reported that I refused to tell my Name at the Meeting here is a Testimony under the Hands of these Honest Friends that were there present FOrasmuch as there hath gone various Reports relating to a meeting appointed by Samuel Cater together with the knowledge and consent of Francis Bugg and others of us the People called Quakers held at Lakenheath in the County of Suffolk at the House of one George Freind in or about the Year 1675 which Report goes abroad as if some Person or Persons who came to that meeting with an intent to give Information against the said People then and there met as did afterwards appear did demand of S. C. to tell his Name and that the said S. C. did not declare his Name when so demanded This is therefore to certifie all into whose Hands this may come for the preventing such false Reports to pass for true as much as in us lies as also to clear S. C. of the above recited charge against him We whose Names are hereunto subscribed being Eye and Ear Witnesses to what past at the Meeting do testifie that no Person in the aforesaid Meeting did ask S. C. hi◠Name but one did ask another Man in the aforesaid Meeting what the Speakers Name was And he said he did not know and a Woman Friend answered his Name was written in the Book of Life where he could not read then it was asked F. Bugg what is your Speakers Name and F. B. answered in the hearing of the Officers and Informers HIS NAME IS SAMUEL CATER then those that came in as aforesaid went out and came into the Meeting no more leaving S. C. declaring the Truth as he was before they came and so continued the time they were there and also a considerable time after they were gone after which he concluded the Meeting and we departed in peace having good unity with S. C. being sensible he was enabled by the Power of God to declare his Truth with an undaunted Spirit in the Face of its Enemies Witness our Hands this 9th Month 1682. William Handship William Swaits Iohn Mason Iames Burges Robert Hibble Iohn Burges George Freind Katherine Handslip Frances Fincham Mary Hogans Henry Hogans Now after this it appears that the Priests with some others that came with them to the Meeting Informed against the meeting to the Magistrates who Convicted the meeting and fined F. B. as he sayes himself Fifteen Pound for me as a Speaker whose Name and Habitation was not known whenas F. B. had told them my Name and I have cause to believe that the Priests and they which Informed against the meeting were not without Knowledge of the Place of my Habitations if F. B. did not tell them that also the Town where I dwell being but about 10 or 12 computed miles from the place where the meeting was kept But they having fined F. B. for it as he sayes they issued out their Warrants and the Offices distrained him for the Fifteen Pound and he not being willing to lose his Goods laid down so much mony and kept his Goods by way of an Appeal as he pretended but never went to Tryal but gave them his mony for his Fne being afraid to try his cause lest he should be Cast and lose more Mony to it as he told me himself Now mark this F. B's proceedings in this matter he was Fined and Distrained and paid his mony to redeem his Goods but never told me of it nor spake a word to me about it until Five or Six Months after although he had Opportunities enough to have done it in that time Then after I being at London at the Yearly Meeting F. B. came to me to Westminster meeting I seeing him there asked him to go with me to the Friends House were I lodged that Night which he did and when we were in Bed together he told me he suffered a Fine of 15 Pound for me then I asked him how it was his Answer was the Magistrates had fined him Fifteen Pound and the Officers took away much Goods for it so he laid down the mony by way of an Appeal and redeemed his Goods again and before the time of Tryal he was advised by Counsel not to go to Tryal for there was danger in being Cast and that would cost him more Mony so he did not go on but desired the Justices that he might withdraw his Appeal and that they might keep the Mony for his Fine whereby said he I lost Fifteen Pound but I expect thou shouldest pay me it again whereat I was strangly surprized to hear his demand to see what a strange Temptation had entred the man then I told him I see no reason for that why he should expect it of me seeing he was Fined for his own Testimony for his being at the Meeting which he also encouraged and 2dly he paid this mony to save his own Goods and not mine 3dly he paid it without my consent or knowledge neither could I have done it if it had been my own cause and had been Fine my self Neither did I ever pay mony to Priest nor other Persecutors to save my self from sufferings whatever I suffered for my Testimony And also I did look upon this Demand of his to be unjust and unreasonable and therefore I could not in Conscience pay it And besides I then told him he being far before me as to an Outward Esta e there was nothing of Charity in the case to obliege me thereunto and therefore I see no just or reasonable cause why he should demand any thing of me upon this account for I was no wayes the cause of his being Fined more then any other faithfull Friends must have been that ministers if they had been there then he said he suffered for my not telling my Name my self I told him for that he was to blame and not I ☞ for being so forward to tell my Name he prevented the Officers of asking me whereby I had not an opportunity to tell them for after he had told them they went away and never asked me for if they had I am sure I had told them for it was ever my practice both before and after that in the like cause which is well known both to him and other Friends where I have travelled since this Act hath been in force Then he told me if I counted his Demand to be unreasonable he would put it to some Friends to judge whether I ought not to make him satisfaction for that Fine I told him if he was not satisfied he might then he began to mention who to have to hear the cause and by whose judgment we might sit down I told him he might chuse whom he pleased himself so be they were Honest Faithful Friends and had a good sence of Truth I would freely give up my cause to them for my part and stand by their judgment Then after some time he told me Giles Barnardiston he knew was my
should not stand to what they did if they went contrary to the Agreement whereunto he had set his hand So the meeting desired us to go out so we withdrew and then they chose the 12 Friends out of the meeting in manner following viz. the Meeting chose one Friend and agreed that he should chuse whom he pleased next and so the last man chosen was to chuse the next until the 12 were all chosen and when they had chosen the 12 they sent for us into the meeting and told us how they had chosen them and read their Names unto us then I told them I was well satisfied with the Choise and what they did in the matter wherein they were to be concerned between F. B. and my self I would be contented to stand-by their Judgments and F. Bugg promised he would do the like then they withdrew to a Friends house to draw up their Award and F. B. asked me if I would not go and open my Cause to them I told him He might do what he pleased in the matter for himself but I see no need for it for it had been spoken of so often before them that they could not be without a Knowledge of it but he went to them and spake what he pleased and so left them to give Judgment so when they had agreed and drawn up their Award they sent for us and read their Award to us the substance thereof was THey found Samuel Cater clear of that Demand of Francis Buggs Therefore Awarded that he was to Pay F. B. Nothing c. And that all Differences that have arisen between them about that and all other things be from this Day fully ended and that they may be Lovers and Friends as they were before the Difference happened These be the Arbitrators Names John Ainsloe Wil. Brazier John Webbe Robert Smith John Prine Peter Watson Rich. Read Sam. Fulbugg Phillip Taylor Edward Firth Jacob Baker Edward Love Now when they read this Award F. B. said they had given away his cause but however he would be quiet and meddle no more But he soon broke his promise again and in a little time after he began to threaten the Arbitrators and wrote to them to that purpose that they had given away his mony and thereby had done him wrong and although that by their Arbitration he had now done with S. C. But now he intended to begin with them for there was a Law in the Nation That if Arbitrators did not do that which is Equal and Just when so Chosen the Party Grieved might recover Damage of them and they should have no more favour then the Law would afford them Then about this for a time he made a great adoe and gave a Lawyer Brevitts ☞ whereby he instructed him how to plead against Friends and of the state of his cause to come to our Quarterly Meeting to plead his cause which said Breviats the Lawyer shewed to William Penn and Thomas Rudyard after which the matter fell and the Lawyer never came to our Meeting then he began again with me and sent to me to have another Arbritation and Quarrelled with me again for the Fifteen Pound But I not having freedom to grant his desire nor to meddle with him any more so that he could not have his will of me Then he Threatened to prefer A Bill in Chaucery against me for his Mony and went to William Penn and shewed him one that he had prepared as I was Informed Then William Penn being grieved that the