Crown and will be their Honour that they suffer for the truth as it is in Jesus and this we tell thee John Knight that their memorial will be blessed and of a good savour in England when thou and thy name shall rot whose name is rotten already who art the stench of the City and of those who are neere it who truly understand thee who shalt have thy portion according to thy deeds Thus having pute them in Bridewel one night thou fattest in councel about them the next day and at the time of full Tolzey thou must have them before thee And John Waldron the Keeper must lead them as in triumph and before ye they must be brought in a close Chamber and all people must be kept out except such as you please And what were of your own Spirit that so what passed as to the making out of their innocency might not be heard and to the prison they must be sent as Offendors in the face of the City and be reckoned as transgressors and some horrible ones too that that which passed concerning them was kept so secret as in a Chamber and that those who ought to have been suffered to come in to be satisfied in the cause of their commitment were kept out Now Courts of Justice should be open vvhich yours vvas not vvhich is secret murder vvhich is abominable to the Law vvhich provides that proceedings be publick vvhich you seek to subvert And therein that vvhich is the fundamental Law of this Nation for which you may have a day to answer vvherein you vvill know vvhat you have done though now you vvill not hear supposing its like that you will never be brought to an account but we vvould not have you to be deceived as you have sowne so ye shall reap Well this day thou beganest vvith Edward Pyot and spakest many smooth vvords telling of the duty of thy place and the Councels Letter to thee and the execution of the Law and vvhat was required of thee in all vvithout having regard to vvhat concerned the duty of thy place as from the Lord but as if there had been a necessity for thee to persecute and force us to suffer so thou vventest on to which Edward Pyot answered thee on this vvise As I vvell understand the place of them that vvere to obey so I have an understanding also of the place of Magistrates as they are the ordinance of God you that are in the places of Magistrates ought to mind the Lord as your supreme Lord and over all in the government of the world unto whom Rulers themselves as well as the ruled must give an account and therefore in the execution of the laws and administration of Justice you are to have a due regard to the Lord and to his laws and to do the Justice that is of him for Magistrates by the appointment of God are to execute in their several places of Judicatory as Gods ministers and not as their own Lords nor as Lords of their own rule but in the fear of the Lord they as Gods Ministers are to rule for God and not for themselves nor after their own wills and pleasures but according to the righteous law of God in the just and equal principle that is of God in their Consciences that the Justice that is of God and righteous Judgment by Magistrates as Gods Ministers may be impartially administred for the punishment of evil doers onely and for the praise of them that do well that God over all may reign and by all be known to rule in the kingdomes of men and after some interruption as he could have liberty he spake to this purpose We being found in our innocent and peaceable meetings onely in the worship of our God and of the number of well-doers whatever laws may be made against us by men yet according to the law and Justice of God we ought not for our well doing to be punished as evil doers take heed therefore what you do that you be not a terrour to good works Now when thou wast not able to resist what in truth and soberness was spoken to thee though thou haddest before told him that thou wouldest make use of the mercy of the law yet that thou mightest make him a transgressor by law who had told thee before that he could not swear thou without mercy diddest again tender to him and John Spoore the oath of allegiance saying thou wouldest dispatch him first otherwise thou shouldest not quietly proceed with the rest so thy fruits shewed what thy mercy was as he then told thee and to Newgate thou sentest him and John Spoor for being at an unlawful meeting and for refusing to take the oath of allegeance and for not finding sureties for the good behaviour as is contained in their mittimus for to the oath of allegeance thou didst put them again though they could not swear at all in conscience to the command of Christ who saith I say unto you swear not at all not as to the matter of the oath which was for Papists and not them and this was thy mercy as hath been said to seek out wayes how to make them to suffer though thou pretendedst to the contrary And this warrant was signed John Knight Mayor John Lock Nathaniel Cale John Lawford and it was dated 14th Dec. 1663. Now as Edward Pyot was passing to Newgate through the Tolzey and seeing there many people and some that were wise and sober men and finding something arising in him towards them to speak in reference to the matter upon which he was committed said I have something reasonably to speak to you as to men of understanding We that are called Quakers do own our selves to be subject to Magistracy in all those matters and things which concern our outward man but as for our inward man we own that to be the Lords onely and not at all to be the servant of men and as for that Scripture which saith let every soul be subject to the higher power we own its auth rity but that it doth not require the subjection of the inward man in the matters of conscience which relates to the worship of God I offer this is as a reasonable demonstration which is that if this Scripture enjoyned the subjection and obedience of the inward man in the matters of Conscience relating to the worship of God if the then Emperour of Rome who was a Heathen and a worshipper of false gods had made an Edict to inforce the primitive Christians from their Christian worship which was in spirit according to the Doctrine of Christ Joh. 4. and for them to worship as he and the Heathen Romans worshipped they must then of necessity have been subject which is ridiculous to affirm for the Christians to whom this Epistle was written were Romans And as to their outward man they were under the power and government of the Emperour of Rome and therefore it must needs follow that the
the next day thou committedst to Newgate for being at an unlawful assewbly under pretence of Religious worship on Sunday the 12th of June in the time of divine service and for resisting the Officers who were to disperse them and refusing to give sureties for their appearance the next Sessions and in the mean time to be of the good behaviour Signed John Knight Mayor Hen. Creswick Nath. Cale dated 13th June 1664. And this was the Sabboth dayes work of thy officers whom thou sentest on this errand breaking the peace and confirmedst after they had done it who yet pretendedst to the keeping of the Sabbath and criest out upon us for breaking the Sabbath in meeting on that day to wait upon the Lord the work as your selves accounted it of the Sabbath and for coming to town on which day to save a womans life who was in travel thou causest a horse of a man-midwife to be detained till he had paid a fine for riding on that day for that purpose being sent for in hast Richard Blackborrow Brewer thy neighbour and yet thou couldst send a Capias on that day newly taken out of the Court for the wax was wet to detain Robert Steward that was brought to Newgate late the night before in a debt of thy brother in law Duckets of 200 l. who cryest out of the breach of the Sabbath thou Hypocrite who makest Sabbath and Law and all what thou pleasest who shewest of what Religion thou art towards God by these things as of Loyalty to the Law and thy Prince by the other but of this more hereafter And yet thou wast mistaken in thy warrant and shewed thy self thereby how wrong thou didst run even as a man headlong into any thing that seem'd to serve thy end talking of resisting and not dispersing when as the new law which enabled to such things was not then in force and there was no other as we know of that so enabled yet this is the usage that we and our peaceable meetings receive from the hands of thy officers and this is the Justice we receive at thy hands to have thy confirmation of what thy officers have done and all the remedy we have but we leave it to the Lord who will render unto you according to your deeds Now drew on the 1. of the 5. month called July famous for the date of the new Act on which it took place and became in force which thou hadst so much longed for and for the accomplishing of which thou hadst so much trudged for which thou shalt have thy reward from the hand of the Lord and now the day being come having before hand caused the Constables to be warned and the meeting being on the first day of the week and the third of that month thou sentest thy Officers first to bid them to depart to take nams who took away John Moon to Bridewel as he was then declaring in the words of soberness and truth and between the first and second houre in the afternoon thou camest thy self attended with Alder. Lock and Alder. Lawford the other Aldermen it seems being out of the way or not caring to be about such work as this and at the door of our meeting house in the street being set down with them and the Sheriffs thou didst cause an O Yes to be made in the form of a Court one which day no Courts are used to be kept in England who talkest so much of the Sabbath and chargest us with profaning the day because we meet thereon to wait upon the Lord the work of the day as you use to say upon the day and madest the manmidwife pay the fine for coming that day to town as aforesaid the effect of a murderous spirit shewn under the pretence of Religion and conscience to the observation of the Law as did the Pharisees who put him to death who was the end of the Law who healed on that day whom he convinced of the contrary in the example of David in the shew-bread and their own in taking an oxe or an asse out of a pit and sent'st the Capias in thy brother Ducket's behalf on that day as hath been said and to adde no more didst constrain Christopher Woodward to bring upon the foot of a Mortgage payable on that day of the week his mony to the Tolzey whether he was on that day necessitated to bring it least thou shouldst take advantage of the forfeiture of the Mortgage who otherwise wouldst not give him encouragement to accept it when he spake with thee thereabouts and is not this Hypocrisie and that which is like thee in all thy actions pretend conscience and do the contrary In which we shall farther trace thee ere this relation be over Well the Court being set as aforesaid in the nature of a Piepowder one thou sent'st the Constables and Officers up into the Meeting who brought down the men first whom thou didst Maunder at as thou pleasedst and then demanding of some of them mony for of several thou didst not and yet sentest them to prison contrary to Law 10 s. 2 s. 6 d. and of some 6 d. ye 2 d. which they not answering thou sentest some to Newgate some to Bridewel Then the Women were brought down whom thou servedst after the same manner many of them not being fined then nor so much as asked Whether they would pay any Mony though the Law places Imprisonment in default of payment of the fine and not otherwise vvhich practice thou didst use many times after but have them away have them away vvas thy cry and to Bridewel and to Newgate vvere many of them also carried though it is contrary to Law also to make a man suffer twice for one offence vvhich thou madest them to do in committing them for being at a Meeting one day and the next day fining them as by and by shall be related for doing of the same so making the Law a nose of wax bowing and bending it as thou pleasest and yet pretending as to vvhat thou didst to us Conscience to the Law About four hours time thou tookest up in this thy New found vvay of Justice sending Men and Women in heaps to both prisons on this account some Husbands one vvhere their Wives another some Servants vvhere their Masters and Mistrisses vvere not some old some young some under-age by the Law some Women with Child and so big that they knew not of an hour to go and this to Bridewel and yet others vvho were of age thou vvouldst not account so but placest them under having a mind to excuse them and yet thou pretendest Conscience and thou say'st Thou must not be partial and thou must execute the Law and thou must keep thy Oath and though others fail of their duty yet thou must not Thus like the Pharisees making thy Philacteries broad but the Exposition of the Law narrow or none at all as thou pleasest yet thou could'st not accomplish thine end
A RELATION OF THE INHUMANE and Barbarous suffering of the people called QUAKERS In the City of Bristoll during the Mayoralty of John Knight commonly called Sir John Knight commencing from the 29. of the 7. month 1663. to the â—9 day of the same month 1664. Impartially observed by a private hand and now communicated for Publick information by the said People Many shall be purified and made white and tried but the wicked shall do wickedly and none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand Dan. 10.12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you Mat. 5. 10 11 12. And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry night and day unto him though he bear long with them I tell you he will avenge them speedily neverthelesse when the son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth Luke 18. 7 8. Woe unto you when all men speak well of you Luke 6. 