am not of his Opinion but yet truly me thought the Lord did mightily appear in the Man I goes to one of the Magistrates of Cambridge who had been of the Court that condemned him as he told me himself and I asked him by what Rule he did it he answerd me That he was a Rogue a very Rogue But what is this to the Question said I Where is your Rule He said He had abused Authority Then I goes to the man and asked him Whether he did not look on it as a breach of Rule to slight and undervalue Authority and said That Paul gave Festus the Title of Honour though he were a Heathen I do not say those Magistrates are Heathens I saw then when the Man was on the Ladder he looked on me and called me Friend and said Know that this day I am willing to offer up my Life for the Witness of Jesus Then I desired leave of one of the Officers to speak I said Gentlemen am a stranger both to your Persons and Country and yet a Friend to both and I cryed aloud for the Lords sake take not away the mans Life I said Remember Gamaliels counsel to the Jews If this be of God it will stand if not it will come to Nothing but be careâ—ul you be not found fighters against God And the Captain said Why had not you come to the Prison And the reason was because I heard the Man might go if he would and therefore I called him down from the Tree Come down William said I you may go away if you will Then Capt. Oliver said it was no such matter and asked me what I had to do with it and besides told me to be gone I told him I was willing for I cannot endure to see this And when I was in the Town some did seem to simpathize my Grief but I told them they had no Warrant from the Word of God not President from our Country nor Power from his Majesty to hang the man I rest Your Friend THOMAS WILKY Samuell Shattock Joshua Bufsum John Small John Barton John Smith Edward Wharton Samuell Gaskill Danell Southwick his Father and Mother Sisters and Brother and John Kitchin and his Wife with others in Salem were great Sufferers by these Persecutors both by long Imprisonment cruel Whipping loss of abundance of Goods Cattle besides Land of John Smiths and several banished upon pain of Death and others of them ordered to be sold for Bond-slaves all these were of Salem and more of the same Town suffered much Obs By the fore going Lines the Reader may perceive how they have Persecuted all persons differing in Judgment from the way of their Priests Worship In the next place I shall here Instance a little relating to what them of the Church of England suffered by which the Reader may the better understand their bold attempts who neither fear God nor regard King or Bishops First you note the manner of settleing their Courts viz. the manner was and yet is at the opening of their Courts to have some one or more of their Priests to pray and to make tedious long insiped Graces as they call them before and after Meals as also to consult what Penalties and Sufferings were most fit to â—e inflicted on Offenders against their Arbitrary and unjust Law and especially against any that were found to dissent from their way of Worship in which cast the Priests Advice would commonly be to lay on load enough and the Advice was believed to be sanctified though at the same time they could not but understand they drank the Wine of the condemned so expresly charged as a sin on the Magistrates Rulers and Priests of Jerusalem of no small provocation to the holy One of â—srael though the matter in Controversy relating to such as dissented from their Priests Worship was no matter of Offence against the Law of God nor the Laws of the English Nation notwithstanding they minded not but would proceed according to their own wills without respect to any no not so much as to the Church of England of which many suffered under the New-England Church which pretended to make no seperation in point of Faith and Doctrine as witness that Letter of their fore fathers and Leaders into this Land from on board the Arrabella to the Bishops and Fathers of the Church of England calling them Brethren and begging their Prayers and as who would know more of it let them see it in a little book printed at Boston by Joshua Scottaway about the year 1693. remarkable in that it is set forth by a Member of their own Communion but how well they carried it to the Church of England and its Sons these few of the many Instances which might be produced may sufficently evidence against them that they spared not any found to dissent from their Priests way of Worship as for Instance Dr. Childs Samuel Maverick and other Merchants of whom I have before hinted were of the way of worship of the English Church and by these Persecutoâ—â— cruel Laws were not suffered to have the least benefit of or by thâ—t Worship and being wholly denyed of their priviledge belonging to the Worship of the Church of England they were found to Petition to England for the maintaining their Right in Boston