not many Hamans in England give large Money if they might prevail to have the righteous cut off for ever out of the Nation as it was East 3. Nay are not you more blind and worse persecutors than they were either in the dayes of the prophets or Apostles who then spake the word of the Lord as they were moved from the mouth of the Lord 2 Pet. 1.21 and they had not a Scripture to prove it by yet you blame them that cast them into Prison Now we speak plain Scripture and write plain Scripture which you say is your Rule and we speak nothing neither do we act or uphold any thing but what is declared by plain Scripture yet are imprisoned therefore Are you not worse than your forefathers Now Daniel was put in the Den because say they he hath broke the Kings command in praying Dan. 6. But I was put in the Dungeon and there kept ten dayes onely for praying and making supplications to the living God and in it I did not break any Nationall Law therefore are ye not worse than your fathers Again they might have charged Paul with preaching contrarie to the Scriptures for he saith if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5.2 and yet Circumcision was a command of God to last in Israel for ever Gen. 17.13,14 and Christ himself was circumcised yet the outward circumcision Paul preached against therefore Paul was persecuted but we now having so far a Declaration written Luk. 11. from those holy men of God who spoke forth the Scripture from the same Spirit Christ the Light of the world that was before the world was in which Enoch walked with God Noah preached and obeyed Arbaham believed before the Scripture was in the which Moses the man of God saw and writ the creation that was many hundred years before his naturall birth in the same the Prophets stood and prophesied of Christ to be the Light of the Gentiles and of them that sit in darkness Isa 4â— 6 9.1 who came to fulfil that which was spoken of him by the Prophets from the same light and life which dwelt in him Col. 1.19 in the which the Apostles preached in which we also preach repentance to the world as Christ the Light of the world did Mat. 4,17 Mark 1. Luk. 3 4. And we say from the same spirit unto the righteous it shall go well with them Isa 3.10,11 Mal 3 18 which is according to the Scripture and so we speak the truth of God which your selves holds forth in words but you live in untighteousness Rom 4 18 Therefore all people leave off your wickedness and turn to the living God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son Rom. 5. the light of the world which world is set in mans heart Eccles 3 11. of which Christ is the inlightner the which whoso followeth shall not walk in darkness but shal have the light of life Iohn 8 12 Now why wil you love the unfruitful works of darkness why wil you go on in your wickedness Do you not know that the wicked shal do wickedly and none of the wicked shal escape and that the unrighteous cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor 6 9 and that the Lord wil in no wise acquit the wicked Exod 34 1 but wil wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of every one that goeth on in iniquity Psa 69.21 Now in the light of Christ thou mayst read thy portion with the wicked which shall be turned into hell as they that forget God and cast his righteous Law behind their backs and trample the blood of the innocent under their feet and turn the grace of God into wantonness foolish jesting corrupt communication vain jangling idle words the foolish heart being ful of laughter it is the sport of a fool to do mischief the God of the world having blinded the eye the Prince of the power of the ayr beareth rule in all the children of disobedience Therefore all ye slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets and Apostles have said you foolish people without understanding that have eyes but see not and ears that hear not fear ye not mee saith the Lord wil you not tremble at my presence Ier. 5.21,22 which is terrible unto all the workers of iniquity who are now committing iniquity with greediness drinking it downe as the Oxe drinketh water heaping up wrath against the day of wrath and righteous judgments of God which are now revealing from heaven upon all manner of unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. wherein in this day of the revelation of Iesus Christ all that do wickedly shal be as stubble before him that sits as a Refiners fire Mat. 3.2,3 and is coming a swift witness against his Adversaries therefore all people consider your wayes see what you are a doing for none can escape the wrath at hand whither can you go whither can you fly where can you hide your selves from the presence of the Lord who is come to call for an account for every idle word all unrighteousness is sin that which he will not suffer to go unpunished therefore whilest you are called to day Oh! harden not your hearts any longer let not your words be â—…out against the Lord any more let the wicked forsake his ways and own the light of Iesus Christ while it now shineth least the Lord cause darkness and thy feet stumble for ever at the dark mountains Ier 13.16 and so thou come â—o be for ever shut ouâ— into utter darkness where there is no recovery therefore give ear a little hear and thy soul shal live Despise not the day of thy visitation hear for wisdome cries and understanding puts forth her voice yea she speaketh excellent things Prov. 8 Oh ye simple turn you in hither and yee fools be ye of an understanding heart why wil yee die Oh ye house of Israel seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth turn yee again and ye shal live go on and yee shal dye the death eternally Therefore if thou hast any love to thy own soule that is more worth then the whole world mind thy condition flatter thy self no longer between God and Mammon thou canst not serve two Masters while thou servest thy own will which is above the Cross thou art contrary to the fathers wil which is that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Iesus who is the Saviour of the soul and the testimony of Iesus is thâ— spirit of prophesy Rev. 19.10 which sheweth things to come Iohn 16 13. whereby the secrets of the Lord are revealed to us that fear him Amos 3.7 Psa 25.14 and the minde of Christ comes to be knownâ— 1 Cor. 2.16 unto the spiritual man that judgeth all things buâ— he himself is judged of no man 1. Cor. 2.15 for Christ the sonne oâ— righteousness is raised up in him Mal. 4.2 where the son bears rule unto whom all judgment is committed Ioh. 5.22 by whom now the Saints do judg the world 1 Cor. 6.2,3 that keepeth in wickedness therefore I witness against all the world that the works thereof are evil Io 1 1 fer in the world the dogs and the euil workers are who are all disc ouered in the light of Christ From them that are prisoners for the truth that are by the dark world called Quakers whose names in the flesh are Humprey Smith and Thomas Woodrove FJNJS
