life or death, the will of the Lord be done. Oh! how good the Lord was to me, and I lay quiet and slept sweetly.

But when the jailer saw that I settled to abide there, and framed to housekeeping, he was angry and went his way, and locked me up close, and I remained so some time. I did not so much as desire to look out at the door. My heart was glad that I was accounted worthy of those bonds; and though I could get nothing except I had drawn it in at the window with a cord, yet it happened that I wanted nothing all the time it was thus with me, for indeed I resolved to abide it patiently.

At length a Friend, one Robert Meek, came to see me, and the turnkey came to tell me there was one come to see me, saying, I must come down into the house to him. By this I saw that the jailer was willing to have me come to my friends that they might spend money in the house; whereupon I told the turnkey that I was not willing to go down. If my friends, said I, must not come to me, I am not willing to come to them. He went down, and in a short time brought up the Friend to me, leaving us together, and the door unlocked, and when the Friend had staid his time, I went down with him to see him take horse. When he was gone, I spoke to the jailer, and asked him, why he carried it so severely to me? I told him, if he was civil, he should have civility from me, and if he would not, he might do as he would. He said that we were a people that would do nothing but what we listed; so when we had talked a while, he said, There hangs the key, take it, and do as you please.

Ever after I went in and out as I had occasion into the jailer's house and gardens, but home he would not let me go, though my wife was taken so ill, that it was feared she would have died. I gave up wife and children, and all I had into the Lord's hand, and was contented, saying in my heart, after this manner: Life or death, poverty or riches, come what will come, the will of the Lord be done. But it pleased the Lord that my wife mended again; and, Oh! how easy was after I had given up all, and my jail was made a pleasant place to me, for the Lord in mercy was with me, so that I even sang a living song of praise; for to him praise is due for ever more!

Friends at London, in brotherly love, sent down an habeas corpus to have me up to appear in London, whither I went to please them; for Nichols had not hit the law right, but the court at London would not let me have law for my money at that time. I was very uneasy until I came to the temple and heard what tricks the priest's party and Nich

ols had done; then I threw it up, and resolved to wait the Lord's time to bring me out, as he had been pleased to appear to me. The word of the Lord came to me, Be content, and I will bring thee out with honour. Upon which I came back to prison, and lay quietly till king James set me at liberty.

After this that jailer went out, and another came in, who was very civil and kind to me, and also his wife. Towards the spring my eldest son John, died. I obtained liberty to go to see him, but he died that night after he had seen me. Some of his last words were, that he hoped we should meet where theymeaning bad men-should not part us any more. The day after he was buried, I left my wife and went to prison again.

The priests were pleased that I was in prison; and two of them meeting in my inn at Tideswell, priest Wilson said to Fern, with whom I had the dispute at Baslow, Sir, I can tell you news: What news? said Fern; Why, said Wilson, Gratton is in prison. I am glad of it, said Fern. These are the hirelings that show their envious spirit, who spare not the flock of Christ!

This year I wrote an epistle to the yearly meeting in London, which is as follows:

Dear friends and brethren,

In the pure unchangeable truth do I dearly salute you all; who are truly kept faithful in and by the power of God to his glory: who hath in his endless mercy called and chosen us to bear testimony to his eternal power and godhead, who is God over all the gods of the earth, which are but as grass, which soon wither and come to an end.

You, dear friends, who dwell in the power of God, the mountain of true holiness, and in the unchangeable light, that is the same at this day which it was at the first of its breaking forth in us, is my love at this time freshly unto. And I feel you near and dear to me as ever. You whom God hath made pillars in his house, honourable vessels in his hand, fitted for his service, my soul honours, yea, and highly esteems in the Lord; knowing right well, that it is your meat and drink to do the will of your Father which is in heaven; and your hearts are gladly carried on in your Father's business. You can truly say that they, and they only, are your brethren and sisters, who are knowers and doers of the will of your Father which is in heaven: for God, even our God and Father everlasting, hath raised us up by his own arm and brought us forth in his own light, life and power, not to do our own wills, but his. Blessed be his name! his own people delight to live under his government, and love his reign, and are

