testifie who have been eye-witnesses and sufferers by him and his Clerk and others of the Town of Wetherfield Essex At a Meeting in Thaxted in Essex the People of God being met peaceably together to wait upon the Lord a great company of rude people of the Town gathered otgether about the house swearing and cursing what they would do to the Quakers as they called them and the place of their meeting being neer the high way they cast in dirt and stones to the great annoyances of the peaceable people that were then waiting upon the Lord and they were much abused by stones and abundance of dirt cast upon them which the rude people took out of the open street and there came a drunkard swearing and raging like unto a mad man and he and the rude people broke into the house and laid violent hands upon many of the peaceable people and endeavoured to pull him down that was speaking to the people in the fear of God And for some hours in this manner they abused sober people in their own house that were met together to wait upon the Lord and to worship him in spirit and when some went to some of the Magistrates in the Town to acquaint them with this abuse desiring them to keep the peace they made light of the matter and would not appease the rude Multitude nor preserve the sober people in their just right and liberties for it was said that one of the Magistrates should speak to the drunken fellow aforesaid to come up into our meeting and bad him make sport and so great was the abuse that the sober People was forced to remove their meeting to another place whither the rude people also followed them and did cast dirt and stones at them Some more of the cruel sufferings of the people of God called Quakers related which hath been acted in the Town of Cambridge by the rude Scholars Souldiers and Towns people Cambridge UPon the thirteenth day of the third Month following called May the Scholers and rude Multitude came and brake open several doors and burst the locks and bolts with a great hammer and when we passed out from our meeting we were most shamefully abused by the Scholars and rude Multitude several hundreds standing in the streets some beating of us and some rejoycing to see us beaten Upon the twentieth day of the same Month the Scholers and Souldiers and the rude Multitude came in with one of the chief Constables which said that the Mayor had a letter from Ja. Tompson of Trumpington called a Justice which did inform the Mayor that several of us had arms whereupon we desired that we might be searched they searching some few of us finding none the rude Multitude fell violently upon us and drew some of us out by the hair and pulled and haled all the rest out and kickt William Allen who was moved to declare the truth to the people in the Power of the Lord being so grosly abused that he was very unable to go abroad for several days After that we was parted from the meeting-house they came with hammers and what pieces of wood they could get and fell to work on their Sabbath day and they did break and batter the house within and without that it is judged by their own Generation that twenty pounds will scarce make it as it was Sutton Henry Foster was pulled out of the meeting house and had before the Mayor and Aldermen where he was searched for Arms but found none and discharged to come any more to his own hired house upon a first day Upon the second of the fifth Month 1660. Friends being peaceably met together several of the Scholars and others with them came with a Smiths great hammer and other things and broke up the house although two doors was open into the same and with the boards and shivers of the house armed themselves with which they knockt down many in the house and in the street shedding the blood that day of near thirty and bruising the flesh of nere an hundred in a very lamentable manner some of whom were dangerously wounded Also the eight of the fifth Month the Scholers assaulted the meeting again and tore friends out in an exceeding uncivil manner And on the 15th day they broke up Friends meeting again and near pulled down the house and with the ruins of the same wounded several Friends And besides the Scholers and others that joyn with them do daily tear friends cloathes as they passe in the Streets and nip and abuse their flesh and pull them by the hair and stone buffet and knock Friends down when they have pulled them out of the meeting and tread them in the channels that had not the Lord wonderfully preserved them many Friends had been slain ere now The Names of part of twenty four that had their blood shed by the Scholers and others in Cambridge besides many that had their cloaths rent and knockt down into the Channels and kickt and trod upon and one was kept in the mud till he was almost smothered and others pinched and pulled by the nose and some stabbed John Smith John Webb Ann Norris William Allen John Ware Thomazin Blackly Margret Mathews Robert Letchworth William Page George Nath John Tournel Chatris Edward Matthew Blackly John Harvy Edward Salmon Phillip Williamson William Wells Thomas Gray Phillip Viping James Viping Cheshire Friends being met together in the fear of the Lord at one Lawrence Fletcher his house there came some Souldiers and broke up the meeting and they fell