the Spirits of men and was of savour and sound judgment though in weaknesse of the man-hood expressed for he answered not mens Wisdom in excellent stile of words but the witnesse of God in sincerity of speech he was a Person of sound judgment in divine Mysteries and of good experience in the operations of the power of God and knew the passing through divers conditions of the inward man and was able to speak to many estates of man passing under the dispensations of the Grace of God he could well inform the mind of a person in an afflicted and tossed state of terrour and judgment and his Ministry was often savoury and seasonable and felt in the pure life though his words were plain and homely and no beauty in them to mans Wisdom and God made him and his service a blessing to many who shall speak for him in their own Consciences He was of a loving gentle and good disposition and acceptable was his Company to them that knew him and were like-minded a good Companion in all Conditions not soon moved into passion of either grief in Adversity or of joy in Prosperity nor had he a Spirit taking offences upon light occasions against any but watched for Good over all and not for Evil He was a man of peace and loved it and walked peaceably among his brethren in honest kind familiarity And I am perswaded in my Soul according to the experience I had of him for many years he abhorred dissention and strife among Friends and was never the real occasion intendedly by himself of any difference and dissention among brethren and what further is Truth of him I leave it to the just God whose testimony is true and never fails Among many others that were taken from Meetings and sent to Newgate according as ye have heard This same Person of whom I am now treating was in like manner rudely and violently taken on the 22th day of the 4th Month last out of a Meeting in the Bull at Aldersgate and carried before Rich. Brown who used violence to him with his own hands in pulling his Hat down upon his head so that he brought his head near the ground and then he Committed him to Newgate where he remained till the Sessions and was then Indicted among the rest for being at an unlawful Meeting c. as it is said and he being throng'd up in Prison among the rest of us it pleased the Lord to visite him with sicknesse of body and in 10 dayes space alwayes growing weaker and weaker in that time he disceased and laid down his body in peace About two dayes before his departure some of his dearest Friends went to visite him and sat by him a space and spoke somewhat to him and asked him if any thing was upon his Spirit he might now speak it to his Friends His answer was That there was no need to dispute matters for he knew the ground of his Salvation and was satisfied for ever in his peace with the Lord God and we know said he one another well and what each of us can say about those things and spoke no further And the 17th day of the 6th Month he departed this life and was gathered up to his Fathers the Generation of the Just and though he be gone in that bodily appearance and his person removed from us yet is his new-Name written among us and his Memory can never die for his Spirit still lives to praise the Lord and the life which breathed forth through that vessel cannot be removed far away for it is the Infinite Immortal Eternal Life which dwells in Sons and Daughters now upon the Earth and though his outward man be put off yet he lives alwayes in Spirit for he was a Servant of the living God upon Earth in his day In about six Weeks time there died of the Prisoners that suffered for Conscience sake in Newgate these Persons named as follows who were honest sincere men of truth that loved the Lord and served him with their upright hearts and gave up their lives for the Testimony of Jesus as faithful Martyrs and Witnesses for him And 't is verily believed their close and throng'd Imprisonment in the Summer Season was the occasion of their sicknesse and violent distemper and so consequently of their Death which amounts to innocent blood being men whose lives were destroyed causelesly by reason of the wickednesse and Persecution of ungodly men and their Death will be inquired into by the Lord when he comes to judge all men according to their deeds and gives unto them after the fruit of their own doings John Stanton Thomas Kirby Richard Hubberthorne Anthony Skellington John Giles William Watson John Shutt William Eldredge Richard Bradley And Humphrey Bache and Humphery Brewster died in a short time after their Release These men laid down their lives for the Testimony of Jesus Christ and suffered for Conscience sake till death and left good Testimonies behind them spoken on their death-beds One of them said This body of mine must go for the Truth this body must be laid down for the Testimony of Jesus Christ as a Witnesse against this persecuting