Thus travelling on, he came near Sedbergh; there he went to a meeting at Justice Benson’s, where a people met that were separated from the public worship; and, by his preaching he gave such general satisfaction, that most of the hearers were convinced of the Truth declared by him. Thus the number of his fellow-believers increased so, that now they had meetings by themselves, in many places of the country. About this time there being a fair at Sedbergh, G. Fox declared the day of the Lord through the fair: and afterwards went into the steeple-house yard, where abundance of people came to him: here he preached for several hours, showing, that the Lord was come to teach his people himself, and to bring them off from all the world’s ways and teachers, to Christ, the true teacher, and the true way to God. Moreover, he showed the declining state of the modern doctors and teachers; and exhorted the people to come off from the temples made with hands, and wait to receive the Spirit of the Lord, that they might know themselves to be the temples of God. None of the priests, several of whom were there, spoke against what he had declared; but a captain said, ‘Why will ye not go into the church; for this is not a fit place to preach in?’ G. Fox told him, ‘That he did not approve of their church.’ Then stood up one Francis Howgill, who was a preacher, and though he never had seen G. Fox before, yet he was so affected with him, that he answered the captain, and soon put him to silence: for, said Howgill, ‘This man speaks with authority, and not as the scribes.’ After this, G. Fox opened to the people, ‘That that ground and house was not more holy than another place; and that the house was not the church, but the people, whom Christ was the head of.’ Then the priests coming to him he warned them to repent; upon which one of them said, he was mad; but notwithstanding his saying so, many were convinced there that day; and amongst these, one Captain Ward.