credit at their hand He must forsake all good then by their cause may stand Preamble to the Persecutors Laws made against the People of God and the Kings good Subjects WHereas there is a cursed Sect of Hereticks lately risen up in the world which are commonly called Quakers who take upon them to be immediately sent of God Infallibly assisted by the Spirit to speak and write blasphemous Opinions despising Government and the Order of God in Church and common Wealth speaking evil of Dignities reproaching and reviling Magistrates and Ministers seeking to turn People from the Faith and gain Proselites to their pernitious way Observe Here 's the Persecutors preamble to their Antichristian Law the unrighteousness of which is of their Father the wicked One who from the beginning hath been an Accuser of the Brethren wherefore the things of the Kingdom of God are hid from them Mat. 11.25 Luke 10.21 In which state they remain as the rebelious Jews calling good evil and the truth blasphemous Opinions having no more justly to accuse the Quakers of evil then had the wicked Jews against the People of God in the Apostles day and will in this following work appear so to be to every true Christian Readers view of the same Here now begins these free-mens sin The Cause for which Gods Judgments bring Preamble to these Persecutors Law The Court Considering the Premises and to prevent the like Mischief as by their means is wrought in our native Land Observe That of their many Lyes and Unjust charges against both the Quakers Baptists and other Dissenters as well as against them of the Church of England is a Record to the end of Time as also of their many other unrighteous Works against the People of God and the Kings Subjects which had they and their Brethren been as clear from all means of mischief as the Quakers there had neither Rebellion Treason or Murder against the King been alledged to the charge of their New-England Brother Hugh Peters Venner and others of their Brethren in England which they call our native Land New-England Persecutors Law 1. Do hereby order and by the Authority of this Court Be it ordered and Enacted That no Master or Commander of any Ship Bark Pinnace Ketch or other Vessel henceforth bring into any Harbour Creek or Cove within this Jurisdiction any known Quaker or Quakers or other blasphemous Hereticks upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture of Oâ—â— hundred Pounds to be forthwith paid to the Treasureâ— of the Cuntry except it appeareth that such Maâ—ter wanted due 〈…〉 of information that they were such and in 〈◊〉 â—â—se he â—ay clear himself by his Oath when sufficienâ— proof 〈◊〉 the contrary is wanting and for default of payment of the said Fine of one hundred Pounds or good Security for the same such Master shall be committed to Prison by Warrant from any Magistrate there to continue till the said Fine be satisfied to the Treasurer as aforesaid 2. And the Master or Commander of any such Ship or Vessel that shall bring them being legally convicted shall give in sufficient Securiry to the Governour or one more of the Magistrates to carry them to the place whence he brought them and on his refusal so to do the Governour or said Magistrate or Magistrates shall commit such Master or Commander to Prison there to remain till he shall give in sufficient Security to the content of the Governour or said Magistrate 3. And if any Person or Persons within this Jurisdiction shall henceforth entertain and conceal any Quaker or Quakers or other blasphemous Hereticks Knowing them to be such every such Person shall forfeit to the Country Forty Shillings for every hours entertainment and concealment of any such Quaker or Quakers as aforesaid and shall be committed to Prison as aforesaid till the Fines be fullly satisfied and paid Observe That several of the Kings Subjects Masters or Commanders of Vessels suffered to the utmost extreamity of this unrighteous Law which is so repugnant to the Law of God and the Kings Laws that in making and prosecuting the same they oâ—t do all their fore-Fathers and elder Brethren in Iniquity which Law was so well pleasing to the Priests who the more that people might believe their work to be sanctified set one day apart for Preaching and Praying as a day of Thanksgiving for the same hoping that by the means of a thorow prosecution of this Law to keep their Jurisdiction clear of every Person called a Quaker and that then their freemen would take the more courage against the Baptists and them of the Church of England for with the Quakâ—rs they were hard beseâ— and in fear they would deprive them of their God and as Leâ—etrius their Trade would come to nothing and in fear of being slain as was their elder Brother Vagabond Cain who as these had no certain dwelling in the Truth which if their Worship had been the true Worship of God as we read John 4.24 but on the contrary as we read Mark 7 6 7 8 9. Mat. 15.8 they worship't they knew not what John 4 22 in which state of Disobedience they were far from the Rule of doing as themselves would have been done unto Mat. 7.12 Luke 6 31. but in fleeing the Land