Chapter C: E.’ (1)

‘My dearly beloved yoke-mate in the work of our God, doth dearly
salute you. Salute us dearly to our precious friends in all
places. I do believe we shall see your faces again with joy.’

This was written in the Inquisition
at Malta, in the 11th month, in the
year 1661.

_The following letter was written by Sarah to her
husband, Henry Cheevers, and Children._

‘My dear husband, my love, my life is given up to serve the
living God, and to obey his pure call in the measure of the
manifestation of his love, light, life, and Spirit of Christ
Jesus, his only begotten Son, whom he hath manifested in me, and
thousands, by the brightness of his appearing, to put an end
to sin and satan, and bring to light immortality, through the
preaching of the everlasting gospel, by the Spirit of prophesy,
which is poured out upon the sons and daughters of the living
God, according to his purpose; whereof he hath chosen me, who
am the least of all: but God, who is rich in mercy, for his own
name-sake hath passed by mine offences, and hath counted me
worthy to bear testimony to his holy name, before the mighty
men of the earth. Oh the love of the Lord to my soul! My tongue
cannot express, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, to
conceive of the things that God hath laid up for them that fear
him.

‘Therefore doth my soul breathe to my God for thee and my
children, night and day, that your minds may be joined to the
light of the Lord Jesus, to lead you out of satan’s kingdom,
into the kingdom of God, where we may enjoy one another in
the life eternal, where neither sea nor land can separate; in
which light and life do I salute thee, my dear husband, with my
children, wishing you to embrace God’s love, in making his truth
so clearly manifest amongst you; whereof I am a witness, even of
the everlasting fountain that hath been opened by the messengers
of Christ, who preach to you the word of God, in season and out
of season, directing you where you may find your Saviour, to
purge and cleanse you from your sins, and to reconcile you to his
Father, and to have unity with him and all the saints, in the
light, that ye may be fellow-citizens in the kingdom of glory,
rest, and peace, which Christ hath purchased for them that love
him, and obey him. What profit is there for to gain the whole
world, and lose your own souls? Seek first the kingdom of God and
the righteousness thereof, and all other things shall be added
to you. Godliness is great gain, having the promise of this life
that now is, and that which is to come; which is fulfilled to
me, who have tasted of the Lord’s endless love and mercies to my
soul; and from a moving of the same love and life do I breathe to
thee my dear husband, with my children; my dear love salutes you
all; my prayers to my God are for you all, that your minds may
be joined to the light, wherewith you are lightened, that I may
enjoy you in that which is eternal, and have communion with you
in the spirit. He that is joined to the Lord, is one spirit, one
heart, one mind, one soul; to serve the Lord with one consent.
I cannot by pen or paper set forth the large love of God, in
fulfilling his gracious promises to me in the wilderness, being
put into prison for God’s truth, there to remain all the days of
my life, being searched, tried, examined, upon pain of death,
among the enemies of God and his Truth; standing in jeopardy for
my life, until the Lord had subdued and brought them under by
his mighty power, and made them to feed us, and would have given
us money or clothes; but the Lord did deck our table richly in
the wilderness. The day of the Lord is appearing, wherein he
will discover every deed of darkness, let it be done never so
secretly; the light of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in
every conscience; the Lord will rip up all coverings that are not
of his own spirit. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Written in the Inquisition prison by
SARAH CHEEVERS.’

Several other letters both she and Catharine wrote to their husbands, and relations. But since great part of my narrative was fetched from thence, I pass them by. But by these inserted, one may see that they were not women of a dull temper, but ingenious and cheerful.

* * * * *

In a letter of Sarah’s to her friends in Ireland, I find these words:

‘My life is given up to the service of the Lord: bonds, chains,
bolts, irons, double doors, death itself, is too little for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God; so the seed be
gathered, it is but a reasonable sacrifice. Bonds and afflictions
betide the gospel of Christ. Those that will live godly in Christ
Jesus, must suffer persecution.’

And in a letter to Daniel Baker, Catharine said,

‘The time is too little for me to disclose the twentieth part
of the terrible trials; but whensoever we were brought upon any
trial, the Lord did take away all fear from us, and multiplied
our strength, and gave us power and boldness to plead for the
Truth of the Lord Jesus, and wisdom of words to stop the mouths
of the gainsayers; but then they would say, we had not the true
faith, but we had all virtues. Dearly beloved, pray for us, that
we fall not, nor fail; whereby our enemies may have any advantage
to rejoice, and say, we served a god that could not serve us,
and called upon a god that could not deliver us; as if we were
like them, to call upon stocks, stones, pictures, and painted
walls, and dead things that cannot hear, see, nor speak. We do
beseech thee to tell all our dear friends, fathers, and elders,
the pillars of our spiritual building, with all the rest of our
Christian brethren, that we do desire their prayers, for we have
need of them.’