not a little glad to feel the increase of his kingdom, in their own particulars, and to behold it in others. For this, dear friends, is a travail known in every upright heart, and a weighty concern upon the honest minded in all the churches of the saints, that nothing may be suffered or permitted that hinders the increase of the kingdom and government of Christ Jesus our Lord. For this cause, with others I might mention, I know it is a thing well pleasing unto the Lord, that you meet together, who have cheerfully a weighty care upon your spirits, for the prosperity of the eternal Truth, which is truly precious unto you; that you may in the wisdom and love of God, through his eternal power, and in the spring of life be truly carried forth as one man to stand up for the cause of God, and enabled to discharge your spirits of that weighty service which lies upon you. Oh! how largely hath the Lord our God made it manifest, that this your meeting is well pleasing unto him, by giving you his presence in such a powerful and glorious manner, as is beyond my ability to declare, and hath sealed it in my heart, and I am sure in your hearts, that it is a right good and honourable thing; and declares to all the world, that though we be of several counties of this nation, yea, and of several nations, yet are we one body, in one spirit and mind; and our unity, love and concord remain fresh in that life and light which never alters, and is the same at this day that ever it was. Therefore the enemy rages and envies our prosperity in the blessed Truth, and seeks every way to hinder the increase of the kingdom and government of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever! The Lord rebuke him and chain him down and tread him under our feet. I earnestly breathe unto the Lord our God, to give you a good soul-satisfying opportunity, according to his wonted manner, and I believe he will do it, and fill your cups full, yea, and make them overflow abundantly, to the joy and consolation of every sincere heart amongst you; and the Lord fill you with the spirit of judgment, that you may be as helps in government. Judge for God, and set true judgment on the head of transgression and transgressors, wherever they are found, and so clear Truth, which is clear from scandals and scandalous professors of it, that God may be glorified, and all his enemies who will not that he should reign over them, be brought down and slain before him, that he over all may be exalted, who alone is worthy-God blessed for ever: amen. Dear brethren, I can truly say I am with you in spirit; and my love springs freshly to you, and I should be glad to be with you personally, but could

After some years the jailer gave me leave to go home sometimes, and stay some weeks, but it displeased the priests and apparitors. And one time, I being at home, a Friend who was to be married came to me, and was earnest with me to come to his marriage, saying, he believed there would be a great service, for many people of the town of Ches terfield, where he had been an apprentice, would be at it. Wherefore I thought to go, but that night after he was gone, as I sat in my own house, an exercise fell upon me, so I turned in my mind, and waited to know the cause, and the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Thou must not go to this mar riage, for the apparitor will be there; but thou must go to Derby to the jail to-morrow. I went to bed very sorry that I must go to Derby so soon, because I had leave to stay at home some weeks longer. I told my wife of it, and questioned whether I should sleep, yet through mercy I did, but when I awaked the next morning, it remained with me till I went.

When I came to Derby, the jailer was at the Bowling-green; I told him I was come to see them, at which he was glad, and bade me go down, and he would follow me. When I had been a little time at the jail, there came two high priests, and one called a gen tleman with them, to see me, and asked for me; so I came to them, but when they saw me, they had nothing to say to me, only the man who came with them, whose name was Ouldershaw, and knew me well, to cover the matter, for they called for me, as I suppose, as if they were sure that I was not there, put himself to talk a little with me, and framed some discourse about religion; but he was soon silent, and was not able to withstand the Truth, but the priests said nothing, but paid their shot and went away.

When they were gone, the jailer rejoiced that it was so ordered, that I was there so ready to be seen by them, and said, he would not for forty pounds but that I had been there that day, for one of the priests was the chief priest of Derby town, and the other one very high; and he was so pleased, that he let me go home again the same day.

