ett, a Friend of Cirencester, to accompany him. When they came to the bishop's house at Cleve, near Gloucester, they found a butcher's wife, of Cirencester, who was come to intercede for her husband, who was put into the bishop's court for killing meat on first-days. Two young sparks of the bishop's attendance, were asking her if she knew John Haywood? She answered, "Yes, very well." "What is he for a man?" said they. "A very good man," said she, "setting aside his reli him full satisfaction. Some time after the bishop sent his bailiff to take my father; but he was then gone to Bristol with George Fox. The officers came several times and searched the house for him, pretending they only wanted him for a small trespass, which would soon be made up, if they could see him. My mother answered, she did not believe any neighbour he had would trouble him upon such an account; for if by chance any of his cattle trespassed upon any, he would readily make them satisfaction, without further trouble.gion; but I have nothing to say to that." One of Which they very well knew. However, she always treated them civilly, and frequently set meat and drink before them. My father staying away longer than was expected, they imagined he absconded for fear of them; and therefore offered my mother, if she would give them twenty shillings, to let him come home for a month. But she told them she knew of no wrong he had done to any man, and therefore would give them no money; for that would imply a consciousness of guilt. "But," said she, "if my enemy hunger, I can feed him; and if he thirst, I can give him drink." Upon this they flew into a rage, and said, they would have him if he were above ground; for none could pardon him but the king. My father returning home through Tedbury, was there | informed that the bailiffs had been about his house almost ever since he went from home. He therefore contrived to come home after daylight; when he came into his own grounds, the moon shining bright, he espied the shadow of a man, and asked, "Who is there?" "It is I," says the man. John Roberts. Who! Sam. Stubbs? John Roberts. Hast thou any thing against me? (He was a bailiff.) them said he would give five shillings to see him; the other offered eight. Upon which my father stepped up to them; but they said not one word to him. One of them presently informed the bishop he was come. Whereupon the bishop dismissed his company, and had him up stairs. My father found him seated in his chair, with his hat under his arm, assuming a majestic air. My father stood silent a while; and seeing the bishop did not begin with him, he approached nearer, and thus accosted him: "Old man my business is with thee." Bishop. What is your business with me? John Roberts. I have heard thou hast sent out thy bailiffs to take me; but I rather chose to come myself, to know what wrong I have done thee. If it appear I have done thee any, I am ready to make thee satisfaction; but if, upon inquiry, I appear to be innocent, I desire thee, for thy own soul's sake, thou dost not injure me. Bishop. You are misinformed, friend; I am not your adversary. John Roberts. Then I desire thee to tell me who is my adversary, that I may go and agree with him while I am in the way. The Bishop. The king is your adversary. king's laws you have broken, and to the king you shall answer; that is more. Sam. Stubbs. No, master: I might; but I would not meddle: I have wronged you enough already; God forgive me. But those who now John Roberts. Our subjection to laws is either lie in wait for you are the Paytons, my lord bish-active or passive. So that if a man cannot, for op's bailiffs. I would not have you fall into their conscience-sake, do the thing the law requires, hands, for they are merciless rogues. I would but passively suffers what the law inflicts, the have you, master, take my counsel; ever while law, I conceive, is as fully answered as if he had you live please a knave, for an honest man will actually obeyed. not hurt you. My father came home, and desired us not to let the bailiffs in upon him that night, that he might have an opportunity of taking counsel on his pillow. In the morning he told my mother what he had seen that night in a vision. "I thought," said he, "I was walking a fine pleasant green way; but it was narrow, and had a wall on each side of it. In my way lay something like a bear, but more dreadful. The sight of him put me to a stand. A man seeing me surprised, came to me with a smiling countenance, and said, Why art thou afraid, friend? he is chained, and cannot hurt thec. I thought I made answer, The way is so narrow, I cannot pass by but he may reach me. Do not be afraid, says the man, he cannot hurt thee. I saw he spoke in great good will, and thought his face shone like the face of an angel. Upon which I took courage, and stepping forward, laid my hand upon his head." The construction he made of this to my mother was: Truth is a narrow way, and this bishop lies in my way; I must go to