of this nature by imprisonment and paying three hundred pounds apiece was Dr. Child Samuel Maverick and other Merchants in Boston kept from being hanged for their being taken with a Petition to send to England as aforesaid Of which when I come to give an account of the English Church being persecuted by these New-England Free-men to do what they saw most pleasing to their Priests shall the more speak relating to the aforesaid suffering of Dr. Child Samuell Maverick and others of the Church of England as aforesaid From all Bloody Free-men pray God deliver me They are for Hanging all that one with them not be The Persecutors Law against the Kings good Subjects And if after this he or she shall return again then to be proceeded against as Ineorrigible Rogues and Enemies to the common Peace and shall immediately be apprehended and committed to the common Goal of the County and the next Court of Assistants shall be brought to the Tryal and proceeded against according to the former Law made 1658. for their punishment on Pain of Death Psalm 94.20 21. Obs You may understand that of this nature it hath been in all Ages to the People of God for as it is written He that is born after the fâ—esh persecuteth him that is born after the Spirit even so it is now Gal. 4 2â— and that the People are great sufferers as by these Laws when they fall into the hands of Hypocrites which pretend so much to Religion as did the wicked Jews to destroy the righteous in that day which work as we read in the holy Scriptures Books of Martyrs and the like true Histories ever did as now it doth begin at the house of the persecuting Priests who would have none live save those that are one with them in all things that tend to the upholding them with Money for preaching which is made up with other mens words whose Life and experience they witness nothing of but at random make a sixt days Image with stolen words with which they fright the People that know no better then to buy of their Ware which further then they write it down lose it before the next market day such like is the preaching and teaching of every Hypocritical Hireling and Persecuting Priest whose Doctrine does leaven every Persecutor of their Church to follow them in the like covetous practice through whose Hypocrisie and Deceit many have been horribly cheated Now if New-Englands Churches be not highly guilty of these things as well as persecuting People to Death for Religion then the People in Forreign Countries are the more to blame to cry out at the sight of New-England Vessels so much as they do against Persecutors Deceit Hypocrisie false Doctrine Surfeited Horses and the like of stinking Fish and other Cheats with which it is common for Hypocrites and Persecutors to trade Hypocrisie Deceit is cloaked with Religion By men whose wicked Laws for Blood do make provision No men more wicked then Persecuters be To find it true in Scripture may it see Mat. 23.32 33.34.35.36 New-England Persecutors Laws against the King Subjects And for such Quakers as shall arise from amongst our selves they shall be proceeded against as the former Law Anno 1658. doth provide until they have been convicted by the Court of Assistants and being convicted he or she shall then be banished the Jurisdiction and il after that they shall return and be found in any part of this Jurisdiction then he or she so sentenced to banishment shall be proceeded against as those that are strangers and Vagabond Quakers in manner as before expressed Obs The Reader may hence understand that as their Laws were bloody the cruel nature of their unbelieving hard hearts was in the execution of their Laws agreeable thereunto who being bewitched by a Company of hiâ—eling Priests not to obey the Truth were through obedience to wicked Spirits mad after the Blood of the Innocent that the devout Members of their Antichristian Church did Act with that fury to the Quakers as if they could never use too much Cruelty upon them which was the more by the Priest-ridden Executioners through the Priests pronouncing Woes and bitter Curses against all such as should fail in the neglect of their work for the Devil against both Quakers Baptists and them of the Church of England as well as against all other Dissenters which Curses they still back't with Scripture words as aforesaid Judg. 5.23 Jer. 48.10 which work as the wicked did so these pretended was done by them for the honour of God and glory of his Name and that their Church was the purest Reformed Church of all other Christian Churches in the World But if the pureity of a Church consist in such wicked works as they have done by virtue of unrighteous Laws against the People of God and the Kings Subjects then it is manifest by the length of time in the like cruel bloody Work that their Mother Church of Rome is more purer then theirs But if Persecution be the work of the Devil as by Scripture it is manifest so to be then according to Christs own words they are Children of him whose work they do then it must consequently follow that Romes Church being the first under the Name Christian