their obedience unto his requirings And do ye think to gain honour if ye proceed against us in afflicting of us because we cannot transgress the Royal Law written in our hearts I tell you no for we are a people that desire to spend our dayes here in this world in the fear of God and to follow him in all things which he doth require of us to keep his Commandments and his Statutes and to worship him according to his mind in spirit and in truth And this is all we desire which is our right and priviledge as we are free-born people in this our Native Country That we may have liberty so to do but if for so doing and nothing else we must suffer as ancient Christians have done we are content knowing that the Lord will plead our cause and will care for us and we cannot deny him to please men but must still to ourlives end serve and obey him and wait upon him and worship him in spirit and truth having engaged our hearts so to do in that he hath made known himself to us and by his Eternal Power redeemed us out of the world and the sinful ways thereof and shed abroad his love in our hearts and we are perswaded and do know of a truth That the Lord hath been and is with us in this his way which we now walk in and can you in reason and equity expect that we should deny that way in which we have found the â—ord to satisfie and refresh our souls and to make our hearts glad Or is it doing as you would be done by Would you think it right to be persecuted and afflicted for walking in that way which you are perswaded in your selves you ought to walk in If not do you fulfil the Royal Law which is To do to others as you would be done unto Wherefore consider betimes and have not a hand in afflicting of innocent people because of their consciences But break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor in spirit and afflicted people of God who suffer at this day for no other thing but for keeping the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his Worship For what is the matter Who have we hurt or wronged in any thing that here is such furious and unchristian-like proceedings against us And if our Adversaries have nothing against us but because of our obedience to the Law and Worship of our God is this such a crime at this day that honest people for so doing should be so eagerly and violently proceeded against and that snares and traps should be laid to catch and ensnare them Well the Lord takes notice of these things and he will arise for his own Name and Seeds sake before whom the Mountains must bow and tremble and the high places of the earth which stands in his way shall be removed and the Lord God will cut his own way thorow them before whom all Nations are but as the drop of a bucket and as the small dust of the ballance and they that strive against him cannot be blessed And therefore be wise and considerate ye Rulers of the Earth lest ye be found opposing of and striving against that Eternal God that gives us all life and breath and a being here in the world who will be too strong for you if you shall think in your hearts to stop and limit his appearance in the hearts of his people and bind the Conscience in which it is his Right and Prerogative to rule and no Mans upon the Earth from following the Lord in what his Light leads and draws it unto which will be Usurpation and great sin charged upon you in the day of the Lord when you shall come before the Throne of his Justice and give an account unto him Wherefore kiss the Son stoop and bown unto the Light of God's Son which appears in your hearts and convinceth you of sin least the anger and indignation of the Lord be kindled and flame and break out like devouring fire and burn in your own hearts so as it can never be quenched Here are many of us Prisoners in this Gaol and have been long whâ—ch is not unknown to you both men and women and almost some whole Families and several Aged People many because we cannot break the Command of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ who hath said unto his Followers Swear not at all because he leads them and keeps them out of the strife and out of sin and wickedness into Love Peace and Truth from which mankind was degenerated when the swearing came in which was to bind the conscience because they were gone and erred from the love and truth of God in the heart which Christ our Saviour restores into again and says unto such swear not for truth binds them and their yea is yea and their nay is nay and because we cannot break this Command of Christ we are ensnared and do suffer at this day and many may be exposed to utter ruin in this world because thereof and the guilt of the ruin of innocent people and families may come upon you if in a rash and unchristian-like spirit ye run on against them which may be in your power to prevent the sufferings and cryes of whom will enter into the ears of the Lord God of Sabbath who will hear and have regard thereunto if men do not regard and will recompence those that trouble his into their own bosoms And others here are that suffer for worshipping God in spirit and truth according to the Scriptures who cannot forsake the ancient Doctrine and practice of the Apostles who exhorted true Christians not to forsake the assembling themselves together and we cannot but perform that Christian and innocent duty for which occasion is sought against us by such as