While I lay in prison, I sometimes spoke out of the window to the people, and many of them were loving and friendly to me, and some young men were convinced, amongst whom the jailer's eldest son was one, who came finely forth in obedience to the Lord, for which his father was angry, and turned him out of doors. He was likewise offended with me, and said he would put me in the dungeon and lock me to the wall. But he never did; for he would sometimes seem worse than he really was, for he loved me more than he made a show of, and the liberty he gave me declared it.

Thus the wicked plotted against the just; 34. Read it and take courage, you that love for we perceived their design was to have our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and fear advantage against the jailer for giving me not man; for, if God be for us, who can be liberty, and so have got me to be kept close against us? Neither men nor devils can hurt prisoner, and then they hoped some relation us, though they may tempt and try us; yet if of mine would have given them money for we follow the Lord, he will help us in time of my release. I suppose they had some infor- need. My chief end in writing these remark. mation that I was expected to be at the mar- able things is, that others may take courage riage aforesaid; and they laid the design so, to trust in God, and be obedient to him in that the apparitor went to the marriage to all things, without fearing man, who is but catch me there, expecting to find me preach-as grass. ing, for he brought a justice with him to the meeting, called Gladman, one who knew better than he practised, who asked for me; and the justice took hold of R. C. to pull him out of the meeting, but slipped his hold, and fell upon a form, and thence to the floor, and there lay till Friends helped him up. Those priests were to have evidenced that they came that day to the prison and called for me, and that I was not there. But the good God disappointed them, and ordered me to be at the jail, and not at the marriage: but the apparitor informed against the meeting, and Friends were fined; one Friend twenty pounds for preaching, which must have been my lot had they found me preaching there, and the rest five shillings a piece for hearers. So they distrained on G. H. for twenty pounds, and Friends for five shillings, but the Lord saw all their plots against me, and in mercy delivered me that day; neither did my jailer suffer for his kindness to me. Oh! what a manifestation of the Lord's great love was this, for which I was not able to the full to return the praise and humble acknowledgments that are due to him, for his mercy and fatherly care, who knew the designs of our enemies, and prevented them.

Though we were ignorant and knew nothing of this plot, yet the Lord in mercy revealed it to me by his good Spirit, that 1 should go to the prison. Oh! what a tender Father and wonderful Counsellor have we; heaven and earth are full of his majesty, and his power is over all. Let the whole creation, and my soul, with all that is within me praise the Lord, for his mercy endures from generation to generation. He is God and changeth not the same to-day, yesterday and for ever. Therefore his people are not consumed, though the sea rage, and the beasts of the field roar, yet the sheep and lambs of the flock of Christ Jesus are saved, and the lions and bears slain by him, who hath all power in heaven and earth, and will deliver all that truly trust in him. David said, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed;" whom the apostle remembered with joy: Acts iv. 18 to

One day I was concerned in mind for his son, for he got little trade in Derby, for the town was envious, and many of them seemed to turn from him, and would not trade with him, because he was turned to the Truth. His father was uneasy, for some would have had the high sheriff to put him out from being jailer; but it came into my heart to make the jailer a motion, that if he pleased to give me and his son leave, I would go with him to London, and place him there. I went down and told his wife, and she told her husband, to which he consented; upon which I helped his son what I could off with his goods, then I took him with me to London, and placed him with an honest Friend, George Watts, where he did well, for the Lord gave him favour in the sight of Friends, and he grew in the Truth; and after some time he found his mind engaged in affection toward a sober young woman, of an honest family, a Friend; upon which he came down to have the consent of his parents, to proceed in marriage: and now I must go up again, which I did, and liked the young woman well; so they married, and he went into partnership with a Friend in trade, and grew rich every way, and the Lord blessed him; and after some time his father went up to London, and saw how his son lived, and confessed that I had done more for him than he could have done.