This letter they concluded with the following Poem:

How strong and pow’rful is our King
To all that do believe in him?
He doth preserve them from the snare,
And teeth of those that would them tear.

We that are suff’rers for the seed,
Our hearts are wounded, and do bleed
To see th’ oppression, cruelty,
Of men that do thy Truth deny.

In prisons strong, and dungeons deep,
To God alone we cry and weep:
Our sorrows none can learn nor read,
But those that in our path do tread.

But he whose beauty shineth bright,
Who turneth darkness into light,
Makes cedars bow, and oaks to bend
To him that’s sent to the same end.

He is a fountain pure and clear,
His crystal streams run far and near,
To cleanse all those that come to him
For to be healed of their sin.

All them that patiently abide,
And never swerve nor go aside,
The Lord will free them out of all
Bondage, captivity, and thrall.

They composed several others, which fell into the hands of their enemies, and copies of them were given to the inquisitor. But now I leave them; and yet before I return to transactions in England, I shall relate a singular case of Daniel Baker, who being come to Smyrna, with intent to travel from thence to Constantinople, was stopped by the English consul, and sent to the Isle of Zant, where a ship lay bound for Venice, in which he embarked, and coming into that city, he staid there a week, and went from thence to Leghorn, with intent to take shipping there for England: but during his stay in that place, he inwardly felt drawings towards Malta, to try whether he could be helpful to Catharine and Sarah, that were prisoners there, since he had several times been stirred up thereto; and though the difficulty of the matters had kept him back, yet he could not have peace in his mind, before he gave himself up to that service; and so he embarked in a French ship for Sicily: and coming to Syracuse, he staid there five days, and then set sail for Malta; where being arrived, he got admitted to the pope’s inquisitor, to whom he spoke in the Italian tongue on this wise: ‘I am come to demand the just liberty of my innocent friends, the English women in prison in the inquisition.’ The inquisitor asked him if he were related to them as husband or kinsman, and whether he came out of England on purpose with that message. To this Daniel answered, that he came from Leghorn for that same end. But the inquisitor told him they should abide in prison till they died, except some English merchants, or others that were able, would engage for the value of three or four thousand dollars, that they should never return into those parts. His request being thus denied, he went to the English consul, and spoke with him and several others: but all his endeavours proved vain; and he himself was threatened with the inquisition; and the pope’s deputy would have had him bound, that he should neither speak good nor evil to any body, while he was on the island, save to him and the consul.

After a stay here of three weeks, he passed again to Italy, and from thence took shipping for England: but being come into the Streights of Gibraltar, he saw that the high mountain there, was the same place he had seen the foregoing year in a dream, when prisoner in Worcester jail in England. Here the ship wherein he was, with several other vessels, lay about a month, because of the contrary wind, so that they could not set sail. In the meanwhile being under a burden, he perceived there was a service for him ashore; but, considering this to be dangerous, he wished to have been excused of it; but felt no peace before he fully gave up, whatever, either bonds or death, might ensue. Whilst the fleet lay here wind-bound, divers ships attempted to pass through, but could not: and the like temptation attended him as that of Jonah, viz. to flee from the place, and so to escape the burden under which he laboured. But he found, as afterwards signified in a printed relation, that obedience was his duty, though it was required of him to be a sign against the idolatry of the church of Rome. He then told the master of the ship in which he was a passenger, something of the matter, and said that he believed that God would soon give opportunity for the fleet to pass away, after his service was performed. The master was hard to be persuaded to put him ashore, yet at length he suffered it, upon the day they used to call Maundy Thursday. Being now landed, he went to the town, and so into the mass-house, where he found the priest at the high altar, upon his knees, in his white surplice, adoring the host. After he had awhile been viewing this idolatry, he felt the indignation of God kindled in his heart against it: and turning his back upon the priest and his dead god, he set his face towards the people, and saw the multitude upon their knees also, worshipping they knew not what. In this posture, spreading forth his arms, he slipped off his upper garment, and rent it from top to bottom in divers pieces, which he cast from him with indignation: then he took his hat from off his head, as being the uppermost covering of man, and casting it down, stamped upon it with his feet, and appearing in sackcloth covering, he with a loud voice, thrice sounded repentance, and said that the life of Christ and his saints was arisen from the dead. And so he passed away unmolested, sounding the same message with repentance through the streets, till he came to the sea-side, where he kneeled down to pray, and gave thanks to the Lord for his wonderful preservation, and that he had suffered no man to touch or do him any harm. Being on shore, he delivered a paper, written in the Spanish tongue, to the governor and inhabitants of Gibraltar, with some Latin books. That to the governor, &c. was as followeth:

‘Behold, behold, the great day of God is come, and of his wrath,
and of the wrath of his Lamb. The hour of his judgment is come.
Wherefore, O inhabitants of the earth, repent, repent, repent!
Fear God, and give glory and honour to him that made heaven and
earth and the fountains of waters. Wo, wo, wo to the inhabitants
of the earth. John heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come
out of her my people, that ye partake not of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues.” These are the words of the power
of Christ, that is contrary to the false church. Behold, behold,
plagues, plagues, plagues are coming upon the church of Rome, and
upon her heads in all parts of the world.’

Daniel being now come again on ship-board, the next day the Lord gave them a fair wind, and all the fleet set sail; and after some time he arrived safe in England. But being come to London, it was not long, ere he, who had travelled without hurt in foreign parts, was imprisoned by his countrymen, as will be related hereafter: and being shut up in prison, he wrote a narrative of his travels, from which I took my relation.

About this time John Stubbs returned into England, having been in the dominions of the great Turk. But I do not find that he met with any singular occurrences, but that he had spread some books. He and Alexander Parker coming to London, found G. Fox there, with whom they travelled towards Bristol: by the way they had several meetings, and being come to Bristol, they understood that the officers were likely to come and disturb the meeting. Yet on the First day of the week they went thither, and A. Parker stood up first to preach; but while he was speaking, the officers came and took him away. Then G. Fox stood up and preached undisturbed, so that the meeting ended peaceably. And he, staying in town that week, visited his friends, and was visited by them. The next First-day some of his friends came to him, and endeavoured to persuade him not to go to the meeting that day; ‘For,’ said they, ‘the magistrates have threatened to take thee away, and in order thereto, have raised the trained bands.’ G. Fox desired them to go their way to the meeting, without telling them what he intended to do. Yet not long after he went thither: but being met by some of his friends, they did what they could to stop him; and, ‘What,’ said one, ‘Wilt thou go into the mouth of the beast?’ ‘Wilt thou go into the mouth of the dragon?’ said another. But G. Fox would not suffer himself to be thus prevented, but went on. Being come thither he perceived a concern and fear upon his friends for him, but his preaching there was so powerful, that all fear departed from them; and having concluded his sermon with a prayer, he stood up again and told the auditory, now they might see there was a God in Israel that could deliver: for the officers and soldiers had been breaking up another meeting, which had taken up their time; and they were in a great rage that they had missed him; for it was resolved on now to persecute the Quakers, and, if possible to root them out.

G. Fox, after having tarried yet some days at Bristol, went through Wiltshire and Berkshire, back again to London; yet he did not stay long there, but travelled towards Leicestershire, and passing by Barnet Hills, he found there one captain Brown, a Baptist, whose wife belonged to the society of those called Quakers. This captain, for fear his wife should go to meetings and be cast into prison, had left his house at Barrow, and taken a place on the said hills, thinking himself more safe there. G. Fox going to see the wife, and being come into the house, asked him how he did; ‘How I do!’ said he, ‘the plagues and vengeance of God are upon me, a runnagate, a Cain, as I am: God may look for a witness for me, and such as me; for if all were no faithfuller than I, God would have no witness left in the earth.’ In this condition Brown lived there on bread and water, and thought it too good for him; but at length he returned with his wife to his own house at Barrow, where he came to be convinced of the Truth professed by those called Quakers, and died in it; and a little before his death, he said that though he had not borne a testimony for Truth in his life, he would bear a testimony in his death; desiring to be buried in his orchard in a plain way.