have given way to that spirit of enmity which always appeared against the way and worship of the true God which such that are joined unto will feel their reward and portion with and their inhumane and illegal proceedings may in time be more fully and manifestly declared and laid open to the world Now are these things worthy of such strait bonds and close imprisonment even to the endangering the lives of your peaceable Neighbours who have not done any man wrong but because of the tenderness of their Consciences towards God they must be thus used so that hereby at least their health in the outward man comes to be impaired by reason of keeping in and being kept from their honest Callings and Employments in the Creation so that these things tend to the destruction of men women and children and civil commerce among men and only because of their faithful obedience to the Lord in what they are perswaded in their hearts unto by his Eternal Spirit and constancy in his way which they can never deny whatever they suffer in this world neither can any of these things I am perswaded seperate us who
Persecution APPEARING With its own OPEN FACE IN WILIAM ARMORER As will be sufficiently manifest to all that may impartially read this following Relation of the Cruel Proceedings of the said William Armorer with some others against the Innocent People of God called QUAKERS in the Town of Reading in the County of Berks Of his taking of them up and Imprisoning great Numbers of them And of the eontinuance of their Sufferings to this day being almost Three years and a half And of his unwearied and Cruel Practices against that Innocent People from time to time Discovered and laid open to the end that Lyes and false Reports may be stopped and that the King and all People may be rightly informed and truly acquainted with the Case as it is clearly and truly in it self Matt. 5. 11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into prison c. Psal 119. 126. It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void thy Law LONDON Printed in the year 1667. To the READER Friend THou mayest be sensible That great and many have been the Trials and Sufferings of the People of God in Ages and Generations past who did bear witness against wiâ—kdeness Idolatry and Oppression and all the unrighteous Laws and Decrees of men bearing a righteous Testimony for God his Way and Truth upon earth for which cause they have always been persecuted by wicked and ungodly men whom the Devil the Enemy of mankind hath always made his Instruments to withstand the work of the Lord God in every dispensation of time wherein the Lord hath been pleased to appear and manifest himself unto men and as Truth and Righteousness hath flourished and born rule in the heart and the true worshipped of God been exalted and set up so much the more hath Deceit Cruelty and Oppression appeared against it through wicked and cruel-minded men whereby the Lord was displeased and provoked to anger and his indignation and wrath was many times kindled against the Kings and Rulers of the Earth because of the Afflictions and Oppressions of his People which he did see and take great notice of as the heavy Plagues and dreadful Judgments which were known and felt in the earth were signal Testimonies of whereby for the Cause before-mentioned they were brought to perpetual shame and confusion and an example to all that should come after and tread in their foot-steps As in the case of Cain who was wrath and slew his brother Abel about Sacrifice because Abel's was accepted and his was not being wicked and Abel offâ—red unto God a more acceptable Sacrifice then Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous Gen. 4. Heb. 11. Also in the case of Lot it may be seen how wickedness and oppression did abound in the men of Sodom against him and how they compassed his house because of the men the Angels of the Lord which were with him and pressed to break the door to search for the strangers These were the Sodomites wâ—o were made Examples of Gods Eternal vengeance to all persecutors and ungodly men Gen. 19. Aâ—so in the case of the children of Israel when the Lord manifested himself unto them by Moses in Egypt who commanded them to worship contrary to the worship aâ—d wills of the Egyptians and walked contrary to their wayes and customs and were oppressed and held in bondage till God was provoked to destroy them seeing his heavy Plagues and Judgmâ—nts did not reform them Exod. 3. 14. And also the Judges and Kings of Israel who were wicked and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and regarded not him nor his way and people how the Lord the Most High God dealt with them according to their doings and how he often cut their dayes short in the earth and made their Names a reproach for ever Also in the case of Haman whom the King Ahasuerus had exalted and given Power and Authority unto how he insulted over the Kings peaceable Subjects and poor Jews misrepresenting and falsly accusing them to the King because Mordecai the Jew could not give that honour to him which belonged to the Lord telling the King That their Laws were divers from all people and that they kept not the Kings Laws and therefore said it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them And the King giving too much credit unto this envious bloody-minded man consented to him against the Jews