One time, having leave to go home for some time, to see my wife and family, it fell out so that Robert Meller, of Whitehough in Staffordshire, died, who had been an honest

Friend in his day, and a noble standard in suffering times; his wife was also a sincere hearted woman, and his son John a very honest Friend. They hearing of my being at home, sent and invited me to come to his burial; and though I was sorry for the loss of so faithful a Friend, yet was I desirous to go to his burial, thinking there would be many people, for he was beloved both by rich and poor, and of good report amongst men of all sorts. But I being a prisoner, was careful the jailer might not be blamed, or turned out of his place on my account, for both he and his wife and children loved me well, and were very kind to me; upon which I waited upon the Lord, desiring to know his mind, whether I should go, or no. Then I felt I might go; though I had a sense there would be danger of meeting with some trouble, but how or which way it would come I did not know.

they had heard: wishing they could do as he had said. I sat by, and they did not know me again, but asked my name and where I dwelt; and she told them, by which they got their end.

Now the two men in black proved inform ers, the one of them was a priest, and the other a schoolmaster, as I heard afterwards. They informed against me to the magistrates, and they fined me twenty pounds, and the three Friends who spoke at the grave twenty pounds each, and Thomas Hammersley, the Friend of the house, for the grave-yard twen ty pounds, in all an hundred pounds, besides other Friends five shillings a piece for hearers. Yet these informers got nothing of that hundred pounds of any of us five, for Friends went to the magistrates, and they moderated it, also the justices of our county refused to grant their warrants to distrain my goods, because I was a prisoner. The deceased Friend was a rich man, and so were his rela tions, both in that county and in Derbyshire; upon which they sent out a warrant to distrain upon the widow's goods, from whom they took a mare, and few else lost much by these informers, for the hearts of divers peo ple rose against them. I being in another county, a warrant was sent after me to sir William Boothly, to distrain my goods for twenty pounds, but he said, I was out of his hundred, and he would not meddle; by this he put them off, and all was well, though they employed a sorry attorney of Staffordshire, to go to Simon Degg, a justice of Derby, for a warrant to distrain my goods, but the justice told them I was a prisoner. No," said the attorney, "he is at liberty." "No," said the justice, "he is in prison." It hap pened that there was a prisoner by at that time, and the justice asked him, and he bore witness that I was in jail, for I came in over night, for he both saw me, and was with me some time in the jailer's house; upon which the justice said, "What would you have? he is a prisoner; therefore I will not grant any warrant against him."

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When the day came I went, and many people were there, many of them people of note and figure in the world, and the high constable of our hundred, to whom Robert was uncle. I was not easy in my spirit to stay at the house, but it was in my mind to go to the grave-yard, and not to stay till the corpse was carried from the house; upon which I left the people at dinner, and went away, and when I came at Basford town's end, I overtook two men in black raiment, who opened the gate for me, but as I went on, it rose in my heart that they were informers; they went on also past the grave-yard, as though they had been going further, though I knew there was no road that way which they went. Then I slipped off my horse and went to a stile to watch them, and saw they went through a village into the Friend's ground who lived there, and lay down under a hedge till the corpse came near; when they arose and put themselves into the crowd, all which I saw and was exercised what to do, whether I should go into the grave-yard or no; for if I should go, I knew not but my keeper might be turned out of his place, and there were three public Friends besides, viz: W. F., J. H., and J. J. So I humbly waited on the Lord The prisoner came home in the evening, for counsel, if in mercy he would please to and told me, before the jailer and his wife teach and help me to do his will at that time; and many others, what a tug he had about and as I waited and walked about, the people me at Justice Degg's, saying, "One Sutton, came with the corpse, and it pleased the Lord an attorney, craved a warrant against you, to encourage me to go to the grave and all for preaching at Robert Meller's burial;" but should be well; whereupon I went, where my the prisoner aforesaid, by name Porter, affirmmouth was opened to speak to the people, and ed that I was in prison, and so Sutton got no the Lord's power was with me, and after 1 warrant. When my jailer perceived that had done I went into the Friend's house, and while I had been about home upon leave, I sat down and kept my coat about me; but did venture to go to this burial, he cried out, some strangers came in under pretence of saying, "Thou wilt undo thyself and me too." lighting their tobacco, and asked the Friend's But I looked on him, and said boldly as it maid who I was; saying, what a brave man arose in my heart, Man, never fear, for thou

wilt suffer nothing for any kindness thou showest to me.

