Worse than Turkish Tyranny

{Page 205} Worʃe than Turkiſh Tyranny

In order to the proof of which Charge 'tis neceſſary to notifie, That as this our exalted Apoſtle Fox declared, He never liked the Words Liberty of Conſcience, there being no liberty out of the Truth, as he called his Notions: So what Liberty to Epiſcopalians? No: What Liberty to the Presbyterians? No: What, Liberty to the Independents? No: What, Liberty to the Anabaptiſts? No, ʃays he: In purſuance of whoſe Sentiments I muſt remind my Reader,¹

That thought our depraved Quaker Tyranny be of an outward as well as of a ſpiritual Nature, as will appear by the Sequel,yet as they have not in an outward reſpećt here Power to aćt with impunity, what (by their Proceedings in Penʃilvania in the Caſe of George Keith, &c.) they have given us a cauſe to beleive they want to bek at.²

That I in the firſt place complain of, is what they execute upon us, under pretence of dear Love and true Chriſtian Tenderneſs, &c. by way of Church Cenſure for our Conſcientious Rejećtion of their great Apoſtle's Impoſitions; whereby as they effećt our inward Man, when as the Turks only effećt our outward One, in the Impoſition of their Mahometan Impertinencies, (as Dr. Fuller in* chap.* 6. of his Holy War hath obſerved) ſo our Quaker Tyranny maybe juſtly ſaid ſo far to exceed the Turks as our Souls exceed our Bodies; through the Terror whereof, as they have ſometimes obliged ſome of their abuſed Friends to condemn themſelves in our Publick Mix'd Meetings, on their Knees before their great Apoſtle, for doing what they themſelves had pleaded for as their {Page 206} Duty; ſo they have not been wanting, by their venomous Tongues and Pens, to ſting the bowed down Souls of others nigh to a Death, many times worſe than bodily Torture, under pretence of preſerving them; of which I ſhall deſcend to exhibit fome few Inſtances, in lieu of many thqt might be mentioned; in order whereto;³

The caſe of our ancient and truly worthy Friend James Naylor claims the firſt place, as he was the firſt Perſon this our exalted Diotrephes excerciſed his Tyranny on; who, in purſuance of our then profeſs'd Principle of the lawfulneſs of bodily Reverence to true Chriſtian Miniſters and Magiſtrates, amongſt amonſt our ſelves or others, in Honour to the Life of Chriſt in them, (undue to perſecuting Harmonites) ſuffering himſelf to be bowed unto, amongſt other Honours, in Reverence to the Divine Glory that conſpicuouſly ſhone, through his Doćtrine and Countenance, to his Oliverian Perſecutors Amazement, and our Friends great encouragement in their defence of him; yet as his fragrant Bays clouded our Fox's then withering Lawrels, to his no ſmall Diſconsolation, he, upon Naylor's Refuſal to kiſs his Foot, in evidence of his Subjećtion to his Super-excellency, (when he put it forth forthat purpoſe ſoon after his Proſecution) never ceas'd adding Affliction to this our afflićted Friend, by his Spiritual Thunderbolts, till he made him condemn himſelf as a Tranſgreſſor on his Knees befoee him and his Mirmidons, in our Publick Mix'd Meeting at Bill and Mouth, London, in a Mattr wherein he himſelf had defended him.⁴

{Page 207} The next whom this our Apoſtle exerciſed his Hierarchical Ferula on, was our grearly bowed down Friend John Perrot, who being one very jighly eſteemed by the moſt judicious amongſt us, on account of his Conſtancy in his great Sufferingx in Rome's Inquiſition, for his Chriſtian Teſtimony against the Pope's Corruptions, was in a fair way to obtain the Aſcendary of this our elevated Fox; which he being not ableto endure the Thoughts of, firſt pick'd a Quarrel with him fir his Allowance of Marriage of ſuch as God enjoyn'd by his Holy Spirit in Conjugal Union (how unſeemly ſoever the Eyes of Mankind) together with his Declaration of his Chriſtian Unity with ſuch of other Proteſtant Societies, whoſe Converſation became their Profeſſion of what they witneſſed to be God inthemſelves; above what hehad with ſuch Quakers as were not changed from the Nature of Enmity; and thenmoſt seriouusly fell on to perſecute him, by Tongue and Pen, for his conſcientious refuſal, at Gid's Commandment, to put off his Hat, byway of Formality, whenFox and his Proſelytes pray'd, (upon account of the Observſtion he had made of ſome who precipitantly doffing of theirs on our Preachers putting off his, through a falſe Conception of his Designbeing to pray, whenby his preaching they with ſhame ſlide it on again) which being by Fox and his Mirmidons eſteemed no ſmall Indignity to their formal Harangues (after they had their Reſentment a while, by their ſour Contenances and ſlighting Carriage towards him) they (upon the unſucceſsfulneſs of their Threats and Flatteries to effećt his Conformity) fell on to perſecure him moſt unmercifully, by their ſecret Whiſperings, privat Conſpiracies, abominable Falſhoods,villanous Pervertions, and moſr venomous Epiſtles to our Friends inEngland, Ireland, and Weſt-India againſt him; wherein as they curſed him, calling him Serpent, Sonof Perdition, falſe Prophet, growing Mad, poſſef'd bythe Devil, a Whoremonger and Adulterer, &c. inorder to ſet his own {Page 208} dear Wife of his Bosom (as well as our Friends) againſt him and his Chriſtian Testimony; ſo they never left thoſe their ungodly Dealings,aćted under pretence of true Chriſtian Tenderneſs,till they finally wearied him not only of their Society,but alſo of this our Engliſh Nation too; whofor that Peace-ſake he couldnot enjoy amonſt thoſe pretendly Meek, Innocent and Harmleſs Ones, by all his Prayers and Tears, was forc'd to ſeek his Bread, where he found his Grave, ina Foreign Iſland; on whom his trulyy= honourable and ever worthy Supporter Robert Rich, who deeply ſympathiz'd with him in Sufferings (as well as his Predeceſſor J.N.) deſervedly bestowed this following Epitaph upon him, in Anno 1676, ſome time before his bodily Diſſolution, entitled,⁵

->In Memoriam Johannis Perotti.<-

Sweet was thy Voice, and raviʃshing they Strain,
Thy Silver Trumpet ʃounded not in vain;
In vain did Zion's Enemies we ʃee
Labour by Crualties, to conquer thee;
Patience and holy Zeal did overcome
Thy Cruelties of Antichriſtian Rome;
Thy Sufferings there for Truth, what Tongue can tell?
The Zeal God gave thee, few do parallel;
In Shilo's holy Ink, thy learned Pen
Was dipp'd, which raviʃhed the Sons of Men:
When thy fair Fabricks fall'n, if e're I come,
I'll drop ſome Tears upon thy honoured Tomb;
Thou Heaven-born Seed, bleſt let thy Memory be,
The Love of Men, and Angels honour thee.

Thus as the Lord was pleaſed to raiſe up our ancient Friends, to diſcover a persecuting Spirit as the Quinteſſence of divers concealed Corruptions in great Pretenders to Liberty and Property in Oliver Cromwel's Time, by their conſcientious refuſal to putoff their Hats, or bow their Bodies in Token of Subjećtion to perſecuting Miniſters, &c. of proud Haman's Nature, according to holy {Page 209} Mordecai's Precedent, and our bleſſed Saviour's Chriſtian Doctrine, in thoſe ſeveeral Texts in the Margin.⁶

When thoſe our Leaders came to be ſo far depraved, through their furious purſuit of their Fox's Hurricanes, as to forbid us thar praćtice towards all in general, under the penalty of our Excluſion from Church Communion, contrary to Scripture Precepts, our own ancient Principles, and Chriſt's Saints and Martyrs Chriſtian Precedents in all Ages: It is no great wonder, that the Lord ſhould inlike manner raiſe up Witneſſes amongſt us, to detećt the ſame Spirit of Persecution inthem, by their conſcientious refuſal to put off their Hats, by way of Formality, when they prayed, that the Faithful might ſee, how ill the Depraved were able to bear with that nonconformity in their own Friends, they had ſo loudly exclaimed againſt the Impoſition of them inothers; of which our long mournful and truly conſcientious (though their greatly abuſed) Friend Isaac Penington is my next Evidence.⁷

Who being conſcientiouſly concerned to write certain Queries to thoſe our Apoſtate Impoſers, in behalf of John Perrot's Cauſe againſt them, (wherein he declared, The Power of God was upon him for his better Aʃʃiʃtance) they never left perſecuting his greatly bowed down Soul with their bitter Cenſures,under the Notion of Church Diſcipline, until they had made him (as they did our Friend John Crook alſo in effećt) publickly acknowledge, *The Thing came of the Devil, and the End of the Power upon him (he ſpeaks of) was to lead him againſt that Spirit Perrot was aćted by; had he underſtood the Signification of it, though as Perrot declared, He impoſed not his Practice as a Duty on othefs, as they {Page 210} did his leaving of it, ſo he did nought in it but what the Lord required of him; ſo tranſcendent is theid Church Tyranny to their enſlaved Vaſſals, when aćted under pretence of Tenderneſs, above Turkiʃh bodily Torture; as that they have thereby ſubjećted thoſe with eaſe to their impoſing Spirir, the other never could conquer, as appears bythis Insſtance of our Friend Iſaac Peningron, with other that follow.⁸

For not to relate allthe Tyrannical Effećts of their Spiritual Barbarity, treated of in the Treatiſe entitled, Turanny and Hypocriſy detećted. The next Inſtance I ſhallcommunicate inproof of this myCharge,is the Caſe of our ancient and once well eſteemed Scottiʃh Friend John Swinton, who being conſcientiouſly concerned,todeclare to us, by an Epiſtle in Anno 1664, what the Lord had made known to him concerning our Leaders then growing depravity, (conſonant to the Contents of another he had wrtoe four Years before) he therein ſays, I have ſeen the Anger, Fury and Indignation of the Almighty God, ready to break forth int9 a mighty Flame; yea, the Leaders, many of them, not ʃtanding clear herein, (meaning as to outward things) Iſrael's Wound lies deeper inmore Spiritual and Inward,and therefore the more incurable: Pride, Conceitedneſs. High mindedneſs, Love of Dominion, Selfiʃhneʃs, an exalted Spirit,and itching Mind, to declare Words in and above the Seed of the Kingdom hath deeply entred Iſrael; yea, the Leaders, the Leaders; with much more to this purpoſe; whicj the Luciferian Spirits being by no means able to bear from him, they forthwith impoſe on him to Condemn his ſaid Chriſtian Teſtimony, with the Spirit that therein influenc'd him: Which he was ſo far from, when they firſt ſqueez'd his rightly ſenſible and truly conſcientious Soul, by their oppreſſive Church Cenſures in order to it, as that he not only declared, He ſaid Epiſtle was writ in the expreſs Motion of God, and in his manifeſt Leadings out of and beyond all Thoughts and Reasonings; but that the Lord was therein with him inall his Reſources {Page 211} from his own hired Houſe though Northumberland Biſhoprick, Yorkſhire, Lincolnſhire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Eſſex to London, fror which Cauſe he was there agaun, to acquaint Friends, Thqt it was juſtified inecery Tittle of it, ʃo as that he could not retraćt it, or the leaʃt Syllable ot it, or deny the Spirit inwhich it was written, ʃince he ʃhould be rebeelious to his Light and Life iʄ he offered it; with much more to this purpoʃe. Upon which they failing on to perſecure him moſt unmercifully, by r3peated Showers of their Church Thunderbolts, in order to his Exclusion; under pretence of God's Honour and his Perple's Preſervation from his Delusion; which he not longer able to bear, through his Lothneſs to be cashier'd their Society, (which they ſet forth as the only true Chriſtian one) finally fell under their perſecuting Fury, in retraćting his ſaid Paper, and judging the Spirit in which it was written, according to their ungracious Injunćtions (direćtly contrary to God Almighty's expreſs Requiring, and his own declared Duty) under pretence, That the Child might not be divided, nor the ʃeamleʃs Coat rent, through his Chriſtian Conſtancy, to that his pretended Friends irreconcilable Diʃunity; little dreaming, he made way for thoſe very Conſequents he hoped to avoid by his ſcandalous Conformity, to the high aggravation of his Tormentors worʃe than Turkiſh Tyranny, and our great Confuſion, as hath ſince been found by Experience.⁹

For thoſe our London Lords, being about this time not a little perplexed with divers Teſtimonies of this Nature, againſt their then growing Depravity; upon account of their Fox's Exaltation; to the no ſmall Impediments of their impoſed Uniformity, and new-forg'd Innovations; they in order to ſilence their Opponents, and ſtrengthen themſelves more effećtually, inthe Poſſeſſions their ſaid Apoſtle bequeathed them, in his aſſumed Hiearchy, ſet forth a Teſtimony, as they call it, from {Page 212} their Gen3ral Meeting, ſigned by George Whitehead, Joʃiah Cole , Alexandar Parker, John Whitehead, Thomas Lee, Stephen Crisp, Thomas Green, John Moon, Thomas Briggs, James Parks and Richard Farnʃworth; met together at London in the 3d Month 1666, to be communicated to the faithful Friends and Elders in the Countries, by them to be read in their ſeveral Meetings, and kept as a Teſtimony amongſt them.¹⁰

Wherein, conſidering that their Society and Government could not be kept inviolable againſt their covert Enemies, (as they reputed those their Chriſtian Monitors afore-mentioned) who were not afraid to ſpeak Evil of Dignities; they therefore do unanimouſly, and with the Lord's preſence (as they ſay) teſtify,¹¹

Firſt, That ſuch as exalt themſelves above the Body of Good and Ancient Friends, ought not to have any Dominion, Oʄʄice or Rule in the Church oʄ Chriʃt.

2dly. That ʃuch as are not in Unity with the Miniʃtry and Body, haveno Goʃpel Authority to be Judges in the Church, and their Judgment ought not to be regarded. That it is abominable Pride when any particular will not admit of the Judgment of the Witneſs of G9d in Friends to take place againſt him; for He that is not juſtified by that, is condemned in himſelf. (a notorious Heretick.)¹²

3dly They teſtify in the Name of the Lord, That the Church has power (without the aſſent of Diſſenters) to determine Controversies; and that ʃuch Perʃons as will not ʃubmit to their Judgment conʃiʃtent to the Doćtrine of ancient Friends, [meaning G.F. and Party] but oppoſe it as the Judgment of Man, ought to be rejećted (together with thoſe the {Page 213} countenance and Encourage them) as Perʃons joyned in one with Heathens and Infidels.¹³

4thly. That ʃuch diʃapproved Miniʃters ought (whatever hath been their Giʄts) to leave oʄʄ miniʃtering till they are reconciled to the Church; and iʄ approved Perʃons degenerate to Diviʃion, and countenance Faćtion, the Church has to desl with them in the ʃame manner; to which if they ʃubmit not, warning ought to be given in General Meetings to beware of them, and to have no Fellowſhip with them.¹⁴

5thly They warn and charge all Friends, that they have no hand in printing or publiſhing the Books or Writings of ſuch as are not of Unity with the Body: Further deʃiring, that ʄaithʄul and ʃound Friends and Brethren¹⁵ ʄrom time to time, may have the view of ʃuch Things as are printed upon Truths Account (as formerly hath been uſed to be) before they go to the Preſs.