found to persecute that all under that name found to persecute are her children whom so often they call the great Whore The Devil 's Work not only done to Quakers But all Dissenters were in parâ— Pertakers New-England Persecutors Law against the Kings Subjects And it is further Ordered That whatsoever charge shall arise about apprehending whipping conveying or otherwise about the Quakers to be laid out by the Constable of such Town where it is expended and to be repaid by the Treasurer out of the next County Levy And further ordered That the Constables of their several Towns are hereby impowered â—rom time to time to impress Cart Oxen and other Assistance for the Execution of this Order 1661. Obs The Reader may hence understand That for the cloaking of the Devils Work they made all their unrighteous Warrants run in the Kings Name as if he was the Author of their cruel Work against Dissenters whenas it manifestly appears both by the holy Scriptures and also by the Kings Letter a Copy of which will follow That they had no Warrant Precept or Command either from God or the King but did wholly act and do according to their own Wills which still remain the same to work Mischief against both Quakers Baptists and the Church of England also as will hereafter evidently appear but their Horns at present are shortened and their Cloak begins to appear threed-bare and now their Hypocrisâ—e and Deceit will no longer hide their Wickedness from the King and People whose Money out of the Treasury must serve to defray the Charge of the Devil's Work against the Kings good Subjects who had taken from them by the persecuting Churches in New-England to the value of Twenty Thousand
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
VVoman with her having a young Infant at the Breast both which VVomen were imprisoned and cruelly whipt with more of the like Cruelty as is to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings Richard Dowdney An honest harmless Man thoâ— after the Romish Invention was commiâ—ted to Prison and whipt after their usual manner with thirty Stripes with which his flesh was so torn and cut in pieces that many People lamented at the sight thereof that such an innocent man as he was should be so horribly abused as in said Book of Sufferings is more at large to be seen Sarah Gibbins and Dorothy Waugh two young VVomen for being of those called Quakers and coming into their Jurisdiction had for their entertainment in Boston the flesh of their backs beaten to pieces by their Priests chief VVorkman viz. the Executioner of their Law at their Gallows and when so whipt was by another Member of their Churches Peace viz. their Goaler shut up in a close Room where none was suffered to come unto them and there kept three days together without all manner of Food And at another time kept them eight days without all manner of Provision and had not the Lord preserved them at this time beyond what men of themselves are able to do they had perished under the Cruelty of the New-England Church their said Sufferings are more at large to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings William Shattock an Inhabitant in Boston for being one first day found in his House alone was by one of the Priests drudges carried to their House of Oppression for entertaining of Strangers and in the time of his being kept there with the like whipping some of the Priests crew endeavoured to perswade his Wife wholly to leave him and that they would place out his Children to Masters of Families that tended their Meetings whose suffering is more at large to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings Thomas Harris for declaring against Pride and Oppression which the guilty proud Oppressors itching Ears could not endure to hear was committed to their House of Oppression where the Goaler that devout Member of their Church shut him up and kept him eleven days five of which he kept him without Bread and though he had before been cruelly whipt yet this merciless Wretch gave his Weak bruised Body Twenty blows with a pitched Rope whose sufferings are more at large to be seen in the Quakers book of sufferings as aforesaid Several Innocent Women called Quakers had their Bodies searched for Witches which work was done by the old Member women with such cruelty to their Bodies that one of the Women said she did not the like trouble undergo in bearing and bringing forth five Children besides what more they suffered under the power of those who were as free to run as the Devil was to drive them to perform his lust in the doing the aforesaid Anti-christian work of which more is to be seen in the aforesaid Books of the Quakers suffering under the Anti-christian power of New-Englands Churches William Brend for coming into Bostons Jurisdiction where all the aforesaid work of Anti-christ was acted and done and for being one of them called a Quaker and declaring the Truth was cruelly whipt and shut up into close Prison where the Goaler and devout Member of their Church lockt his Neck and Heels together so close that there was only