78) And they fell like an old rotten house and ye cry was amongst
all people farr & nigh y^t ye Quakers had gott ye day. & y^t y^e: preists was falen

And many was made ministers of ye euerlastinge worde of life & of

y^e: gospell ʌat y^t time & they preacht it freely:

And Tho: Briggs was convinct y^t day: & declared agst his preist

Jacques: for before y^t time hee had discoursed with a freinde

                                                                  one J: Lawson

concerneinge truth: w^ch: freinde ʌ helde perfection: & Tho: Briggs
saide vnto him dost thou holde perfection & hee vppe with his

                woulde have

hande & ʌ strucke ye freinde a box in ye eare: but att this
day this T: Briggs came to be convinct: & became after
a faithfull minister of ye gospell & stands to this day

And I was in a fast this time & I was not to eate vntill
this worke of God was accomplished; & soe ye Lords power
was wonderfully sett ouer all: and gaue mee dominion ouer all

& his gospell was freely preacht y^t: day ouer y^e heades of 40 hirelinge preists

to his glory: ʌ & I stayde two or 3 days in Lancaster afterwards

                                          butt             & baser sorte

& had some meetinges: & ye rude ʌ people pʌlotted togeather to
haue drawne mee out of ye house & to haue throwne mee ou[er]
Lancaster bridge but ye Ld preuented y^m:

And then they Inuented another stratagem after a meetinge
was donn in Lancaster they brought doune a distracted m[an]
in his wastcoate & another man in his wastcoate with a c[om]

                        rodds                             like besomes

pany of birch whipps bounde togeather: ʌ for y^m to haue whipp[t]
mee with y^m: but I was moued to speake to ym in ye Lord[s]
mighty power w^ch: chained him & ym: w^ch. brought him lik[e]
a lambe & I bid him throwe his rodds Into ye fire & burne

              soe & I made him confess to truth & y^e light of Xt Jesus &

ym & hee did : soe ye Lds powr came ouer all: soe as
wee parted in loue & peace

And this persecutinge Jo: Sawrey: att last was drouned: & ye
vengans of God ouertooke ye oJther Justice Tompson: y^t hee
was strucke with ye deade palsey vpon ye bench & carryed
away off his seate: and dyed

X And from Lancaster I returned to Rob: Withers: & from thence

I went to Tho: Lepers to a meetinge in ye eueninge: &
after ye meetinge was donne w^ch: was a very blessed meetinge

And they fell like an old rotten house; and the cry was amongst
all people, far and nigh, that the Quakers had got the day, and that

the priests was fallen.

And many was made ministers of the everlasting word of life and of

the Gospel at that time and they preached it freely.

And Thomas Briggs was convinced that day, and declared against his
priest| Jacques: for before that time he had discoursed with a Friend

concerning truth: which Friend, one John Lawson, held perfection: and Thomas Briggs| said unto him, ‘Dost thou hold perfection?’ and he up with his| hand and would have struck the Friend a box in the ear: but at
this | day this Thomas Briggs came to be convinced : and became after
a faithful minister of the Gospel and stands to this day.

And I was in a fast this time and I was not to eat until
this work of God was accomplished; and so the Lord’s power
was wonderfully set over all: and gave me dominion over all
to his glory; and his Gospel was freely preached that day over the heads of 40 hireling priests;

and I stayed two or 3 days in Lancaster afterwards,| and had some meetings: but the rude and baser sort [of] people plotted together
to | have drawn me out of the house and to have thrown me ov[er]
Lancaster bridge; but the Lord prevented them.

And then they invented another stratagem: after a meeting
was done in Lancaster, they brought down a distracted m[an]
in his waistcoat, and another man in his waistcoat with a c[om]

pany of birch rods bound together like besoms for them to have whipp[ed]
me with them; but I was moved to speak to them in the Lord’[s]
mighty power which chained him and them: which brought him lik[e]
a lamb, and I bid him throw his rods Into the fire and burn

them and he did; and I made him confess to truth and the light of Christ Jesus: and so the Lord’s power came over all, so as
we parted in love and peace.

And this persecuting John Sawrey at last was drowned; and the
vengeance of God overtook the other Justice, Thompson, that he
was struck with the dead palsy upon the bench and carried
away off his seat, and died.

X And from Lancaster I returned to Robert Withers: and from thence

I went to Thomas Lepers to a meeting in the evening; and
after the meeting was done which was a very blessed meeting