By all which, with other Impoſitions of the ſame nature, in their ſaid Paper of Orders, &c. though they doubted not to have enſlaved us irretrievabky, and ſecure their aſſumed Government uncontroulable: yet they found themſelves miſtaken in both reſpećts, as will appear by that Chriſtian Oppoſition they met amongſt us, wherein their Oppoſers had not wanted their Reward, had they alike ſtood the Torrent of their venomous Impoſition, as ſome few (who came nobly forth againſt them, as Perſons reſolved toConquer, or p3riſh in the Encounter) I muſt confeſs, didnot, to our no ſmall Diſconſolation, as will appear by theſe following Inſtances I am obliged to remind my Reader of upon the freſh occaſion. In purſuance whereof

{Page 214} Our ſincere hearted and once grestly admired Friend George Biſhop of Briſtol, is first to be notified, as he was the firſt thqt cried out aloud, in the Name of the Lord, againſt this Romiſh Paper of Articles as an Innovation, which, iʄ the Day ʃhould prevail, or thoʃe Things it ʃeems to hold forth and enʄorce, he declared, he had no other expećtation but that the ſame Exerciʃe we ʃhould receive at their Hands, as we had received from the Hands of others, who would have held us in Captivity before them, &c. So he was the firſt they tried it perſecuting Nature on, by his threatened Excluſion upon his perſiſtance in his Oppoſition; which he not being able to endure the effećts of, through the high Station he had amonſt them, finally condeſcended (together with his Partner Ben. Furley) to give away his Judgmenr, according to the afore-mentioned Precedents of their oppreſſed Friends Penington, Crook and Swinton, in tacitly owning his Condemnation, by a Stroke he gave himſelf in the City of Briſtol, for his Oppoſition; if his Perſecutors tell us the Truth of him in p. 114, &c. of their Judas and the Jews combin'd: Which, conſidering his and his afflićted Partners Conſtancy, through divers outward Sufferings of a high Nature for Truths ſake in other respećts, is an additional Evidence, that our Quaker Perſecution is worſe than Turkiſh Tyranny, according t0 this my Charge, ſince thoſe glorious Inſtruments, who had {Page 215} ſo often come off with Conqueſt ov3r the one, were yet moſt ignomiouſly made to bow by the other as a Terror, Fire and Faggot was nothing in compariſon of, according to the experienc'd Teſtimonies of ſuch God preſerved, through all the efforts of their Fury.¹⁶

Fir though thoſe our cauſeleſly oppreſſed Brethren through fear fell under the perſecuting Spirit of thoſe our depraved Elders, (like the weak Daughters of Israel, holy Daniel ſpeaks of in the Caſe of Suſanna) yet how near ſoever brought on their Knees ſometimes by a ſeeming condeſcendance for Peace-ſaje, the true Spiritual Seed of the Royal Blood of Juda amongſt us (no more than in the Days of Old) would abide their wicked Impoſitions, with9ut crying out aloud againſt them; for which Cauſe they made them the perpetual Objećts of their Veʃuvius Selphurous Irruptions, thro' all which the Lord our God moſt graciouſly preſerved them, to their et3rnal Honour, and Perſecutors Confuſion, as I ſhall make appear by ſeveral Inſtances. In order whereto

{Page 216} As our truly honorable and evef worthy Friend Robert Rich eminently ſignaliz'd himſelf in God's Cauſe againſt their impoſing Spirit, in the Caſe of James Naylor and John Perrot afore-mentioned, for which they perſecuted him till Death, by their moſt venonmous Church Cenſures, &c. as the Reader may findby their ſeveral Books againſt him, and thoſe he defended.¹⁷

The next I muſt remind my Reader of, are our ancient and cauſeleſly oppreſſed friends John Wilkinſon and John Story, whi being amonſt many other of their Contemporaries juſtly diſſatisfy'd with George Fox and his Supporter George Whitehead's unſcriptural Innovations, (in the matter of Marriage, recording of Condemnations to perpetuity, Inſtitutions of Womens diſtinćt Meetings of Diſcipline, and Hypocritical Singings and Soundings in their Aſſemblies for Worſhip, &c.) upon Fox's refuſal to declare, He deſigned not to enforce his Orders by Church Cenʃure, &c. found themſelves conſcientiously obliged to bear their Chriſtian Teſtimonies in Private and Publick againſt them, that their evil Effećts might be avoided for the future byremoving the Cauſe of them. At which thoſe their Inſtitutors were ſo highly diſguſted, as thqt they reſolved to exerciſe them ſeverly with their Church Ferula, if they could not by more eaſie Methods bebrought to Conformity; in tord4r whereto, after our grest Fox had try'd them awhile with his watry Ingredients of Ah poor Men, I pity you; the Lord knows I love you; the Lord of Heaven knows I am sorry for y9u; Ah poor Men, alack for you; with abundance more of the like Hypocritical Whinery; by which not obtaining his End on them, he falls on to ſqueeze their greatly bowed down Souls, with his more fiery ones, of Ah! This is the Word of the Lord to you John Wilkinson and John Story; call in your papers [i.e. of Oppoſition] give over your Work and Separation, ot the {Page 217} Lord God will blaſt your Spirit and Work; forthe Seed reigns which will grind you to Powder.¹⁸

By which ſort of Menaces, as one of them had it ſeems, ſome time before aſſented to their Womens diſtinćt Meetings, for the better care of the Poor, and other ſuch neceſſary Services,they from that fatal Handle, finally prevailed on them to give forth ſomething that look'd like a Teſtimony againſt themſelves, for oppoſing their aſſumed Church Government and enforc'd Innovations; though, as it was far from being their true Intent therein, ſo it was really no ſuch thing in itſelf, as the Reader may find by the Contents of it, as publiſhed by their Perſecutors in their Exalted Diotrephes; where, after an Acknowledgment, That an Hour of Temptation hath appeared through them, which hath given Offence to their Brethren, who as they were ſenſible had a Travail on their Spirits, for the preſervation of Peace and Unity inthe Church concerning them, who have ſometimes been exerciſed in Things that they [i.e. thoſe Friends] teſtifie are commendable in the Church of God; They declare, They were ſorry that any Weakneſs ſhould appear inthem, to give occaſion for ſuch Oʄʄence, and as ʃatisʄaćtion to their Brethren do, from the very bottom of their Heartx=s, condemn that Spirit, whether it hath appeared inthem or any other, that hath given Oʄʄence to the Church of Gid in gen3ral, or that oppoʃe the Order of the Goʃpel or any ʄaithʄul Brethren in the praćtice of thoſe Things they believe are their Duty.

Now this being only an Expedient they found freedom to uſe, to quiet their perſecuting Oppoſers, if poſſible, and ſecure their publick Teſtimony (againſt their enforc'd Innovations) unoppoſed, ſo as they never ſigned the ſaid Paper (if the Original anſwer the printed Copy refer'd to) they wefe ſo far from allowing the Contents of it to be any Condemnation of their Oppoſition, according to their Perſecutors Representations, as that they expreſsly denied it in their repeated Explanations, in thoſe Books in the Margin amongſt others, to their Impoſers noſmall Mortification; as that they fell onto perſecute them Tooth and Nail, by forged Certificates, ſlanderous Accuſations, groſs Lies innumerable, ſtoppages of their publick Teſtimonies, and repeated Threats of theif eternal Damnation, &c. whereby as they wounded the Soul of the one nigh to Death, their renowned Prophet Eccles told the other in his Sickneſs, This was the Word of the Lord to him, That he ſhould die that Year, becauſe hehad taught Rebellion againſt him, in order to the Deſtruction of his Body; whicj being proved a falſe Propheſy by his living preſervation ſome Years after, they, to ſhew their ill Reſenrment of their prophetick Diſappointment, nexg proceeded toexclude them out of their Communion, in order to their Souls Deſtruction; and then forbade thoſe that joyned with them intheir Teſtimony againſt that Spirit of Oppoſition, To make Bargins with that which is out of the Truth, as they call it, or Reaʃon with it, by entring into Propoſals or Articles with it; but ʄeed it with Judgment, tillthey anʃwered by Condemnation, &c.¹⁹

Through which barbarous Treatment, as they moſt Tyrannically harraſs'd the one all his Life, they greatly grieved the Spirit, oppreſſively rent the Soul, and finally pined the Body to Death of the other, according to their own prefeſs'd Friends Relations in thoſe Books afore-mention'd, in further proof of thid my Charge againſt them.

Whereby, inſtead of bringing their proſecured Friends John Wilkinſon and John Story's Chriſtian Teſtimonies under the Feet of their Perſecutors George Fox and George Whitehead's Antichriſtian Tyrannies, as their flattering Prophets predićted; I am well ſatisfy'd, that the Day is dawn'd, their true Friend J. Rance ſpeaks of in his Prophetick Teſtimony concerning them, wherein he truly tell us,

The Georges both muʃt be brought down,
And to the Johns muſt veil the Crown
For they have long abuʃed them,
By Tongue, by Writing, and by Pen;
But now the Day of Trouble's come,
And they muʃt reap what they have ʃown;
Even ʃo let all Impoʃers fall,
Whoʃe Brethren's Conʃcience would enthral.

In order to which juſt Judgment I muſt tell them, That as they have greatly aggravated their Crimes of this Nature, by their barbarous Treatment alſo of our truly worthy Friends John Rance, Charles Harris, John Hog, John Lyeth and John Cox, amongſt many other of their Chriſtian Monitors, in thoſe their Books and Papers inſtanc'd in the Margin, &c. wherein, as they ſtigmatiz'd them with the odious Charaćters of Hymenes, Philothes, Alexander the Copperʃmith, Devil driven, dungy Gods, curʃed, croʃs, canker'd, ʃeparate, treacherous Spirits, betraying Judas's, &c. (in order to prepoſſeſs their Adherents againſt their conſcientious Outcries of their Corruptions) ſo when they could not by thoſe means obtain their envious Ends, ſo fully as they aim'd at, they (according to their afore-mention'd deviſed Scheme) proceeded to Excommunicare them out of their Church Communion, as Perſons joyned in one with Heathens and Infidels; whereby notwithſtanding, being not able to ſilence them, they fell on to pull, puſh, pinch and thruſt them out of their Publick Mix'd Meetings, as Troublers of their Iʃrael. Through all which, when they ſtill perſiſted in the diſcharge of that Duty God required of them in their Innovations and Reprehenſions, they publickly told the World, That they were Mad, Crack-Brain'd and Craiz'd in their Intellećts, in order the prepoſſeſs them againſt their Chriſtian Diſcoveries, and ſet the Mob upon them to abuſe them; whereby ſtill not being able wholly to ſtop their Chriſtian Teſtimonies, whilſt the Cauſe of their Outcries remained unremoved.²⁰

That they might come no ways ſhort of fulfilling the Divine John's. Predićtions, concerning their Romiſh Predeceſſors, in hindring them to buy or ſell, in order to their Impoveriſhment , they in Conformity to their Fox's Admonitions, To make {Page 220} no Bargains with that which is out of the Truth, as he called it, made it their Busineſs to diſſwade ſuch Tradeſmen as they dealt with from furth4r dealing with them, in way of Merchandize, or otherwiſe; through which, as they undid our ancient and trulh honourable Friends Thomas Kent, as well as Thomas Boyʃe of London, amongſt many other of their Chriſtian Monitors, whoſe greatly oppreſſed Souls and Bodies, with their diſtreſſed Families, cry aloud for Vengeance under God's Holy Alter againſt them; ſo they finally ruined our truly worthy and ever faithful Friend William Rogers, once a conſiderable Merchant in Briʃtol, for his early Oppoſition of their impoſed Innovations, in behalf of John Wilkinſon and John Story's Chriſtian Cauſe againſt them, as he himſelf told me a little before his bodily Diſſolution; in order whereto they declared, That as Briſtol ſhould be an Anvil to beat upon, the Trumpet of the Lord was ʃounded to Battle, and the War was begun; they loudly cried out, Come up to the Battle, Curʃe ye Meroz, and help the Lord againſt the Mighty. In purſuance whereof they furiously fell upon him till they had ruined him.²¹

Whoſe great Oppreſſions, though he deſired to forgive, yet he could not but remember in his dying Expreſſions, which are (as they were taken in Writing by a young Woman, onthe 12th of the Month of March, Anno 1708-9, at his own requeſt, when he was near expiring, (conſonant to that worthy Chriſtian Warriour Martin Luther, we read of in p. 838. of Fox's Aćts and Monuments) as follow, verbatim.

My heavenly Father, I earneſtly pray thee, in the Name, and for the Sake of thy Son Jeſus Chriſt, that thou wilt pardonall my Sins,andtake meout of the Body toreſt in Peace with thee; and foraſmuch as many have been guilty of divers Aćtions, whereby I have been wrong'd inmy outward Eſtate and Subſtance, the Conʃequences whereof have been injurious to many diʃtriʃʃed Families, as wellas my own, I leave it to the Lord; and as I have no Envy in my Heart to any one, ʃo I believe the Lord will ʃo preʃerve me to the laʃt Moment of my Time in this World; and there is an Evidence thereoʄ to me, that I ʄorgive every one that hath done me wrong, anddo deʃire the Lord, if ir tend to his Glory, may do the like.

Thus this our worthy Friend, as he faithfully ſerved the Lord and his People, by his unwearied travels for their Welfare, whilſt on this ſide the Grave , ſo he for got not thoſe in his Prayers at his Death, who had in his Life-time ſo barbarouſly uſed him, by their attempts of his Puniſhment, in order to expoſe him to ſuch a lingring Death, as far exceeds the expenditious Flames of Turkiſh Tyranny, according to the Biſhop of Salisbury's Relation: which, though bad enough, is ſtill far ſhort of that they aćt upon us, under pretence of Chriſtian Tenderneſs, by way of Chruch Cenſure; whereby as they have made many amongſt us lead a Life worſe than Death, by ſtinging their bowed down Souls to the quick, in condemning the Holy Spirit that influenc'd them in their Chriſtian Teſtimonies againſt their Corruptions, for the Devil's Inſtigations, ſo our ancient, truly honojrable, and ever conſtant Friend John Penyman of London, is a pregnant Inſtance of this my Charge againſt them.²²

Who, as he was one of the Lord's from his Perſecutors Vulturous Eyes, under a couple of ſignificant Clouds of God's Indignation againſt their blaſphemous Books; and renewed Tenders of his unlimited Love to the ſincere of all Societies, on account of thoſe pr3tended Perfećtioniſts abuſe of it; they made him the conſtant {Page 222} objećt of their unbounded Fury above forty Years ſucceſſively, for his Chriſrian reprehenſion of their Fox's Apoſtacy, Hypocriſy and Blaſphemy, till the Lord in pity to his long, mournful and greatly oppreſſed Soul, was graciouſly pleaſed by Death to r3move him out of reach of his unwearied Toublers, into thoſe Manſions of Light and Love they ſhall never enter without true Repentance and timely Amendment; whoſe ſuff3ring caſe, as it is more largely exhibited in the Account of his Life, well worth our universal peruſal; wherein we are inform'd,

That he mqnifeſtly finding a great Apoſtscy in our Leaders, who after they had ſo induſtriouſly decried all Forms, (in preference of the Divine Power that brings beyond them) degenerate into meer Form, in ſetting up George Fox in the place of Chriſt²³, to be our Lord and Law-giver; he, with ſome other ſincere Followers of Chriſt, left them in part about the Year 1660, and uſed much to retire into the Fields by themſelves; notwithſtanding as to Works of Charity and ſuch good Offices, they ſtill frequented their Civil Meetings, and ſtood by them in their Sufferings, and ſuffered with them; till amongſt ofther Differences about their outward Affairs in the Years 1661 and 1662, one material Thing was, with relation to the Books givej to Parliament about the Sufferings, wherein they printed many falſe Relations; which, when he and one John Oſgood, with ſome others, had information of, they being greatly troubled at ſuch Things, acquainted Mens Meetings about outward Affairs therewith, telling them, What a ſad Thing is was, ʄor ʃuch aw pretended to be guided by the ʃame Spirit the Scripture was written, to publiʃh ʃo many Lies as had been done to the Parliament; which cauſing very great Debates amongſt thoſe pretendedly unerring Ones, for ſerveral Weeks together, which reflećting on George Fox and one Ellia Hooks, the Orderers of thoſe {Page 223} Matters, an Ancient Quaker, and zealous for George Fox, told them, That he being the ʄirʃt Promoter and Manager oc Friends Suff3rings, they ought not to be taken out of his Hand, contrary to the Opinion of john Penyman and others, ſenſible of his Inſufficiency; whereupon Gilbert Laytie and Gerrard Robers, with one Amor Stoddert, three princi0le leading Quakers, and great Admirers of Fox, kept him ſtill in the ſaid Imployment, to the great diſſatisfaćtion of others; amongſt whom this our Friend John Penyman, wh9 ſeeing George Fox's Honour and Will might be prefer'd before them, in a Matter they had been at ſo much pains to rećtifie, broke forth into theſe Words, I have not ʄorʃaken my Kindred, my Aquaintance, and the Glory of this World, ʄor Truth and Righteousneʃs ʃake, to come and uphold Iniquity amongſt ourʃelves; and ſo departed, intending never to go more amongſt ſuch Hypocritical Pretenders, and horrid Apoſtates, as he had found them.