and bid him do as he would to them and left them wholly to the mercy of a merciless man to destroy them and in the Kings Name he began to proceed against the Jews so that his Villany must be done in the Kings Name which was his Cloak and to execute the Kings Laws or that destructive unrighteous Decree which he through wicked Enmity had obtained as if the King had sworn him to do all mischief in his Name which would have been great dishonour to the King if he should have brought his wicked intentions to pass and would undoubtedly have provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger against the King to destroy him But the Lord appearing for his innocent people the Kings heart was turned and he perswaded from his Resolution which he had made through mis-information and then see what followed this proud Haman who was exalted as it were from the Dunghill to the Throne Esth 3. 7. And again how the Princes and Presidents of King Darius who fearing that Truth and Righteousness should be exalted by Daniel and Deâ—eit and Wickedness thrown down thâ—y finding no occasion against him except it were concerning the Lâ—w and Worship of his God for they could not deny but he wâ—s an honest peaceable man and his conversation among men was blameless and harmless and what was the matter then why did they persecute him and throw him into the Lyons Den Why these envious men that purposed to destroy him coming into his Chamber and finding him seeking the Lord or making petitions to his God as he use to do at other times notwithstanding there was a Law made against it with his window open they went to stir up and incense the King against him saying Hast thou not signed a Decree That every man that shall ask a Petition of any God or Man within thirty dayes save of thee O King or as thou hast prescribed shall be cast into the Lyons Den and here is one Daniel who regardeth not thee O King nor the Decree that thou hast signed but makes his petitions three times a day c. Dan. 6. And this was his crime for worshipping God or asking petitions of him according to his usual manner
but see the end of his Accusers and Persecutors Jer. 24. And the King repealed that Law in which he pleased God And again Isaiah Jeremiah and others were persecuted by their own Nation the Jews for bearing witness against their evil practises by word and conversation and because they could not conform to their unrighteous Laws yet the Jews pretended to worship the true God and did profess love and service to him in words which some perhaps may think were more justifiable then those Persecutors before-mentioned who worshipped nothing else but Creatures and the works of mens hands But that cannot be for persecution for Religion and tender Conscience sake in whomsoever it appeared was never of God nor practised by good men And it is worse and more wicked in them who profess the true God then in those who neither know nor own him in words and a bare profession of God his Law and Ordinances cannot justifie any man or people in the sight of God while that nature and spirit rules in them which leads to persecution And the chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees had a large Profession of God and Scriptures and had the Law of God read among them every Sabbath-day and did many things which God commanded to be done and yet persecuted Christ that was the Substance and said they had a Law and by their Law he ought to dye Joh. 19. And his Apostles were also persecuted by them as Blasphemers and such as changed their Laudable Customs and Laws and turners of the world upside down because the Lord was with them in whose Authority they preached the Gospel and struck at the very root of Iniquity Wickedness and Oppression and their vain Customs which the people then could not endure to hear beat down but the then Rulers commanded them to preach no more in the Name of Jesus and they gathered great multitudes together sometime by the Sea-side on Mountains Fields and in upper Chambers separate from the Jews and Heathens Synagogues and Temples and many did suffer great afflictions by reason thereof And thus in brief Reader thou mayest see and remember how righteous men that truly feared God and wrought righteousness in the earth have been persecuted and cruelly intreated both by professors and prophane And as it was then He that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after and walked in the Spirit even so it is now in this our day wherein the God of Heaven hath appeared unto us and visited us in his everlasting Love and Mercy by the Light and Spirit of his Son Christ Jesus which we have received and by which we are led into all Truth and Righteousness and from the filthy conversation and wayes of the world to bear witness for God his Way and Worship as it is made manifest to us because of which we also have been persecuted and cruelly intreated since the Lord gathered us to be a people and many have dealt hardly with us and rose up against us for these twelve or fourteen years and all sorts of people from the high professor to the prophane that have been in power in the world have pushed at us But now more abundantly and particularly one William Armorer a Justice so called and his Abettors as may be seen by this following Relation who hath appeared against us in this Town of Reading more like a Monster in nature then