On the First-day after the act came in force, I went to the meeting at GRACECHURCH-STREET, where I expected the storm was most likely to begin. When I came there, I found the street full of people, and a guard set to keep Friends out of their meeting-house. I went to the other passage out of Lombard-street, where also I found a guard; but the court was full of people, and a Friend was speaking amongst them; but he did not speak long. When he had done, I stood up, and was moved to say, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against that which pricks thee. Then I showed that it is Saul’s nature, that persecutes still, and that they who persecute Christ in his members now, where he is made manifest, kick against that which pricks them. That it was the birth of the flesh that persecuted the birth born of the Spirit; and that it was the nature of dogs to tear and devour the sheep, but that we suffered as sheep that bite not again; for we were a peaceable people, and loved them that persecuted us.” After I had spoken a while to this effect, the constable came with an informer and soldiers; and as they pulled me down, I said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The commander of the soldiers put me among the soldiers, and bid them secure me, saying to me, “You are the man I looked for.” They took also John Burnyeat and another Friend, and led us away first to the Exchange, and afterwards towards Moorfields. As we went along the streets the people were very moderate; some of them laughed at the constable, and told him, “we would not run away.” The informer went with us unknown, till falling into discourse with one of the company, he said, “It would never be a good world till all people came to the good old religion that was two hundred years ago.” Whereupon I asked him, “Art thou a Papist? What! a Papist informer; for two hundred years ago there was no other religion but that of the Papists.” He saw he had ensnared himself, and was vexed at it; for as he went along the streets, I spoke often to him, and manifested what he was. When we were come to the mayor’s house, and were in the court-yard, several of the people that stood about, asked me, “how and for what I was taken?” I desired them to ask the informer, and also know what his name was; but he refused to tell his name. Whereupon one of the mayor’s officers looking out at a window, told him, “he should tell his name before he went away; for the lord mayor would know by what authority he intruded himself with soldiers into the execution of those laws which belonged to the civil magistrate to execute, and not to the military.” After this, he was eager to be gone; and went to the porter to be let out. One of the officers called to him, saying, “Have you brought people here to inform against, and now will you go away before my lord mayor comes?” Some called to the porter not to let him out; whereupon he forcibly pulled open the door, and slipped out.