Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	condition_n	cruel_a	king_n	13	3	2.1041	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84839	The West answering to the North in the fierce and cruel persecution of the manifestation of the Son of God, as appears in the following short relation of the unheard of, and inhumane sufferings of Geo. Fox, Edw. Pyot, and William Salt at Lanceston in the county of Cornwall, and of Ben. Maynard, Iames Mires, Ios. Coale, Ia. Godfrey, Io. Ellice, and Anne Blacking, in the same gaole, town, and county. And of one and twenty men, and women taken up in the space of a few dayes on the high wayes of Devon, ... Also a sober reasoning in the law with Chief Justice Glynne concerning his proceedings ... And a legall arraignment for the indictment of the hat, ... And many other materiall and strange passages at their apprehensions and tryals ...	Fox, George, 1624-1691.	1657 (1657)	Wing F1988; Thomason E900_3; ESTC R202187	140,064	174

be taken away If the bound of the Law be broken upon a mans property on the same ground may it not be broken upon his person And by the same reason as it is broken on one man may it not be broken upon all sithence the liberty and property and the beings of all men under a Government is relative a Communion of Wealth as the members in the body but one guard to all and defence the Law one man cannot be injured therein but it redounds unto all Are not such things in order to the subversion and dissolution of Government Where there is no Law what is become of Government And of what value is the Law made when the Ministers thereof break it at pleasure upon mens properties liberties and persons Canst thou clear thy self of these things as to us To that of God in thy conscience whi●h is just do we speak Hast thou acted like a M nister the Chief Minister of the Law who hast taken away our Goods and yet detainest them without so much as going by lawfull Warrant grounded upon due information wh●ch in this our case thou couldest not have for none had perused ●hem whereof to give the information Shouldest thou exerc●se violence and force of Arms on Prisone●s Goods in their Prison-chamber instead of orderly and legally proceeding which thy place calls upon thee above any man to tender defend and maintain against the other and to preserve the Guard entire of every mans being liberty life and livelyhood Shouldest thou whose duty it is to punish the wrong doer do wrong thy self Who oughtest to see the Law be kept and observed break the Law and turn aside the due administration thereof Surely from thee considering thee as Chief Justice of England other ●hings were expected both by us and the People of this Nation And Friend when we were brought before thee and stood upon our Legal Issue and no Accuser or Accusation came in against us as to what we had been wrongfully imprisoned and in Prison detained for the sp●ce of nine weeks shouldst not thou have caused us to have been acquitted by Proclamation Saith not the Law so Oughtest not thou to have examined the cause of our commitment and there not appearing a lawfull cause oughtest not thou to have discharged us Is it not the substance of thy office and duty to do justice according to the Law and C●st●me of England Is not this the end of the administration of the Law and of the General Assizes of the Goal deliveries of the Judges going the Circuits Hast not thou by doing otherwise acted contrary to all these and to Magna Charta cap. 29. which saith We shall sell to no man we shall deny or deferr to no man either Justice or Right Hast not thou both deferred and denyed us who had been so long oppressed this Justice and Right And when of thee Justice we demanded saidst thou not If we would be uncovered thou wouldst hear us and do us Justice We shall sell to no man we shall deny or deferr to no m●n either Justice or Right saith Magna Charta as aforesaid We have commanded all our Justices that they shall from henceforth do EVEN Law and execution of Right to all our Sub ects rich and poor without having regard to any mans per on and without letting to do Right for any Letters or Commandments which may come to them from Us or from any other or by any other cause c. upon pain to be at our Will Body and Lands and Goods to do thereof as shall please us in case they do contrary saith S●at 20 Ed. 3. cap. 1. Ye shall swear that ye shall do EVEN Law and execution of Right to all rich and p●or without having regard to any person and that you deny to no man common Right by the Kings Letters nor none other mans nor for NONE other cause And in case any Letters come to you contrary to the Law that you do nothing by such Letters but certifie the King thereof and go forth to do the Law notwithstanding those Letters And in case ye he from henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the Kings will of Lands Body and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him saith the Oath appointed by all the Judges 18. E● 3. Stat. 3. But none of these nor none other Law hath such an expression or condition in it as this viz. Provided If he will put off his Hat to ye or be uncovered Nor doth the Law of God so say or that your persons be respected but the contrary From whence then comes this new Law If ye will be uncovered I will hear ye and do ●e Justice this hearing complaint of wrong this doing of Justice upon condition Wherein lyes the equity and reasonableness of that When were those Fundamental Laws repealed which were the issue of much Blood and War