which the Christian Reader may fully comprehend the nature of these Free-mens Body Poâ—â—â—ick Vnto Religion thâ—se Free-men do pretend We â—â—ay all see that Money is their end New-England Antichristian Law 5. If any Person shall knowingly import into any Harbouâ— of this Jurisdiction any Quakers Books or Writings concerning their damnable Opinions he shall forfeit 〈◊〉 every such Book or writing five Pounds and whosoever shall disperse or conceal such Book or Writing and it be found with him or her or in his or her House and shall not Immediately deliver the same to the next Magistrate shall pay five Pounds for dispersing or concealing every such Book or Writing 6 And every Person or Persons whatsoever that shall revile the Office or Person of Magistrates or Ministers as is usual with the Quakers such Person or Persons shall be severely whipt or pay the Sum of Five Pounds in money The Reader may here note That the substance of matter contained in these two last Laws is very agreeable with what is before as also with what will follow all which is to promote the works of Unrighteousness against God and his People thereby to hinder others from receiving the Truth who for proving all things to hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5.21 must as by their Law pay five Pounds either for bringing any Quakers Books or writings into their Jurisdiction or keeping the same in their House when they are without immediate delivering the same to the next Magistrate which doth evidently manifest their design is to gain the Peoples Money as well as to hinder them of receiving the Truth which fâ—lfil what is written They will neither enter theÌ„ Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others that are entering to go in Mat. 22.13 but as those wicked Jews did so do these Hypocrites most unrighteously charge the People of God with reviling the Office and Persons of Magistrates and Ministers when as on contrary their Testimonies were true for Gods cause against Pride Covetousness and Oppression which greatly abounded in the Magistrates Priests and Persecuting free-men who for the most Part by their hireling Priests were taught beyond all grace and common good and that the whole Government of their Church and Common-wealth as they call it had as they concluded that dependency upon their â—old Charter that as by their Law it is manifest they neither feared God nor minded the Laws of the English Nation for they had assumed to themselves the Power of both God King and Bishops wholly confiding in the strength of their old Idol Charter Where Persecutors once gain Power Like Lyons Bears and Wolves devour New-England's Anti-christian Law 7. And every Person that shall publish and maintain any Heterodox Erronious Doctrine shall be liable to be questioned and sencured by the County Court where he liveth according to the merit of his Offence The Reader may hence understand That the County Courts were plenty of these Persecutors Plenty of jackalls to hunt for their prey which was to find out every Person in their Jurisdiction that departed from the way of their Priests Worship such person and Persons became a prey Isâ— 59.15 who were â—ccused to publish or maintain the Heterodox or Frâ—onious Doctrine at the opening of which Courts were always some of their Priests to pray pretending that what they did against Dâ—ssenteâ—s would be the more sanctified through the means of their Prayers which they pretended was for the honour of God and good of the Souls of them on whom the said Court did inflict punishment both to their Body and Purses so that what with these Hirelings unsanctified Prayers and the like Advice to the Magistrates they would be sure to lay load enough on the backs of the aforesaid Dissenters especially upon the Innocent harmless Quakers whom so often in their Law they call Accursed for unto them was the Priests greatest Rage manifested through their wicked advice to the Magistrates to have them all hanged of whom four were put to Death and more had been had not their Bloody Hands been stopped through the means of the Kings Order to the Contrary a Coppy of which Letter will hereafter appear in this Book which before it came many were they that were put to cruel Sufferings both by long Imprisonment cruel Whippings Cutting off Ears Branding with Red hot Irons ordering Men and Women to be sold for bond Slaves searching the Bodies of Innocent Women for Witches besides Banishing upon pain of Death and abundance of their Estate taken for Fines on which these men so free to do the Devils Work did live eating and drinking at a high rate whilst others suffered as aforesaid This was the work of wicked Priest â—nd Pulpit Lyars Whose work was like the Jesuites the Monks and Frayrs New-England Antichristian Law 8. whereas there is a pernicious Sect commonly called Quakers lately arisen who by word and writing have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid Tenets and take upon them to change and alter the laudable Customs of our Nation in giving civil Respect to Equals o Reverence to Superiors whose Actions tend to undermine the Authority of civil Government as also to destroy the Order of the Churches by denying all established Forms of Worship and by with drawing from the orderly Church Assemblies allowed and approved by all Orthrodox Professors of the Truth and instead thereof and opposition thereunto frequenting private Meetings of their own insinuating into the minds of the simple or such as are less affected to the Order and Government of our Church and Common Wealth whereby divers of our Inhabitants have been Infected and seduced and notwithstanding all former Laws made upon Experience of their arrogant bold Obtrusions to Disseminate their Principles amongst us prohibiting their coming into this Jurisdiction they have not been detered from their impetuous Attempts to undermine our Peace and hasten our Ruin The Reader may here note the great Wickedness of these unrighteous Priests and Rulers who to accuse the innocent run themselves into further mischief through their bold Attempts against God and the King which hath proved to be their ruin for whilest they were digging Pits and making Rods and laying Snares the innocent God was preparing his Judgments against them and all those whose silence gave consent thereto by which â—udgments they do not only suffer suffer the loss of their Fruit and Grain throughout their Jurisdiction but also are delivered into the hands of the Barbarous Indians whom God suffers to make them a double measure of the like Cruelty which themselves as by their â—â—ws have inâ—icted upon others besides the loss of their old Charter and great Idol God ever will for Iâ—nocent Blood Reward Though while the Wicked live little it regard New-England Antichristian Law For prevention thereof this Court doth Order and Enact that every Person of the cursed Sect of Quakers who is not an Inhabitant but found within this Jurisdiction shall be apprehended without