a man and much less like a Christian though he would be so accounted as also the rest of our Persecutors would But their works do make him and them manifest and according to their proceedings which thou wilt here find gathered into as short a compass as we could well to keep the substance of things thou mayest judge of him and them for we desire not to lay open the cruel dealing of our adversaries farther then to relate their own actions neither have we put a worse face upon it then it is really in it self But if it doth appear ugly cruel and monstrous it is their own we have not wronged them in one particular that we know of neither have we filled paper to amplifie with many words to make a large volume to set out the cruelty of his and their proceedings and how contrary it is to the known Laws of the Kingdom but to leave that to thy ingenious understanding as thou shalt read the Relation to make up that which for brevities sake we have omitted and the reason why it has lain so long and not been published as many have both expected and desired was because we did not desire to lay open his cruelty or to make a noise of our sufferings for in that we have the infallible testimony and evidence of Gods Eternal Spirit in our Consciences that we suffer for well doing and for righteousness sake we are fully satisfied in our selves if it had been buried in Obiivions Grave but would rather have him amend and repented but seeing he still continues to deal hardly and cruelly with us and not only so but misrepresents us and falsly accuseth us to many who do not know his proceedings against us we cannot but bring these things to publike view for the clearing of that blessed Truth and Testimony for which we suffer and our innocency which is deeply concerned herein and to satisfie all people who have heard the rumour thereof as also that he may see and remember what he hath done against us and leave off his bad intents and work of Cruelty and repent of them And Reader thou wilt find by this following Relation That the chief Cause of this our Suffering is Because we cannot svvear at all it being forbidden by Christ Jesus whom we must hear in all things and by his Apostles and being inwardly perswaded in our Consciences by his Spirit That we as Christians ought not to swear in any case as the true Christians have been heretofore we dare not do it And also because we meet together to seek God to wait upon him and to ask Petitions of him as we use to do with our doors open Because of this we are accused as Plotters breakers of the Kings Laws c. and thronged up in Prisons and sentenced to Banishment from the Land of our Nativity and all the Crime they can find us guilty of is Because we confess we meet to seek the Lord or wait upon him and this our Adversaries accounts sufficient ground to proceed against us whereby it is fully manifest That it is against the appearance of Good of Sobriety of Truth and Righteousness that this old Spirit of Cain of the Sodomites of Haman and of the cruel Jews is risen in William Armorer and some others who take occasion against us because of the Law and Worship of our God else he could have nothing against us nor justly accuse us but because he himself comes to our Meetings again and again as thou wilt see and finds us seeking the Lord or asking Petitions of our God
sufficient though I do it not W. A. said No you must do it W. L. said It seems doing Allegiance is the thing that is required He answered Yes W. L. I own Allegiance to the King and am willing to do all his just and lawful requirings as a Subject in things pertaining to this world and will promise thereunto W. Armoâ—erâ— You must swear to bind you for if you break your Oath you aâ—e damnâ—d W. I. Will not the breaking of my promise be matter of condemnaâ—iâ—n to me W A. aâ—swered No or to that effect W. L. said The Scripture saith that no Lyar shall enter into the Kiâ—gdom of God and the Devil shall receive damnation for lying But still he asked me to swear I told him that Christ and the Apostles forbid swearing and the succeeding Chriâ—tians denyed â—o swear as Polycarpus and others And swearing upon a Book was set up by the Antichrâ—stian Power and Jâ—stinian the Emperor was the first Institutor of it as I read of and â—t will â—dd nothing to the King for me to kiss thâ—s Book neither will it do him any good And therefore why should it be put so much upon me seeing I will do Allegiance W. A saâ—d he coâ—ld not help it and bid the Gaoler take him away if he would not swear and said he might go aâ—d convâ—nce the â—arliament that maâ—e the Law and he was sworn to execute the Kings â—aws W. Lamboll asked â—im why he would put such Laws in execution whâ—ch he could not defend by the Scriptures nor right reason Then he bid the â—aoler take him away W. L. said The Lord God everlasting in whose presence I am justified in thâ—s thing and before whose Judgment-seat we must all appear knoweth my heart that I do not deny to swear out of stubbornness nor out of obstiracy or denying Allegâ—ance to the Kiâ—g but only and alone for Conscience sâ—ke towards God and because Christ Jesus whom we are to hear in all things saith Swear not at all c. The Oath beâ—ng read to William Tompson and the Book held to hâ—m said Alas â—s thâ—s all that ye can do so often to tender us this Oaâ—h to insnare us And that he did own what was