Enemies of Truth should have such cause given them to rejoyce over us by having such a cause as that brought before them he with another Friend wrote to me that if I could to get an end of this Business it might be well for although they believed that his Demands was very unjust and there was nothing due to him upon that account and that he was much to blame yet for Peace sake if it could be made an end of it might be well then I knowing he had desired another Arbitration I condiscended to it and sent him word that seeing he was yet disquiet about this mony if he knew how to have another Arbitration which would please him amongst Friends I would condiscend to it and put my Innocent cause once more upon Tryal then he seemed to be pleased and came over to my House and pretended all would be ended for whether he had any money or not he would be tcontented so he said he would chuse 6 and I should chuse 6 also and withall he said he would be bound with me to stand to the Award which Bonds were made and sealed But when the Arbitrators came to meet although they were neer to Agreement yet they did not agree for after F. B. understood that they were like to agree and his will not answered he said none should give away his Mony for if it must be given away he would give it away himself And when the Arbitrators were come to an Agreement and were drawing up the Award then F. B. came in amongst them without being desired and called Edward Neal one of the said Arbitrators to speak with him and when he came in again from him he would not stand to what he had Agreed to before then they could go no further for F. B. made the Bonds himself they were made so that if all the 12 or so many of them as there met were all to agree or else their Award was not to stand good whereby it appears although he was willing to be bound to stand to the Award yet he had made such provision that if he had not his will end Answered he would have nothing done for be having provided such a Man as would do what he would have him or nothing as it did plainly appear to all honest Friends that were there present Which thing was as wicked of F. B's part and him that joyned with him in his deceitful practice as it was before when he promised and gave it under his hand to stand to and abide by the Award of the other 12 Friends chose by the Meeting and after they had done it he promised to be quiet and meddle no more in the matter so awarded and so foully and ungodly went from his Word whereby all may see that reads this Narrative of his Words and Actions whether he hath not proved himself a false deceitfull Man both to God and Man and whether he hath not wickedly wronged his own Conscience by Covenant-breaking Lying and Deceit from time to time for the sake of Money whereby all may perceive that have any sense of truth and honesty how unfit he is to take upon him to treat about the Principles of true Religion and to plead for Liberty of Conscience against Imposition who hath thus wilfully abused and defiled his own Conscience for unjust gain Then after they could not end it I was much grieved to see the trouble that Friends and
matter Thou also saidst in thy Paper thy Cosin G. S. as my Wife's agent made the restitution for the Fine As to that thy Cosin G. Smith is able to give account what he did in that Case and I believe will But if it be as thou sayes what is the matter then that thou still quarrelest with Me about the same thing again for when Restitution is made Controversie amongst Honest Men use to be at an end But Francis it s to be feared that the Restitution thou got by thy Cosin G. Smith thou didst not come by it fairly but like a Crafty deceitful Man without regard to Truth or Honesty went beyond the Man and Trap and him out of his Mony as will be made appear and now thou hast thus unjustly got that 15 Pound from thy Cosin thou art uneasie with it for thy own Conscience although thou hast taken this Liberty to do so wickedly cannot be at ease with it neither is it possible thou shouldest thy proceedings have been so unjust and unrighteous from the first beginning of thy medling with Me unto this day And the first step thou set wrong in this matter which thou so long hast abused Me about was when thou turned Informer against Me and told the Officers and Informers my Name in the Meeting which I might have done my self if thou hadst nor been so forward to have told them and thereby prevented them of asking Me for it was ever my practice so to do when I have been in the like danger of sufferings And it is well known to Friends where I have Travelled and which is also well known to thee And as that was wrong so was every step thou hast set since about getting Mony of Me for thy work and now thou hast got this Mony of mine as unjustly as ever any Informer did that I ever heard of except thy Brother Judas who betrayed Christ Jesus for Mony who after He had got it Torment and Trouble was his Portion as his end Manifested and I wish thou mayest repent of this thy ungodly work thou art in before it be too late for thou must never expect true Peace in this unrighteous work of Darkness which thou hast of late followed And now thou art writing to Me again to have another Arbitration when G. S. nor I never wrote word to thee since the time thou speakest of its being ended But Fran. I had Arbitrations enough with thee about this matter yea too many except thou wouldest have been truer to thy promises and engagements then thou hast been as I sha ll make appear to thy shame in an Narrative of the business Neither shall I trouble Friends nor my self any more with thee in that kind and whereas thou sayest in thy Paper if another Arbitration I will not admit of then thou wouldest have Me to Sign a Paper which thou hast sent to which I answer that I have learned better things of Christ since I believed in his Name who saith That not one Sparrow shall fall to the Ground without his Fathers Providence and that the very Hairs of our Heads are Numbered Then to joyn with thee to make Laws and impositions to bind the Consciences of my Brethren to serve thy will who hast Erred from the Faith which stands in the Power of Gods as it appears by this thy new invented Cannon that thou hast here Contrived whereby it appears that when thou goest to a Meeting where there 's a Friend that Ministers thou darest not trust God whether he will suffer the Enemies of his truth and People to lay a Fine upon thee for thy Testimony or not for thou wilt make a provision to save thy self if thou can by imposing upon Ministring Friends to tell their Names and Habitations to Informers whether they be asked or not and what is this but to lay a Yoak where God hath laid none and to Limit his Servants and Messengers on whom he lays a true necessity at such times to declare and speak as he moves by his Power and gives them utterance by his Holy Spirit and not to speak as Man Teacheth but as the Holy Ghost Teacheth on such thou wouldest lay a Bond that they must leave speaking as being moved by the Lord and speak as Francis Bugg hath prescribed or else they must be Noted as Transgressors of Francis Bugg's new rule which He hath prescribed without sujection to which nothing will satisfie thee as it appears by this thy unruly work against Me for although thou pretends that if the Friends in the Ministry do not tell their Names yet if they will make satisfaction it shall serve But it is not so for thou says in thy Paper that my Wife by G. S. hath made thee Restitution what is the matter then that thou art so disquiet with Me was it not enough for Me to loose 15 Pound and 3 Shillings by thee who never was Penny the better by thee in my life but wronged by thee before that both by Word and Deed but still I must be thy object to vent thy wicked Poyson at What will nothing do except Conformity to thy new Orders which is of thy own inventing and that Unscriptural too no where spoken of neither in the Old nor yet New-Testament nor practiced by Christ nor his Apostles This Order I do not find to be Apostolical Now this new invented prescription which thou hast sent to Me to subscribe I have here set down in thy own words as followeth MEmorandum I S. Cater do hereby Testifie that it is my Judgment that all Friends in the Ministry where they are Strangers ought to tell their Names and Habitations upon the apparent sight of Informers coming into a Meeting taking Friends Names in Writing or otherwise in Order to convict the Meeting that so we all may stand in the like suffering Capacity or if any have not Freedom thus to do that then they ought to make satisfaction to such who suffers for them through their Concealing their Names and Habitations And that such as refuse to perform his or their Place in either of these two particulars ought from thence forth to be Reputed blame-worthy and Noted as such Witness my Hand Now this is the Canon or Order that F. B. hath contrived and which he tells Me if I will Sign I shall have all my Mony again which He doth unjustly detain from Me. Which invented Order of his I do in truth say that for Conscience sake I cannot nor dare not Subscribe although I for refusing do loose all my 15 Pound which He hath gotten into his Hand for these Reasons following First it is not my Judgment that all Friends in the Ministry are bound without being asked to tell Informers their Names and Habitations being not thereunto required by the Lord whose mind they then have being Ministring in the power of Christ Jesus whose word they are to declare Faithfully and not their own nor F. B's Secondly it is my
