sin and evill which also doth appear by their envy and persecution which is of the Devill James Pottar Imprisoned without the breach of any law and fined at the following Assizes 5 l. because he could not transgresse the Law of God by respecting of persons to satisfie the lusts and corrupt wills of men in not putting off his hat when he was brought to the said Assizes of whom also is demanded 3 l. for fees who have been kept a close prisoner under these cruell oppressions 59 weeks and some dayes From them who are not onely ready to suffer bonds and long unjust imprisonments but also death it self if the Lord require it of us in testimony against all Deceivers and all manner of unrighteousnesse and oppressions and we are friends to the Common-wealth and to equity and true judgement having true love to the souls of all mankinde who for the testimony of a pure conscience are Prisoners by the corrupt wills of men in the Common Gaol and house of Correction at Winton At this last Sessions D. B. G. H. I. D. were committed to the House of Correction being prisoners before the which them set to do justice would not have done if they had not looked out more at the unrighteous hireling Priests vain customes and the glory of the world which shall all perish then to the light of Christ which endureth for ever in their consciences which did then much judge them for what they did against the servants of God and let them see their evill therein the which Light they are to love obey and follow From the servant of God in Prison to the Judge of the Assize at Winchester A Copie of a Paper to the Assizes THe righteous Judge of heaven and earth who respecteth not the persons of the mighty who tryeth the hearts of Kings who is the mighty God of Abraham Isaac Jacob and their seed who wandred up and down some having no certain dwelling place even he who seeth the secret intents of the hearts of the sons of men whose judgements are just and true who rewardeth the proud in his judgements and heareth the cry of the oppressed who will reprove Kings for the sake of the simple and forsaketh not his faithfull afflicted ones who by the man Christ Jesus will judge the secrets of all mens hearts according to his light in them whereby every man shall receive a just recompence of reward according to all their words and actions whether for or against him and his people Wherefore this O man thou art to know that true â—ight and sound judgement is to be by thee performed according to the righteous Law of God which is written in the heart that corrupt judgement cruelty persecution nor receiving of gifts nor entertaining false witness may not be found in thee nor in any of them that Joine with thee whether they are called Sheriffs Justices Jury men Clarks or any other but that according to the Law of God in his fear thou may perform that which the Lord God of hosts certainly will require of thee in the day when all the arme of flesh and honour of the world will not prevent the true everlasting judgments of the most high with fierce wrath and indignation upon all them who pervert true judgment and transgress the righteous Law of God written in the heart The which that thou may not do nor see done before thine eys when thou may prevent it and that thou may escape the wrath of the Almighty which will certainly come upon all who pervert judgment and that in the councell of God thou may come to stand in meeknesse and godly fear to judge for God not for man that his will by thee may be performed that when thou come to stand before the Throne of his eternal judgments thou may not be turned to the left hand with them that forget God and turn his Law behind their backs and oppress his servants and neither visit relieve nor set at liberty the members of Christ in Prison who in these your dayes are in most Prisons where thou come and in Prison have been sick and deprived of that liberty which Thieves and Murtherers have that thou may come to be joyned to Gods witness with it in thee to see rightly to understand the ground and cause of things of which thou art to judge Therefore art thou to be guided by the light in thee which comes from Christ who is the sure foundation and was before-transgression by which the transgression is seen and with it is to be judged which light in thee will let thee see the ground of all transgression by the same out of transgression thou art to be led and then to judge over that which is in the transgression that so those who dare not transgress the righteous law of God thou mayst be a praise unto and all such who reprove sin in the gate market places publick assemblies or els-where and that all who transgress the law of God with that of God in thy conscience thou may be a terrour unto executing true judgment upon that head wch goeth forth from the light into the transgression for that is it for which the Law is added which by the Law which is perfect is to be judged that out of the transgression man may be kept Therefore hear with meekness and in patience understand and consider my words for all the holy men of God who ruled for God and not for men were therein guided by that which is holy pure just and right whereby they were guided in his fear to execute his judgments only upon the transgressor according to the will of him by whom otherwise they themselves were to be judged and they were guided by that spirit in them which gave forth the Law and with that joyned to execute the Law upon them that did transgress the law of God with whom in so doing they were said to be a help-government and such were called Gods who bore not the sword in vain standing in the higher power to which their souls were subject to bring the transgressor in obedience thereunto but such who did not transgress the righteous law of God their souls were already subject to that higher power but when man who should rule for God stood not in his councel but went themselves into the transgression out of the power and judged for reward such the light in them was darkned that they could not see the transgressor but let him go free and punish the just as Pilate and many others did even in the dayes of the Prophets who then cryed out against them because they were become as ravening wolves and then of such it is written I said ye were gods but ye shall dye like men and fall as one of the Princes and because of wrong judgment and the want of true exercise in the perfect law of God have many fallen and been overturned even Kings Princes Parliaments Bishops