to sâ—ve their Purses with which their minds did abide regarded not the Rule to entertain Strangers Heb. 13.2 but on the contrary gaâ—e them the like entertainment as the wicked Jews did to Christ and his Apostles from whose Rule of â—râ—eing all things â—râ— held fâ—t that which is good from the sâ—me do these Persecutors Law restrain as will more at large hereafter appear Of the like Laws we never finde By men that God and King do mind New England's Antichristian Law 4. And every Person or Persons that shall encourage or defend any of their pernicious ways by speaking writing or meeting on the Lords Day or at any other time shall after due means of conviction incur the Penalty ensuing viz. Every one so meeâ—â—ng shall pay to the use of the Country for every time Ten Shillings And every one speaking in such a Meeting shall forâ—eit Five Pounds Observe That by 〈◊〉 Law and the other afore-mentioned Law of forty Shillings for every hours entertainment to any Person or Persons or others whom they account blasphemous Hereticks as they did account all that dissented from their Priests Worship by which two Laws they gained abundance of Money for Fines of the Inhabitants who were found either at the Quakers Meeting or to entertain their Relations and Kindred though Father or Mother Brother or Sister or any other Friend or Friends or Relations and Kindred whom in their Law They call by the name of Strangers and Vagabonds as by the following Laws will further appear and that every man by Membership admitted to the freedom of their Body Politick was according to their Priests way of teaching become a Ruleâ— to lord over the Faitâ— of every Dissenter by
Warrant where no Magistrate is at hand by any Constable Commissioner or Select Man and conveyed from Constable to Constable until they come before the next Magistrate who shall commit the said Person or Persons to close Prison there to remain without Bail untiâ— the next Court of Assistants where they shall have a legal Tryaâ— by a special Jury and being convict to be of the cursed Sect of Quakers shall be sentenced to Banishment upon pain of DEATH Obs The Reader may hence understand that the â—eaâ—er the Magistrates Laws did extend to destroy the Lives of the Innocent the more pleasing it was to the Hireling Priests â—ho in honour thereunto would set Time apart for the Churches Thankâ—giving A New-England Antichristian Law And that every the Inhabitants of this Jurisdiction being convicted to be of the cursed Sect of Quakers either by taking up publishing and defending the horrid Opinions of the cursed Quakers or stirring up Mâ—tâ—aâ— Seditâ— or Rebellion against the Goverment of our Church at â— Common Wealth or by taking up their absurd and destructive Practices viz. denying civil Respect and Reverence to Equals and Superiours with-drawing from our Church Assemblies and instead thereof frequenting private Meetings of their own in Opposition to our Church Order or by adhearing to or approving of known Quakers that are opposit to the Oâ—thodox received Opinions of the Godly and endeavouring to disaffect others â—o civil Goverment and Church Order established amongst us and condemning the Practice and Proceedings of this Court against the Quakers manifesting thereby compliance with those whose design is to overthrow the Order established in our Church and Common-Wealth The reader may here Observe the wretched state of these Bloody minded Persecutors who for want of true faith were in the state of thâ—ir elder Brother Cain that was a murderer like unto these who destroy the righteous for their Faith and Obedience to God for which cause these Persecutors bear Cains mark being in fear that those which are not of their murdering Spirits will slay them and knowing themselves to be like principled as was Hugh Peters Venner and many others of their New-England Brethren in Iniquity stirring up Mutiny Sedition and Rebeâ—lion against the English Government and the Order of the English Church established by the Bishops as by the Chronicles of England doth at large appear of their Rebellion and Treason against the King and his Children in that day of their inventing so much mischief against others in our Native Land to set up themselves above all others which Spiâ—it is the same in these their persecuting Brethren who impute that to the Charge of an Innocâ—nt harmeless People which themselves are so highly guilty of as is manifested by their setting up themselves to lord it over the People of God and the Kings Subjects as for fifty or sixty Years time they have done in New-England where the hireling Priests kept a constant stroke of puting all that dissented from their Worship into bear skins and setting their Followers to tear them in pieces calling out in their preaching to their people Curse ye Meroz Curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants that will not come to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judg. 5 23. and cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord deceitfully by witholding his Sword from blood Jeâ— 48.10 with more of the like endeavouâ—ing to perswade