But being upon account of his Riches and Honeſty prevail'd with, by his Friend John Osgood, ſtill to continue their Aſſemblies, inhope of their Amemdment, through his religious Influence; he, inſtead thereof, ſaw a great many more ſuch like Praćtices, which adding Afflićtion to his greatly afflićted Soul, cauſed him, with John Oʃgood and ſome others, again to retire into the Woods near Hangers-Green, about three or four Miles, from London, and there lament and bemoan thoſe our Leaderw ſad Degeneration and Apoſtacy, in giving up their Underſtqndings and Judgment to George Fox, not only in thoſe outward Concerns, but alſo in thoſe Spiritual and Supernatural, which they are ſtill ſo far from being reclaimed from, as thqt they own and juſtifie themſelves therein, in p. 3, &c. of their Epiſtle of Caution, printed Anno 1681. compared with their Anſwer to that Charge, printed the Year after; notwithſtanding all which, this their Chriſtian Monitor (on whom they had begun t0 have an evil Eye before) being loth to wholly forſake them, in December Anno. 1669. went to their Meeting in White-Hart-Court, where, after one of their Preachers had done, (he ſtanding upon a Form) had preſently his Bresth and Senſes taken from him for about half an Hour; as he had alſo the Day after at Westminſter Meeting-House; from whence he the next Day went to that of Wheeler-Street, wherein he had a great Pain all the while Jaʃper Batt was preaching, which ceaʃed as he had done ʃpeaking. By the firſt of which Signs, as the malignity of the Foxonian Spirit they had let in for their Teacher was notably denoted, ſo the latter was a ſorrowful Omen of the Sufferings he ſhould meet with at their Hands, for his Chriſtian Teſtimony againſt his Uſurpations, as appeared by the Sequel.²⁴

For being about this Time at a Monday Meeting at Devonʃhire Houſe, whilſt George Fox was ſpeaking, he was forc'd to utter theſe words,

I am to proclaim the Day of the Lord, which is come to gather the Outcaſts, and to cleanʃe the Camp of Evil-Doers.

Which George Fox owned to be the Word of the Lord; not then ſuſpećting,but that he own'd him and his Fellow-Preachers to be Miniſters of Chriſt. Though, as this our Friend Penyman had then ground to ſuſpećt the contrary, ſo he had a ſtrong perſwaſion, that he ſhould in a little Time be made to Speak or Aćt ſomething, which ſhould cauſe the Quakers in gene3ral, to riſe up as one Man againſt him; and as he believed, ſo it came to paſs, and that in an extraordinary and wonderful manner, upon the following Occaſion.

{Page 225} One John Bolton bringing him a Paper, entitled, A Declaration from the People of God called Quakefs, deſiring him to go along with him to the then Mayor with it; but he findinf thoſe Words therein, That we have paid our Taxes and Aʃʃeʃʃments, and other Dues and Duties, more than any People, accordinf to our Abilities, was much diʃatisfied withit, and told the ſaid John Bolton, He knew it was not true, there beinf ʃeveral Taxes which J.B. himʃelf, with divers others, reʄused to pay; for which cauʃe he could neither own or conʃent to that paper, or ʃtep one ʃtep with it. Which being told George Fox, as he ſuppoſed, he (with another Perſon unknown to him, who had spoke againſt him, and that Clauſe in particular, in their Devonshire Meeting Houſe) was ſent for to George Fox at the Houſe of Edward Man without Bishopʃgate; where hearing George Fox, and others, diſcourſing about paying of Taxes, &c. when they had done, he told them, He had ʃomething to lay before them, which had ʃometime been the ʃerious Exerciʃe of his Mind, which was this;

I being, ſaith he, to ʃend out a Man to ʃerve in the Train'd Bands, reʄuʃed, becauʃe you diʃowned thoʃe that did, and yet paid the Tax of the Royal Aid, and oʄ carrying on the War againſt the Dutch; and thoʃe I did pay, for you allowed and owned they ought to be paid; and I looking upon it, that this various praćtice was not agreeable with Truth, ʃince it ʃeem'd more juʃtifiable to me, to pay towards the Train'd Bands to prevent that then endanger'd Invaʃion of the Dutch, than thoʃe Taxes you allowed oʄ, in as much as Deʄenʃive Wars are more allowable then Oʄʄensive. To which George Fox reply'd²⁵

That the Son paid Taxes, and there is a State above Taxes, and if I ʃhould declare all I know concerninf Taxes, you could not bear it; with more ſuch lofty Nothings to the ſame purpoſe.

{Page 226} All which, as it was no ſatisfaćtory Answer to the Argument afore-menrioned, ſo it was very far from ſatisfying this our judicious Friend John Pennyman; whereby though George Fox and George Whitehead were confirm'd in their late created Jealouſie, That he did not like of their Doings, yet as he was one of no ſmall Figure in the World, with reſpećt to his Riches and Honeſty, they held their itching Hands off him for the preſent, though it was not long before they and their Agents perſecuted him to purpoſe with their venomous Tongues,

For George Fox and George Whitehead having put forth another Paper on the 11th of April, entitled, A teſtimony from the people called Quakers, wherein they villifying Major Cobbet and Mr. Bunyon,a Baptiſt Miniſter, in calling the one Cobbet the Taylor,and the other Bunyon the Tinker, with the like Reproaches to others; and the ſaid Paper being put into the Hands of one Henry Srout, to carry to the then Lord Mayor of London, in order to prepoſſeſs him againſt what thoſe Authors alledged againſt the Errors of the Quakers; this our Friend getting a ſight of it at the Exchange, as Stout paſſed along with it, ſhewed his juſt diſlike of the ſame; upon which John Osgood, with the ſaid Henry Stout, perſwaded him to go wirh it to George Fox and George Whitehead, then at Edward Man's without Biſhopgate, and deſire them to ſtop and ſuppreſs it, with relation to thoſe ſcandalous Abuſes in it, before it went furth4r to our Defamarion: Inſtead of which, George Whitehead endeavoured to juſtifie it, by divers impertinent Allegatiions, in order to prevail onhim to ſign it. To this our aggreiv'd Friend juſtly replying, That it was below the Nobility of Truth to give ſcurrilous Language, or reproach any about the Meaneſs of their Trade, or Employmenrs, as that Paper did; George Whitehead took him up with great ſharpneſs, inſaying, He ſhould not exalt jimſelf over Friends; which adding Affliction to this their Chriſtian Monitor's afore afflicted Soul, in a {Page 227} Senſe of their ſad Depravity, he plainly told him, That as Truth was his Teſtimony,he could ſooner ceaſe to be, than ſubſcribe it, and ſodeparted wit a ſad and heavy Heart, begging and crying to the Lord, Thqt he would roul him in infamy to his Grave, rather than ever ſuch Things ſhould come forth in his Name. After which, being Livingly concerned to deliver divers Prophetick Teſtimonies of their Downfal, in our Publick Mix'd Meetings; one having a Senſe of the Grearneſs of his Exerciſe, on Account of thoſe our Leaders Apoſtacy (againſt whom he Teſtified, which he foreſaw would cent4r in Tyranny) was made to come to his Houſe and tell him, That he had that to paſs thorough, Fire and and Faggot would be littlr to him in compariſon of; as he in p. 14, of his Several Traćts, declared he had found by Experience; as will be further manifeſt onthe following accaſion.²⁶

He being on the 28th of the 5th Month, called July 1670, required of the Lord, to pack up all the printed Books he had (amongſt which were divers Volumes of our Quakers Writings) and carry them to one Mr. Bates of Cornhil; it was ſo ordered, that as he was going through the Exchange in his way, he was to ſit down and reſt him, and order the Porters that carried the two Baggs of Books to reſt them; one of which Baggs being fill'd (especially towards the Top) with old News Books, ſo as that he ſaw no other therein, he deſired one of the Porters to bring him a Candle; againſt which time, he having taken out two or three Waſt-Papers, orders the Porter to pour out the Books about the Middle of the Exchange, (there being then no Monument there) when having put Fire to the Papers in his Hand, with two or three od the Neqs-Books, a Man that was ſweeping the Exchange was ordered by ſome there to put it out, as he did accordingly, before there was to his apprehension a Quarter of a Sheet burnt; upon which, as it was imagin'd by the Quakers, that he would have burnt all the Books in both Baggs (as well as their Quaker Books) amongſt {Page 228} which was the Bible, direćtly contrary to his declared Intentions by Word and Writing, they not only procured his bodily Impriſonment,but alſo diſowned him, as one led bythe Devil intothqt wicked and mad Aćtion, as they called it, for which he might come down,, come down, ʃince Lucifer might ʄall, might ʄall; the Mouth of the Lord had ʃpoken it by his Servant George Whitehead; with more to this purpoſe. Upon the reading whereof, as he burſt forth int0 a violent Paſſion of Tears for thier ſakes thqt wrote it' ſo as ſoon as he could ſpeak to the Quakers that brought him it, he ſaid, Is it not enough for you to have repreʃented me to be diʃtraćted, but you muʃt alʃo accuʃe me Lord to be a Devil? It had been better for you that you had never been born, whoever had a Hand, or were concerned in this Paper; in a deep Senſe of their Blaſphemy; wherein as he was concerned more than ever to cry out againſt their moſt deplorable Apoſtacy in our Publick Aſſemblies, &c. as a Warning to others; ſo in defence of their perſiſtance in it, as one publickly oppoſed him fir an unclean and naſty Spirit, another fell on to thruſt him, another to punch him, and others to ſtigmatize and abuſe him, in calling him, A Companion with Ranters and Whoremongers, a Blaſphemer, a Madman, Craiz'd, Crack-brain'd, Devil's Drudge, Devil's Agent, Devil Driven, abſolutely diſtraćted, as he uſed to be when the Weather was hot; with abundance more ſuch vile Aſperſions, as the natural Effećts of their venomous Malignity; whereby, as the Sufferings they inflićted onhis long bowed down Soul had been found worſe to him than Fire and Faggot, as had been foretold him, ſo he found himſelf conern'd to commemorate the ſame in bloody Charaćters in the *Account of his Life, * as a pepetual Monument of the Worſe than Turkish Tyranny, in further proof of this my Charge againſt them. All which being occaſioned by their ſuperſticus Exaltation of their Apoſtle Fox's Impertinences for Divine Verities, under the frightful Outcry of, Ah! Hiw dare you ʃay, {Page 229} George Fox hath taken upon him to give forth his Direćtions, &c. when ʃo many are living Witneʃʃes, that thoſe Direćtions have proceeded from the Spirit of God through him? So they have been ſo far from repenting of their barbarous Treatment of this worthy Monitor, as that they perſiſt in the like to others, as appears by their Antichriſtian Dealings toward our ſincere and truly conſcientious Friend Richard Ranʃam, of Norwich Quarter Meeting, in order to his Ruin in Soul and Body, under pretence of preſerving him; which not being hitherto publiſhed in Print as the other is, I ſhall exhibit an Account of the Occaſion of it, and how they came to be baulk'd therein, as given meby the ſaid Richard Ranʃam himſelf,amongſt others of their Brotherhood,as follows,²⁷

The ſaid Richard Ranʃambeing diſpoſed by the Lord (as he firmly believed) toviſit Fri3ndw in London, inor about the Year 1700; when he came to Barnet had a more than ordinary Concern on his Spirit, with relation to the Weight of his Service when he came there, which was made known to him to be by way of Teſtimony againſt our Leaders Officiouſneſs in uſurping God's Prerogative, by joyning with the World, in chuſing us Law-makers intheir own Wills, accordinf to their ſevefal ſeeming outward Intereſts, without his Divine Direćtion; together with their offering their deviſed Affirmation to be enaćted as a ſtanding ſtinted Form to be tendered to us in all Caſes wherein we might be called to give Evidence in Courts of Judicature, &c. contrary to the Rules of Truth, and their own ancient Sentiments. The firſt of which Tranſaćtions²⁸, as they have often ben forewarn'd of, in a more private way,by Word and Writing amongſt our felves, to no effećt,he was concerned to reprehend them after a more publick one, in their mix'd Meetings of Worſhip, for their future Inſtruction; thriugh which they were ſo grestly enrag'd at him, as thqt inſtead of repenting of either, they firſt dealt with him in their Meetings of Diſcipline for his thus {Page 230} breaking out againſt, publickly defaming of, and ʃmiting at, not only Friends,but their Miniʃtering Brethren alʃo, as Perʃons giving way to the Spirit of the World,in creeping to Great Men, andgoing down to Egypt for Help, inbaulking the Teſtimony our ancient Friends ʃuʄʄered for, with more to this purpoſe; in order to make him Condemn himſelf as publickly as he had expoſed them: Which not obtaining the effećt they aim'd at in his Conformity (through his not being to leʃʃen any Thing of what he had delivered, as he told them) they proceeded to deal with himaftef a more publick way, for his preſumptuous Affront of them,inorder to his final Excluſion, by a long Letter they ſent to York Yearly Meetinf againſt him; wherein, after they had (under pretence of Love to the bleſſed Truth, andgreat Tenderneſs towards him) adviſed their Agent John Taylor,and the reſt of Friends in York, to admonish him to return home, and preach no more in his unreconciled State; ʃince (inʃtead of giving them ʃatisʄaction concerning his ʃaid diʃorderly and dangerousʃly breaking out againſt them) he declared, He could leʃʃen nothing of what he had declared or publiʃhed amongʃt them: They deſired in the ſame Dear love and Tenderneʃs, Thqt if any WomanFriend or Friends, ʄrom London or Eſſex, travelled with him,they might inlike manner admoniʃh them to return home alſo, it beinf contrary to their Advice thqt they went with him; with more to this purpoſe.

Their horrid Impoſition and Hypocriſy wherein, though I juſtly detećted in a Letter I ſent them in anſwer to this of theirs he gave me, beyond their attempts to defend themſelves; yet, as their deſign to make him bend to their Wills, in condemning himſelf for doing what he believed was has Duty, or exclude him out of their Communion, in order to his inward and outward Deſtruction if poſſible, appeared immoveable; they never left pelting him with their Spiritual Thunderbolts, under the denomination of Brotherly Love, Friendly Admonintion, and true Chriſtian Tenderneſs, as their manner is, till they had made him give Norwich {Page 231} Meeting ſomething like what they aim'd at though it was not it, (no more then J.W.'s and J.S.'s' was) as appeared by the Contents of it, as follow, verbatim.

Dear Friends and Brethren, to whoſe Hands theʃe may come.

Whereas I have been made ſenſible, that many have taken Oʄʄence at ʃomething I have oʄʄered in Meetings in way of Teſtimony, I am ʃorrowʄul that any Thing I have ʃaid ʃhould be an Oʄʄence to any ʄaithful Friend, and do truly deʃire,that if it hath ʃo happen'd that ʃuch Friends would paʃs it by; and I do hope, that for the Time to come, I ʃhall do nothing to grieve my Brethren, whoʃe Unity I tenderly deʃire to be preʃerv'd in.

At a Meeting in Norwich the 2d of the 3d Month, 1701.

Richard Ranſam.

This is a true Copy of what ww delivered by Richard Ranſam at the aforeſaid meeting, in a tender ʄrame of Spirit, as Witneʃs our Hands

John Cade, John Gurney, Samuel Drake, John Hunt, John Fenn, Srephen Armis, John Manning, John Middleton, James Turner, John Fiddeman.