it who wrote to me and in her Letter said I did well in not opening F. Bs. Letter whereby to enter into farther Controversie with him and yet he is so impudent as to say in this Idle Ridiculous work of his That it was I that Revived the Controversie again which is as absolutely false as Truth is Truth But after he had thus sent his malicious Letter about and it came from London whither he had sent it wherein he had Reviled me and his Cousin G. S. again so that his hard charge against us for breaking Covenant falls upon himself with his Slanderous comparing of us to Berket the Papist which will return upon his own Head for he broke the agreement made between him and the Meeting and not I nor G. S. for altho I was not there neither knew any thing of it until some Friends came from the Meeting and told me what was done yet for Peace sake and out of respect I had to the Meeting I was willing to condescend to it and did abide by it until he broke it but when came to see and hear how he had abused us again both it City and Country we did then resolve to give a true Narrative of the business as it truly was and leave it to People to judge Whether he hath wronged us or we him Seeing his restless Spirit would not let him be at quiet which accordingly we did write to him to give him account thereof as by the Narrative doth more fully appear The next passage I take Notice of is how F. B. hath in effect Confessed himself Guilty of going beyond his Cousin G. S. in getting the Mony aforesaid as by his own Tongue and Pen he hath here Confest for says F. B. in Page 35 Treating about the Mony he got of G. S. He pretended Trouble or else he was really Troubled in that he thought all I aimed at was a bare tender and upon that without any other terms would have returned it These words of F. Bs. gives just cause to believe that he betrayed him by his Subtilty out of his Mony as G. S. hath given account or else why should F. B. himself say who is seldom wanting to make a deceitful cover for this his work of Darkness G. S. might think than all he intended in having the Mony all Tendered was but a bare Tender and that he would have returned it again which saying of F. Bs. gives ground to believe that G. S. had some cause so to think from something that F. B. had spoke or promised to G. S. before he tendered him the Mony as G. S. hath declared for he is not so weak a Man as to think of having all the Mony returned again without some Grounds for it But however they that shall say That F. B. got this Mony Fraudulently or by over-teaching or going beyond his near Kinsman them he seems to be much offended with accounting they Grate much upon his Reputation But let F. B. give his getting the Money what Name he please I know it is a way that is not used by such as are accounted Honest Morral-Men setting Christianity aside which brings Men not only to Act and Speak justly uprightly and truly and to walk inoffensively both towards God and Men but also Patiently to suffer Injuries and to do good against Evil however 't is commendable in its place to do justly between Man and Man which F. B. in this matter hath fallen farr short of as doth yet farther appear from his own words as may be seen in page 36 his words are these Speaking about the said Money he got of his Cousin G. S. I did proffer saith he to Return 7 l. 10 s. which I had more then G. S. Voluntarily proffered me Note that F. Bs offer of returning the said 7 l. 10 s. was about three years after he had Received it of his Cousin G. S. and that not until he was severely Reproved for his unfair dealings by Friends and farther he did not offer the Mony as Repenting him for his so unjustly obtaining it Therefore it may be very well questioned how F. B. came by the said 7 l. 16 s. Seeing he says himself that G. S. Did not Voluntarily proffer it him then does it not follow that without question G. S. tendred him the whole thinking thereby to have pleased him in his wilful humour and thinking as F. B. himself saith He would have been pleased with a bare Formal Tender thereof and so have returned the whole 15 l. again but seeing F. B. did not return it all again according as he says G. S. his thoughts might be that he would yet to keep the other half also which was by him never Voluntarily proffered him let F. B. make what covers and excuses he can for himself People that know what it is to Live uprightly and to deal justly between Man and Man will account this Deed of F. Bs. to Spring from a Covetous and Overreaching-Mind and a Deed that does not become such a Man as would be accounted a Christian Quaker and one that hath taken upon him lately to complain of others more Honest and Just then himself as appears But it had been well for F. B. if he had better spent this time which he now spends in Silly Scornful Scribling and Printing against his Ancient Friends and such whom he used to speak very well off before the Enemy of his Soul thus filled him with Envy It had been better I say for him to have waited upon God in Humility to have seen first the Beam cast out of his own Eye as Christ saith before he had so much concerned himself to pull the Mote out of anothers Eye But now mark after F. B. had thus got this Mony of his Cousin G. S. the the next thing he endeavoured to do was to quiet him that he might keep it and to that end he first gave him a paper as he himself saith for me to sign which he said If I would Sign he would Return all the Mony again But G. S. knowing that he had nothing to do with papers but the Mony which he had made him a tender of seeing he never spake of any such paper before the Money was tendred Slighted the paper but prest-hard upon him for the Money again as more at large appears in the Narrative that he might carry and Repay the 10 l. again to the Person of whom it was borrowed But F. B. would not part with the Money but be thought himself of another way to try Salve the Sore which he had made in his Cousins mind by keeping the said Money from him as himself saith in Page the 35 of his Book to his Cousin G. S. after he had got the said 15 l. his words are these However to comfort him I told him that Samuell had 10 l. lately sent him from London and that he had taken 40 s. at one place when he went into Scotland towards
THE LIBERTY OF AN Apostate Conscience DISCOVERED BEING A Plain Narrative of the Controversie long depending between Francis Bugg an officious Agent in William Rogers's Behalf and Quarrel on the one part And Samuel Cater and George Smith Prisoners for the Testimony of Jesus in Ely Goal on the other Part. With their Answer to his Painted Harlot c. Whereby F. B's Liberty of Conscience is proved an Injurious Bondage Published for the Information of all Friends of Truth and others concerned and for Caution to all such Agents as have Promoted or Spread the late Books of Fr. Bugg and W. Rogers 1 Thess 4.6 Let no man go beyond or Defraud his Brother in any Matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such London Printed by John Bringhurst at the Sign of the Book in Grace-Church-street 1683. AN Introduction TO FRIENDS AND Friendly Readers WHereas my self with others concerned have given account of the Unjust Actions and Unrighteous proceedings of Francis Bugg as hereafter mention'd This I do say and in the Fear of the Lord testifie that it is not done out of Envy and Ill will to the Man or to insult over him by laying open his Nakedness but do truly desire his sincere and unfeigned Repentance even as we have done ever since he began this his Unrighteous Work and for that end we have waited long upon him and have laboured much with him for if wholesom Advice and Brotherly Admonition could have prevailed with him to have turned him from his Evil way which of late Years he hath followed aâ— this Narrative and his Malicious Books do plainly shew this had never been But seeing he still followeth his unruly work and will not be reclaimed to turn from this Evil Spirit which hath led him into these things we do look upon our selves Conscientiously concerned for the Glory of God and the Honour of his Truth and also for the good of all honest and tender People who have or may have better Thoughts of him than he doth deserve and that so under the Profession of Truth which he in some measure hath gone under and may thereby deceive or betray any and draw them from the peaceable Truth into that Spirit with him into Strife and Contention which hath been the work he hath followed these several Years which is the work and fruit of an Evil minded Man as saith the Scriptures An Evil Man out of the Evil Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth Evil things And Christ saith By the Fruit ye shall know them For Men do not gather Grapes of Thornes nor Figgs of Thistles Whereby he sheweth how impossible it is that â—n Evil minded Man should bring forth that which is Good And now having given a true and faithful account of the disorderly and unjust Words and Actions of this Man I with the rest concerned with me therein do leave it and commit it to the just Witness of God in all Consciences to judge of the wrong he hath done to Truth to me and others And whether he hath not iustly brought this upon his own Head since we could not prevail with him to forsake his unruly work And if any be hereafter ensnared hy him and drawn aside out of the way of the Lord they must bear their own Burden And I with the rest concerned in this matter shall be clear in which I rest believing God in his own time will clear my Innocency and more fully manifest his guilt who has abused me and others without any just cause given him by us who am a True Friend and Lover of all that truly Love and Fear God and a wiâ—ness against Envy and Deceit where ever it doth appear Ely Prison 17. 