unto him and the she Goaler hath often said that it was because I should not preach that I was kept in Prison and truly I preach none other Saviour but Christ Jesus who saveth from sin and my words practises and sufferings are according to Scripture and so John Bulkley was so far from entertaining strangers Hebr. 13. 2. that he sought by force cruelty imprisonning and whipping to cause me and others to depart out of his coasts but I am near unto him and my witness is within his walls though not a swine or a dog of his by me did Perish whereby he is manifest to be far worse then the Gadereens who came and beseeched him to go out of their Coasts who is the Light and also to be of them who crucified him that preached repentance and John Bulkley keepeth the swine alive within his dwellings wallowing in uncleanes And seeing that he and them before named and others after mentioned have let the power of darkness so blind their minds and harden their hearts that they have not only lifted up their hands against the innocent but also continued their cruelty and let their hearts increase in hardness like Pharaoh whereby the Servants of God are still retained in cruel bondage and long inprisonment from one sessions to another and from one affizes to another and also kept from that liberty in the Prison and that Justice which wandring persons and thieves and many transgressors of several sorts have had who were committed to the same prison and house of correction since we and also released long before us and that not withstanding many complaints and even as it were cryes for Justice and Equity have been laid before them both in words and writings several times both in private and publick both at assize and sessions whereby many of them in the county that should do justice have been convinced with the Light in there consciences though they strive against it that our sufferings have been unjust and unreasonable and yet to keep up their own glory have not done justice in releasing them whom they knew were opprest because we could not be subject to their wills Wherefore let their glory which is to Perish be defaced and let their Names be recorded among the rest of the enemies of the Lamb and let the ages to come read them with the Light to be under the power of darkness they having been warned and left without excuse that both their Actions and our sufferings might the more plainly appear and that they and all others who are set to do justice might take heed of rashness in justice and envy or smiting with the fist of wickedness that they might come to know something meek lowly upright just and sober in them by it to be guided in the fear of the Lord to execute true justice and to do unto all men as they would be done unto Therefore are some few of their unjust actions and some Copies of our papers after written passing by much of what hath been already printed in a Book titled the true and everlasting Rule and citing some few things among many which may signify much of their injustice and cruelty the which that they and others may turn from and do that which is just and right let them feel Gods witness in them and read that which followeth South Haumpton A Copy of a Mittimus To the keepers of the common Goal for this County of Winton or to his Deputy I send you herewithall the bodies of Humphry Smith of Cowhorn in the County of Heriford Anthony Melledge of Lime in the County of Dorset and William Bayly of for that they have been charged before me with several misdemeanors by them committed at Poulnar in the Parish of Ringwood and for that they refused to finde sureties for their appearance at the next general Assizes so be held for this County and in the mean time to be of the good behaviour These are therefore to require you to receive them the said Humphry Smith Anthony Melledge and William Bayly into your custody them safely keep in your common Goal until they shall from thence be delivered by due course of Law and hereof faile you not Given under my hand and Seal the 27. day of February 1657. John Bulkley William Baylys answer to the Mittimus HEre the ground of our commitment to prison was founded upon a lye and so from that of the father of lyes in John Bulkley for at the present time there was many people who can yet witness that not one of them in the least did accuse or charge me of any evil in the least nor any one misdemeanor by me committed neither was â— at Poulnar at the time intended in the mittimus W. B. A Copy of a Letter to John Bulkley THis I say before thee in the presence of the Lord God who will plead the cause of the oppressed and in due time will clear my innocency before thy eyes and all the world and that witness of God the righteous Judge that is in thee will make thee know that I now suffer without cause and whether it be according to equity and