Generation and he rejoyced in the same at the point of death Another of them said The terrible day of vengeance is at hand upon the wicked Wo unto the persecuting Rulers of this City the Lord is nigh unto them in the stroak of his Judgements c. Another on his death-bed Exhorted earnestly all Friends to be faithful to be bold and valiant for the Truth of God and to suffer patiently to the end till deliverance come which the Lord will bring unto his people in dispight of all their enemies c. These and such like Testimonies were given by these Servants of God on their death-beds which will be fulfilled in the Lords season for the words of dying men are serious and certain Oh! that this City would take notice of the same That the Rulers and People thereof would Repent and turn unto the Lord ere his wrath break forth against them for their wickednesse which is great this day in the fight of the Lord and before him for which his wrath is kindled to burn as a flame and it will reach unto the high and lofty and all flesh shall feel the indignation of the most high Oh! that men would remember the long-suffering of the Lord and Repent and return before it be too late for nothing can save this City and her People from the Wrath of the Lord except speedy and true Repentance and returning with all the Heart and with all the Soul wherefore let the people become Meek and Humble Lowly and Poor Holy and Just before the Lord let them break off their sins by Repentance The day of the Lords sore Judgements are at hand and Breaking and Destruction and Misery will surprize the Workers of Iniquity Concerning the Imprisonment and proceedings of the Court and release of above fifty of our
The Third Part OF THE CRY OF THE INNOCENT FOR JUSTICE Briefly rela 〈…〉 Proceedings of the Court of Se 〈…〉 Baley the 11 12 and 13. dayes of 〈…〉 th towards the People of God 〈…〉 d particularly concerning the Tryal and 〈◊〉 of Edward Burroughs with about thirty P 〈…〉 more Also relating the Proceedings of the Court of Sessions at Hickeses Hall in the Moneth aforesaid towards about fifty of the said People who were taken and Imprisoned in the County of Middlesex in New Prison With divers other things of concernment about the People aforesaid Published for satisfaction to all LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. A Brief Relation of the Proceedings c. THE First day of the Sessions being the 11th of the sixth Moneth eleven of the People called Quakers were fetched out of Prison and led before the Judgement Seat at Old Baley and immediately were called by Name and set to the Bar and the Indictment was read against them on this wise viz. For being at an unlawful Tumultuous meeting with force and Arms to the Disturbance of the Peace of the King and in contempt to him and to the terrour of the People and to the evil example of all others in the li 〈…〉 ffending c. And then it was demanded of them 〈…〉 ly to Answer Guilty or not guilty and one 〈…〉 that he was taken up in the Street and not g 〈…〉 any part of the Indictment and another person be 〈…〉 to Answer demanded a Copy of his Indictment which was denyed him except so much money were given for it And D. Baker answered that he was both innocent and guiltless of the Manner or Tennor of the Indictment and his innocent Soul and Life did witnesse against the same and furthermore he said That they expected Justice and Equity and for them to give Righteous Judgement they being Innocent People But Alderman Brown upon the Bench mocked with a whining voice as if it were the sound of a Dog or Cat and not like a man especially one that is set to Rule over men who should be as men of God and D. B. said It becomes not a Magistrate to scoff or mock at the Prisoners and R. B. denyed and said he did not mock but surely he did so for thereby the Multitude were provoked to lift up their voices in laughter at his Lightness and Folly in which he sported himself as his manner is and he said D. Baker did Cant and such like scoffing words But he answered saying I spake in the Fear of the Lord and I would that the same were set up not onely in the Hearts of the Magistrates but also in the hearts of all here present this day And it was demanded of him whether he were ready to receive his Tryal and he said he was ready to receive Justice and Judgement and they seemed to be displeased at his Reply and it was put to him by the Court whether he would be Tryed by a Jury and he said on this wise He supposed there were men upon the Bench that might be sufficient to hear and determine the matter without a Jury as to the Particulars in the Indictment and they therefore turned him by and others of the Prisoners did give their answer accordingly and one said That he was guilty of what was Truth and not guilty of the contrary in the Indictment And the Court said That if the Prisoners were guilty of one part they were