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cause_n	death_n	law_n	sin_n	5,839	5	5.9889	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77941	A declaration of the sad and great persecution and martyrdom of the people of God, called Quakers, in New--England for the worshipping of God. Wherof 22 have been banished upon pain of death. 03 have been martyred. 03 have had their right-ears cut. 01 hath been burned in the hand with the letter H. 31 persons have received 650 stripes. 01 was beat while his body was like a jelly. Several were beat with pitched ropes. Five appeals made by them to England, were denied by the rulers of Boston. One thousand forty four pounds worth of goods hath been taken from them (being poor men) for meeting together in the fear of the Lord, and for keeping the commands of Christ. One now lyeth in iron-fetters, condemned to dye. Also, some considerations, presented to the King, which is in answer to a petition and address, which was presented unto him by the general court at Boston : subscribed by J. Endicot, the chief persecutor there; thinking thereby to cover themselves from the blood of the innocent.	Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1661 (1661)	Wing B5994; Thomason E1086_4; ESTC R13926	22,607	32

Banishment against them upon Pain of Death such was their dangerous impetuous and desperate Turbulency to Religion and to the State Civil and Ecclesiastical as that how unwilling soever could it have been avoided the Magistrate at least in Conscience both to God and Man judged himself called for the Defence of all to keep the Passage with the Point of the Sword held towards them this could do no harm say they to them that would be warned thereby their willingly rushing themselves thereupon was their own act and we with all humility conceive a Crime bringing their blonds upon their own heads By way of Answer to this let it be Considered 1. What Means was for a long time used before they put them to Death is shameful to mention was it not by the means of cruel Whippings Banishment Imprisonment cutting off Ears and taking their Goods by violence It is true by this means the Petitioners dealt with the Quakers and never by any Christian-like means for the very first of our Friends that ever came among them they made them prisoners ere they came on shore and inhumanely dealt with them and banished them and this was the first and fairest means that ever was used by them which are not Gospel-Means nor the Way by which the Church of New-England ought to have proceeded had our Friends been in Error and such as they say of them it had been their duty to have gained them by Love by Mercy and by long-suffering these are the Weapons of the Spirit of God which ought to be used towards them that are in Error in order to the Converting of them from the Error but contrary to this the Magistrates and Church-Members of New-England took Cains Weapons and dealt Cruelly and not like Christians nor like sober men towards the Innocent but their thus proceeding was in vain as themselves acknowledge for notwithstanding the Gospel of Christ grew and encreased and many were Converted to the Faith of Christ Jesus throughout New-England 2. Let it be Considered What their dangerous and despera●e Turbulency was to States Civil and Ecclesiastical Did ever these poor People whom they condemned and put to shameful death lift up a hand against them or appear in any Turbulent gesture towards them Were they ever found wi●h any Carnal Weapon about them Or what was their Crime saving that they warned sinners to Repent and the ungodly to turn from his way We appeal to the God of Heaven on their behalf whom they have Martyred for the Name of Christ That they had no other Offence to charge upon them saving their Conversation Doctrines and Practices as Saints of the Most High God and this is witnessed by many of their Neighbours though themselves have hardened their hearts against the reproof of Gods Witness And we certainly believe it was their Malice and Envy that constrained them to passe Sentence of Death upon them and not the Equity of either just Law of God or Man for they deserved not the merit of Death such was the Innocency of their Cause and they are no more safe by the taking away the lives of our guiltlesse Brethren than they were before no more safe I say but more liable to the Justice and Terrour of the Almighty and to the Justice of the King and the good Laws of England for and because of their Barbarous Cruelties but as I have said we leave Vengeance to the Lord and commit them to the Justice of Gods hand which we doubt not but it will passe upon them in his day and season 3. Whereas they would seem to extenuate their Crime of putting to shameful death the Lords servants they tell the King as if they only kept the Passage with the point of the sword held towards them as if they had no intention to hurt them and this the Magistrate did both in Conscience to God and man I say it is to be considered what occasions were given them to stand in the passage with the point of the sword towards this People Was it for any cause on their part but as aforesaid for reproving their sin and crying against their wickednesse when as their lives and conversations were harmless and innocent amongst them I say this was no just cause for the Magistrates to stand in the passage with the point of the sword and therefore they were unjust in so doing if they had done no more and proceeded in the way of Insolent Usurpers for what reason had they to stop the passage with the point of the sword for hindring of as good Subjects as themselves