him, whatever I suffer. So he arose and set forward, and called upon Amariah Drew Bishop. You are wrong in that too; for sup pose a man steal an ox, and then be taken, and hanged for the fact; what restitution is that to the owner? John Roberts. None at all. But though it is no restitution to the owner, yet the law is satisfied. Though the owner be a loser, the criminal has suffered the punishment the law inflicts, as an equivalent for the crime committed. But thou mayest see the corruptness of such laws, which put the life of a man upon a level with the life of a beast. Bishop. What! do such men as you find fault with the laws? John Roberts. Yes; and I will tell thee plainly, it is high time wiser men were chosen, to make better laws. For if this thief was taken and sold for a proper term, according to the law of Moses, and the owner had four oxen for his ox, and four sheep for his sheep, he would be satisfied, and the man's life preserved, that he might repent, and amend his ways. But I hope thou dost not accuse me of having stolen any man's ox or ass. Bishop. No, no; God forbid! John Roberts. Then if thou pleasest to give me leave, I will state a case more parallel to the matter in hand. Bishop. You may. John Roberts. There lived in days past, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who set up an image, and made a decree, that all who would not bow to it, should be cast the same hour into a burning fiery furnace. There were then three young men, who served the same God that I do now, and these durst not bow down to it; but passively submitted their bodies to the flames. Was not that a sufficient satisfaction to the unjust decree of the king? Bishop. Yes: God forbid else. For that was to worship the workmanship of men's hands; which is idolatry. John Roberts. Is that thy judgment, that to worship the workmanship of men's hands is idolatry? Bishop. Yes, certainly. John Roberts. Then give me leave to ask thee, by whose hands the common-prayer-book was made, I am sure it was made by somebody's hands, for it could not make itself? Bishop. Do you compare our common-prayerbook to Nebuchadnezzar's image? put mass into their mouths, they would have conformed even to that for their bellies. Bishop. What would you have us do? would you have Oliver cut our throats? But what John Roberts. No, by no means. religion was that you were afraid to venture your throats for? Be it known unto thee, I ventured my throat for my religion in Oliver's days as I do now. Bishop. And I must tell you, though in Oliver's days I did not dare to own it as I do now, yet I never owned any other religion. John Roberts. Then I suppose thou madest a conscience of it; and I should abundantly rather choose to fall into such a man's hands, than into the hands of one who makes no conscience towards God, but will conform to any thing for his belly. But if thou didst not think thy religion worth venturing thy throat for in Oliver's days, I desire thee to consider, it is not worth cutting other men's throats now, for not conforming to it. Bishop. You say right; I hope we shall have a care how we cut men's throats. (Several others were now come into the room.) But you know the common-prayer-book was before Oliver's days. John Roberts. Yes; I have a great deal of reason to know that; for I was bred up under a John Roberts. Yes, I do that was his image, common-prayer priest, and a poor old drunken and this is thine. And be it known unto thee, I man he was: sometimes he was so drunk he could speak in the dread of the God of heaven, I no-not say his prayers, and at best he could but say more dare bow to thy common-prayer-book than the three children could to Nebuchadnezzar's im age. Bishop. Yours is a strange upstart religion, of a very few years standing, and you are grown so confident in it, that there is no beating you out of it. John Roberts. Out of my religion? God forbid! I was a long time seeking acquaintance with the living God amongst the dead forms of worship, and inquiring after the right way and worship of God, before I could find it; and now, I hope neither thou nor any man living shall be able to persuade me out of it. But though thou art an ancient man and a bishop, I find thou art very ignorant of the rise and antiquity of our religion? Bishop. (Smiling.) Do you Quakers pretend antiquity for your religion? John Roberts. Yes; and I do not question, but, with the help of God, I can make it appear that our religion was many hundred years before thine was thought of. Bishop. You see I have given you liberty of discourse, and have not sought to ensnare you in your words; but if you can make the Quakers' religion appear to be many hundred years older than mine, you will speed the better. John Roberts. If I do not, I seek no favour at thy hands, and in order to do it, I hope thou will give me liberty to ask a few sober questions. Bishop. You may. John Roberts. Then first I would ask thee, where was thy religion in Oliver's days? The common-prayer-book