Now as this was what our ſaid oppreſſed Friend found freedom to ſignifie for Peace-ſake, as well as ro ſecure his publick Teſtimony and Perſon amongſt us unmoleſted, as he told me; ſo though it ſatisfied Norwich Friends, (as it would have all others amongſt us, were they really ſo far from impoſing on our Consciences as thqt they rejoyce when they find any ſo tender as to ſtaart at any Thing they have not a Senſe of the Service of, according to their Friend Pennington's²⁹ Pretentions) yet was it far from ſatisfying his perſecuting Adverſaries of the Second Days Meeting at London {Page 232} (notwithſtanding their pret4nded Dear Love, Good Will and Chriſtian Tenderneſs towards him) as appeared by their Minute in Anſwer to it, communicated to John Fiddeman by their Agents Bowater and Langhorne, inan Incloſ'd, direćted and compoſed, as follows,

London, 23d of the 4th Month, 1701.

Dear Friend John Fiddeman,

After Salutation of our endeared Love ro thee and Friends, we have, by order of our Second Days Meeting, ʃent the Minute of the ʃaid ameeting, in relation to Richard Ranſam, which thou art deʃired to communicate to Friends of Norwich concenr'd. This being what'd needful from thy loving Friends,³⁰

John Bowater,
Roberr Langhorne.

16th of the 4th Month, 1701.

A Paper of Richard Ranſam's recieved, which this Meeting doth not eʃteem ʃatisʄactory to them; although Friends tenderly deʃire his Reconciliation in the peaceable Spirit of Chriſt, and thqt he manifeſts it accordingly in Charity and peaceable Conveersation herein.

Thus though this our poor oppreſſed and truly conſcientious Friend ſtoop'd as near them as poſſibly he could witha ſafe Conſcience, in giving them that Satisfaction Norwich Friends were content with, and they could in reaſon deſire; yet as he could not ruin his Soul eternally, by condemningthe Teſtimony, they confeſs he told them, He could leʃʃen nothing of, through his firm belief ofits being what God had given him to bear amongſt them; thoſe Mealy-mouth'd Soul-murthering Miſcreants of the Second Days Meeting, were far from being ſatisfied therewith, who aim'd at nothing leſs than his eternal Deſtrućtion,byhis forc'd Conformity through their Church Tyranny, under pretence of preſerving him, had not Norwich {Page 233} prevented, in a Sense of his Sincerity, (as out truly worthy Friend John Fideman informed me) to their no ſmall Diſconſolation. Through which perſecuting Diſpoſure, as thoſe our pretended Perfećtioniſts have exceeded the Sins of the Wicked inthe Eye of the Almighty, inturning him out of the Throne of our Conſciences, by enthroning themſelves therein, to the unexpreſſible Affliction of many ſincere Souks amongſt us, who havebeenconcerned to cry our againſt their Apoſtacy and Cruelty: 'Tis the leſs wonder to me, that one Nicholas Comben ſhould (according to the Precedenr of the Man at Jeruſalem before its destruction) after a moſt surprizing rate be often made to cry out in their Publick Meetings, A wo to you Quakers! A Wo to you Quakers! And the Widow Whitrow to ſtand Dumb every firſt Day, for a whole Year together, before them in Sackcloth and Aſhes; as a Sign that God would put all Flesh to ſilence among them, who declared, She could write a Volume of her Sufferings, by their ʄalʃe, lying and ʃlanderous Tongues, which the Poiʃon of Aʃps had been under. Through the venomous Malignity whereof, as they have often ſtruck our dear Friend Ann Stead off her Seat in a Swoon, accoeding to her own Relation hereafter notified; ſo they have not only aćtually wounded to Death divers other conſcientious Ones amongſt us, but alſo murther'd Children unborn, by their Tyranny to their Parents, for their Nonconformity to their Innovations, of which I ſhall give the following Inſtances, in lieu of many others that might be mentioned.³¹

aThe firſt of which is rhe melancholy Case of our well kniwn Friend Thomas Stubbs of Horncaſtle in this our County of Lincoln, who, for condeſcending to his Daughter's Marriage with one of the World's People, as they call them, contrary to Fox's Order inthat Caſe provided, was ſo dreadfully rated by oen Aaron Atkinſon and others of his Fellow-Preachers, for this his pretended moſt heinous Tranſgreſſion, as thqt they firſt wounded his cauſeleſly oppreſſed Soul, and then finally {Page 234} broke his Heart, whereby his ſaid Daughter became a Fatherleſs Child, and his dear Wife a moſt diſtreſſed Widow, whom we are forced to relieve by our general Collećtions, to the high Infamy of thoſe our Foxonian Impoſers, and further Evidence of their Worʃe than Turkiſh Tyranny, according to this my Charge againſt them; as an additional proof whereof

(To paſs by thoſe ſeveral Inſtances of this Nature Fr. Bugg mentions in his Books againſt them, as what hath rendered them worſe than Jesuits, and made them justly odious, by ſome of their own Friends Confeſſions.)³²

Their moſt deplorable Abuſe of our Friend Benjamin Fowler, of Luis in Suʃʃex, being lately declared to me by one of their Brotherhood, is not to be paſs'd over in ſilence; who being diſpoſed to to take a young Woman in Marriage, who was his Firſt Couſen, according to the Holy Ancients Precedents, was (upon notice of his Mind therein) violently oppoſed by our Preachers, &c. in his Proceedings, on account of George Fox's Order agqinſt them; whereby as they found it impoſſible to Conſummate their righteous Intentions, in taking esch other in the Holy Ordinance, according to the Method praćticed amongſt us, and eſteeming themſelves Man And Wife in the Lord (being loth to go to a Priest, the Woman being a Preacher) they finally took liberty to marry themſelves, by a ſolemn Contract in private, without their Quaker Friends Allowance; whereupon the @oman becoming with Child, ſhe nevertheleſs continued a Preachef amongſt us, till near the Time of her Delivery; when being ſtill deſirous to avoid Reflećtions as much as poſſibke, by their being outwardly unjoyned according to our Quaker Method, both ſhe and her Huſband preſſed moſt earneſtly for their admittance to take each other as Man and Wife before them; which thoſe our Phariſaically Holy Ones ſtill continuing to refuſe moſt immoveably, according to the Doćtrine of their Orders Promoters, they at length found freedom to {Page 235} confirm their private Marriage before a Miniſter of the Church of England, rather than diſhonour their Profeſſion in being outwardly unmarried at all; which though they were alſo provoked to by the Quakers Outcries, Get you to a Prieſt, get you to a Prieſt, get you gone to a Prieſt , if you will be married, ſince you ſhall never be married amongſt us; yet when they had ſo done according to their Direćtions, they never left harraſſing them by their pretended Church Cenſures, (to make them Condemn themſelves againſt their Conſciences for their pretended Transgreſſion) till they broke the poor young Woman's Heart, and brought her diſtreſſed Husband into an irrecoverable Conſumption, whereby they bothperiſhed as Vićtims of their Worſe than Turkiſh Tyranny; who, th9ugh they pret4nd themſelves to be the only Meek, Innocent and Harmleſs Ones, that would nothurt a Worm are really the koſt Impoſing, Conſcience-forcing, Soul-murthering, tormenting Tyrants, that ever the Sun ʃhone on.³³

Wherefore, if they be Friends to Rome and not to England, who prſecute for Religion and Conſcience, under any pretence whatſoever, as our Quakers themſelves have confeſſed;³⁴

Then ſince thoſe our depraved Ones have ſhown themſelves Friends to Rome and not to England, by thoſe their worſe than Romiſh Cruelties, who pretend to be fartheſt from them; they have juſt cauſe to fear, that as all the Blood ſhed from righteous Abel unto that of Zecharias, whom the depraved Iſraelites ſlew between the Temple and the Altar, was required of that Generation thqt murthered our bleſſed Saviour, all ſhed from the Time of his Apoſtles, by the Scarlet-coloured Whore of Rome, &c. to this our murth4red Frienxs of Luis in Suʃʃex, will be required of them, and their depraved Collegues who were the cauſe of it, by their unwearied Impoſition of their Antichriſtian Innovations; from which, as I heartily pray, ſo doubt not, but that the great God in whom we truſt will in his owndue Time deliver us, as he {Page 236} hath, (by the Mouths of their perſecuted Monitors, his moſt faithful Servants) more than once foretold us. In the mean while muſt tell them,

That though thoſe be bad enough, yet are they not all the Inſtances I have to alledge in proof of their Cruelty, ſince as thoſe only relate to ſuch as ar3 generallh grownup in this World, to the State of Men and Women, I muſt, according to my promiſe, in the next place remind them of ſuch Innocents as they have murthered before they were born into it, through their moſt inhuman Barbarities to their oppreſſed Parents, In order whereto

The Caſe of our Friend Jane Bailey of Gloceſter as she herſelf gave it to me on the 22d of April Anno 1714, is a pregnant Inſtance.

Who being livingly concern'd to ſpeak a few Words in their Meeting at Gloceſter, by the Power of God, as ſhe informed me, one William Manington, with one Henry Ingley, and John Cox, amongſt other of their barren Collegues, being uneaſie with any thing of Divine Life in whomſoever it appeared, declared their Diſunity with her Chriſtian Teſtimony; which ſhe notwithſtanding, at Times,being conſcientiouſly concern'd to deliever in their ſaid Meeting,by way of Admonition, &c. againſt their Depravity, William Manington, with one Edward Humphreys, drew her out of the ſame by force, inthe Life-time of her Huſband; who dying ſoon after, and owing a cerrain Sum of Money to Charles Cook deſired, thoſe her Adverſaries above-mention'd, put uponhim to preſs her to get one bound with her for the Payment thereof within three Months after her Husband's Decease, and take a Counter-Bond of her for his Security; which ſhe giving him accordingly, with deſign to diſcharge the ſame Bondſman,till they had prevail'd onhim to ſue his Count4r-Bond before is was due, {Page 237} as he did accordingly; which driving her away from her ſmall Children and Native aCountry, to ſeek he Bread where ſhe could find it, for want of Ability to anſwer her Proſecutor onſuch an unexpećted Surprizal, they as falſly as wickedly thereupon reported She was runaway with another Woman's Huſband, as cov3r for their ownCruelty, and Obſtrućtion of other Chriſtian Charity towards her, in order to Starve her, as ſhe had ground to believe, from their ſuperior Barbarities previouſly aćted againſt their Corruptions, aas afore-notified, to expoſe her to thoſe ruinous Conſequents that too often attend their Excluſions; but alſo run on ſo far in their Phariʃaical Fury againſt her, as to declare, They bound her, in order to her delive4ry to Satan, to be by him tormented to all perperuity, for her preʃumption.

Through the Terror of which Sentence, the Enemy of her true Happineſs ſuggeſting to her poor bowed down Spirit, That ʃhe was irretrievably chained down in a State of Damnation, though ſhe knew no juſt Cauſe ſhe had given for it; the Imagination thereof not only made her Miſcarry of the Child h3r Husband left her with, to the Deſtrućtion of her innocent unborn Infant, ( as they had ſ4rved one Sarah Perrin before her) but alſo full ſeven Years made her lead a Life worſe than Death, by bowing down her cauſeleſsly oppreſſed Soul near to Deſpair, under the dreadful Conſequence oftheir moſt uncharitable Sentence' thro' which ſhe had in all likelihood everlaſtingly periſhed, had not her bountiful Creator, inhis great Mercy (for his Son Jeſus ſake, in whom ſhe truſted) amiraculouſly redeemed her from her Fear, by audably ſaying, as ſhe wandee'd by St. Martins in Newgate-Street, That the Quakers Unity is out of the Bonds of Peace with me, ʃaith the Lord; whereby, {Page 238} by, as ahe was inſtanraniouſly made to leap up for Joy of Heart in the Street, ſhe thereupon found immediate Redemption from thoſe Chains of Darkneſs they had, through her implicite Bigotry, inſolently aſſumed Confidence to bind her in. In a deep Senſe of which happy Deliverance, as ſhe deſires to bleſs and magnifie her moſt high and holy Redeemer, whilſt ſhe hath a Being, ſo I have nocauſe to queſtion, but ſuch innocent Souls as ſhe ſhall ſing his Praiſes in the Land of the Livinf, when thoſe unwearied Perſecutors ſhall mourn and weep, through a ſorrowful Senſe of their own Confinement ithoſe Chains of Darkness they pretended to bind her, ifnot prevented bytheir ſpeedy Repentance, which they give us but ſmall cauſe to hope for; ſince, beſides thoſe their Cruelties chiefly of a Spiritual Nature, which as thus executed upon us by our pretended Friends, (in order to our Spiritual and Temporal Ruin) under pretence of God's Honour and our Preſervation, are much harder to be born with, than the bodily Toture of our profeſſed Enemies, according to the Royal Pʃalmiʃt's Obſervation, and our ſuffering Brethrens declared Experience, in proof of this my Charge againſt them; yet would not I have any think, that thoſe our Spiritual Tyrants would no perrecute alſo outwardly as well as inwardly, worſe than the Turkiſh Sultan, had they Power to their Will for it, ſince we may well conclude, That they would perſecute our Perſons worſe than thoſe vile Miſcreants do, or ever did profeſs'd Chriſtians, had they but Turkiſh Laws enaćted in their favour, whilſt they have inflićted ſuch barbarous Cruelties upon us, as come not much ſhort of them, before they are furniſhed with ſuch, to ſupport them; as a ſmall earneſt of their further Aims as follow. In order whereto, Firʃt,³⁵

Not to repeat their Inhumanities toward our ancient Friend and their Chriſtian Monitor Thomas Boyʃe of London, heretofore noted on another accaſion.

{Page 239} The Caſe of their greatly abuſed Friend Robert Larrence, late of Harborough in the Country of Northampton, ſhall have the next place in my Catalogue of their perſecuting Cruelties; who as he was one that had an early Senſe of our Leaders growing depravity, was as early concern'd to detećt their Corruptions; upon which they (like thoſe New-Englanders Isaac Penington speaks of, who firſt our ancient Friends, and then proceeded to Blood, to prevent their Chriſtian Teſtimonies againſt them) firſt fell on to reproach him in Private, and then to pull, puſh, pinch and otherways abuſe him in their Mix'd Meetings in Publick, to prevent, if poſſible, his Chriſtian Outcries againſt their Apoſtacy, as will more fully appear by the relation of their Barbarities towards him, as he gave it me in Writing, at my now Dwelling-House, on the 29th of the 6th Month, 1711. in order to remind them of, for their better Inſtrućtion, where he declares as follows.³⁶

I being diſpoſed in my own Mind, as well as expreſsly warn'd by our Friends called Quakers, to be at Northampton Quater Meeting in Anno 1707, about a Differencd between me and one Thomas Underwood in thoſe Parts; when I came there, and aftef ſome time of Silence, addreſt my ſelf, to eaſe my Conscience, in a ſhort Teſtimony for the Edification of the Auditors, the ſaid Thomas Underwood pull'd one Samuel Wright of Wellingboroughby the Coat, to kneel down to Prayer, (according to their late deviſed Method) in order to ſtop me, as he did accordingly; when Wright had done, I ſtood up again, and after I had ſpoke a few Words, Edward Cooper of Northampton, with one Benjamin Bradſhaw, and others, cried, Down with him, Down with him; upon which the ſaid Edward Cooper, with his Accomplices, laid hold on me and pull'd me down the Gallery Stairs, with my Head fore-moſt, whereby they hurt me ſo againſt the Rail of the Stairs, as that I was forc'd to cry out, {Page 240} Will ye Murther me? Will ye Murther me? Whereupon one Batlin, and ancient Quaker, crying out, Hey Day! I little thought to have ʃeen the Devil dance at his rate in our Northampton Meeting-Houʃe, otherſ aſſiſted me; ſo as that, amongſg other Damages occaſion'd by their Abuſe of me, one Quakers Coat was torn on his Back, and the Skirt thrown on the Floor; upon which, the Towns People hearing the Noiſe, cried, The Quakers are Fighting, the Quakers are Fighting, and came rushing in to my Aſſiſtance; whereupon they letting go their Hold of me, crying, We ſhall have no Meeting here to Day, I got liberty to ſtand up again, and ſpoke ſeveral to the Auditors great ſatisfaćtion, amongſt whom ſeveral Quakers would have ſtaid, but that the Malicious drew them out by force, to the great diſſatisfaćtion of the Sincere amongſt us.

