the Prisoners sick of violent Feavers and distempers by reason of that Exceeding throng which they were forced into so many together in narrow Rooms that they had scarce liberty to lie down one by another which brought many great Inconveniencies upon them and occasioned dangerous sicknesses insomuch that many lay sick at one time and though some recovered yet many died to the number of Eight honest Persons who were two and two together in one week carried to their Graves from New-gate which made the people cry out It was pity that these things should be That honest men for their Conscience sake should thus perish in Prison and no doubt but the knowledge of these things That many were sick and divers died and being publickly seen carried from New-gate two and two together in a week made many stand amazed working dislike in the hearts of people against these proceedings and though the prisoners laid their case of want of prison-room and the dangerous distempers that were occasioned amongst them thereby and that divers died because thereof before the Rulers of the City who had power to redress these grievances yet notwithstanding no notice was taken of it no though above twenty of the prisoners Friends went to the Mayor and Sheriffs of the City to Reason the Case soberly with them of the great straits inconveniences and dangers that the Prisoners their Brethren were liable unto especially in the Summer Season by being so many thronged up together in noysom places and also proferred body for body and that a certain number of them would become prisoners and goe into their places for the relief and comfort of so many of their poor afflicted and sick Brethren that they might not perish in prison according as in The second part of our cry of the Innocent for Justice is more at large published yet no bowels of Mercy not pity could be found nor could the humblest proffers penitrate into their hearts to grant relief to the oppressed but lie in close prison they must whether they would die or live as if they deserved no pity of any Well for some weeks every day some fell sick and in particular that good man of God Richard Hubberthorne unto whom in this place t is not unseasonable to give a Testimony as of duty we are bound The same Person was born in the North part of Lancashire and was of very honest Parents his Father was a Yeoman of the Country and had a good Report of his Neighbours for uprightnesse in all his dealings and Richard was his onely Son who was Inclinable from his youth upwards to Religion and to the best way alwayes minding the best things and following the company of good men and was never known to be addicted to any vice or malignity nor ever followed any evil course of life from his Child-hood but feared the Lord and walked uprightly before him and was faithful according to the Light and knowledge received in all things and his natural disposition and temper was meek and lowly and loved peace among men he was brought up with his Parents in good education according to the custom of the Country and in the time of the late Wars he was disposed to go into the Army and was in Scotland most of the time till the Land was reduced and he had some office in a Regiment and did sometime preach among his sincere and sober Companions that loved him wel according to his knowledge and judgement at that day and he obtained a good Report amongst such as were lovers of Religion And when it pleased the Lord God everlasting to raise us up to be a People in the North parts and through great Tribulations and extream distresses within and without which we passed through were we raised up of the Lord to be a holy and chosen People This same Person was one among the first of us whose heart the Lord touched with the sence of his Power and Kingdom and amongst us he had the mighty operation of the Power of God experienced in his heart Great afflictions and tribulations for many weeks was he exercised in through the dispensation of the Grace and Spirit of Christ Jesus he was in that state and while therein exercised for many dayes a wonder to all that beheld him as one passing out of the body as one under the deep sence of the hand of the Lord under the operation of his Power thus it was with many of us and particularly with him Till such time as the same Power that killed made alive as wounded also healed as brought down also raised up and then being raised up in the holy Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ he was made a Minister of the Everlasting Gospel to preach Repentance Conversion Salvation and Remission of sins and accordingly went forth in the Name and Power of the Lord Jesus the Saviour of mankind and was a Minister of the glad Tydings of Salvation in many parts of this Land and elswhere to the conversion of many Souls to God for his Ministry was made effectual by the Almighty Power of the Lord to turn many from darknesse to light from the power of Satan to God and there are thousands who can in the Spirit of the Lord bear Testimony to the power and verity of his Ministry in many Countreys where he travelled for he laboured much in divers places and was very diligent and faithful in the work of the Lord and suffered imprisonment divers times and was hardly dealt withal and persecuted in Chester Cambridge and in Norwich prisons and other places and he was found faithful in all his Tryals among his Brethren and alwayes ready to do his service in what he was called unto with a willing mind being truly in body soul and spirit given up to the service of the Gospel of Christ Jesus a dispensation of which was committed unto him that he might serve the Lord in his Generation and though he now hath finished his Testimony in this World yet the remembrance of him lives with us in the Spirit of Jesus and he is accounted among the faithful Sufferers a Martyr for the witnesse of the Truth which ever liveth And for the space of nine years he laboured and travelled in the work of the Gospel aforesaid in most of the Counties of this Nation and was well known for his faithfulnesse among the Churches of Christ He was but little in stature in his outward man and of weak Constitution of body and was slow of speech and often more ready to hear then to speak he made little appearance in the man-hood of Excellency or Authority but was contemptable among men yet he was very wise and knew his season when to speak and when to be silent and when he spoke it was with much discretion and deliberation in weaknesse of words many times yet reached perfectly the matter intended by him and his speech was with Grace and in the fear of God and had Authority in