was then become, (even among the clergy,) like an old almanac, very few regarding it in our country. There were two or three priests indeed, who stood honestly to their principles, and suffered pretty much; but the far greater number turned with the tide; and we have reason to believe, that if Oliver would have them; though I think he was by far a better man than he that is priest there now. Bishop. Who is your minister now? John Roberts. My minister is Christ Jesus, the minister of the everlasting covenant; but the present priest of the parish is George Bull. Bishop. Do you say that drunken old man was better than Mr. Bull? I tell you, I account Mr. Bull as sound, able, and orthodox a divine as any we have among us. John Roberts. I am sorry for that; for if he is one of the best of you, I believe the Lord will not suffer you long; for he is a proud, ambitious, ungodly man; he has often sued me at law, and brought his servants to swear against me wrongfully. His servants themselves have confessed to my servants, that I might have their ears; for their master made them drunk, and then told them they were set down in the list as witnesses against me, and they must swear to it: and so they did,. and brought treble damages. They likewise owned they took tithes from my servant, threshed them out, and sold them for their master. They have also several times took my cattle out of my grounds, drove them to fairs and markets, and sold them without giving me any account. Bishop. I do assure you I will inform Mr. Bull of what you say. John Roberts. Very well. And if thou pleasest to send for me to face him, I shall make much more appear to his face than I will say behind his back. Bishop. But I remember you said you could make it appear that your religion was long before mine; and that is what I want to hear you make out. John Roberts. Our religion, as thou mayest read in the Scripture, (John iv.) was set up by Christ himself, between sixteen and seventeen hundred years ago; and he had full power to es tablish the true religion in his church, when he told the woman of Samaria, that neither at that mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, was the place of true worship. They worship they knew not what. For, said he, God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. This is our religion, and hath ever been the religion of all those who have worshipped God acceptably through the several ages since, down to this time; and will be the religion of the true spiritual worshippers of God to the world's end; a religion performed by the assistance of the Spirit of God, because God is a Spirit; a religion established by Christ himself, before the mass-book, service-book, or directory, or any of those inventions and traditions of men, which in the night of apostacy were John Roberts. Yes, they are. If any hold doctrines contrary to that taught by our Saviour to the woman of Samaria, they are not of us. Bishop. Do you own the trinity? John Roberts. I do not remember such a word in the holy Scriptures. Bishop. Do you own three persons? John Roberts. I believe according to the Scripture, that there are three that bear record in heaven, and that those three are One: thou mayest make as many persons of them as thou canst. But I would soberly ask thee, since the Scriptures say the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, and that He is incomprehensible, by what person or likeness canst thou comprehend the Almighty? Bishop. Yours is the strangest of all persuasions; for though there are many sects (which he named) and though they and we differ in some circumstances, yet in the fundamentals we agree as one. But I observe, you of all others, strike at the very root and basis of our religion. John Roberts. Art thou sensible of that? honest man of that calling, in consideration of so' much money, to teach my son his trade in such a term of years; at the end of which term my son may be as good, or perhaps a better workman than his master, and he shall be at liberty from him to follow the business for himself. Now will you be so honest as this carpenter? You are men who pretend to know more of light, life, and salvation, and things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven, than we do: I would ask in how long a time you would undertake to teach us as much as you know? and what shall we give you, that we may be once free from our masters! But here you keep us always learning, that we may be always paying you. Plainly it is a very cheat. What! always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of God! Miserable sinners you found us, and miserable sinners you leave us. Bishop. Are you against confession? John Roberts. No: for I believe those who confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy at the hand of God; but those who persist in them shall be punished. But if ever you intend to be better, you must throw away your old book, and get a new one, or turn over a new leaf; for if you keep on in