After I had done, and grew cool, I felt the ſad Effećts of their Cruelty upon my bruiſed Body, through which I lay five Weeks in Bed helpleſs, under the Surgeon's Hands at Harborough, to my great Damage in my outword Concerns, as well as unſpeakable Affliction; from which after the Lord my God had reſtored me in ſome meaſure, I having nothing but Love and Good Will towards my cauſeleſs Perſecutors, offered Reconciliation to George Warnef and Daniel Cattel, (two of the worſt of them) upon their acknowledgement of thier hearty Sorrow for the Wrong they had done me; which they refuſing, I, as one hopeleſs of obtaning Right amongſt thoſe who had thus cauſeleſsly wrong'd me, found myſelf concern'd to bind them over to Northamoton Aſſizes, in order to obtain Justice byLaw, not knowing whether ever I should perfećtly recover my Health again; before which, they having a deſire to withdraw their Recognizance, for fear of their Lives if I died of my Bruiſes, which yet there appeared ſome Danger of, they got ſevefal Friends to request me to ceaſe my Proſecution againſt them; which I at length {Page 241} conſented to, upon their promiſe to pay the Charge I had been at, inbindinf them; (I, for Peace-ſake, paying the Surgeon Ten Shillings beyond their Deſerts or reaſonable Expectation) hiwevef being ſenſible, thqt Judgement was juſtly due to them notwithſtanding, in a Church way for their great Abuſe of me, as a Warning to other, I deſired a Hearing of the Matter before divers Country Friends, thqt came to the Town where I dwelt from ſeveral Parts, for that purpoſe; but inſtead of admittinf any ſuch Thing, after they were freed from the Dangef of the Law, my Perſecutors cauſed the Meeting-Houſe Doors to be lock'd up where they were to meet, which obliging the Country Firends to go to anothef private Room in our ſaid Town of Harborough, they sent for my Perſecutors to come thither, inorder to the Examination of their Cauſe againſt me; which they refuſing to do, I deſired the Firencs to go to William Smith's Houſe, where one of my greateſt Oppoſers was, and requeſt him to let me have a Hearing there; who with ſome relućtancy replying, The Devil might come if he would, (meaning me whom they called ſo); my Oppoſers refeuſed them a Hearing when they came, undee pretence, That as thoſe Country Friends came not by their Monthly Meetings Direćtion, ac ordinr to George Fox's Order in that Caſe provided, they would not admit a Hearing of the Matter before them; to which they made anſwer, That ſince they woukdnot admit them the Hearing deſired, towards the ending the Differrence betwixt us in Love, they would write ʄour Papers ʄor the ʃatisʄaćtion of Friends in the ʄour Quaters of the Nation, to ʃigniʄie, that as they ʄound nothing to lay to my Charge, they diʃired I might be lovingly recieved by Friends in all Parts, where I might be concerned to Travel in the Service of Truth; as they did accordingly. At which my Persecutors were ſo highly enraged, as that they wrote to their Collegues in London, to oppoſe me there and {Page 242} elſewhere,by ſending as many Papers againſt me, as the others had wrote in my favour; as they did accordingly, upon the lying Accuſation of one Peter Poa, thAt I had ſroll'n a Mare I had honeſtly bought and paid for, without admitting me ſo much as a Hearing before themat my deſire, inorder to my defence againſt his moſt horrid Abuſe of me. So far is Juſtice from being had from thoſe our pretended Saintiſh Friends, that are tojudge the World, if they maybe credited, as thqt anExamination is not to be obtained amongſt themin order to it, how much ſoever they pretend to it; whichyet is not all the effećts of their Enmity againſt me.

For not to notifie all the AbuſesI have met with in England and Ireland, throuh the meqns of their Circular Letters againſt me, I cannot well omit to relate thoſe I, in Anno 1711, received fromthe Hands of their depraved Collegues, at the Houſe of one John Chantry, within the Liberties of Boſton in Lincolnſhire, where being declaring the Truth, to the Auditors great Satisfaćtion, two Spalding Quakers, amongſt others, ſent byone Robert Collier (a certain dry Preacher of thoſe Parts) into the Room where I was, they, after divers other Abuſes (according to their Brother Poa's Precedent) charged me with being a Cheat, who had not only chang'd my Name, and threatned to fire Houʃes, but had got a Man's Mare from him alʃo ʄeloniouʃly, for which the Owner was in purʃuit of me, who was a Vagabond, and deʃerved to be apprehended by an Oʄʄicer, which would be ſuch a good Deed, as that they could ʄind in their Hearts to ʃeize me themʃelves, in order to my legal Proʃecution; with much more to this purpoſe. All which, as I knew to be falſe in faćt, and undeſerved of me, ſo I offered to prove the fame before impartial Perſons in the preſence of my Accuſers, whenever they durſt face me fir that end and purpoſe. In Teſtimony whereof I hereto ſet my Hand the 19th of the 6th Month 1711.

Teſte Samuel Shaw, Robert Larrence, Henry Pickworth.

That the World may ſee ſomewhat of the Occaſion, as well as more of the Effećts of their unchriſtian Treatment of this their Chriſtian Monitors, as he himſelf gave me an Account of it ſome few Weeks after the foregoing Relation, 'tis neceſſary to acquaint them, That one Thomas Underwood, a noted dry Preacher of Farton, being informed of Larrence's diſpoſure to dwell at Harborrough, where he commonly exerciſed his Gift of Preaching, and fearing the Luſtre of Larrence's fam'd Teſtimony would ecliſpe his dry Harangues, gladly made uſe of one John King's Whiſperings againſt him, (as not being right in their Unity) the bettre to carry on his envious Deſigns of his Extirpation, for oppoſing their Truth, as they call it; which Larrence having ſome Notice of, went to this Underwood's late one Evening, to know what he had to charge him with, by bringing forth his Accuſer, whilſt he was there to defend himſelf; which though he (according to our depraved Quakers uſual Method) was far from doing, under pretence of his being under Obligation by promiſe to the contrary, yet he ſtuck not to make uſe of his obſcure Author's Aſperſions, to carry on his above-mentioned Deſigns againſt Larrence, in order to his Spiritual and Temporal Ruin. In purſuance of which unrighteous purpoſe,

Inſtead of manifeſtomg that Chriſtian Charity, they above all others pretend to, in permitting Larrence to lodge at his Houſe thqt Night, he moſt inhumanly turn'd him out of it about the middle of the ſame, wher3by he might have p3riſhed in the Dark, had not a poor Woman (who happen'd to be up at the 4nd of the Town) unexpectedly entertained him.

Upon which one Humphrey Woolrich, another Quaker Preacher of the honeſter ſort, happening to come that way, Robert Larrence deſired to have a Hearing of the Matter before him, to end the Difference in a friendly way, that true Love, if poſſible, might be conſerv'd betwixt them; to whom on Examination, Underwood appearing the Agreſſor, {Page 244} Humphrey told him, He might confeſs he had done Larrence Wrong; to which he hypocritically anſwering, That if he had, he was ʃorry for it; Humphrey told him, He might drop his Iʄʄ's, and conʄeʃs hehad done the Wrong; which he was ſo far from, as that he reſolutely perſiſted in his inveterate Enmity againſt Larrence, without the leaſt ſign of remorſe, as appears by the following Effećts of it.

For he and his Aſſociates being encouraged in the perſecuting Deſigns againſt Larrence, by the ſcandelous Precedent of their Northhampton Friends afore-mentioned, lock'd up their Meeting-Houſe Doors at Harborough, to prevent any Meeting there, rather than Larrence ſhould preach; which he notwithſtanding eſteeming himſelf conſcientiouſly concern'd to do, as he told me, ordered one of his Servants to lift the Grave-Yard Door off the Hooks, that he might eaſe his Mind there to the numerous Auditors that came flocking to hear him, as he did accordingly; which William Smith, a drunken Quaker Woolcomber (one of Underwood's Abettors) hearing of, ſaid to his perſecuting Comrades, What think ye, Friends? The Devil is got into our Grave-Yard, and is preaching to the People, notwithſtanding our precautions.

Another time, Robert Larrence ſeeing the Meeting-Houſe Doors open, went in, and finding this their drunken Brother Smith ſitting there with one other Friend; he, as ſoon as he ſaw Larrence, cries out, What comeſt thou hither for? Why doſt thou not go to the Helliſh Crew of Presbyterians, &c. rather than ths trouble us? Upon which others comming in; Smith riſes up, and tells them, Frienda,the Devil iscome hither to Day, wherefore we ſhall have no Meeting; and thn goes forth and draws the reſt with him, and forthwith locks the Door with Larrencewith,and hires one John Irons to hold thd Bolt of the other Door within ſide, to keep him from opening it to let the Towns People in; and after ſome time,enters himſelf again,and looks Larrence in the Face, and cries, Now thou Devil, preach to the Poſt if thou wilt, fir we ſhall all leave thee; upon which the Towns People coming up, {Page 245} brought Gavelicks to break the Door, and call'd for Ladders to pull down the Houſe, ſaying, They had like to murthered him at Northampton, will they murther him here? Through the Terror of whoſe Menaces, Irons at length drew his Bolt, and let them all in; which his Quaker Adverſaries hearing of, cried one to another, Friends, what think ye? Irons has opened the Door, and let the People in, and the Devil is preachinf to them.

Note, They had been at a Yorkshire Oſtler before (who had murthered a Man) for to be their Door-keeper, to keep this their ChriſtianMonitor from amongſt them, ſaying, We make a choiceofthee,asthe only fit Man for this Service, hearing thou art a rough Fellow; which he,as bad as he was,refuſed notwothſtanding,through a Senſe that it was a Fighting againſt God, as he afterwards declared, to their no ſmall diſconſolation,

Thus all their Devices of this Nature not effećting their envious Ends to purpoſe, they at length fell to the Romiſh Praćtice, in ſeeking to the Secular Power for their Help to ſilence him; in order whereto, their officious Agent Smith, amongſt others, went to Juſtice Beamon for a Warrant, to take him by force, and carry him to Goal without Bail or Mainprize, if he came again to their Meeting-Houſe, whether he preach'd or no; which they ſhowing him at his own Dwelling-Houſe, in evidence of their deſignd Execution of it, if he conform'd not to their Impoſitions; he, after a moſt juſt denunciation of God's Vengeance againſt them, for their repeated Cruelties of all ſorts, (according to out Lord's Rule in Mat. x. 23.) found freedom to withdraw himſelf from the Aſſemblies of thoſe that had thus unrighteouſly rejećted him, till the Lord ſhould be pleaſed to recomimiſſionate him to viſit them. In thd mean while, as they had ruined him in his outward Eſtate at leaſt, by thoſe their continued Barbarities, he, in a Senſe of the concealed Wickedneſs of many of them, thought himſelf obliged to give publick Notice of their Abominations, by proclaiming at a publick {Page 246} Market-Croſs in Yorkſhire, That ʃome of them were Rogues, ʃome Whores, ʃome Theives, and ſo on the the end of the Chapter, that all might be aware of ſuch ſelf-condemn'd Hypocrites, and perſecuting Apoſtates, as he had found Them; with which I conclude this TragicalmInſtance of his great Sufferings, by thoſe his pretended Friends, and proceed to give account of another of the ſame Nature, more full to our purpoſe. In order whereto

To paſs by ſeveral other Evidences of their Cruelty of this kind, I have in Print by me to produce on occaſion; the next I muſt remind them of, is the ſorrowful Caſe of their long oppreſs'd, and moſt barbarouſly abuſed Friend and true Chriſtian Monitor, Iſaac Pearſon of Harigg near Cariſle in Cumberland, who, for want of real Matter againſt, they finally fell out with him for his Kindneſs to the dear Wife of his Boſom, in attending her in the Time of her Labour, as he had been wont to do with her good liking on ſuch occaſions; whoſe ſuffering Caſe, as it is more largely expoſed in a certain Treatiſe of his, entitled, The implacable Cruelty of the People called Quakers, printed at the Concluſion of their Yearly Meeting in Anno 1713. upon their refuſal to do him Juſtice uponhis Complaint to them; I ſhall only trouble the Reader with an Abſtraćt thereof, as he gaive it me out of his Manuſcript, and other Papers before printed, as followers:

This ia to ſatisfie allwhom it may concern, that whereas I Isaac Pearſon of Harigg in Cumberland, who having been ſix ſeveral times admitted to attend my dear Wife in her Labour, according to the Cuſtom of many in the Country I dwell in, was denied the ſeventh, by one Franciſ Oʃtill, a ſtarch'd Quaker Phariʃee, who (though not invited, yet)inher intruſive Spirit, took upon her to rebuke me for my ſaid kindneſs to my Wife, bidding me be gone out of the Houſe, calling me a Filthy Fellow; not only ſetting me dear Wife againſt me, through he railing Reflections,but alſo threatened to complain of me to our Monthly {Page 247} Meeting, as ſhe did accordingly; who instead of reproving her for her diſorderly endeavours to make Difference between meand my Wife, fell in with her, telling me, I might condemn my ʃelʄ ʄor this my unsavoury Aćtion, as they called it, under pretence, That it was not only a filthy Thing, But alſo as great a Sin as that done by Benjamin, mentioned in the 19th of Judges; and though I told them, That I did not ſee it to be one, nor was accuſed of Sinning in that Matter, in my Wiʄes former Labours, to which I was with her ʄree Conʃent admitted; andthe Evidence againſt me confeſs'd, That, I was oʄ no evil Behaviour whilſt in the Room with her,but mybeing there was enough.Another ſaid, I warm'd my Feet by Fire, then walk'd about the Room, my Countenance being red, and therefore it look'd as I was angry. Upon which the Women being withdrawn, part of the Men adviſed me, to write a Paper of my Condemnation of my ſelf, saying, The Midwife had declared, by a Certificate under her Hand they then produc'd, my Wife was twelve Hours longer in her Labour than otherwiſe ʃhe would have been, had I been abʃent, (thought I was not one Hour together in the Room); which my Wife, then in the Meeting, contradićted in my behalf, ſaying It was not as aʄʄirmed, ʃhe knew for own Condition better than ʃo. And th9ugh my Wifes's Mother, with one Frances Wilkinʃon, (by a Certificate under their Hands) teſtified, That as I did not ʃray whilʃt my Wiʄe was delivered, nor was of any evil Behaviour in Word or Deed whilʃt I ʃtaid. The Midwife alſo utterly denied before witneſs, That ever ʃhe gave ʃuch a Certificate, as this pretended holy Oſtill (or her Confederates) had ʄorged in her Name; declaring, That as ʃhe was ʃenʃible, God ʃet the Time of Womens Delivery, Mans being there could nor hinder. Upon which, thought the Monthly Meeting were adviſed by ſome to go ſoftly on, and conſider well what rhey did, before they proceed to Judgment; yet the Phariʃaical Zealots amongʃt them, being the Majority, they would {Page 248} byno means be prevailed on the ceaſe their Prosecution, till they had drawn up ther=ir Paper of my condemnation, for this my reputed moſt heinous Enormity, as follows, verbatim.

