G. F.’ And that to justice Barton was thus worded: ‘Friend, ‘Thou that preachest Christ, and the Scriptures in words, when any come to follow that, which thou hast spoken of, and to live the life of the Scriptures, then they that speak the Scriptures, but do not lead their lives according thereunto, persecute them that do. Mind the prophets, and Jesus Christ, and his apostles, and all the holy men of God; what they spake, was from the life; but they that had not the life, but the words, persecuted and imprisoned them that lived in the life, which they had backslidden from. G. F.’ Now, though the Mayor of Derby did not sign the mittimus, yet having had a hand with the rest in sending G. Fox to prison, he also writ to him after this manner: ‘Friend, ‘Thou art set in place to do justice; but in imprisoning my body, thou hast done contrary to justice, according to your own law. O take heed of pleasing men more than God, for that is the way of the Scribes and Pharisees; they sought the praise of men more than God. Remember who said, ‘I was a stranger and ye took me not in; was in prison, and ye visited me not.’ O friend, thy envy is not against me, but against the power of truth. I had no envy to you, but love. O take heed of oppression, ‘for the day of the Lord is coming, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, and all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble; and the day that cometh, shall burn them up,’ saith the Lord of Hosts: ‘it shall leave them neither root nor branch.’ O friend, if the love of God were in thee, thou wouldst love the truth, and hear the truth spoken, and not imprison unjustly: the love of God beareth, and suffereth, and envieth no man. If the love of God had broken your hearts, you would show mercy; but you do show forth what ruleth you. Every tree doth show forth its fruit: you do show forth your fruits openly. For drunkenness, swearing, pride, and vanity, rule among you, from the teacher to the people. O friend! mercy and true judgment, and justice, are cried for in your streets. Oppression, unmercifulness, cruelty, hatred, pride, pleasures, wantonness, and fullness, is in your streets; but the poor is not regarded. O take heed of the wo: wo be to the crown of pride! wo be to them that drink wine in bowls, and the poor is ready to perish. O remember Lazarus and Dives: one fared deliciously every day; and the other was a beggar. O friend, mind these things, for they are near, and see, whether thou be not the man, that is in Dives’s state.’ To those of the Court at Derby, he also writ the following exhortation.