righteous Judgement to commit a man to prison or cause him to suffer without transgressing any just and righteous Law I leave to that of God in thy Conscience to judge to take up a man who was going in a journey and in and about honest imployment in the sight of God and man but if thou art not caused by that of God in thy Conscience to free me of my outward bonds and innocent sufferings I am content to lay down my life for his sake who in due time will arise and clear my innocency in this my faithful suffering Called William Bayly John Bulkleys answer WIlliam Bayly I take no delight in your imprisonment but shall be ready to take your friend Harris or any fit persons security for your abode at home without wandering abroad as a Teacher to which you have no warrantable call but onely to follow your honest and Lawful occasions which you have a freedome to do touching your commitment your refusal to give a ready and free account of your place of abode accompanyed with termes of high disrespect and contempt to Authority brought you under commitment when others of your Company carrying themselves civilly were dismissed if you belong to God I trust in due time he will rescue you from the Spirit of error you lye under to which shall be contributed my prayers and Christian endevours Yours John Bulkley A Reply THou sayest I have a freedome to follow my Lawful occasions the which I was travelling about and had continued in if thou had not sent me to prison and called it wandering abrad and keept me in prison from my Lawfull occasions wch are abroad unless I will give security for my abode at home from whence I came but the day before to the Parish where I was born out of which Parish thou
sentest me to prison with others as a wanderer and now thou wouldest have me give security to stay at home and so to stay from the Parish in which I was born and I did give thee an account that I was born in that Parish and so thou canst not cover thy selfe with saying that I refused to give thee an accuâ—â— and then thou mentions termes of high disrespect brought me under commitment in the mittimus thou said it was for several misdemeanors done at Poulnar though both are false and then wherein art thou to be respected and then to cover thy own respecting of persons thou said others carrying themselves civilly were dismissed which others were John Fry and William Fry who may be men of hundreds a year who with us did not respect thy person though thou aidest respect theirs and said to John Fry thou would shew him all the civill respect as may be and then though thou say I lye under a spirit of error yet thou writ yours John Bulkley which if true then thou art his that is in error but being not true it turnes back upon thee and as for thy prayers I say as he did whose Eyes Christ opened to see beyond all the Hypocrites who cast out him who said we know that God heareth not sinners W. B. It may be observed that William Bayly was born in the Parish that John Bulkley dwelleth and sent him to prison from whereby his folly and madness to all men may appear and that he requires security of him to stay from that Parish where he was born and several people at the same time acquainted him that he was born there wherefore J. B. was ashamed to write the Parish name in the Mittimus but left it vvith a blank as may be seen And in the Mittimus mentions his commiting to be for several misdemeanors and in his next paper he saith it was for refusing to give a ready account of his place of abode with termes of high disrespect and at the assizes he said it was because he would not tell his name and the fourth time he said it was because he would not speak that he sent him to prison which was all far from Truth and if he did not speak how is it that he gave termes of high disrespect may not all people see the madness and folly of John Bulkley who was somewhat offended because it was tould him though not by William Bayly that he was a silly man when he began this blinde persecution with unfound words and actions the which if his words writings and unjust actions hath not already made manifest it may farther appear when his inside is farther discovered A Copy of a Letter to John Bulkley WHat canst thou have more then our lives having first deprived us of our right and liberty in the Nation and taken men up from their Lawful business which they were going upon for the maintenance of them and their families and send them to prison without the least ground of offence according to Law or any Law transgressed and in prison keep them until their bodies had suffered so much in a little time that thou thy selfe took notice that their bodies were altered and countenances changed and then thou promised to speak to the judge for them who did not seek it of thee but gave up their bodies as a living sacrifice then in stead of speaking to the Judge thou did vent forth what thou couldst against them that which was false to at the assize whereby now they who are incent are cast into Bridewel and lyable to whipping blowes nakedness lowsiness and the want of all necessaries and what ever may be inflicted upon our weak bodies by most unreasonable and ungodly men who before we were thus committed to their power did inflict so much upon us that we were sometimes hardly able to bear it as thy own man was something sensible of and the Light of Christ in thy own conscience will let thee see the same though we were not apt to complain but leave it to the Lord who will plead our cause and clear our innocency in the day of his power And this would I lay before thine eyes that thou may be left without excuse that William Bayly having had an ague long and not