->From our Monthly Meeting at Beckfoot, the 13th of the 10th Month, 1706<-

Whereas Iſaac Pearſon of Harigf, hath made Profeſſion of the Truth, and aſſembled amongʃt us the People call Quakers, ʄor ʃeveral Years, of late hath behaved himʃelʄ diʃorderly in the Time of his Wiʄes Travelling with Child to be delivered; to the Reporoach of our Holy Profeſſion, and Grief of many Friends, as did evidently appear before us, by ſeveral Persons that were then preʃent, who were Eye-Witneʃʃes: Wherefore our Monthly Meetinf doth adjudge him guilty of Great Disʃorder, and a being aćted by a wilʄul Spirit, notwithʃtanding what he may pretend ʄor ʃo doing. And although he hath been adviʃed, and duly admoniʃhed, according to the juʃt Rules of our Society, not to do the like any more; he rather ʃlights Counʃel and will not be reʄormed, ʄor we have patiently waited a long Time for his Amendment. Theʃe come therefore to teʃtiʄie to all People whom it may concern, for the clearing of the Truth, and the Friends thereof, Thqt we have no Unity or Fellowʃhip with the ʃaid Isaac Pearʃon, or any other that are or may hereaftr be found in ʃuch diʃorderly Practices, which we believe the Spirit of aTruth nev4r led to; but alʃo teʃtiʄie againʃt every appearance of Evil, where ever it appears.²⁹

Signed in behalʄ of our ʃaid Meeting, by

Thomas Wilkinson,
Joſeph Glaſter,
William Saul,
Joſeph Sibſon,
John Elwood,
William Beby,
Robert Atkinſon
Thomas Drewry,
Thomas Drape,
John Lightfoot,
Robert Wilkinſon,
John Beby,
John Taylor, Clerk

{Page 249} Thus you have their remarkble Excommunication stuff'd with loud Outcries of his diʃorderly Behavior, great Diʃorder, Reproach of their Holy Profeſſion, Grief of many Friends, aćted by a wilful Spirit; together with their pretended tender Advice, due Admonition, and patiently waiting for his Amendemnt, &c. and all for doing what he believed was his Duty; by their Ignornace and Impoſition wherein, as they have proved themſelves the right Succeſſors of thoſe Phariʃaical Hypocrites our Saviour ſpeaks of, wh0 would strain at a Gnat, whilſt they ſwallowed Camels by Wholeſale; ſo their ſucceſſive Proceedings againſt him, in conſequence thereof, more fully discoversit inward Corruption and bloody Tendency, will appear by his own Relation, as in effećt publiſhed in his aforementioned printed Trestiſe, &c. wherein he tell us,

That as they had Cause to be aſhamed of this their Paper againſt me, though their inward Enmity towards me bereaved them of a due Sense of it; it was near ſeven Years before I could prevail with them to have a Copy of it, though I proffered Mony for the drawing of it, yet were they ſo confident in the Righteoufneſs thereof, as that its Subſciber Glaster, upon its firſt formation, adviſed our Brotherhood, That none ʃhould from thenceforth own me' insinuating, I was a Man rejećted and caʃt out oʄ Favour of God, and become a Fugitive alʃo amongʃt Men.

But I ſenſibly knowing, God was not offended with me for my kindneſs to my Wife, for which they condemn'd me, I bore all patiently, in hopes they might in time be endued 2ith more Chriſrian Charity towards me; notwithſtanding, when I went to our Meetings for Worſhip, they intheir preaching were not wanting to ſmite at me, which I alſo bearing patiently; When I went tothe Monthly Meeting, and ſat down as quietly as any of themſelves, they bed me Go out of the Meeting; but I told them, That as I had done nothing whereby I ʄorʄeited my Priviledge of being there, I was not willing to depart the {Page 250} ʃame, without I had given juʃt Cauʃe for it; upon which they would dono Buſineſs, but adjourn'd the Meeting to another Day and Place, where they could prevail with the Owner touſe his Authotity in keeping me out by force; in purſuance whereof, he not only thruſt me out of his Houſe, and ſhut the Doors onme, but as ſoon as I ſtepp'd over the Threſhold of theiir Publick Meeting-Houſe, thruſt me out of the ſame alſo, tearing my Cloaths moſt abuſively; upon which I appealing to our Quarter Meeting for Juſtice, they inſtead thereof, badme Withdraw ʄrom the ʃame alʃo, (under pretence, they would hear me after their Buʃineʃs was ovef) as I did accordingly; but though after their other Buſineſs was over) as I did accordingly; but though after their other Buſineſs was done, they began to diſcourſe of my Matter, they would not examine into the Merits thereof as delivered byme, though what Accuſations Francis Oʃtill my Accuſer brought in agqinſt me were throughly heard, whilſt what I alledged concerning the Wrong I had received from our Monthly Meeting, they declared, They had not Time or Place to conʃider of; John Bowʃtead ſignifying in the Meetings behalf, That they might very well ʃtand by what our Monthly Meeting had done in theirJudgment againſt me; Which others ſaid, They though little enough, and too little; whereupon it being read in the Meeting, was there accepted and confirmed; though a Strnager of moremSenſe being by, bad another ſpeak aginſt it, it being toomuch by far, we ſhall all be aʃham'd of it; as I doubting not but they would, ifnot harden'd paſt all Shame, went to our next Quarter meeting at Carliʃle, to ſee if I could have better Succeſs there than the former; wherein, though I ſat down as quietly as any of them all, they, inſtead ofdoing me the Juſtice I hoped for, would not ſuffer me to continue among them, but bad me Go ʄorth; which I refuſing to do, knowing of no Law I had broke, they ordered one John Carliʃle (who not long before got a Baſtard ſtrangely made away) with {Page 251} three others Names are Joseph Sowſtead, Richard Wait and John Walker, to come and take me out by force; who, being Men fit for their ppurpoſe, immediately laid Hands onme, rrailing me out of the Meeting-Houſe, and carried me into the Garden, which I bore patiently,though my Heart was full of Sorrow, and wet my Face with my Tears, to ſee ſuch great Pretenders to Liberty exerciſe ſuch Lordſhip over me ſo illegally, well knowing, that what I had done was neither an Offence to God, or any Injuſtice to them; wherefore though I would have heartily acknowledg'd my Offence to both, had I known myſelf guilty of any inthe Matter they accuſed me, as I told them, yet as I knew my ſelf Innocent, I could not make my ſelf a Hypocrite in condemning my self against my Conscience, to gratifie the Pride and Greatness of Men.³⁷

After I was carried into the Garden,they watch'd me there until they were weary, and then went into the Meeting and left me; after whom I ſtaying not long before I followed them, they took me out again, inſtead of doing me the Juſtice I deſired amongſt them; for which end as I was often concerned to viſit their Monthly and Quarterly Meetings, they ever impoſed on me to acknowledge my hearty Sorrow agqinst my Conscience for what I had done, without proving that I had committed any Evil therein; they at length would not endure me near their Meeting-Houſe in the Timd of their Worſhip, thought I waited quietly there without coming within,but carried me into a Common,out of the Sound of their Voices, through the Malice of their Elders, who would not abide me within the ſight of them, wherefore concluded to get ſome ſturdy Fellows (as they called them) to keep me off,as they cid a ordingly,who in obedience to their Direćtions kept me out of their Meetings for Worſhip as well as Diſcipline, by force, ſometimes lugging and pulling me, other {Page 252} whiles locking their Meeting-Houſe Doors in the Time of their Worſhip, keeping their Turn-Key to let in and out whom they pleaſed, which whenſoever I madd towards, was forthwith ſhut and lock'd up; and if I,through a deep Sense of their great Depravity, warn'd them at the Windows, as I was ſometimes constrain'd to do, their Guard immediately fell on me with their violent Hands, to trail and abuſe me.

At Beckfootin Abby-Holm-Coltrom, at a Meeting for Worſhip, William Saul, Iſaac Saul the Elder , and Iſaac Saul the Younger, with his Brother Edward Saul, trail'd me unto the Sea-Bank; which one of my great Persecutors, Thomas Wilkinſon, ſeeing them Buſie about, cried alound to them, To lay a rough Hand on me, as they did accordingly.

Another time, as I was on my Knees in ſupplication to the Lord my God, their Preachers Glaſtercame and pull'd me by the Arm off my Knees, and trail'd me to rhe Meetinf Door moſt abuſively; thus have they often dealt with me, tearing my Cloaths, and drew Blood of me at Kirk bride Meeting-Houſe, which I was made to caſt upon the Door of it, off which as they could nor for a long time wipe it, ſo the Stain thereof ſtill remains, for ought I know, as notwithſtanding their lofty Pretenſions to Love, Tenderneſs, Compaſſion and Chriſtian Charity, &c. I have often found their Mercies no better than Cruelties towards me.

For not content with thoſe their inhuman Treatment of my poor Body at the Meetings afore-menrioned; at Pardſey Cragg they knock'd my Head againſt a Poſt, and imprison'd me in the Stable of their Meeting-H0uſe, where they kept me till they were pleas'd to releaſe me; alſo at Wigton Quarter Meeting, there came four of their Agents, whoſe Names are John Seanhouſe, Robert Wilkinſon, Joſeph Saul and Thomas Rook, before I got into the Meeting-Houſe Yard {Page 253} whilſt I was in the open Street, and ſeized upon my Body, contrary to all Law, except their own arbitrary ones, and carried me into their own arbitrary Priſon Houſe, where they ſet Joʃeph Saul over me for my Goaler, who there cconfined me, till he had their Order to releaſse me.

At another time at Pardʃey Cragg, they knock'd my Head againſt a Poſt, and ſtruck up my Heels, and caſt me down on the hard ſtony Cragg, and made my Head ſeſible of the effećts of there Enmity.

At Colbeck Quarterly Meeting,they ſet me on my Head between two Forms, and cruſh'd me down in that Poſture; after which, ther3 came a Man to the Meeting-Houſe, and ſaid, He had a Warrant to take me away; by 3hich he took me to Priſon; which, though done in their Preſence, without the leaſt ſhew of diſlike of his Doings, yet had they the confidence to pretend Ignorance of it, though I had heard before of their Proceedings,in order to it; by Virtue of their Warrant, they threw me overthwart a Ale-Houſe, a Mile off their Meeting_Houſe; one of their Preachers, James Wilſonby Name, called out aloud to them, Go on, go on, inthe Name of the Lord, the Lord is woth you.

From this Ale-Houſe I was carried to one called Juſtice Broughton, who, through their inſtigation, committed me to *Carliʃle * Goal, where I continued Priſoner until the Seſſions, all the Time of Hay-Harveſt, to my very great Damage; out of which being releaſed, at the next Aſſizes I complained to the Judge of their Cruelty; who, upon ſight of the Warrant by 3hich they committed me, declared, My Conʄinement illegal and ʄalʃe Imprisonment, which a Counſellor at Law (by his Opinion under hIs Hand) alſo expreſſly confirmed, declaring it to be direćtly contrary to our Engliſh Laws now in force;the Advantage whereof I have notwithſtanding refuſed {Page 254} to take againſt them, being loth to expoſe them ſo publickly for their Abuſes towards me, tho often adviſed thereto by ſome of my true Friends: However,

After this beinf conſcientiouſly concerned to go to their Meeting again, to lay thoſe their illegal Abuſes before them, in order to their Repentance and future Amemdment; they were ſo far from any ſuch thing, as that they cauſed four of their young Men to fall upon me altogether, who, thro' their Leaders inſtigation, fell very cruelly upon my poor Body, and abuſed me very ſore as before, knocking my Head againſt the Poſt, and caſting me down againſt the rocky Stones of the Cragg.

The Day after which Abuſe, I getting into their Meeting, was made to cry out aloud againſt their moſt deſperate Hard-heartednſs, together with their Injuſtice and Cruelty; upon which, ſome of them beginning to preach over my Head, I knowing their Strength was not ithe Living God, from whom they were departed, in ſetting up Pride, Cruelty, Perſecution, inquity and Injuſtice in his Place, I deſpiſed all their Performances, Sacrifices, Preachings and Prayings, with all their fair Pretences, as Mattefs of no Value with the Lord God, who is Holy, Merciful, Juſt and Pure, &c. being livingly ſenſible, thqt as they are in all reſpećts quite contrary, There are no greater Decievers on thd Face of the Earth than they ar3 becom3, under a Cloak of Religion; with more to this purpoſe.

Through which they were ſo enrag'd at me, as thqt they afterward impriſon'd me three Days in a Cow-Houſe, and then carried me before Juſtice Muſgrave; who was ſo far from anſwering their Wills in ſendinf me to Priſon, as that, in a Senſe of their cauſeleſs Spight againſqt me, he ſaid, What would you have me hang him, to ʃatisʄie your Enmity? with other Words to that purpoſe. Notwithſtanding which, being ſtill reſtleſs and full of Vengeance agqinſt me, they went to a Lawyer, and got him to {Page 255} to the ſaid Juſtice, to preſecute me; who thereby being prevail'd on (together with their reſtleſs Imſtigations) ſent me to Priſon again, juſt in my Plowing-time, ſeparating me from my tender Wife and Babes, when I should be making Proviſion for their Subſiſtance; upon which our Neighbours crying out of their great Cruelty towards me, Praying God they might never be Quakers, in a Senſe of their inhuman Barbarity; the Juſtice being uneaſie with my cauſeleſs Cinfinemenr, ſent his Order for me Enlargement, to thoſe my Perſecutors no ſmall Diſconſolation. Upon which our Monthly Meeting, (findinf all their Malicious Machinations come ſhort of anſwering their expećtatioms in my Conformity) pretending to make an Agreement, That all that was paſt ʃh9uld be ʄorgotten, and I received into their Fellowʃhip again, whatever their Paper of my Excluʃion teʃtiʄied to the contrary; John Biwater, a great Preacher in our Parts, would not ſuffer it by any means, ſaying, How durʃt they do ʃo, without the Conʃent of our Quarter Meeting, who had confirmed their Judgment againʃt me?

Whereupon they renewed their former Cruelties, which they would not relinquiſh, unleſs I would acknowledge my ſelf as an Evil-doer, for my kindneſs to my Wife afore-mentioned; which, becauſe I could not comply with, in a Senſe of my own Innocency, their Womens Meeting (for want of an Order of their Patron Fox's Invention, to prove it a Crime in me, like thoſe unjuſt Judges we read of, who firſt Condemn and Examine afterwards) took upon them to make one, Againʃt any Mans being with his Wife in her Labour amongʃt us, the better to cover their Abuſes towards me before it was in being. Whereupon, being out of Hopes of Juſtice from thoſe who could take upon them to make Laws, to render me Crimnal in a Tranſaćtion before it was enaćted; I appealed to our Yearly Meeting in London, Anno 1713. for Juſtice, {Page 256} whither I travelled near 200 Miles, in order to that righteous purpoſe; not doubting, but that though our Country Friends had not Senſe or Honeſty to do me Right, I should not fail to obtain it there, through the religious Diſpoſure of our great Leading Men there aſſembled; wherein I found my ſelf ſo far diſappointed, through the ſtrength of their Prepoſſeſſions, as that though I affered to ſubmit to the Judgment of the Spirit of Truth through our Elders there conven'd, they would neither let me come into their Meeting, in ordernto lay my Cauſe before them, for want of our Quarter Meetings Repreſentation, as pretended, nor admit me a Hearing before ſome of their Members in a private way without, unleſs I would pre-engage my ſelf t0 ſubmit to their Judgment, be it Right or Wrong; which as I could not conſent to, as I told their Agents, unleſs convinc'd by ſound Arguments of the Truth of it; they (according t0 the perſecuting Precedent of their Cumberland Collegues) fell on to thruſt me one one way, another another; one pull'd me by one Sleeve, and another by the other; one trod on one Foot, and anothef on the other; which, with other Abuſes of the ſame Nature, I being not able to endure, without giving my Teſtimony againſt them, as a Warning to others of their Apoſtacy and Cruelty, they finally laid me up cloſe Priſoner in the Counter, by an Aćtion of Battery againſt me, (though I ſtruck none of them) as an Evidence of their Unity with their Cumberland Brethren in Iniquity, inſtead of manifeſting that Truth, Righteouſneſs and Juſtice, by Righting us of their Wrongs, they above all others pretemd to Witneſs me Hand³⁸

Iſaac Pearſon.