12. 1682. S. C. THE LIBERTY OF AN Apostate Conscience c. THis may satisfie all into whosoever Hands it may come that whereas there is a Differeâ—ce made by Francis Bugg of Mildenhall in the County of Suffolk with Samuel Cater of Little-Port in the Isle of Eley concerning a Fine about which the aforesaid F. B. hath been so troublesome to me other friends both in this County elsewhere which there has been raised untrue Reports and therefore for clearing the Truth and to satisfie all that desires a right Information of proceedings therein from the beginning thereof I have therefore taken care with some other Friends so far as they are concerned therein to give a true Narrative of the Business from the beginning to this very Day of the most material passages that so the Truth being known it may thereby appear who hath done the wrong in this matter him or my self for which I have been so long abused by him About the Year 1675 I being at a Meeting at Mildenhall where Francis Bugg dwells there came one George Ereind of Lakenhoath and desired me to have a Meeting at his House and before I promised him he being a Stranger to me and Francis Bugg being there I advized with him about it he having knowledge of the Man and he told me that a Meeting would do very well there and desired me to go so after I had spoke further with the aforesaid George Ereind and found he desired the Meeting in a serious and weighty consideration I found freedom in my self to promise him to be at his House the next Day and also told him he might let his Neighbours know it and accordingly I went and F B. with me and several more belonging to Mildenhall Meeting and when we came at the Friends House there came in several of his Neighbours and after some time spent in waiting upon the Lord and calling upon his Name in Prayer I was moved by his Power to stand up and declare the Truth to all that were there present in which time whilst I was speaking Two Priests with some other Men came into the Meeting and one of those Men that came in with the Priests asked a Man that was in the Meeting before what their Speakers Name was who said he did not know and a Woman Friend said his Name was written in the Book of Life where he could not read then they asked Francis Bugg what is your Speakers Name His answer was in the hearing of the Officers and Informers * Mark Fran. Bugg was Informer here HIS NAME IS SAMUEL CATER all which time I was declaring the Truth and no Man asked of me my Name But after F. B. had told it they all went away and asked no further after it As also doth appear by this following Certificate and I continued the Meeting until I had cleared my self of what the Lord laid upon me at that time and then we departed in Peace being well refreshed with the Love and Goodness of the Lord whose Presence was with us to our comfort yea and F. B. himself said that he was glad we were there that Day what ever came of it for we had had a good Meeting And now whereas F. B. or some of his Abettors have
very good Friend and so he was his and if he would he should have the hearing of the cause and if the said G. B. did not judge his Demand to be reasonable he would desist and proceed no further in it so I was contented and we appointed where to meet next Day about it which accordingly we did and when we came together F. B. laid his cause before him who when he had heard he seemed much grieved at F. B. and told him he see no cause why S. C. should pay his Demand for it was unjust c. But F. B. broke his promise made to me the day before and would not stand by G. B's judgment Then he said he would lay it before the Yearly Meeting I told him if he did it would not make to his honour He said he would propose a Question about it I told him if he did state his Question fairly as the thing was I would be silent and not only hear the Meetings judgment but would sit down by their judgment But if his Question or Words tended to that purpose as if I would not tell my Name then I would give the Meeting account how the matter was for I knew my self clear so when he came into the Meeting he proposed his Question according to his own mind but not according to the true state of our cause about which he differed with me then I told them plainly how the matter was and the next day at Horsly-down I offered to stand by the judgment of the meeting and desired F. B. to do the like and that what the meetings judgment was we might both agree to it this was the second time I gave it up but F. B. stood silent at the time and would not say either that he would or would not so the meeting could give no positive judgment in the case Then some time after I was gone into the Low Countries in which time he sent a Letter to my House to meet him at our monthly meeting so after I was come home I met him at a monthly meeting at Chakes the 4th of the 8th month 1676. where he complained to the meeting that he had suffered a Fine of Fifteen Pound for me and I refused to make him satisfaction and he told the meeting that the cause he was fined was for my not telling my Name so when the meeting had heard us both they gave their judgment and made a Record thereof in the Monthly Book that I was not Guilty in not declaring my Name it not being of me demanded and told by another which was himself viz F. B. as I made it appear there and which he did not deny after which the meeting accounted he would have been at quiet then at a Quarterly meeting at Hadenham in the isle of Eley held in the 10th month 1676 F B. complained to the quarterly meeting then some in that meeting said that buÌ„siness was ended before by the monthly meeting therefore it ought not to be spoken of at the quarterly meeting then F. B. alledged that it was not ended for he did not give it up to the meeting to end it whereupon I asked him if he would give it up to this quarterly meeting to be ended by them and would stand by the end they made he said he would then the meeting heard us both concerning the matter which we had to propound and then desired us to go out of the meeting untill they called for us which we did and when they were agreed we were called and the meetings judgment was they saw no cause of blame in me for that which F. B. accused me neither could they award me to give him any mony But desired we should be Lovers and Friends as we had formerly been and if I had freedom in my self to give him any thing I might if not he ought to be content Then after this the next Yearly Meeting following he went to London again and complained to W. Penn telling him he could not have a fair hearing by Friends in the Country concerning the difference between him and me S. C. about the Fine so William appointed him and I to come to Edward Man's where Geo. Fox with other Friends would be which accordingly we did and there he was heard by G. F. and many other antient Friends what he had to say and I also where I again offered to give up my cause to G. F. or to all the Friends there or to any part of them in order to decide the difference depending between F. B. and my self and to stand to their Judgment and desired him to do the like that the business might be ended he said no he would not give it up to them but it shall be ended at our own Quarterly Meeting and he would put it to â—0 or 12 Friends that should be chosen neither by him nor me but by the meeting and them he would commit his cause unto and would stand by their Judgment then Friends desired an Agreement should be drawn up and we should set our Hands to it and they would witness it that so it might be performed that there might be no more difference about this business and one Friend began to write then F. B said let me write the Order my self for I know my own mind best so he took the Pen and Paper and with his own Hand drew this Order following and set his hand to it and so did I and Nine Friends were witnesses to this our agreement viz MEmorandum that upon condition that Friends in the Quarterly Meeting in the Isle of Eley do chuse and elect 10 or 12 Friends to hear and determine the Controversie betwixt Francis Bugg and Samuel Cater relating to the Fine which the said F. B. was fined for the Speaker at a Meeting in Lakenheath and all other Controversies they the said Francis Bugg and Samuel Cater do hereby promise to stand to this final determination under their Hands and for the future to cease from all Controversie touching any matter now depending between them Witness their Hands this 9th of the 4th mo 1677. Fran. Bugg Sam. Cater Witnesses to it Giles Barnardiston John Burnyeat John Whitehead Ambrose Rigge Leonard Fell William Whaley To the Friends at the Quarterly Meeting in the Isle of Eley Dear Friends We desire you that when this business comes before you that there may be a final end put unto it that there may be no more trouble about it George Whitehead Stephen Crisp Then the aforesaid Agreement was delivered into a Friends hand by both our consents to keep and for him to deliver it to the Quarterly meeting and F. B. there himself took a Copy of it which he kept Then at the Quarterly meeting the Order was produced and Friends discoursed the matter about chusing the men and would have had us to chuse them our selves that is 6 Friends each of us but I told them I was not free so to do lest F. B.