But I return to G. Fox, who being come into Leicestershire, went to Swanington, to the house of a widow woman, where at night came one called the lord Beaumont, and a company of soldiers, who took him out of the hall where he was, and brought him to the said lord who asked him his name: to which he answered, ‘My name is George Fox, and I am well known by that name.’ ‘Aye,’ said Beaumont, ‘you are known all the world over.’ Then he put his hands into George’s pockets to search them, and pulled out his comb-case, and afterwards commanded one of the officers to search for letters: which made G. Fox say, that he was no letter carrier, asking him why he came amongst a peaceable people with swords and pistols without a constable; since this was contrary to the king’s proclamation; and it could not be said there was a meeting; for G. Fox had been talking in the hall only with the widow woman and her daughter. Beaumont sending then for the constables, gave them charge to watch G. Fox, and some that were with him that night; accordingly the constables set a watch upon them, and next morning brought them to Beaumont’s house, who then told them they met contrary to the act: for not long before this time the parliament, by the instigation of the clergy, had made an act against conventicles, containing that if any were convicted of having been at a conventicle, they should incur a fine not exceeding five pounds, or imprisonment not above three months. G. Fox saying to the lord Beaumont, that he did not find them in a meeting, and so there was no transgression of the said act, Beaumont asked him, whether he would take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy: to which G. Fox answered, ‘I never took any oath in all my life.’ And desired him to show that oath, that they might see whether it was not for the discovery of Popish recusants. But Beaumont being unwilling, caused a mittimus to be made, which mentioned that they were to have had a meeting: a cunning artifice indeed to vex an innocent people. And with the mittimus he charged the constables to convey them to Leicester jail. The constable who was charged to bring G. Fox and his friends to prison, was loath to do it himself, and being harvest time, it was hard to get any body to go with them; and therefore he would have given them the mittimus to carry it themselves to the jailer. This they refused, though sometimes some of their friends had done so: for the constables had such experience of their fidelity, that they durst trust them even in such a case, without fearing the bird would escape. Then the constable hired a poor man, who was loath to go with them on this errand. Yet they rode with him through the country, being five in number, and some carried their bibles open in their hands, and passing through towns, they told people they were the prisoners of the Lord Jesus Christ, going to suffer bonds for his name’s sake. Being come to Leicester, and going into an inn, the master of the house seemed somewhat troubled that they should go to prison; but they being unwilling to consult with lawyers, to which they were advised, suffered themselves to be had to prison; where being come, G. Fox asked whether the jailer or his wife was master: and it was told him, ‘The wife,’ who though she was lame, and not able to go without crutches, yet, would beat her husband when he came within her reach, if he did not do as she would have him.

G. Fox perceiving from this that without her leave he should not be able to agree with her husband, got somebody to bargain with her for a room, for him and his friends, and to leave it to them to give her what they would; to which she consented. But then it was told the prisoners, the jailer would not suffer them to fetch any drink out of the town into the prison; but what beer they drank they must take it of him, and that, as was easily to be guessed, would be at a dear rate.

This made G. Fox say, he could remedy that; for since the jailer could not deny them water, he would get a pail of it once a day, and put some wormwood into it, and that might serve their turn. So long as G. Fox was in prison there, he and his friends had a meeting every First-day of the week in the yard, to which came not only the debtors and felons that were prisoners, but also several people out of the town and country; whereby many were convinced of the truth he preached, and continued to be faithful witnesses for it.

Whilst G. Fox was confined there, several more of his friends were sent to prison; to the number of about twenty. And when the sessions came they were brought before the justices, who tendered to them the oaths of allegiance and supremacy: for this was the ordinary snare, when no other thing could be found to lay hold on. But G. Fox told them he never took any oath in his life; ‘And ye know we cannot swear because Christ and his apostles forbade it; and therefore this is but as a snare to us; yet if ye can prove that after Christ and his apostles forbade swearing, they ever did command Christians to swear, then we will take these oaths; otherwise we are resolved to obey Christ’s command, and the apostle’s exhortation.’ To this it was returned that they must take the oath to manifest their allegiance to the king. G. Fox, to show that he was not unfaithful to the king, told them that formerly he had been sent up a prisoner by colonel Hacker, from that town to London, under pretence that he held meetings to plot for bringing in king Charles. Then he desired that their mittimus might be read, which set forth the cause of their commitment to be, that they were to have a meeting. And he said also, that the lord Beaumont could not by the act send them to jail, unless they had been taken at a meeting; and therefore he urged the reading of the mittimus, that it might be seen how wrongfully they were imprisoned. But whatever he said, they would not take notice of the mittimus, but called a jury, and indicted the prisoners for refusing to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. When the jury was sworn and instructed, as they were going out, one that had been an alderman spoke to them, and recommended them to have a good conscience: but one of the jury being a peevish man, told the justices there was one affronted the jury. Whereupon he was called up, and to try whether he was a Quaker, the oath was also tendered to him, and he took it; and thus the snare intended against him did not hold.

Whilst the prisoners stood waiting, a cut-purse had put his hand into the pockets of some of them, which they told the justices of, and showed them the man. They then called him up, and upon examination he could not deny the fact, yet they let him go free, just as if the robbing of those called Quakers was no crime.