on the Friends and haled them forth and some they threw forth and down tearing others by the hair of the head till they had all forth and this they did without shewing any order but being asked for their order they said they had left it at the Town Glamorgan-shire In the eight Month called October 1660. Friends being peaceably met together several Souldiers with their Muskets swords lighted matches in a brutish manner took all the men Friends out of their Meeting being twenty and had them to the Castle and set them in the Dungeon till the next day and then the oath of Allegiance was proffered to them because they could not break Christs comand who saith swear not at all they were ordered to be kept prisoners where they yet remain this tenth Month 1660. From Cirencester in Glocester-shire Wee whose names are here under written on the eighteenth day of the ninth Month were met peaceably together in the fear of the Lord there â—â—me in amongst us the two high Constables so called with other Offices and men of our Town that were gathered together charging us in the Kings Name to go along with them answer was made that we were met peacably together in the fear of the Lord and if they had any thing to lay to our charge we were there ready to make answer but that would not satisfie them and one of them said he had a
A DECLARATION of some of the SUFFERINGS OF THE People of God CALLED QUAKERS FRIENDS WE lay these sufferings before you who have known sufferings and been exercised therewith for you in this the day of your prosperity in the Fear of the Lord and his Wisdom to read over and consider the sufferings of the People of God who have suffered all along in the dayes of the Common-wealth and of the two Protectors and now suffers in the Kings Name for Christ and his Truths sake and for obeying his commands And we have suffered all along under these changeable powers before you our meetings have been broken up our houses pluckt down our windows broken and pulled out of our Meetings and cruelly abused knockt down and stones and dirt thrown at us and have suffered cruel mockings and shameful reproaches and many whipt stockt and laid in Irons and Dâ—n◠〈◊〉 and beâ—ty 〈◊〉 and prisoned till death and some put to death â—n these Dominions and the onely thing hath been for the speaking of the truth and warning people of the day that is come upon them yea many in sackcloth and ashes who would not hear nor regard whose day of visitation is over And there hath suffered for Conscience sake and the Truths sake the causes being hereafter expressed the number of 3179. 1. For meeting together in the Fear of the Lord as the Saints did in the primitive times and exhorting one another and building up one another and praying together in their several houses as the Apostles did from house to house have been beat imprisoned and not suffered to pray together as Daniel did but pluckt us up by the hair of the head when we have been at prayers and some have been stockt and whipt and others their â—â—rses taken from them and some fined and imprisoned some until death and some knockt down and left for dead others drag'd on the ground by the hair of their heads and cruelly beaten and trod upon their cloaths rent and blood shed not sparing women with Child nor old age the number of 827 persons And they broke up our Meetings in the Common Wealths and Olivers time under pretence that we plotted to bring in Charls Stuart and now he is come in they are broken up by some of your Magistrates under pretence that we are against the King but we aâ—e in that which cannot lift up a hand nor plot against him nor no man by which we see all things and have unity with God and meets together to worship him in the Spirit and Truth and thus are we deprived of it by many who have been against us as much formerly as now who if they were tryed they are neither Friends to themselves nor to God nor the King who will not let us have so much liberty as Ballet fingers and such as use playes nor let us meet to pray together and build up one another in thâ— Holy Faith which was the command of the Apostle to the Saints in the Primitive times for which practice have we suffered all along as sheep for the slaughter and as such as have no helpers in the earth whose lives from it are taken And our sufferings has been also great in Scotland Ireland Virginia and New England the number of Sufferers and multitude of which sufferings and meetings which have been broken are to large hardly to be mentioned or numbred 2. And for not going to the publick worship many have been fined and imprisoned and their goods taken from them Now wheâ—e do you ever read that ever the Jews or Gentiles ever fined the Christians for not coming to the Temple at Jerusalem or the Synagogue or Dianas Temple Nay is it not worse then the Turks paying their Sessments and Taxes May they not have their liberty there to meet together to Pray and Worship God ye men of understanding consâ—der this 3. And for warning people to repent in the Markets and other places of their sin and wickednesse have been whipt stockt and put in Fetters and Irons and some imprisoned the number of 516 persons 4. And â—â—r not swearing as Christ commands they should not swear for obeying his Doctrinâ— and keeping to