I had had and yet the Business remained I then took Fran. Bug aside and told him that although I was well satisfied in my Conscience that I had never done him wrong and that I did not owe him one penny and that his Demand was unjust and unreasonable yet for Peace sake rather than this difference should Remain to trouble Friends and diquiet our selves I would give him of my own free will five Pounds towards his loss relating to the said Fine his answer was that would not do so we parted at that time than I spake to his Friend and Abettor Edw. Neale aforesaid and told him he had not done that day like an honest Friend in his Place nor like a man that feared God whose work is to make Peace and pursue it with all men and he and others of them that Fran. Bugg had Chosen had an opportunity thereby to have made Peace in this matter that so long had been troublesome to the Church of God but he more especially I understood had hindered that day by refusing to Joyne with the rest that would have done it which days work would certainly become his burthen at one time or other his answer was we might make an end of it between our selves if I would for he knew Fran. Bugg's end was not for Money but Justice in the case I told him I nâ—ver did see other by Fran. Bugg buâ— that his end was wholly for Money neither was there any Justice in the case that he should have 15 Pound of me for nothing and besides his words was always to me give him so much Money and he would be quiet and when we were together alone at that time he said the same But I have not freedom to answer his unreasonable demâ—nds therein knowing my self clear of any thing of guilt concerning the matter whereof he charged me now this was the seventh time that I had given up the aforesaid case to the Judgment of Friends and four of the 7 times Fran. Bugg excepted of and Joyned with me and promised and became engaged as is before mentioned to stand to the Award or Judgment of the Friends to whom we gave up our Cause but went from his word every time Now the next thing wherein like a Deceitful man who shews himself void of any fear of God as hath and yet will appear by his following actions for he Surprised his Cosin Geo. Smith of Littleport through his Deceitful craft and got the said 15 Pound of him who is Fran. Bug's own Mothers Sisters Son a man that hath been Convinced about 13 or 14 years and ever since he came amongst us hath walked uprightly according to his measure and hath been of a blameless Conversation amongst Men from his Youth and lives in good credit and reputation a relation whereof he hath given which hereafter followeth under his own hand Also how far he was concerned in this matter by my Wife under her Hand whom Fran. Bug calls my Wife her Agent as sent by her c. And when Edw. Neale Will. Rogers and Tho. Crisp and others whom Fran. Bug accounts of his party who hath of late Joyned and Combined together in a Spirit of discord and opposition against the Godly and mutual care of faithful men and women in their distinct Meetings in several things which concerns our publick Testimony before the World amongst whom the Lord hath gathered us to bear Testimony against those loose and unjust ways that many both Priests and People lives in and Practices in that weighty matter of Marryage with several other things comes to read this relation of Fran. Bug's words and actions and will yet own him as a Brother amongst them and as an Agent to Abet their cause without repentance and making satisfaction both by word and deed for the wrong he hath done as aforesaid it s no great matter what they profess neither will it be much to the dishonour of honest and faithful men and women to be reproached by them but yet this I do say and so I shall conclude this Business that if it please God to give Fran. Bug and Will. Rogers and the rest of them true and unfeigned Repentance for that wherein they have done amiss whereby they have strengthened the hands of evil doers and laid stumbling blocks in the way of the simple by their Writing and Printing in this wilful and unjust manner against the faithful Servants of the Lord whose care hath been to keep all clean and savoury amongst the People of God I say I shall be truly glad thereof who am a friend to all that truly Love and Fear God Who am in strait Boreds for the Testimony of Jesus Christ in Ely Prison his 9th Month 1682. Samuel Cater Elizabeth Cater 's Testimony HEre followeth a Testimony under Eliz. Cater's hand how She came to encourage G. Smith to Treat with Fran. Bugg about his differing with her Husband Sam. Cater aforesaid and how farr she gave him order which was thus Geo. Smith coming to my house one day when my husband was not at home and told him that I was very much grieved and troubled at Fran. Bug's continuing so bad and envious against my husband and although I was satisfied that what he so furiously abused him for was unjust upon which account my husband hath not freedom to answer his unreasonable Demand I could be glad it were some ways ended then Geo. Smith told me that he also was much grieved for the difference for said he I Love thy husband well and Fran. Bug also and he is my near Kinsman for it doth trouble me that there should be a difference between them but I do account my Cosin is much out of the way in this matter but if thou Please I will speak with him and see if I can get him to be quiet then I desired him he would and I told him withall that although I knew that neither I nor my husband owed Fran. Bugg one penny neither was there any due upon that account he Demanded yet for Peace sake rather then my husband and friends should be any longer disquieted about it I would part with some Money if it cannot be done without although my husband knows nothing of it then Geo. Smith told me he would take an opportunity and speak with him and he did not question but to make an end of the business with little Money if any at all This is the truth of the matter to shew how farr I was Concern'd therein Eliz. Cater An Account given by George Smith concerning the Mony which Fra. Bugg deceitfully obtained from him concerning Samuel Cater THese are to certify all into whose hands this may come That whereas there was a difference long depending made by Fran. Bug with Sam. Cater about a Fine which the said Fran. Bug demanded of Sam. Cater which he had not Freedom to pay him looking upon his demand therein to be unjust and I coming to Sam. Caters
house as is by his Wife before mentioned was willing out of true Love which I had to them both and for Peace sake to concern my self about it hoping to have made Peace betwixt them A true Account of what pass'd betwixt my Cosin Fran. Bug and my self is as followeth There being a Fair at a Town where my Cosin Fran. Bug Lives to which I had an occasion to go I took that opportunity to Speak with him about that difference between him and Sam. Cater where I desired it might be at an end and he told Me it might if Sam. Cater pleased for he counted he had Right to the Money he demanded of him But I told him I did believe he had no Right to it neither by the Law of God nor Man And besides I told him I did find that Friends are in General dissatisfied about thy demand in this matter therefore I would be glad thou wouldest desist and be at quiet and not to Trouble Sam. Cater nor his Friends any further about it To which he said it is my Judgment that I have a Right to the Money I demand of him then in short I told him I could be glad I could Perswade him to desist and be at quiet in this Matter without any Money But rather than the difference should continue betwixt Sam. Cater and Him for Peace Sake I would give him 5 Pounds though I never have it of Sam. Cater for he knows nothing of my Treating with thee at this time but that would not do then I offered him 7 Pounds 10 Shillings but he was not willing to take it Then I desired him to Consider of it and Proceed no further about Sam. Cater and he told me he would meet me at Ely Fair about three Weeks hence and if I and he could make an end of it then we would And when I was at Ely Fair selling of goods he came to me and asked if I had time to Treat about that I was speaking to him at his house lately I told him my occasion was in selling of my goods he told Me we should soon have done about that concern Then we went to an Inn to Treat about it and I told him still I would give 7 Pound 10 Shillings rather than the difference should continue between Sam. Cater and him His Answer was Cosin I would have it all Tendered for my Words Sake but thou shalt see my ends is not for Money I told him I had not so much Money I had not above 5 Pound about me Then he said I might Borrow 10 Pound for half an Hour or thereabouts which Time would serve for a Tender then I told him Cosin I can Borrow so much of a Tradesman in Town to make thee a Tender but if thou be minded to keep it all I will not do it Rather than I will give the whole 15 Pound I will leave the Business as I found it Then He said He would have it all tendered but said he I will Promise thee I will not Pocket a Penny of it Then I went and Borrowed 10 Pound and Tendered him the whole 15 Pound and when he had it he took it and put it all into his Pocket whereby he broke his promise made to me before I tendered it that he would not Pocket a Penny of it Then after a little time I desired to have the 10 Pounds that I Borrowed to carry the Man it again whom I Borrowed it of for Half an Hour to make a Tender with and which Fran. Bug said it would be long enough to Borrow it for Then he began to make Evasions and