When I had cleared my Conscience amongst them, I went up to
Swarthmore again; whither came up four or five of the Priests:
And coming to discourse, I asked them; Whether any one of them
could say, he ever had the Word of the Lord to go and speak to such
or such a People? None of them durst say, He had: but one of
them burst out into a Passion, and said, He could speak his Experi-
ences, as well as I. I told him, Experience was one thing: but to
receive and go with a Message, and to have a Word from the Lord,
as the Prophets and Apostles had and did, and as I had done to them;
this was another thing. And therefore I put it to them again; Could
any of them say, he had ever had a Command or Word from the Lord,
immediately at any time? but none of them could say so. Then I
told them; the false Prophets, and false Apostles, and Antichrists
could use the Words of the true Prophets, and true Apostles, and of
Christ, and would speak of other Mens Experiences; though they
themselves never knew nor heard the Voice of God and Christ: and
such as They, might get the good Words and Experiences of others:
This puzzled them much, and laid them open. For at another time,
when I was discoursing with several Priests at Judge Fell’s House,
and he was by, I asked them the same Question, Whether any of
them ever heard the Voice of God or Christ, to bid him go to such or
such a People, to declare his Word or Message unto them? for any one
(I told them) any that could but read, might declare the Experiences
of the Prophets and Apostles, which were recorded in the Scriptures.
Hereupon one of them, whose Name was Thomas Taylor, an anci-
ent Priest, did ingenuously Confess before Judge Fell, That he had
never heard the Voice of God, nor of Christ, to send him to any People;
but he spake his Experiences, and the Experiences of the Saints in
former Ages; and That he preached. This very much Confirmed
Judge Fell in the Perswasion he had, That the Priests were wrong; for
he had thought formerly, as the generality of People then did, That
they were sent from God.

This Thomas Taylor was Convinced at this time, and traveled with
me into Westmorland. And coming to Crossland-Steeple-house, we
found the People gathered together there. And the Lord opened
Thomas Taylor’s Mouth amongst the People (though he was Con-
vinced but the day before) so that he declared amongst them, How
he had been, before he was Convinced; and like the good Scribe, that
was Converted to the Kingdom, he brought forth things new and old to
the People, and shewed them, how the Priests were out of the Way:
Which did torment the Priests. Some little discourse I had with them,
but they fled away; and a precious Meeting there was, wherein the
Lord’s Power was over all, and the People were directed to the Spirit
of God, by which they might come to know God and Christ, and to
understand the Scriptures aright. After this I passed on, visiting
Friends, and had very large Meetings in Westmorland.

Now began the Priests to Rage more and more, and as much
they could stir up Persecution. Whereupon James Naylor and
Francis Howgill were cast into Prison in Appleby-Jail, at the insti-
gation of the malicious Priests; some of whom prophesied, That
within a Month we should be all scattered again, and come to nothing.

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