to many to be seduced and misled to embrace and entertain the dangerous superstitious and Idolatrous Doctrines of Popery We. c. And all Popery and Popish points they to him denyed and gave him a Printed Book wherein they had so declared to all the Nation As also for the Paper aforesaid because of which they suffered so much by him makes to appear And they told him that O. P. whose Proclamation that is had said that Oath was not intended for them And further declared that onely in respect to the Command of Christ who saith swear not at all they refused to take it And as to imprisoâ—ing of those who refuse to take it So in this he shews his iustice and are intended thereby Tâ—aâ— Proclamation gives no power but onely to return their Names and places of habitation to the Exchecquer 7. After he had mustered up and drawn together his black Troops and Companies aforesaid of lyes and ignorances and of abusing of the Law to assault and destroy the innocent under his hand and seal that he might be sure never to want additional supplyes of the like forces and qualifications it to accomplish in the seventh place by a familiar spirit he raiseth up the ghost of the great Monster ET CETERA whose mouth is as large as Hell and whose depth is as the pit that hath no bottome and whose smoke ascends up for ever and ever who was begotten by the late Bishops on the Whore of Babylon of whom he is a branch and damned by the Parliament with that whole generation that brought it forth of whom it was the sudden overthrow and destruction root and branch And now after their dayes is brought up from the depths of the Earth by this Officer of the new raised Horse and Commissioner of the Militia and as he calls himself Justice of the Peace of the County of Cornwall who is a shame to the Government When by the Law of the Land all Warrants of Commitment ought expresly to mention the name the habitation the calling of the person committed and the certain offence which must be such as is so in Law according to which the Prisoner is to have his Issue But whether this be such let him who reads and understands judge and whether P. Ceelyes Warrant ET CETERA be not the Monster of this age in the Law as was the Bishops Oath ET CETERA of the preceding generation in Religion and deserving the same yea a greater condemnation that it may rise no more henceforth even for ever Being delivered in custody to the Goaler at Lanceston they were there detained Prisoners by vertue of the aforesaid Warrant ET CETERA till the general Assizes for the County of Cornwall held at Lanceston on the second day of which being the 25. of the first month 1656. they were brought before the Bench where John Glynne Chief Justice of the Upper Bench sate Judge Multitudes of people being in and about the Court and in the Town who having heard very strange reports concerning them expected some great thing to be laid to their charge and proved equivolent thereunto and to the misusages and impriâ—onments they had sustained of which the whole Countrey was fulâ— as the prisoners considering their innocency and sufferings had also cause to expect and justice of him who was in Commission Chief Justice of England unto whom in caseâ— oâ— wrong judgement appeals are made from other Judges and Jâ—â—â—â—ces and Ministers of the Law according to the Law and his place and oath and a suitable care and tâ—nderness of the liberties of men according to the Law and Equity whatsâ—ever had been the contrary proceedings of others in Commission to the truth and the Friends thereof But what was produced as to the one and done by the other and what justice they received will appear to the sober and wise in heart when those few of the passages of that Assizes in reference unto them as they are rehearsed and managed in the Law in their following Letter sent by them and delivered the last Assizes at Gloucester where he sate Judge as to his carriage towards them shall onely be considered and weighed in judgement For John Glynne Chief Justice of England Friend WE are Free-men of England free born our Rights and Liberties in and with our Countryes with the Laws the defence of them have we in the late Wars vindicated in the Field with our blood and therefore with thee by whose hand we have so long and do yet suffer let us a little plainly reason concerning thy proceedings against us whether they have been according to the Law or agreeable to thy duty and office as chief Minister of the Law or Justice of England and in meekness and in lowliness abide that the witness of God in thy conscience may be heard to speak and judge in this matter for thou and we must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad And so Friend in moderation and soberness weigh what we have here to say unto thee The afternoon before we were brought before thee at the Assizes at Launceston thou didst cause divers scores of our Books violently to be taken from us by armed men without due process of Law which being perused if so be any thing in them might be found to lay to our charge who were innocent and then upon our legal issue thou hast detained to this very day Now our Books are our Goods and our Goods are our Property and our Liberty is to have and enjoy our Property and of our Liberty and Property the Law is the defence which saith No Free-man shall be disseized of his Free-hold Liberties or Free-customes c. nor any way otherwise destroyed nor we shall not pass upon him but by lawfull judgement of his Peers or by the Law of the Land Magn. Chart. cap. 29. Now Friend consider is not the taking away of a mans Goods violently by foree of Arms as aforesaid contrary to the Law of the Land Is not the keeping of them so taken away a disseizing him of his property and a destroying of it and his Liberty yea his very Being so far as the invading the Guard the Law sets about him is in order thereunto Calls not the Law this a destroying of a man Is there any more than one common Guard or Defence viz. the Law to Property Liberty and Life And can this Guard be broken on the former and the later be secure Doth not he that makes an invasion upon a mans property and liberty as he doth who contrary to Law which is the Guard acts upon either make an invasion upon a mans life since that which is the Guard of the one is also of the other If a penny or pennyes worth be taken from a man contrary to Law may not by the same rule all a man hath
divers of those Friends to prison that he might do justice while the Constable was in Town who took away his money and so used him but he refused so to do or to meddle therein This is Major Saunders and the end of his long and large profession also but hath now forgotten it and is j yned with them and with them is gone down to the pit and his grave hath he made with the uncircumc sed who knew the day when those at Exon rose up against him and his souldiers as Hereticks and Schismaticks And another who was carrying money and other provisions to the prisoners the Constable robb'd of 20 s. of that money at the eleventh hour of the night on the Guard where they had him prisoner though he said if he took his money from him they robb'd him And one Parker one of M jor Blackmore's Troopers charged the Inn-keeper at Exon to detain Katherine Evans hired horse who with John Bolton James Naylor and Thomas Hawkins were brought from Okehampton prisoners whereupon the Inn-keeper refused to deliver her horse saying he had an order from the said Trooper to detain it and that the said Trooper said he had order from his Major so to do And after she was so taken from her a Justice sent her on foot to her outward being from tithing to tithing with a pass which horse and the moneys aforesaid are yet detained as are the persons of those 21. in prison in Exeter to this day as is particularly instanced hereafter with their names and by whom and the Justices that committed them and the proceedings of Judge Nicholas with them at the Assizes to which the Reader is referred And as from the Priests arose this unheard of cruel persecution so were they not able so full were they of it to contain themselves from appearing openly in acting therein of which an instance or two shall be given On the 20. of the 6. month John Stubs William Ames and Hester Bedle as they were passing towards Lanceston met with a guard at Pogel and two Priests by them the one Priest of Pogell the others name was Waldron as said the people The Guard examined them first and then pass'd them over to the Priests The Priests having took them in hand one of them viz. Parson Waldron said to the Guard Watchmen you were best keep them for they are suspicious and I do the more suspect them because they came from Bâ—istol What are we suspicious of said one of them That Priest answered of being Quakers and asked them whether they were not such as were so called They answered they were Then said he to the Watchmen you must not let them pass for therefore are the Watches set that noâ—e might pass who go under that name And the other Priest them with much passion they went about the Devils work who were going to visit the Innocent in Prison and with his message and laughed and scoff'd at what one of them said to him in the dread and power of the Lord. And Parson Waldron said that he thought they must get the Countrey to knock them in the heads or beat their brains out and that if the power were in his hands he would root them out of the land And the Priest of Pogell said it was pity they were not all rooted out of the land I 'le warrant said Parson Waldron this Parliament will root them all-out and this he said several times And having spoken a notorious lye of one of those Friends before the people of something that was unseemly which the Priest said he should then do which the people present bore witness it was not so having both seen and heard the passages though he was taken with a lye in his mouth yet so far was he from blushing or being ashâ—med that he laughed thereat and said Though he were a lyar yet all were not like him And having used much scoffings and railings the Priests departed that night after they had given order to the Guard to keep them prisoners So by those two Priests order were they kept ten hours prisoners The next morning the Priest of Pogell came again and railed at them while they were prisoners whereupon one of them drew near towards him to speak to him he retired back and bid him stand off and when he was asked where his moderation was he answered he ought not to be moderate in the things of God And the woman he thrust from him and threatned to kick her about and said to the Watchmen that they must be carried to Exon. And of the same minde was one Priest Ham at Lanceston who in his farewell Lecture-Sermon there exhorted the people to tread the bodies of the people called Quakers in the street and taught them how to write their names in the dust And another Priest drew the Warrant by which he was committed whom the Constable robb'd of the 20 s. of the money he was carrying to the prisoners as aforesaid at the instigation of that Priest Which Warrant for the rarity thereof and that the sober may see what unheard of Monsters this black generation brings forth and for that it hath an ET CETERA in it as hath P. Ceelyes as is aforesaid and because it is an interpretation of the Order of Sessions and of the proceedings thereupon and of the pit out of which it proceeded under one of the founders drawing and hand-writing take as followeth To all Mayors Bayliffs Sheriffs Constables Tithingmen and all Officers whom these may concern WHereas there was an Order issued from this Bench for the apprehending of all Rogues and Vagabonds and in particular for the apprehending of those who pass up and down the Countrey under the name of Quakers as disturbers of the peace of this present Government and as underminers of the Fundamentals of Religion the spreaders of Heresies and Blasphemies c. Now there being one that owns the name of a Quaker being apprehended and brought before me who hath Letters and a Book tending to the spreading of the dangerous opinions of that party and without any Certificate at all from whence he came and whither he will I do therefore in pursuance of the said Order issued from this Bench commit the said Quaker unto the Goal of this County there to remain till he be discharged by due order of Law And by these presents I do require the Keeper of the said Goal to take him the said Quaker whose name as he saith is Thomas Rawlinson into his custody and him safely to keep untill by Authority he be set at liberty Given under my hand and seal at Telcot this 7th of August 1656. Edw. Aiscot It would be too long to take this Monster in pieces and fully to describe it nor will this relation which hath such variety of unheard of illegal and monstrous proceedings necessarily to be spoken to bear a large discourse of this or of divers other material passages mentioned therein each of