{Page 257} Thus far concerning the barbarous treatment this our poor oppreſſed Friend hath long lain under from thoſe our Foxonian Task-maſters, not only without, but alſo againſt Law, Reaſon, and Juſtice too, by his own Relation; in all which, as it's apparent, that the Beaſt who had got a deadly Wound by the Sword of the Lord, through his Servant Martin Luther, and other Proteſtant Reformers, is now healed again by the Well-ʃavoured Harlot, in thoſe our depraved Quaker, I hope they won't take it ill to be reputed worſe Perſecutors than thoſe they have heretofore ſuffered by, of whom they ſo loudly complained; ſince if their Suffering in Oliver's Time were greater and more unjuſt in many reſpects, than our Saviour and his Apoſtles and Martyrs, under thoſe Jews and Heathens that murthered them; on account of their being inflićted without Law, for their not ſaying You and Thou, and keeping on their Hats before Magiſtrates, amongſt other ſuch Trifles, by great Pretenders to Liberty, as their Friend Edward Burrows³⁹ hath affirmed; then as they have perſecuted thoſe their conſcientious Brethren afore-mentioned, amongſt others, not only without {Page 258} but alſo againſt Law, for their Nonconformity, in Matters more frivolous in ſome reſpećts, who are greater Pretenders to Liberty than thoſe Oliverians they ſpeak of, it neceſſarily follows, that they are worſe Perſecutors than thoſe Jewiſh, Heatheniſh and Turkiſh Tyrants, by which our Bleſſed Saviour, and his Apoſtles and Martyrs in any Age ſuffered, according to the effećt of their own Concluſion, in proof of this my Charge againſt them, That had they a Secular Power to their Rule Eccleʃiaʃtical, their Diʃʃenting Brethren would ʃoon ʄeel the Finger oʄ Church Cenʃures beat equal weight at leaʃt with the Loins oʄ thoʃe Perʃecutors who have been their Predeceʃʃors: It can be no News to ſuch as have obſerved their propenſity to perſecute without Law, that they ſhould proceed therein at a Jehu rate againſt their Chriſtian Monitors, when they have got Power to enaćt Laws, as a Cloak for their Tyranny; as largely appears in the ſuffering Caſe of George Keith and his Partners, by the abuſive Proſecution of our Penʃilvanian Quaker Magiſtrates, for their Chriſtian Teſtimonies againſt their groſs Errors, and moſt ridiculous Inconſiſtencies all which being moſt juſtly expoſed in thoſe his printed Books inſtanc'd in the Margin, beyond their Ability to defend themſelves in their mean Eſſays for that purpoſe, I shall only trouble the Reader with a ſhort Relation of their Cruelties towards them, as given by ſome of their own profeſſed Friends, in a certain Treatiſe, entitled, The Trials oʄ George Keith, Petef Boſs, and others called Quakers, ʃor ʃeveral great Miʃdemeanors (as was pretended) before a Court of Quakers, at a Seʃʃions held at Philadelphia in Penſilvania, the 9th, 10th and 12th Days of December 1692. wherein the Introdućtion the Compiler tells us,

{Page 259} To the end all impartial Perſons may have a right Underſtanding in the preſent Proſecution, I intend to give a ſhort Relation of the firſt Riſe, Cauſe and Ground of this preſent Difference and Perſecution.

In the Year 1689, by the good Providence of God, George Keith was earneſtly invited to remove from his Plantation in Eaſt-Jerʃey, to keep a School in Philadelphia, which he did, but kept an Uſher, and ſpent a great part of his Time in Reading, Meditation and viſiting Meetings, and anſwering the conſcientious Doubts and Queſtions of many People; and there was a more than ordinary ſeeming ſatisfaction in general among the People called Quakers, that they were ſo favoured with the aſſiſtance of George Keith. But alas! this great Love was but ſhort liv'd, and as in other Caſes, one Extream begets the contrary, ſo in this, for their Love and Reſpećts to him were never ſo great, but now the Envy and Hatred of many exceeds, and that upon the Account of his Chriſtian Teſtimony; for it was but a little Time that he had been amongſt us, and preached the true Faith of Chriſt both without and within, but ſome began to be diſſatisfied, and whiſpered it about in private; whicj when he came to underſtand, he laboured in much Love and Tenderneſs to undeceive and ſatisfie thoſe that he came to know were diſſatisfied, and ſome did receive good ſatisfaćtion, but others caſr his Labours of Love behind their Backs; and much Whiſpering and Backbiting there was in private, againſt the Docteine held forth by George Keith; and ſome began to contradićt his Teſtimony in Publick Meetings; but yet this was born with, and no open Difference, until one William Stockdale accuſed George Keith of preaching two Christs, becauſe he held forth, (as neceſſary to Salvation) that Faith of Chriſt as he died for our Sins, and roʃe again for our Juʃtification, {Page 260} and aʃcended into Heaven, and is in Heaven in the true and intire glorified Nature of Man, our Mediator with the Father; and alſo that Chriſt was ʃpiritually preʃent, by his Light and Life, in all his Children; whereupon he dealtnwith him, and endeavoured much to convince him; but not prevailing, George Keith laid it beforena Meeting of them of the Miniſtry;but they did nothing in the matter, but chiefly blame and contradićt George Keith in his Donćtrine; whereupon George Keith did again renew his Complaint to them of the Miniſtry, at the Yearly Meeting at Philadelphia, the 7th Month, 1691, deſiring to know their Senſe and Judgmenr, viz. Whethernto preach Faith in Christ within us, and Faith in Chriſt without us, were to preach two Chriſts or one?And ſix Meetings were held in Debate about this Matter, and yet nothing done in it. H9wever, George Keith and his Teſtimony having Reception in the Hearts of many, which perceived by Thomas Lloyd and Party, (that oppoſed him) the only expedienr they coukd deviſe, was to condemn George Keith.⁴⁰

Whereupon the 20th of the 4th Month 1692, Twenty eight of them called Miniſters, met together at Philadelphia, and without ever ſo much as acquainting George Keith, publiſhed a Paper of Judgment againſt him, condemning him, As a perſon without fear of God before his Eyes, &c. Which done, Thomas Lloyd, Samuel Jennings, Arthor Cook, John Delavell, and others, made it their Buſineſs to follow George Keith from Meeting to Meeting, violently oppoſing his Teſtimony, and ſometimes making uſe of their Magiſtratical Power, to effećt their Deſigns; which cauſed great Conteſts and Confuſions;and George Keith from Time tO Time complaining Of their Injuſtice, for condemning him without a Hearing or Trial. Upon a time, in Cheſter County, Thomas Lloyd ſaid, George, if thou thinkeʃt they ʃelf agfrieved by thar Judgment, there is relief for thee; {Page 261} thou mayeʃt appeal to the Yearly Meeting, which is now approaching; which Advice George Keith followed, and made an Appeal to the ſaid Yearly Meeting,and propoſed Twelve particular Heads to be conſidered, diſciurſed of, and reſolved by the People called Quakers at the ſaid Yearly Meeting; and that they might have timely Notice of the ſaid Appeal, and be the better prepared to anſwer it, George Keith procured the ſaid Appeal to be printed; which was no ſooner done, but they iſſued forth a Warrant, and apprehended William Bradford the Printer, and John M'comb, who, as they were informed, had diſpoſed of two of the faid Papers, and committed the ſaid William Bradfordand John M'comb to Goal, and alſo seiſ'd the ſaid Papers they could meet with, and took away a good quantity of William Bradford's Letters, tending to the diſabling him to work for his Wife and Children; and upon pretence of another Warrant granted without any Conviction, ſigned by Samuel Jennings and Robert Ewer, Juſtices, John White, Sheriff, took Goods out of the Shop of William Bradford, half as much as the ſaid Warrant was for. The Copy of their Mittimus to carry Bradford and M'comb to Goal, is as follows,

Whereas William Bradford Printer, and John M'comb Taylor, being brought before us, upon an Information of publiſhing an Appeal from Twenty eight Judges to the Spirit of Truth, &c. tending to the Diʃturbance of the Peace, and Subverʃion of the preʃent Government, and the ſaid P3rʃons being required to give Securities to anʃwer it at the next Court, but they refuʃing ʃo to do,

Theʃe are therefore, by the King and Queen's Authority, and in our Proprietary's Name, to require you to take inyour Cuſtody the Bodies of William Bradford and John M'comb, and then ʃaʄely to keep till they ʃhall be diʃcharged by due Ciurʃe if Law, whereof ʄail not at your Peril; and for y9ur ʃo doing, this ʃhall {Page 262} your ʃuʄʄicient Warrant. Given under our Hands and Seals the 24th oʄ Auguſt, 1692.

Theſe to John White, Sheriff of Philadelphia, or his Deputy.

Arthur Cook,
Samuel Jennings,
Samuel Richardſon,
Humphry Murry,
Robert Ewer.

Thoſe their Proceedings againſt Bradford and M'comb for printing and publiſhing the Appeal of George Keith's, being introdućtory to their further Designs againſt the Author of it; who, beſides his Offence to their Eminencies, in preaching up the the necceʃʃity of Faith in Chriʃt, as he outwardly died for our Sins, &c. as aforeſaid, (contrary to their Foxonian Notion of the Light within every Man, being the promiſed Seed, and only true Chriſt ſpoken of in Geneʃis, on which we are to depend for Salvation) had, it ſeems, not only affronted their Duputy Governor, in calling him Impudent Man, with other reflećtious Expreſſions on others in their Magiſtry, but alſo in his ſaid Appeal, had queried, That ʃince they had raiʃed outward Arms, and hired Men to Fight againʃt Babit and his Crew of French Pyrayes, (who had gotten their Sloop) contrary to the9r repeated Declarations againſt the Uʃe of all outward Arms, &c. as Unchriʃtian;whether rhey ought not to be condemn'd and diſown'd as Quakers therein, how Righteous ſoever in others. ⁴¹

Which not being able to anſwer by any means with their own Conſiſtency, they as (a Foundation for his Penal Proſecution) ſet forth a publick Writing againſt him and his Adherents, from their private Seſſions held for the County of Philadelphia, the 25th of the 6th Month 1692, wherein they complain of him at a loud rate, {Page 263} for reflećting on their Perʃons by ʃcandalous Charaćters, and ʃubverting their Oʄʄice, in traducing their Induʃtry, Care, Readineʃs and Vigilancy in their Proceedings againʃt Babit abd his Crew avoe-mentions, by poʃʃeʃʃing his Readers, that it is inconʃiʃtent for thoʃe who are Miniʃters of the Goʃpel, to act as Magiʃtrates, &c.

All which unjuſt Charges, though he and his Partakers full refuſed by Word and Writinf, in anſwer to their ſaid Paper, as the Reader may find, if he pleaſed to compare their Allegations in their printed Trials, with their Proſecutors State of the Caʃe in their Defences, and George Keith's unrefuted Reply in Confutqtion of it; wherein (as he eaſily cleared himſelf of their Charge of Subverſion) he largely proves, Thqt the Exorbitances of Speech they pretend only to proʃecute him for, were not ʃpoken to any of them as Magiʃtrates or Officers in the Government, as they inʃinuated, but in Monthly Meetinfs and Religious Controverʃies, upon account of their groʃs Ignorance in ʃuch Mattefs, and moʃt abuʃive Interruptions; wherein Deputy Governor Lioyd had ʃeveral times ſaid, He would take no Advantage. Yet being, through their Enmity to his Chriſtian Doćtrine concerning Faith in Chriſt, &c. reſolved to go on in their own enaćting, that made it Death to attempt it; they, without regard to their own more groſs Reflećtions on our English Government heretofore on leſs Provocations, firſt improſoned his Aſſiſtants Bradford and M'comb, taking the Working Tools of the one from him, and ſuppreſſing the Licence they had given the other to keep an Ordinary, in order to Starve them and their poor Families, for their printing and publishing the ſeditious Paper, as they called the Appeal before-mentioned; and thdn Fined George Keith and one Thomas Budd the Sum of Five Pounds a piece, as Authors and Vind9cators of it, amongſt other Matters relating to it, without allowing their {Page 264} Legal Appeal to the Provincial Court, &c. in order to avoid the Payment thereof, as well as Impoſers further Deſigns againſt them, they in their Paper threatned them with; though they had by Law enaćted, Thqt whoʃoever ʃhall ʃpeak looʃly and proʄanely oʄ Almighty God, Jeʃus Chriʃt, the Holy Scriptures, or Spirit of Truth, ʃhould ʄor every ʃuch Oʄʄence only pay Five Shillings.

So far do thoſe our Quaker Muſhrooms (when they get to be Magiſtrates) value their own Honour before their Maker's, and ſo inſolent are they in the Maintenance of it, as thqt this Samuel Jennings afore- mentioned (formerly a Taylor by Trade, as I am told) being gor to be one of our Penʃilvanian Juʃtices of the Peace, not only moſr inſolently took upon him to call their Judge Skein a pitiful Whipjack, ſaying I deʃpiʃe thee; but alſo (according the Pr3cedent of his Maſter Lucifer we read of in Iʃai. xiv. 13, 14.) moſt audiciouſly to ſay to one Ralph Ward and John M'comb (two Friendw of George Keith) If I draw forth my Hand againſt you, (stretching forth his Arm and ſhaking it) I will not pull it in until I have quell'd you all. Wherefore, it iw no wonder they take upon them, to make it a Five Pound Penalty to affront their aſſumed Magiſtracy, when a ſpeaking againſt the Almighty ſhall be but Five Shillings; whilſt ſuch a Stitch-Breeches as this Jennings durſt thus moſt preſumptuouſly vie with the moſt High in Magnificence, rather than endure juſt Reproof for his Religious Corruptions or Magiſtratical Miſmanagements, to the Diſhonour of their Office; which thoſe their Puniſhments of the Innocent, whilſt their Principle (of the Unrighteouſneſs of Defenſive Arms) lets the Guilty go free, ſhows them unworthy of.⁴²

Wherefore as thoſe who ſay, They are Chriſtian Magiſtrstes, whilſt they perſecute the Innocent, are {Page 265} Heathens who know not God, if their Dewsberry may be credited; till they can prove, that thoſe Turkiſh Infidels (from whom their Friend Philly told this Jennings, He had met w9th more truly Noble and Manlike Treatment than he had hith4rto recieved from him)⁴³

Have repr3ſented it the worſt of Sufferings, to ſuffer by great Pretenders to Liberty without Law for Trifles; and made Men ſuffer not only without, but againſt Law, for doing their Duty.

Desired, That there might be no Law againſt asking any Man a Queſtion, in going to, coming from, or in the Steeple-Houſe, as they cal it. Impriſioned Men without Examination, for ſignifying in a provate Letter their diſlike of the Iniquities of thoſe they wrote to, inorder to their Repentance

Pretend to take no Advantage intheir Magiſtratical Capacity, for reflećtious Words ſooken by way of Church Censure in their Religious one; and do it at there- very firſt opportunity.

Declare againſt the uſe of all outward Weapons, as unrighteous in their own or the Nations Defence; and proſecute their Prſelytes as Subverters of their Government, for Querying, Whether they, in procuring ʃuch, and hiring Men to Fight with them, contrary t9 their own proʄeʃs'd Principle,oughr not to be diʃowned for ʃo doing.

Condemn the Prohibition of printinf and publiſhing Books in Mens Defences without Licence, as a Popiſh Practice of pernicious Conſequence; and impriſon the Perſons, ſeize their Working Tools, and ſupreſs the Licence they had given their own Friends, to follow an Employment for their Livelihood, in order to Starve them and their diſtreſſed Families, for doind ſo without their Approbation.

Print Books and Papers without putting the Printres Names to them; and proſecute their profeſſ'd Firends for doing so, by a Law made in anotheR Nation, that did not (in Truth or Reaſon) concern them.

{Page 266} Cry out againſt menacing and packing of Juries, to obtain a Verdićt againſt the preſented, to ſatisfie their Proſecutor's Will on them, as an illegal Praćtice; and praćtice it themſelves towards thoſe they have a Prejudice againſt, in order to obtain their Ends on them.

Pretend to be for a Liberty, for the Proſecuted to except ſuch of the Jurymen as they know to be prejudiced or partial; and refuſe that Privilege to their own Friends, upon their legal demand of it.

Exclaim aginſt Impoſition of Submiſſion againſt Mens Judgments in Matters of Religion and Conſcience, as an unrighteous Praćtice; and impoſe aćtual Obedience to their own ſalſe Notions, under pecuniary Penalties, &c. of their own Invention.

Fine Men Five Pounds, under pretence of their affronting them in their Magiſtratical Capacity, by Wods ſpoken in their Religious one; whilſt ſpeaking looſely of the Great God who made them, ſhall be only Five Shillings.

Complain againſt Mens Proſecution, without ſhowing them the Law at their requeſt, on which their proceedings are ground; and perſecute their own true Friends by Fines and Impriſonment, whilſt they refuſe to prod8ce the Law that proves them Tranſgresſſors.