your old lesson you must always be doing what you ought not, and leaving undone what ye ought to do; and you can never do worse. I believe in my heart, you mock God. Bishop. How dare you say? John Roberts. I will state the case, and thou shalt judge. Suppose thou hadst a son, and thou shouldest daily let him know what thou wouldest have him to do, and he should day by day, week by week, and year after year, provoke thee to thy face, and say, father I have not done what thou commandest me to do; but have done quite the contrary; and continue to provoke thee to thy face in this manner, once, or oftener every week, wouldest thou not think him a rebellious child, and that his application to thee was mere mockery? and would it not occasion thee to disinherit him? John Roberts. I am glad of that; for the root After some more discourse, my father told him is the rottenness, and truth strikes at the very time was far spent; and said, "If nothing will foundation thereof. That little stone which Dan-serve thee but my body in prison, here it is in thy iel saw cut out of the mountain without hands, will overturn all in God's due time, when you have done all you can to support it. But, as to those others thou mentionest, there is so little difference between you, that wise men wonder why you differ at all; only we read, the beast had many heads and many horns, which push against each other. And yet I am fully persuaded, there are many in this day true spiritual worshippers in all persuasions. Bishop. But you will not give us the same liberty you give a common mechanic to call our tools by their own names. John Roberts. I desire thee to explain thyself. Bishop. Why, you will give a carpenter leave to call his gimblet a gimblet, and his gouge a gouge; but you call our church a mass-house. John Roberts. I wish you were half so honest men as carpenters. Bishop. Why? Do you upbraid us? John Roberts. I would not upbraid you; but I will endeavour to show thee wherein you fall short of carpenters. Suppose I had a son intended to learn the trade of a carpenter; I indent with an power, and if thou commandest me to deliver myself up either to the sheriff, or to the jailer of Gloucester castle, as thy prisoner, I will go, and seek no other judge, advocate, or attorney, to plead my cause, but the great Judge of heaven and earth, who knows I have nothing but love and good-will in my heart to thee and all mankind.” Bishop. No; you shall go home about your bu siness. John Roberts. Then I desire thee for the future not to trouble thyself to send any more bailiffs after me; for if thou pleasest at any time to let me know by a line or two, thou wouldest speak with me, though it be to send me to that prison, if I am well and able, I will come. The bishop then called for something to drink; but my father acknowledged his kindness, and excused himself from drinking. And the bishop being called out of the room, one Cuthbert, who took offence at my father's freedom with the bishop, said, "Haywood, you are afraid of nothing; I never met with such a man in my life. I am afraid of my life, lest such fanatics as you should cut my throat as I sleep." John Roberts. I do not wonder that thou art afraid. Cuthbert. Why should I be afraid any more than you ! John Roberts. Because I am under the protection of Him who numbereth the very hairs of my head, and without whose providence a sparrow shall not fall to the ground; but thou hast Cain's | mark of envy on thy forehead, and like him art afraid whoever meets thee will kill thee. Cuthbert. (In a great rage,) If all the Quakers in England are not hanged in a month's time, I will be hanged for them. John Roberts. (Smiling,) Prithee, friend, remember and be as good as thy word. My father and his friend, Amariah Drewett, then took their leave, and returned home with the answer of peace in their bosoms. us wrong; and therefore we are now resolved, with the help of God, not to follow you one step further. At this the bishop smiled, and said, John I think your beer is long a coming. John Roberts. I suppose my wife is willing thou shouldst have the best, and therefore stays to broach a fresh vessel. Bishop. Nay if it be for the best, we will stay. Presently my mother brought the drink, and when the bishop had drank, he said, I commend you John, you keep a cup of good beer in your house. I have not drank any that pleased me better since I came from home. The chancellor drank next; and the cup coming round again to my father's hand, 'Squire Masters said to him, now, old school-fellow, I hope you will drink to me? The 'Squire then taking the cup into his hand, said, now John, before my lord and all these gentlemen, tell me what ceremony or compliment do you Quakers use when you drink to one another. John Roberts. Thou knowest it is not my pracSometime after this, the bishop and the chan- tice to drink to any man; if it was, I would as cellor in their coaches, accompanied with Thomas soon drink to thee as another, as being my old