read and could promise the things contained in the Oath â—â—e Clerâ— haviâ—g gâ—ven him the Book he said Out of thâ—s Book can I prâ—ve â—hat it is not lawful to swear at all W. A. saâ—d That is in youâ— communication W. T. Nay it is not at all which are Christs words to them that were followers of hâ—m I say unto youâ— Swear not at all which comprehends all swearing but let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evil W. A. began to be angry with him because he did not answer whether he would or would not swear W. T. I can promise the things contained in the Oath and is not that sufficient Mayor said That doth not answer the Law W. T. If I do that which the Law requires or the substance of the Oath it will not be accepted W. A. being peevish and angry thrust him going he crying for Justice W. A. told him he should have it done W. T. appealing to the Mayor for Justice he said William I am in place to do the Kings business and to execute his Laws and I must do it W. T. said But thou must have an eye to the Law of God in it The Book being held to Tho Speed he said I chuse rather to obey that Christ which you profess who said Swear not all then you who say swear W. A. VVill you that 's enough take him away T. S. Is this thy Justice to command me to be taken away to prison for saying I chuse rather to obey Christ then thee Then they asked John Boult if he would take the Oath of Allegiance Who answered As for my part I am a man that makes conscience of my ways and I have great cause to respect the Lord and to eye his way and truth and as he hath made it known in me I shall in that truth follow him in his holy way and that which he hath made known to me to be evil that I dare not do lest I should break my peace with my God which I cannot do for all the world W. A. You cannot take it can you J. B. I cannot go against my Conscience nor do that which the Lord hath made known to me to be evil W. A. said VVhere did you learn that out of your nail the Friend being a Shoomaker by Trade J. B. reproving of him for his jeer said Nay the Lord hath made it known unto me Some other discourse passed between them which for brevities sake we have omitted and the other two also had some discourse to the same purpose On the 12th of the first Month called March 1665 VVilliam Armorer came again to the Meeting and sent for the Gaoler who being come he sent Leonard Coale James Lavell and VValter Emerton to the Gaol without either Warrant or Mittimus And at the same Meeting took Christopher Page Henry Adams Anne Sharp Margaret VVhiteheart Anne Godard Ann VVeeden Eliâ— Lavell the younger and Mary Mathew and sent them to the Counter and then went into the house of Tho Curtis and puld out his Man-servant Henry Gâ—oss and put him into the Meeting-Room and said he run away out of the Meetinâ— though the man was never at our Meeting all his life-time as we heard of and so sent him to Gaol and at night he sent for them all to his house where was Justice Dolby also and tendered the Oath of Allegance to L. Coale J. Lavell and VV. Emerton and committed them to the Gaol and told Henry Gross Tho Curtis his man that he was mistaken in him and let him go again the rest he sent to the Gaol for three days except A. Sharp who was committed upon the third Account The second of the second Month called Apâ—il 1665 came VV. Armorer and Edw Dâ—lby to the Meeting and took Christo Cheeseman Hannah VVebb Anne Harrison Eliz Tudway Eliz d ee the younger Doâ—othy Clarke Hannah Kent and Hannah Lomboll and being brought to his house by the Constable Samuel House he examined H. Lamboll and H. Kent about their age and being little let them go and sent the other five to the Gaol for three dayes and Christo Cheeseman upon the third offence The fourth of the second Month called April the Sessions for the County of Berks was held at Newberry to which place the Prisoners to whom the Oath of Allegiance had been tendered were brought viz. Tho Curtis and Anne his Wife George Lamboll and Sarah his Wife Tho Tudway John Paine James Marlow Joseph Coale Rob Pocock Benjamin Coale VVilliam Yeet John Tray Richard Green Thomas Baâ—tlet VVilliam Lamboll VVilliam Tompson Leo Key Anthony Sadler John Boult Tho Speed Leo Coale James Lavel and VValter Emeâ—ton and being brought into the Court were called
in their own Consciences and are unfaithful and treacherous to that will also in time be so unto men though they may fawn and flatter for their own ends all which we do utterly deny and in our souls abhor and which the Truth which we have received hath led and redeemed us out of Wherefore Friend it was upon my heart to caution thee to take heed what thou dost as to proceed in this work of persecution of innocent people for the exercise of their consciences in the service and worship of God and causing thy peaceable Neighbours to be haled to prisons for their obedience to the Lord God for this will kindle the wrath of the Lord against thee and be the cause of hâ—s heavy judgments to come and fall upon thee in the end and sorrow and trouble will take hold of thee when the Witness of God in thy own conscience shall bring these unchristian-like proceedings against those that did thee nor no man wrong into thy remembrance and give the sentence of condemnation upon thee for condemning and joyning with the persecuting spirit against the innocent and such as