Cry out againſt Perſons ſitting in Judgment upon Men in their own Cauſes in Courts of Judicature, in order to persecute them by Fines or otherwiſe, as A Praćtice abominable; and ſit there as Juſtices of the Peace themſelves, to lay ſuch Fines and Forfeitures, as themſelves are the Commiſſionated Receivers of.

Declare, Appeals to their Provincial Court or Kings that reign over them, to be lawful and neceſſary, in order to Mens Redreſs from the Grievances of their inferior Ones; and refuſe to allow them when legally made by ſuch of their own Friends as are moſt notroiiouſly abuſed by them as thoſe our depraved Quakers have done in this and other Caſes afore-mentioned.

{Page 267} I muſt needs ſtill conclude, That they are not only worſe Perſecutors than thoſe Turkiſh Tyrants the Chriſtian World hath ſo long juſtly complained of, but alſo more guilty than thoſe vile Miſcreantsof the wicked Ways that lead to what they will to the contrary.

---

1. See his ſaid Declaration as citied p. 67. of Fr. Bugg's late Pićture of Quakeriſm, compared with his Supporter Pen's Defence of him, in p. 7, &c. of his Alexander the Copperſmith, under pretence, of his meaning an inward, and not an outward Liberty, directly contrary to his and his Defendants Aćtions, in consequence of it.  ↩︎

2. (1) Anſwer to the Baptiſts Declaration, as cited p. 69, 70,71, of Fr. Bugg's ſaid Pićture of Quakeriſm. (2) See Hidden Things, p. 40, &c. Judas and the Jews *combin'd, p. 21. compared with his following Inſtances in proof of it.*  ↩︎

3. (1) Anſwer is the Baptiſts Declaration, as cited p. 69,70, 72, of Fr. Bugg's ſaid Pićture of Quakeriſm. (2) See Hidden Things, p. 40, &c. Judas and the Jews *combin'd, p. 21. compared with the following Inſtances in proof of it.*  ↩︎

4. Rich's Account from the Committee of Parliament concerning James Naylor's Trial compared with Fox's approved Letters at concluſion of ir, and G.W.'s Innocency againſt Envy, p. 18. In purſuance of which Chriſtian Principle we find Archbiſhop Cranmer and others, denying that Reverential Obedience to perſecutung Biſhop of Gloceſter, in the Reign of Queen Mary, &c. they freely gave to the Queen's Commiſioner, according to J. Fox's Relation in his Aćts and Monuments, p. 1775. compared with p. 1656. and p. 1649, &c. of the ſaid Hiſtory. See Rich's Hidden Things, p. 35. to p. 41. compared with Roger's Quakers divided, p. 10,11,12.  ↩︎

5. See his own Relation of his ſaid Sufferings under this our Egyptian Task-Maſter's Spiritual Cruelty, as publiſhed by our true Friend Robert Rich in his Hidden Things brought to Light, compared with Fox's Impertinent nameleſs Anſwer to it.  ↩︎

6. Esther 3.2 &c. compared with Mat. 22. 16. John 5.44 and 12.43.  ↩︎

7. See Fox's ſeveral Preſcriptions in his Selećt Epiſtles, &c. with G.K.'s Teſtimony in his Cauſeleſs Ground of Surmiſes, Compared with Gen. 23.7. and 33.1,2,3. Levit. 19,25. Duet. 1,17. and 16.19. 1 Sam, 25.23. 2 Kings 1.14. and 2.25. and 17.16. and 8.41. John 11..33. Lament. 4.16.  ↩︎

8. See the ſaid Queries, as cited p. 63. of Tyranny and Hypocriſy deſcribed, compared with p. 68. to p. 71. of W. Pen's Judas and the Jews combined, and the Account of the Life of J. Penyman.  ↩︎

9. (1) See the ſame as in part recited, p. 40, &c. of the ſaid Tyranny and Hypocriſy, compared with p. 10. of the Account of the Life of John Penyman. (2) Behold the Effećts of forſaking the true Catholic Church of Chriſt, by imbarking with a Party under any diſtinguiſhing Character, whereby, as a ſour Spirit of Incharity comes to be advanced as Holy Zeal for Religion, it can be no ſurprize to truly ſenſible Souls, that Tyrannical impoſition ſhould naturally attend it.  ↩︎

10. See his Journal. p. 312, 315, 417. See the ſame as cited at large in Geofry Bullock's Teſtimony againſt the Quakers falſe Doćtrine, compared with his Abridgment in the Treatiſe entitled, Turanny and Hypocriſy detected, and W. Pen's Defence of it,in his Judas and the Jews combin'd.  ↩︎

11. Meaning G. Fox and thoſe of his Conclave of Cardinals, who ſigned this Popiſh Teſtimony. i.e. The Parties that ſubſcribe'd this, of which G. Fox was plac'd as Head.  ↩︎

12. Meaning their faćtious Light within G. Fox, and they his Subſcribers.  ↩︎

13. See what Slavery we are brought into by thoſe our Lordleſs Lords, whom it ſeems we muſt ſubjećt to, whether we will or no, or be delievered to Satan, as Perſons joyn'd in one with Infidels for our Contumacy, if God be not more merciful to us than they be.  ↩︎

14. i.e. Pope Fox and his above-mentioned Cardinals, under whoſe inquiſitive Clutches we see they ſpare no care to confine us, after once they get us under the Tuition of their Light within them.  ↩︎

15. Meaning themſelves with thoſe of their Kidney, all others being condemned by them as unſound Apoſtates, and Heatheniſh Infidels. Who would ever have thought, that thoſe our depraved Quakers (who by way of Reflećtion on the Romaniſh Church, cryed out, Alaſ! who knows not that loves not to be blind, that the Church amongſt them is the Prieſthood, the few cunning Men govern the Majority, and entitle their Conceits the Canons of Christ'd Church; and all this comes from the Ignorance and Idleneſs of the Peoplel that give the Pride and Induſtry of the Clergy an opportunity to effećt their Crsfts upon them) in p. 315. of Addreſs to Proteſtants, ſhould by imbodying themſelves as our Church, have ſo long gull'd us, by magnifying their Conceits for Chriſt's Holy Ordinances, through our Ignorance and Idleneſs in not calling them to Account ſooner for it; of which Neglećt, ſince they have thus forewarn'd us, how Ignornant and Idle ſoev4r others of our Friends may be, in giving them opportunity to purſue thoſe their Romaniſh Crafts upon them, I hope I shall take such care to expoſe the ſame, as ſhall leave them no just cauſe for to complain of me.  ↩︎

16. See the ſaid G.B.'s Prophetick Teſtimony, as cited p. 34. of Tyranny and Hypocriſy detećted. the Truth whereof they have ſince made many ſorrowful Witneſſes of who as they have been vilely impoſed on to c9ndemn tyemſelves for doing what they on good ground believed was their Duty, ſo dreadful has been their Church Terrifications of this Nature, as that they have made them (to my knowledge ſerve the Office of a Spanish Inquiſition, in affrighting their Country Repreſentatives into a Confeſſion of ſuch Faćts as they could not othrwiſe prove them guilty of, as appeared in the Caſe of that Country Preacher G. Keith speaks of, in p. 5 of his pretended Yearly Meeting, who having ſaid, He could ſooner die, or loſe his Right-Hand, than ſign to a Paper diſowning G. Keith; which coming to their Intelligence, that there was ſuch a Perſon, but not knowing who he was, they werenſo earneſt to find him out, that they cauſed their Clerk to call over the Liſt of the Names of their ſeveral Repreſentatives, and ask them one by one; and the poor Man not daring to Lie, nor able to bear their threatned Conſequence of his ſpeaking the Truth, was ſo terrified undern the dread of their Church Ferula, as that he not only owned before it came at him, That he was the Perſon, but alſo promiſed (and came with ſome others as witneſſesnto G.K. of his) Recantation and diſowning of what he had a few Hours before ſaid to him; ſo terrible is their threatned Excluſions to their enſlaved Vaſſals, and ſo ſucceſsful this their new invented Inquiſition, as that they have thereby effećted ſuch Conſormities, as they could never forced without them.  ↩︎

17. See his Hidden Things brought to Light, with their pretended Anſwer to it, amongſt their other Books againſt him, and thoſe he ſtood by in their Afflićtions, heretofore and hereafter notified.  ↩︎

18. (1) See Chriſtian Quaker , Part 4. p. 44. (2) Ibid. p. 38, &c. 41, 58.  ↩︎

19. Viz. Roger's Chriſtian Quaker. Compared with the Memory of that faithful Servant of God John Story *revis'd,* C.  ↩︎

20. Whitehead's *Judgment fix'd. Counterfeit Convert. Sandiland's Reighteous Judgment. Pen's Alexander. State of Liberty Spiritual. Judas and the Jews combin'd. Compared with thoſe Friends ſeveral Anſwers in their Defences.*  ↩︎

21. See his Chriſtian Quaker Part 1. p. 71 to p. 83. compared with his Preface and Poſtſcript, &c. with p, 8. of his Quakers a divided People. In conſequence of which Injuſtice, one of his Cuſtomers, of no ſmall Note amongſt them, declared in a Letter he ſent upon his leaving off t odeal with him, That as he was ſatiſfied his (i.e. William Rogers) Spirit was a wrong Spirit, as he was that there was a God, ſo the Murtherers of Sir Edmund-berry on their Repentance, would ſoever have found Mercy with God, than he the ſaid William Rogers would upon his Repentance of his Oppoſition, (meaning George Fox's Orders, and the Spirit he made them in) ſo damnably had his Foxonian Influence inſaturated them. See Chriſtian Quaker, Part 7. p. 37.  ↩︎

22. See the ſaid B. of Salisbury's Preface to his late Paſtoral Care, well worth Obſervation.  ↩︎

23. (1) See the ſaid Account, p. 7. (2) Which AncientmQuaker I doubt, was thee George Whitehead, the better to obtain thy aſſumed aſcendemcy over us, under Fox's Patronage, as the Wheel within the Wheel, that ever guided our Miſfortunes, as hath been found by Experience ſince as Fox of himſelf was a moſt inſignificant (thiugh well-meaning) Tool, I doubt not, but he might have been reclaimed from his Errors, by that Chriſtian means thoſe our Friends uſed for that end, hadſtnot they, George, ſtrenthned him therein, by thy officious Defences, under pretence, that thiu couldſt defend his Cauſe better than he himſelf could, as afore-notified; for which, the Time is near, George, when thou muſt anſwer to thy ſorrow, I doubr not, unleſs prevented by thy ſpeedy and publick Repentance.  ↩︎

24. Account, p. 11,12.  ↩︎

25. Thus early did our Fox begin his Error, and the Imposition thereof on others in this repſpect, into which he ſeems ſrighted at the King's Reſtoration; wherein, as J.P. and others followed him through as implicite Bigotry, they, on the diſcovery of its Inconsistency with his other Injunćtion, ſoon found cauſe to repentmof it, as a Warning to others agqinſt it; though our Foxonians are ſuch fools as ſtill to perſiſt in it, how ridiculous ſoever in its own Nature, or pernicions in its Conſequence.  ↩︎

26. (1) Account p. 16 (2) Account p. 20  ↩︎

27. (1) Account p. 25. (2) Account p. 26,27,28,32,33,41,51,53,84,95,112,132,143,153,160,185,217,230,232,265, Compared with his Epiſtle for the Higheſt Profeſſors, p. 6, &c. Quakers Contradićtions, p. 11. Several Traćts, p. 14,19, 2d Part p. 2,3. together with Thomas Elwood's Antidote againſt Rogers's Injećtion, p. 57, &c.  ↩︎

28. (1) See G.F. jun. Collećtion. Together with Edward Burrow's. Compared with James Naylor's Works. (2) Like the Crocadiles Tears when they are about to devour us.  ↩︎

29. See p. 86. of his Authority and Government which Chriſt excluded, at the end of his Examination of Geounds and Cauſes &c  ↩︎

30. Behold what Dear and endeared Love, Tenderneſs, Peaceableneſs and Charity those our Apoſtates ſtuff their Papers with, to cover thwir Malice, Cruelty, Disturbance and Tyranny towards us, upon our conſcientious Nonconfoemity!  ↩︎

31. A Drunkard, a Whoremonger, a thief and a M---er being an honeſt Man to a perſecuting Quaker, ſince though thoſe be Sins of a high Nature againſt the Law of God, yet they chiefly affećt the Bidies of Men, when as our Quakers Tyrannical Impoſitions upon Conscience being Sins againſt the Holy Ghoſt, affećt God himſelf, to the Damnation of Souls.  ↩︎

32. See their Friend A.D.'s Teſtimony, as cited in Fr. Bugg's Pilgrims Progreſs, &c.  ↩︎

33. See Pen's Anſwer to Muggleton.  ↩︎

34. See their Defence againſt the Norfolk Clergy, p. 16, &c.  ↩︎

35. Pſ. 55.12,13,14.  ↩︎

36. See p. 70 of his Examination o Grounds and Cauſes, &c.  ↩︎

37. Behold one true Prophet yet left amongſt the Quakers, I wiſh he ſav'd his Head dry.  ↩︎

38. Thus as great Wickedneſs was ſaid by the Lord to come from the ancient Judges of old, who ſeemed to govern the People; ſo have we ſound in like manner, all the Abominations amongſt us, (by which we have ſo deeply ſuffered) to come through our depraved Elders bloody Inſtigations now, for which I doubt not the ſame great Gid of Juſtice will in his iwn due time; in like manner account with them, as he did with thoſe that would have murthered Suſanna his Servant; notwithſtanding, though I am well ſatisfied, that this their oppreſſed Friend Iſaac Pearſon was raiſed up (amongſt others) as an Inſtrument in the Hand of Gid, to make manifeſt to the World, that perſecuting Spirit of Antichriſt, that had long before been ſeen to lodge within them; yet would not I, from this my Relation of their Cruelties towards him, have any conclude, I am for juſtifying all the Transaćtions of him and his provoked Brothers towards them on this occaſion; ſince though I am well ſatisfied, that theirnfirſt oppoſition to his Persecutors Hypocritical Preachments in their Publick Meetings, &c. were originally occaſioned by their cauſeleſs Excluſion of this diſtrſſed Brothernout if their Communion, fir the Matter there m=entioned; yet as their continued Diſturbances by ſuch undue means, as I am told they make uſe of, ſeems to be the effećt of the Wrath of Man their Adverſaries have provoked them to, which nev4r works God's Righteouſneſs, I wiſh they would leave it off without further persistance in it; though if they can't be prevailed on to do ſo, whilſt their Paper remains uncancelled, I muſt needs tell the Authors of it, That as they gave the firſt Cauſe for it by their Brother's unaccountable Excluſion, inſtead of ſending them all to Goal, as I am told they have done (ſince their publication of their Treatiſe of their implacable Cruelty) in order to prevent it, they have much more cauſe to cry, Let them alone, it may be Gid hath bidden them thus Curſe us for our perſecuting Provocations, than holy David to adviſe his Soldiers ſo, concerning wicked, Shimei, to whom he had given ſuch occaſion,  ↩︎

39. (1) See p. 173. of his Collećtion, compared with G.W. &c. Approbation of his Book, and Defence of his Words. In p. 44,45. of his Truth and Innocency, &c. (2) P. 9. of his Epiſtle concerning them. (3) G.K.'s Several Narratives, with his Defence from S. Jennings's State of the Caſe, and others.  ↩︎

40. See p. 5, &c. of their Trial.  ↩︎

41. Thus as John Pennyman and Robert Rich were the firſt, this their perſecuted Friend G. Keith was the next, who thus ſqueezed our Noncons for this their Foxonian Imperrtinence, which they will a thourſand times curſe for, rather than once learn more Wit, by cindemning their Error that occaſioned it.  ↩︎

42. Where tho' he hath ſaid in his Heart, I will aſcend into Heaven, I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God, I will ſit upon the Mount of Congregation, I will aſcend above the Heights of the Clouds, I will be like the moſt High, ſhall (with this Jennings and his depraved Collegues, if they repent not) be brought down to Hell fir his Preſumption.  ↩︎

43. Collećt. p. 83, &c.  ↩︎