guilty of the whole To which was replyed Not so for as it was Matter of Conscience to them to bear witness for the Truth so it was Matter of Conscience to bear witness against the contrary and it was said p 〈…〉 ure there might be some words in the Indictment 〈…〉 themselves might be true and others of the 〈…〉 eas to the Indictment they accepted of for not 〈…〉 and others because they did not plead so in their Form and manner of Tearms they would not allow of their pleas for not guilty Albeit one was nothing at all concerned in the matter being taken up as an innocent man in the street without the breach of any Law either of God or Man and had then suffered more then thirty dayes Imprisonment and been before the Judgement Seat twice at two several Sessions and not tryed nor his Innocent cause pleaded nor he set at Liberty but with many more have been thus taken too and fro and hurried to Prison and from Prison to the Judgement Seat and from Judgement to Prison again but the Lord God of Judgement will be eased of his Adversaries plead the Cause of Innocency and Recompence Vengeance in his sore displeasure upon the Head of his Enemies in one day Behold behold it hasteneth and cometh to pass And so because they could not try them all they said they would try none of them till next Sessions and so sent them all to Prison again but as the Jaylors was hurrying of them away D. Baker spake the words of Christ saying If ye had known what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice ye would not have condemned the guiltless And the next Morning he wrote a few Lines to Alderman Adams to the end he might move it to the rest of the Magistrates upon the Bench that they might be called to a Tryal seeing they had dealt so with them the day before and forthwith the Marshal of the City was sent to demand of them or move them to it viz. If that they wovld confesse to him that they were at a Meeting and at such a Meeting as was mentioned in the Indictment they should go and be Tryed and favoured it may be with a small Fine he said But in the Fear and Name of the Living God he was withstood and the Prisoners kept out of the snare and they let him know that his Message did tend to so much as if he should come to perswade innocent men that they were thieves and confess it to him when they were guiltless And he said What Answer shall I return the Court After we had debated the Matter we said again and again That if we should confess that we were not at all at a Meeting then we should not confess to but deny the Truth for its true we were at a Meeting and it was a Meeting of the Innocent Harmless People of God to Worship Him But we denyed and witnessed against such a Meeting spoken of in the Indictment of which we were wholly Innocent and Guiltless after this manner we spoke to him and he went his way saying It s in vain then all would be to no purpose and such like words and nothing further was done in that matter The twelfth day of the Moneth being the third day of the week first about twenty of the Prisoners were fetched out of New-gate by their Keepers and led to the Sessions House where were sitting on the Bench the Mayor of the City Alderman Adams Alderman Brown and Counsellor Howel who
it who cannot in good Conscience uphold any thing but what is rooted and grounded upon Justice Equity and Truth and not that which is grounded upon evil customs and is in it self Exaction and Oppression 4. Because we are a free people born free of the Seed of God and are spiritually of Abraham and cannot be subject to the wills of men to feed the Oppressors after their desires though t is our Principle and Practise to be subject to every Authority by doing or suffering according to established Law yet we do refuse subjection to impositions grounded upon evil customs and without any Law and that because we are a free people and cannot be bound by vain and formal Traditions in any case but do deny to uphold any thing of that nature and do also travel and suffer for the end to correct and rectifie every such abuse in the world that every Yoak of bondage may be broken and all people may come to the free Spirit of the Lord to be led and ruled thereby and not bound under every formal Custom of men so for these Reasons do we refuse to pay exacting extorting and oppressive Fees and not out of Covetousnesse nor Penury for t is our property in the free Spirit of the Lord to shew kindness to them that are kind though we cannot buy courtesies nor fee men aforehand for their love yet no man hath occasion to say of us they are covetous nigardly and disrespectful to such that shew favour to them we are not of that spirit that flatters men with fees aforehand neither of that spirit that can bow and bend to pay fees for fear and terrour of the threats of men but we are of that free liberal bountiful and grateful spirit that can do good and be