26. Printed in the Year 1665. A Relation c. FRiend John Knight for unto thee it is that we direct this ensuing relation of which we have suffered at thy hands during thy being Major in this City for that by thee it was and through thy influence that we have thus suffered It had been well for thee if thou hadst minded the stable condition of this City when thou entred'st into thy Government both for trade and otherwise Robert Canne Kt. And Barronet being thy Predecessor then which no time hath parallel'd it since the date of the late troubles when the King returned A City at peace and unity within its self men of all perswasions as to Religion well perswaded amongst themselves and as to the Civil peace united in the hearts and love of each man to another and the publick benefit And thus it was whilest moderation sat in the Government of this City so that every individual might rest assured of the peace and safety of his estate and Person in the pursuance of the publick And by the way let us tell thee and all to whom these presents may come that there was not a City more united in the publick then this of Bristol before thine entrance whose shadowy steps there-from from this day forwards not upon our personal influence or our principle but thine own receive their gnomon or direction from thy declention from it and will have their let from thee For thou art the man whom rage and asperity with a blind zeal to the worships of the times have set up to counter-buff the stability of this City and to overturn ex industria or of set purpose the well poized Government of unity and peace into disunion and trouble And to lay the sure grounded Fabrick of its prosperity in the dust whilest thou walkest over it with armes folded up and a pitiful countenance as if not thou but the contrary viz. moderation had there laid it And so whilest with the one hand thou entrest in thy sharp incision knife thou stroakest with the other as if so be that which suffers were the cause of its running in not thou of its suffering To manifest which and 〈◊〉 give thee to see that thou art not charged amisse something of thine own actions shall be drawn before thee which by thee have been perpetrated during this thy year to the intent and end that if thou hast yet any thing remaining of true sensiblenesse thou mayest reflect upon what thou hast don and blush and so mayst come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus whom now in Vs thou hast thus persecuted and be saved which is the desire of our hearts and that it may be well with thee for ever But if not that the ground of the miscarriage of this once and very lately flourishing City may be charged where it ought and that after ages may have somewhat upon Record as an account wherefore it was and how it came to passe that a place of so much weight and worth should be laid even with the dust for though we may be much looked over by thee and thy generation as a people not of so considerable an interest as among men though we may claim as considerable a one as your selves yet a higher interest we have then amongst men with him who looks ye over who will render to you according to your deeds and this you will finde when the measure of your iniquity is fulfilled upon us which ye will be suffered to fulfil for the tryal of our faith and Patience and what there is of God in us that he may be glorified for which purpose he hath suffered ye thus to do and without whose suffrance ye could not have done thus unto us and therefore we are content for he will then fulfil upon you the measure of your iniquity and then poor Bristoll will know as well as you the sad effects of persecuting the innocent people of the Lord who are not its enemy nor yours nor the Kings nor his Government that is just answering the just principle of God which we are to follow and nothing but that which is according unto it And where we cannot do to suffer as is our principle and our practice makes it manifest We say we are not enemies to the City to the King nor you but do desire the welfare of it and of you all God is witness who will render to every man according to his deeds And this we speak before hand that in the day of your calamity which you shall see will approach you and compass you about ye may remember that of it you were foretold and that it is come to passe what you were foretold in the day of your prosperity to the end that you might have heard and considered ere it had been too late for this is signified to you in the name of the Lord and let it be as the presage of what shall come to passe and the presage it is The persecution of us will be visited by the Lord with as sharp a hand as ever was drawn forth against it since the foundation thereof And ye shall be tumbled into the dust and your carkasses shall fall as the mire of the streets who have stretched forth your hands without a cause against an innocent people that have done you no wrong and have made them to suffer and an execration you will be and an hissing in the day of the Lords vengeance when he shall render to you according to your deeds this is spoken to such of you as shall not repent as that which shall come upon you in the day that the Lords vengeance shall be made manifest Not that we aspire after dignities or
greatness or to be something in the world do we thus write or that the thoughts of such things Buoys us up above what we should be no we have learnt somewhat else viz. In whatsoever condition we be therein to be content and to do the will of God for which purpose we came into the world however the doing thereof may be attended with the greatest sufferings which we know we must passe through viz. great sufferings even many Tribulations to the Kingdom of God to our rest and so we look to the recompence of reward as did Moses viz. the rest in doing the will of God who forsook Pharaohs Court and chose rather to suffer afflictions and so do we with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Who it is said endured as seeing him who is invisible and so as he so here we rest in the doing of his will and let the Lord do what he will with us we are content who say Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven be it to Prisons to Banishment to loss of all to death the good will of God be done as to us the Lord be glorified by us in what he will we leave it to him who are come not to do our own will but the Lords the will of God be done saith our soul Amen Not that we are plotting or conspiring or do intend any such thing as is falsly suggested against us and that under the pretence of religious meetings or coming together to wait upon the Lord the Lord is witnesse that we are clear of any such thing and that our principle is against it as is our practice Not that we have any expectation from man or of any outward arme for our deliverance we disclaim any such thing and do know that not by man but the arme of the Lord our deliverance must arise though these things are secretly suggested and that our boldnesse in our sufferings arises from some such secret assurance no no it only comes from the good hand of the Lord because of his testimony which we bear who is near us and bears us up in and through all our sufferings and will all those that trust in him Not that these things are pleasant to us as men that is to say thus to suffer for we are men as you are and are compassed about with the same infirmities as you that is to say husband wife children relations estate Country life liberty wholsome aire convenient accommodation health prosperity in our affairs going through without distraction what we have to do or molestation are neere us as men we know what they are and what they cost as well as you and that to enjoy them is the portion of a man and all that he can have of them under the Sun and that it is good in this sense if it may be with a good conscience to know good daies and to see no evil all that we lay them down for All that for which we suffer the losse of them which is as little pleasing to our flesh and blood as to you is it is the will of God that it should be so to try us and that the vertue of him in us may be made manifest and that in this incounter we may not make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience and so deny the Lord that bought us for things that perish and hereby it comes indeed to be made manifest that we know and have the possession of something that is eternal viz. that we endure that we suffer the parting with the temporal And herein the Lord is glorified that we chuse not or prefer that which perishes before that which endures who are not our own but as hath been said are bought with a price and therefore are to glorifie God in our bodies and our souls which are Gods and by this you all will see and therefore it is that this day is suffer'd that we have something more then what is of this world for the enjoyment of which we leave the world and chuse rather to suffer affliction then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season For all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution We say not for any of those things or that we would seem to be something in speaking of what shall be hereafter and so to glory do we thus write But the Lord would have us thus to speak that you may know that our sufferings will have an end and that it will be thus with those who fear the Lord in whom he rules and that a day of deliverance there will be a resurrection a return and that the Lord therein will be glorified and this we are shewn and it is to be shewn unto you that it may be known if so be that it may be believed but whether it be believed or no the thing is so that God is with us and that he hath not forsaken us though he suffers us to be tried and that he is present with us and will be through all and beyond all that ye shall be suffered to do unto us and that we are not left comfortless but are shewn the end of as well as our sufferings even the glory that shall follow the glory that is to be revealed at the coming of the Lord the manifestation of his power who is over all and reigns for ever And by his so keeping and preserving us through all and over all shews that he is with us and that it is Jesus in us whom you now persecute For we pray you what should support us what think ye can keep us in the midst of all these things which you have set before us and prepared against us and which you are preparing have made us and which you are making us to go through Imprisonment Banishing us our Native Country taking us from our Relations Trades Callings Husbands Wives Children native aire and soile and whatsoever in this world may be dear unto us casting us into noisome holes and places thicker in proportion then a discreet man would put dogs into a kennel or beasts into a pound or horses into a stable or pigs into a stye amongst lice and vermin and Fellons and murderers contagious stinks and nastinesse sufficient enough to infect such as have lived in wholsom cleanliness good aire and dyet as you know it hath been with many of us whose living hath been as well as yours in the world to the infecting of some of us already who have laid down the body at the foot of your cruelty whose blood you have to answer for as for the blood of others of us whom your unmerciful barbarisme by your Officers have sent out of the world as Lidia Tevy and her infant Alice the wife of William Peachy who was big with child and hurt by the Officer in the meeting who went home ill was delivered the next day and a few dayes after continuing ill
self and the Deputy Lievtenants who some of them that very night denyed that any such thing was ordered by them had ordered them to be sent to Bridewel so to Bridewel they were brought a place of reproach appointed for Rogues and no Prison of the Kings though they were pretended to be the Kings prisoners though some of them were Citizens and men of quality therein Now it is to be noted That Sheriff Streamer being Major of the Regiment and so having command of the Guard coming to the Guard and understanding who were brought thither whereof one was his near relation viz. his Brother-in-law and his friend viz. George Bishopp if so be his business was to have him up and that that was the end of that dayes work came not into the Guard understanding him to be if not seeing him there but went his way to to the meeting house and there in person dismist the rest without making so much as one a Prisoner Which unnaturalness and high ingratitude he learnt no doubt of thee who as the sequel of this relation signifies wast well skilled in things of that nature and his orders no doubt he received from thee who as thy Buffoon or Martin-ape as men use to say most artificially followed the dictates of thy mad and hasty spirit who hadst not nor had he learnt that moderation which the whole series of transactions in this generation the most remakable of any that had been in the world vvould have taught thee as vvould also the saying of him vvho lives for ever vvho is the Judge of all viz. To do to others whatsoever you would should be done unto your selves that is to say when you are in power so vvarily to extend it as that you may live with your Neighbours and have their love when your power is gone and gain the good reputation of moderate men For the vvheele turns round and as the history of former ages have proved on this Date obulum Belisario For Gods sake give a half-penny to Belisarius comes to be the portion of many which befel that great Captain Belisarius vvho in the dayes of Justinian the Emperor did so behave himself in Persia Affirica and Italy that he had the honour of this Effigies on the other side of the Coin vvith this inscription Gloria Romanorum decus The Glory and Grace of the Romans And of this you vvanted not vvarning if you would have taken heed nor good Examples before you but as it was said in another case in a wrong spirit by Balack to Balaam may be said truly of you The Lord hath kept thee back from honour Numb 24.11 Or the infatuation of the Almighty because of your lust to oppression hath been so upon you that in your day you have not known the things that belong unto your peace that is to say you have not taken the course that wise men have steered in all generations upon the guidance of their observation of the revolutions of this World viz. so to behave your selves whilst ye are in Power as hath been said as that you may live in good reputation with your Neighbours vvhen you are out of it that is to say that you may be men when you have no power And this let us say to you all who are joyned together in this persecution of the innocent if such a hand had been carried toward you and this City in former dayes as you have done in this neither you had been so nor this City that is to say neither had you nor this City been so as at this day And some of them whom with so much despight and ignominy you now rule over have been instrumental that you and the City have not been otherwise and this is the requital you make of all that which hath sought to and hath saved you thus to do But this your work will be your shame and the day is at hand wherein you shall hear of it with both your ears that is to say the Lord will so work as that you shall see both where you are and what you have been doing when repentance with some of you we fear may be too late and the place of repentance you will not find though you seek it carefully with tears But to proceed for thou must throughly be dealt with ere this is finished Having lodged the aforesaid Prisoners at Bridewell the next morning thou hadst them to the Council house the Keeper of Bridewell being their leader and having set guards of Musquetiers at the Tolzey door contrary to Law which is that Courts of Justice and Proceedings at Law be open keeping out whom they pleased thou saidst to them what came into thy mind And though they in moderation told thee that they had done no new thing but what they had many years before even ever since they had been a people And that experience had shewn in the greatest revolutions that had been in this Nation that they and what they professed and did was not inconsistent with the publique peace but that they and the peace of the place and Nation might be And that what they did was not in obstinacy and contempt as thou wouldst have rendred it but in Conscience to the Lord whose worship was in Spirit and he sought such to worship him viz. in Spirit and in truth Joh. 4. And that their suffering Chearfully whatsoever might be done to them in reference to this thing who had Estates Relations Families Callings who knew as your selves might judge what it was to get and to loose their Estates Libertie Countries did speak that there was something more in it then of this world that made them willing thus to offer it up And though they told thee moreover that as to Government they were not against but did own the Second Table as well as the Frst Masters Parents Magistrates c. but all in the Lord and that where they could and not sin against the Lord they were obedient and where they could not they did quietly suffer And that ye had experience of them in such things as they could do that they rather went before you then otherwise And though they asked thee what thou would have them to do seeing their Conscience was not satisfied Suppose said they to thee that we are mistaken which said they we are not but are certain of what we do wouldst thou have us to do that which our conscience is against because of what may be done to our bodies before we are convinced of the contrary Said not the Apostle Happie is he that condemneth not himself in the thing that he allows Yet thou wouldst not hear and though thou pretendedst to a great deal of fairness at first and that thou hadst received a Letter from the Kings Council giving thee direction to take up the Heads of us and secure them till the Assizes unless they should give Security for their appearance And told that there vvas the ‖ Not
