Pounds for Fines imposed upon them because Dissenters from their way of Worship whose Priests and Rulers had also of their People yearly Sallarys according to the same Proportion of the aforesaid Sum of twenty thousand Pounds through which means as these Persecutors lived at a high rate on that which others had laboured hard to get went in thred-bare Coats and their Families in want of that which was their own and devoured by this persecuting Crew aforesaid whereby their great Oppression reached the whole People of the ordinary degree even as a sweeping Rain that clears all before it Balaam's State is theirs who for unrighteous Gain The People do Oppress themselves for to maintain new-New-England Persecutors Laws against the Kings Subjects Suspended during their pleasure This Court heretofore for some Reasons inducing did judge meet to suspend the Execution of the Laws against Quakers as such so far as they respect corporal Punishment 〈◊〉 Death during the Courts pleasure Obs That tho' these Persecutors saw there was cause to suspend their bloody Laws against the Kings good Subjects so far as they did respect corporal Punishment or Death yet it must be only during their own pleasure not the Kings no they could not stoop to that But whether they did not herein manifest a Spirit of Rebellion against God the Kings Order as by his Letter will appear and the Laws of the English Nation I leave others to judge Now the occasion of procuring this Order from the King was their great Cruelty in banishing sober honest People out of their Jurisdiction upon Pain of Death if they returned for as before is said of Dr. Child Samuell Maverick and other Merchants whose Imprisonment and three hundred Pounds a piece saved them from the New-England Gallows and none without the like hazard might make complaint to England but several banished Quakers adventured to lay their said suffering case before the King whose mercifu◠Ear heard their Cry and took Compassion on his suffering Subjects and forth-with stopt New-England Persecutors wicked hands from shedding more innocent Blood being acquainted with their great Wickedness and knowing the manner of their Spirits by what their Brother H. Peters Vennor other of their N. England Brethren had done both against his Father and himself as by his Letter he begins with them as afterwards it proved so to be as a wise man with the Tope Tile or covering of a fair outside Building whose inside is full of all manner of Deceit and the Foundation thereof very dangerous by degrees in working down-wards till he comes to the Foundation which afterwards was wholly removed through the loss of their Charter which to them had been as an Idol Godd in which they trusted as much as ever the People did in Baal and if ever Silver and Gold procure such another it may be at a high Rate and they are like to be as cruel as before But the English Laws are far before New-England Idols God will not ever permit the Devils Power Nor wicked Men the Righteous to devour A Copy of the King's Letter Charles R. TRusty and well beloved We greet you well Having been informed that several of Our Subjects amongst you called Quakers have been and are Imprisoned by you whereof some have been Executed and others in danger to undergo the like We have thought fit to signifie Our Pleasure in that behalf for the future and do hereby Require That if there be any of those People called Quakers amongst you now already condemned to suffer Death or are Imprisoned and obnoctious to the like Condemnation You are to forbear to proceed any further therein but that you forth-with send the said Persons whether condemned or imprisoned over into this our Kingdom of England together with their respective Crimes or Offences laid to their Charge to the end such course may be taken with them here as shall be agreeable to our Laws and their Demerits And for so doing these Our Letter shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge Given at our Court at White-hall the 9 th day of Septemb. 1661. in the 13 th Year of Our Reign Subscribed to Our trusty well-beloved John Endicot Esq and to all and every other Governours of Our Plantation of New-England and to all the Collonies thereunto belonging that now are or hereafter shall be and to all and every the Ministers and Officers of Our said Plantation and Collonies whatsoever within the Continent of New-England By His Majesty's Command W. Morris Obs Now these Persecutors had nothing to charge these Innocent People with but that they were Quakers against whom they had provided a Law but this Law was repugnant to the Laws of the English Nation and therefore upon the receipt of the Kings Letter they durst do no other than set at liberty both them condemned to suffer Death and those imprisoned also but herein they did not obey the Kings Command for he commanded them to send these Quakers so imprisoned or condemned over to England with the particular Crimes laid to their charge but this they would not do and good reason why they had to Crimes to lay to their Charge but that they were Quakers And being brought to this pinch instead of sending a Ship load of Quakers and a large Roll of their Crimes of Treason Rebellion Subversion of Government c. home to the King they send a Ship load of Masts for a Present to the King with a parcell of horrid Wicked Lyes against the Quakers to defray the charge of which Present the poor Inhabitants were severaly Rated After which their great Deceit and abominable Hypocrisie the King came to find out not only in doing as aforesaid but upon many other accounts too large here to relate and before I conclude enough against them will appear to manifest their great Wickedness against God the King and People Yet notwithstanding all this they could not long forbear their old work of Persecution but soon put their Law in execution again for the Kings Letter was dated 1661. and they revived their old Law again in 1662. which was done more in obedience to the Devil and to please their hireling Priests than in honour to God or respect to the King against whom they did rebell in so doing as appears by his Letter and their not sending any of the Quakers over into the Kingdom of England but instead thereof sent a Present with a parcell of Lyes too large here to relate and put their Law into Execution again and as sharp cruel and barbarous was the Execution respecting corporal punishment as formerly though the Towns were not to be so many in which they were to be whipt yet the Whip with three single hair twisted small Cords each being knotted fit for the Devil and Priests Work was the same as before the Kings Letter came and did so continue till near or about the time they lost their Idol viz. their old Charter on which was their dependance above