but so soon as this was known to these Persecutors they impeacht the aforesaid Persons of High Rebellion for attempting the same and forth-with imprisoned them and fined each of them three hundred Pounds the whâ—ch Money was the means of their escaping the New-England Church Members Gaâ—lows whâ—ch was not only for Murderers and the like but also for thâ—se that dissented from their Priests Worship and were found to Petition to England for freedom and liberty of the English Churches way of Worship as of the like Nature more will appear against these Persecutors by what follows 2. The next was their aim to punish Mr. Jordan who was a Preacher according to the way of the English Church but he living in Ferdinando Georges Patent they were fain to use much of their deceit to get him to Boston which by deceit was at last on this wise performed by one of their Brethren in Iniquity who with a small Vessel traded in the place where the said Mr. Jordan preacht he pretended great kindness to this Mr. Jordan and withal invited him aboard his Vessel to feast it and when he had got the antient Gentleman aboard brought him Prisoner to Boston and there delivered him into the hands of these persecuting Priests and Rulers who for his preaching and baptizing according to the way of the English Church they imprisoned and fined him in a great Sum of Money The story is large and would swell this small Book beyond its intended Bulk to relate it at large 3. Then again about the Year 1684. when their Charter was even sick at heart and ready to expire yet they could not forbear dabbling in their old dirty puddle
th 1695. ACcording to the within Warrant I have been at the House of Thomas Maule and there have found thirty one of said Pamphlets and them secured as required and have seized the said Maule and delivered him to the keeper of their Majesties Goal in Salem there to be secured in order to his apearance at the time and Place within mentioned and have sent the said Thomas Maule by the bearer Jeremiah Neale to answer as within exprest which Jeremiah Neale I do constitute and appoint to be my lawful Deputy to make return of this Warrant with the Body of said Maule and to act in all things which shall be further ordered relating to me concerning the within Warrant George Curwin Sherriff This is a true Copy of the Origenal Return attested By Jeremiah Neale Sherriff-Deputy Thomas Maule being brought by the said Neale and said Goaler out of Salem County into Boston County where appearing at the Council Chamber before the said Governour and Council who put divers Insnaring Questions to said Maule He made this Reply That no righteous Law did bind or injoyn him to answer further then he saw good and that they had not acted agreeable to Law in compelling him into their County to stand tryal before them who in the case were not his equal Judges and if they did intend to proceed against him he did expect the benefit of the Kings Laws which did aâ—â—ow his Judges to be Twelve men of his Equals belonging to the same County he was of The which being consented to four hundred Pounds Bond was given for his appearance to answer them at their High Court of Injustice against him at Ipwswich the 19th of the 3d Month May 1696. But before said Maule came to his Tryal they Imprisonâ—d him and sacrificed sixteen pounds worth of his Books a burnt Offering to their Anger and Revenge though upon his Tryal the Jury could not find him in the least guilty of any evil fact relating to their Charge about his Book The time of the Courts setting being come said Maule was called to his Tyral before Thomas Danâ—ord Elisha Cook and Samuell Sewal three of the Council and Judges of this Court who demanded of Thomas Maule If he did own that Book intitulâ—d Truth held forth and maintained c. to be of his putting â—orth To which he said The outside of the Book did not fully manifest to him what the inside thereof did contain The Book being given to him when he had lookt it throw return'd it again with this answer That all Printed in the Book he did own to be Truths which he did vindicate maintain excepting the Printers Errors and some mistakes occasioned through Authors which were common to good Books Then Judge Danford said You are to answer for Printing this Book without Liscence of Authority To which said Maule answered That if he were accountable for so doing it was not to them but to the Bishops of the Engâ—sh Church and the King did allow him the same liberty to have his Book printed as they did to any of their subjects which seperated or dissented from their way of Worship Then Judge Cook said You are to answer for publishing your Book in this Government without the Lisence of the present Authority To which said Maul replyed The Goveâ—nment is the Kings or ought so to be and the Books are my own Goods who as an English Merchant have good right by the Kings Laws to dispose of my Goods in any of the