forth of the town he dwelt in a long time and now hardly able to go though with us about his Lawful occations since he came to prison taken much cold with what was before if he or either of us perish under thy cruelty will not his blood be required at thy hand in the day when the wo will come upon all them that offend the innocent Lambs of Jesus Christ and what is it now that thou seeks after but onely our lives or imprisonment until death being thou hast got an order to keep us in Bridewel until we promise to go or stay at home thou knowing from us that we cannot make that promise and if thou wouldest make mens own houses their Prisons by confining them thereunto and not go forth upon their occasions then should we lose that right and liberty which we long fought for Therefore consider thy actions and bring not innocent blood upon thy head for by the zealous professors did Christ suffer and sufferings is our portion but wo to them by whom the offence commeth for the Lord God of life and power will plead our cause and a witness we have for us in thy own Conscience which when thou art alone will plead our innocency and in secret reprove thee for having a hand against the members of Christ of the which we are who now suffer under thy will though not by the transgression of any Law of England in the which we are free born and known by the Names of H.S. A.M. W.B. A Copy of John Bulkleys Letter to the woman Goaler Mrs. Hobs. I Am informed that the three Quakers are often punished by whipping which though I suppose it done in obedience to the Judges last order whereof I am ignorant being then absent from the bench or else that you would not do it yet in regard of their weak and sickly condition as I am informed I desire you to forbear any farther corporal correction and to afford them convenient accommodation till the approaching sessions when perhaps they may satisfy the bench that they will return home and forbear rambling abroad this from your Friend John Bulkley March the 26. 1658 We having made it appear that we are no wanderers thy own hand writing will stand a witness against thy self and for the innocency of our suffering under thy corrupt will who having no evil to charge us with doest keep our weake bodies under affliction until we give security or promise to stay at home and we do not read of any such blind persecutors as thee in all the Scriptures and here all people may see the fruits of thy wickedness who hast caused the harmles Lambs
of Christ to be so afflicted being sick in prison and the hypocrite might well be affraid least we should be persecuted to death and our innocent blood come upon his head but though thy heart was somewhat judged at the time when thou write thy Letter to that uncleane beastly Woman thou calls Mrs. Hobsâ— yet soon after thy heart was hardned again like Pharaoh At the Sessions following John Bulkley sent his Clark to us to see if we would promise to goe home and so to release us if we could but onely have spoken some such words to satisfie their wills the which we durst not do And therefore being retained in Prison we writ to them concerning such a promise as followeth WE are not only free-born of England but we have also purchased our freedome in the Nation and the continuation thereof with many years hard service the losse of the lives of many hundreds the spoyling of much goods and the shedding of much blood in the late war by which at last the Lord overturned them who then sought to enslave our persons and infringe our liberty in the Nation in the which liberty now we do expect to worship God in spirit and in truth according to the Scriptures and to speak the word of the Lord as any one of his servants is moved by his spirit we also expect liberty to follow our employments which are honest in the fight of God and all men that fear his Name and the Magistrate to be a praise unto such and by the wholsome Lawes of the Nation us herein to defend England being as an English mans house or home and wherein any of us are deprived of these things we are deprived of our Rights and infringed of our Liberties in the Nation the which done and continued will be an evill example unto other Nations amongst whom also sometimes I had and have businesse I having been much at Sea for almost twenty years and have some occasions at and beyond Sea at this present and I have also severall lawfull occasions in divers parts of the Land about which I now travelling was taken up and sent to Prison and my horse lay at charge by me my goods which I had with me being sent up to London whether I should also go to make sale of it or passe my selfe with it and more over Sea some such businesse at Sea and Land being my present employment for the maintenance of my self and family all which I am now deprived of and kept in Bridewell because I cannot promise to go home and so leave my employment and businesse undone which is the way to ruinate men and their families And as for William Baily he was travelling but to South-hampton upon severall lawfull occasions but before he came there was taken up with me and brought to a Prison which is further off his home then he intended to go and in it kept from his home many weeks longer then he did intend to stay and there yet kept from his businesse because he cannot make a promise to go home and is not this the way to make us servants and slaves to mens wills And as for Humphrey Smith though his Wife came to the Sessions many miles from her habitation and brought two men and a horse for her Husband to ride away with her yet is he also kept in prison because he cannot promise to go home and which of you is it that can promise what to