1682. For Pilate the Governour heard Christ and his Accuwsers face to face, before he Condemned him, John 19. London. And the Council and Chief Priests heard Stephen and

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'his Accusers, with the Witnesses, that were brought against him, face to face, before they Condemned 'him, Ats 7. The Roman Captain heard Paul and his Accufers face to face, Acts 23. And Felix the Governour heard Paul, and Ananias the High Priest, 'and the Elders that accused Paul, face to face, 'Acts 24. And when the High Priests and Chief of 'the Jews accused Paul to Festus, he heard Paul and 'his Accufers, and them that witnessed against him, 'face to face, Acts 25. Doth the Law of God, or did 'the Roman Law, or doth the Law of the Land judge 'any Man, before he and his Accusers, and they that Witness against him, be heard face to face?

This fomewhat moderated the Justices: and after this several Friends, that had been Illegally profecuted and Fined, entred their Appeals; upon Trial whereof they were Acquitted, and the Informers Caft: which was a great Discouragement to the Informers, and fome Relief to Friends.

A little before the time came for the Choofing new Sheriffs for the City, they who stood to be Chosen, defiring our Friends to give their Voices for them, I writ a few Lines, tending to discover, what Spirit they were of, and how they stood affected to true Liberty; and it was by way of Inquiry, thus :

'Do any here in London, who stand to be Chosen 'Sheriffs, own That Christ, that was Crucified without the Gates of Jerufalem, to be the Light of the World, that doth Inlighten every Man, that cometb into the World, who faith, Believe in the Light, that ye may become Children of the Light? And is any of you againft perfecuting People for their Religion ' and Worship of God in Spirit and Truth, as Chrift commandeth? For Christ said, I am not of this World, nor my Kingdom: And therefore he doth not * uphold his fpiritual Worship and pure Religion with worldly and carnal Weapons. And Christ said, Swear

not

'not at all; And his Apostle James faith the same: 1682'But will not you force us to swear, and so to break * Christ's and his Apostle's Commands, in putting London. 'Oaths to us? And Christ saith to his Apostles, Freely 'ye have received, freely give: Will not you force us ' to give Tithes and Maintenance to fuch Teachers, as we know, God hath not sent? Shall we be free to ' serve and worship God, and keep his and his Son's Commands, if we give our Voices freely for you? 'for we are unwilling to give our Voices for fuch, as * will Imprison, and Perfecute us, and Spoil our 'Goods.

But whatever they were, that stood to be chosen, I observed there was a Heat and Strife in the Spirits of the People, that were to choose; wherefore I writ a few Lines to be spread amongst them, directed thus:

To the People, who are choofing Sheriffs in London.
People;

'All keep in the gentle and peaceable Wisdom of 'God, which is above that, that is earthly, sensual ' and devillish: And live in that Love of God, that ' is not puffed up, nor is unseemly: which envieth not, but beareth and endureth all things: And in 'this Love ye will seek the Good and Peace of all Men, ' and the Hurt of no Man. Keep out of all Heats, ' and be not hot-headed; but be cool and gentle, that your Christian Moderation may appear to all Men : ' for the Lord is at hand, who beholds all Mens Words, Thoughts and Actions, and will reward every one according to their Works: And what every Man ' soweth, that shall he reap.

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Now had I some Inclination to have gone into the Country to a Meeting: But hearing, that there would be a Bustle at our Meetings, and feeling a great Difquietness in Peoples Spirits in the City about choofing Sheriffs; it was upon me to stay in the City, and go to the Meeting in Gracious-ftreet upon the First-day of the Week. William Penn went with me, and spake in the Meeting: and while he was declaring the Truth

1682. to the People, a Conftable came in with his great ~Staff, and bid him give over, and come down: but London. William Penn held on, declaring Truth in the Power

