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
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
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