do on the morrow Therefore out of all these promises we stand in submission to the will of the Lord Knowing that they who will live godly must sufler persecution And seeing we have broke no Law nor intend any evill against any man or woman but abide in all watchfulnesse to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and man c. Anthony Mellidge This Paper being little regarded by them that are set to do Justice for they still kept us in prison because we durst not make a promise wch is more then they themselves can wel do if they stood in the feare of God as may appear by him who was called Justice Cobb who sate as Judge at the Sessions whose heart was then and there and afterwards hardned against us like Pharaoh refusing to let us go but suddenly in a moment not long after the Lord cut him off and then what promise could he himselfe perform Oh! that this might be a warning to all oppressing Rulers who are as grasse A Copie of another Paper You who are set to do Justice and to be Ministers of known Laws and are to relieve the oppressed and do that which is just in the sight of God and all men that feare his name and should be a terrour to such as do evill and a praise to such as do well which is according to that of God in all consciences THis we say unto you that since we have been taken from our Callings and Imployments and imprisoned and also caused to be kept in outward bonds by some of you we have seen such as have been accused of divers manners of Theft Witchcraft and Murther receive their sentence or punishment according to your Law or otherwise quit released and freed out of outward bonds And we have seen a man whom we have known to be an idle person and a drunkard and so a transgressor of the Law committed to the house of Correction for wandring or idleness and received his punishment and released Likewise a Tinker committed to the house of Correction received his punishment and released Also two men and a boy that came out of Ireland who appeared to be wanderers and suspective persons who said they had no money and were transgressors also of the Law by fighting if they were not Papists and these also as the other were committed since we and released in short time though we still kept prisoners And this also we say unto you that if we have broken or transgressed any Law or if any evill is or can be proved against us then our bodies are ready and we are willing to suffer the punishment according to the Law for any such offence if charged upon us that the Law being satisfied we might have our liberty again as others to travell about our lawfull occasions And this would we know of you First by what Law of God or man we are herein deprived of that right and liberty which Theeves Murtherers Witches Wanderers and other known transgressors have Secondly what Law you have to keep us in the house of Correction untill we engage or promise to go home If you have any such law let us know it that we might submit thereunto for we are ready to submit unto all your Laws either actively by obedience thereunto or passively by suffering under it for a testimony against that which is unjust but where there is no law there is no transgression Thirdly whether you do intend to keep our bodies in prison untill death unlesse
we purchase our liberty by speaking words of promising to go home seeing you hear already that we cannot make such promises knowing no law requiring us thereunto An answer to these things would we willingly receive in writing from some of you that both your ground and your end might from you be knovvn vvherefore vve are deprived of our right and liberty in the Nation and kept in long imprisonment At the Assizes vvhen the Judge vvas about to send us avvay a Justice so called spake to him that vve might be put in the house of Correction And the same day vvhen George and Christopher Darby vvere examined by the Judge the youngest of the Darbies could not then give a ready ansvver then one called a Justice bid him say that he vvas going into the Countrey to see friends and so joyned vvith a high-vvay Robber and before all the Court vvould have taught him to make lyes his refuge who was afterwards with his brother condemned for high way robbing but being reprieved since with others have much abused us and so they neither suffer according to your Law by which they were to dye neither yet do they suffer according to the righteous Law of God which is to restore four fold And moreover they and such as them have liberty to act even almost all manner of desperate wickednesse in the Prison night day by which our souls do suffer and such as these one called a Justice spake as for and we who fear the Lord another called a Justice spake as against whereby we were put into and kept in the house of Correction and so cause us to suffer beyond the extent of any law And is not this according to them who said and did release Barabbas and crucifie the Just Wherefore ye men minde the witnesse of God in all your consciences and come into his fear that you may love mercy do justly and walk humbly that the just in every one of you may have dominion and then the imprisoned members of Christ will not need to cry unto you for justice and equity Your answer to them you may return who certainly are the servants of God in outward bonds but the Darbies are since released Now let all peoples mouths be stopt for ever from saying we that are called Quakers are not subject to Authority nor obedient to the Law for if we for conscience sake cannot actually be obedient to an unjust Law yet if passively we willingly suffer the punishment which that Law saith is to be inflicted upon him that doth not keep