which to uphold cost the Miseries and Blood of the late Wars that we shall now be heard as to Right and have Justice done us but upon condition and such a trifling one as the putting off the Hat Doth thy saying so who art commanded as aforesaid repeal them and make them of none effect and all the Miserie 's undergone and the blood shed for them of old and of late years Whether it be so or no indeed and to the Nation thou hast made it so to us Whom thou hast denyed the justice of our Liberty when we were before thee and no Accuser or Accusation came in against us and the hearing of the wrong done to us who were innocent and the doing us Right and Bonds hast thou cast and continued upon us to this day under an unreasonable and cruel Jaylor for not performing that thy condition for conscience sake But thinkest thou that this thine own Conditional Justice maketh voyd the Law or can it do so or absolve thee before God or Man or acquit thee of the penalty mentioned in the Laws aforesaid unto which hast thou not sworn and consented Viz. And in case ye be from henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the Kings will of Body Lands and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him And is not thy saying If ye will be uncovered or put off your Hats I will hear ye and do ye justice And because we would not put them off for conscience sake the denying of us justice who had so unjustly suffered and hearing of us as to wrong a default in thee against the very essence of those Laws yea an overthrow thereof for which things sake being of the highest importance to the beings of men so just so equal so necessary those Laws were made and all the provisions therein to make a default in any one point of which provisions exposeth to the said penalty Dost not thou by this time see where thou art Art thou sure thou shalt never be made

the Administration of the Law ought not accusations to be by way of Indictment wherein the offence is to be charged and the Law expressed against which it is Can there be an Issue without an Indictment or can an Indictment be found before proof be made of the offence charged therein And hast not thou herein gone contrary to the Law and the Administration thereof and thy dutie as a Judge What just cause of offence gave G. F. to thee when upon thy producing of a paper concerning swearing sent by him as thou said'st to the grand Jurors and requiring him to say whether it was his hand-writing He answered read it up before the Country and when he heard it read if it were his he would own it Is it not equall and according to Law that what a man is charged with before the Countrie should be read in his and the hearing of the Country When a paper is delivered out of a mans hand Alterations may be made in it to his prejudice which on a sudain looking over it may not presently be discerned But hearing it read up may be better understood whether any such alterations have been made therein Couldst thou in justice have expected or required him otherwise to do considering also how he was not unsensible how much he had suffered already being innocent and what endeavours there were used to cause him further to suffer Was not what he said as aforesaid a plain and single answer and sufficient in the Law though as hath been demonstrated contrary to the Law thou didst act and thy Office in being his accuser therein and producing the paper against him And in his liberty it was whether he would have made thee any answer at all to what thou didst exhibite or demand out of the due course of the Law for to the Law answer is to be made not to thy will Wherefore then wast thou so filled with rage and fury upon that his Reply Calmly and in the fear of the Lord consider Wherefore didst thou revile him particularly with the reproachfull names of Jugler and Prevaricator wherein did he juggle wherein did he prevaricate Wherefore didst thou use such threatning language and such menacings to him and us saying thou wouldst firk us with such like Doth not the Law forbid reviling and rage and fury and threatning and menacing of Prisoners soberly mind Is this to act like a Judge or a Man Is not this transgression Is not the sword of the Magistrate of God to pass upon this as evill doing which the Righteous Law condemns and the higher power is against which judgeth for God Take heed what ye do for ye judgo not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you Take heed and do it for there is no iniquitie with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts said Jehosaphat to the Judges of Judah Pride and Fury and Passion and Rage and Reviling and Threatning is not the Lords It and the principle out of which it springs is for judgement and must come under the sword of the Magistrate of God and is of an evill savour especially such an expression as to threaten to firk us Is not such a saying more becoming a Pedant or School Master with his rod or ferula in his hand than thee who art the Chief Justice of the Nation who sits in the highest seat of judgement who oughtest to give a good example and so to judge as others may hear and fear weigh it soberly and consider Doth not threatning language demonstrate an unequalitie and partialitie in him who sits as a Judge Is it not a deterring of a Prisoner from standing to and pleading the innocencie of his cause Provides not the Law against it saith it not that Irons and all other Bonds shall be taken from the Prisonor that he may plead without amazement and with such freedome of spirit as if he were