that Gods general Judgments would not depart until they had hanged all the Quakers and sent going all other Dissenters The Judgments may remove but when old Charter men Are dead and then Or when God sends here better men Well to rule in Government then Pro. 29.2 From Devil and such Wicked Priests pray God deliver me Then from all Mischief in the World be sure I shall be free Hosea 6.9 New-England Peusecutors Laws against the Kings Subjects Every such Person upon Examination and Conviction before the Court of Assistants in manner as aforesaid shall be committed to close Prison for onâ— Month and unless they chuse to depart the Jurisdiction shall give Bond for their appearance at the next Court of Assistants where continuing obstinate and refusing to retract and reform the aforesoid Opinions and Practices shall be sentenced to Banishment upon pain of Death and in case â—â—the aforesaid Voluntary departure not to remain or to return again into this Jurisdiction without the allowance of the major part of the Council first had and published on penalty of being banished upon pain of Death and any one Magistrate upon complaint or information given him of any such Person shall cause them to be apprehended and if upon Examination of the cause he shall find Just grounds for such complaint he shall commit such Person to Prison until he come to his Tryal as above expressed Observe Here you may still note the Work of the Wicked in whom he that was a Lyar and Murderer from the beginning gave them no rest from their bloody pursuit after the Lives of the Righteous whom the Lord did preserve in all their deep sufferings and firey Tryals that not one of the faithful Sufferers for his Cause conformed to their wicked Will who would not endure any that differed in Judgment from their Priests Worship to inhabit within their Jurisdiction who without fear to God or regard to Man contrary to the Laws of the English Native without either fear or regard to God King or Bishops made the defence of their Faith Church and Common Wealth as they call themselves as strong as possible they could with Stock Whip Goal and Gallows on which the chiefest strength of their Faith did depend for when all their other Anti-christian Weapons failed them against the Quakers the Gallows held until the Kings Letter came and removed the strength of their Faith in that also yet they continued by their old wonted way of plâ—king away mens Estates by fining them in great Sums for dessenting from their Priests Worship which from the Quakers Râ—pâ—â—â—â—s them of the Church of England and others amounted to about Twenty Thousand Pounds in the bounds of New-England When Wolves once get a taste of Blood They are for killing all that 's good The Preamble to their Law This Court being desirous to try all means with as much lenity as may consist with our safety to prevent the Intrusions of the Quakers who besides their absurd and blasphemous Doctrines do like Rogues and Vagabonds come in upon us and have not been restrained by the Laws already provided Observe Here note the Foxes Preamble to their Wolvish Law whose Ravinous blood-thirstâ— Naâ—â—re is not contented with the â—lâ—â—ce but strive all they can as have done the Wicked in days past to have the innocent Blood also as did their Brother bloody Bonner in Queen Mary's time whenas to many Thousands of People it is well known that those which suffered in Nâ—w-England under the Name of Quakers were neither in Doctrine Pâ—inciple nor Practise any way guilty of
these Persecutors charge but on the coâ—t any differing there-from as Light from Darkness Truth from Error God fâ—om the Devil Christ from Beliâ—â— and Heaven from Hell from whence is the Power and Spirit of all those that put people to Death for their Faith and Obedience to God who permits these things to be done by the instruments of the wicked one for a tryal of Faith to those who are made wiâ—ling to part with all for the sake of him that first loved them and gives them that Power through which they receive strength to withstand all the Powers of Hell from whence proceedeth the Spirit of these persecutors as did them in dayes past John 8.44 Mat. 23.31 33 34 35 36. whose safety did as these do remain by the strength of unrighteous Laws and as they said so say these We have a Law and by our Law every Person dissenting from our Church Order and against the Government of our Common Wealth as is manifest the Quakers do by condemning the Proceedings of this Court against Dissenters who by our Law ought 〈◊〉 dye Which proves these Persecutors to be true Vagabonds by having no dwelling in the Truth Vagabonds are as was their Brother Cain Who murder them that in the Truth remain New-England Persecutors Laws against the Kings Subjects Have ordered That every such Vagabond Quaker found within any part of this Jurisdiction shall be apprehended by any Person or Persons or by the Constable of the Town where he or she is found and by the Constable or in his absence by any other Person or Persons conveyed before the next Magistrate of that shire where they are taken or Commissioner invested with