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
Priviledges in our callings and to follow our employments as we are men nor yet our liberties as Christians in the exercise of our Christians duties according to the perswasions of our Consciences and example of Scriptures but are imprisoned and persecuted and all our rights both as we are men and Christians violated and taken from us Seing it is thus how can it in common equity and reason be put upon us or expected from us that we should be charged with any such service and duty or perform the same either in our persons or estates there is no equity nor reason in it that men should be charged with a service for the good of the City as this is professed to be and yet not permitted to enjoy any portion of the end of such a professed service but quite the contrary imposed and this is our case It is professed that the Trained Bands are raised and goes out for the good and peace of the City and we are commanded to joyn with them for that good end and yet we are debarred and restrained of every part of that end and quite the contrary end is made our portion and therefore it is unequal and unreasonable in our selves as well as in them that expect it from us that we should joyn in such duty and service like as if a person should adventure to Sea such a sum of mony in the hand of a Merchant trusting him with the improvement of it for the end to bring in gain and at the return the Merchant keeps both Principle and Produce from the Adventurer and not only so but he makes use of the said mony to put the man to as much more needless charge and expences Would not all men say it were contrary to both equity and reason that such Adventurer should ever credit such Merchant more and much more unreasonable that such Merchant should put such Adventurer in Prison because he will not give him credite and trust him with more stock This Parable shews the truth of our Case and proves the truth of both the Reasons aforegoing First That it is contrary to the Law and Principle of Nature Secondly It is contrary to common Equity and Reason as the case standeth for us to go out our selves or send men on the occasion mentioned and for these Reasons we do refuse to do it Also let it be rightly considered how unreasonable this thing is that we should now Suffer for not going forth in Arms yet divers of our houses have been searched for Arms and taken away from us where any were found and we threatned to be sent to Prison for having any Arms in our houses if but an old Sword and yet now must Suffer because we will not keep Arms and go out in a War-like way with them Also how unequal it is that we are sometimes threatned to persecution because we are feared to fight and at other times threatned and made to suffer because we will not go out with carnal weapons to fight and thus are we made to suffer on the one hand and on the other and afflictions are our portion on every side from the men of this Generation and many are our Troubles till the Lord deliver us out of them all 3. Because we are true Christians and Redeemed and Restored and Sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ and are men of Peace and Love and good Will towards all men and lives in it and seeks after it and are not men for War and Strife and Debate but are Redeemed out of that Spirit which is in the fall from God and delivered from the working of such works and now we cannot war with carnal Weapons our selves nor uphold it in others but do give witnesse against it by such our refusal to rise up and go out with Carnal Weapons for all such things are in the fall from that estate in which God placed man in the beginning and wars and fighting are in the enmity and Spirit of Iniquity which is contrary to God as saith the Apostle Wars and fightings do arise from the lust that wars in the members Jam. 4. 1. and from that estate of enmity in the fall and out of these works are we Redeemed and Sanctified by the Lord Jesus Christ and do walk in his Doctrine who hath exhorted us to love our Enemies to do good for evil and to reward no man evil for evil but when we are smitten on the one cheek to turn the other and to be reconciled with our Neighbours these and many such exhortations we have in the Scriptures to the true Christians which we desire to be found walking in and therefore we do deny to go out with Carnal Weapons to war against any much lesse against our own selves and our Friends as this case is as before is shewed And we are come to the Spirit of Christ Jesus and to the Son ship to be heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Jesus Christ Which State is greater then the State of the Kings of Israel who sometimes went out to war and were Righteous men and justified of God in so doing yet that State was short of the State of Christ who was the Heir of God to which State in measure we are come and so are Redeemed from wars and fightings with Carnal Weapons not onely in their worst State but in the best Estate of such Wars not onely in an evil and wrongful quarrel we cannot war but in the best kind of quarrel we refuse out of Conscience to war our selves or to send others for us to war with Carnal weapons and that because we are true Christians and believes in Christ Jesus and abides in his Doctrine and loves peace with all men and can do good to them that hate us and are come to the end of wars and would have mens lives saved and not destroyed and are of the Spirit of Christ Jesus which warred with Spiritual Weapons against the evil lusts and evil affections within and against that spirit of transgression in mens hearts that he might kill and destroy that Spirit and save the Bodies and Souls alive and such war do we make this day with the Weapons of the Spirit of God that sin may be slain and unrighteousnesse destroyed in mens hearts and that Body and Soul may live but other kind of war we cannot make for the Reasons aforesaid therefore we are excusable in the sight of the Lord in refusing to go out with carnal Weapons though yet we suffer Imprisonment and are persecuted because of the same If from hence it be Objected by any That this principle and practise of denying to fight at all is dangerous and of evil consequence and if all were of this principle and practise then we might be exposed to ruine and destruction by other Nations who would come upon us and take our Country from us and enslave us and all this while we deny to fight against them and will not defend our selves by
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