and indicting them and denying them a copy of their indictment not suffering them to speak in their owne defence or to the Jury but calling for and threatning them with a (*) The prisoner ought to have liberty to speak for himself so is the Law of the Nation and all Equitie and the Judge ought to instruct him in the Law if he mistake and not to call for a Gâ—g to Gag him when he desires to speak for himself O cruell injustâ—ce and horrible inhumanity whetherto doth this age run in a blind mad persâ—cution of the iust was ever the liâ—e heard of a man imprisoned and brought to his tryall and not permitted to speak for himself and for a Iudge to call for a Gag and to order him to be Gagd for attempting so to speak and so to proceâ—d against him fine and imprison him The Roman Governours crie shame on this Thou art permitted to speak for thy self said King Agrippa to Paul and Felix told him he would hear him when his accusers were come and when Turtullus the chi f Priests Orator had accused hâ—m he beckned to Paul and p rmitted him to speak for himself and heard him concerning the Faith of Christ and his reasonâ—ng of righteousness and iudgement to come and trembled And Festus heard him also in his defence after he had been accused and before the Iews and King Agrippa confest after he had heard him that he found he had committed nothing worthy of Dea h though the Iews he said had cried out that he ought not to live any longer and heard him speak also of the Faith of Iesus And the Pharisees said Doth our Law condemn a Man before it hear him and know what he doth but beyond Heathens Romans Iews Pharisees is this blind Generation speak for himself Gag him where did any of Heathens do so Englishmen where are you after this rate O Monstrous Tyrannie and wicked inâ—ustice exceâ—ding Heathens Pagans Romans Iews and Pharisees Gag when they did but attempt to speak when they yet sought to speak causing them to be forc'd away with violence and passing upon them not so much as with the consent of a Jury which he put upon them for some said they were young in it and desired further time to consider upon an Indictment which had no offence charged therein that was an offence in Law but his own will which he set up for a Law and in his will thus fined and sent to Prison till payment and for the good behaviour fourteen men and women whose names with seven more as they were taken up in the high way and apprehended with the time when and place where and the Justices by whom committed are Dorcas Erbury taken 22. 5. month 1656. near Hunington committed by William Put Justice Elizabeth Catland taken 22. 5. month 1656. near Hunington committed by William Put Justice Anne Harrison 23. 5 month 15. miles off Exon Mayor Tho. Saunders Justice Jane Bland 23. 5 month 15. miles off Exon Mayor Tho. Saunders Justice Henry Godman 24. 5. month near Colhampton Major Saunders Justice William Bayly 29. 5. month Axemister Thomas Drake Justice Iohn â—ames 31. 5. month Sandford Major Saunders Justice Humphry Smith 1. 6. month Buterly committed by a Iustice at Tiverton Iohn Bolton 2. 6. month Okchampton Mayor James Nayler Nicholas Gaincliff 3. North Fotton Constables Thomas Hawkins 2. 6. month Okehampton Mayor Samuel Cater 4. 6. month 12. miles off Exon. Constable Robert Crabb 4. 6. month 12. miles off Exon. Constable Tho. Rollinson 7. 6. month Telcot Edw. Ascot Iustice Iohn Brown 7. 6. month Apledore Iohn Champion Iustice Mary Erbury 7. 6. month Apledore Iohn Champion Iustice Ioan Ingram 7. 6. month Apledore Iohn Champion Iustice Luce Field 7. 6. month Bascomb Iohn Bare Iustice Luce Field 7. 6. month Audry Iohn Bare Iustice Ioseph Meader 15. 6. month Lifton William Morish Iustice Mary Howgill 15. 6. month Lifton William Morish Iustice Where they remain Prisoners to this day the most of them lying upon Straw amongst the Fellons with which hardship and nastie inconveniences severall of them are fallen sick and one of them viz. Iane Ingram is dead being taken at Apledore with Iohn Brown and Mary Erbury 7. of the 6. month she was travelling to visit the Prisoners at Lanceston from Wales and committed by Iohn Champion Iustice who beat Iohn Brown with his own hands and then sent him and them to Exon Gaole where he was laid in Bolts who hath now as hath Iudge Nicholas and the Iustices of the Sessions aforesaid from whom came the Order of the Guards and Major Blackmore who so earnestly pressed the execution of that order as they tendred all their hopes of salvation c. that so it might not be a dead Letter which hath proved the Death of this servant of the Lord but leaving direction as he blasphemously calls it and the Priests that set it on and those Guards the blood of the innocent for which they shall answer before the Iudge of all the earth who judgeth righteousness however they escape the Iustice of man and yet so hardned are those that notwithstanding her death after some time of sickness which Major Blackmore was told of before she dyed and the sickness of others and the ill condition outwardly they are in and their innocencie that they there continue them Prisoners to this day even the Sea-monsters draw forth the Breast and give suck to their young but these are become cruell as the Ostrich in the wilderness where will ye hide in the day of Visitation when the Lord shall make Inquisition for bloud and the sufferings of his Saints where then will ye flee and ever will ye leave your glory Take it to you it is your portion for at the hand of the Lord God bloud shall you drink for ye are worthy O ye matchless Persecutors such a proceeding as this the Records of this Nation afford not before this day being in all things vvholy contrary to the Lavv of England cruell and unreasonable And this is the relief the innocent who had suffered as aforesaid from and by the illegall order of Sessions and the executions thereof received from this Iudge Nicholas vvho not onely thus threw the servants of the Lord by heaps into the Common Gaole but Thomas Boyleston anâ— Thomas Powell committed by the Sessions to the Assizes vvho being brought before him with those aforementioned vvere dealt vvithall as they vvere having been about six vveeks before in Prison And Priscilla Cotten and Katherine Martingdale of Plymouth being imprisoned the later for speaking in a Steeple house in Plymouth the 13. of the 5th month 1656. after the Priests time these vvords Priest and people vvho live in Cains nature in envy and malice God regards not that sacrifice and the former for being with her not saying a word and brought before him he fined Priscilla who said not a word in 50. l. and imprisonment till payment and
his Iniquitie will be further evident when his Warrant aforesaid being taken in pieces iâ— measured with the Rule of Law and weighed in the ballance of truth and Justice 1. For first whereas he chargeth them in the front who go under the notion of Quakers and acknowledge themselves to be such The end of the Law is to preserve the Peace and the Unitie and the end of the Administration thereof is to bring out of the division into the unitie and out of the strife into the Peace Now that which divides as he whether he be Souldier Judge or Justice or what ever he be doth which distinguisheth a Generation of men under one and the same Government from the rest and puts upon them a hatefull name of distinction and tearm of reproach whereby they and others are set in opposition breaks the Peace and destroyes the unity sets a family at variance and a Nation is a family overthrows the end of the Law and makes void the Righteous Administration thereof and into Wars leads and Contentions and every evill work as this Nation of late years hath sadly witnessed for from this very distinguishing of men and branding them with tearms of reproach was the fire kindled and the flames of the late Wars brought forth and nourished Whereby these three Nations being one against another and the very being of them were likely to have been overthrown rased out and consumed And such an one is an evill doer in a high degree to whom the Sword of the Magistrate of God which punisheth and cuts off that which transgresseth and so brings out of the division into the unity and out of the Wars and strife into the Peace is a terror and on whom it is to pass But P. Ceely who calls himself one of the Justices of the Peace of the County of Cornwall by distinguishing a Generation of people in this Nation who fear and dread and tremble before the Lord and the words of his holiness as did the holy men of God from the begining and record in the Scripture from the rest of the people of â—his Nâ—tion and putting upon them a hatefull Tearm of distinction and brand of Reproach whereby they are marked out and set in opposition and appointed to all manner of abuses scornings and sufferings as is experienced in all parts every where throughout the Nation where any such are with such barbarousness and cruelty as exceeds the fiercest and most inhumane persecutions of the latter ages And himself under his hand and Seale branding them therewith in the head of his Warrant as a people because distinguished by him and reproached with such a name fit onely to be destroyed and endeavouring their destruction so far as a long imprisonment and the cruelties thereof which they have lately felt almost to the loss of one of their lives hereafter to be mentioned as have many of those innocent people of the Lord in other parts from this Generation whose lives they have had in the prisons which cry aloud for vengeance in the ears of the Lord of Saboath for that they go under the hated name and scorned tearm of Quakers hath manifested himself to be a brâ—aker of the peace a destroyer of â—he unity a setter of the whole family of a Nation at variance an overthrower of the end of the Law one that makes void the righteous