not a Prisoner But when he who is to judge according to the Law shall before-hand threaten and menace the Prisoner contrary to the Law how can the mind of the Prisoner be free to plead his innocency before him or expect equall judgement who before he hears him threatens what he will do to him Is not this the case between thee and us Is not this the measure we have received at thy hands Hast thou herein dealt according to Law or thy duty or as thou wouldst be done unto Let that of God in thy conscience judge And didst not thou say there was a law for putting off the Hat and that thou wouldst shew a law and didst not thou often so express thy self But didst thou produce any law or shew where that law might be found or any judiciall president or in what Kings Reign when we desired it so often of thee having never heard of or known any such law by which thou didst judge us Was not what we demanded of thee reasonable and just Was that a savory answer and a●cording to law which thou gavest us viz. I am not to carry the law books at my back up and down the Country I ●m not to instruct ye Was ever such an expression heard before these days to come out of a Judges mouth Is he not to be of Counsell in the law for the Prisoner and to instruct him therein Is it not for this cause that the Prisoner in many cases is not at all allowed Counsell by the law In all Courts of justice in this Nation hath it not been known so to have been and to the Prisoner hath not this been often declared when he hath demanded Counsell alledging his ignorance in the law by reason of which his cause might miscarry though it were righteou● viz. the Court is of Counsell for you Ought not he that judgeth in the law to be expert in the law Couldst thou not tell by what act of Parliament it was made or by what judiciall President or in what Kings reign or when it was adjudged so by the common law which are all the grounds the law of England hath had there been such a law though the words of the law thou couldst not remember Surely to informe the Prisoner when he desires it especially as to a law which was never heard of by which he proceeds to judge him that he may know what law it is by which he is to be judged becomes him who judgeth for God for so the law was read to the Jevvs hy which they were to be judged yea every Saboath day this vvas the Commandement of the Lord But to say instead thereof I am not to carry the lavv books at my back up and down the Country I am not to instruct ye To say there is a lavv and to say thou wilt shew it and yet not to shew it nor tell where it is to be found consider whether it be consistent with savouriness or truth or

of God and cry out upon such as Blasphemers that say as Luke said of it who wrote it it is a declaration And they say that all Scripture given by inspiration of God holy men of God speaking not from the Letter for one Prophet prophesied not what he saw in writing of the Prophesy of another nor did John what he saw written in the Prophets but as they were moved of the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.2.1 Nor spake the Apostles but as the spirit gave them utterance Acts 2.8 And is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God not the man of sin and we say man can never be free from sin while he lives and he that is not free from sin is not free from the man of sin and the man of sin is not the man of God for whom the Scripture is profitable may be perfect and we deny perfection as a damnable doctrine and throughly furnished unto all good works as Paul affirms to Timothy 2 epist 3.16 17. Who by venting and broaching many of such Heresies and Blasphemies and scat●ering Books and Papers of these things which we call seditious do undermine with that which is perfect the Fundamentals of our Rel●gion these great truths which have been so long professed amongst us and cause many people which being weak have been deluded by us to see their delusions and to fall from us notwithstanding the clear Sun-shine of this our Gospel amongst them to the great dishonour of Almighty God whose name hath been taken in our mouths the disturbance of the peace of the Common-wealth which we have often set into Wars and Blood thereabouts to the sadning of every good and honest heart and the grief of all pious and religious people who observe what pitifull Fundamentals our Religion hath which can be thus undermined when as the Kingdome the Apostles and Saints received could not be moved Heb. 12.28 And the Rock on which their faith was built the gates of Hell could not prevail against said Christ Matth. 16.18 Nor the storms nor the winds nor the rain to make that house to fall that is built thereupon Matth. 7.25 And the things that are shaken are to be removed as of things that are made for this word Yet once more I shake not the Earth onely but also Heaven so signifies that those things which cannot be shaken may remain saith the Author to the Hebrews chap. 12.26 27. And they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal 125.1 And how dark our Gospel is that notwithstanding the clear sun-shine thereof the wicked man hath sown such tares as these which are grown up exceedingly especially that all this should be done by a people wandring up and down the Countrey whom we and the World which make up what we call our Churches do scorn set at nought and reproach with the weak and contemptible name of Quakers and do account and number them as Christ Jesus their example in sufferings with Transgressours sturdy Rogues Beggars