Magistratical Power and being by them adjudged to be a wandering Quaker viz. such that hath no orderly alâ—owance in this Jurisdiction and not giving civil Respect or by any other means manifesting himself to be a Quaker shall by warrant under the hand of the said Magistrate or Commissioner directed to the Constable of the Town or to any other meet Person be stripped from the middle upward and tyed to a Carts Tail and whipped through the Town and from thence Immediately conveyed to the Constable of the next Town towards the borders of our Jurisdiction as their Warrant shall direct till they be conveyed through the outwardmost Towns of our Jurisdiction Observe That by the following Copy of one of their many Wâ—rrants of the like Bloody and cruel nature their Whipping of the Innocent Quakers who by their Law must have no allowance to trade buy or sell within the bounds is of their Juâ—isdiction for which cause of being so prohibited and found within their Jurisdiction and by them called Vagabonds whenas a 〈…〉 being found as Cain was to have no dwelling in the Truâ—â— are the right true Vagabonds endeavouring as much as in them lies to whip others from their certain dwellings is 〈◊〉 Truth to become Vagabonds like themselves A Coppy of one of their many Warrants TO the Constable of Dover Hampton Salsbury Newberâ— Rowley Ipswich Wenham Linn Boston Roxbury Dedham and until these Vagabond Quakers are carryed out of this Jurisdiction You and every of you are required in the Kings Name to take Ann Coleman Mary Tomkins Alice Ambrose and make them fast to the Carts Tail and driving the Cart through your several Towns to whip them upon their Naked Backs and not exceeding Ten Stripes on each of them in each Town and so to convey them from Constable to Constable till they come out of this Jurisdiction as you will answer it at your peril And this shall be your Warrant Dated at Dover December the 22th 1662. Per me Richard Walden Observe Here are Eleven Towns in the Warrant and from the first Town Dover to the last Town Dedham is about eighty Miles and Ten Stripes on each of them in each Town is One Hundred and Ten stpipes a peice with a Whip made with three small single hair twisted Cords each of which being knotted fit for the Priests Work to defend their Faith and so laid on the naked Backs of the innocent Quakers as if it were possible the Knots might kiss the Bones which cruel work was agreeable to the Priests exhorting their Drudges from these Scriptures Judg. 5.23 Jer. 48.10 which Work was as far from the Work of God in this day as Heaven is from Hell as may be read Luke 9.54 55·56 Mat. 5.44 45 46. Luke 6.31 32 33. Mat. 13.28 29 30. 2 Cor. 10.3 4 5 6. but contrary to these Persecutors act as we read John 8.44 Mat. 6.24 For his Servants they are to whom they obey Rom. 6.16 But as their laws were bloody and their execution Cruel and Barbarous so hath God suffered both he that drew the Warrant with many more of his persecuting Brethren to be destroyed and their Riches consumed by the great Judgments of God upon them as is more at large to be seen in the aforesaid late book entituled Truth held forth and maintained by Thomas Maule And when the Quakerâ— were commonly so whipt with their torn Flesh and bloody backs had about fifty miles to travel through the Wilderness Woods before they came to their Friends at Rode-Island and so hard weather with frost and snow that divers People have been killed there-with in travelling between Town and Town though but two or three Miles distant from each other The Devil and the Priests and all such Warrant Makers In full Communion are with all such Church Pertakers The Persecutors Law against the Kings good Subjects And if such Vagabond Quakers shall return again then to be in the like manner apprehended conveyed as often as they shall be found within the limits of our Jurisdiction provided every such Vagabond Quaker have been thrice convicted and sent away as aforesaid and returning again into this Jurisdiction shall be apprehended and Committed by any Magistrate as aforesaid unto the house of Correction within the County where he or she is found until the next Court wâ—thin that County where if the Court judge not meet to release them they shall be branded with the Letter R on their left Shoulder and be severely whipt and sent away in manner as before Observe hence you may understand that the Law of these Cain-like spirited Vagabonds did extend agaiâ—st every true Christian as well as those called Quakers found within their Jurisdiction to dissent from their Priests Worship and to manifest a dislike against their unrighteous Proceedings against the People of God and the Kings Subjects which was tyranical cruel bloody and barbarous that if any Person though the Church of England was found to petition to the King and Bishops to maintain their right respecting their worship agreeable to the way of the English Church it was accounted high Rebellion by these Persecutors so to do for which Offence no less then Imprisonment and three Hundred Pounds would keep them from being hanged on the New-England gallows till dead dead and