fears and reverences his Name And though now some may over-awe thee telling thee there is a Law and thou may think to cover thy self by saying the Law is against us yet I say that will not excuse thee in the dreadful day of account for there was a Law which the Jews had against our Lord Jesus Christ yet that would not excuse those that condemned him But yet this Law doth not at all reach us being rightly considered because we meet really in truth to worship the Lord and to perform holy duty to him and not in any colour or pretence to plot or contrive insurrections for they that do so are the persons that the Law takes hold of and though some may suspect otherwise of us yet that is not sufficient ground so violently to proceed against thy peaceable Neighbours upon a bare supposition because it hath not nor can ever be proved that we have done or intend any such thing at our Meetings and therefore we are grievously wronged and abused and the Law turned to a wrong end even against them that are peaceable and against whom it was not made according to the Preamble of it And therefore it will be well for thee to be cool and considerate in thy mind and not rashly to run or be led on without any respect to the Lord or fear to offend and grieve his good spirit in thy self which will not always strive or without any pity or compassion as a man to thy Neighbours to send them to prison from their Wives Children Husbands and Parents and Families as if they were such intollerable offenders that were not worthy of the common air in the Creation when all that can be proved against them is That they were in such a house and they said to wait upon or worship God And is this now become such a crime Oh that ever men that profess Christianity should be so blind and sottish as to lose their very reason as men to act in this manner which generations to come will even abhor And who would have thought that the Magistrates and people of Reading should be found in this work beyond most in the Nation What is there not drunkards and swearers to be looked after And do not these transgress the Law Is there not a Law against drunkards and swearers and art thou so forward and diligent to execute that as thou with others art that which you say is against our Meetings Are not such at liberty And are not these things which are sins against the Lord God of Heaven and Earth winked at and lightly passed over And must those whom you do only suspect or some of you to be transgressors of mans Law be so violently proceeded against when nothing of fact can be proved against them nor no man can justly charge them of doing any evil against him Consider of these things and lay them to heart and beware what thou dost lest thou be found striving against that which God hath purposed to exalt and remember what one once said If this way be of God it will stand let men do what they can and if it be not it will fall of its self they need not trouble themselves about it And if you that profess your selves Christians had so much reason and moderation as he that was a Heathen you would not trouble your selves so much as you do which will be in vain to strive against the Lord who will exalt his own Name and Truth over your heads though you may be permitted to try many in which the Lord is trying of you in this your day which it would be well if you could see which you can never do till you return your minds to that Principle of God in you which will let you see your selves and how you stand and convinceth of sin and leads out of it all such as do sincerely love and follow it and all such as do slight and disregard it it will be a worm gnawing in their Consciences and a fire that will never be quenched which will make the proud to bow and consume and lay low the glory and haughtiness of all flesh and bring eternal sorrow and anguish upon all that have lived wantonly upon earth and spent their time in pleasure and vanity in ease and fulness The day of the Lord is at hand which will overtake the wicked as a thief in the night and blessed will they be that hast and prepare to meet him by putting off their sins and turning from their iniquities and forsaking the evil way which that thou mayest do is my desire however I have cleared my conscience unto thee and rest a true lover of thy soul Reading-Gaol the 3 d day of the 3 d month 1665. From a Sufferer for the testimony of a good Conscience and for keeping the command of the Lord Jesus in which I have peace with him which no man can take away J. C. The Assizes being holden at Abingdon the 7th and 8th days of the 5th Month called July 1665 to which place Twenty six of the Prisoners were brought by the Gaoler viz. The twenty one before mentioned who at the Sessions at Newberry were put off to the Assizes to have their Tryal and A Curtis and S. Lamboll who were committed as dangerous and suspicious persons and the other three were Christopher Cheeseman A. Sharp and S. Binfield who were committed on the third account for meeting and were called to the Barr before Judg Tiâ—rell who after some questions of Name place of abode what they were c. said to the Prisoners at the Barr Judg. What you go to unlawful Meetings and Conventicles and will not obey the Kings Laws c. One of the Prisoners answered I am clear from all evil against the King and of all Plots and contriving Insurrections c. for our doors stand