and wandring idle persons Therefore it is high time for ye who are the Magistrates and the Authority of this County of which we are the Ministers who are in this condition to appear and do your parts for the supporting of these great Truths these Fundamentals of our Religion which have been so long professed amongst us which are so undermined by a wandring trembling people which cry up perfection amongst us of this our Gospel whose clear sun-shine is thus dark and so far from being able to commend it self● to that of God in every mans conscience or to defend it self or us that it needs your carnal weapons which were not the Apostles for theirs were spiritual not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 And Ezra was ashamed to require of the King a Band of Souldiers and Horsemen to help them against the Enemy in the way because he had spoken unto the King saying The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Ezra 8.22 For the preventing of that which makes ours appear so yea to be even the great contagion that hath infected almost every corner of this Nation and strikes at the feet of our Images which are but Iron mixed with Clay and not onely make your Law to the purpose aforesaid but send your Orders abroad to the chief Constables and petty Constables in every division earnestly requesting them as they tender the foundation aforesaid of all our hopes of being saved by our Religion now undermined and the peace of the strong man whose armour now begins to be taken from him and his goods to be spoyled to do their utmost to see them put in execution that so your dead orders may prove the destruction of the living truth of God which appears in contemptible Creatures to destroy our undermineable Religion and dark Gospel and shaken Fundamentals and tottering great Truths and all the designs of Satan of us his Instruments to support them whose Ministers that we may in all things appear in our generation the same with our predecessours in the former we advise you to put them in the front and reer in the wild beasts skins of disaffected to the Government and disturbers of the peace of the Common-wealth and fill the belly with blasphemy and heresy and so throw them to the unreasonable Multitude to be devoured for so did the chief Priests Scribes and Elders our Predecessours and the whole multitude of them by Jesus to Pilate when they desired him to crucifie him We have taken this fellow said they as we say now of those who witness him perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar saying that he himself is Christ a King Luke 23.1 2. And so did the Jews which believed not but were moved with envy who took unto themselves certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City in an uproar and ass●ulted the house of Jason and drew him and the brethren before the Rulers saying These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these do all contrary to the decrees of Cesar saying there is another King one Jesus Acts 17.5 6 7. And thus said Tertullus the high Priests and Elders Orator against Paul to Felix the Governour We have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world Acts 24.1 2 5. And whether this be not the plain English of the language of the order of Sessions and the Letter sent therewith to the Constables in every division hereafter to be mentioned at the instigation and instruction of the Priests and whether it be not the naked truth of the things contained in those Papers and their

that were created there was not any thing made that was made but what was made by him to him by him who is the power of God who doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Now our friends being come to this light which comes from Christ and received power from him by whom all things were created who hath all power both in Heaven and Earth given to him who is the wisedome of God we having received wisedome and power from him that with which the Lord doth give us to know how to use and order the creatures to the glory of him who is the creator of all things so our friends are here taught of the Lord to be diligent serving him who comes into the life that the Scriptures were given forth from and of this we in all your consciences have a witness so if thou open the prison door we shall not stay there if thou send a free liberate we shall not stay in prison if thou will set us free for Israel is to go out free whose freedome is purchased by the power of God and the blood of Jesus but going out of the power of God he looseth his freedome Geo Fox and the rest who are sufferers for the truths sake in Lanceston Goale To these their answers the prisoners heard nothing till the next morning by Capt Braddon who sending for some of them a litle after Generall Disborow was departed the town signified if they would engage as aforesaid and pay Fees they might have a let passe to depart to their homes but thereunto they could not consent and so returned to prison The same proposition of liberty upon engaging to goe to their severall homes if the Lord permit was sent to the prisoners at Exon in answer whereunto they wrote Generall Disborow as followeth We came into these parts standing in the will and councell of the Lord and it is our freedom where ever we are to stand in that councell and if thou dost set us at liberty in the outward which ought to be done we stand in the Councell of our God if he lead us to our outward habitations we are free to go but if the Lord move any of us else where we dare not to be