THE CRUELTY OF THE MAGISTRATES OF Evesham in Worcester-Shire OR Some further particulars of their dealings and proceedings at the late Sessions and othertimes against those People whom scornfully they call QVAKERS With a Warning to the HEADS and RVLERS and all people of this Nation Written from Evesham the 15. day of the 8. Month 1655. LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his shop at the Black-spread-Eagle neer the west end of Pauls 1655. The Crueltie of the Magistrates of Evesham in Wercestershire UPon the nineth day of September so called we had a meeting about the tenth hour at the common Goal in Evesham there to wait upon the Lord and after some time Humphrey Smith having been in prison about three weeks before and being in the prison he was moved to speak to the Lord in prayer then the Goaler and some other Officers came into the Goal to Humphrey Smith and violently haled him away as he was speaking to the Lord in prayer and put him down into the dungeon our friends keeping stil together after some time Tho. Woodrove spake the word of the Lord to the people and having done the Constable came and inquired for him but because they knew him not he went away that time but before they departed another meeting was appointed the third hour in the afternoon and then the people being come together at the time appointed Humphrey Smith spake to his friends out of the Dungeon the word of the Lord and when the common Meeting at the Steeplehouse was ended our friend Thomas Woodrove was speaking to the people without the prison and many of those that had been at the steeplehouse stood and heard him speak who having done speaking was sought after and took away by a Constable without a Warrant and brought him before the Mayor and them called Justices and Thomas Mathew Priest and then he was committed to the common Goal for speaking the word of the Lord and Shomas Mathew Priest at his departure thanked the Mayor for his care and pains and on the morrow in the morning Robert Martin called Justice bid the Wardsmen if tâ—e people would not bee gone from the goal-hole he bid them knock them down and bid the men throw shuffles ful of dirt upon them in the dungeon and they set eight men with weapons four on each side the prison to keep away all friends for coming to or speaking with them they had imprisoned Humphrey being free to give books to some people of the Country there in town and the keeper did by violence take three books from them and tore them all so he sent for a parcel of books he had in town about sixty in number which was for the glory of God for the beating down of all sin written by George Fox Iames Naylor Richard Farnsworth and Iames Parnel these books they were taken from the messenger by the wardsmen and brought before the Iustices who afterwards burned them upon the Market-Cross before the people being the Fair-day see their malice to them having broke no Law Esa 59.54 Esa 8.13,14,15 Mic. 3.10,11 Mic. 7.2,3,4 Dan. 6.4 to the 16. Prov. 29 17. This was done notwithstanding that some of our friends did present the Mayor the first day in the morning with a paper that had above forty hands aâ— it declaring that they expected justice to be put in execution according to the late Proclamation which they denyed to post up though some friends posted it up and it was pulled down again they onely bear the names of Justices and do it not but their actions are secretly contrary to law justice and righteousness and they are those that call the proud happy yea by their means those that do wickedly are even set up and delivered and they lay snares for the righteous and make a prey of those that fear the Lord whose faces are now turned towards Zion likâ— their fore-fathers Luke 23.25 Act. 22.24,25 Act. 23.12,13 Act. 24.5,6,9 Act. 25.2,3,4 c. 1 Kings 18.17,18 Upon the 25 day of the 7 moneth called September George Kemp Mayor of Evesham sent for us prisoners and more of friends in the town and said I sent for you concerning a paper that you have put your hands to beeing A representation of the Government of Evesham Quest. Do you own this paper Answ Yea we do own it and shall prove it to be all truth He then began to question some particular things in it to insnare us but after we urged very much he granted the reading of it then he examined us that were there but all that were witness to the paper were not then in the town we bid him let us be called all together and we shal prove every thing therein then said he seeing it is of so high concernment and that you have appealed to the Protector you shall every one give security to answer it before the Protector Ans We have not appealed to the Protector for any redress but we have discharged our consciences in making manifest the corruption of them called Magistrates in this Town both to the Protector and to the whole Nation Quest Are you willing to answer it before him Ans If we be by you or the rest compelled we refuse not to go for we are more free to answer it before the Protector than here for there we expect some Justice but here is none I shall engage you all to appear at the Sessions and then you shall all give security to answer personally before Protector or else lye in Prison What is the reason you will not swear William Dewsberry can swear for in one of his books he saith in the presence of the Lord I own Magistrates Hum. Smith So far as that I can say for in the presence of the Lord I own Magistrates that are for the praise of them that do wel the punishing of the evil doers So he lets us that were Prisoners return to the Prison and the rest departed home Upon the 28. day of the Month called September Joshua Frensome and Iobn Knight was sent for before them called Justâ—…es Robert Martin and Samuel Garner and asked them if they owned the printed paper they said we own it and can prove it all to be true them called Iustices said it was a Lybell they answered they would prove it was no Lybell by those twenty that are subscribed in print to that paper which they questioned them about and also by forty more The Deputy-Recorder said whether it be true or false it is a Lybell because it is in disparagement to the Magistrates so them called Iustices sent them both to Prison At that time there was in the place one Thomas Milnard the Priests wife father who was a persecutor in the Bishops dayes he is one of them called Magistrates he accused our friends of selling their Bibles he mentioned one of Hampton who though he did sell a Bible hath two or three yet and the Scriptures