And then turning himself to G. Fox, said, ‘George, if thou hast any thing to say to the people, thou mayest freely declare it.’ Then he began to speak; but priest Marshal, the orator for the other priests, went away presently. Now that which G. Fox declared, was, that ‘the holy Scriptures were given forth by the Spirit of God; and that all people must first come to the Spirit of God in themselves, by which they might know God and Christ, of whom the prophets and apostles learnt, and also know the holy Scriptures. For as the Spirit of God was in them that gave forth the Scripture; so the same Spirit of God must also be in those that come to know and understand the Scriptures: by which Spirit they might have fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, and with one another: and that without that Spirit, they could know neither God nor Christ, nor the Scriptures, nor have right fellowship with one another.’ No sooner had he spoken these words, but about half a dozen priests burst out into a passion, and one of them, whose name was Jackus, said that the Spirit and the letter were inseparable: which made G. Fox answer, ‘Then every one that hath the letter, hath the Spirit; and they might buy the Spirit with the letter of the Scripture.’ To which judge Fell, and colonel West added, that according to that position, they might carry the Spirit in their pockets, as they did the Scriptures. The justices also bid Jackus prove what he had said. But he finding himself caught, would have denied it; and the other priests endeavoured to disguise his words with a pretended meaning. But the justices would admit no other meaning, than the plain sense of the words. And seeing the witnesses did not agree, and perceiving that they were set on by the envy of the priests, they discharged him, and after judge Fell had spoken to the justices Sawrey and Thompson, concerning the warrant they had given forth against G. Fox, showing that this tended to encourage such riots as those in the Isle of Walney, he and colonel West granted a supersedeas, to stop the execution of the said warrant. G. Fox, being thus cleared in open sessions, many people rejoiced, and were that day convinced of the Truth declared by him in the court; and among these, one justice Benson, and the mayor of Lancaster, whose name was Ripan; also one Thomas Briggs, who had been very averse to, and an opposer of, the Quakers so called; and this same Briggs became afterwards a faithful minister of the gospel amongst them, and remained so to the end of his days.