is witness and that of him in your Consciences which shall one day witness for us in you that it is so whether you will or no we are ready to be offered up as to all we have or are in the testimony of the Lord and the dominion of him in our Consciences which we cannot give nor bow to man that must dye nor to the son of man that must perish and come to nought whose breath is in his nostrils and wherein is he to be accounted of In other things as we can in conscience to God we are subject of which you your selves are witnesses doing more then you have expected at our hands in some things as you know we are a considerable body of people in this City we our families our relations our estates we are of the City and in the City and inhabitants thereof and enterwoven are we therein and with the people thereof as a mans flesh is in his body and his spirit in his flesh the separation if us from the City will proves as of a mans flesh from his body and his spirit from his flesh when you have liberty to do it from above for you can do nothing at all to us but as you have power from above you will see it the day of Gods vengeance is at hand wherein he will render to every man according to his deeds the Lords controversie is with all those who oppugne his dominion in the consciences of men and he will pluck them up root and branch and they shall know that he is the Lord It is the word of the Lord and shall be fulfilled in its season and the time is near So my friend take heed there is no dallying in things of this nature thou wilt find it so in the end I desire it may be before it be too late for this know assuredly that the Lord will avenge the quarrel of his people and he will plead the cause of those that suffer for his Name and ye shall be rooted up that rise up against them it is the Word of the Lord not with confused noise and garments rolled in blood but by burning and fewel of fire by the spirit of the Lord therefore take heed I warn thee once more in the Name of the Lord who am thy Friend George Bishopp The Newgate Prison Bristol the 15th of the 10th Month. The Original of this was delivered thee the day of the date and thou didst receive and read it though it held thee not long for the 27th day of the same moneth the meeting was molested again and the door was made fast whereby some were kept up in the Meeting-house and some in the street being not suffered to go in and from being in the street before the door thy men in arms had Thomas Speed who there sate in stilness and peace and from out of the meeting house was brought Charles Jones and William Taylor thy neighbour and in the high street far distant from the meeting house Miles Dixon was met and warned to appear before thee the next day who with the rest were dismist upon their promise of appearance upon Summons and so Brideatel was not made their Banquetting house nor place of entertainment as it was the others but they returned to their houses Indeed Sheriff Streamer the Major of the Regiment to whom was attributed that dayes disturbance and who out of the naughtiness of his heart was too much pleased with such actions told Thomas Speed as something in excuse of what had been done for T. Speed was his uncle That he was sworn to execute the Law To whom T. Speed reply'd They that did put them to death whom you call Martyrs and I too said they had a Law So the next day having notice they appeared at the Tolzey but thou having something to do at thy Worship put them off after it was ended to the next day T. Speed then speaking with thee The next day they appearing thou satest in the lower Tolzey with thy brethren for they demanded an open place where all that would might come in and hear and there thou didst shew thy self as thou art a man full of rage and violence and that sought the bloud of the innocent most unlike a righleous Judge or Magistrate and then hadst thy Sheriff Streamer there who though unconcerned as a Magistrate for none he was that is to say a Justice yet he took upon him very much which some of eminent quality in the City who being present took part with the innocent being grieved to the heart the place being full to see such heat partiality and prejudice with thee that didst sit as Judge and how contrary to Law thou didst carry matters for when thou didst demand sureties for their appearance which they could not give because it was m matters of conscience and their testimony to the Lord which they could not bring under by submitting to sureties or yielding that others should be bound for them for if their own reputation stood good what need is there of another being surety for them and they were conscious of nothing they had done that might vail it or bring it under and therefore could not submit the truth in them which was yea and not yea and nay to be brought under we say when thou demandedst sureties for their appearance * Captain John Knight and Râ—bert Yates late Aldermen in the City whose uncle Thomas Speed was with others who were ready to do the same and tendred themselves but were not accepted because the design was to make their conscience or perâ—oâ—s to suffer divers friendly men of quality voluntarily present offered themselves sureties for them which thou wouldst not accept except the persons concerned would assent thereunto which they could not do for that was equivalent with finding sureties themselves and so they should bring under their reputation and the Testimony of the truth of God in them which was yea that is to say that which it said was so but this they did they tendred their promise or word of appearance which they are known to be men to perform especially in matters of conscience wherein the name of the Lord is concerned Nay Thomas Speed told thee that if thou couldst say in thy conscience that thou didst believe they would not appear when they had given their word they would find sureties but what thy conscience was therein thou wouldest not declare which shewed that thou didst believe in thy Conscience that they would for if thou hadst believed otherwise thou wouldst have said so for it then did concern thee so to have done and to have taken him but this thou wouldest not do nor accept of those that proffered themselves which is against law and so did shew that thou determinedst in thy self to make them to suffer We say * Captain John Knight some of these that so profered themselves thy Sheriff reflected upon very much and high words grew from the
one to to the other which afterwards made matter of trouble at Court the said Sheriff finding himself agrieved vvho offered the injury and vvhen it came to it vvould not appear at hearing and so shevved hovv little vveight their vvas at the bottom the great matter of complaint being that he vvas called the Kings Goaler and no Justice vvhich vvas offered the Sheriff upon his interposing in the business of these men vvho vvas not concerned so thou sentest them avvay prisoners for not taking the oath of allegiance vvhich thou tendredst to them the old snare to intrap such as cannot svvear vvhen no other vvayes they can vvell be reach'd and for refusing to find sureties for their appearance at Sessions and though thou couldst not but see hovv much it vvas against the hearts of the multitude present vvho vvere grieved to behold thee ripping up the City as it vvere and putting to trouble the honest substantial men thereof and placing them in order to ruine and so were thinking to what these things would come yet thou wouldst needs go on and having made before some steps in persecution thou wouldst proceed though it cost thee the ruine of thy self and them And so blind vvast thou and mad in thy pursuit that vvhen thou savvest and it vvas proved before thy face in the vievv and hearing of the people that the five vvitnesses produced against them vvere all false sworn in the particular of Miles Dixon who first swore that they saw him at the meeting and so his name was inserted in the mittimus to go to prison and then one after another when he demanded it of them whether they saw him at the meeting denied and said they did not see him at the meeting vvhereupon thou vvast constrained to cause his name to be struck out of the mittimus and one of them viz. Sergeant Sloper said I told your worship so before that I met him in the high-street yet your worship would have it in that is in the Deposition a thing most abominable and to be noted yet nothing was done to these men who appeared out of their own mouths thus false sworn in the view of the Court but they were suffered to be as good evidence against the other three and other than these thou hadst no evidence and didst upon what they swore send them to prison And this is recorded as a perpetual mark of thy wickednesse and folly for which thou shalt receive thy reward And so imperious wast thou and foolishly lording it who art known well enough in this City vvhat thou art and from whence thou camest and how thou hast lived that as if these men had been thy vassals or such as did not deserve the Civil appellations of men whose reputation as men stands saving thy being Mayor as good as thine thou didst Sirrah them and Tom thou hadst up Alas John Knight whither wilt thou drive and how unhandsomly dost thou clime into the seat of Honour and yet of honour it is not for an honourable person would abhor so to do out of which this cast thee and makes thee to be the scorn of the City in which thou hast been bred and hast lived but this is the reward of all those who turn against the truth the Lord suffers them to draw contempt and obloquy upon thmselves and shame comes to be the promotion of fools as the spirit of the Lord testified by his servant Solomon Prov. 3.35 So this day ended not to the prejudice of them as the hand of the Lord ordered it contrary to thy will or the cause for which they suffered But the advantage for these things being open and in the face of the City it turned the heart of it the more against thee and caused their love to flow to them whom thou wouldest despise and trample under and in their visits they manifested this neverthelesse they were not thy enemies whom thou thus didst use and clap up from their occasions and business which was somewhat great and by what thou hadst done to them hadst threatned the end of them as to liberty and what they had in the world but in love they sought thee and thy welfare who never had done thee any wrong if by any means thine eyes might be opened and so mightest come to see what thou hadst been doing and turn unto the Lord which was manifested partly in a Letter which one of them thus wrote unto thee From Newgate Prison 31th of 10th month 1663. Friend THe God of Heaven is not well pleased with thee because thy wayes are not found right in his sight the innocent who are to him as the apple of his eye are by thee oppressed and afflicted The same Jesus against whom Saul zealously fought in the time of his ignoranee dost thou now persecute in his suffering members of which what can be the consequence without Sauls repentance but a fearful expectation of wrath and Judgment from the hand of the righteous God the soveraignty of the great God over the Consciences of men dost thou violenly attempt to invade and to usurp to thy self who art a man that must die and the son of man whose breath is in thy nostrils and doest thou judge thy self stronger than the Almighty or canst thou strive with thy maker and prosper Consider O man what thou art now doing ere it be too late and there be no place left for repentance They that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution as say the holy Scriptures but woe unto him or them by whom they suffer better for them unlesse they repent that they had never been born and that the womb that bare them had been their grave that they might never have seen the light think seriously with thy self how thou wilt be able to stand in Judgment with him who is a consuming fire in the day when he shall come to plead with thee the cause of the innocent will it then suffice for thine acquitment to say that thou hadst a law and by that law they ought to suffer was not holy Daniel hurried into the Lions den and the three faithful children into the furnace by a law and will the Judge of all the earth accept of that plea from the executioners of that law so as to acquit them Did not the murderers of Jesus Christ in whose mouth never was guile found say we have a law and by our law he ought to die but did that save them from the wrath of God his Father so as that he hath not since sorely visited his innocent bloud upon them and their children in the view of all Nations Will not Bonner and his Complices be found not guilty before the Tribunal of the Almighty if this plea prove valid who ruined the estates and consumed into Ashes in the Flames the bodies of many holy Martyrs during the time of the Marian persecution by him who made heaven and earth must both the law and thou and we