yea and nay in their Communications according to his command have been Stockt Whipt Fined and Imprisoned and suffered the losse of their goods â—â—8 Persons And we have suffered under pretence of being Papists and Popishly affected and our Friends have suffered for going beyond the Seas to declare against the Papists George Ba ly imprisoned till death in France one John Love imprisoned till death in the Inquisition in Rome and John Parrot â—es there yet in Prison to finish his Testimony for the Truth and against Idolatry and yet the Oath of Abjuration hath been tendred unto us to make a prey on us knowing that our Principle was that we could not swear no manner of Oath for which cause we have suffered in our Lives and Estates and now the Oâ—th of Supremacy and Allegiance is tendred to us against the Pope to make a prey upon us that knows our Principle is against the Papists that knows our Pâ—â—nciple that we cannot swear at all no Oath but keeps to yea and nay in our Communications according to Christs Doctrine who declares against all Popery and the supremacy of it Now if 〈◊〉 yea be not yea and nay nay so found to you and all men upon the earth then let us suffer for breaking of that as much as for breaking an Oath and besides very illegally is that Oath put to us as you may see in the examining of the manner of their putting it to us 5. For not paying towards the repair of Steeple-houses and for not paying Clerks wages have had their goods spoiled strained and taken away above treble the demand 256 which is worse then ever we read of the Jews or Gentiles that ever they made the Christians do to repair Dianas Temple or the Jews Synagogue or Temple that they fined them and took their goods for not doing so 6. For visiting Friends in Prison and carrying them necessaries that lay in nasty Straw and Dungeons Fetters and Irons lockt up beat and bruised their bodies like jellies have been â—mprisoned and beat and some whipt and stockt others fined and their goods taken away and some sent away wâ—â—h passes as wanderers and vagabonds though Persons of Estates and some have had their goods taken and been imprisoned besides for entertaining of their friends which â—s worse then the heathen did to the Apostle who suffered his acquaintance to come to him and visit him and he taught in his own hired house in Rome where the Seat of the Emperour was and worse then ever we read the Heathen and the Jews did to the Christians in the Primitive times and therefore what can be paraleld with this Generation for it is for Truth and not for evil doing for which we suffer and for bearing witnesse to the Truth Therefore ye men of Reason
people of the Town came to the place where they were met and threw hatfulls and a pail full of dirty water on them and threw dirt on the face of him that was speaking And as they were going to the meeting many Friends were beaten and abused and some thrown down and trampled on and dragged on the ground by the hair of the head and kickt and some had their clothes torn and called them Rogues and threatened to kill them And one Friend was thrust into a pond and knockt down in it and there kept a pretty space and when they had so done they drave the Friends like Beasts out of the Town with staves and huncht them and puncht them and hurt them and no Officer neither Magistrate nor other would stir to preserve them or keep the peace which the rude people broke though some of them were told of this cruel usage and feared that some of them might be killed At another meeting on the 7th day of the same month the rude people came again and threw much dirt and Cow-dung upon them and sonn◠〈…〉 â—aâ—â— and into the mouth of him that was speaking and declaring the Truth and when they saw this would not disturb them so as to cause them to break up their â—â—â—ing they fired a Gun or Pistol three times upon them At another meeting on the tenth day of the same Moneth the rude people came again to the house where they were peaceably met in the Fear of the Lord and with a Scoop-shovel cast in scoop-fulls of dirt and dirty water upon them which did so wet and daub them with them that they were almost covered therewith insomuch that they appeared as though they had been dragged through a dirty Channel And when the rude people had so done then they cryed out see now like Witches they look with other filthy and bruitish words not fit to be mentioned all which the people of God bore with patience without making any resistance And when this was done then they threw in clods of dirt upon them and drew them forth of the meeting and tore some of their cloaths and threw dâ—wn others and stoned others and brake the windows of the house and the fence of the Friends ground where they met and drove them through the Town And some of the Friends after all this in going to a Justices house were sorely beaten and some had their blood shed and were in danger of their lives and those â—â—de people cryed out let the Justice kiss their breech Hartford-shire At a peaceable Meeting of the people of God at Sawbridgworth the rude people of the Town amongst whom were some of the Servants of him who is called Justice Hewet came to the door and threw in water rotten eggs mans dung and stones of which the said Justice Heweâ— being