Kings Plantations Then Anthony Chickley the Kings Attorney said Your Books are not lawful goods to be disposed of amongst the People because they contain notorious wicked Lyes against the Churches and Government of this Province as likewise false Doctrine utterly subversive to the true Christian and professed Faith besides Scandals upon many private Persons To which said Maul made this Reply That the Charge was yet to prove and which they could never prove against him and so long as there was no evil fact he was no Transgressor of any righteous Law and if their Chaâ—ge were true as it is not it is no more than what they and their Priests are guilt of against all Persons as well as the Church of England that dissented from their Priests way of Worship for which cause and persecuâ—ing the People of God and the Kings Subjects to death their Doctrine Principles and Practices were condemned by all true Christian People that did know or hear of their unrighteous Works which fâ—â—â—hese many years have caused Gods Judgments to come upon this Land and for not repenting are you now given up to murder one an ther through the Devis accusation by Specter Evidence accusing both Priests Rulers and People of being Witches Then Judge Cook to this purpose said You are a horrible Lyar and it werâ— better you would forbear in this nature running your self into further Troublâ— by accusing the Churches and Government after such a horrible wicked rate as you have done and still do persist in for which you are to suffer according to your Deserts To which said Maul made this Reply That the Truth by him to them was spoken and so loâ—g as he did not â—xceed the bounds thereof he did not fear their Whip Goal or Gallows and withal that relating to this his Testimony he had suffered ten times 〈◊〉 their Jurisdiction five times by Imprisonment three times by the loss of Goods taken from him and twice by cruel Whipping and now before this Tryal they had both imprisonmed him and burnt sixteen Pounds worth of his Books and 〈◊〉 yet not given him any Copy of the particulars of the Charge against him To which Judge Danford said It is but reason that Thomas Maule should have a Copy oâ— what we have to charge him with and also time to consider of it which by the renewing of his Bond he may have till next Salem Court Which was agreed to Then Judge Cook said That he would have Thomas Mâ—ule to be more careful of what he said relating to the Scriptures and not to undervalue them as he had already done by comparing his Book with the Bible To which Maul answered That to compare that with the Bible which was agreeable to the holy Scriptures in the Bible could be in no way found to contradict or undervalue the Bible And as to Errors now so much talkt of he did not know of any Book that was free for as some of the learned have said Beza committed eight hundred Errors in his first Translation of the New Testament which by amending through his second Translation left three hundred Errors therein And by comparing Mat. 27 v. 5. wâ—th Acts 1.18 proves as great a Mistake as any he knew to be in his Book Judge Cook commanded this Sentence to be writ down Then said Maul desired it might be writ down That at present he did so believe Which being done he said That if through his now so believing did pâ—ove
an Error he did hope through a contrary belief to be free of the Error before his next Tryal Then Judge Cook said Then your belief is changeable and so contrary to the Quakers Principle of Perfection that it overthrows their whole Religion at once To which Thomas Maule made this Reply That it was not so because said he every true Believers warfare makes a change from worse to better that through Grace by Faith they come to forsake the Error to joyn with the Truth which makes free from all that is evil and had not the like in measure been my state to have departed from evil I had not become a prey to you who have caused me to suffer for the Truth as it is manifest you have done Then Judge Danford said Thomas Maul forbear we have something else to do than to spend time to hear you pâ—ate after this kind of rate To which Thomas Maul answered That he was willing to forbear without further Trouble to him by or from them A Copy of the Grand Jurys Presentment as also a Copy of the Judges Charge AT a Superiour Court held at Salem for our Soveraign Lord the King in the County of Essex in the Province of the Massathusets Bay in New-England the 10th day of the 9th Month 1696. The Grand Jury do present Thomas Maul of Salem Sâ—op-keeper for publishing or putting forth a Book entituled Truth held forth and maintained wherein is contained divers Slanders against the Churches and Government of this Province and for saying what he did before the honourable Court at Ipswich in May last as will appear on Record reference thereunto being had may more at large appear as in this hereunto annexed James Stivens Fore-man