to passe thorow the Kings Dominions Is not this derogating from the Honour and Authority of the King for the subordinate Magistrates of New-England to usurp such Authority over free-born People of England as to prevent them from Egress and Regress in lawful occasions in any part of the Kings Dominions and I suppose this will be found contrary to their Patent and Prescription delivered them by CHARLES the First even this standing in the Passage with the point of the Sword toward the Innocent and imposing great Fines upon men that came to their Harbour to sell their lawful Commodities if they had but the name of Quakers though no other thing could be charged against them yet they were imposed upon by Fines and Imprisonment and the point of the sword was held out against them and all this I suppose is contrary to their Patent and in Derogation and Dishonour to KING CHARLES the Second 4. But to extenuate their own fact of put●ing to shameful death the Innocent they charge their Death to be a wilfull rushing and their Death was their own Act and their Blood was upon their own Heads Concerning which let it be considered they no more wilfully rushed upon their Death neither is their Blood on their own heads more than the Prophets and Apostles that were slain for the Testimony of Jesus But these Petitioners do plead These Quakers so called knew there was a Law proclaimed against them Sentence of Banishment upon pain of Death but they would not keep away but came again and run themselves upon the Sword point and after this manner of arguing they would make it appear their death was of themselves and their blood was on their own heads But these poor Evasions and favourable Interpretations of their own Cruelties ought not to cover them from the Justice of God nor from the Justice of t●e King for it 's to be considered that where God commands one thing and men another God ought to be obeyed rather than men and it is fully believed by us that these Sufferers did not go into New-England in their own cause but in Gods Cause and in the Motion of his Holy Spirit and in good Conscience towards God they did rather suffer the losse of their own lives for their obedience towards God than to disobey him to keep the Commandments of men and this was the Apostles case when they were

be not works contrary to the Scriptures and the Spirit that gave them forth and contrary to a good Conscience I am yet ignorant and must leave it to the Judgment of the King before whom this matter is brought to receive his Judgment 2. Let the King consider how they have ignorantly condemned themselves in the same things for which they have judged others for while they seem to Complain of the Imposi●ions of the Bishops which they stile prevailing Hierarchy If it was Transgression in the Bishops in dayes past to impose upon these Petitioners and to persecute them for Non-Conformists How much more are these men guilty of Imposition and Persecution of tender Consciences Nay they have exceeded in the same Transgression and become seven-fold guilty of the sins themselves which they Complain against in others for they have gone further in Cruelty and Persecution towards the innocent Quakers than ever the Bishops proceeded against them even so far further as the murthering of a Man is more than cutting off his Ear and the Cause of the Quakers towards these Petitioners hath been as Innocent as ever theirs was towards the Bishops Oh Hypocritical generation who are Condemning of others for that whereof themselves are guilty and Imposing upon others in a far higher degree than ever the Bishops imposed on them witness their Law in New-England which judgeth every man to pay 5 s. per day who come not to their Assembly and imposing Fines of 40 s. and 50 s. a piece on such as meet together to Worship the Lord which are evident Signes of an evil Conscience as themselves speak The next thing that I note upon which the King ought to Consider the Petitioners say concerning the Quakers open Capital Blasphemers open Seducers from the Glorious Trinity the Lords Christ the Blessed Gospel and from the Holy Scriptures as the Rule of Life open Enemies to Government it self as Established in the Hands of any but men of their own Principles malignant Promoters of Doctrines directly tending to subvert both our Church and State By way of Answer to this let the King Consider 1. The envious and detestable Spirit of maliciousness of these Accusers and how vehement and fervent their persecuting Spirit is drawn forth with reproachful tearms in the highest degree like as if they could not utter sufficiently the Envy of their hearts or as if they wanted words to demonstrate their malignity and devouring malice against that People whom they in scorn call Quakers and all this to present us odious and abominable before Thee O King I say but this of them unto thee The Lord forgive them if they have not sinned unto death and unpardonably I have no desire of Revenge towards them but I leave vengeance to the Lord who will recompence in his season neither do I desire to provoke or incense the King against them only duty to God and the King teacheth me and love constraineth me and an absolute necessity presseth much upon me to spread our denyal of their bitter and malicious Accusations against us before the King unto whom we are thus fowly accused And I say I am Confident That the King hath better experience of us than to believe these our malicious Accusers And I do Appeal to him from the knowledge which he hath already of us that he believes we are Innocent and not guilty of those things thus unjustly Charged upon