Thence I passed on through the country, and came at night to an inn
where was a company of rude people. I bade the woman of the house, if
she had any meat, to bring me some; but because I said Thee and Thou
to her, she looked strangely on me. I asked her if she had any milk.
She said, No. I was sensible she spake falsely; and, being willing to
try her further, I asked her if she had any cream? She denied that
she had any.
There stood a churn in the room, and a little boy, playing about, put
his hands into it and pulled it down, and threw all the cream on the
floor before my eyes. Thus was the woman manifested to be a liar.
She was amazed, blessed herself, took up the child, and whipped it
sorely: but I reproved her for her lying and deceit. After the Lord
had thus discovered her deceit and perverseness, I walked out of the
house, and went away till I came to a stack of hay, and lay in the
hay-stack that night, in rain and snow, it being but three days
before the time called Christmas.
The next day I came into York, where were several very tender people.
Upon the First-day following, I was commanded of the Lord to go and
speak to priest Bowles and his hearers in their great cathedral.
Accordingly I went. When the priest had done, I told them I had
something from the Lord God to speak to the priest and people. "Then
say on quickly," said a professor, for there was frost and snow, and
it was very cold weather. Then I told them that this was the Word of
the Lord God unto them,--that they lived in words, but God Almighty
looked for fruits amongst them.
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, they hurried me out, and
threw me down the steps. But I got up again without hurt, and went to
my lodging, and several were convinced there. For that which arose
from the weight and oppression that was upon the Spirit of God in
me, would open people, strike them, and make them confess that the
groans which broke forth through me did reach them, for my life was
burthened with their profession without possession, and their words
without fruit.
[After being thus violently tumbled down the steps of the great
minster, George Fox found his next few days crowded with hot
discussion. Papists and Ranters and Scotch "priests" made him
stand forth for the hope that was in him. The Ranters, he says,
"had spent their portions, and not living in that which they
spake of, were now become dry. They had some kind of meetings,
but they took tobacco and drank ale in their meetings and were
grown light and loose." After the narrative of an attempt to
push him over the cliffs the account continues.]
Another priest sent to have a dispute with me, and Friends went with
me to the house where he was; but when he understood we were come, he
slipped out of the house, and hid himself under an hedge. The people
went and found him, but could not get him to come to us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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