informed and desired to preserve the people of God from violence and the rude multitude in peace he the said Justice Hewet instead of performing the duty of a Magistrate and preserving the people in peace so incouraged the rude ones that the hands of the wicked were strengthened and encouraged in their mischief and he refused to do Justice according to his place Northampton-shire The people of God being peaceably met together to wait on the Lord in a Close near the house of William Lovel and upon his own ground there came one Captain Pinkard and many of his Troopers on Horse-back and entred upon the ground and in a brutish and in humane manner rode amongst the Friends and many of them received much hurt with their Horses and otherwise and they broke up the Meeting and took away the said William Lovel and others and sent them to prison where divers of them were kept two Moneths and the said William Lovel kept prisoner nine Moneths and he was more cruelly used then can be briefly exprest for no other cause but for having a meeting at his house Warwick-shire There being a peaceable Meeting of the people of God at a place called Grin at the house of the Widdow Meeks the said Widdow for suffering a Meeting there was turned out of her house and the house its self pul'd down York-shire There being a peaceable meeting of the people of God at the house of Friend Blacklin in York-shire where were met about thirty persons the rude people came into the Meeting and violently pulled them out one by one and knockt many of them down and wounded many of them Nottingham-shire A peaceable Meeting of the people of God was by wicked and ungodly men 〈…〉 â—ewark and the Friends received much hurt and much of their 〈…〉 by the rude multitude and about four score of them were haled â—uâ— of the meeting one by one and were cruelly beaten and abused Sommerset-shire There being a peaceable meeting of about two hunded of the People of God at Martock upon the second day of the second Month 1657. five men who called themselves Minsters and who are called Mr. Hallet Mr. Stephenson Mr. Duke Mr. Collens and Mr. Thomas Lye come to the place where the meeting was and brought with them a great company of rude people with long staves Pikes and such like Weapons and fell on the Friends who were met in the fear of the Lord and beat them and pulled them and tore their Garments and made loud out-cryes and the rude peoples hands were so strengthened by the company and countenance of the Priests and their rage and madness such against the people of God that had not the Lord wonderfully appeared in his peoples deliverance some might have lost their lives At a meeting of the people of God on the first day of the fifth Month 1659. at Threshford the rude People came with Kettles Panns and blowing horns and with Pipes Lowbels and a Drum to make a noise and a cause a disturbance and the noise they made was great so that friends could not hear the truth declared Amonst which rude company there was one who is called a Minister and he to manifest him himself ruder then the rest beat the drum himself to make a greater noise then was made before who with the rude multitude flung stones and dirt and water at friends and some of them affirmed that they were hired to do so and that they that hired them stood by and encouraged them giving them Bear and Ale for their service Now let the understanding Reader judge who were chief Instruments in chis wickedness c. And whether such serve our Lord Jesus Christ or their own lusts and whether the end of such is not destruction Northumberland As divers of the People of God were met together in his fear at a place called Elledsdon there came a company of rude men and women amongst whom was the Priests wife of the Town of Elledsdon who came from the steeple-house and in great violence haled forth of the meeting about twenty friends and forced them out of the Town and over a little River
and many others were abused York-shire the thirteenth of the third Month called May 1660. Friends being met together at Bellerby in the County aforesaid in the worship and service of God there came to the door divers armed men crying where be these rogues we have order to break up your meeting some of them saying we will cut you as small as bread whereupon a Friend went to the door to know the real cause of these so coming and whether they had any order to hinder our peaceable meeting so speaking in meekness to them telling them our meeting was in the fear of the Lord without a thought of harm to any Creature and desiring to see their order for so doing one of them drew his sword and said that was his order and with it struck him that spoke to him upon which all the rest fell upon friends beating and cutting them and pulling them out of the meeting shedding the blood of many and brusing many in a most uncivil and cruel manner striking down many to the ground with that violence that their sences were taken away some lying upon the ground for dead in which act of cruelty they cryed they were for the King and pleaded his Authority for it and so do abuse his Name and Authority Laws and subjects in which cruelty about forty men of honest and good repute was cut with swords in their heads and bodies and bruised and maimed upon