him; and when I came among them they lifted up their hands, admiring that I should come again; but I told them, 'the Lord God had sent me among them again.' So they went about their business; and the Baptists sent me a letter as a challenge, 'that they would debate with me the next day.' I sent them word, 'I would meet them at an appointed house, about half a mile out of the town, at an appointed hour. For I considered, if I should stay in town to debate with them, they might, under the pretence of debating with me, have raised men to put me out of town again, as they had done before. At the time appointed I went to the place with captain Davenport and his son accompanying me; where I stayed and waited several hours, but not one of them came. While I stayed waiting for them, I saw Alexander Parker coming. The night before he had not been able to reach the town and had lodged outside the town. I was exceedingly glad that we had met up again.
 
This Captain Davenport was then loving to Friends; but afterwards, as he came into more obedience to truth, he lost his position for not putting off his hat and for saying thee and thou to them.
 
When we had waited beyond reasonable time to expect any of their coming, we departed; and Alexander Parker was moved to go again to the town where we had the meeting at the market-cross. I passed alone to Lieutenant Foster's quarters, where I found several officers wh0 were convinced. From there I went to the town where I had left the other two Friends, and they and I went back to Edinburgh together.

When had arrived at the city, I told Robert Widders to follow me; and in the dread and power of the Lord, we came up to the two first sentries; the Lord's power so overcame them that we passed by without any examination. Then we rode up the street to the marketplace and past the main-guard out at the gate by the third sentry, and so clear out to the suburbs; and there we came to an inn and put up our horses, it being Seventh-day. Now I saw and felt that we had ridden, as it were, against the cannon's mouth or the sword's point; but the Lord's power and immediate hand carried us over the heads of them all. The next day I went to the meeting in the city, Friends having been advised that I would attend it. Many officers and soldiers came to it, and it was a glorious meeting; the everlasting power of God was set over the nation, and his son reigned in his glorious power. All was quiet, and no man tried to interfere with me. When the meeting was over, and after I had visited Friends, I went out of the city back to my inn. The next day, being Second-day, we set forward towards the borders of England.

As we traveled along the country I saw a steeple-house, and it struck at my life. I asked what steeple-house it was? And was answered, it was Dunbar. When I came there and had lodged at an inn, I walked to the steeple-house, having a Friend or two with me. When we came to the steeple-house yard, one of the chief men of the town was walking there. I asked one of the Friends that was with me, 'to go to him, and tell him, that at nine the next morning there would be a meeting there of the people of God called Quakers; of which we desired he would give notice to the people of the town.' He sent me word, 'that they were to have a lecture there at nine; but that we might have our meeting there at eight in the morning if we wished.' We agreed and asked him to give notice of it. Accordingly, in the morning both rich and poor came; and since there was a captain of horse quartered in the town, he and his troopers also came, so that we had a large assembly of people; and a glorious meeting it was, the Lord's power being set over all. After some time the priest came, and went into the steeple-house; but since we were in the yard, most of the people stayed with us. Friends were so full, and their voices so high in the power of God that the priest could accomplish little in the steeple-house; so he came quickly out again, stood awhile, and then went his way. I opened to the people, 'where they might find Christ Jesus, turned them to the light, with which he had enlightened them; and that in the light they might see Christ who died for them, turn to him, and know him to be their savior and teacher. I let them see that the teachers, which they had thus far followed, were hirelings, who made the gospel chargeable. I showed them the wrong ways they had walked in, in the night of apostasy; and directed them to Christ, the new and living way to God. I explained to them how they had lost the religion and worship, which Christ had set up in spirit and truth, and how since that time, people had been in the religions and worships invented and established by men only. And after I had turned the people to the spirit of God, which had led the holy men of God to issue the scriptures; I showed them that they must also come to receive and be led by the same spirit in themselves, (a measure of which was given unto every one of them), if they were ever to know God, and Christ, and the scriptures correctly. Perceiving the other Friends that were with me were full of power and the word of the Lord, I stepped down, deferring to them to declare what they had from the Lord to the people. Towards the latter end of the meeting, some professors began to argue on doctrinal points. At which time I stood up again and answered their questions, so that they seemed to be satisfied; and our meeting ended in the Lord's power, quiet and peaceful. This was the last meeting I had in Scotland. The truth and power of God was set over that nation, and many, by the power and spirit of God, were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, their savior and teacher, whose blood was shed for them; and afterwards the was a great increase in their number, and even greater numbers will there be in Scotland. For when first I set my horse's feet upon the Scottish ground, I felt the seed of God to sparkle about me, like innumerable sparks of fire. This was not to deny the abundance of thick, cloddy earth of hypocrisy and falseness atop the ground; and a briery, brambly nature, which is to be burned up with God's word, and ploughed up with his spiritual plough, before God's seed brings forth heavenly and spiritual fruit to his glory. But the husbandman is to wait in patience.
 
From Dunbar we came to Berwick, where we were questioned a little by the officers; but the governor was loving towards us, and in the evening we had a little meeting, in which the power of the Lord was manifested over all.

Leaving Berwick we came to Morpeth, and through the country, visiting Friends, to Newcastle, where I had been once before. The Newcastle priests had written many books against us, and one named Ledger, an alderman of the town, was very envious against truth and Friends. He and the priests had said, 'The Quakers would not come into any great towns, but lived in the fields, like butterflies.' I took Anthony Pearson with me, and went to this man named Ledger, who was with several other aldermen. I told them 'we had arrived in their great town, and seeing that they had written so many books against us, we wished to have a meeting with the people of the town and them.' But they would not allow a meeting; neither would they listen to us, except Ledger and one other alderman. I asked, 'Had they not called Friends butterflies, and said we would not come into any great towns? And now that we were in their town, they would not meet with us, though they printed books against us; who are the butterflies now?' Then Ledger began to plead for the sabbath day. I told him that they kept markets and fairs on the real sabbath day, for the real sabbath day was the seventh day of the week; whereas that day which the professed christians now meet on, and call their sabbath, is the first day of the week.' Since we could not have a public meeting among them, we had a little meeting among Friends and friendly people at the Gate-side; where a meeting is continued to this day in the name of Jesus. As I was passing by the market-place, the power of the Lord rose in me to warn them of the day of the Lord that was coming upon them. And not long after, all those priests of Newcastle and their profession were expelled when the king came in.

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