it then therein is that Law also by us fulfilled and hath no more power over us who herein are obedient to Authority and submit to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake But our souls are subject to the higher power which rules over all them who are in the persecuting powers of darknesse who though they be set to be Ministers of a Law and acting without a Law contrary to the Law are found themselves transgressors of the Law being out of the feare and Law of God and out of the Law of the Nation And so they are far out and from that of which Authority consistech and indeed out of all power both of God and man in their own wills ruling with cruelty over others in the power of Darkness We having thus endeavoured by using all means which is just in the sight of God for our right and liberty and having remained close Prisoners many weekes without convenient place to worke though we were committed to the work-house we then endeavoured to get room and liberty to work with our hands and therefore one of us did write unto him by whom we were unjustly committed as followeth John Bulkley THou alone art the cause of my imprisonment almost these nine weeks in which I have almost suffered to the death of my body being also sicke when I was brought to prison among those in whose company wert thou but one night it would make thy flesh to tremble and grieve thy soul if thou feared God to hear see the filthy conversation of the wicked from day to day the like wickednesse I do believe was not found in Sodome nor in the old World whom God destroyed with an utter overthrow Oh! consider a little in the feare of the righteous God who is the righteous Judge of all mankind whether thou hast done unto me as thou wouldst be done unto who am a sufferer under thy hand of oppression for righteousnesse sake both in body and soule being grieved and vexed with the abominations that I daily hear and see and the injustice and unreasonableness of them by whom we suffer where also we are deprived of all outward liberty without cause which in the day of visitation the witnesse of God in thee for me shall witnesse and this action of thine against the innocent in that day will be as a milstone about thy neck and as a fiery flaming worm to eate thy flesh Yea and if thou proceed in the evill that is in thy hands and repent not speedily when thou wilt think peace to thy selfe then will thy sudden destruction come as in a moment from the Lord God who is a swift witnesse against all iniquity and unrighteousnesse of men without respect of persons Therefore once more consider and weigh thy actions in the just ballance even by the light of Christ in thy conscience which will let thee see by what measure thou metest it will be measured to thee again And this is right and according as God will judg and reward every man to which that of God in thy conscience do witnesse though for a time thou mayst strive to hide and vaile it for the honour of the worlds sake and the love of the praise of men but what will this avail or profit thee in the day wherein thou wilt be justly weighed and tryed then to be found by the Judge of all the Earth to be a persecutor of his people and anointed ones for whose sake he will rebuke Kings and will fight our battels and plead our cause in righteousnesse Therefore do we stand still in quietnesse to see his salvation and a freedome from the oppression of all wickednesse and wicked men under whom for a time the just do suffer I do not vvrite to thee as to complain to thee but am contented in my sufferings for my God heares the sighing of his prisoners neither do I expect any thing from thee but equity and justice of vvhich thou bearest the name but actest not in the lifethereof so in the day of try all vvilt be found among the hypocrites bearing the name of that thou neither art nor livest in I must deale plainly vvith thee though under thy povver I should suffer death this I can say I have no envy to thy person nor to any man upon the earth God is my vvitnesse neither dare I give flattering titles to any man for in so doing I should be
for him as they did for their King and he orders them dayes to fast and pray with and for him as their King did and this is their Protector who protecteth them by whom hundreds of us do suffer who fought with him against them their Bishops and their Kings but certainly the Lord God will turn both them and their prayers backward therefore let the Protector take heed how he set these treacherous changeable cursed Children 2 Pet. 2. 14. To pray for him or with him in his fasting dayes or otherwise for the same spirit in them which did pray for their Kings doth now pray for their Protector and the Lord is as much and more against them now then he was in the dayes of their Kings and all that joyn with them or upholds them for he changeth not though they do therefore I who was alway and am a friend to the just liberty of the Nation do desire all Magistrates to take heed of these Priests least they by their fallasies and flatteries exalt them in that which God is against until his wrath break forth against them all together for reasonable men may almost see that they are not like to stand long there is such a stir and a cry among them and so much praying and crying dayly for the upholding of their trade for such a noise there was with long and lowd Hypocritical Prayers a little before and at the very time that their Bishops and Kings were overturned for ever and the Priests or Prophets of Baal and the Prophets of the groves they were many of them and they also had dayes set apart to offer sacrifice and they prayed long and cryed aloud but none heard nor answered and this was a little before they also were destroyed forever But to return to this Priest Dingly in particular after the Servants of God a fore named bad been kickt beaten with a staff and fists of wickedness upon his fasting day and had caused them to be imprisoned by the help of Thomas Bowrman then from the prison did they write unto him who was so brutish like the Pastors before Jer. 10. 