Administration thereof a leader into wars and contentions and every evil work and a minister of unrighteousness and iniquity on whom the sword of the righteous judgement of God will pass to the cutting of him off and dividing him his portion with hypocrites and sinners and of this let him consider for one day whether he will or no so he shall find it except he repent And whereas he saith who acknowledge themselves to be such to fear and dread and tremble and quake at the presence of the living God who maketh the earth to shake and the Pillars thereof to tremble as did Isaak and Moses and Jeremy and Ezekiel and Daniel and Habbacuck and Paul and the Church of Corinth and the Saints of the most high in all ages who knew his presence this they own as do all the children of light and acknowledge themselves to be of the Generation of those who seek the face and thus witness the presence of the Holy one of Israel But as he hath placed it in contempt and scorne and as a hatefull brand and heinous offence by which they are appointed to all manner of sufferings that they deny and the acknowledging themselves to be such or that they ever acknowledged themselves or any others to be such as they do deny him and this his Lie and the Generation of him who is a lyar from the beginning he knows who it is Whereas he chargeth them Who have spread several papers tending to the disturbance of the publick peace No papers did they spread tending to the disturbance of the publick peace the paper which G. F. gave forth for which cause he apprehended abused and imprisoned them is already rehearsed and let the sober judge whether that be the matter of disturbing the publick or any mans peace But the man of Sin the son of Perdition whose kingdom Christ Jesus is come and coming to destroy and his peace to break and his Armour to take from him and of his goods him to spoile against whom his war is proclaimed and his sword drawn and brought upon the earth to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against the mother in law and a mans foes shall be them of his own houshould And this war brings peace to the Israel of God And let such judge whether P. Ceely makes not himfelf to appear to be in the possession of that strong man armed whose peace he would not have disturbed Who chargeth the declaring of Jesus Christ the stronger than he to be Lord and King and the only way to salvation to be tending to the disturbance of the publick peace contrary to what the Government Act. 37. and O. P. the chief Ruler thereof hath declared as aforesaid And as for the several papers tending to the disturbance of the publick peace spread by them he hath not to this day made any such to appear which if he could no doubt they had not been to be produced or made use of at this time nor indeed have any such been by them dispersed And so this his Charge is a lie from the father of lies whose peace only was disturbed and in whose behalf P. Ceely chargeth The declaring of the mighty day of the Lord to be come and coming wherein all hearts shall be made manifest the secrets of every mans heart shall be revealed with the light of Jesus which comes from Jesus Christ who lighteth every man that cometh into the world who saith Learn of me This is my well beloved Son hear ye him saith God that lighteth
be taken away If the bound of the Law be broken upon a mans property on the same ground may it not be broken upon his person And by the same reason as it is broken on one man may it not be broken upon all sithence the liberty and property and the beings of all men under a Government is relative a Communion of Wealth as the members in the body but one guard to all and defence the Law one man cannot be injured therein but it redounds unto all Are not such things in order to the subversion and dissolution of Government Where there is no Law what is become of Government And of what value is the Law made when the Ministers thereof break it at pleasure upon mens properties liberties and persons Canst thou clear thy self of these things as to us To that of God in thy conscience whiâ—h is just do we speak Hast thou acted like a M nister the Chief Minister of the Law who hast taken away our Goods and yet detainest them without so much as going by lawfull Warrant grounded upon due information whâ—ch in this our case thou couldest not have for none had perused â—hem whereof to give the information Shouldest thou exercâ—se violence and force of Arms on Prisoneâ—s Goods in their Prison-chamber instead of orderly and legally proceeding which thy place calls upon thee above any man to tender defend and maintain against the other and to preserve the Guard entire of every mans being liberty life and livelyhood Shouldest thou whose duty it is to punish the wrong doer do wrong thy self Who oughtest to see the Law be kept and observed break the Law and turn aside the due administration thereof Surely from thee considering thee as Chief Justice of England other â—hings were expected both by us and the People of this Nation And Friend when we were brought before thee and stood upon our Legal Issue and no Accuser or Accusation came in against us as to what we had been wrongfully imprisoned and in Prison detained for the spâ—ce of nine weeks shouldst not thou have caused us to have been acquitted by Proclamation Saith not the Law so Oughtest not thou to have examined the cause of our commitment and there not appearing a lawfull cause oughtest not thou to have discharged us Is it not the substance of thy office and duty to do justice according to the Law and Câ—stâ—me of England Is not this the end of the administration of the Law and of the General Assizes of the Goal deliveries of the Judges going the Circuits Hast not thou by doing otherwise acted contrary to all these and to Magna Charta cap. 29. which saith We shall sell to no man we shall deny or deferr to no man either Justice or Right Hast not thou both deferred and denyed us who had been so long oppressed this Justice and Right And when of thee Justice we demanded saidst thou not If we would be uncovered thou wouldst hear us and do us Justice We shall sell to no man we shall deny or deferr to no mâ—n either Justice or Right saith Magna Charta as aforesaid We have commanded all our Justices that they shall from henceforth do EVEN Law and execution of Right to all our Sub ects rich and poor without having regard to any mans per on and without letting to do Right for any Letters or Commandments which may come to them from Us or from any other or by any other cause c. upon pain to be at our Will Body and Lands and Goods to do thereof as shall please us in case they do contrary saith Sâ—at 20 Ed. 3. cap. 1. Ye shall swear that ye shall do EVEN Law and execution of Right to all rich and pâ—or without having regard to any person and that you deny to no man common Right by the Kings Letters nor none other mans nor for NONE other cause And in case any Letters come to you contrary to the Law that you do nothing by such Letters but certifie the King thereof and go forth to do the Law notwithstanding those Letters And in case ye he from henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the Kings will of Lands Body and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him saith the Oath appointed by all the Judges 18. Eâ— 3. Stat. 3. But none of these nor none other Law hath such an expression or condition in it as this viz. Provided If he will put off his Hat to ye or be uncovered Nor doth the Law of God so say or that your persons be respected but the contrary From whence then comes this new Law If ye will be uncovered I will hear ye and do â—e Justice this hearing complaint of wrong this doing of Justice upon condition Wherein lyes the equity and reasonableness of that When were those Fundamental Laws repealed which were the issue of much Blood and War which to uphold cost the Miseries and Blood of the late Wars that we shall now be heard as to Right and have Justice done us but upon condition and such a trifling one as the putting off the Hat Doth thy saying so who art commanded as aforesaid repeal them and make them of none effect and all the Miserie 's undergone and the blood shed for them of old and of late years Whether it be so or no indeed and to the Nation thou hast made it so to us Whom thou hast denyed the justice of our Liberty when we were before thee and no Accuser or Accusation came in against us and the hearing of the wrong done to us who were innocent and the doing us Right and Bonds hast thou cast and continued upon us to this day under an unreasonable and cruel Jaylor for not performing that thy condition for conscience sake But thinkest thou that this thine own Conditional Justice maketh voyd the Law or can it do so or absolve thee before God or Man or acquit thee of the penalty mentioned in the Laws aforesaid unto which hast thou not sworn and consented Viz. And in case ye be from henceforth found in default in any of the points aforesaid ye shall be at the Kings will of Body Lands and Goods thereof to be done as shall please him And is not thy saying If ye will be uncovered or put off your Hats I will hear ye and do ye justice And because we would not put them off for conscience sake the denying of us justice who had so unjustly suffered and hearing of us as to wrong a default in thee against the very essence of those Laws yea an overthrow thereof for which things sake being of the highest importance to the beings of men so just so equal so necessary those Laws were made and all the provisions therein to make a default in any one point of which provisions exposeth to the said penalty Dost not thou by this time see where thou art Art thou sure thou shalt never be made