acMasters, esq., in his coach, and about twenty cler- | quaintance and school-fellow; but if thou art gymen on horse back, made my father's house in pleased to drink, thou art very welcome. their way to a visitation, which was to be at Tedbury the next day. They stopped at the gate, and George Evans, the bishop's kinsman, rode into the yard to call my father; who coming to the bishop's coach-side, he put out his hand, which my father respectfully took, saying, “I could not well go out | of the county without seeing you." That is very kind, said my father; wilt thou please to alight and come in, with those who are along with thee? Bishop. I thank you John; we are going to Tedbury, and time will not admit of it now; but I will drink with you, if you please. My father went in and ordered some drink to be brought, and then returned to the coach-side. George Evans. John, is your house free to entertain such men as we are? John Roberts. Yes, George; I entertain honest men, and sometimes others. George Evans. (To the bishop), My lord, John's friends are the honest men, and we are the others. John Roberts. That is not fair, George, for thee to put thy construction on my words; thou shouldst have given me leave to do that. | John Roberts. None at all. For me to drink to another, and drink the liquor, is at best but a compliment, and that borders much on a lie. 'Squire Masters. What do you do then? John Roberts. Why, if I have a mind to drink, I take the cup and drink; and if my friend pleases, he does the same; if not, he may let it alone. 'Squire Masters. Honest John, give me thy hand. Here is to thee with all my heart; and according to thy own compliment, if thou wilt drink, thou mayest, if not, thou mayest let it alone. My father then offering the cup to the Priest Bull, he refused it, saying it is full of hops and heresy. To which my father replied, as for hops, I cannot say much, not being at the brewing of it; but as for heresy, I do assure thee neighbour Bull, there is none in my beer; and if thou pleasest to drink, thou art welcome; but if not, I desire thee to take notice, as good as thou will, and those who are as well able to judge of heresy. Here thy lord bishop hath drank of it, and commends it; he finds no heresy in the cup. 'Squire Masters came out of his coach, and stood | by the bishop's coach-side; and the chancellor, in a diverting humour, said to my father, “ My lord Bishop. Leaning over the coach-door, and whisand these gentlemen have been to see your bury-pering to my father, said John, I advise you to take ing-ground, and we think you keep it very decent." care you do not offend against the higher powers. (This piece of ground my father had given to the I have heard great complaints against you, that Friends for that purpose; it lay at the lower end of his orchard. My father answered, yes; though | we are against pride, we think it commendable to be decent. Chancellor. But there is one thing among you, which I did not expect to see; I think it looks a little superstitious; I mean those grave-stones | which are placed at the head and feet of your graves. you are the ringleader of the Quakers in this country; and that if you are not suppressed, all will signify nothing. Therefore, pray John, take care for the future, and do not offend any more. John Roberts. I like thy counsel very well, and intend to take it. But thou knowest God is the higher power; and you mortal men, however advanced in this world, are but the lower power; and it is only because I endeavour to be obedient to the will of the higher powers, that the lower powers are angry with me. But I hope, with the assistance of God, to take thy counsel, and be subject to the higher powers, let the lower powers do with me as it may please God to suffer John Roberts. That I confess is what I cannot much plead for; but it was permitted to gratify some who had their relations there interred. We, notwithstanding, propose to have them taken up ere long, and converted to some better use. But I desire thee to take notice, we had it from among them. you, and I have observed in many things wherein Bishop. I want some more discourse with you. we have taken you for our pattern, you have led | Will you go with me to Mr. Bull's, VOL. VIII.-No. 12. 