Then he would have heard no more of it, but I was not willing to pass it by and let him go so; for the charge was great. Prove it, said I, or confess thy error.

This was the assize time at Derby, and the high constable aforesaid, who was Robert Meller's nephew, and was at the burial, told So he asked what we must be tried by; it counsellor Leming, that he could find in his was answered, By the rule of the church. heart to complain to the judge of my jailer, He acquiesced with that, and so did I. Then for letting me have liberty to go to meetings. I asked him what that rule was; but he seemCounsellor Leming told it to a friend of mine, ed to evade and would not answer; but one that an attorney in the town, who wished me well, sat by, said it was the Scriptures. He said and he told me what he had heard, and who no: then I asked him again, what he said the told him. I said to him, Pray ask the coun-rule was; to which he made no answer. Is sellor, if it was not Robert Dale; for he was it the pope? said I; "No," said he. Is it at the burial as well as me: and said I, it is hard, if we may not have liberty to bury one another, or to this effect. But when he knew that I had marked him out, he said no more, nor made any complaint to the judge; for it would have been a shame for him to complain against me for being at his uncle's burial. My kind jailer had no blame, but all was well, according to what was said in my heart when I went to the grave-side, that all should be well. The devil was not suffered to do so much mischief as he would have done; and the Lord comforted my soul through all these exercises; glory, honour and praise be given to him, who never fails those who truly trust in him.

After some time I went to London again, and was there when king Charles died, and his brother came to the crown, who, after some time, set all that were in prison for conscience sake, at liberty.

While I remained in prison, I had some discourse with the Papists, who were in prison with me, about several things. The first time the popish priest began with me thus; the jailer being ill I went down to see him, and when the priest heard I was with the jailer, he came also, with about eight debtors, who were civil men, being well brought up, and they came to see the jailer, and being pretty cheerful with the old man, the popish priest broke out, and said, "Well may I be cheerful, who suffer for the Truth, when I see how cheerfully some men suffer for error."

the church? said I; he answered no: and so did I too; for the church was to be ruled by the rule, therefore could not be the rule. But said I, What dost thou say is the true church's rule? But he seemed loath to answer; but being urged, he said tradition was the rule. Tradition! said I, but what was the rule before there was tradition? for there must needs be the elders, before there was the tradition of the elders. And said I, The rule is a firm, stable, standing rule, from the beginning of the world to the end, that alters not or changes, which cannot be added to nor taken from. All this he seemed to have but little or nothing to say against.

The company desired me to tell them what I believed this rule was. And in answer to their request, I told them;

It was the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, which was in the beginning, and was God, and is God, and changes not; and since our Lord Jesus Christ suffered death for us, and rose again, this Spirit is poured forth upon all flesh: see Acts ii. This is that which guided Enoch, so that he obtained testimony that he pleased God. This hath been the guide, rule and leader of all the patriarchs, prophets and the holy men of God, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of Truth, which leads and guides the true church into all truth, and all true worship is in it. And as many as are led and guided by the Spirit of God, they are the sons and daughters of God. This was and is the true church's rule; and if any man have not the There were none but he and another Papist, Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; so this that and I, who suffered for our profession of is the guide of the church, must be the rule; religion, so that I saw he struck at me, and he that works by a rule is guided by it and told him, there were none at that time who ruled by it. This is that which baptizeth men suffered for their religion but him and another into the church or body of Christ; of which of his own mind and me, therefore said I, it the children of God are born, and are nourmust needs be me thou meanest, that suffers ished by, so that it gives them life, and infor error. Either prove thy charge, or own spires them, and gives them understanding, thy fault, for I am not willing to sit down with manifesting to every man that which is for his it; telling him, that if he could make it profit and welfare, and is freely given. The appear that I suffered for an error, I would apostles were ministers or servants of it; this take him for my friend, for I was not wil- brings men into the adoption, and enables ling either to live or die in error, if I knew it. I them to call God Father, and to say truly, VOL. IX.-No. 9.

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