to understand and feel the justice thereof Is thy state so high and thy fence so great And art thou so certain of thy time and station above all that have gone before thee whom justice hath cut down and given their due that thou shalt never be called to an account nor with its long and sure stroke be reached Deceive not thy self God is come nearer to udgement than the workers of iniquity in this age imagine who persecute and evil intreat those who witness the Just and Holy One for their witnessing of him who is come to reign for ever and ever Saith he not he will be a swift Witness against the false Swearers God is not mocked Surely Friend that must needs be a very great offence the not forbearing of the doing of which deprives a man of justice of being heard as to wrong of the benefit of the Law of those Laws before rehearsed the justice and equity of which for to defend a man hath adventured his Blood and all that is dear to him But to stand covered or with the Hat on in conscience to the command of the Lord is made by thee such an one which is none in Law and rendred upon us who are innocent serving the living God effectually though the Laws of God and of Man and the Oath and Equity and Reason saith the contrary and on it pronounceth such a penalty If ye will be uncovered I will hear you and do you justice But justice we had not nor were we heard because the light of Jesus Christ who is the higher power the Law-giver of his people in our consciences commanded us not to respect persons whom to obey we chose rather than man And for our obedience into it hast thou cast us into Prison and continued us there to this very day having neither shewed us Law for it nor Scripture or instance of either or example of Heathens or others Friend come down to that of God that is just in thee and consider Was ever such a thing heard of in this Nation What is become of Seriousness of Judgement and of Righteousness An unrighteous man standing before thee with his Hat off shall be heard but an innocent man appearing with his Hat on in conscience to the Loâ—d shall neither be heard nor have justice Is not this regarding of persons contrary to the Laws aforesaid and the Oath and the Law of God Vnderstand and judge Did we not own Authority and Government oftentimes before the Court Didst not thou say in the Court thou wast glad to hear so much from us of our owning Magistracy Pleaded we not to the Indictment though it was such a new found one as England never heard of before Came we not when thou sentst for us Went we not when thou bidst us go And are we not still Prisoners at thy Command and at thy Will If the Hat had been such an offence to thee couldst not thou have caused it to have been taken off When thou hadst heard us so often declare we could not do it in conscience to the command of the Lord and that for that cause we forbore it not in contempt of thee or of Authority nor in dis-respect to thine or any mans person for we said we honoured all men in the Lord and owned Authority which was a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well And our souls were subject to the higher powers for conscience sake as thou causedst them to be taken off and to be kept so when thou calledst the Jury to finde us Transgressors without a Law What ado hast thou made to take away the Righteousness of the Righteous from him and to cause us to suffer further whom thou knewest to have been so long wrongfully in Prison contrary to Law Is not Liberty of Conscience a Natural Right Had there been a Law in this case and we bound up in our Consciences that we could not have obeyed it was not Liberty of Conscience there to take place For where the Law saith not against there needs no Plea of Liberty of Conscience But the Law have not we offended yet in thy will for our consciences where the Law requires no such thing hast thou and dost thou yet cause us to suffer And yet for Liberty of Conscience hath all the blood been spilt and the miseries of the late Wars undergone and as O. P. saith this Government undertaken to preserve it and a Natural Right he saith it is and he that would have it he saith ought to give it And if a Natural Right as it is undeniable than to attempt to force it or to punish a man for not doing contrary thereunto is to act against Nature which as it is unreasonable so it is the same as to offer violence to a mans life and what an offence that is in the Law thou knowest and how by the common Law of England all Acts and Agreements and Laws that are against Nature are meer nullities and all the Judges cannot make one case to be Law which is against Nature But put the case our standing with our Hats on had been an offence in Law and we wilfully and in contempt and not out of Conscience had so stood which we deny as aforesaid Yet that is not a ground wherâ—fore we should be denyed Justice or to be heard as to the wrong done to us If ye will not offend in one case I will do you Justice in another this is not the language of the Law or of justice which distributes to every one their Right justice to whom justice is due punishment to whom punishment is due A man who doth wrong may also have wrong done to him shall he not have right wherein he is wrongd unless he right him whom he hath wronged The Law saith not so but the wrong doer is to suffer and the sufferer of wrong is to be righted Is not otherwise to do a denying a letting of even Law and execution of justice and a bringing under the penalties aforesaid mind and consider And shouldst thou have accuâ—ed when no accuser appeared against us as in the particulars of striking P. Ceely and dispersing Books as thou saye'stâ— against Magistracie and Ministrie with which thou didst accuse onâ— of us Saith not the Law that the Judge ought not be the accuser much less a false accuser and wâ—s't not thou such a one in affirming that he dispersed Books against Magistracie and Ministrie when as the Books were violently taken out of our Chamber as hath been said undispersed by him or any of us Nor didst thou make it to appear in one particular wherein those thou so violently didst cause to be taken away were against Magistracie or Ministry or gavest one Instance or Replie when he denied what thou charg'st therein and spake to thee to bring forth those Books and make them to appear Is not the sword of the Magistrate of God to pass upon such evill doing And according to
obedience to which they were sure to find them without respecting of persons which who so doth commits Sin and is committed of the Law as a transgressor therefore an Indictment grounded on no Law was before hand made ready upon confidence they would stand in the Court covered when they should be called and they appearing so when they were called in conscience to the Law of God not out of any contempt of them or of Authoritie which they owned as hath been said they were fined in twenty Markes a piece and sentenced to prison till payment so and in such manner as hath been expressed and so to the Prison were they returned by command of the Judg and by order signed John Glynne who hath caused and taken upon himself the sufferings of the innocent where P. Ceelyes Warrant could not further reach are they there kept to this day and the Countrey returned with this answer to their great expectations that notwithstanding the loud outcry that had been made and strange reports concerning these men when it came to the tryall nothing could be laid to their charge but because in conscience to the command of the Lord who requires that the person of no man be respected they could not put off their hats though they so declared to the Court and that they stood not covered in contempt of Authority or in disrespect to any mans person but for that cause and though they owned Authority and pleaded they were fined and imprisoned till payment for not putting off their hats which no Law of God or man required nor was any Law or Instance of either or example of Heathens or others on record in Scripture produced upon their often desires in that particular instead of being freed after their long imprisonment and other sufferings without a cause and this with what hath been aforesaid is the Justice and measure which the righteous and just one hath received in these in whom he worketh and is made manifest from the chief Justice of England for that in obedience unto it they stood before him with their hats on of which all the Cases and Records in this Nation of those who have preceded him affords not a parallel and so hath it pleased the wisdom of God that by a hat such a base thing all the Religion and Justice of this high professing generation should be tried and confounded and by a thing that is not the things that are should be brought to nought Upon their being returned to Prison by order of the chief Justice as aforesaid the Gaoler was somewhat earnest to know whether they would pay their Fines being very desirous to be rid of them for that their being there had been a great curb to the prophane swearing and drinking and cursing and blaspheming and gaming used by them who came to drink strong-drink in his house and to use vain pleasure in the prison green and therein a hindrance to his profit for such Persons being by the prisoners often reprov'd as they were movings from the Lord for the evils aforesaid had little mind to frequent his house which Fines when after a few dayes he saw they were resolv'd not to satisfie and so their imprisonment like to continue The evill spirit which to that time was much chain'd began to be let loose in him and taking encouragement from the proceedings of P. Ceely and the Judg against them and perceiving thereby how they were delivered up as Persons on whom any manner of iniquitie and violence and crueltie might be exercised without being called to account and punished for the same Capt. Fox his Cornet having also openly said in the Prison to these prisoners faces that if they slew them who should gainsay it or killed them or shed their blood and that they were not to be protected he began to exercise his Salvage will and beastly lusts upon them which had its effects in the batbarous cruell and unreasonable usages now to be declared and so now comes to act his part in their sufferings as had P. Ceely and the chief Justice When they were first brought into prison by vertue of P. Ceelies Warrant ETCETERA the three prisoners aforesaid agreed with the keeper and his wife for meat and drink chamber and all other accommodations at a certain rate for themselves and Benjamin Maynard who for standing still in Lanceston Steeple-house and speaking not a word till violent hands were laid on him and he haled near the dore was committed as is hereafter more at large mentioned with this condition that if he or they should for the time to come be unsatisfied with or dislike to hold on according to that agreement the party so disliking might breake of at any weekes end and the prisoners were to ptovide for themselves and from the time of this agreement they every week paid the said weekly summe and something over Nevertheless he repined thereat behind their backs and grudg'd to the people of the Town and Countries of which the prisoners being informd and that the Gaoler had said a few dayes before to his wife make an end with them at the end of the week with many reproachfull speeches before divers people when the weeke was at an end one of them asked the Gaolers wife whether she and her husband were unsatisfied to continue to diet them according to the foresaid agreement acquainting her with what they were informed her husband had said and if they were not satisfied they should speak plainly for they so meant and intended to deal with them and so to be dealt with desired and not to be reproached and abused behind their backs and this they were desirous to know that they might otherwise provide for their dyet to which she answered that she and her husband were both well satisfied to dyet them as before and so they continued as formerly Yet the evill spirit in the goaler was not at rest but manifested it self in rage and cruelty before that week was ended For Benjamin Maynard having put up a paper in the prison green against pleasures the Gaoler the evening before the last day of that week broke forth in great fury against them and abuses and by the haire of the head put Benjamin Maynard down into Doomesdale amongst the fellons reviling and reproaching him and the other prisoners exceedingly which though they heard yet they let the Gaoler alone neither coming at him nor speaking unto him but kept their Chamber Notwithstanding at his return from putting Benjamin into Doomesdale he came up to them in his rage and anger and as before so again to their faces he called them both the night and the next morning Rogues Stinking Knaves Jesuits Salvages and Runnagats with such other filty language as it came into his mind threatning to put them into Doomesdale and to put Irons upon them with oaths and Curses not fit to be mentioned calling all their friends that came to visite them in prison Rogues and Whores saying that