said he would have me let it alone till to Morrow Morning and he would Treat with Sam. Cater about it with the Money in his Pocket And then he pull'd out a Paper and said if Sam. Cater would Signe that Paper he should have the Money again then I told him that was not our conclusion for said I thou saidst nothing of this Paper to me before I tendered the Money and when I had seen it I told him I did believe that Sam. Cater would not set his Hand to it neither do I see any Reason he should Then he told me that to Morrow Morning whether S. Cater would set his Hand to that Paper or not he would Pay the 10 Pound where I Borrowed it or leave it with a Friend in Ely to Pay him and the 5. Pound to a Brother of Mine as he went home to whom I owed the Money which he did not do but contrary to his Promise kept all the Money to this day This is a true Relation of this matter before Mentioned Witness my Hand Geo. Smith Then after this came to be Spoke of abroad and Friends came to hearof it Friends desired us to be both at a Monthly Meeting that they might know the certainty of it how it was concerning the matter so at a Monthly Meeting at Chatteris the 7. day of the 2d Month 1680 Friends heard us both what we could say about this matter And I gave them a true account of the Business how he obtained this Money from Me and the Meeting were satisfied that he got it Unjustly And made a Record in the Book to this effect that Geo. Smiths simplicity was betray'd and he ought to have his Money again Edward Firth's Testimony THis is to satisfie all where this may come that whereas Fran. Bugg hath made use of my Name in a matter between his Cosin George Smith and him wherein he saith that I was a Witness for him against George Smith which thing is not so but I am a Witness for G. Smith against Fran. Bugg And he to make a Cover for himself would make void my Evidence against him and through his Deceit would turn it from himself Now the matter is this that I witnessed at Chattris monthly Meeting that day that Friends had the hearing of them both that I had spoken with the Man that G. Smith had borrowed the Mony of to make a Tender with to Fran. Bugg and asked him if he did remember G. Smith's borrowing 10 Pound of him about such a time and he said Yes and it was to make a tender of to some Body Then it was asked him if he could remember how long time he lent it him for he said as near as he could remember it was for about an hour This was all that I was a Witness for at that Meeting and whereby the Meeting was satisfied that the Mony was borrowed by G. Smith but to make a bare Tender with and not that G. Smith intended that Fran. Bugg should keep the Mony Now the advantage that Fran. Bugg would take at this my evidence against G. Smith is this that G. Smith had said and doth yet say he borrowed the Mony for half an hour and the Man he said as he Remembers he lent it for about an hour which neither disproves G. Smith his Account nor clears Fran. Bugg Witness my
Hand Edward Firth A Coppy of a Letter sent by G. Smith to Fran. Bugg Cosin Fran. Bugg HAving seen a large Paper of thine which thou didst send to Friends of the 2d days Meeting in London in which thou hast Revived the Old Business again and therein hast abused Sam. Cater and my self by Misrepresenting the Business concerning the matter wherein I was concerned for Sam. Cater as formerly thou usest to do And thy Reviving it is altogether contrary to the agreement which was made at the Quarterly Meeting in Hadenham the 10th Month 1680. By which agreement thou wert to cease from any further Controversy concerning this matter At which time thou seemingly madest some shew of Repentance for what thou hadst written and done against Sam. Cater and my self as appeared by what thou saidst there to Friends that day which begat some hopes in some Friends that thou wouldst not onely be quiet from being any more contentious and troublesome to Friends and us as thou hadst formerly been for several years But that also thou wouldst have Restored all the Money again which thou through thy Subtilty and wicked craft obtained of me and which thou in measure there confest in the Meeting Saying that thou did'st believe that when I tendered thee the Money I did expect thou wouldst have given it me again Whereby thou therein cleared my Innocency and manifested thy own Guilt and Treacherous dealing with me in the matter But now instead of answering the expectation of the Meeting by returning the Mony again and making satisfaction for the wrong thou hast done thou hast further Transgressed and added sin to sin with a Witness For before thou flattered'st and through thy dissimulation wentest beyond me and got the Mony thereby contrary to my Freedom and expectation as thou thy self confessedest in the Meeting And now through thy dissimulation hast abused the Quarterly Meeting for when they told thee than thou art to return the Mony again that thou hadst so unjustly obtained from thy Cosin G. Smith thou desired the Meeting to leave that to thee for they did not know what was in thy Heart Which words of thine with thy Dissembling Confession and carriage then caused the Meeting to leave the Repayment of the Mony to thee at that time telling thee that they would not have thee think that they would forgive thee the Mony or that they thought it was not due from thee but did account that thou oughtest to pay it otherwise it would become thy Burden if thou becamest not honest But instead of paying the Mony and making satisfaction for the wrong thou hast done thou art of late sending thy wicked and malicious Papers abroad to City and Country in which thou again abusest Samuel Cater that is the sufferer and Me whom thou so unjustly betrayed in this manner whereby thou endeavoured to take away our good Names and Reputations amongst Men. Oh Cosin Blush and now let Shame cover thy Face what do so Treacherously by Me as thou hast done in this matter and abused Me besides But I know my self clear of thy Lies and Slanders and so I shall make it appear to thy Shame if thou hast any tenderness left in thee Thou revilest and speakest evil of G. F. and G. W. and S. C. and others But I tell thee that if I knew so much against them as I do of thee I should not only turn my Back upon them but also declare against them as I shall against thee and Manifest thy deceit But I have cause to believe better things of them all And for Sam. Cater whom thou so much abusest I know his conversation hath been such among us as becomes a Man that fears God that it is not thy Lies that can hurt him for he hath a Witness in our Consciences for his Faithful Service and upright Conversation among us And now seeing thou wilt be not quiet but hast set the old business on Foot again between thee and Sam. Cater and my self about which thou hast given uncertain reports Now for the preventing all mistakes that the Truth may be known I have given a true account of the business so far as I have been concerned with thee in the matter how unjustly thou obtained the Mony from Me and as unjustly keepest it to this day And of thy wickedly perverting and wresting my words and true intention in my Letter which I sent thee soon after thou hadst defrauded me of my Mony which was in answer to a Letter which thou sentest Me which was like thy words and actions when thou gottest the Mony of Me in which thou endeavourest to excuse thy self and cover thy deceit and wouldst have had Me excuse thee to Sam. Cater and his Wife and have made some deceitful cover for thee and not have told them the plain Truth as it was which thing I abhor to do And I praise God Truth teaches Me better things than to Lie and make deceitful covers either for my self or thee Though thou Wickedly and Falsly insinuatest in this thy Scandalous and abuseful Paper as if I was necessitated to give forth such a report as was not true to get my Mony again of Sam. Cater which thou hadst deceitfully obtained from Me which insinuation and equivecation of thine is as wickedly unjust as the Action and deceitful work was before and altogether untrue for I never had any trouble to obtain my Mony again of Sam. Cater though I do confess if He nor his Wife would not have given it Me I must have lost it neither could I have laid that blame upon them that is just upon thee who betrayed Me out of my Mony for Sam. Cater knew nothing of it when I went about it and his Wife but little And it was near Four weeks after thou hadst got the Mony before I spoke one word of it to Sam. Cater or his Wife For indeed I was ashamed to tell them how I was betrayed by thee but when I did tell them it was with much regret and trouble that of one so near related to Me and whom I had once looked upon to be before Me in the Truth and had a great love for both as a Friend and Kinsman I must now tell so bad a Story if I told the whole Truth which I found my self bound in Conscience to do otherwise I had been a partaker with thee in thy wicked deed So when I had told them the whole Truth of the matter from the beginning then Sam. Cater said to Me thou hast fallen into the Hands of 2 deceitful Man who by his subtilty hath betrayed thee But now thou shalt see there is a difference between one that makes profession of the Truth and lives out of it and them that desire with their whole Heart to obey it and do things answerable thereto For seeing thou out of tenderness and true love to Me and my Wife and also to him though he has abused thy love didst concern thy self thus