It was not long before the jury returned, and brought the prisoners in guilty. And then the justices whispered together, and bade the jailer take the prisoners and carry them back to jail. But a little after they were in prison again, the jailer came to them and said, ‘Gentlemen, it is the court’s pleasure that ye should all be set at liberty,’ &c. Thus they were released on a sudden, which was indeed remarkable, because the jury had brought them in guilty; on which passing of sentence must have followed. But G. Fox’s liberty seems to have been owing to the following cause: he had a letter from the lord Hastings, who having heard of his imprisonment, had written from London to the justices of the sessions to set him at liberty. This letter he had not as yet delivered to the justices, who perhaps had some knowledge of the said lord’s mind from another hand, which made them resolve on this sudden discharge. G. Fox being now free, carried this letter to the lord Beaumont, who having opened and read it, seemed somewhat troubled; and yet threatened him, if he had any more meetings at Swanington, he would disperse them, and send him to prison again. But notwithstanding these threatenings, he and his friends went to Swanington, and had a meeting there without being disturbed. From thence he travelled to London, where we will leave him, and in the meanwhile see what happened elsewhere.

Some time before, Thomas Goodair and Benjamin Staples were imprisoned at Oxford, and being brought into the court of judicature before Sir William Walter, who sat there as judge, and Goodair being examined and nothing found against him, the oath of allegiance was tendered, to which he answered, that he acknowledged the king as supreme ruler in civil temporal matters, and that he was willing to obey him in all just commands. ‘But,’ said he, ‘if king Charles and those who are in authority under him, enjoin me to any thing contrary to the command of Christ, then I will rather obey Christ than king Charles, or those in authority under him. It is for conscience-sake that I cannot swear, though I could gain the whole world thereby; for Christ hath forbidden it, and said “Swear not at all;” and James saith, “Above all things swear not.”’ But whatever Goodair said was in vain, for they would needs have him swear. He continuing to refuse swearing, justice Walker asked those that were with him on the bench, whether they had any thing to say against his passing sentence against them: to which they having said no, he spoke thus to Goodair, ‘Hearken to your sentence: you are out of the king’s protection. All your lands, real estate, and chattels, are forfeited, and shall be seized for the king’s use: and you are to remain prisoner during the king’s pleasure.’ Then he bid the jailer take Goodair away, who asked whether the jailer had charge to fetter him, for he had been fettered as thieves and felons, before he had been brought into the court. Whereupon the judge answered, ‘The jailer may do with you what he will: for you are now out of the king’s protection.’ Then he was led away, and B. Staples brought to the bar, to whom the oath being also tendered, and he refusing to take it, the same sentence was passed on him. Both being returned to prison, the jailer said to the other prisoners that were there for evil or debts, ‘If ye want coats, ye may take those of the Quakers, for they are now out of the protection of the law.’ But one of the prisoners was so honest as to say he would rather go naked, than take away those men’s coats. How long they were in prison, and whether they died there, or were at length released, I know not.[21]

[21] They both were supposed to be discharged at the next
general jail delivery: for T. Goodair in 1666, had been prisoner
some years at Warwick, being premunired without legal trial or
judgment. At length he died at Selby in Yorkshire, 1693.--J.
Whiting’s Account.

But now I return to Ambrose Rigge, who being come to Hurst Pierpoint in Sussex, had a meeting there at the house of his father-in-law, captain Thomas Luxford; this so displeased the priest Leonard Letchford, that Rigge was taken and brought before the Justices, Walter Burril, Nisel Rivers, and Richard Bridger, who being minded to bring him under sufferings, tendered him the oath of allegiance; and he, saying that for conscience-sake he could not swear, was forthwith sent to Horsham prison, and at the time of the assizes brought into the court, where judge Samuel Brown then sat, and passed the sentence of premunire upon him. Then he was carried back, and by the instigation of the said Leonard Letchford, committed close prisoner, where he continued above ten years, and suffered during that time much hardship by the malice of the jailers, since such prisoners as he was, are shut out of the king’s protection. In the meanwhile the aforesaid priest Letchford summoned Rigge’s wife for tithes, and she refusing payment, was also imprisoned at the prosecution of this priest; and then he seized her goods, taking away also that which her husband had earned in prison by his hard labour, not leaving him and his wife a bed to lie on; nay, he also took away a pot they had borrowed from other prisoners to boil victuals in, and vaunted he had Rigge so fast, that it was not in the King’s power to release him. But notwithstanding this wicked boast, yet to his great disquiet and vexation, he lived to see Rigge released by the king under the great seal. And Thomas Luxford, A. Rigge’s father-in-law, being also become one of the society of those called Quakers, and refusing to pay him tithes, felt likewise the effects of his fury; for he caused him also to be cast into jail, where he kept him six years: and the prisoners being then released by the sheriff, he was excommunicated by Letchford, and afterwards at his suit, by virtue of the statute _De Excommunicato capiendo_, shut up again in prison, from which he was set at liberty by an act of parliament.