which several are lame and some of them so wounded that it may be their death the particular wounds in head body and arms we shall forbear to mention particularly but the cruelty of it was such that there was no regard unto any man of account office or otherwise which thing being considered in it cruelty might break the heart of him that pitties the people or would preservâ— the Nation in peace besides several women about ten or twelve were every onâ— of them sore abused with swords and staves and some of them drawn through the water which is not onely suffering unto them but is a great reproach and dishonour unto the supreme authority and goverment in this Nation which if it continue will produce very bad effects Some of the Names of those that did appear with swords and staves in this cruel persecution are as followeth Christopher Haw Christopher Dixon Christopher Collison William Imson Leonard Wright Mar. Jaques Francis Burg Christopher Burrell Henry Wright John Foster Robert Wray Christopher Dawson Henry Fawcet Christopher Kerby John Wright Mathew Ellerton Westminster On the twelf day of this Month called June we being meet in the new Pallace-yard in the fear of the Lord according to our accustomed manner we were again abused by the Lacquies and rude people and pursued as far as Whithall and many friends had their blood drawn in a cruel manner and after the meeting was ended the prophane People entred into the meeting house and abused the people that dwelt there in so much that we were forced to entreat some Officers of the Army whom we knew to clear the house who with some difficulty did it our oppressions are great and hard to be uttered and Numbered Therefore O King in the fear of the Lord lay them to heart and let them be removed that the Land may no longer mourn for the testimony of Jesus and exercise of a good conscience At Steventon in Bark-shire The seventh day of the eight Month. 1660. many of the people of God coming together to worship God at Steventon in Bark shire the Constable with many more being armed with halberts prongs pikes-staves and other weapons came to the house and pulled Friends out in a horrible brutish manner tore their cloaths from their backs and threw about six of them into the water and took one man and trode upon him so long till the blood came from his mouth and till some of the wicked brutish people cryed out take heed you do not stifle him and some near 60. years of age were so served and then they drove us along in the dirt dashing up the dirt upon us and Friends demanding what warrant they had for their so doing they said they had Order but shewed not any and though we told them we had the word of the King for our quiet meetings and General Moncks Order but they regarded it not Norfolk At a meeting in Fowlsham the Constable charged several of the Town to aid him in the Kings Name and hailed Friends out of the meeting beating some of them himself and others throwing them down in the mire rending their cloaths and caried away above one half of one mans cloak and when he had got the rude Multitude together he left Friends in their hands who beat them and threw stones and mire upon them John Hilton York-shire the seventh day of the ninth Month 1660. Upon the twenty fourth day of the eight month in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty Christopher Taylor and Richard Scostrop with many other Friends of the truth being met together in peace without harm to any to wait upon the Lord being in a piece of Ground belonging unto William Cave in the Town of Bramhup Priest Crossland called Minister of that Town and Edward Wadington who called himself high Constable came in amongst us in much hatred emnity having gathered a Multitude of the rude people and baser sort of together and when the said Richard Scostrop and Christopher Tailor being moved of the Lord did instruct Friends and people in the way of the Lord the said Priest Crossland and Edward Wadington was the first that layd violent hands on them and hailed them away charging the rude people who were found in swearing lying and cursing to assist them to which they were ready like their Priest showing forth the fruits of his teaching hailing and pushing them as if they had been theeves that Christopher Tailor was moved to say they were like to murther him and Richard Scostrop was bloody with their tearing of him not suffering them to speak any words of exhortaâ—ion to the people But Priest Crossland said they had an order from the King not to suffer us to meet or speak together but we supposing it was not so the Kings word being that none should trouble or molest us for our Religion or opinion while we lived peacably in the Nation we demanded to see his warrant which he denyed and the rude people pulled Richard Scostrop as they were comanded by their Priest up from his knees being calling upon the Name of the Lord in prayer with Friends now let all who have any soberness or understanding consider if this Priest who is called a Minister of Christ abides in his Doctrine or if he be come to the Law and the Prophets who saith do unto all men as you would they should do unto you or did he so unto us and he and the rest dragged us out of their Town and after they had like Wolves amongst sheep