Passing from thence, he heard of a people that were in prison in Coventry for religion; and as he was walking towards the jail, the word of the Lord, (as he relates,) came to him, saying, ‘My love was always to thee, and thou art in my love.’ By this he was overcome with a sense of the love of God, and much strengthened in his inward man. But coming into the jail, a great power of darkness struck at him; for instead of meeting such as were imprisoned for religion, he found them to be blasphemers, who were come to that degree, that they said they were gods; and this their wicked opinion they endeavoured to maintain by Scripture, misapplying what was said to the Apostle Peter, when the sheet was let down to him, viz. ‘What was sanctified he should not call common or unclean:’ and the words of the Apostle Paul, concerning ‘God’s reconciling all things to himself, things in heaven, and things on earth.’ G. Fox was greatly grieved at this profaneness, told them that these Scriptures were nothing to their purpose; and seeing they said they were gods, he asked them, if they knew whether it would rain to-morrow; and they saying, they could not tell; he told them God could tell. He asked them also, if they thought they should always be in that condition, or should change: and they answering, that they could not tell; G. Fox told them, that God could tell it, and that he did not change. This confounded them and brought them down for that time: so after having reproved them for their blasphemous expressions he went away. Not long after this, one of these ranters, whose name was John Salmon, gave forth a book of recantation, upon which they were set at liberty. From Coventry, G. Fox went to Atherstone, where, going into the chapel, he declared to the priests and the people, that God was come to teach his people himself, and to bring them off from all their man-made teachers, to hear his Son. And though some few raged, yet they were generally pretty quiet, and some were convinced. After this service, he went to Market-Bosworth, and coming into the public place of worship, he found Nathaniel Stevens preaching, who as hath been said already, was priest of the town where G. Fox was born; here G. Fox taking occasion to speak, Stevens told the people, he was mad, and that they should not hear him; though he had said before to one Colonel Purfoy concerning him, that there was never such a plant bred in England. The people now being stirred up by this priest, fell upon G. Fox and his friends, and stoned them out of the town. Nevertheless this wrought on the minds of some others, so that they were made loving.