us and I question not but he will rightly understand that these Accusations are more out of Hatred and Envy against us than out of desire to benefit the King by such presentation 2. I do Testifie unto the King and before the whole World That we do profess and believe concerning the Father Son and Spirit and the Lord Iesus Christ and the blessed Gospel and the Holy Scriptures I say We do believe and make Profession in Truth and Righteousness concerning all these things and by our Doctrines and Instructions do perswade all People to believe and not Seduce any from these Truths of the Gospel And this is known through these Kingdoms concerning us though we stand now Accused falsly concerning these Matters before the King But as for the Scriptures being the Rule of Life We say The Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures is the Rule of Life and Faith unto the Saints and leads not contrary but according unto the Scriptures in the beleif and practice of whatsoever the Scripture saith and if these Petitioners did make the Scriptures the Rule of their Lives and Practices for the denial of which they here accuse us they would not have Cut off Ears Banished and put to Death for the Cause of Conscience which is contrary to the Scriptures and proceedeth from another Spirit than that which gave forth the Scriptures 3. Concerning Government our Principles and Practices are known to many and partly to the King We are not Enemies unto Government it self as these our Accusers do charge us but it is our Principle and hath ever been and is our Practice to be subject to whatsoever Government is set up over us either by doing or suffering and neither to vilifie nor rebel against any Government or Governours by any malicious Plots or Contrivances but to walk in meekness and humility towards all being subject for Conscience sake as I have said either by doing or suffering and I doubt not but the King is sufficiently informed hereof and believeth this Testimony 4. As for our Doctrines tending to subvert both Church and State this is also a false Accusation and Slander for our Doctrines are to convert and not to subvert even to Convert to God and Truth and Righteousness that men should live in these things and forsake all that which is contrary and this effect our Doctrines have wrought in the World as the Testimony of many Consciences shall bear witness Oh let the King Consider of our Defence as well as of our Enemies Charge who have thought it not enough to whip most cruelly banish cut Ears and put to death the Innocent but must still accuse them falsly and seek to cover themselves by fawning and flattering Addresses unto the King like as if they had done no evil when as the God of Heaven is witnesse to whom we can Appeal That our Brethren suffered the Tortures of shameful Death in New-England through their unjust Lawes and Sentences as Saints and Servants of the living God for the Name of Christ Jesus and for his Truth which they held until Death and not for evil-doing And the Executioners of these inhumane cruelcies seem so far from Repentance for their Evil doing that they rather Justifie themselves in what they have done and cease not to Smite and Wound and Reproach the Innocent and that before the King and that after they have martyred them Again These Petitioners say After all other means for a long time used in vain We were at last constrained for our own Safety say they to pass a Sentence of

commanded to preach no more in the Name of Jesus Did they at all obey it for fear of Man And when the three Children were commanded to bow to the Image did they do it for fear of Man Or if they had dyed for their disobedience of the Kings Commandment could it have been said That their Blood was upon their own heads and that they rushed themselves upon it and this is in part the like case that our Friends suffered under the Injustice of these Petitioners who would now cover themselves like men of guilty Consciences but the God of Heaven will let them know one day and the King may justly do it That the blood of our Brethren lyeth upon the heads of the Magistrates of New-England and they are guilty of their cruel death for they put them to death not for any evil-doing between man and man but for their obedience to God and for good Conscience sake towards him Again The Petitioners say The Quakers dyed not because of their other Crimes how capital soever but upon their superadded Presumptions and incorrigible Contempt of Authority breaking in upon us notwithstanding the Sentence of Banishment had they not been restrained there was too much cause to fear that we our selves should quickly have dyed or worse and they would not be restrained but by death Nay had they at last but promised to depart the Jurisdiction and not to return without leave from Authority we should have been glad to have said they should not dye In Answer to this it is considerable 1. What these other Capital Crimes were which the Sufferers were guilty of here is a secret Charge of Crimes without nomination and this is the part of Slanderers to accuse in general without particular proof but this is still to extenuate their own horrid fact of putting the Innocent to death and that the King may believe better of them than indeed he hath cause and the superadded Presumption and incorrigible Contempt of Authority What was it any more than that unjustly and without reason they commanded them to depart or if they did not they should be put to death when as no reason could possibly be rendred for such Law and Commandment but because they were called Quakers and were different in matters