Not long after, Letchford got a warrant to sue also some others of the Quakers, so called, belonging to his parish, for not paying tithes: but before he could get them imprisoned, it happened, that having at night gone to bed healthy, in the morning he was found stiff dead in his bed, according to the testimony of his neighbours; and this prevented the stroke he had levelled against others.

Not being willing to finish this relation abruptly, I am advanced in time, but now I return to the year 1662. In the middle of this year, Sir Henry Vane and John Lambert, both vigorous champions against king Charles the First, and having been in great authority under the former government, were brought to their trial. Vane behaved himself with very great presence of mind: how far he was guilty I am not to inquire; but he was declared guilty, and afterwards beheaded on Tower-Hill. He was reputed to be a man of great knowledge, having been one of the chief members of the long parliament, and also an opposer of Cromwell: for he was an entire republican, and had a great share in the administration of state affairs. Lambert, who had been an eminent general, saved his life: for since Vane, as Ludlow saith, pleaded for the lives and liberties of his country, and Lambert for his own, he evaded the storm which took away Vane. Lambert now, though condemned to death, begged mercy, and was confined to perpetual imprisonment, and carried to a small isle near Plymouth, where he finished his days.

Seeing, on the insurrection of the Fifth-monarchy-men, occasion was taken to make an act against plotting, and seditious meetings, the persecution against the Quakers increased, under a pretence that their meetings were dangerous, and to the terror of the king’s subjects, and an act was made against those who refused to take an oath, as appeared by the title of it, viz:

‘_An act for preventing mischiefs and dangers that may
arise by certain persons called Quakers, and others
refusing to take lawful oaths._

‘Whereas of late times, certain persons under the name of
Quakers, and other names of separation, have taken up, and
maintained sundry dangerous opinions and tenets, and among
others, that the taking of an oath, in any case whatsoever,
although before a lawful magistrate, is altogether unlawful,
and contrary to the word of God; and the said persons do daily
refuse to take an oath, though lawfully tendered, whereby it
often happens, that the truth is wholly suppressed, and the
administration of justice much obstructed: and whereas the said
persons, under a pretence of religious worship, do often assemble
themselves in great numbers in several parts of this realm, to
the great endangering of the public peace and safety, and to
the terror of the people, by maintaining a secret and strict
correspondence amongst themselves, and in the meantime separating
and dividing themselves from the rest of his majesty’s good and
loyal subjects, and from the public congregations, and usual
places of divine worship:

II. ‘For the redressing therefore, and better preventing the many
mischiefs and dangers that do, and may arise by such dangerous
tenets, and such unlawful assemblies, (2) Be it enacted by the
king’s most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent
of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons assembled in
parliament, and by authority of the same, that if any person or
persons, who maintain that the taking of an oath, in any case
soever, (although before a lawful magistrate,) is altogether
unlawful, and contrary to the word of God, from and after the
four-and-twentieth day of March, in this present year of our
Lord, one thousand six hundred and sixty-one, shall wilfully
and obstinately refuse to take an oath, where, by the laws of
the realm he or she is, or shall be bound to take the same,
being lawfully tendered, (3) or shall endeavour to persuade any
other person, to whom any such oath shall in like manner be
duly and lawfully tendered, to refuse and forbear the taking of
the same, (4) or shall by printing, writing, or otherwise go
about to maintain and defend that the taking of an oath in any
case whatsoever, is altogether unlawful; (5) and if the said
persons, commonly called Quakers, shall at any time after the
said four-and-twentieth day of March, depart from the places of
their several habitations, and assemble themselves to the number
of five or more, of the age of sixteen years or upwards, at any
one time, in any place under pretence of joining in a religious
worship, not authorized by the laws of this realm, (6) that
then in all and every such cases, the party so offending, being
thereof lawfully convicted, by verdict of twelve men, or by his
own confession, or by the notorious evidence of the fact, shall
lose and forfeit to the king’s majesty, his heirs and successors,
for the first offence, such sum as shall be imposed upon him
or her, not exceeding five pounds; (7) and if any person or
persons, being once convicted of any such offence, shall again
offend therein, and shall in form aforesaid be thereof lawfully
convicted, shall for the second offence forfeit to the king, our
sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, such sum as shall be
imposed upon him or her, not exceeding ten pounds: (8) the said
respective penalties to be levied by distress, and sale of the
party’s goods so convicted, by warrant of the parties before whom
they shall be so convicted, rendering the overplus to the owners,
if any be: (9) and for want of such distress, or non-payment of
the said penalty within one week after such conviction, that
then the said parties so convicted shall for the first offence
be committed to the common jail, or house of correction, for
the space of three months; and for the second offence during
six months, without bail or mainprize, there to be kept to hard
labour: (10) which said moneys so to be levied, shall be paid to
such person or persons, as shall be appointed by those before
whom they shall be convicted, to be employed for the increase
of the stock of the house of correction, to which they shall be
committed, and providing materials to set them on work: (11)
and if any person after he, in form aforesaid, hath been twice
convicted, of any the said offences shall offend the third time,
and be thereof, in form aforesaid, lawfully convicted, that then
every person so offending, and convicted, shall for his or her
third offence, abjure the realm; or otherwise it shall and may
be lawful to, and for his majesty, his heirs and successors, to
give order, and to cause him, her, or them, to be transported in
any ship or ships, to any of his majesty’s plantations beyond the
seas.