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of God. After a while the Constable drew back; and
when William Penn had done, I stood up, and declared
to the People, 'the everlasting Gospel, which was
preached in the Apostles days, and to Abraham; and
'which the Church in the Apostles days did receive,
' and came to be Heirs of. This Gospel, I declared,
was fent from Heaven by the Holy Ghost in the A-
'postles days, and is so now; and was not of Man,
'neither by Man; but by the Revelation of the Holy
'Ghost. And now this Gospel is preached again, (as
John faw, and said it should be) to all Nations,
Tongues and Peoples; and all People now are to hear
'Chrift the Prophet, in this his Gospel of the New
'Covenant. For as Moses faid, Like unto me will
'God raise up a Prophet, and him shall ye bear in all
things: fo, faid I, this Prophet Christ, is come, and
"all the Jews in Spirit, the true believing Christians
' in the Light, who have the Law of God written in
'their Hearts, and put into their Minds, are to hear
'Chrift in his Gospel, New Testament and New Cove-
'nant, which is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chrift
'Jesus, who bruises the Serpent's Head (which is the
Head of Enmity) and makes free from the Law of
'Sin and Death. And I shewed, that all whom Chrift
' quickens and makes alive, he makes them to fit toge-
'ther in the Heavenly Places in himself. So that they
' do not wander up and down, like the Fool's Eye in
the Corners of the Earth; nor are their Eyes abroad
' in the World, to fit down in the World's invented
Scats of Religion; but they fit together in him, as
"the Saints did in the Apostles days: and so Chrift
' was and is their Treasure of Wisdom, Life, Know-

ledge and Salvation. Now as I was thus speaking, two Conftables came in with their great Staves, and 'bid me give over speaking, and come down: But I, feeling the Power of the Lord with me, spake on therein, both to the Constables, and to the People. To the Conftables Conftables I declared, 'That we were a peaceable Peo- 1.682. ple, who meet to wait upon God, and worship him ' in Spirit and in Truth; and therefore (I told them) London. ' they needed not to come with their Staves amongst

us, who were met in a peaceable manner, defiring ' and seeking the Good and Salvation of all People. Then turning my Speech to the People again, I declared what further was upon me to them; and while I was speaking, the Conftables drew out towards the Door; and the Soldiers stood with their Muskets in the Yard. When I had done speaking, I kneeled down, and prayed, defiring the Lord to open the Eyes and Hearts of all People, both high and low, that their Minds might be turned to God by his Holy Spirit; that he might be glorified in all and over all. After Prayer the Meeting rose, and Friends passed away; the Constables being come in again, but without the Soldiers: and indeed, both they and the Soldiers carried themselves civilly. William Penn and I went into a Room hard by, as we used to do, and many Friends went with us; and left the Conftables should think, we would shun them; a Friend went down and told them, That, if they would have any thing with us, they might come where we were, if they pleased. One of them came to us soon after, but without his Staff; which he chose to do, that he might not be observed: for he said, The People told him, he busied himself more than he needed. We desired to see his Warrant; and therein we found, that the Informer was one Hilton, a North-Country-man, who was reputed to be a Papift. The Conftable was asked, Whether he would Arrest us by his Warrant on that Day? (it being the First-day of the Week, which in their Law was called the Lord's-day) and he faid, He thought he could not: He told us also, That he had charged the Informer to come along with him to the Meeting; but he had run away from him. We shewed the Conftable, that both he and we were clear; yet to free him from all Fear of Danger, we were free to go to the Alderman, that granted the Warrant. Then a Friend, that was pre-fent,

1682. fent, faid; He would go with the Constable to speak ~ with the Alderman: which they did, and came preLondon. sently back again; the Alderman being gone from

Home: We feeing the Constable in a strait, and finding him to be a tender Man, bid him fet an Hour to come to us again, or fend for us, and we would come to him. So he appointed the fifth Hour in the Afternoon; but neither came, nor sent for us: and a Friend meeting him afterwards in the Evening, the Conftable told him, He thought, it would come to nothing, and therefore did not look after us. So the Lord's Power was over all, to him be the Glory!

On the Fourth-day following, it was upon me to go to Gracious-street Meeting again: for I had heard, that they would come, to break up the Meeting that Day. The Neighbours, it seems, were informed so; and a Justice had granted a Warrant for that purpose: and the Conftable told a Friend, that Hilton the Informer, had been with him about it. The Conftable would have had the Informer to have gone with him to the Meeting, but the Informer would not; but would have the Constable go without him: Whether that put the Constable by from coming, I know not; but he did not come. I was in a Travel of Spirit in the Power of God, and was moved in it to go to the Meeting; and the Lord's Power did chain all down: And though they threatned to bring the Red Coats, yet none came, nor was there any Disturbance; but a glorious, powerful Meeting it was, and very peaceable: Glory and Honour and Praises be to the Lord over all for ever, Amen.

During the time I thus abode at London, as I had Leisure between Meetings, and from other Publick Services, I writ divers Books and Papers; some of which were printed, and others were spread about in Manufcript. Of these, one was directed, 'To the Bi* shops and others, that did stir up Persecution; to shew them from the holy Scriptures, that they did not 'walk therein according to the Royal Law, To love * their Neighbour as themselves, and to do to others as they