THE

HISTORY

OF THE

RISE AND PROGRESS

OF THE

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.

THE EIGHTH BOOK.

In the foregoing year we left G. Fox in Lancaster prison, where at the sessions the oath of allegiance being tendered to, and refused by him, he was brought to his trial in the month called March, which begins the year 1664. Being brought to the bar before judge Twisden, he said, "Peace be amongst you all." At which the judge looking upon him, said, “What! Do you come into the court with your hat on?" Whereupon the jailor taking it off, G. Fox said, "The hat is not the honour that comes from God." Then said the judge, "Will you take the oath of allegiance?" G. Fox answered, "I "Well," said never took any oath in my life." the judge, "Will you swear, or no?" G. Fox replied, "I am a Christian, and Christ commands

me not to swear; and so doth the apostle James likewise; and whether I should obey God or man, do thou judge, "I ask you again, said the judge, "Whether you will

swear or no!" To which he made answer, "I am neither Turk, Jew, nor Heathen, but a Christian, and should shew forth Christianity. Dost thou not know (thus he went on) that Christians in the primitive times, under the ten persecutions, and some also of the martyrs in queen Mary's days, refused swearing, because Christ and the apostles had forbidden it? Ye have experience enough, how many men have sworn first to the king, and then against him. But as for me, I have never taken an oath in my life; and my allegiance doth not lie in swearing, but in truth and faithfulness: for I honour all men, much more the king. But Christ, who is the great Prophet, who is the King of kings, the Saviour of the world, and the great Judge of the whole world, he saith, I must not swear. Now the point is, whether I must obey Christ, or thee. For it is in tenderness of conscience, and in obedience to the command of Christ, that I do not swear. And we have the word of a king for tender consciences." G. Fox having spoke thus much, asked the judge, if he did own the king?" To which he said, "Yes, I do own the king." Why then," said he, "Dost thou not observe his declaration from Breda,

and his promises made since he came into England, that no man should be called in question for matters of religion, so long as they lived peaceably? Now if thou ownest the king, why dost thou call me into question, and put me upon taking an oath, seeing thou, or none, can charge me with unpeaceable living?" The judge looking angry, said, "Sirrah, will you swear?" To which G. Fox told him, "I am none of thy sirrahs; I am a Christian; and for thee, who art an old man and a judge, to sit there and give nicknames to the prisoners, doth not become either thy grey hairs or thy office." The judge being a little more cool, after some words to and fro, said, "G. Fox, say whether thou wilt take the oath, yea, or nay?" To which he replied, "If I could take any oath at all, I should take this: for I do not deny some oaths only, or on some occasions, but all oaths according to Christ's doctrine, who said, "Swear not at all." Now if thou, or any of you, or any of your ministers or priests here, will prove that ever Christ or his apostle, after they had forbidden all swearing, commanded Christians to swear, then I will swear." None of the priests offering to speak, the judge said, "I am a servant to the king, and the king sent me not to dispute, with you, but to put the laws in execution; and therefore I tender the oath of allegiance." G. Fox continuing to refuse swearing,

was sent again to prison. Two days after, being brought again before the judge, it was asked him, "Whether he would traverse or submit?" To which G. Fox said, he desired he might have liberty to traverse the indictment, and try it. Then order was given to take him away, and he was kept in prison till the next assizes.

Being prisoner in Lancaster castle, there was much talk of the Turks great progress in Hungary, there being at that time a war between the Emperor and the Turks; and many being afraid, he said to some, "That walking once in his chamber, he saw the Lord's power turn against the Turk, and that he was turning back again. And within a month after news came that he was defeated. Another time, as he was walking in the room, with his mind upon the Lord, he saw an extraordinary great light, and looking up, he beheld an angel of the Lord, with a glittering sword stretched southward, which shone so bright, as if the court had been all on fire. Of which I have for proof what he mentions of it in his journal, and also in another small book he gave out with the title of a Warning to England. Not long after a war broke out between England and Holland, and some time after the pestilence appeared in London (which lies southerly from Lancaster) and after two years that city by the fire was turned into rubbish.

But I return to the Lancaster assizes. Mar

garet Fell, who was now a widow, was also under confinement for refusing the oath of allegiance. And G. Fox being in prison, wrote several papers to the magistrates, in which he manifested the evil of persecution, and exhorted to virtue and piety.

In the month called August, the assizes were held again at Lancaster, G. Fox being brought thither (judge Turner then sitting on the crown bench) and being called to the bar, the judge asked the justices, whether they had tendered him the oath at the foregoing sessions? They saying they had, and having sworn it, the jury were sworn too. Then the judge asked him, whether he had not refused the oath at the last assizes? To which he answered, "I never took an oath in my life; and Christ the Saviour and Judge of the world said, "Swear not at all." The judge seeming not to take notice of this answer, asked him, whether or no he had not refused to take the oath at the last. assizes?

G. Fox maintaining the unlawfulness of swearing, the judge said, he was not at that time to dispute whether it was lawful to swear, but to inquire whether he had refused to take the oath, or no. G. Fox then signifying that he did not disapprove the things mentioned in the oath, said, "Plotting against the king, and owning the Pope's, or any other foreign power, I utterly deny." "Well," said the judge "You say well