which with the Book is now committed to your hands who have taken a solemn Oath to do the thing that is right in the sight of Gods as near as you can therefore you ought well to consider the horrid Wickedness of Thomas Maules setting forth the Book now â—eâ—ore you in which there is contained a great aâ—al of blasphemous matter against the Churches and Government of this Province You weak 〈◊〉 that when the Husband-man hath takeâ— great care and labour to fâ—nce in his fâ—â—ld of Wheat and there comes a ravenous Creature and makes a Gap through the Fence for other like Creatures to go through and spoâ—l the Corn and to trample down and lay waste the Hâ—sband-mans Field will he not use his utmost endeavour to destroy such a ravenous Creature that doeâ— so how much the more are we to preserve the Hâ—dge of the good Hâ—sband-man with which he hatâ— by his Ordinances and good Government fenced and hedged his Churches and People in this Prâ—â—giâ—â—â— against which the wicked work of Thomas Maule doth wholly tend to overtâ—â—ow all good in Church and Common-wealth which Goâ— hath planted amongst his People in this Province wâ—ich â—ause with the saide Maules Book is now before you to do that which is right relating thereu◠〈◊〉 near as God shall inable In answer to which Speech Thomas Maule made this Râ—ply to the Jury and said Jury look well to the work which you are now going to do the Cause is now committed to you who are to be Governed by the Kings Law no Law of our Nation have I broken as to you will appear the Book has no evidence in Law against me further then to you it doth appear I have writ or caused to be printed any thing contrary to sound Doctrine and Inconsistant to the holy Scriptures of Truth which if you take up with any part of these Judges unjust Charge against me and say there is such like matter in my Book as they charge me with you may seek to the Printer for satisfaction for of any such like matter in the Book I know not and my hand is only to my Copy which now is in another Government in the hands of the Printer and my Name to my Book made by the Printer does not in Law evidence to prove the same to be Thomas Maule no more then the Spector Evidence in Law is of force or validity to prove the person accused by said evidence to be the Witch but rather conclude the Spector to be the Witch therefore Jury look well to your Work for you have sworn True Tryal to make and just Verdict give which if you miss of doing me Justice the fault will lie on your part for these my Accusers on the beach are but as Clerks to â—onclude your Work with Amen In some small time the Jury brought in their Verdict for the Prisoner whom they found not Guilty At which the Judges seemed much disatisfied therewith and assâ— the Jury how that could be having the Book before them wâ—o answered That the Book was not sufficâ—ent Evidence for that Thomas Maules Name was there unto set by the Printer and the matrer therein contained not cognizable before them they not being a Jury of divines which this case ought to be Then Judg Danford made this Spâ—ech That tho Thomas Maule had escaped the hands of Men yet he had not escaped the hand of God who would find out all his Evils and Blasphemies against his Church and People and for which Wickedness God did reserve him or further Jaâ—gmâ—â—o come upon him In answer to which said Maule replyed That he was no way guilty of their Charge but had great cause to praise God â—or his diâ—â—â—erance by the Jury who were made Instruments of freeing him out of the hands of them who had manifested their unrighteous Works against the People of God and the Kings Subjects as their Fathers beâ—ore had done In which time of the said Reply Judge Danford called out Take him away take him away The Reader may hence understand that the distance of these Persecutors from the King and much further froms Gods Truth is the cause that by them many of the People of God and the Kings Subjects suffer more then they would do were they where their complaint could readily be heard by the King who would not suffer his Subjects to be persecuted under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church who yet continue the old stroke according to their Power against the Quaâ—â—rs at this very tâ—me of liberty of Conscience respecting to Religion now allowed by the King and Powers of England as for instance they now do suffer in their Jurisdiction especially in the Town of Linn where for the Priests maintenance they compell the Quakers Oxen their Pots and Platters with the of other Houshould goods more worse in that respect then of the first two wiked Priests we read Sam. 2.12 13 14 15 16 17. For which sin God will reward the wickâ—â— Priests FINIS
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