in this matter thinking to have peace and thereby hast lost thy Mony I will pay thee it all again So all the whole 15 Pound he did willingly pay with the 3 Shillings also which thou tookest for use of the 10 Pound which I borrowed but for half an hour and thou keepest it and caused Me to give thee Bond for it for 3 Months with 3 Shillings use for it or else I could not have paid the Man his Mony again which I borrowed to make a Tender of to thee and promised he should have his own Mony again in half an hour All which proceedings of thine I have given a true account and let the Reader judge into whose Hands it may come whether thou hast done like a Man that pretends so much to Christian Liberty and Honesty or indeed like a Man that hath common Honesty or rather in this matter art a shame to both For which I can truly say I am grieved to see and know and could have been glad at my Heart if thou hadst never given me this cause thus to write of thee neither do I believe I should what ever I had suffered by thee were there not a true concern of Conscience upon Me for the clearing of Truth and the satisfying of all that desires the certain knowledge of this matter that so the Innocent may not be blamed and all mistakes may be prevented And now I do yet say what canst thou think of Me I could be truly glad and I am sure my Heart would greatly rejoyce in it if yet thou mayest come to true Repentance of these things of which thou standest guilty and which the Enemy of thy Soul hath led thee into without which thou canst never hate true Peace with God Which is all at present from thy grieved and Abused Kinsman George Smith Francis Bugg I Having lately received a Paper of thine sent by thee to G. Whitehead and the rest of the Second days Meeting in London a Copy of the same thou says thou sent to me and I returned it to thee back without opening it and I am glad I did so for thereby all may see that comes to understand it that this old Controversie is on Foot again between Geo. Smith my self and thee and also it will appear who is the cause thereof and that it is not me nor Geo. Smith but thy selfe that hast revived it again contrary to thy promise and engagement made to the Quarterly Meeting at Hadenham the 10th Month 1680. Where thou made agreement with the Meeting that from that day all defferences betwixt thee and Me and thy Cosin Geo. Smith should cease and all Papers by all parties relating to the said difference to be brought to Ely Prison the first of the 11th Month 1680. and there to be burnt whereunto accordingly thou camest to Me and brought a great bundle of writings and further said that there was all that was in thy Hands so far as thou knew that thou had'st written about that Controversie which thou there burnt and withal promised that if thou did'st find any more thou would'st burn them and that also where there was any in any friends Hands that thou knewest of thou would'st write to them to do the same and as to any thing of that Controversie that had been between us concerning the Fine and all other matters should be fully ended and done withall according to the agreement and thy promise to the Quarterly Meeting which promise thou made before two witnesses then and there But now contrary to thy engagement made also before so many faithful Friends without any Regard to thy word like a man that neither Regards Truth nor Honesty thou hast in the aforesaid Paper abused us again as formerly thou use to do before the said promise at that Meeting to be quiet without any Provocation given thee either by G. Smith or my self that I know of although we have had cause enough given us by thee First in thy not answering the expectation of the Meeting which did believe thou would'st have Paid the Money again which thou obtained so unjustly from thy Cosin Geo. Smith as several friends that came from the Meeting told me they did believe thou would and that it was the sence of the Meeting that thou oughtest to do it And Secondly when thou broughtest forth thy envious Book in Print so stuffed with Lies and ungodly Suggestions and Reflections against several Honest and Faithful Men who truly fear God and are Serviceable in their Places wherein God hath set them And whom thou didst account such before the Enemy of thy Soul filled thy Heart with envy against the People of God but thy end will be according to thy work if thou repent not and also thou sayes in thy aforesaid Paper that I was Conscious to my self of Guilt as thou supposes and therefore I would not open thy Paper but sent it to thee without looking in it which supposition of thine is as false as it is wicked for I could not be Conscious of Guilt knowing not what was in it neither had I ever done thee any wrong but have suffered much wrong by thee as I shall make appear before I have done with thee seeing thou hast broken thy promise again made both in Publick and also to Private Persons of being quiet with us and art become a common Enemy to the People of God and a false Informer against them And having detested thy folly in supposing Me Guilty of thou knowest not what because I did not bestow looking into thy abusive Letter Now I shall tell thee the reason why I did not unseal it to look into it I being truly sensible of thy restless state and Condition and how far thou art fallen and degenerated from the pure Divine Principle of Love and Life wherein my fellowship stands with the Children and Servants of God I did not believe that there was any thing in it that would Minister any Comfort unto Me but on the contrary as it doth appear now through thy restless attempts it s come to my Hand And I give thee to know that well knowing my own Innocency in matters whereof thou Suggest evil against Me in which I have true Peace with the Lord I should have been silent in making any reply thereunto until God that made thee stops thy Mouth and makes thy folly Manifest to all Men as he hath made it Manifest unto Me several years since were it not for the sake of them that desire a certain knowledge of the Truth of these things whereof there goes uncertain reports abroad that so such may know the plain Truth of the manner of thy dealings with Me in that matter which thou so long hast been quarrelling with Me about A plain Narrative of the whole matter I do now intend to give forth and leave it to the witness of God in all People to judge who hath done or who hath suffered the wrong either thee or I in this
hast again therein abused us and wrote Lies to exuse thy self about the old concern which is not a way to stop controversie but to increase it and further if thou hadest been minded that it should not have been revived again why didest thou send thy mallicious Letter to Geo. Whitehead and to the 2d days Meeting in London who see and are satified it was to revive the controversie again and again why didest thou send the same Letter or a Copy of it to Ann Dockwra letting her know thou hadest sent that Letter to Me and that I had sent it back to thee again without opening of it and She says that thou wert minded to make it Publick only She accompted She had perswaded thee to the contrary by something Shee had wrote to thee and withall Shee said that I had done well in that I did not look into thy Letter and thereby have been stirred up to enter into further controversie again with thee so that She as well as others that have come to the sight of thy Letter do see that the tendency thereof was and is for controversie but thou sayest thou Intends to Manifest Me to be a reviver of the Old contreversy because thou believes I have spoke of it and that thou mayest have wherewith to accuse Me thou like one of the Officers in th Star-Chamber when in force Queries of Me in thy Letter whether at one time or other I have not spoke of it since the agreement was made between the Quarterly Meeting and thee for sayest thou if Sam. Cater have spoke of it then the agreement of the Quarterly Meeting is broaken yet also sayest thou knowest not that ever thou Covenanted or promised not to write a Letter to Me about it to that I answer if thou that wert at the Quarterly Meeting and there made an agreement with the Meeting and promised to cease from all Controversie and that all the writings thou hadst writ about the Old Controversie in general should be by thee brought to Ely Prison in the 11th Month following and there be burnt which thou saidst thou didst even all that were in thy Hand and what was in thy other Friends Hands thou saidst thou wouldest send to them to do the like Now say I if thou wert at the Quarterly Meeting and made the promise and agreement with them thy self doest not look upon they self at bound by that Order or agreement from writing to Me and others about the same Controversie again how comes it to pass that I who was not at the Meeting could be bound by that Order and agreement not to speak of it For of Sam. Cater hath spoken of it sayest thou the Order of the Quarterly Meeting is broaken on his part but I never saw any such agreement this is strange Logick yea Confusion indeed it s like the rest of thy proceedings about and concerning this matter and thou wilt have as hard work to prove this as thou hast to prove that I refused to tell my Name in Laken-Heath Meeting which is false and may be proved so Thou also speaks as if the report of this Controversie was in London Bristol Hartford Lincoln c. whereby thou wert abused and mispresented what then if it were so that this business follows thee and thy malicious Book if thou hast done well in it thou needs not be ashamed of it but if thou hast done evil why doest thou not make satisfaction seeing thou pretends so much to be a Christian Quaker