21. That he would not read the Letter nor open it but in a filthy fottish manner took a payer of tongs and held it to a Candle and burnt it saying he would try whether it were bewitched or the Devil in it but he himselfe is in the witchcraft not obeying the Truth as may easily be proved Gal 3. And envy which is of the Devil is found in himselfe the which Spirit of the Devil that guided him therein would also burn their bodies that sent it if he had but a Law and such a power as his fathers the Bishops had who burnt the Martyrs and he also then said the Devil is in you but people may see there is something of God in us guiding us in patience to undergo much sufferings and all manner of evil that is done or spoken against us for his names sake who is in us which to us turns for a testimony against the world that we are of God Luke 21. 12. 13. And it is because of the Spirit of Christ in us which testifies against the world that we are hated and that Spirit of Christ in us is that which Priest Dingly call eth a Devil saying the Devil is in you but it being Christ in us the hope of glory he is an open Blaspemer and a denyer of Christ that is come in the flesh and so he is an Antichrist Therefore all are to beware of hearkning to his Doctrine being found a Blaspemer though he may speak never so smooth words for he is not only full of envy but also of conveteousness for he claimed 3 l. or less for tythes of John Dayes who desired not his Ministery and then instead of less then 3 l. he caused four cows to be taken from him worth above 12 l. and so he is not only in filthy Lucre contrary to the Scripture whose mouth should be stopt but also unreasonable therein to demand 3 l. of a man that owed him nothing and then to have above four times so much as he ask't for taken from him Hosea might well number such as he amongst Robbers and Murtheres Hosea 6. 9. and this is not all neither for after he had caused these 4 cowes to be taken from him he also caused the man himselfe to be cast into prison because he came into his own Parish Steeple-house and spoke some words there and as for coming into the Steeple-house he had as much right as another man of their Parish and sometimes the Priests and Rulers would force friends to pay 2s 6d because they do not come to their parish steeple-house and when they do come they send them to prison for coming was ever the like wickedness practised by any Priests and Rulers before And in all these things Thomas Bowrman was a Servant to the corrupt coveteous will of this persecuting Priest for by his order also or warrant was John Dayes cowes taken away and he himselfe sent to prison where he is now committed to the house of correction And moreover R. D. did cause Winifred Newman to be imprisoned for speaking a few words in his Steeple-house after he had done and she was a servant to a Widow and the fatherlesse and from them the Priest caused her to be taken to prison and such as he Isaiah cryed against Isa 56. 10 11. for in his dayes also widowes became their prey and they robbed the fatherlesse Isa 10. 2. And what an unreasonable thing was this to rob the Fatherlesse and Widow of a servant who was daily serviceable unto them but now they commit iniquity by their Law but the Law of God is made for men-stealers 1 Tim. 1. 10. And T. B. sent her to Prison also and so consented with the Thief Psal 50. 18. and was in all these things a ready servant to this ungodly Priest whom at present I leave untill the hand of God overturn him and all the rest that they may leave their names for a hissing and a curse like the Bishops before them who were as loath to come down as the Priests are to follow after Here followeth something in short of the long unjust imprisonment of James Pottar being also a husbandman taken out of his hohonest employment by the means of the Priest of the Parish of Baghust whose name is Edward Bental I Who am clear in the fight of God of the breach of any law either of God or of the Nation by which I may justly suffer or of any evill intent or purpose against the person of any man or woman whatsoever but have and do desire to keepe a conscience void of offence towards God and man as the Lord of life whom I serve in my spirit knoweth yet was I by order from Richard Kingsmill and William Withar who are set to do justice in the County of Southampton taken out of my honest lawfull employments without
that by it you may be lead out of the world and out of all its wayes fashions customes and traditions which are evill up unto God to serve and worship him alone who is a jealous God and will not give his glory unto another who will bring down the mighty from their ungodly seats and will exalt the meeke and the lowly and all that are proud and do wickedly and all that persecute and make a prey upon the innocent shall be as the chaffe before an unquencheable fire And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and his haughtinesse laid low in this the day of his mighty power in which he is arising to shake terribly the earth to give unto mystery Babylon and all her Merchants that are trading with her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath and all who worship the Beast or his Image and are joyned together with him making war against the Lamb