notice thereof Nor was he with all this his inhumane and unmercifull dealing satisfied but about the 10. hour in the night he came into the roome over their heads with a company who were drunk and stampt the dust down upon their heads and called them rogues and other filthy names and on purpose he threw a pot of excrements and pist down upon their heads and on their fire to put it out which was made to cleanse away the stinking ayre and the next night he came again and stamped the dust down on their heads and pist into this place where he had set them and threatned to put them into Irons and to chain them together to posts and to nail their eares to a post and gagge their mouths and called them hatchet-faced dogges and damnd dogges of Egypt and rogues and bad them kiss and lick and put their noses into that which is offensive to modesty to express and said he would do what he could that they might ly in prison and rot and threatned to put the fellons down to them and whereas he used to lodge at his house he came and lay over their heads that he might be more ready to abuse them and 12 s. he demanded to have the dore of that loathsome cell to stand open and 20 s. a weeke for a chamber Having received the injuries and abuses aforesaid from the Goaler they asked him who had the power of the Goale over him he answered nobody but that the land houses were Coll. Bennets whom he said he had fast enough under his hand seal when they answered him their demand was not whose land houses it was but who had the power over the prison as it was a Prison for the County and over him and the Prisoners in case of wrong and abuse done to the Prisoners He answered No body but himself had the sole power Then they asked him whether there was no appeal above him He answered no. Then they asked him whether the Sheriff had no power over him and the Prisoners if Prisoners should appeal to him because of abuse from their Keeper He answered the Sheriff had nothing to do neither with him nor his Prisoners and added as an argument that when any were condemned to be hang'd that the Sheriff had nothing to do to come into the Castle Prison but the Keeper was to deliver the Prisoners at the Castle gate to the Sheriff Then they asked kim whether the Justices of the County had any thing at all to do with him in the case as aforesaid He answered that the Justices of the County had nothing at all to do with him Then they asked him whether the Mayor of the Town had any thing to do with him in such case He answered If the Mayor come there meaning the Prison he would put him by the heels This horrible tyrannie of the Goaler and impudent affirming that none had power over him to whom appeal might be made by the Prisoners as to the abuses they received of him Neither Sheriff nor Justices nor Mayor to call him to account but that he had the sole power and that above him there was no appeal occasioned a Representation of the cruel usages aforesaid and of what he affirmed of his having the sole power of the Goal and of his being accountable to any for what he did to be drawn for the Justices whose Sessions at Bodmin was near unto whom it was sent for them and delivered to Captain Braddon by one of the Town who witnessed to the particulars Which when Captain Braddon had read he assured those Friends that brought it to acquaint the Justices therewith and in a convenient season When about a dozen Justices were together the Relation and the Friend who was an eye-witness of passages was called for and before the Countrey did they cause it publickly to be read and manifested much sense of their injurious sufferings which they spake unto in the behalf of the Prisoners and against the Goaler and declared that the Prisoners were not Rogues nor Thieves nor Murtherers nor were committed or sued neither should they be so used and that their persons deserved better usage and sharply reproving the Goaler for his demanding 12 s. to have Doomsdale-door open to them and 20 s. a week for a Chamber they asked him whether he had got men to make a purchase of and told him they should not pay a penny And Captain Braddon publickly declared that he would be security for their true imprisonment that so they might be delivered out of that noysome den and from out of the Keepers power and cruelty and gave himself security in a 100 l. of his own voluntary accord for their true imprisonment as he signified to the Prisoners in a Letter And the Justices ordered the Goaler to put them out of Dooms-dale But further they proceeded not with him than hath been rehearsed he being not theirs but Colonel Bennet's Deputy who then was not at the Sessions And thus did the Justices of which P. Ceely was none particularly Captain Braddon carry themselves like men who had a sense of the injurious sufferings of others and like Ministers of the Law whom the spirit of Justice ruled which is noble and honourable and gives a good savour The Justices declaring themselves in the behalf of the Prisoners and ordering their removal out of Dooms-dale as aforesaid and Edward Piot being fallen very dangerously sick of a Feaver to the hazard of his life by reason of the poysonous stench of that unwholsome place which continued upon him many dayes put the Goaler under fear what would become of him which not onely caused him to command the Prisoners three dayes after his return from the Sessions out of Dooms-dale after they had been kept there for the space of 13 dayes who till he so commanded them forth had not freedome to stir though the doors were set open into the Chamber where they were before but kept him somewhat orderly and quiet awhile permitting provisions to be brought to them and Friends to vâ—sit them as they would But in this temper he abode not long for seeing that he was not turned out of his place which was threatned and by him feared and that no justice was executed upon him which he deserved his fears by degrees began to go off him and his heart to be hardned and the beastly spirit in him to act as bad yea more wickedly than before and not onely did he cruelly intreat them and some other Friends of Truth in Prison himself as is hereafter to be rehearsed but set on and permitted other of his prisoners wicked and prophane men to deal with them after the same manner insomuch that their lives were often in danger by those bloody men who thirsted after them a wickedness not to be endured by any who savour the least of justice or civillity as to the Law it is contrary and to all good Government but not thought
that her Children shall put their hands to a Petition as it is said which he talks of but our friends which come to visit us he affronteth revileth and miscalls with all the ill favoured names his wicked invention can think of Two Justices of Peace now in Commission and a Justices Brother and one that was a Captain of a Troope of Horse these he called scums of the Countrie and Runnagate Rogues and Raskals to their faces and told one of them that he had turned better of the stye and set up the fore mentioned bad man who is a Cavalier brought in for drinking the Kings health as aforesaid to examine our friends as they went forth which made the Justices to admire that ever such a man should be put in place and said he wondred that men that had any moderation or but a forme of godliness should suffer such a one to rule or be put into a place of trust who had no rule over himself but deserved to be ruled with that which should teach him better manners and verily where there is any measure of honesty borne up It will bear witness against such unworthy carriages yea some of the Heathen which knows not God could not own nor would they set up such a one to rule over men he is so malicious and so bruitish as that he can neither be civill towards us himself nor think any body should Generall Desborow wrote him a Letter dated in April last that we should be civilly used and he is so far from observing it or thinking we should be civilly dealt with as that he cannot believe the letter to be from Generall Disborow but saith it is a Counterfeit Degorie Pearse was reading a letter of lyes against friends in the Castle and perverting some Scriptures with his own meanings of them and giving Sauls going to the Witch and to that which she raised up for an example or Christians affirming that was the Prophet Samuel that the Witch had raised up whereupon Edward Pyot coming into the Castle and speaking to some of the people against this Doctrine the Gaoler came to him and laid violent hands on him and tore his Coate and punched him and halled him and thrust him towards Domesdale and said he would put him in and put Irons on his heels and reviled him and called him reproachfull names Another time he denyed our friends to come in to us We civilly asked him why he did so and whether he had any order to deny our friends from coming to us He answered us with an oath swearing by Gods blood and holding his stick to strike us but his wife stept between and when he had been in his Cups with his Companions repeating their lyes and slanders and railing upon us and the malice envy and rage stood up and being full of Beer It hath been as much as his wife and some others could do to keep him down from us asking whether he would murder us saying she thought there would be murder one time or other and when we afterwards told him of th se his miscarriages towards us and of his evill beating of Benjamin Maynard whom he said if he had killed he had but his desert and that he may expect to be questioned for these things by the hand of justice he answered so stiffe was he and so stubborn that he would not be ordered by the Justices they should not order him he would find sureties fo his good behaviour There coming a Cheese to us which Edward Pyot sent for the Gaoler meeting with it hath takâ—n it from us and as he said would carry it to the Mayor to have it searched for therefore was the â—atch set at every Gate and when William Salt told him he would unrip the Cloath the Cheese was in for him to search it he would not but violently took it from him There was a woman prisoner committed for stealing of Cloth who said when she was apprehended she was a Quaker as t is said which is false and since denyed by her that she said so but all such we deny this woman is suffered to abusâ— and strike our friend Anne Blackling a prisoner who asked that woman why she took the name of Christ in vain in her vain light songs the woman curst and came and struck our friend in the mouth twice with her fist and threatned to beat out her Brains and to pull her head off and took up a Pen and said she would strike it in her eyes and that if she spake to her again she would be her death though she died for it her self The Gaoler being made acquainted with it reproved her not but on the contrary called our abused friend Whore and Witch and locked her up close prisoner in the common Gaole amongst those accused for Bastards where accommodation fit for Prisoners is wanting And this is the unrighteous measure we have received from this unrighteous man who measures to us evill and reproachfull words out of the evill treasure of his evill heart And Captain Braddon who in civillitie to us which we much own and a Cup of cold water loseth not his reward giving himself in a hundred pound securitie for our true Imprisonment freely without our motion that we might be freed from the insulting of the Gaoler to be at some house in the town hath by it purchased many slighting and unclean words and threats of him from the Gaoler and we denyed the liberty of removing which we press the Gaoler too both formerly and now of late within this 12. dayes unless we would give him the securitie of two men which he calls better securitie which should we have done we had been partakers of his unworthiness in slighting Captain Braddons securitie And these things are declared to you that you may see what is wanting to rule and what it is that rules your County Gaol the fear and wisdome of God yea humanitie is wanting and the transgressor who is out of the light from the truth equitie and righteousness rules on which the sword of justice is to be laid One prisoner was beaten down for reproving some at pleasure in the Castle Green Ben Mayna d. James Myres Another carrying a Letter to an Inne was thrust out into the Street Iustice Morish and about a dozen strokes given him over the head so that he could scarce see and beat and punch'd in the stomach so that he vomited T is said 't was done by a Justices man in Devonshire but no justice was done to him for it but the prisoner was shut up close not suffered to have a little warme drink given unto him whilst the others went to pleasures in the Castle Green And here is so much prophaness and wickedness that the Streets is like Sodom the sword of justice is not a terror to them neither is it executed to praise them that do well Not that we look at man are these written but that we may be cleared