of Faith and Judgment concerning Spiritual things for as I have said no Sedition evil-dealing Drunkennesse Lying nor any of these things could be charged against them and therefore the Law and Commandment of Banishment was unjust and could not be actively obeyed by our Brethren but they returned again not in contempt of Lawful Authority but as they were moved and upon their occasions which was lawful and just in the sight of God and Men deporting themselves harmlesly towards all people and this is stiled Superadded Presumption and Incorrigible Contempt of Authority but they must needs put a Good Name upon their Bad Work and render the Innocent as high Offenders as excellency of speech can demonstrate 2. There can be no just cause rendred wherefore they should fear our Brethren except the Guiltiness of their own Consciences for as I have said they were never seen with any Sword or Staff amongst them nor any Carnal Weapon nor ever held Designs of Mischief and for them thus wickedly to suggest unto the King as if they would have killed them or worse this is back-biting and slandering in the highest degree and punishable by the Laws of God and Men and it 's true them whom they have killed are restrained but the Principles and Practices of the Quakers so called hath entred into New-England and passes thorow the Consciences of people without restraint and it 's a shame for themselves to mention how all the Pastors and the whole Church of Boston overcame three Innocent persons and what weapons they overcame them by not the weapons of the Spirit of God but the weapons of Cruelty and Hard-heartedness even as Cain overcame Abel and as the Jewes overcame Christ and so did the Church of New-England overcome our Brethren And this is all the confession they can make of Restraining our Friends that they cruelly put them to Death and thereby overcame them And it is not known to us that the Court at Boston hath such Absolute Power as that the free Subjects of England may not come and return again and again according to their lawfull occasions without leave from the Authority of Boston Court I say this seems to be usurped Authority rather than lawfully established upon them by CHARLES the First but it is apparent and the King knoweth it that in this case the Magistrates of Boston have taken too much upon them and proceeded further than they can justifie either before God or the King in Imprisoning Whipping cutting off Ears Banishing and putting to Death the good Subjects of England without either President Example or any Power derived from the Lawful Authority of England And we have cause to say They were so far from desiring to spare their lives as they would suggest to the King that they thirsted for their blood and nothing else could satisfie them but the extinguishment of their lives by shameful torture Again The Petitioners fawn and flatter in these words say they Let not the King hear Mens words your servants are true Men fearers of God and the King and not given to Change zealous of Government and Order We are not seditious to the Interest of Caesar c. In Answer to this many things are considerable 1. Why should the Petitioners seem to exhort the King Not to hear Mens Words Shall the Innocent be accused before him and not heard in their Lawful Defence Must not the King hear the Accused as well as the Accusers and in as much Justice I hope God hath given him more Nobility of Understanding than to receive or put in practice such Admonition and I desire it may be far from the King ever to condemn any Person or People upon the Accusation of others without full hearing of the Accused as well as their Enemies for it is Justice and Equity so to do and thereby shall his Judgment be the more just 2. They pretend to be Servants to the King and that they fear him and are not given to Change I shall not seem to intrude into the Matters to which I am a stranger but I leave this Case to the King to Consider what their former Actings and the Current of their Spirit hath been towards the King I shall only instance one Particular well known to me in a Letter to one Gurden dated at Boston and Subscribed by some of these Petitioners where they say There is more Danger in these Quakers as they call them to trouble and overcome England than in the King of Scots and all the Popish Princes in Germany these be the Petitioners own words whereby it is manifest what the current of their Spirit was against the King then though now they have changed their Tale and call

be present while it was doing though some much desired it 15. One of the Inhabitants of Salem who since is banished upon pain of Death had one half of his House and Land seized on while he was in Prison a month before he knew of it 16. At a General Court in Boston they made an Order That those who had not wherewithal to answer the Fines that were laid upon them for their Consciences should be sold for Bond-men and Bond-women to Barbados Virginia or any of the English Plantations 17. Eighteen of the People of God were at several times banished upon pain of Death six of them were their own Inhabitants two of which being very aged people and well known among their Neighbours to be of honest Conversations being Banished from their Houses and Families and put upon Travelling and other hardships soon ended their dayes whose Death we can do no lesse than charge upon the Rulers of Boston they being the occasion of it 18. Also three of the Servants of the Lord they put to Death all of them for obedience to the Truth in the Testimony of it against the wicked Rulers and Laws at Boston 19. And since they have