be judged and then nothing but that which is righteous in his sight will stand and abide his tryal and then will not that very law which he hath engraven in thine heart judge thee which saith whatever thou wouldest that men shall do unto thee do thou even the same unto them which whether thou dost now practice we leave to the Lord and to his witness in thee and in the Consciences of all sober minded persons within this City to judge and to determine Let me yet further reason with thee and be not offended for in tender love to thine immortal soul the Lord is my witness do I write these things Hast thou the spirit of Christ if not sad is thy condition for he that hath not the Spirit as saith the Scripture is none of his If thou hast it O then where are the fruits the fruits of that holy spirit are love gentleness meekness long-suffering mercifulness forgiveness c. this spirit never prompted or prevail'd with any man to persecute others for conscience sake they in whom this spirit dwelt in all ages were persecuted but never found persecutors envied but not envying hated but not haters of others suffering for the matters of their God but not causing others to suffer Paul who had this spirit speaking of things appertaining to Conscience saith Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind for mark every one of us shall give an account of himself to God Rom. 14.5 12. And as you have received Christ Jesus walk in him Col. 2.6 By this spirit the Apostle Peter said Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake And the same Peter by the same spirit being commanded by the Rulers not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus did chusing rather to obey God than men speak openly and boldly in his name Weigh these things in a cool unprejudiced spirit and hearken to and that thou mightest also know the things that do belong to the peace of thy precious soul in this thy day whilst thou art on this side the grave Remember O remember in whose hands is the breath of thy nostrils who can soon turn thee into dust Thou knowest not how soon the King of Terrours may knock at thy doors with a Commission from the Lord to romove thee from the land of the living and then peace with thy maker against whom thou art now contending will be more worth than the whole world but not then to be purchased with all the Treasures thereof I say therefore again Despise not the friendly advice of him whilst thou hast yet a season who in heart desireth thine eternal welfare lest when thou come to lay thine head upon thy Death pillow and the Terrours of the Almighty seize on thee thou shouldest then cry unto the Lord for mercy and he should say unto thee my love often called unto thee and thou wouldest not hear in the day of thy outward prosperity I would have won thee with kindnesse but thou wouldst not hearken Now therefore I will stop mine ears at thy cry reap the fruits of thine own works and let misery be thy portion until Eternity shall have an end Hear and fear the Lord and dispise not the Counsell of him who is truly breathing in his heart to the Lord for the salvation of thy precious soul and in the Lord wisheth well to thee and thine Tho. Speed This as hath been said was wrote and also delivered to thee and with how much tenderness and an earnest desire of thy welfare and how suitable it was to thy state and how weighty let the sober judge one would have thought that thou wouldest have taken such a man in thine armes and hugged him in thy bosome considering his love and zealous care of thy welfare and never have let him go from out of thy heart whilest thou haddest a being or breathedst on the earth put case there had been a mistake in some particulars as to which there was non and thou shalt one day know it the intent of his heart in such a thing of weight as thine eternal welfare that it might be well with thee for ever would have sunk into an ingenious breast and never would have suffer'd that man to die there who would have thee live for ever and though the expostulations were quick and piercing yet an ingenious man would have considered with himself why he mindes my welfare he judges me to be out of the way and perhaps I am 't is good for me to consider the things as they stand are stated truly granting them as they are stated onely he hath mist and let me see whether indeed he hath done so for I may be in a mistake the application It s good for me to heed whether it be so or no a wrong zeal may carry me forth as it did Saul Who breathed forth threatnings and slaughter and haled men and women out of houses as I have caused to be done and though as I have done he ought to do all things against that name of Jesus and was mad as himself said and am not I as he was then and persecuted them even to strange Cities as I have in the Parliament and in London and Westminster and sought to bespeak them the worst I could and to cut them off from the face of the earth that so neither name nor remnant might be left of them from generation to generation and yet Saul came to see it otherwise and to be knocked down in the way As he was posting to Damascus with Letters from the high Priests and Rulers to persecute them there and he was told I am Jesus whom thou persecutest It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks and he became a Preacher of the same Jesus And O that it might be so with me if I am as he was and do persecute Jesus he was also an eminent Apostle and converted multitudes to the faith of Jesus and suffered for his name who for his name made others to suffer And when thy holy martyr Stephen was stoned said he I stood by and held the garments of them that did it and consented to his death as I have made them to suffer if so be it be Jesus in them that I persecute And it was his great grief and I must look to it that it prove not to be mine that he persecuted the Church of God And therefore said who am not worthy to be called an Apostle because I persecute the Church of of God Well I will ponder these things wiser men then I and more zealous and of better reputation and profession I see have been mistaken and why may not I well I love the man no harm shall come unto him Such would have been the reasonings of as hath been said an ingenious spirit to one who prayed and intreated when he was defamed by thee abused and persecuted but alas there came no such moysture from thy flinty heart
people but guilty of an unlawful assembly with which thou being not satisfied they withdrew again and thus delivered themselves Not guilty according to the Inditement This gave so great a satisfaction to the Hall and the generality of the people that were therein which was very many that some manifestation thereof was given the people then present being glad in their hearts that innocent men and such as these were and those unto whom they appertained were not found guiltie and that the City thereby so far was unconcerned in a verdict against them it being to their great grief and consternation of spirit that such men for their Consciences should be thus put upon the wrack and sought to be destroyed but this their joy and gladness of spirit vexed thee to the very heart that thou wast so baffled which thou couldst not forbear to manifest and so to prove undeniably thy self what hath been here asserted viz. that thou designedly soughtst their suffering for upon the general shew that past the Hall upon the publication of the verdict as aforesaid thou as a man sensible of thy disappointment in that which thou hadst so designed and laboured to accomplish couldst not contain thy self such was the over-ruling hand of the Almighty for his truth and his people that in vehement passion as a man concerned in the contrary and so didst appear as an unjust Judge which sought the suffering of the Prisoners and was not indifferent which a righteous Judge ought to be and rather inclining which the law doth to the acquitment than to the suffering of the Prisoners saidst tthou couldst not endure to sit there and see thy Sovereigns Laws trampled under soot or words to that purpose who didst trample thy Soveraigns laws under foot in seeking to make them to suffer who by thy Sovereigns laws were acquitted and so didst demand of them whether they would take the oath of allegiance which thou before toldest them thou wouldst do if the Jury did acquit them but in this thou wast disappointed also for the rest of the Justices would not yield to it as judging it a thing unreasonable then to put the Oath to them when they vvere cleared of vvhat they stood indited by their Countrey This dissatisfied the Hall exceedingly to see thee sitting on the Bench as Judge to act so contrary to Justice for thou shouldst rather have shewn thy self as glad of their liberty the law acquitting them hadst thou been unconcerned than to have manifested thy desire to have had them to suffer and hadst thou been a wise man in thy generation thou wouldst have so done But oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and his wayes past finding out he knew thy heart and therefore would not suffer thy fig-leaves to cover thee but brought thee forth stark naked to the worlds view in thy Wolfs dresse and then stop'd thee in thy course so that thou couldst not neither prevail in this of the oath yet their liberty thou didst detain who should have been acquitted and to the next day adjournedst them yet neither then nor to this day suffered he thee to have what thou wouldest upon them who bore Testimony to his name for which we glorifie his name for ever Thus passed the proceedings of the first day the next day being the 13th of the 11th month George Bishop Edward Pyot John Gibbons Nehemiah Pool George Oliver Thomas Morris James Sterridge Benjamin Cottle and John Spoor were set to the Bar and an Inditement of the same nature exhibited against them before the Jury who were Richard Codrington foreman Francis Little John Clark the elder William Loop Hump. Barecroft Walter Payne Thomas Wright Peter Rosewell John Collins Dep. Marshall John Bradford Roger Willoughby and Rich. Legg and they were demanded to answer guiltie or not guiltie to which they pleaded not guilty of the Inditement in manner and form as was therein expressed which their plea being entred the Town Clerk asked them whether they would proceed to Tryal now or traverse it they answered presently if they pleased so the witnesses were called to prove them at the meeting and thou calledst for the Depositions that were taken at their commitment as if thou wouldst have had them read the Prisoners said that there must be nothing produced in Court but viva voce by word of mouth the Town Clark said to thee it was so whereupon the reading of them was forborn the witnesses then being called upon to be sworn the prisoners desired that it might be a little laid aside because they had somewhat to say which happily might save them some labour and so they began and said and confessed that they were at the meeting in Broad mead and upon the day mentioned in the Inditement and that they were there to wait upon the Lord and in obedience to him and to testifie to his sovereignty over the Consciences of men as to worship who was Lord of all and soveraign in the conscience who was a spirit and would be worshipped in spirit and in truth not at Jerusalem nor in this mountain as Christ said to the woman of Samaria and that such the Father sought to worship him whose fear towards him is not to be taught by the precepts of men and so began to shew and would have done from the three childrens time and so throughout all Histories to this day how that there were a people that bowed not to the worships of the times but gave testimony unto and sealed with their blood the dominion that is everlasting in the Conscience and the soveraignty of him there who is Lord of all against the laws of men that sought to infringe and did usurp upon his dominion in the conscience who lives for ever and would have given reason and undeniable demonstration for this and have made it out but thou interruptedst them and wouldst not suffer them to speak but with much vehemency didst cry out that thou couldst not endure to sit there and hear a Religion instilled into the Court a Religion contrary to the laws of the Kingdome and that the laws of England were the supreme Conscience of England and suffered them not to speak further as to this ground or reason of their so being there though the attention of the Hall was very great and in deep silence though very full being willing to hear that great point opened viz. the soveraignty of God in the conscience as to worship which was so near to them all for conscience is in every man and every man would worship God according to his Conscience and would not have it dealt withall nor thou thy self to the witnesse of God in thee we speak as thou didst to them This being the matter so much in controversie onely they had so much liberty further to speak and to shew that their meeting was not in contempt of the lawes or with force and arms to
the Terrour of the people it being a thing contrary to their principle and practice So the witnesses were sworn and examined who testified that they were at the meeting at such a place and at such a time but as to force and armes c. proved nothing for though thy Sergeant Jones would needs have argued the matter being put upon it by thee in the Court and no doubt had before received from thee his instruction and thus would have brought it about viz. that it was a Terrour to him to see the Kings laws broken and he thought it being so with him that it could not but be so to every good subject or words to this purpose which signified nothing for it was pleading and so he was told that he pleaded and so his testimony in that particular signified not for thereby he shewed himself a party and not a witness who ought to be a person in his Testimony leaning to neither side but declaring the certain truth in certain words and not by argumentation and so to leave it to the Court. And though thou endeavouredst to make something of the Testimony that was against one Samuel James who coming up the stairs at the time when thy Sergeant Jones aforesaid and and the Musqueteers were at the meeting aforesaid and being presently commanded down and he not in the very minute observing it but looking about him being somewhat agast at that unusual company was endeavoured to be knocked down the stairs so musquets being about his ears and many men upon him and he not knowing what they meant to do with him it seems as the witnesse swore he laid hands on one of the souldiers sword in the scabbard and endeavoured to draw it which thou wouldst have converted as an act of theirs and so wouldst have had it to bear the interpretation of a Riot which no doubt was the reason why thou causedst them to be indicted on that dayes meeting and not on that in the street at which they were taken when last committed But this proved not to thy purpose for unawares its like in thee but otherwise in the ordering of the Lord thou droppedst this word when the matter was in Examination speaking of James and what he was a Ranter saidst thou which was observed afterwards by the Prisoners to the Jury besides it could not bear such an interpretation in Reason or Equity that a mans action and what the action was hath been said in a publick meeting where none are kept out who was none of the people which usually there met should be attributed to be the Action of that people whose principle and practice is contrary to to that action and who owned it not nor abetted it and it being transient not between those people and him or he and those people with the officers but between the officers and him and that chiefly down the stairs and in a lower room where they say the sword was endeavoured to be drawn by him not in the place where those people were met But this strained interpretation would serve for little else than to shew how eager thou wast and industrious to find something that indeed might have a reflection upon them so the matters being turned up and down and many things being spoken the Jury came at length to be addressed unto to whom the prisoners summed up the Evidence and repeated how that nothing of force and arms was proved against them for there was indeed none and how that that of James had no other reflection nor could have but as between himself and the officers the Mayor himself as was said to them telling them that he was a Ranter and so none of those people and how that their having been at the meeting they had confessed and upon what ground viz. that it was in obedience to the Lord and not in contempt to them or to the Law moreover that they had considered of the matter and if any thing on this side their peace with the Lord would have done it they had not been at that which vvas the occasion of their being thus brought thither that the son of God was the soveraign of the Conscience and the worship of the Father was in spirit and truth and his fear was not to be taught by the precepts