Thomas Maule being bound over by Recognizance to this Court and being asked concerning a Book put forth by him entituled Truth held forth and maintained c. did in oppen Court declare anâ— say That there was as great mistakes in the Scriptures as in his Book and instanced comparing Mat. 27. v. 5. with Acts 1. v. 18. and this being read to him desires to be understood That at present he believes so at the Superiour Court of Judicature held at Ipswich on the third Tuesday May last 1696. A true Copy by Adington Davenport Clerk Dr. Benjamin Bullivants Speech in the first part of the Pleas 〈◊〉 the Presentment is as followeth viz. To the Presentment of the Grand Jury exhibited against Tho. Maule this present Court always saving to himself the liberty of such further Pleading and Defence as by Law are due unto him viz. First That the uncertainty of matters alledged in the said Presentment is so notorious that he that runs may read them and the Lord Cook says The Law requires certainty in all cases especially such as are Penal to the Lives or Estates of the Subject which uncertainties are Secondly That neither County Year or Day are laid in the said Presentment Thirdly That the Presentment is not laid to be made for the King who if any one hath Offence by whatever in this case alledged against the Defendant neither is his Majesties Name or Sâ—ile used in the Presentment as is necessary and required particularly by the Laws of this Government Fourthly That it is not laid upon Oath as it ought to be if it hold a man to his Answer Fifthly That the Jury had no Plantiff to inquire for they being sworn Well and truly to try and true Deliverance make between our Soveraign Lord the King and Thomas Maule the Prisoner at the Bar. And Yet the Kings Name and Stile entirely omitted in the Presentment aforesaid Sixthly That if it were true the Defendant should have said as is laid to his charge in the Indictment That there was as great Mistakes in the Scriptures as in his Book yet this can charge no facâ— by Law punishable upon him the Presâ—ntment wanting an invendo or meaning whether they were the holy Scriptures or words of God since there are prophane as well as holy Scriptures and the Defendant may be supposed in Construction of Law to intend as well prophane as sacred Scriptures Seventhly That it was not laid to be against the Peace of the King or so much as a Misdemeanor To these Arguments Judge Danford answered That the Presentment was according to former Vsage and their Custom and that want of form could not destroy the â—udictment or binder the coming to his Answer Judge Cook said As to the Invendo that it would have been necessary if the particular Quotations had not been named which he did believe Thomas Maules Counsel would not deny to be the Books of the holy â—â—riptures which was conceded unto Then was Anthony Chickley the Kings Attorney caâ—â—ed upon to know what he had to say to it on the behalf of the Kâ—ng who only said He would answer to the third Exception brought against the Indictment viz. That it wanted the stile of the Kâ—ng assiâ—tâ—g aâ—d not want it founding his assertion on thâ— Preamble of the â—â—â—ictment it being said at a superiour Court held at Salem for our Soveraign Lord the King Reply to this was made on the behalf of the Defendant That the Preample had no relation to the Body of the Presentment since the Presentment was presumed to begin at these words The Grand Jury do present The Court after some further debate over-ruling the Pleas the Prisoner is left to say for himself Thomas Maule to the Judges on the Bench as followeth viz. To you who have set your selves to be Judges in this case against me as you are invested with Mâ—gistratical Pâ—wer by Commission from the King I do respect you out wherein you do assume to your selves the Power of the Bishops Court as in this case I do no more value you than I do Jack-straw And if you will approve your selves wise men you ought to mend the many Rents by you already made through the mis mannagement of the Truâ— committed to your Charge before you proceed to make a further breach upon me who has not given you any just occasion so to do which if you are resolved to make a Rod for me that it may be easie for the more ease of your own that is to come for it is said by him that cannot lye The same measure that men make the same shall be made to them again and if your Power by which you act against me do long continue he that now enjoys a good Estate under your Government in seven years time after this rate may not be left worth a Grote for as you are set to watch over the People things are at that pass through your means that they have the greater need to watch over you otherwise they are like to be undone by the heavy burdens you lay upon them Then the Cause with the said Maules Book and a Speech made to this purpose by Judge Danford was committed to the Jury viz. You have now heard the Cause