to him that are such as he and the scorners calls Quakers he saith he will imprison And Thomas Gewen makes up a third in the same affection for which by reason of the Army he sate not in Parliament But to proceed Lanceston having thus began the County of Cornvvall follows strict Watches and Wards are set up in the high ways and towns thereof who examine and bring befâ—re Justices such as they reproach with the name of Quakers thereby to stop and hinder the going to and fro of such in that County to visit the Prisoners or to Minister the words of eternall life in those darke Corners of the earth But of this after a time they grew vveary vvho thereby thought to vveary out those people by tossing them from Constable to Justâ—ce and from one Justice to another keeping them all night on Guards with such like the rage which the evill one stirred up in them which put them upon such unlavvfull and violent actions became cool and finding nothing wherewithall to accuse them and their innocency and harmelesness began to have a witness in their consciences and so their Watches and Guards ceased which had continued for a certain space of time and those at Lanceston also though the Mayor for a time followed it with such blind zeale madness and violence And this is the better vvay to deale with the people called Quakers than the Protector and his Councell could find Anthony Nicholls its like can tell from whom came this wicked invention and who it was that said so and what Justices set to their hands to make this Warrant the more authentick and to cover it from being seen to be the Plot of one against the just viz Anthony Nicholls Anthony Rouse James Lance John Treville Ia. Daniell Iohn Fox Dated at Truro By that time this Westerne most Countie and the towns and Villages thereof gave over the County of Devon on the East of Lanceston began Cornwall was behind and little in comparison All England stood before Devon and through it must all pass that came to the prisoners Its bounds extending from Sea to Sea surely grieved are the Priests to see and hear of such abounding of love in visiting the Prisoners from all parts of England even from the borders of Scotâ—and tormented they are day and night because of the continuall goings of so many to and from the Prisoners who witnessed that which made their Kingdome to shake and would be its overthrow No rest are they in because of the opportunities such had to declare the name of the Lord from far and his everlasting Gospell to the ends of the earth to the opening of the blind eye to see their deceit and filthiness and to the turning of people from darkness to the light and from the power of Sathan unto God whom if they should be let alone the Countie would run after Therefore the Crie is made help help ye Magistrates ye Rulers ye Officers of the Army ye Souldiers ye towns and Parishes and Villages help ye men of Devon bring forth your Swords your Staves your Bills your Halberts set the Watch in the high ways in the towns on the Bridges and passages make strong your Guards with men of place and ability and sufficient carnall weapons Let no one of them pass you hale them to prison Lay them fast enough set your authoritie upon it ye generall Sessions make it a Law for our Kingdome is of this world and will fall if ye powers of the earth do not support it Why What 's the matter What is the reason of this outcry In plain english and in open face it is this There are a generation of people whom we call Quakers for we must reproach in the very first place that we may be known of what generation we are Ministers of division not of reconciliation wandring up and down this County as did the Prophets and Christ Jesus and the Apostles and Holy Men of God from the beginning who plague us greatly and the men of our generation in almost every corner of the Nation who deny us who thus act for by these our fruits they say we are known the godly Ministers of England to be the true Ministers of the Gospel for the true Ministers of the Gospel were Ministers of Jesus Christ not of Man or made by or in the will of Man or Nations or Countryes but by the will of God and the revelation of Jesus Christ who made them able Ministers of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 Gal. 1.16 And such were done too by the Ministers of the Countryes the National Ministers the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees as we have done and would have you now do to them as Christ foretold And they deny the Scriptures of which we make our trade to be the word of God and if that be not the word of God no other word of God do we know for we have neither seen his shape nor heard his voyce at any time and Revelation we deny and so we cannot be called Mâ—nisters of the word of God for they say Christ Jesus is the Word of God which was in the beginning before Letter was which was with God which was God and so is not the Letter which was made flesh and came and dwelt amongst us as John testifies chap. 1. Which word of God is quick and powerfull sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart as saith the Author to the Hebrews chap. 4.12 By which word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing in the water and out of the water and the Heavens and the Earth which are now are kept in store by the same word reserved unto fire against the day of Judgement and perdition of ungodly men as Peter 2 epist c. 3. v. 6 7. witnesseth Who sits on the white horse cloathed with a vesture dipt in blood whose name is called the Word of God riding on conquering and to conquer having the Armies of Heaven following of him as John describes him in his Revelations ch 19.11 12 13 14. And they say the Scriptures are a true declaration of this Christ Jesus the Word of God as Luke bears record who having a perfect understanding of all things from the very first saith he took in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which were most surely believed amongst them even as they were delivered unto them by those who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word it seeming good unto him also to write of them in order chap. 1.1 2 3. Which declaration of his of him who is the Word of God which he calls so who wrote it we notwithstanding call and will have it to be the Word
actions without straining or wresting let the sober judge And what is said may also serve as some answer to the false accusotions and slanders therein For the Priests being troubled and moved as hath been said to see and hear of so many to pass through the County to visit the Prisoners gave the Justices no rest nor would suffer them to be quiet till they had contrary to the Fundamental Laws of this Nation and to the liberty unto which every Englishman is freely born as his Inheritance of which Liberty the Fundamental Laws are the guard and defence which Liberty and Laws for to defend hath cost the blood and miseries of many Wars heretofore and those of late and to true Relâ—gion which visits the Prisoners and doth violence to none and to all moderation and humanity ordered as followeth which with the cruel effects thereof comes now to be related Devon At the General Sessions of the Publick Peace held at the Castle of Exon in the said County the 18. day of July 1656. WHereas the number of sturdy Beggars Rogues and wandring idle persons is greatly increased and although there hath been excellent good Laws made for the punishment of them yet because of the remisness of some inferiour Officers the same hath not been duely executed and now lately divers other persons called by the name of Quakers disaffected to the present Government do wander up and down the Countrey and scatter seditions Papers and Books to the deluding of many weak people undermining the Fundamentals of Religion denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God and the godly Ministers of England to be the true Ministers of the Gospel and so as by them many Heresies and Blasphemies are by them vented and broached abroad to the great dishonour of Almighty God and grief of all pious and religious people and to the disturbance of the peace of this Common-wealth It is therefore ordered that the Constables of every Hundred within this County shall forthwith issue out their Warrants to the several petty Constables of their several Parishes within their Hundreds We particularly requiring them thereby upon receipt thereof to cause good Watches and Wards to be kept at the Bridges and High-wayes within their several Parishes where it shall be most convenient for the apprehending of all Beggars Rogues Vagabonds and wandring idle and suspicious persons and such as shall be therewith apprehended take care that they be punished and conveyed according to Law And that they likewise apprehend all such persons as travel under the notion or name of Quakers without a lawfull Certificate satisfying from whence they came and whither they are travelling or shall have or do scatter publickly or own any such seditious Books and Papers as aforesaid or shall interrupt or disturb any Ministers in the Congregations or otherwhere and thereupon bring them together with such Books and Papers before some Justice of the Peace of the said County thereby to be dealt with as the Law requireth And that this service may be the better performed it is ordered that persons of place and abilities with weapons sufficient be set to watch and ward and if any shall refuse or neglect their duties herein the Constables are thereupon forthwith to certifie the same to the next Justice who is desired by this Court to binde over such persons to the next Sessions to answer the said neglect This Watch and Ward to continue till further order Henry Fitz-Williams Deputy-Clerk of the Peace That the Warrant aforesaid might