60 John Roberts. Thou knowest he hath no goodwill for me. I had rather attend on thee else where. Bishop. Will you come to morrow to Tedbury? The bishop then took his leave, and went not to George Bull's, at which he was very much of fended. Bishop. Send for the constable: I must take another course. John Roberts. If thou shouldst come to my house under a pretence of friendship, and in a Judas like manner, betray me hither to send me to prison, as I have hitherto commended thee for thy moderation, I should then have occasion to put thy name in print, and cause it to stink before all sober people. But it is those who set thee on mischief. I would not have thee hearken to them, but bid them take up some honest vocation, and rob their honest neighbours no longer. They are a company of caterpillars who destroy the fruit of the earth, and live on the fruit of other men's labour. Then priest Rich, of North-Surry, said, who are those you call caterpillars. John Roberts. We herdsman call them caterpillars, who live on the fruit of other men's fields, and on the sweat of other men's brows. And if thou dost so, thou mayest be one of them. Rich. May it please your lordship, if you suffer such a man as this to thou your lordship, and call you old man, what will become of us? Next morning my father took his son Nathaniel with him, in case the bishop, in compliance with the violent clamors of the priests, should send him to prison, which he expected. As they were pass-like ing along a street in Tedbury, they were met by Anthony Sharp, of Ireland, whose mother lived at Tedbury. After he understood by my father where he was going, he asked if he would accept of a companion? If thou hast a mind to go to prison, says my father, thou mayest go with me. I will venture that, replied Anthony, for if I do, I shall have good company. When they came to the foot of the stairs which led up to the bishop's chamber, they were espied by George Evans, who said, come up, John, my lord thought you long. When they came up, the bishop was just setting down to dinner, with a number of clergymen; and offering to make room for my father, he excused himself, and retired with his friend till dinner was over. The bishop spoke to the woman of the house for another room, which, it being market-up at the plough-tail, understand the singular and day, was soon filled with priests and clothiers, &c. Bishop. (Putting on a stern countenance) said, come, John, I must turn over a new leaf with you. If you will not promise me to go to church, and to keep no more of these seditious conventicles at your house, I must make your mittimus, and send you to prison. John Roberts. Wouldst thou have me shut my doors against my friends? It was but yesterday that thou thyself, and many others here present, were at my house; and I was so far from shutting my doors against you, that I invited you in, and you should have been welcome to the best entertainment I had. Bishop. It is those meetings I speak of which you keep at your house, to the terror of the country. John Roberts. This I will promise thee, before all this company, that if any plotters or ill minded persons come to my house to plot or conspire against the king or government, if I know of it, I will be the first informer against them myself, though I have not a penny for my labour. But if honest and sober people come to my house, to wait upon and worship the God of heaven, in spirit and in truth, such shall be welcome to me as long as I have a house for them to meet in; and if I should have none, the Lord will provide one for them. Bishop. Will you promise to go to your own parish church to hear divine service? John Roberts. We honour old age, if it be found in the way of well-doing; but one would not think you should be such dunces as to forget grammar rules. You bred up at Oxford and Cambridge! For what? I that am a layman, and bred plural numbers. Thee and thou is proper to a single person, if it be a prince: thou knowest it old man. What! have you forgot your prayers? Is it You O Lord, or Thou O Lord, in your prayers? Will you not accept the same language from your fellow-mortals, which you give to the Almighty? What spirit was that in proud Haman, that would have poor Mordecai to bow to him? Bishop. This will not do. Make their mittimusses: What is your name? Anthony Sharp. My name is Anthony Sharp. Bishop. What is your business here? John Roberts. He only came hither in good will to bear me company. If thou pleasest, lay the more on me, and let him go free. Bishop. No; he may be as dangerous a person as yourself; and as you came for company, you shall go for company. Send for the constable to take them into custody. The woman of the house understanding the constable was to be sent for, despatched a messenger to him to bid him get out of the way. But the messenger missing him, he came to the house by accident. To whom the landlady said, "What do you do here, when honest John Haywood is John Roberts. I can promise no such thing. going to be sent to prison? Here come along with The last time I was there, I was moved and re- me.' The constable being willing, she concealed quired of the Lord, whom I serve, to bear testi-him in another room, and the bishop's messenger mony against a hireling priest, who was preach- bringing him word that the constable was not to ing for hire and divining for money; and he was be found, he said to my father: angry with the, and caused the people to turn me And I do not intend to trouble him again till he learn more civility, except the Lord requires it out. of me. Bishop. Here are many gentlemen who have a great way home, and I can send you to prison in the afternoon; so you may take your liberty until six of the clock. |