The same day that this preacher was thus attacked with his own sword, being the first of the week, several of G. Fox’s friends, and among them, William Dewsbury, went, one to this, and others to other steeple-houses; and by such means, the number of the said friends increased; though Dewsbury at that time was so violently beaten by the people that he was almost killed; but the Lord’s power healed him. But to return to Robert Widders: he being recovered from the rude treatment he met with, as hath been said, felt himself so encouraged anew, and strengthened in his undertakings, that he went, the same day in the afternoon, seven miles to Ackton steeple-house, when he spoke to priest Nichols, and calling him an enemy of Christ, told him, also, that the hand of the Lord was against him. Then William Briscoe, a justice of Crofton, commanded the constable to secure Robert; which he did, and carried him to the priest’s house; where being examined by the justice, the priest began to fawn upon him. Thereupon Robert told the priest, that the spirit of persecution lodged in him. But the priest said, ‘No, he was not such a man.’ Yet presently after he said to the justice, that Robert had stolen the horse he came with: and, that he could find in his heart to become his executioner with his own hands: which made Robert say, ‘Did I not say unto thee, that the spirit of persecution lodged in thee?’ Then the aforesaid justice writ a warrant to send Robert to Carlisle jail; and after having given the warrant to the constable he asked Robert, by what authority or power he came to seduce and bewitch the people? Robert answered, ‘I came not to seduce and bewitch people, but I came in that power which shall make thee, and all the powers of the earth, bend and bow down before it, to wit, the mighty power of God.’ Whilst Robert was speaking thus, the dread of the Lord seized on the justice, and so struck him, that he called for his warrant again, and took it out of the constable’s hand, suffering Robert, about night, to go away.