prove the more effectual it was sent enclosed to the Constables in a Letter signed by Major Blackmore as followeth Gentlemen YOV will here enclosed finde a Warrant from the General Sessions of the Peace held for this County which I hope seasonable and necessary in this juncture of affairs I suppose you will hardly judge it cannot but sadden every good and honest heart to observe the great Apostacy that hath happened of late and that notwithstanding the clear sun-shine of the Gospel amongst us yet the wicked one hath sown his tares and they are grown up exceedingly so that it is high time for the Magistrates to appear for the supporting of these great Truths which have been so long professed amongst us and for the preventing of this great contagion that infects almost every corner of this Nation Now the Authority of this County having begun to do their parts in the enclosed Order I shall make it my earnest request unto you that as you tender the foundation of all our hopes of salvation by Jesus Christ the good of poor souls and the peace of the Common-wealth you would do your utmost to see this Order put in execution that it may not be a dead letter but * * The Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.6 the power of God the Gospel of salvation What Blasphemy is this and horrible wickedness so to speak of a filthy Order made to persecute the life of God the Gospel of salvation which is the power of God and to limit the saint which giveth life and the Children of Light and to imprison them to death and as such to press the execution thereof which hath proved the death of one of the Lambs of Christ whose blood on him and them all cryes for vengeance living direction to all within your Division to prevent if the Lord please the designs of Satan and his Instruments and therefore send several Copies of the Order and of this Letter if you please to all your petty Constables that so it may be put in practice and wherein my small interest or assistance for encouragement may be usefull both you and they may be confident of the same and that I am Your assured loving Friend John Blackmore The duty or office of Justices as well in Sessions as out of Sessions and of the Judges is not to make Laws but to see that the Laws that are made be duely put in execution with this they are entrusted unto this they are sworn and where they swerve from this they act arbitrarily and are liable to punishment Were the power of making Laws of such Laws as these in them what need is there of Parliaments To what end have been all the sharp conflicts industrious carefulness hard strugglings and bloody contests for many hundreds of years past especially of late years in the behalf of Parliamentary Authority and the Fundamental Laws which from them sprang and which declare their Authority supream and absolute To what purpose have been the hangings by the neck the cuttings of the throat at Tyburn the imprisonments confiscation of estates and other exemplary punishments executed on Judges Justices and Ministers of state for arbitrary acting of which the Records of this Nation speak Why was Strafford's head cut off and Canterbury's and Charles Stuart's as Traitors for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of England And what justice was there in all these if a
distinguish and brand to be disaffected to the Government disturbers of the publick peace scatterers of seditious Books and Papers venters and broachers abroad of many Heresies and Blasphemies with much more of the like stuff And that this service as they call it but poor hearts they will one day sadly know whose service it is when the Master payes them their wages may be the better performed they order that persons of place and abilities with sufficient weapons be thus set to watch and ward and if any shall neglect their duties as they term the obedience which they require to their illegal and monstrous command herein they require the Constables thereupon forthwith to certifie the same to the next Justice whom they desire by and in the name of this Court to certifie the same and to binde over to the next Sessions to answer the said neglect So that in plain English he on whom they thus place the name of a Quaker in scorn and derision and by distinction who every where is surely known by his obedience to the Lord and to the Law of his God which he dares not shift from confessing openly before all for the avoyding the unreasonableness and fury of men in whom the Prince of darkness rules as the Professions and People of the world can which is a sure character on such an one by which to finde him in whom no occasion or fault can be found but concerning the Law of his God as it was with Daniel must be such an one as they have made and described in and by their Law unsight and unseen unknown and unheard be he what he will if he be one whom in and by this our Law they call a Quaker watch and wardsmen he is disaffected to the Government a Disturber of the publick peace a Scatterer of seditious Books and Papers a Venter and Broacher of Heresies and Blasphemies we say it we make him so be he so or no lay hold on him apprehend him we require you bring him with his Books and Papers if he hath any before one of us to be dealt withall according to this our Law And that indeed this unheard of iniquity thus set up by a Law contrary to the Law of the Nation may be effectually executed the strict provisions in the order aforesaid though such as hath been said are not thought enough wickedness never thinketh its devâ—ces against the just to be too much or too sure crucified dead buried a stone rolled before the sepulcher a guard of souldiers the countenance of that part of the Army in that County so far as the concurrence of a chief Officer may serve it must be had And for this purpose John Blackmore Major to General Disborow and a Justice of Peace must be dealt withall to render the Order effectual in the execution as from him proceeded the motion of the Order to the Sessions who being prevailed with debaseth himself as low as Hell turns Clerk to a Priest and his back to his long professed principles and friends and to the smoke of the bottomless pit from whence came the Order aforesaid and the Letter even from the black generation sets to his hand and makes their his earnest request to all the Constables That now the Authority of that County having begun to do their parts in the Order which he enclosed which is so and such as hath been expressed they would do their utmost to see it put in execution as they tender the foundation of all their hopes of salvation by Jesus Christ the good of poor souls and the peace of the Commonwealth that so it might not be a dead letter but living direction to all within their Division and assures them of his interest and assistance therein for their encouragement though he hath drawn his sword and been at the shedding of a great deal of blood for Liberty of Conscience for the Liberties of England of which he hath made a long and a large profession when it was the case of the Army and the honest men then who owned them throughout England against the Priests and the Common Enemy who struck at the roots of the Liberties of the Nation and of Conscience which now his pride hath made him to forget And so his painted profession is now at an end it will cover him no longer his sepulcher is open and seen to be full of rottenness and dead mens bones the bones the mangled carcases the blood and sufferings of all in the late wars for liberty of Conscience or the liberties of the Nation * Whom doest thou pass in Beauty Go down and be thou laid with the uncircumcised which are gone down to Hell with their weapons of war And thâ—y have laid their swords under their heads but their iniquities shall be upon their bones though they were the terrour of the mighty in the land of the living Poor Major Blackmore how hast thou now descended into the pit and made thy grave with the uncircumcised And such was the encouragement of the Order aforesaid coming enclosed in this Letter of this Officer of thaâ— Army which once was the sword or the Lord and a dread and terrour on those whom this spirit ruled and in whom it was now risen afresh and waited onely for sâ—me such shew of Authority as this and countenance That though the Order bore date the 18. of the fifth month called July yet by the 23. of the same month were the Guards up and some Friends travelling towards Berkshire from visiting the prisoners at Lanceston were apprehended and the next day imprisoned and by the 16. of the 6. month in the space of about 25. dayes were no less than one and twenty men and women imprisoned in Exeter of those whom those Guards apprehended all of them except one who was accompanying some of them to direct them the way thither from Exon where he was born being on their way to and from Lanceston to visit and from visiting of the prisoners of the Lord there And of these the Guards demanded Are ye Quakers Will ye own the Quakers Will ye deny the Quakers We have an Order of Sessions to stop and apprehend all Quakers and so they fall to rifling of their pockets and taking away what Letters Papers or Books they found about them as did the Justices one of whom to wit John Champion called John Brown from the rest that were apprehended with him into his Parlour and there beat him with his own hands he standing still and saying nothing and then sent him and the rest one of whom viz. Jane Ingram is since there dead to prison where he was laid in irons and some of them of their money did the Guards rob one man of 10 s. as they confess'd themselves and spent much of it before his face in strong drink abusing him and setting him forth a scorn throughout the Countrey as he passed which he acquainted Major Saunders one of the Justices who sent