of men but here thou interruptedst him that spake which was G. B. of that any further but he turning to the Juay said to them Neighbours and Friends we have nothing now to do with these and so turned his hand to the Court and to you I shall speak you have Consciences of your own according unto which you would worship God and you would not take it well if some such thing as hath been done and is now doing to us should be done to you for worshipping God according to your Conscience Now what saith the Judge of all whatsoever yee would that men should do unto you do even the same unto them for this is the law and the Prophets And so I shall leave you Edward Pyot also spake to the Jury and said you by the Court are made our Judges and the matter of fact for which we are called in question this day is nothing criminal nor any matter of dishonesty but onely for our meeting together in the worship and service of God and nothing more than barely meeting together is proved against us to which our selves have confessed before proof vvas made and as our meeting together in such manner and to such ends as is declared in the Inditement hath been by us denied so it is altogether without proof to you that which you are chiefly to consider of in order to your verdict is whether or not we were met together in manner and form according as is declared in the Inditement As to the manner of our meeting it was not with force and armes as you your selves in your own consciences know but we meet together in the fear of the Lord and to no other end than onely in Gods Worship and Service and therefore take heed what you do lest you be found striving against the Lord for God vvill be worshipped and served as himself pleaseth and by his own direction and prescription in spirit and in truth and not as man pleaseth nor by mens prescriptions and directions for things may be highly esteemed amongst men which are abomination in the sight of God and it is not in the power of any Creature to prescribe to his maker how his maker shall be served and worshipped It is enough for the greatest of men to prescribe their own Homage and to direct their own service and to leave that which concerns the worship and service of God unto God himself and to his own prescription and direction who alone is Law-giver to all and the Judge over all in all the matters and things which concerns his own vvorship and service and vvhom we chuse to obey rather then men Here thou rosest from thy seat
which was held the 18th of the 12th Moneth 1664. and thou being come down as aforesaid to attend it two Bills of Indictment were drawn and presented the Grand Jury the one against those seaven whom thou sentest to Bridewell and then committed them to Newgate when thou wast thy self at Meeting and the other against Joan Hiley That against the seaven the Grand Jury cast out and the other against Joan Hiley had like to have been too had not Heyward the Taylor one of the Grand Iury in the breach of his Oath given information to one of the Sheriffs and so to thee that it would be so if more Evidence vvere not brought in hereupon thou bestirs thy self and caused the Priest to be sent for in prosecution of thy old design which was to make us to suffer and thy expectations was so on tiptoe that thou couldst not forbear to ask the Foreman Whether the Bill was found before he came to deliver it in who gave thee an answer as became a man in his place whose name is Iohn Tyler though thou vventest out of thy place though yet not out of the persecuting spirit that was in thee unbecoming a Magistrate to ask the question So the Court wan adjourned this being the fore-part of the day to the after-noon Then she was had to the Court and set to the Bar and thou faine would'st have had the Tryal put off and spakest to her Husband so to do and to enter into a new Recognizance for that purpose but she could not consent to that so thou wentest on to Tryal and the Iury was sworn and the Priest set by her and the Indictment was read and she pleaded to it Not Guilty and the Evidence was produced of which the Priest was one who said He heard some body speak but could not say it was her And the Iury went aside and much expectation was on the issue for ye thought your Jury would serve your turner and the names of the Jury being looked over they were judged to be all right and Sheriff Streamer as was said was very confident of the matter and was over heard as is said to lay a Wager with Capt. Hicks that it would be so which John Hicks distrusting the other is said to say He would lay his life they would find her guilty and that there were four of them that would dye but they would do it Which appeared to have something in it for the Baily Errand when he spake to the Court said That the Jury were all agreed save four what Working here is to make the innocent to suffer yet the Iury brought her in Not Guilty the Indictment being not laid in the words of the Statute as the Council made appear and as for the Words of the Statute there was not sufficient Evidence to prove that what she said was according to those words So the Lord wrought for his innocent servants which waited upon him and so two petty Juries the Sessions before having failed thee and now the grand and petty Jury made thee misse of thy end and so that thy hands hitherto could not bring to passe the thoughts of thine heart for the Lords arme was against thee and indeed the Citizens began to nawseat this unusual trade of thine in putting them upon the tumbling their fellow Citizens into holes and corners and so thereby thou mightst serve thy will and pleasure upon them and now thou thoughtst it time to hie thee to London again to get some new strength and to recruit thee who hitherto hadst missed and to work thou wentst above to get the matters finished out of the old way of England which was by Juries to the conviction of two Justices as aforesaid and the Bill was past and now thou wast glad and as is reported wept for joy for now thy work thou thoughtest was not likely Sisyphus his stone of which Histories speak to return still upon thee and thou to be laught at which was the thing thou fearedst and therefore its like bespeakest the Citie to be in an ill condition and as if it were ready to be in a tumult which was as still as the stones in the street and thou art said to have suggested that thou couldst not undertake the safetie of the place vvithout some such additional power and vvouldst fain have made it the same through England and now thou vvast paramount and dovvn thou camst and here thou thoughtst to make short vvork And as to other offices vvhereto some of us vvere called to serve thou turn'st them by as a people vvhom thou intendedst to make clear vvork vvith asking vvhy they did choose us for such offices giving the people so to understand and intimating that a shorter course would be taken with us which might put us out of the Capacity of bearing Office and so thou wouldst have us reserved to the greater blow hoping at once to make riddance of us and to quit us the Nation But we shall have a place and name therein when thou art forgotten except it be to shame and obloquie Thus thy heart was lifted up and thou preparedst thy self for the season wherein the Act should take place viz. the first day of the 5th month called July following hoping then and afterwards at once to do thy work upon us and so high were thy spirits boyed to this attempt that thou hadst not patience to stay until the day but before the day thou wentst to work and yet we think thee not very wise in so doing but the Lord suffered thy haste to befool thee and on the 12th of 4th month down thou sentest thy officers who to the meeting came and there played the mad men some of them Jones c. halling and pulling striking and dragging and thy said Serjeant Jones put off his Gown and to work he went for he must do something one way as thou hadst done another and why not seeing he was executioner as thou wast Magistrate and about he swings his Mace and had bruised one our Friends hands therewith in pieces in all likelihood at which he struck if it had not been taken away and here the peace came to be broke on a peaceable people and those of the officers that could not be as mad as he but had some reluctancy against such usages to people of qualitie and their loving Neighbours he used as he pleased in particular William White an old Royalist whom he much in words abused and because we could not bow to his commands he caused some of us to be dragged and had away and carried to Prison as if he were Mayor and Justice and King and Parliament and all and above them all in breaking the Peace which the Law is against whose Names are as follows William Ford Nath. Milner John Love Sam. Taylor Will. James Jos Moor John Johns Israel Bird Robert Claxton Tho. Jaques alias Jackson Will. Emblin Jos Canings Hen. Prichard And. Sole and Tho. Atkins and these
viz. the sending of all away notwithstanding all this bussle and the violence of some of thy Officers particularly John Jones thy Sergeant vvho because Thomas Winfield answered not presently his Command to come down he violently threw him down the stairs from top to bottome with such a fall as had like to have spoiled him the fear whereof seized on many thus breaking of the peace above whilest thou wast below as seeming to sit and keep it yet we say thou didst not accomplish thine end to put up all and so to make clear work for though thou sentest away of Men Women to Newgate 24. and to Bridewel about one hundred forty and six and satest at it so long yet thou wast forced to arise and depart as a man quite tired saying Thou couldest do no more and so there was many of whom thou tookest no notice So thou hadst thy Belly full of Prey this day and as great an opportunity in this kind against the Innocent as thine heart could wish and with thine hands thou didst the desire of thine heart till thou couldst do no more for which the Lord vvill give thee thy reward even blood to drink for thou art worthy and in the Cup wherein thou hast filled shalt thou be filled double as John saw in his Revelations who prophecied of thy day in the fall of Babilon who had made he self drunk with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Rev. 18.6 In the cup which she hath filled to you fill to her double saith he vvhich shall be thy portion from the hand of the Lord except thou repent And now the City was full of sorrow and much trouble affected the sober people therein vvho before never saw such a day nor heard of in Bristol vvherein their quiet peaceable sober innocent and substantial fellow-Citizens were thrust in heaps into holes after such a manner for their Conscience Bridewel being full of them like the place of a great Fair five and fifty Women in Bridewel not having above four or five beds to lie on about the Bed of vvhich in one Chamber lay about 30 on the form and floor which by reason of the uncleanness of that house in many places of it being cast in there in such numbers on a suddain so that the house could not be cleansed before vvas so filled with vermine that through the going up and down of such multitudes in every place vvho in a manner filled every place was contracted so that sleep could not rest in the eyes of many who had not been exercised vvith such hard lodging and troublesome guests Who were people of Quality many of them and Credit and lived otherwise in the world And in Newgate several such viz. some Merchants some Shop-keepers were constrained to lie on straw that night above Twenty lying in the Circumference of one narrow place for such a number called the Traytors ward and indeed that prison was so full what with our friends before and now committed and what with old and new debtors and felons the time of the Asizes and Gaol delivery drawing on that they were cast thicker in proportion than a man that had regard to his creatures would put his dogs and swine as if so be thou intendedst by infection to have dispatcht them in that noysome hole which is scarce fit for dogs much lest for men such men as they were and had been bred and lived though thou thereby shouldst hazzard thy self the City it being the hot season of the year and in that respect the more dangerous much like to Nero whom Histories report to have caused Rome to be set on fire in several places whilest he standing on a Tower with his Musitians made sport thereat Yet this effected not what thou thoughtst to bring to pass viz. by these things to withdraw the love of the City from us or to deter them from their visiting of us for it increased their love and people by heaps came to visit those of us whom thou hadst cast into prison some by the sixth hour in the next morning were there to visit them viz. at Bridewell and by continual entercourse both there and at Newgate and expressions of their love shewed how much their hearts were touched with their sufferings and let us tell thee it reached further than any thing of this nature had reached before and many were pained at the heart and knew not vvhat to doe such large furrows had these thy cruelties made upon their souls vvhich shevved thee an unwise man in thy Generation thus to Act raising the fire so much the more vvhich thou soughtest hereby to quench and making those the more considerable and to have a deeper root in the City then ever whom thou wouldest and endeavourdest to have rooted out for as was wrote thee aforesaid they being interwoven in the City as a mans spirit is in his flesh and his flesh in his body the suffering of them proved as a mans flesh in his body and his spirit in his flesh and thou camest to be abhorred hereby and thy name to be as stink in the City which as it never before saw such heaps of violence So it never hated a man more that thus did exercise it and so whilest ages and generations lasts this thy work will be thy shame and in the perpetual Monuments of time will brand thy name with ignominy for ever Thou shalt not avoid it except thou repent Nor was it onely in Bristol that these things thus ran but in the Countrey about and in London yea throughout England which whilest it generally stood in a modest sensibility and loathness to such Acts as these had the leisure to hear the sound of these cruelties and to abhor thee so that thou becamest the general talk in City and Country especially at London and not without the like at Court which thought thee hadst gon beyond the limit of the discresion of their affaires and mad man like hadst set all on fire when as two or three sticks some of the principle of them as the Law directs might have tried how that smoak would have proved and ' its like thou hadst no thanks from thence for so doing Yet the Lord was with his people who kept them in prison amidst all these sufferings praising and glorifying his name as he was with them at the meetings and in the sence of his presence gave them the seale of his Apobation that that their testimony to him was accepable in his sight and that they bore testimony to him Whose Names are Newgate Men. Thomas Gouldney Charls Jones Miles Dixin Charls Harvord Will. Taylor Rich. Marsh Will. Taylor of the Castle George Gough Rich. Snead Rich. Belshar Hen. Dedicote Jos Owen John Cole Andrew Sole Erasin Dole John Hunt 16. Women Mary Gouldney Eliz. Pyet Magd. Love Ann Sole Joyce Dole Eliz. Moore Eliz. Gibbons Joan Hiley 8 24 in all Bridewell Men. John Moon John Batho Thomas Lewis Nath.