room for the Lock to go between in which manner he kept him sixteen hours and then gave his weak bruised Body One Hundred and Seventeen Blows with a pitched Rope having thus beaten him for dead an out cry was among the People That the Goaler had killed a man which to appease the People bills were set upon the Prison doors and else where That the Goaler should be dealt with but said Brends coming to life again though the Doctors said it would be admitable if he did recover for his flesh was beaten into a meer Gelly of Blood however as God would have it he came to recover again then to prevent the Goalers being punished for this his great peice of Wickedness to said Brend John Horton their chief high Priest said if William Brend will endeavour to beat our Gospel Ordinances black and blew it was just upon him if he was beaten black and blue and withall in said Book that his counsel was to his Church Brethren in Iniquity To put off the Bear skin and put on the Fox Skin which indeed is â—â—â—eling Priest like the more to deceive poor ignorant People of whom God hath opened the Eyes of many by which they see hirelings deceit William Robinson a Merchant Maâ—maduke Stevinson and William Leddra as Informed the one a clotheâ— the other a husband man and Mary Dier wife to Mr Dier of Rode Island all which four were â—eat sufferers In Bostons Jurisdiction under the cruel bloody hands of the Church Members before they drove them with great number of their Priests club man to their bloody alter and many more by the Priests and Rulers with their conâ—enting Members in Iniquity were intended to be sheâ—â—â—leed an offering to their Anger and Revenge had not the Kings Letter as aforesaid stopt their bloody hands and when the Priests drudges with their mâ—ny Swords Staves Guns and Drums to drown the Testimony of the Lords Servants from being heard among the People had drove them to their Bloody Altar where they chearfully delivered up their Lives for the Truth of God and Testimony of Jesus which was to the beholders Admiration and great rage of their Persecutors when they were executed they cut down their Bodies letting them fall to the breaking the Skulls of some and ripped off their Shirts dragging their naked Bodies either by the heels or with a Rope and as they dragged them gnashed their Teeth with meer Madness as they went on with their work of dragging their Bodies to a filthy stinking Pit into which they threw some of their naked Bodies and never would grant their Freinds liberty to secure their bodies from Ravenous Creatures by putting about the place any manner of fence whatsoever Seeing the Wickedness of these Persecutors to be great and their Lyes against the People of God many I shall here give one instance of the many which might be produced to prove them lyars that â—ay The Quakers might have had their liberty to have been gone but would not accept it therefore say such Lyers they were accassary to their own Death But to prove the contrary here is the copy of a Merchants letter in print who was no Quaker but an eye and ear witness to what follows viz. Boston the 26th of March 1661. ON the 14th of this Instant here was one William Leddra put to Death The People of the Town told me he might go away if he would but when I made further enquiry I heard the Marshall say that he was chained in Prison from the time he was condemned to the day of Execution I
of Persecution for at that time a Young Man who had been ordained by the Bishop of London to preach at Carolina where being sickly was advised to remove and change the air whereupon he came to Boston and was civilly â—ntertained by some Old England men and after some time recovering his Health he came to be known to be a Minister of the Church of England and for that he was a Master of the French Language he was by some French Protestants and others of the Church of England recommended to a poor and dark Corner of the Province to preach to a small number of poor People amongst whom he passed some few Moneths before the persecuting Priests found him out but at last hearing that he preached baptized according to the way of the Church of England they stirâ—ed up the Magistrates against him who were at their beck and soon sent a Constable who beset his Longing and required him to desist from his preaching c. at his peril but he knowing on what foot he stood continued his preaching and baptizing according to his Commission from the Bishop of London till at length he was threatned with Whipping and understanding that the Constables had Warrants from the persecuting Magistrates to seize him and for that end beset his Lodging whereupon he returned privately to Carolina 4. Nor were the Affronts offered to Robert Ratcliffe the first estblished Minister of the Church of England in Boston to be passed in silence He came over in the Year 1686. with Authority from the Crown of Engâ—and to establish a Church in Boston this mans meekness and Sobriety was sufficiently knwn yet were his Affronts manâ— by which they sought to weary him out not only by personal Abuses and publick