GOD or KING as is manifested by their Works Priests Rulers Masts for Ships Dâ—ceis and Lyes withall Poor People made to pay for Presents to White-hall New-England Persecutors Laws against the Kings good Subjects upon Complaint of the Priests put into Execution again NOW forasmuch as new Complaints are made to this Court of such Persons abounding especially in the Eastern parts endeavouring to draw away others to that wicked Opinion it is Ordered That the last Law Tit. Vagabond Quakers May 1661. be hence-forth in force in all respects provided their Whipping be but through three Towns and the Magistrate or Commissioner signing the Warrant shall appoint both the Towns and number of Stripes in each Town to be given 1662. Obs Here by comparing this their Date to their Law with the date of the Kings Letter how little regard they had to the Kings Mind and Will therein contained which was whether condemned to suffer Death or Imprisoned or to suffer corporal Punishment to forbear to proceed any further therein but forthwith to send the said Persons over into the Nation of England with the respective Crimes or Offences laid to their Charge to the end such course might be taken with them according to the Nature of the Offence as should be agreeable to the English Laws Which express command of the King was but a small time minded by them for upon their considering the cause some small time proposed to themselves that by virtue of their Idol Charter they had as much Power in new-New-England as the King had in Old-England and had they the like strength of Men and Shipping would no doubt with stand all Kings and Princes that should adventure to oppose their way now had not I my self heard some of them say these things durst not have charg'd it here upon them to publick view and for a further evidence of the same witness their Proclaiming with a Trumpet before them against the Kings Commissioners in Boston perswading the People as near as as they could That their Commissions were made under a Hedge with much 〈◊〉 of the like Nature too â—orge here toâ— relate Priests Rulerr bloody Work on People hath brought Wo With their consent that silent were to have it so They 'r Works of him that is of Hell ' Gainst God and King all such Rebell New-England Persecutors Law against the Kings Subjects Whereas it may be found amongst us that mens Thresholds are set up by Gods Thresholds and mens Posts by Gods Posts especially in open Meetings of the QVAKERS whose damnable Heresies and abominable Idolatries are hereby promoted imbraced ând practised to the Scandal of Religion hazard of Souls and provocation of divine Jealousie against this People For Prevention and Reformation whereof it is Ordered by this Court and the Authority thereof That every Person found at a Quakers Meeting shall be apprehended ex Officio by the Constable and by Warrant from a Magistrate or Commissioner shall be committed to the House of Correction and there to have the Discipline of the House applyed unto them and to be kept to work with Bread and Water for three days together and then to be released or else shall pay a fine of five Pounds in Money to the Country for every such Offence and all Constables neglecting their Duty in not faithfully executing this Order shall incur the Penalty of 5 l. upon conviction one third part whereof to the Informer Obs The Reader may here take Notice of one of these Persecutors many horrid and wicked Lyes so proved by their Contradiction who in their Preambles to their Laws accuse the Quakers with keeping their Meetings private yet at unawares in their Bridewell Law they charge the contrary and though they pretend the sin is great yet it may be bought off for five Pounds in Money as often as they please but the said Sum not being paid them by any one they were much enraged thereat finding their covetous design in making said Law disappointed because it reach no further than to punish them that were not free to pay 5 l. for being at a Quakers Meeting as aforesaid the Penalty of which Law several Merchants in Boston suffered rather than to disobey God by satisfying the lust of such covetous Priests and Rulers who prefer the love of Money before punishing for that which themselves account so great sins as by the Preamble of their Laws they pretend these above-mentioned to be Their bloody Laws are almost done Which Work the Priests at first begun New-England Persecutors Preamble to their Laws against provoking Evils as they call them Whereas the most wise holy God for these several years past hath not only warned us by his word but chastized us with his Rod inflicting upon us many general Judgments but we have neither heard the word nor rod as we ought to be effectually humbled for our sins to repent of them hence it is the righteous God hath hightened our Calamity and given Commission to the barbarous Heathen to rise up against us and become a smart Rod and severe Scourge to us in burning and depopulating several hopeful Plantations murdering many of our Inhabitants of all sorts and seeming as it were to cast us off and putting us to shame and not going forth with our Arms hereby speaking aloud to us to search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord our God from whom we have departed with great back-sliding Obs That to acknowledge the Truth is well and well would it be indeed if they were found acknowledging the whole Truth and to repent of shedding innocent Blood which is the great sin of New-England Priests and Rulers as also of the consenting Church Members thereof but of this there is no mention made in their Preamble-confession of words without Works of Truth and Righteousness to God and People according as is at large manifest by their afore-mentioned Laws the neglect of which Execution was by their Priests imputed to be the main cause of general Judgment to come upon them But they use to say If all the Quakers were hanged and all other Dissenters clear'd out of their Jurisdiction then would their Land enjoy Peace Unto which Work the Rulers were bewitched so far as the Devil was permitted to drive them who were as willing to run and to work they went against all Dissenters and set forth a Book against the Baptists entituled The Rise and Foundation of the cursed Sect of Annabaptists in which was as many Lyes as they use to gather for their Pulpit Work on the first Day against the Quakers which Lyes to hear also costs the People Money None are more blind than those that will not see The cause for which Gods general Judgments be New-England Persecutors Law against Provoking Evils as they call them 1. This Court apprehending there is too great a neglect of Discipline in the Churches and especially respecting those that are their Children through the non acknowledgment of them
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