thing for John Saunders but in the hurt of his Conscience though being committed by thee he lay upon stravv in Traytors Ward for his Conscience And this is thy Conscience and the tenderness of thy heart to thy friends and near Relations for their Conscience yet a great deal of love thou wouldst needs pretend to thy Cozen Gouldney as thou hast to many more of Vs but vvherein it appears is yet to appear Sure We are that she continued a Prisoner till the expiration of the time aforesaid and her husband also and John Saunders as thou doest to us vvhat thou pleasest vvhom vvithout a cause thou pursuest but the day of the Lord is upon Thee and thy Deceit is made manifest The next first day of the Week being the 10th of 5th Mon. thou didst cause the doors of the Meeting-house to be kept fast having had thy belly full of toyl the day before and being willing its like to hear how thy other dayes action vvas resented at Court the Prisons moreover being full and the City discontented and the Sessions drawing nigh so the Meeting vvas in the street vvhich received the Taunts of thy Sergeant Jones vvho had newly bought his office and as the Proverb is speaking by contrarieâ— would needs be good in it and Baal aforesaid vvho seeing two strangers there that came out of Ireland took them away to Bridewell and having taken the Names of whom they pleased went their Way The Sessious being come viz. the 12th of the 5th mon. a Bill of Indictment at Comon Law vvas drawn and exhibited against William Ford and those 14 vvith him that were had from Meeting the 12th of the Moneth before as hath been related and laid in Prison vvhich the Grand Iurie finding they were brought to the Hall in the Afternoon and there put into the Cub where Murderers and Felons are used to be placed though W. Ford and Nath. Milner were thy neare Neighbours and men of dealing in whom the Poor were much concern'd and of good Reputation and the Indictment being read to them there For being at an unlawful Meeting by force and Arms c. They pleaded except Thomas Atkins and Iohn Iohns Not Guiltie The Witnesses viz. thy Officers were examined who swore That in the Kings Name they made Proclamation for them to depart When as a Month before when thou committedst them they swore that it was in thy Name for which thou then reprovedst them saying It should have been in the Kings which in a Months time it seems was become so This the Prisoners observed and pleaded against the Validity of their testimony who swore one thing one moneth and another thing as to the same matter another moneth as they did against the falshood of the matter of their Testimony This thou undertook'st to justifie and would'st needs to shew how thou wa'st still concern'd in the Prosecution of our suffering prove by Consequence thus Thou wert the Kings Officer they made Proclamation in thy name who wast an officer of the Kings therefore it was in the Name of the King Fine Logick in Law But a Bill of Indictment as to Perjurie before a Righteous Jury thou not being the Judge for thou art concern'd and no righteous Judgment can be expected at thy hands would clip the ears of thy Offiers and give them other sufferings of fine and Imprisonment and then how could thy Logick serve them For Words of Evidence ought to be plain and the same not one day one thing and another day another thing and thy Name is not the Kings and the Kings Name is not thine in point of Proclamation especially unless thou wilt needs be King in Bristol which it seems one of the Judges of the Kings Bench saw cause to place upon thee as aforesaid Take heed John Knight of these things Ego Rex meas I and my King cost Cardinal Poole something thou must not come too near here though thy mind aspires too much Remember the saying of old viz. Kings and Concubines admit no competitors Take heed Iohn Knight of Tower-hill the Axe there hath an edge for all save Kings and once know that Proclamations as to Law must be in the Name of the King not thine Iohn Knight unless in the Name of the King so thou maist stay thy hast least thou repent at leisure These things rendred thy Witnesses in view of the Hall not fit to testifie having appeared forsworn But thou didst not think so that was not to the business thou hadst in hand viz. Right or Wrong as it seems to make them suffer so false Witnesses may serve any thing that is like that 's call'd a Witness that hath a syllable or two like the matter may serve the turn the matter is judged already viz. They shall suffer The same was in the case of Thomas Speed c. as aforesaid So Robert Edwards Sergeant swore Positively that W. Ford was in the meeting when as he met William Ford in the street and there took him up and when W. Ford asked him In what place he saw him in the Meeting he hung down his head and said nothing The same he also swore as to Iohn Love whom he saw coming down the stairs of the meeting Roome But all men that are in their wits do know that the stairs to a place is not the place and Evidence in point of Testimonie ought to be Positive both as to Place and Time Yet this was the Entertainment that they met with at thine and the hands of thy Officers But this is not all after these thy Witnesses had said what they pleased thou spakest a few words to the Jurie and then they withdrew forthwith not having heard the Prisoners who though they called upon them to stay and to hear what they had to say for themselves for Qui Judicat aliquid altera parte in audita haud equum facit Judicium That is He that judgeth anie thing the other part being unheard can hardly give right Iudgment as the Maxim is Yet away they went as if having heard thee it was enough and that the knowledge of thy mind were sufficient so giving to understand as if there were a Confederacie between You to make them to suffer which one of them intimated to thee in a Letter hereafter to be mentioned Whereupon the Prisoners called aloud to thee and the Town-Clerk to cause them to stay in which being importunate as indeed it did concern them thou and the Town-Clerk called to them to stay yet they would not return to their place to hear them but vvent in and after they vvere vvithdrawn Gunter the Fore-man of the Iurie an Officer formerly in the Militia and a known inveterate enemie to us came forth with the Book of Statutes under his Arme desiring to know of the Town-Clerk against what Statute it was when the Indictment was at Common Law So vvell prepared vvas this Fore-man and the Iurie as men use to say by the contraries and
carriedst thy self after thy wonted manner of Rage and Envy and thou broughtest thither with thee Alderman Lock and Alderman Creswick who made up thy Court the Sheriffs were present also and even to the Widow Yeomans that Antient Grave Matron aforesaid whose age rather bespoke a Coffin then a Banishment thou took'st as thou could'st meet and wouldst have sent her to Newgate also with this croud of Prisoners had it not been for Alderman Creswick who it's like had little rest that night for that dayes service who caused it to be otherwise Yet thou didst commit her though thou released her presently and made that her being with the people of the Lord at meeting to wait upon him a step to her banishment her Gray hairs being thus honoured of the Lord to live to that day to bear a Testimony for him in the face of thy fury and of Banishment who is scarce able in body to reach to the place of Meeting And here we must bring in the sad Reckoning of Lidiah Tovy Wife of Rich. Tovy Brewer Alice the Wife of W. Peachy and Mary Knight servant to Nath. Milner Prisoners aforesaid vvhose lives and the Infant of one of them this dayes work of thine took away from the Earth whose blood cries cries for vengeance against thee and vvill lie upon thy head for ever except thou Repent Lidia Tovy vvas very big with child a little Woman and Young the only daughter living of her Mother who was a Widow and except one son all the children she had alive Thou saw'st in what condition she was when in the meeting as to her being with child thou knew'st her to be thy Neighbour thou didst nevertheless commit her yet thou wouldst seeine somewhat tender and said should be but till the morrow though that was a step in order to Banishment which she was the nearer to by how much her imprisonment vvas short So to prison she was brought and the very noisome sent of the old Goale at the door as she was brought to come in struck in upon her In the Prison she abode till the 7th day of that week notwithstanding that thou saidst before a multitude of witnesses that it should be but till the morrow There she aylded wanting breathing and room vvhich she usually in that condition needed much Her ilness grew on and Symptoms of a Miscarriage though so big and near her time was on her Her Husbands Brother Thomas Tovy who lives on the Bridge and is one of the Council went to thee on the 5th day of the week and her tender mother on the 7th day giving thee to understand how it vvas vvith her for by this time her danger vvas so manifest that she bled upwards thou wouldst not hear but bad her come to thee on Monday That 7th day at night the Keeper of Newgate being with thee about the liberty of some of the Prisoners of whose having been at Bridewell thou hadst heard and therefore sentest for him thereabouts he informing thee of her condition and danger thou began'st to be sensible not for her sake as we may judge but thy own and the out-cry that would be made against thee if she died So thou didst hast him to set her at liberty saying Turn her out turn her out so she came and that night sent her home Well Monday of which thou spakest to her sorrowful mother came but she vvas laid in her bed a most sad spectacle continuing very ill and neither hearing nor seeing her infant came dead from her that night and the next morning being the third day of the week she yielded up the Ghost laying down her life at the foot of thy cruelty vvho vvith her tender babe vvere laid in the earth together never to return thence more for thee to Banish though after her death thy Warrant came to detain her in prison till the 6th of the 7th moneth following the date of her commitment with the rest of them that thou then committedst vvith her vvhose blood shall never depart from Thee and thy house for ever if thou dost not Repent Alice the Wife of W. Peachy vvas a Young Woman also very big vvith child vvhich was her first she vvas at the meeting vvhen thou and thy Officers vvere there One of thy Officers hall'd her rudely towards thee bidding her come along another was behind puting her forwards which being beyond what she was able to do being very big as aforesaid it hurt her and in her face it vvas discovered presently and was so in the observation of some friends present who were about to call on thy Officers for halling her after that manner So she went home ill and was delivered the next day and never was well afterwards but continued ill till the 14th day of the 6th Moneth on which day she dyed her Husband being then prisoner in Bridewell committed with the rest the day aforesaid Mary Knight was also committed on the same day to Bridewel and the next day being very ill was had to her masters house by thy suffrance where she died about twelve daies after of a violent feavour her body being brought to Bridewel from thence to be buried because she was a prisoner there bled afresh at the Nose for about an houre together the certain observation of the invisible judgement that that place was the caue of her death Yet thou wast not satisfied that thou hadst her life but her body being brought to Bridewell to be buried there as aforesaid and the woman of the house desiring thee to give leave to some of the prisoners to carry her to burial thou wast very much offended at its being brought thither and with the woman for that purpo e pose and despight said that if they wanted Bearers the Beadles should do it Thus was the Blood of the innocent shed and of three and an infant as the issue of one of thy daies work yet wast not thou glutted therewith but although that thou hadst committed these as aforesaid and laid up in the prisons heaps upon heaps though the prison was so unholsome so unsavoury though there was such danger of infection yet thou thoughtst the Prisoners were not straitned enough but ever and anon thou hadst the Jailor by the ears rating him as thou pleasedst and threatning him what should be done with him at the Sessions and that all that he had was forfeit to the King if he were worth thousands so that the man was in a great strait how to walk between the pleasing of thee who thirsted after their destruction and the health of the Prison and the prisoners unto whom the Sheriffs had such regard as to order additional lodgings as aforesaid and were willing upon a sober letter of one of the prisoners that they should have a little breath which was all they ask't whilest they were amongst you which is the thing you would have your selves and to have granted them the garden of T Gouldney aforesaid to walk in
