THE CRUELTY OF THE MAGISTRATES OF Evesham in Worcester-Shire OR Some further particulars of their dealings and proceedings at the late Sessions and othertimes against those People whom scornfully they call QVAKERS With a Warning to the HEADS and RVLERS and all people of this Nation Written from Evesham the 15. day of the 8. Month 1655. LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his shop at the Black-spread-Eagle neer the west end of Pauls 1655. The Crueltie of the Magistrates of Evesham in Wercestershire UPon the nineth day of September so called we had a meeting about the tenth hour at the common Goal in Evesham there to wait upon the Lord and after some time Humphrey Smith having been in prison about three weeks before and being in the prison he was moved to speak to the Lord in prayer then the Goaler and some other Officers came into the Goal to Humphrey Smith and violently haled him away as he was speaking to the Lord in prayer and put him down into the dungeon our friends keeping stil together after some time Tho. Woodrove spake the word of the Lord to the people and having done the Constable came and inquired for him but because they knew him not he went away that time but before they departed another meeting was appointed the third hour in the afternoon and then the people being come together at the time appointed Humphrey Smith spake to his friends out of the Dungeon the word of the Lord and when the common Meeting at the Steeplehouse was ended our friend Thomas Woodrove was speaking to the people without the prison and many of those that had been at the steeplehouse stood and heard him speak who having done speaking was sought after and took away by a Constable without a Warrant and brought him before the Mayor and them called Justices and Thomas Mathew Priest and then he was committed to the common Goal for speaking the word of the Lord and Shomas Mathew Priest at his departure thanked the Mayor for his care and pains and on the morrow in the morning Robert Martin called Justice bid the Wardsmen if tâ—e people would not bee gone from the goal-hole he bid them knock them down and bid the men throw shuffles ful of dirt upon them in the dungeon and they set eight men with weapons four on each side the prison to keep away all friends for coming to or speaking with them they had imprisoned Humphrey being free to give books to some people of the Country there in town and the keeper did by violence take three books from them and tore them all so he sent for a parcel of books he had in town about sixty in number which was for the glory of God for the beating down of all sin written by George Fox Iames Naylor Richard Farnsworth and Iames Parnel these books they were taken from the messenger by the wardsmen and brought before the Iustices who afterwards burned them upon the Market-Cross before the people being the Fair-day see their malice to them having broke no Law Esa 59.54 Esa 8.13,14,15 Mic. 3.10,11 Mic. 7.2,3,4 Dan. 6.4 to the 16. Prov. 29 17. This was done notwithstanding that some of our friends did present the Mayor the first day in the morning with a paper that had above forty hands aâ— it declaring that they expected justice to be put in execution according to the late Proclamation which they denyed to post up though some friends posted it up and it was pulled down again they onely bear the names of Justices and do it not but their actions are secretly contrary to law justice and righteousness and they are those that call the proud happy yea by their means those that do wickedly are even set up and delivered and they lay snares for the righteous and make a prey of those that fear the Lord whose faces are now turned towards Zion likâ— their fore-fathers Luke 23.25 Act. 22.24,25 Act. 23.12,13 Act. 24.5,6,9 Act. 25.2,3,4 c. 1 Kings 18.17,18 Upon the 25 day of the 7 moneth called September George Kemp Mayor of Evesham sent for us prisoners and more of friends in the town and said I sent for you concerning a paper that you have put your hands to beeing A representation of the Government of Evesham Quest. Do you own this paper Answ Yea we do own it and shall prove it to be all truth He then began to question some particular things in it to insnare us but after we urged very much he granted the reading of it then he examined us that were there but all that were witness to the paper were not then in the town we bid him let us be called all together and we shal prove every thing therein then said he seeing it is of so high concernment and that you have appealed to the Protector you shall every one give security to answer it before the Protector Ans We have not appealed to the Protector for any redress but we have discharged our consciences in making manifest the corruption of them called Magistrates in this Town both to the Protector and to the whole Nation Quest Are you willing to answer it before him Ans If we be by you or the rest compelled we refuse not to go for we are more free to answer it before the Protector than here for there we expect some Justice but here is none I shall engage you all to appear at the Sessions and then you shall all give security to answer personally before Protector or else lye in Prison What is the reason you will not swear William Dewsberry can swear for in one of his books he saith in the presence of the Lord I own Magistrates Hum. Smith So far as that I can say for in the presence of the Lord I own Magistrates that are for the praise of them that do wel the punishing of the evil doers So he lets us that were Prisoners return to the Prison and the rest departed home Upon the 28. day of the Month called September Joshua Frensome and Iobn Knight was sent for before them called Justâ—…es Robert Martin and Samuel Garner and asked them if they owned the printed paper they said we own it and can prove it all to be true them called Iustices said it was a Lybell they answered they would prove it was no Lybell by those twenty that are subscribed in print to that paper which they questioned them about and also by forty more The Deputy-Recorder said whether it be true or false it is a Lybell because it is in disparagement to the Magistrates so them called Iustices sent them both to Prison At that time there was in the place one Thomas Milnard the Priests wife father who was a persecutor in the Bishops dayes he is one of them called Magistrates he accused our friends of selling their Bibles he mentioned one of Hampton who though he did sell a Bible hath two or three yet and the Scriptures