smiting your friends you will not have Christ to reign you will not have sin to reign in your markets and streets and if they reprove sin in the gate he is made a prey upon that doth it you will have pleasures to reign and not have them reproved he is called a mad man among you that doth reprove you or a fool you will not have drunkards reproved nor swearers nor cursed speakers in the ale-houses or in the streets abroad but he is looked upon to be a peace-breaker or a gatherer of tumults And here you may see what you will to reign that which the sword should be turned against which the Lambs of Christ turn against therefore against the Lambs of Christ ye turn your swords And again hirelings and such as seek their gain from their quarter such as divine for money and such Teachers as teach for money that go in Cain's way and Balaam's way these ye will have to reign and cannot endure they should be cryed against and will not have Christ reign but uphold them with a Law that none shall speak to them while they are speaking without a Prison Was ever such Christians seen Are ye not gone beyond the Jews in the letter for the Jews in the spirit might speak to them Were there ever so many imprisoned in their time of any of the Jews in the spirit as now by you who are Christians in the letter the Christians in the spirit that be in the spirit that gave forth the letter see ye now in the steps of the Jews walking and rather worse but it is that which John saw the Beast the Dragon and the false Prophet should all make war against the Lamb and the Saints but the Lamb should get the victory and overcome Let this be read among all the Synagogue-teachers and Professors who call it either Synagogue Temple or Church who are crying up your Church and the Scriptures among you as you may reade the Jews did the Temple of the Lord and the Law of the Lord was with them and the Prophet told them they did commit adultery they did steal they sware falsly they walked after their abominations and they walked after the vanity of their own hearts both Priests and People given to covetousness they were all out of the old-way Therefore for these things did the Lord visit them and doth you who are found in these steps and persecuting them that be in the life that gave forth Scriptures and are come to the Church that is in God During the time aforesaid was the general Assizes at Exeter for the County of Devon of which chief Baron Steel and Baron Nicholas were Judges before one of whom viz. Judge Nicholas were these who were thus imprisoned at the Assizes brought and the rest also as they were taken on the high-wayes in the time of the Assizes of this Judge Considering his place and office justice might have been expected and a vindication of the Law and a zealous helping those to right who had thus suffered wrong but no such thing found they from him but the contrary even the same spirit ruling and working in him as made the Law aforesaid and put it in execution against he Innocent who could not be found Transgressors of any Law of the Nation For as the Sessions made a Law and set up Watches to apprehend them if they were but found travelling on the high-wayes and did so apprehend and imprison them without so much as making proclamation or giving publick warning forbidding such to travel in that Countrey after such a day but immediately as soon as they had made their Law put it in execution on those who were in their way before it was made or had publick warning thereof or the allotment of a certain space of time of it to take notice which the Law of the Nation observes so the Judge will have a Law of his own making as to the Hat for that there is no Law of the Nation that requires a man to put off his Hat and imprison him for not so doing and denies him hearing or justice whatever be his innocency or sufferings if he puts not off his Hat to a Seat of Justice will anon appear when this new-found Indictment of Hats shall be scann'd as in some part it hath already been in the Letter aforesaid sent to chief Justice Glynne and presently he will have it put in execution though his Law be made after the fact done after their so appearing unto which they could not bow in conscience to the Law of God of which he is convinced to be a Transgressor that respecteth persons for he that doth so committeth sin Nor can it be bowed to in respect to the Law of the Land which declares against arbitrariness which Law arbitrariness subverts and overthrows which arbitrariness his duty is to do justice upon being entrusted with the execution of the Law and this his Law standing in his own will the founder thereof it is arbitrary and not to be obeyed but in the overthrow of the Law of the Land and a slighting of all the blood shed in the wars against arbitrariness and is less to be endured and submitted to in him than in any of the Judges and chief Justices that have gone before him whom justice hath cut off for arbitrariness or in Strafford Canterbury Charles Stuart or of any of these later generations since it is but the other day that these Nations came out of many years wars and dreadfull desolations and destructions even to the hazarding of all to vindicate the Rights and Liberties of England and the Laws the guard of them from will and power And this Judge was one who in that day appeared against that generation and for that cause was made a Judge by the Parliament and therefore for him to act against Law which he is sworn to execute not to make And the Legislative Authority that made him a Judge and the righteous ends of the Wars for Liberty and Law in which he appeared and these innocent servants of the Lord who have been all of them alwayes faithfull to the honest interest of the Nation and many of them for it have drawn the sword and fought in the field from first to last because they cannot submit to this his will which is contrary to the Law of God and the Nation and the righteous ends of the Wars is the more abominable and to be denyed and witnessed against Thus then were the proceedings of this Assizes as to these Before Judge Nicholas they were brought by Officers before him they stood covered in conscience to the command of the Lord that their Hats should not be taken off he commanded that so within the compass of his will they might be brought Their names he asked one after another they gave their names in meekness and in the fear of the Lord and the Clarke of the Assizes wrote them down to record the contempt of his will he
up above all that is called God or man or law or nature or reason or common humanity and against all these thus violently prosecuted and cruelly put in execution As they may also see what is become of this new sound monstrous Indictment and of all the abhominable filthy lyes and false accusations contained therein of which it is full And of this Judge Nicholas and his will in the Law according to what hath been now said and also declared in that Letter aforesaid to the Chief Justice And of the consciences of the Jurors who have upon their oaths brought them in guiltie of which they have made shipwrack as they have of their own and the liberties of their Country For whereas in the behalf of liberty the law hath carefully provided that no man shall be in body life or goods at the mercy of the arbitrary breast of one man who sitteth as Judge but shall be tryed by twelve indifferent men of his Peers or equalls of the Neighbourhood whose verum dictum or sentence according to truth the Judge is to declare not to make which is one of the grand Priviledges of the people of the English Nâ—tion which distinguisheth them free viz. that no Law is to be executed upon them but by some of themselves yet these Iurors not onely come under the Office but the will of a Iudge and what he arbitrarily in his will sets up they pass upon as the Law of the Nation and so do overthrow that vvhich vvas established by the Lavv for their safeguard and defence against arbitrary actings and do set up that which to prevent and overthrovve as one of the sorest Plagues that can happen to men the lavv hath given them such power and authoritie so sottishly blind and outragiously mad are men when the Prince of darkness is their leader against the truth of God who that they may destroy those in whom it lives they mind not neither care what becomes of their own consciences beings Freedoms and libertie yea even of that which but the day before they put their lives and whatever was dear to them in their hands and their whole Country unto hazard for to preserve piercing the very life of their own liberties through the sides of their friends whom for the sake of the truth of God they seek to destroy whilst they stand in innocencie for the liberties wherein all English men are equally concern'd and throwing away all the Bloud and treasure and care and tuggings and restless endeavours of the former and later ages for many hundreds of years we will not change the Laws of England hath it been about thirty times resolutely declared in this case as one man in Parliament and those very words recorded when the strongest endeavours of Monarchy have been used there to change the tryals by twelve men into the course of the Civill Law which is onely by a Judge the manner of the other Nations who never knew the benefit of this excellent priviledge that they may satisfie the revenge of the enemy of their souls on such though when this libertie is lost and they come to feel on themselves what they now do to others they may be willing to give all they have to recover it when perhaps it is too late And how do this generation shew themselves hereby to be led by the same spirit as were the Jews who that they might have Iesus the Messiah whom they long look't for crucified cryed out we have no King but Cesar who above all Nations hated to be in subjection to any and Iesus came to make them free as it was said of the Messiah but they chose slavery before him and that which they chose that so they might have a power to Crucifie him for the Romans had taken away their power of putting any man to death made an end of them in that very generation from being a Nation as he foretold them as it had before in the highest judiciall power of life and death O ye people of England mind this and consider this before it be too late ye who talk so much of freedome of being free-borne English men of the fundamentall Rights and liberties of England and glory in it over all Nations who in comparison of you ye have said are slaves and vassals to the lusts and wills of their Lords and Princes who have ye and your Forefathers gone through such terrible wars and Seas of Blood to make and preserve your selves so if you continue to set against that which hath made and kept you so and whose presence hath brought through your wars for it who is now come that hath been so much expected to set you free both in body and soul and to deliver you out of the hands of all your enemies that you might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of your life by raising up his owne image his feed which is come to and must raigne for ever and ever which you every where persecute and grow mad against where it doth appear and bear its witness and throw away your choicest outward liberties the value of the price aforesaid to effect its sufferings you may expect the thing that you have feared and abhorred and fought so much against to come upon you in its perfection viz. will and power to be your Lord and your liberties and freedomes left to you desolate And thus much of the indictment of the Hat and Jurie This Judge having proceeded with the Innocent as aforesaid and sent them back fined and bound to prison in and by his will because of the Hat in stead of doing them Justice Ann Blackling received the same measure as those friends of her Sexe had by him at Exon who speaking as she was moved of the Lord to two priests in the steeple-house yard near Pendennis was set upon with much rage brought before Capt. Fox Governour of Pendennis Castle and by him with great fury was she abused and called whore and witch and told that she and that generation which the World calls Quakers were not fit to live scoffing and raging and gnashing his teeth and charged her with oppressing the Country who asked wherein he said in that her horse did eat his grass the horse grazing on the bank of the Castle whilst she was there brought and stay'd till he came and for that purpose as appears commanded off her horse against her will and therefore set to graze that such an occasion might be had against her what poor shiftings are here wherewithall to have something to charge the Innocents and asked her whether that horse was her's she answered it was so He said he would have him if the horse were her's she replyed the horse he could not have justly for that she had mony to free her horse for the grass he had eaten there in that time and proffered him mony and bed him take as much of it as would satisfie him for