being so near the prison and the prison of Newgate having no outlet though the Kings Bench the Fleet and other considerable Jailes in England have that so heaps upon heaps men might not be smothered to death and prisons be made places of execution and holes of murder but thou wouldst not consent thereunto but as if by all that thou couldst do thou sought'st their ruine or to bow their conscience to thee which was worse thou didst as aforesaid Haman like but Mordecai the true Jew in the Spirit cannot bow to thee though thou seekest therefore to cut of the whole Race of the Jews as aforesaid which as it did to Haman will prove thine own portion if thou dost not repent in the day of the Lord who will render to thee according to thy deeds Indeed Mary Gouldney told thee in the meeting that thou shouldst have provided wholson prisons for them before thou hadst committed them seeing thou knewest it was in thy mind to commit them and not to throw them up in heaps into Prisons so full as were these which was good counsel if thou couldst have hearkened thereto and then the Blood of the innocent might not so have come upon thee but as the swine thou wast when she spake these things and said to thee moreover that the bread thou brakest would be broken to thee again and as thou hadst shewn no mercy so mercy would not be shewn to thee to which purpose Joane Hiley also spake then unto thee We say like to the swine thou wast thou turn'dst and rent them and on Ioan Hiley laidst violent hands thy self for which she reproved thee there and Baal that bloody * He boasted how many of us he could dispatch in a day He said if he we e is the Major he would make our guts hang about our beds as our hats about oâ—r heâ—ds That those that feared the Lord would burn us alive hanging was too good for us when one spake to him to fear the Lord that the hoped to see us burnt at a stâ—ke with fire and faggot that if we were in France and Spain we should see what they would do to us that he could bâ—yle our limbs and scum them who professes himself to be a Roman Catholick and hath acknowledged that he worshâ—ps Images This is our executioner and this bloody villain is made our Judge Hangman of thine did the same on Mary Gouldney whom he had like to have thrown down the staires whom for so doing though in thy view thou didst not reprove Well these heaps upon heaps thus thrown together as hath been yet satisfied thee not but more thou must have as Hell and the grave which are never satified and therefore the next first day of the week viz. 14th of 6th month to work thou goest again making it another day of muster for so were those dayes made from time to time till thy date was out and so company after companies thou sentest on those daies to thy Jailes to fill up thy measure and having brought Alderman Sandy with thee poor man sorely against his heart for he loved not these things though he knew not how to avoid thy impetuous commands who makes representations of all that please thee not thou erectedst thy Court in the Meeting room there again and sent'st to Newgate Men. Thomas Speed Thomas Gouldney Tho. Callowhill John Hert Hen. Comely and Rowland Dole 6 Women Eliz. Pyol Magdalen Love Mary Dedicot Joice Dole Jane Tucker Deborah Watkins 6 12. in all And to Bridewell Men. Charles Harvoâ—d Abraham Cole John Batho Sam. Rogers Christ. Newman Charles Horsington Jeremy Hâ—gnel Morris Williams W. Collins W. Blackway Iohn Northal 11 Women Dorcas Lloyd Alexandra Perkins Mary Willis Dorcas Hewlet Mary Browchil Alice Moor Brightweed Ieffries Mary Leech Mary Hunt Eliz. Hogford Anne Brinkworth Eliz. Chamberlein Anne Mogs 14 25 in all this muster Roll of this day being thirty and seven who were committed by thee till the 6th of the 7th month following though those imprisoned by thee the day before were to the 19th Now at this thy high Court thou wast up with thy old trade again and to sirrahing of T. Speed thou wentest again forgeting thy self what thou wast what thou must be and Tom was up again so that sober people judg'd thee little better then a Man distracted and why all this Because he coolely spake to thee to convince him first that he had transgressed the Law before thou sentst him to prison as a transgressor of the Law So then a Rebel he must be and thou calledst him so but he told thee That thou wast a rebel against the God of heaven and shouldst have thy reward At which words of sobernesse and truth thou wast so incenst that had not a Serjeant perceiving what thou wouldst likely have done put him down the staires thou seemest as if thou wouldst have thrown him down thy self and with thy cousin Gouldney thou keptst great ado much after thy old wont So the Prisons became full but thy belly was not Too much liberty yet thou thoughtst some of these prisoners to have thy milstones ground not close enough together Edw. Pyot Geo. Bishop who were now bringing about the year of their imprisonment Thomas Speed and T. Gouldney bore up yet these to the old prison must go though cramm'd as aforesaid and no nay there must be for it and Sheriff Strâ—a … must give orders though George Bishop was his brother in Law Thomas Speed his uncle and Th. Gouldney one with whom he dealt and thy cousin as aforesaid Away they must go to the old execution house and there that must try what that could do to them and Roach must have orders so to do and his orders he signifies The prisoners thought it convenient so far to be unconcern'd in their own suffering whatsoever might happen to signifie to Sheriff Streamer in what condition the prison was and how there was no place fitting for them into which he had ordered them to be cast and therefore Geor. Bishop wrote a Letter to him and desired him to come down himself and to let his own eyes satisfie him as to the view of the prison who the day following towards the evening this being the second day of the week and the 15. of the 6. month coming down and viewing it himself with the Sword-bearer saw such an inhabitation of stench and company that he continued things as they were and moreover granted liberty to all women with child to make their houses their prisons and all that were sick Lidiah Lovy being that morning passed to her long home upon the foot of vvhat thou hadst formerly done as aforesaid vvith vvhich order of his thou declarest thy self content and so ended this great contest vvith some addition of Liberty to the prisoners as aforesaid through the Blood of their friend Thus Bloud touched Bloud yet thou couldst not give over but on the 21st of 6th month sentest thy Officers to
the Meetine who warn'd them to depart and took names and two to Prison viz. Bartholomew Crocker and Cananuel Britton who gave not their Names knowing themselves to be on the Third Conviction if so be thou wouldst so take it which the next day thou didst and committedst them to Newgate and on the 28th camest on with a fresh career and having sent thy Officer before to make fast the door on them that were in the Meeting-room somewhat early thou camest thy self down with Ald. Lock and the Sheriffs about the second hour in the afternoon and seeing some friends in meeting at the door of the house in the street for coming after the door was fast they could not get in the form of thy Visage was changed and thou grew'st very wroth and hastedst to them in thy fury so that thou wast observed to out-goe some of thy Officers and coming near the Place and seeing Mary Prince there thou saidst Where is Mrs. Prince What do you do here Unto which she answering That they were there to wait upon the Lord Thou criedst have her away to Newgate not suffering her to go to Bridewel though she desired it her Son in Law being there and her daughter likely to be sent thither being above in the meeting-room and she desiring to be with her children and this thou didst without asking her to pay any thing or fining her which is contrary to Law as aforesaid and having sent some more thither also whose Names are hereafter mentioned thou went'st up in the meeting-room and there didst commit whom thou pleasedst and hadst an especial eye upon and then orderedst the rest to be suffered to depart but Hannah Marshal Daughter to Mary Prince as aforesaid continuing till last for she could not go away at thy command as she came not there at thy Order thou causedst her to be brought before thee vvho hadst set up thy Court in the Meeting-room as aforetime and demandedst of her whether she would pay 2 s. 6 d. to which she answering that she had something to speak to thee first before she should give thee any reply to that Thou didst bid her say on and she thereupon speaking to this effect John Knight The day will come wherein thou wilt have cause to wish that a milstone were tied about thy neck and thou cast into the midst of the sea for persecuting the people of the Lord Thou saidst Here is a bold Huswife indeed have her away and Alderman Lock with his own hands was like to have thrown her down the stairs so thou orderedst her to Newgate without taking her answer whether she would pay her sine which thou gavest her time to do after she had spoken as aforesaid but she asking thee Whether thou wouldst be worse than an Infidel to part man and wife her Husband being at Bridewel thou sent'st her thither So the Widow and the Fatherlesse were the first and the last of this dayes execution the Mother and the Daughter whom the Lord thus honoured to suffer for his Name with the rest of his servants at that time vvhose Names are Newgate Men. John Withers Charles Jones Andrew Vivers William Peacher Richard Willis Thomas Window Tho. Lofty 7 Women Mary Prince Alice Tovy Bridewell Men. John Hardiman W. Shalford Tho. Baker Geo. White David Simons W. Maynard John Mills Sam. Cottrel Ralph Cock Richard Lindey 10 Women Hannah Marshal Hest Rennolds Jone Dapwel Susanna Pearson the younger Eliz. Turford 5 15 in all Those at Bridewel thou committedst to the 28th of 7th month but those at Newgate had no Warrant of Commitment nor have to this day yet were there detained till the day after the Recorders departure wherein they and several that were there on the third Conviction with John Simons and Sarah Wilkinson hereafter to be mentioned were ordered to be set at Liberty And as for those at Bridewel they had gone without one also had they not refused to depart from the Tolzey the next day when thou hadst them before Thee The Prisons now being very full and the Goal delivery near thy Sergeant Jones and some other Officers came and took the Names of whom they pleased and then halled the Men out of the Meeting room but the Women they let alone This was on the 4th of 7th month being the first day of the Week But the Prisons being somewhat eased again by the Liberty of those that were committed till the 6th of 7th month thou camest on afresh and it being the first day of the Week before the Goal delivery thou madest ready for it to have as many as thou couldst on the third Conviction in order to Banishment Thou having boasted not long before that as near as thy Year was at an end thou hopedst to send one 400 of us out of the Kingdome So on the 11th of 7th month thou settest to thy work and sentst from the