Injuries in breaking the Church Windows teaâ—ing the service book making Crosses of Mans Dung on the Doors and filling the Key-holes with the same but also seized his Clark and compelled him to Prison in a Wheel barrow of which nature they acted many abuses against the aforesaid and his Church insomuch that no Minister longer being able to endure their horrid Anti-christian Abuses which did more dayly increase against him and his Church was necessitated after about four years stay amongst them to leave his Charge and go for England where the late Queen preferred him to a living 5. And as a father sign of their hatred to that Church at the time of the Revolution they Imprisoned three Gentlemen Members thereof without any charge against them or since save that they had officiated as Justices of the Peace under the Kings Commission and although they Joyned with eight or ten more of their own Church Members who sate and Joyntly acted with them in the same County yet could find no complaint against their own Church Members so apparently partial were they to their own party and violent to others by which as aforesaid though not the thousand part of what might be brought against them of their great Wickedness against the People of God and the Kings Subjects yeâ— with a little more of the like nature to be added hereunto will by their works be sufficient to the uâ—dâ—rstanding of every true Christian That the New-England Church is not the true Church of Christ that worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth viz John 4.24 Having thus mentioned some of the abuses offered to some Members of the Church of England I shall now draw Conclusion so soon I have given a short account of the Tryal of Thomas Maule of Salem about his Book call'd Truth held forth c. I shall begin thus viz. Thomas Maule a Young Man about twelve years of Age came from England to the Island of Barbodoes and from thence for his health sake came to New-England where hearing much preaching and loud praying he began to think with himself what manner of People are these whose Streets ring with the noise of Preaching and Pâ—aying and having lived amongst them about three years he did experience their words to be good but by their works to have no good hearts at the end of which time he removed himself to another of their Towns called Salem where he found the Church Members to be in all respects as to Religion one with them in the other Towns of their Jurisdiction but in Salem he found a People of few words and good works agreable thereunto with which people he Joyned by keeping to their Meetings which so inraged the Church Members that with their Priests they stirred up the Rulers against him and fined the man where he kept fifty Pounds for entertaining him after which for his keeping open shop upon one of their fast days and speaking the Truth against their Priests railing against the Quakers and the like they five times imprisond him thrice took away his goods aâ—d thrice cruelly whipt him besides their many other Abuses and also accusing him of posting his Books on the first day of the week but he affirming the contrary and though two evil minded persons whereof one was a Thief who then unknown had stolen Goods in her keeping both which did say he posted Books as aforesaid notwithstanding iâ— being utterly false and the evidence of no credit yet recorded they him a Lyar when he had spoken no other but the Truth relating to the same shall now proceed to the sum and as aforesaid From which I shall now proceed to the Sum and substance of his late Trial which was writ by a hand then present in their Courts as followeth The Copy of their Warrant Province of the Massachusets Bay TO the Sheriffe of the County of Essex his under Sheriffe or Debuty greeting Whereas there is lying before the honourable Lieutenant Governour and Council a printed Pamphlet entituled Truth held forth and maintained put forth in the name of Thomas Maule said to be Thomas Maules of Salem within your County published without Licence of Authority in which is contained many notorious and wicked Lyes and Slanders not only upon private Persons but also upon Government and likewise divers corrupt and pernicious Doctrines utterly subversive of the true Christian and professed Faith These are therefore in his Majesties Name to Will and require you forthwith to make search in the House of the said Maule and where else you shall be informed any of the said Pamphlets are or may be found seize and secure all that you shall find thereof and to cause the said Thomas Maule to appear before the Lieutenant Governour and Council at the Council Chamber in Boston upon Thirsday the 19th Currant to answer what shall be objected against him on his Majesties behalf In the Premises hereof fail not making return of this Warrant with your doings therein Dated at the Council Chamber in Boston December 12th 1695. By Command of the Lieutenant Governour Council Jsaac Addition Secretary A true Copy attested by George Curwin Sherriff A Copy of the Return of their Warrant Salem December 14