liberal to all men in the free spirit without flattery or fear but to be bound by impositions contrary to our Consciences our souls do hate rather then to be subject on that kind we can suffer the loss of all till the Lord arise and make us free outwardly from all cruel and hard impositions of men as his Power and Spirit hath freed us inwardly from the bondage of sin and death for which we wait according to the Promise of the Everlasting God Concerning the late Imprisonment of divers of the People of God called Quakers because for Conscience sake they have refused to go themselves or send out men in the Train Bands With some Reasons shewed for such their Conscientious Refusal BY divers wayes and means and upon divers occasions and pretences hath the long and cruel Persecution been inflicted upon the People of God against whom many occasions have been sought and taken by their Adversaries on purpose that they might fulfil their envious Wills upon them and destroy them by Imprisonment and every way else And when one Means and Way would not effect their desired aim in that particular then they have found out some other way wherein to persist and travel on to bring to pass the ruine and overthrow of the Heritage of the Lord if it were possible for them so to do yea such is and hath been the zeal and madnesse and cruelty of that birth born of the Flesh in all Ages against the meeknesse humility and vertues of that birth born of the Spirit as it is even at this day that he hath left no way unattempted to effect his desired end even to destroy and overturn the righteous Seed which God hath blessed and of this we have experience in our Age who are feeling Witnesses of the cruel hand of Persecution upon us for and because of that Truth and Righteousnesse which we hold forth in the World by sound Doctrine and good Conversation And among the many occasions sought out against us now of late divers have been Committed to Prison for the Cause aforesaid to wit because upon Invitation of men in Military Power they have not gone out themselves nor sent men in Arms to do that Service which they have by their Officers been Commanded unto as hereafter more at large is signified and that all the World may know such Persons so refusing to go out are not wilful and obstinate and have so refused as Persons wholly unreasonable and contemning Authority upon peevishness and their own wilfulness c. with which calumnies in many cases they are traduced Therefore here are some Reasons amongst many that may be given in the case presented to the World for their so refusal and because of which some suffers in Bonds this present time First Because it is contrary to the very Law of Nature as the case standeth in this City for the very work of the Train Bands in this City of late have been to Beat Abuse Knock down Imprison and Persecute us and this have they done and been commanded to do by their Officers which shews the Truth of the Reason for every man by the Law of Nature is bound to preserve himself and his own life from mischief and destruction and it is absolutely contrary to the very Law for a man to destroy himself or be accessary thereunto by himself or by any other It is against the Law of Nature and Reason for men to be any way helpful to beat and imprison and knock down and persecute themselves And so is this very Case if any of us should go out or send a man on this occasion it were to aid and assist and endeavour if not personally to act with our hands to hale to prison or to beat and persecute it may be kill our selves or our Friends and so to be Helpful and Accessary to our own suffering if it were to death and this the very Law of Nature restrains us from and we cannot do it for it is natural to mankind and to every Creature to be helpful to preserve it self and contrary to nature to be a means by it self wittingly and willingly of its own destruction no man may in reason rise up against himself to his own death which is the case so this is one reason taken from the very Law of Nature which enjoyneth to preserve our own lives and not to destroy our selves nor our Friends and Neighbours neither by our own hands nor others through our means wherefore we refuse to go or send our men in Arms on that occasion 2. It is contrary to all equity and reason to be put upon us and expected from us as we are Inhabitants of this City Inasmuch as we are daily a suffering and persecuted people and commonly reputed though falsly as the very enemies of the Peace and good of the Land and upon that pretended Reason daily haled to prisons indicted as great Malefactors and fined in great sums of money and many hard impositions put upon us and seeing we are thus dealt withal and restrained of the lawful enjoynments of common Freedom and Liberty and our rightly due priviledges as other inhabitants have we cannot be permitted our Freedoms and