III. ‘And it is ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid,
that all and every justice of _Oyer_ and _Terminer_, justices of
assize, and jail-delivery, and the justices of the peace, shall
have full power and authority, in every of their open and general
quarter-sessions, to inquire, hear, and determine all and every
the said offences, within the limits of their commission to them
directed, and to make process for the execution of the same, as
they may do against any person being indicted before them of
trespass, or lawfully convicted thereof.

IV. ‘And be it also enacted, that it shall and may be lawful to,
and for any justice of peace, mayor, or other chief officer, of
any corporation, within their several jurisdictions, to commit
to the common jail, or bind over, with sufficient sureties to
the quarter-sessions, any person or persons offending in the
premises, in order to his or their conviction aforesaid.

V. ‘Provided always, and be it hereby further enacted, that
if any of the said persons shall, after such conviction as
aforesaid, take such oath or oaths, for which he or she stands
committed, and also give security that he or she shall for the
time to come forbear to meet in any such unlawful assembly as
aforesaid, that then, and from thenceforth, such person and
persons shall be discharged from all the penalties aforesaid: any
thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.

VI. ‘Provided always, and be it ordained and enacted by the
authority aforesaid, that all and singular lords of the
parliament, for every third offence committed against the tenor
of this act, shall be tried by their peers, and not otherwise.’

This act caused E. Burrough to write a small book, called, ‘The Case of the People called Quakers, stated, to show the falsehood of the accusations charged upon them.’ First he showed in this treatise, that suppose the Quakers were heretics and erroneous people, which was never yet proved; yet we found no examples in Scripture that such should be imprisoned, or afflicted with corporal punishments. Having treated of this matter at large, he laid down the state of their way of meeting and worship, appealing to others on this account, with these words:

‘What judgment do our neighbours give in this case? They say,
concerning our meetings, that they have known us to meet together
in such manner, for divers years, in towns and villages, and
never knew, nor understood of any harm or danger therein, nor
ever were any way prejudiced, either in their persons or estates,
in our meetings. The very witness of God in all our neighbours
does testify, and give judgment, that our meetings have always
been peaceable and quiet, and that we come together in peace and
good order, and part in the same, and no person hath been harmed
by such our meetings; inquire of the neighbourhood, and they will
tell you they believe in their consciences, our meetings are for
good, and have good effects, and are not evil, nor bring forth
any evil, to any.

‘And as for the manner of our meeting and sitting together, it
is orderly and decently, and of good report among men; and for
any doctrine that ever was there held or heard by any, none can
truly accuse it to be either error, or heresy, or sedition; but
on the contrary, they know it witnesseth against all sin and
iniquity, and tends to the turning of people from ungodliness
and unrighteousness to truth and holiness: and many can tell,
this is effected by our doctrine preached in our meetings; and
our neighbours can witness that we part again in peace and good
order, and in convenient time; and they can show you they are not
terrified, nor the peace of the land disturbed, (on our part,) by
our meetings, which are in God’s fear, and to the glory of his
name, which all sober men know are according to the law of God,
and gospel, and primitive Christian example.

* * * * *

‘We are accused as heinous offenders, and imprisoned, because it
is supposed we do not submit to obey the known laws of the land,
but break them, and will not conform to the church, pay tithes,
take oaths, have meetings together, &c. though we know the laws
of the land command these things.

