"Hardly ever before has there been so much wickedness at liberty
as there is at this day, as though there were no terror nor
sword of magistracy. Such looseness doth not grace a government,
nor please them that do well. Our prayers are for them that are
in authority, that under them we may live a godly life in peace,
and that we may not be brought into ungodliness by them. Hear
and consider, and do good in thy time, whilst thou hast power;
be merciful and forgive; that is the way to overcome and obtain
the kingdom of Christ.
G. F."
It was long before the sheriff would yield to remove me to London
unless I would seal a bond to him, and bear the charges; which I
still refused to do. Then they consulted how to convey me up, and
first concluded to send up a party of horse with me. I told them, "If
I were such a man as you have represented me to be, you would have
need to send a troop or two of horse to guard me."
When they considered what a charge it would be to them to send up a
party of horse with me, they altered their purpose, and concluded to
send me up guarded only by the jailer and some bailiffs. But upon
farther consideration they found that this also would be a great
charge to them, and therefore they sent for me to the jailer's house,
and told me that if I would put in bail that I would be in London on
such a day of the term, I should have leave to go up with some of my
own friends.
I told them I would neither put in bail, nor give one piece of silver
to the jailer; for I was an innocent man,--that they had imprisoned
me wrongfully, and laid a false charge upon me. Nevertheless, I said,
if they would let me go up with one or two of my friends to bear me
company, I might go up and be in London on such a day, if the Lord
should permit; and if they desired it, I or any of my friends that
went with me would carry up their charge against myself.
When they saw they could do no otherwise with me, the sheriff
consented that I should come up with some of my friends, without any
other engagement than my word, to appear before the judges at London
such a day of the term, if the Lord should permit.
Thereupon I was let out of prison, and went to Swarthmore, where I
stayed two or three days; and thence went to Lancaster, and so to
Preston, having meetings amongst Friends till I came into Cheshire,
to William Gandy's, where was a large meeting without doors, the
house not being sufficient to contain it. That day the Lord's
everlasting Seed, which is the heir of the promise, was set over all,
and Friends were turned to it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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