The sessions coming on, I went to LANCASTER, and appeared according to my engagement. There was upon the bench Justice Fleming, who had bid five pounds in Westmorland to any man that would apprehend me; for he was a justice both in Westmorland and Lancashire. There were also Justice Spencer, Colonel West, and old Justice Rawlinson the lawyer, who gave the charge, and was very sharp against truth and Friends; but the Lord’s power stopped them. The session was large, and the concourse of people great; and way being made for me, I came up to the bar and stood there with my hat on, they looking earnestly upon me, and I upon them for a pretty space. Proclamation being made for all to keep silence upon pain of imprisonment, and all being quiet, I said twice, “Peace be among you.” The chairman asked, “If I knew where I was;” I said, “yes, I do, but it may be,” said I, “my hat offends you; that is a low thing, that is not the honour that I give to magistrates; for the true honour is from above; which I have received, and I hope it is not the hat which ye look upon to be the honour.” The chairman said, “they looked for the hat too,” and asked, “wherein I showed my respect to magistrates, if I did not put off my hat?” I replied, “In coming when they called me.” Then they bid one, “take off my hat.” After which it was some time before they spoke to me, and I felt the power of the Lord to arise. After some pause, old Justice Rawlinson, the chairman, asked me, “if I knew of the plot?” I told him, “I had heard of it in Yorkshire, by a Friend, that had it from the high-sheriff.” Then they asked me, “whether I had declared it to the magistrates.” I said, “I had sent papers abroad against plots and plotters, and also to you, as soon as I came into the country, to take all jealousies out of your minds concerning me and my friends; for it was and is our principle to declare against such things.“ They asked me then, “if I knew not of an act against meetings.” I said, “I knew there was an act that took hold of such as met to the terrifying of the king’s subjects, and were enemies to the king, and held dangerous principles; but I hoped, they did not look upon us to be such men, for our meetings were not to terrify the king’s subjects, neither are we enemies to him or any man.” Then they tendered me the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. I told them “I could not take any oath at all, because Christ and his apostle had forbidden it; and they had had sufficient experience of swearers, first one way, then another; but I had never taken any oath in my life.” Then Rawlinson the lawyer asked me, “whether I held it was unlawful to swear?” This question he put on purpose to ensnare me; for by an act that was made, such were liable to banishment or a great fine that should say, it was “unlawful to swear.” But I seeing the snare, avoided it, and told him, “that in the time of the law amongst the Jews, before Christ came, the law