disobedient for he is a consuming fire to those that are rebellious and we standing in the will and councell of the Lord must follow the Lamb whether he goes And the prisoners of Lanceston signified in writing to Coll Bennet the unresonableness of demanding of them to take a pass upon necessity when no such thing is required of those who have been charged with murder and fellony or any such thing found to be laid upon the Apostles in their travellings to preach Jesus Christ nor ought any such thing to be exacted of the Innocent for whom the Law is not made but for the transgressor and also of paying Fees who had been so long detayned in prison without being convicted of the breach of any Law of the Nation who indeed no Law had transgressed especialy to such a goaler under whom they had so suffered as aforesaid as they had given in their answer to the proposition of liberty upon engaging to go to their respective homes if the Lord permit But litle heard they in answer thereunto till the 29. of the 6. month at which time Collonel Bennet came to the town and sent for Edward Pyott and William Salt and reasoned with them concerning the proposition and let pass but obtaining nothing from them therein but according to what they had wrote unto which they stood unalterable and that if they lay there seven years at the end thereof they should find them the same men he friendly parted from them and some time after he and Capt. Braddon sent for Edward Pyot and William Salt and freed them and the rest of the prisoners without condition of going to their homes or let pass or any other thing whatsoever saying that they would not press them to any engagement which might be any offence to that of God in their conscience Notwithstanding the goaler though he was present when the Justices thus freed the prisoners without consideration of Fees or otherwise for Fees they had in their papers denied to pay did not set them at liberty and being demanded by them the reason he said they were free by the Justices order but he detayned them for their Fees and so now they became the Goalers prisoners as they had been before P. Ceelies and the chief Justice Glyn's who herein acted contrary to the Protectors Government notstithstanding they put it under his name and authority Of this they sent Collonel Bennet information but nothing in answer they received from him till the 8. of the 7. month the next morning after which being the 9. of the 7. month he came to Lanceston and set them at liberty freely without any condition whatsoever And so as innocently they came out of prison as innocently they were put in After they were thus set at liberty free from any obligation as they were cast into prison free of any offence and during the time of their being detayned there free of any crime proved against them William Salt one of the late aforesaid prisoners went to Peter Ceelie and desired of him to restore the papers and the Book against Popery called by him scandalous which he took from them when he apprehended them seeing nothing contayned in them as the transgression of any Law was proved against them P. Ceely answered he had delivered them to Generall Disborow and afterwards said to Edw. Pyot he had delivered them to the Judge see whether any truth be in this man or any credit to be given to what he said and gave W. Salt high language and said he would know where he had been and whether he came thither without a pass The next day being the first day of the week as W. Salt was walking alone waiting on the Lord P. Ceely and Michael Vivian met him as they were passing to the high place to worship in the Parrish called Guithion and these very much urged him to come to their assembly which P. Ceelie called the Communion of Saints urging it again and again and asked him why he would walk there in the field and not come to their meeting place saying he might come and hear and then judge he replyed he stood not in their wills but if it were the will of the Lord to have him come thither he should do it And afterwards being moved of the Lord he went and when the Priest one Tregosse a youth one of P. Ceelies sisters sons as is said had done reading his notes papers and other services shaking his gold ring on his finger and his broad cuffes on his hands like a lad acting in a stage-play W. Salt said he came not there to disturbe them but seeing they had done speaking he had a few words to speak unto them whereupon P. Ceelie who

that concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence no man forbidding him And we do not reade that liberty of conscience was one of the Fundamentals of the Roman Government or that they had made provision by a Law for all that professed faith in God by Jesus Christ to be protected though they were different from the doctrine discipline and worship as was then in being and not to be compelled thereunto but won by sound doctrine and the example of a good conversation as the Government of this Nation hath provided as in the 36. and 37. Articles of the Instrument of Government Neither do we reade that liberty of conscience was held forth by them to be a natural right that every man might claim Yet they that did not make this provision suffered the thing for all that would come unto Paul he spake boldly the things concerning the Kingdome of God and the Lord Jesus Christ no man forbidding him which was far from sending men to abuse him or make a sport of him or asking people that came to visit him whence they were or what they would have there or why they