But Francis I am apt to believe that not any have abused thee therein for who can speak worse of thee then thou deserves And besides if it be spoken of in those places aforesaid must it needs follow that it was through my speaking of it was it not publick to the Nation does not many Hundreds know how unjustly thou demanded that Mony of Me and how restless thou wert to obtain it when thou hadst got it in that deceitful manner of thy Cosin G. S. did not he give accompt thereof to the Monthly Meeting and were not Friends satisfied that thou went beyond him and gave it as their judgment that his simplicity was betrayed and that he ought to have his Mony again and did not he give the same accompt again to the Quarterly Meeting before Friends of five several Counties and could this be a private business to be kept from being spoken of by Me but I suppose thou thinks I may have spoke of it to some body or other that might ask Me if F. B. had paid Me or G. S. the 15 l. 3 Shillings he got so unjustly into his Hands which the Meeting expected he would have returned again as well as burn his writings As to that let Me know when thou writes again what thou wouldest have me to say about it when I am asked since I have not Freedom to tell a Lie to cover thy deceit and whereas thou offers in thine to return Me 7 Pounds to Shillings if I will accept it as Token of thy condescention which thou sayest thou hast told some Friends of and that thou wouldest give Me so much Mony as a Free Gift To that I answer I have neither need nor Freedome to receive such Gifts of thee But that which I do expect and desire of thee is to return to Me or thy Cosin G. S. that 15 Pounds 3 Shilling which thou so unjustly obtained from him and whereunto I have just right and thou mayest keep thy Gifts for them that will accept of them form I desire nothing of thee but my own neither shall I receive it but as my own and as to thy comparing Me to the Pharisees who lay Heavy Burdens upon the People c. it s but one of thâ— Slanders and hard and ungodly Speeches whicâ— thou must give an account to the Lord for so it s known to the Lord and to Faithful Friends my Innocency both in that and other things whereof thou hast unjustly accused Me and otheâ— Friends who truly fears God and are clear and innocent in the sight of God of those things thoâ— chargest them with for which thou hast a bittâ—â— Cup to Drink at the Lords Hand who will nâ—â— acquit the workers of iniquity who sin against tâ—â— light in their own Consciences as thou hast doâ—â— for several years This is â—ll at present from him who desires Repentance before Mercy be hid from thy Eyes Samuel Cateâ— Ely Prison the 25th of the 10th Month 1682. Sam. Cater's Letter to F. Bugg the 26th of the 10th Month 1682. THis is to let thee know that if thou wilt not make thy Cosin G. Smith and my self satisfaction for the wrong thou hast done us both by word and deed and also call in thy wicked Book which thou hast caused to be Printed in which thou hast belied abused and misrepresented Friends to the World then we shall make thy ungodly Accounts and fraudulent proceedings more Manifest then ever we thought to have
Judgment that all Friends that Ministers in the Name and Power of the Lord are to be left to do in that as in their Faith and Freedom they shall see Meet they will answer it to God and are not to be Limited by F. Bugg nor any other what to say nor what answer to make when Informers and Persecuters come into a Meeting where they are Ministring Thirdly I do believe that this new invented Order of Fran. Bugg's tends to the exercising Rule and Lordship over the Faith and Consciences of our Bretheren and therefore I cannot set my Hand to it Fourthly I do account it a low and base thing of Fran. Bugg to make such a Law and to proffer Me 15 Pound to make Me his Proselite or to be an Abettor of his evill Inventions a thing altogether out of truth and contrary to the Antient practice thereof for Friends to make or to be made Proselites for the love of Money and I should Sin if I should condescend to his desires therein and therefore I deny to do it Fifthly I do know the 15 Pound that Fran. Bugg pretends so freely to give Me if I will signe his new Invented Order he hath wrongfully by defraud got into his Hand of my Mony for which he prepares this new Order and Imposes upon Me to Sign to keep Me out of the Mony as it appears if I did not Sign it And if I did Signe it to make a Deceitful cover for this his unjust Practice and Deceitful Dealing with his Cosin Geo. Smith which I have not freedom to do although he keeps Me still without my Mony And now I Query of F. Bugg and his Abetters if any he have seeing he is against new Orders and all Impositions as he pretends which have no Footing in the Scriptures Why I should not have my 15. Pound and 3. Shillings again seeing I cannot for Conscience sake Subscribe this his new Invented Order that he hath prescribed for Me to Signe and which I do say as before I have not freedom to do for the aforementioned reasons And whether Fran. Bugg does not appear a Persecuter of tender Consciences contrary to what He pretends if he keeps my Mony because I have not freedom to Subscribe to this his new Rule And thou saiest if this be not a condescention sufficient that is either to Sign this Order of thine or a new Arbitration thou then askest Me what will Please Me but that which will be well Pleaseing to God that is for thee to Truly Repent of thy Lies and Deceitful Dealings and acknowledg thy infaithfulness both to God and Man and make Satisfaction for the wrong thou hast done This is that which I expect and thou must do it before thou can'st come to have Peace with God and true Unity with his People run whether thou wilt and climbe as High as thou can'st the Hand of the Lord will find thee out and His Power will bring thee down as he did the Angels of Old who kept not their first Estate but lost their own Habitations which the Lord hath reserved in everlasting Chains of darkness unto the Judgment of the great day such the Apostle calls raging Waves of the Sea Foaming out their own shame wandering Starrs unto whom is reserved blackness and darkness for ever Now Fran. notwithstanding all thy Malice that thou hast shewn against Me and wrong thou hast done Me both by word and deed I could be glad I could perceive that there were so much regard by thee to the Light of Christ Jesus that thou mightest come thereby to see how near thou dwells to these fallen Angels and how much thy state and condition now resembles theirs for thou hast left thy Peaceable Habitation in the truth which the People of God injoys and thy Life is now in strife and contention as appears by the Fruit thou brings forth Thou art gone from the Love that thinks no evil into hatred and strife in which thou makest and inventest all the evil thou canst against the Servants of the Lord as is manifest by the Fruits thou hast brought forth How hast thou been Inventing Lies and Slanders not only against Me but many more of the Servants of the Lord whereby thou Foamest out thy Shame for its a Shame for a man to tell Lies and break Promises from time to time as thou hast done both before God and honest Men. And he that lives in the feare of God dare not do it but they who departs from the true fear and awe of God what will they not dare to do as appears by this wicked Work of thine and also by thy Book by which thy scoffing Rude Spirit is Manifest and thy hard Heartedness against the People of God whom now in thy Envy thou Endeavours to render them to be like the worst of Men even such as formerly thou accounted good Men and truly serviceable in the Church of Christ who are he same still But Envy hath blinded thy Eye so that thou canst not see them in their Places because thou hast lost the knowledg of thy own place which thou shoulded have continued in even in low humility before the Lord to have still waited upon him for his Wisdom to have Guided thee and to have felt his Power through the daily Cross to Crucifie that Earthly wise comprehending part in which thou comprehended the Truth in thy Head but never came to enjoy the life of Truth in thy Heart and Soul through the Death to thy own will in which unruly will thou speaks and Acts like an evil unruly Beast whose Mouth God will stop in his own time to thy sorrow without unfeigned Repentance And Francis thou tells Me of giving Me 15 Pound to Sign this Paper of thine but where is the Liberty of Conscience thou Treats so much of in thy Book Dedicated to Hen. North. Knight Wherein thou pretendest that all ought to be left free to the Liberty of their Conscience and not to be compel'd to any thing that they have not Freedom in themselves to do But in this Paper thou art far otherwise minded for thou speakest nothing of leaving Me to my Freedom in that matter of the 15 Pound But I must either contrary to my Freedom set my Hand to that Paper that thou hast contrived or else condescend to have another Arbitration about it which I cannot do for the Reasons aforesaid otherwise I must unavoidably lose my Mony which is far from leaving Me to my Freedom which in the aforesaid Book thou pretendest all ought to be left unto But Francis tell us when thou makest answer was the Dedicating of thy Book according to our Ancient principles which thou pretends to own or did Friends in the beginning Dedicate their Books in that manner or is it not rather the making of a Man that hath lost his Habitation in the power of Truth and now is creeping and Flattering with Men of the World and admiting Mens persons because of