banished four more upon pain of Death and twenty four of the Inhabitants of Salem were presented and more Fines called for and their Goods seized on to the value of Forty pounds for meeting together in the fear of God and some for refusing to swear These things O King from time to time have we patiently suffered and not for the transgression of any Just or Righteous Law either pertaining to the Worship of God or the Civil Government of England but simply and barely for our Consciences to God of which we can more at large give Thee or whom thou mayest order a full Account if Thou wilt let us have admission to Thee who are Banished upon pain of Death and have had our Ears cut who are some of us in England attending upon Thee both of the Causes of our Sufferings and the Manner of their disorderly and illegal Proceeding against us Who begun with Immodesty went on in Inhumanity and Cruelty and were not satisfied until they had the Blood of three of the Martyrs of JESUS Revenge for all which we do not seek but lay them before Thee considering Thou hast been well acquainted with Sufferings and so mayest the better consider them that suffer and mayest for the future restrain the Violence of these Rulers of New-England having Power in Thy hands they being but the Children of the Family of which Thou art Chief Ruler Who have in divers of their Proceedings forfeited their Patent as upon a strict Inquiry in many particulars will appear And this O King we are assured of that in time to come it will not repent Thee if by a Close Rebuke Thou stoppest the Bloody Proceedings of these Bloody Persecutors for in so doing Thou wilt engage the hearts of many honest People unto Thee both there and here and for such Works of Mercy the Blessing is obtained and shewing it is the way to prosper We are Witnesses of these things Who Besides long Imprisonments and many cruel Whippings Had our Ears cut John Rous John Copeland Besides many long Imprisonments divers cruel Whippings with the seizing on our Goods are Banished upon pain of Death and some of us do wait here in England and desire that we may have an Order to Return in Peace to our Families Samuel Shattock Josiah Southick Nicholas Phelps Joseph Nicholson Jane Nicholson Here follovveth a brief Relation of the Bloody Sentence of Death passed on Three of the Servants of the Lord by John Endicot viz. William Robinson Marmaduke Stevenson and Mary Dyar And also the Manner of their Execution at Boston in New-England VVIlliam Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson two Servants of the Lord called Quakers were imprisoned in Boston in New-England and at the beginning of the 7th Month 59. they were called before the Court of Assistance by whom they bo●h were Sentenced to be Banished upon pain of Death yet notwithstanding the Sentence aforesaid they made a Decree to have William Robinson whipt and Commanded the Constable to get an able man to do it which thing being accomplished they caused William Robinson to be brought into the open Street and there stript him and having put his Hands through the holes of a Carriage of a great Gun where the Goaler a Member of their Church held him till the Executioner gave him twenty stripes with a Three-fold Cord-whip with Knots at the ends which stripes were laid on in a violent manner according to the Desire of some of the Blood-thirsty Rulers who commanded him to be Whipt severely whereupon he together with his fellow-Sufferer M. S. were shortly after Released Yet it being laid upon them from the Lord not to depart that Jurisdiction they in obedience thereunto passed abroad and had great Service for the Lord within the Jurisdiction aforesaid many being by them convinced of the Evil of their wayes for the Power and Presence of the Lord of Life was with them to the confounding of their Enemies And upon the 13th of the 8th Month it being upon them so to do they Returned again to Boston where they with seven other Friends were Apprehended and cast all of them into Prison But William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson were delivered to the Custody of the Goaler to be kept in Chains in a Room by themselves which accordingly was done and they had Chains laid upon their Right Leggs But the next Week on the 20th of the 8th Month 1659 William Robinson Marmaduke Stevenson and Mary Dyar of Rhode Island were had into the Court where John Endicot with others of the Council were Assembled And being called to the Bar John Endicot Commanded the Keeper to pull off their Hats which accordingly was done Then John Endicot began to speak unto them very faintly as a man possessed with much fear in these words That they had made several Lawes an● tryed and endeavoured by several wayes to keep them i. e. the Quakers from amongst them and neither Whipping nor Imprisoning nor Cutting off Ears nor Banishing upon pain of Death would not keep them from amongst them And further said He or They desired not the Death of any of them Yet notwithstanding his following words were Give eare and hearken to your Sentence of Death which words as was said before passed from him very faintly Then William Robinson desired that he might give them an Accompt of the Cause and Reason why after Banishment upon pain of Death they stayed in their Jurisdiction But John Endicot being filled with fury would not permit it to be done but soon after in Envy called W. R. by his Name and said unto him Hearken to your Sentence of Death William Robinson this is your Sentence You shall be had back to the place from whence you came from thence to the place of Execution to be hanged on the Gallows till