did not get them about their business or why come they there to be seduced as was done to us the last night who are Prisoners for the eternal truth as Paul was and stand witnesses for the Lord in our measures as he did yet we in our own Nation being Prisoners who were causelesly cast into Prison without the transgression of any Law and here to be brought in order to our trial to hear what any man hath to accuse us of and in the face of the Authority of this Countie even while you were sitting as we understand to have three men come into our chamber to disturb us under a pretence to search for papers asking where the seditious papers were and charging us of sedition and blasphemy and having designs and having a plot in hand calling us Jesuits using other reproachfull words and when we asked for their Warrant or by what authority they came in to disturb us one of them named James Sparnell put his hand on his sword and said that was his Warrant another of them was Keale a Trooper under P. Ceely who formerly falsly accused W. Salt unto him and the third was one Davis an Exciseman who it seems came along with them to make sport pointing at one and asking whether he was not brought up at the Vniversity clapping Sparnell on the shoulder setting him on to look after papers whom we asked whether he came to make sport who said yes and stood mocking us saying yea yea And being unsatisfied seeing their disorder we pressed to know their authority and they told us at length that Major Ceely had sent them So all may see here what the sound doctrine is and the example of a good conversation that Peter Ceely hath to win others to be of his Religion and what are the weapons he useth to defend his Religion Now Friends you who are in place to ease the heavy burthens and to take off every yoke and to let the oppressed go free and to restrain the rage of them who smite with the fist of wickedness We lay these things upon you for you to do us justice that we may not be made a prey upon by men in their wills and that the cause for which we are kept in restraint and for which we at present suffer thus may come to a hearing according to the right and liberty of Englishmen which is after your own Law and not for any one man to be the Accuser Judge and Condemner all at once contrary to Law From them who are now Prisoners for the Truth that stand Witnesses for the righteous God against all deceit ungodliness and unrighteousness of man whatsoever W. Salt Joseph Coale On that day being the last day of their Sessions were they called into the Court Colonel Bennet sitting Judge who sent his man to the Goaler as they were coming into the Court to bid the Goaler take off their hats Being brought before the Bench no Accuser came against them nor Accusation nor was any thing found against them nor did P. Ceely their Persecutor who had imprisoned them appear being as was said on his departure out of Town Nevertheless Colonel Bennet caused their Warrants of Commitment to be read and sought to pick what he could out of them against the Prisoners who called for their Accusers but none appeared and asked W. Salt what he had to say to this and what he had to say to the other thing contained in the Warrant He told him he denyed it all and that there was not one true thing in it Which was so manifest that even Justice Lance confessed openly in the Court when he had heard that their service was over at the Steeple-house before W. Salt spake and that W. Salt was invited into the Congregation that he did believe he had no intention to disturb them The Prisoners after all that was or could be said against them appearing innocent men having neither Accuser produced against them nor any thing mentioned in the Warrants of their commitment made to stick on them or any other transgression of the Law might well have expected to have been set at liberty as is the Law especially Colonel Bennet being Judge of the Court who had dis-owned their former sufferings and seemed very sensible thereof and endeavoured to make General Disborow the same and had appeared in the behalf of their liberty by whose hand and Captain Braddons they with the rest of them their fellow-prisoners were enlarged without promise or engagement let pass or fees or any other condition whatsoever who had appeared so much for the liberties of the Nation throughout the Wars and been in Arms for it who pretended so much to liberty of Conscience and professed that which for it had suffered persecution who pretended an expectation and belief of Christs sudden coming on earth to sit on the Throne of Judgement executing justice and doing righteousness But contrariwise he was the man who seeing their innocency and knowing that for very envy they were cast into bonds and delivered to him nevertheless said That for satisfaction of the Countrey and because the times were dangerous they must do their duty and so proposed to them a question which unless they would answer yea or nay to he who had known the passages aforesaid of the proposition of liberty if they would promise to go to their homes if the Lord permit and the answers thereunto and the papers sent particularly to him thereabouts and his reasoning with them concerning it and their opening to him the ground of their not so doing and how that in conscience they could not do it and if they kept them seven years the same men they should finde them at the end thereof and after all freeing them saying God forbid they should press them to any thing which was against their conscience as