Prophaneness as these Persecutors say I find the Cause the Priests did want more pay Old Charter Magistrates Hypocrisie with an Instance of their Deceit and Cheat amongst themselves at their General High-Court of Injustice to others An eminent Merchant in Boston who is said to have erected the Town-House at his own charge besides several other considerable Gifts to publick Uses he kept an honest sober young Man to sell his Merchandize and its like somewhat differing in Judgment from their Priests way of Worship he through a mistake sold a Bridle for something more than was allowed by these Rulers for men to advance on the Shilling and being complained of was fined a great Sum of Money and besides was ordered to stand one hour in a publick Place with the Bridle in his Chaps and the Fine was divided amongst the Magistrates as one of them testified who being out of Court at the time when the Division was made was by his Brethren in Iniquity defrauded of his share who was so offended at the same that he openly complained of the Wrong he had received by his Brethren in this matter Obs You may perceive that these Old Charter-men had strange kind of Laws whereby to enrich themselves and impoverish others as is already proved by their aforesaid unrighteous Laws so also by this it appears to agree with the same That no Merchant must advance more than 4 d. profit in the Shilling for Goods from England by means of which Law their Cloathing and Necessaries were to them all of their way at a cheap rate for themselves were only Merchants of Law and their Priests Merchants of that which they call their Gospel which Law is their Wills and their Gospel other mens Lines made ready to their hands but the Laws of the English Nation are otherwise and the true Gospel to them that believe is the Power of God to Salvation By Religion with Deceit Makes Hypocrites to be a Cheat. A brief Account of some of the Three Hundred and Nine Persons that suffered Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church besides those four Servants of the Lord cruelly-Murthered by a Law made at the Rulers and Priests high Court of Injustice against Dissenters found within their Jurisdiction belonging to Boston which are as followeth viz. NIcholas Vpshall an old Man full of Years seeing their Cruelty to the harmless Quakers and that they had condemned some of them to dye both he and elder Wisewell or otherwise Deacon Wisewell Members of the Church in Boston bore their Testimonies in publick against their Brethrens horrid Cruelty to the said Quakers And the said Vpshall declared That he did look at it as a sad fore-runner of some heavy Judgment to follow upon the Country Which they took so ill at his hands that they fined him Twenty Pounds and three Pound more at another of their Courts for not coming to their Meeting and would not abate him one Grote but imprisoned him and then banished him on pain of Death which was done in a time of such extream bitter Weather for Frost Snow and Cold that had not the Heathen Indians in the Wilderness Woods taken compassion on his Misery for the winter Season he in all likelihood had perished though he had then in Boston a good Estate in Houses and Land Goods and Money as also Wife and Children but not suffered to come unto him nor he to them but more of his Sufferings are at large related in the Books of the Quakers Suffering Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church and so proved to be by their fore-going Laws And more of their Cruelty will here follow The next I shall mention is Anne Burden whose Husband being dead and having left Money due to him from several in New-England his said Widdow came into their Jurisdiction to get in the said Debts for the use of her self and Children Now thâ—se Persecutors had nothing to charge her with but that she was a plain Quaker and for that and coming into their Jurisdiction she must abide the Penalty of their Law and which they executed upon her and then sent her away without getting in her just Debts for which she came into their Jurisdiction Which was one of their inventions to pay Debts to Dissenters with especially the Quakers Christopher Holder and John Copeland men of good Estates and of good Life amongst men for being of those called Quakers and coming into their Jurisdiction and declaring the Truth were cruelly whipt with their old wonted Whip of three fold Cords each being well knotted fit for their Church work where-with their Member Whipper gave each of these men Thirty Stripes a piece which were so cruelly laid on that at the sight of their torn flesh and bloody backs a tender-hearted Person fell down dead after they had been thus whipt they were put into Bridewell and there kept for three days without Bread or Water and with their wounded backs were forced to lie on the Boards without Bed or Straw and for Nine VVeeks were kept close Prisoners where none except the Goaler that devout Member could come unto them After which both they and Coll. Rous's Son of Barbadoes had their Ears cut by the Member of their Peace viz. the common Hang-man Now the reason why John Rous escaped with the cutting his Ears only was the kindness they had for him in respect to the knowledge they had of his Father and his being a Gentleman as is more at large in the said Book of Sufferings Mary Clark a Merchants VVife in London who for being called a Quaker and coming into their Jurisdiction must undergo their Law though a Mother of Children and tender of Body to which they had no regard but after their manner imprisoned her for twelve VVeeks and with their Church VVhip fitted as aforesaid for their Priests work gave her weak tender Body twenty cruel Stripes which was the more harder laid on by reason of their Hirelings saying The Quakers did not flinch for their being so whipt because the Devil was got between the skin and the flesh or the flesh and the Bone but more of this is to be seen in the Book of Sufferings under the Anti-christian Power of New-England's Priests and Rulers Lawrence Southwick and his VVife an antient grave couple either one or both of them being Members of their Church in Salem who in good Nature differed from most part of the said Church for their entertaining some strangers called Quakers were fined and their Goods taken away besides their Sons and Daughters were great Sufferers by long Imprisonment and cruel VVhipping as also they had their Goods taken away by the Priests Drudgeâ— and some of the said Southwicks Children were ordered to be sold for Bond-slaves and he and his VVife and Son Josiah either the one or all three of them were banished the Jurisdiction upon pain of Death Horred Gardner a Mother of many Children a young