Meeting to Newgate and Bridewel these that follow Newgate Men. Miles Dixin W. Taylor John Packer John Brooks Griffith Loscomb Rowland Dole Roger Oldstone James Wallis Robert Gerish John Styant Lewis Rogers 11 Women Martha Lane Sarah Cann Eliz. Dowel Mary Harbord Mary Burg ss Elinor Maud Margaret Thomas the elder Susanna Pearson the elder 8 the number 19. None of these had any Warrant of Commitment and to Bridewel thou didst commit of men and women about the number of seventy So the Goal delivery came on at vvhich One Bill of Indictment was exhibited to the Grand Jury against Barth Crocker Lewis Rogers Cananuel Britton as upon the foot of Banishment being the third Conviction and another against Margaret Thomas the elder Elinor Maud and Susan Pearson the elder for the same both which the Grand Jury found as they did one against John Simons for words said to reflect upon your Worship and another against Sarah Wilkinson for speaking to the Priest of James Steeple house aforesaid These two later vvere found Guiltie by the Petty Juries that passed upon them and vvere fined in 100 marks each by the Recorder and in default of payment to lye six months each in Prison The other six vvere also found Guiltie by the Petty Juries that went on each Indictment and they were sentenc'd the three men to Banishment in the Island of Barbados the three Women because Wives into six months imprisonment in Bridewell each unless redeemed by their respective Husbands according to the Act. So the general Sessions or Goal Delivery had an end Yet thou hadst not thine but as a man restless to bring to pass the thoughts of thy heart against the Innocent whilst thou hadst any breath that is to say any time unexpired of thy Government thou failedst not to improve it against them and for that purpose didst send thine Officers to the Meeting the next first day after the General Sessions viz. the 19th of 7th month vvho took the Names of whom they pleased at the Meeting and on the 25th the last first day of the
Week before the end of thy date which was the 29th thou visitedst the Meeting again in Person vvhere did look thee and thy Banishment in the face thy Cozens Thomas and Mary Gouldney as to vvhose Conviction this was the third time Hannah Jordan Charles Harvord George Gough W. Taylor of the Castle and several others whom thou didst send to Newgate whose names are Men. Daniel Wastfield Tho. Gouldney Charles Harvord Geo. Gough John Wear Rob. Gerish Jos Kipping John Simons Rich. Jones John Saunders W. Taylor of the Castle John Hunt Tho. Lofty Rich. Wiles Rog. Oldstone John Dowell Theop. Newton Tho. Window W. Peachee 19. Women Mary Gouldney Hannah Jordan Mary North Sarah Wilkinson 4. the whole 23. And to Bridewell thou didst commit Men. Leming Dickason Tob. Dole W. Sawser Maur. Williams Christop Newman Tho. Lambert Rowland Dole Simon Cox Jam. Neves Griff. Browne W. Noble Tho. Holder John Herring John Crump John Morgan W. Tovy 16. Women Mary Cole Dorcas Knight 2. The whole to Bridewel and Newgate 41. who vvere expected those of them that vvere on the third Account to be severed to Banishment But after the expiration of thy year came a Warrant signed by thee as Mayor though its like done afterwards to continue them prisoners both the one and the other for the space of a month from the day of their Imprisonment and Dennis Hollister though to a day after thy time set a Prisoner by thy Warrant yet thou didst cause him to be released a day or two before thy time was expired And Edw. Martingdale with whom thou hadst kept a great adoe about a Letter of his which was intercepted giving Account of thy proceedings here against us And another Letter wherein were Characters to his Correspondent about his own business because in Longhand his Letter would not otherwise contain it being sent by the Post and after his Months imprisonment being commiteed when D. Hollister was tendredst him the Oath of Allegiance and sentest him to Newgate for not swearing thou released'st also somewhat before the end of thy time upon the application of some to thee on whose Vessel he vvas Imbarqued that he was to go to Sea and who went to s ea on the said vessel being a stranger here and coming hither to merchandize and so departed to Virginia in the ship on which he had taken Freight before his imprisonment as aforesaid But as for Geo. Bishop Edw. Pyot and those 7 with them whom thou hadst Committed the 14th of the 10th month 1663. before and fined at Sessions the 15th of the 11 moneth following and William Ford and those 15 vvith him except two that were set at Liberty till the Sessions who were sent to Prison the 12th of the 4th after and fined at the Sessions 12th of the 5th Moneth with Tho. Gouldney and those at that time committed with him to Newgate and Bridewell and those for Banishment to carry whom no ship couldst thou nor the Sheriffs get and the Women tried upon the same in all to the number of about forty and nine left by thee prisoners in Newgate and in Bridewel with those committed the 11th of the 7th moneth to the number of 95. In all One hundred Forty and Five John Moon being before set at liberty near the expiration of his three months Imprisonment as aforesaid Thus ended thy Year and thus went'st thou out as a snuff as Hannah Jordan told thee in the Meeting-room at her last Commitment and hast not accomplished The despised people of the Lord have stood over thy head though armed as aforesaid with all thy power and upon them hast thou not brought to pass the desires of thy heart though thou hadst opportunity in thy hand The plant of the Lord in and amongst us hath thriven and prospered Maugre all that thou couldst do in despight of all thy blusters Not an Inch of ground hath it lost but unto it hath been drawn through what thou hast been doing to us and it the hearts of multitudes The Just Lord is in the midst of us he will not do iniquity every morning do he bring his Judgments to light he faileth not but the unjust knoweth no shame as the Prophet said Hab. 3.5 And this is thy state who though thou hast found a disappointment in all thy attempts so that thy hands have not effected the thoughts of thine heart for the Virgin Daughter of Sion shook her head at thee she laughed thee to scorne as the Prophet Isaiah in the Word of the Lord said to Rabsheka when he had besieged Jerusalem and insulted over it and boasted what he would do unto it and blasphemed the Lord Isa 37. Though the hand of the Lord hath often been on thee and made thy Chariot Wheeles like Pharaohs to drive heavily though he hath made thee to pass as it were over Axes and Harrows of Iron and through the Brick-kilne putting stops in thy way and blocks in thy proceedings though trouble hath possest thee so that thou hast not sâ—ept in consideration of what thou hast been doing to us for the Witness of … d hath been reacht in thee which hath drawn thee somet … into tenderness yet thou hast gone over all again and 〈◊〉 â—isen up afresh after all thy Pauses and to it thou hast ha … … w as if there never had been any such thing and the â—nemie hath driven thee along to do all these things against the Name of Jesus and hath made thee as a man mad to accomplish them yet thou hast not seen it but hast suffered the Enemie to hurry thee over that which would have shewn it to thee which hath checked thee and made thee sometimes tender as aforesaid so that thou hast as the Deaf Adder refused to hear the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely Instruction and Advice thou wouldst not suffer to come at thee thou filledst thy self with the enemie so didst let him so in as a flood that thou wouldst indure to hear nothing but what he pleased and when thou hadst taken thy liberty and said all that thou wouldst for thou lovedst to hear thy self speak thou wouldst not hear any thing willingly to the contrary The day of the Lord is upon thee and he is making of thee manifest and there is but a very small moment and thy day will be over If to all that hath been said unto thee and hath come over thee thou wilt not yet hear thy condition will be sad thy day will have an end and then vvhat wilt thou do He hath moved this to be written to thee being the Relation of much of what we have suffered at thy hands during the time of thy Mayoralty and to draw before thee back again as in a Glass what thou hast done that thou maist see it and seeing return to him from whom thou hast gon against whom thou hast gon for which purpose hath he caused this to be Argued with thee and by this
way of Demonstration to be placed before thee as in a lump together what thou hast done by piece-meals that so seeing this spirit and the uglie face of it and how uglie it makes thee to look which would hurry thee to destruction thou maist be recovered from the evil of thy way and thy soul may be saved in the Day of the Lord. If this will not do but if thou still shalt go on to finish that which is to be done on us for our Tryal and so run over all know this for a certain Thou shalt be cut off the Lord hath spoken it And then all the blood that thou hast been the occasion of spilling and the sufferings of the Innocent will fall hard upon thee and all the despight wherewithall thou hast used us and him who suffers in us and whom in us thou hast persecuted who is Lord and King will fall upon thee and grind thee to powder and then how sad will be thy case Whether wilt thou fly for shelter when he that is thy Judge who fils Heaven and Earth with his presence and in Hell is also whâ—m thou hast persecuted shall pursue thee from whose presence none can be hid The Rocks and the Mountains cannot do it though thou shouldst call upon them so to do As John saw in his Revelations vvould be the Case of Kings and chief Captains and great men and mighty men and rich men and every bond-man and every free-man Rev. 6.15 16. For the thing is in thee that will rise up a worm that will never die and a fire that will never go out go thou vvhither thou vvilt vvhich is that vvhich thou now resisteth vvhich thou callest a Natural Conscience vvhich is not Conscience but that which sits in Conscience and speaks for God in the Conscience and there witnesses for God vvhich vvhatsoever it hears the Father speak speaks there which is the Son of God the Saviour of the World the Light of the World that lighteth every one that comes into the World which is come into the World not to condemn the World but to save the World even all them that believe in him in that vvhich vvitnesses in that vvhich shews thee the secrets and the intents of thy heart and all that thou hast done Is not this the Christ And so We leave Thee being thy friends that desire thy welfare whether thou dost believe it or no. Known to the World and Thee and persecuted by the Name of Quakers Bristol 13th 10th Month. 16 4. THe … ve Witnesses names that Swore falsly against Miles Dixon mentioned in page 39 and should have been then inc … d but that their names came too late to the Printers hand yet must they remain up … 〈…〉 to future gnerations even to their shame and loathing whoâ—e names are Iohn Scoper â—erâ—eant to the Militia Edw. Lowis who died in a short time after Lâ—d … Pool William Stratford Phillip Driggs Errata IN page 9 line 21 for moâ—tal read immortal p. 10 l. 17 blot out and l. 21 for no soner wast entred into thine eare read No sooner wast thou entred into thine year p. 11. l. 22. blot out the. p. 12 l. 22. for lâ—wiâ—r r. Sawier p. 18. l. 21 for the r. thy p. 20 l. 22 for woship r. worship p. 23 l. 21 for my r. his p. 24 l 8 for pute r. put p. 30 l. â—… for you slew r. was slain p. 32 l. 6 for discern r. deserve p. 44 l. 24 for though 1. thought p. 45 l. 15 for persecute r. persecuted p 48 l. 3 for smalt r. smarâ— p. 50 l. 17 for passe r. past p. 51 l. 4 for Iohn Tison r. Thomas Tison p 64 l. 18 the blank after Bishop should be 10 l. p. 70 l. 29 for pâ—isons r. prisoners p. 71 l. 5 for sooner r. see nor p. 80 l. 4 for and s r. that so p. 82 for Richard Blackborrow r. by Richard Blackborrow p. 98 l. 11 for have r. hauing p. 106 l. 6 for prisoners r. prisons p. 114 l. 2 for she r. he THE END