and his followers shall have their portion together in the Lake that burns for ever James Pottar Having thus let the cause appear of the committing of other friends under their own hands and having not been wanting before in sending writing unto the Rulers to lay their unjust retaining of us in bo nds before them thereby to attain our just liberty but being most like at present to be deprived thereof seeing that they commit more also unto Prison we willingly together gave up our bodies to suffer if it were untill death and onely sought to have the liberty to worke as before was mentioned therefore we writ as followeth and sent it to them called Justice Cobb and Justice Betsworth WE whose consciences are clear in the sight of the living God that we have not injured nor wronged any person neither broke the Law of God whose witness will abide in us for ever that we are this day in bonds for the testimony of a a good conscience under the cruel oppression of men of sin who have taken several of us out of our honest lawful employments and in prison kept us from our labours which we should labour in for the maintenance of our selves and families whose souls do abhor idleness neither dare we eat any mans bread for nought and by this unjust imprisonment have many of us suffered much because we could not proceed in our present occasions some of our families also wanting us much whose wives are left as Widows and children as the fatherless And seeing mens hearts continue so hard as to keep us so long in bonds from our businesse therefore we have endeavoured to have liberty to work with our hands in the Prison something whereof having been granted by order in writing from John Bulkley We being in all 7 persons kept always close prisoners and what abuses and hard-ships we have suffered we mention little herein who are not only deprived of our way of livelyhood and liberty in the Nation but also restrained from having that liberty which the rest of the servants of God have in most or in all Prisons in England which is of having liberty for one or more of us to go forth into the Town to buy food and to provide other necessaries for the rest and for want of this liberty we have often wanted water to drink and sometimes bread to eat and other things when some of us have been sick yet have we not troubled you with many complaints herein but in secret have we powred forth our souls with prayers and tears unto the Lord God of life who seeth all our wants and knoweth our innocency and in his due time can us deliver but if not to the Devill we cannot bow for our soules are subject to the higher power which preserved them that broke the decrees and commands of men which is more then is justly charged upon us Esther 3. 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Act. 4. 17 18. Now the thing which we write for is that which is just in the sight of God and but reasonable in the sight of any reasonable Minister of the Law which law they themselves say should be grounded upon reason which thing is we being six men and one woman that she the aforesaid woman whose name is Winifred Newman or any other of us may have liberty to go forth and buy bring in other needful things for the rest of us that so we may no more be put to the extreamity of want nor to the charge of hiring another to do that for us which we might well do our selves who have been at great charge already besides other losse and that she or another of us may also bring work in and out for us and such things as may be needfull for us to work with and upon And that she or either of us having this liberty granted shal be as a prisoner without the least intent of running away we shall all engage and promise so far as men fearing God can promise herein that which we chiefly intend is combing of Wool A speedy answer or order in writing herein is expected according to justice desired by the members of Christ in Prison house of Correction at Winchester whose names are Anthony Melledg William Baily Humphrey Smith James Pottar Daniel Baker George Henderson and Winifred Newman THis Paper was directed and sent to Justice Cobb and Justice Betsworth as they were called but was chiefly intended for Justice Cobb who was as Judge at the Sessions before who being without naturall affection denyed the members of Christ in prison this so reasonable a thing the which then I laid before the under-Sheriffe and read a Copie of the Paper to him he being then in the Prison who granted the thing to be but reasonable whereby it doth appeare that he and them that should do Justice were unreasonable in denying that which was reasonable and he said as the Justices did that it was not in his power then I asked him in whose power it was to grant this reasonable thing seeing both Justices Sherif and Goaler had denyed it then he referred me to one Browning but suddenly I was informed that he was a Papist and so I laid the unreasonableness of it upon him that we of whom some had been Captains and others long serviceable for liberty from under Popish Tyranny should be now deprived of all Justice and Equity and referred only to the the mercy of a Popish man Oh the cruelty and hard heartedness of the Sons of men who can read it without mourning no Transgressor in the prison but might be heard nor the cause of any thief so turned aside but the Lord of mercy was our refuge who is a present help in time of need and can never forget his Covenant nor for sake his afflicted who abide faithfull who in his mercy preserveth his Servants but overturneth his enemies for ever and be did visit for these things and began to avenge himselfe on his adversaries though his Lambs rejoyceth not