‘Plea first, as to submitting to all known laws of the land;
this is known to God and our neighbours, that our principle
and practice is, and ever hath been, to submit to every
government, and to submit to all laws of men, either by doing
or by suffering, as at this day we resist not the greatest of
afflictions and tribulations that can be imposed on us; and
this is well known to our neighbours and all people, that we
are submissive to all laws of men, by patient suffering without
resistance: even when any law requires any thing of us, which
we cannot perform for conscience-sake, that law we fulfil by
patient suffering, resisting no man, nor rendering evil for evil
to any. And the judgment of the Scriptures, which are according
to both law and gospel, and the precedents of saints justify
us in this case, in choosing patiently to suffer the greatest
penalties of the law, rather than to obey, (by doing,) any such
law as requires things contrary to our pure consciences; as in
the example of the three children, Dan. iii. who were commanded,
to fall down and worship the golden image, at what time soever
they heard the sound of the music, upon the penalty of being cast
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace: which commandment
they could not obey, nor could they fall down to worship the
image; but rather chose to suffer the penalty of being cast
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, which accordingly
was done unto them. Again in the case of Daniel, chap. vi. who
was commanded to make no petition to any god or man for thirty
days, save to king Darius, upon the penalty and affliction of
being cast into the lion’s den: but Daniel did rather choose to
suffer the penalty, to be cast into the den of lions, than to
obey the commandment; and was cast into the lion’s den. By these
examples of holy men, with many more that might be given out of
the Scriptures, it is evident, that righteous men will rather
choose to suffer than to obey any law of man contrary to their
consciences. So the law of God, and example of saints, and Holy
Scriptures, give judgment for us in this case, of rather choosing
to suffer, than to obey laws contrary to our consciences; and
consequently must needs condemn such that persecute and imprison
us, because they require obedience of us in things against our
consciences.

Secondly. ‘Though we disobey laws, and cannot actively obey every
law of man, when it requireth and commandeth things contrary to
a good conscience; yet herein also are we justified by the law
of God, example of saints and Holy Scriptures, and they give
judgment for us, and consequently against our enemies in this
case; and in particular in the two examples before-mentioned in
Daniel, the three children were expressly commanded to fall down
and worship the golden image: and Daniel was also required by
the king’s decree, not to pray to any God or man, save to king
Darius; yet all these holy men of God did absolutely disobey
the law and decree so requiring of them, and did contrary to
the commandment: for the three children did not bow, nor Daniel
cease to pray to God, but prayed as at other times, and yet were
justified of God in so doing. Also the apostles of our Lord Jesus
Christ, (Acts iv. 18,) were commanded to preach no more in the
name of Jesus; but the apostles did disobey their commandment,
and went on and preached in the Spirit and power of Christ,
contrary to the commandment of the rulers; and appealed to them,
whether it were not better to obey God than man. Many examples
we might collect out of the Scriptures, that the servants of God
did disobey the commands of kings and rulers, and could not
obey, (by doing,) any command contrary to God, but rather chose
to suffer afflictions, and death itself, than to obey such laws
and decrees, as required any thing contrary to a pure conscience:
and this is our case at this day: we cannot obey, (by doing,) any
thing against our consciences, but must break the laws of men,
and disobey their commandments, rather than break the law of God,
and sin against our own consciences, whatsoever we suffer because
hereof; and the examples of saints and Scriptures justify us in
this behalf.

* * * * *

‘And let our enemies cease to cry out, ‘Rebellious and
disobedient to laws and government;’ for we are not such as
do wilfully and obstinately disobey any laws of men, but for
conscience-sake, and that we may not sin against God, nor offend
his witness in us; therefore we cannot obey laws contrary to our
consciences, whatsoever we suffer, which we resist not, nor rebel
against any in this case: so that our principles and practices
are to obey every law and government, either by doing or
suffering. And though we disobey such laws as are not according
to the law of God, and rather do choose to suffer, yet herein we
are justified by the law of God, and the Holy Scriptures.

Thirdly. ‘And as for our conversations among men, in respect
of our daily walking and converse with them in our dealing, in
respect of honesty and faithfulness, and truth and justness in
works and words, our neighbours shall give witness for us. We
will not justify ourselves, it is God that justifies us, and the
law of God, gospel of Christ, Scriptures, examples of holy men,
our neighbours, and the witness of God in all men’s consciences
shall bear witness to us; and all these do give judgment for us
in these cases, to whom we do appeal for judgment. And O Lord God
everlasting, do thou judge our cause; do thou make it manifest in
thy due season to all the world, that we are thy people; that we
love thee above all; that we fear thy name more than all; that we
love righteousness and hate iniquity; and that we now suffer for
thy holy name and truth, and for thy honour and justice, and for
thy truth and holiness. O Lord, thou knowest we are resolved to
perish, rather than to lose one grain hereof. Amen, Amen.

* * * * *

‘Our accusations and answers truly compared, and weighed in the
balance of justice and truth in every man’s conscience, let
all the world judge of the case: do we deserve to be ruined,
destroyed, imprisoned and banished, and to be devoured of wild
beasts, as our enemy threatens us he will do? Is it so? Are we
heretics? Are we seditious? Are we drunkards? Are we double
dealers? Are we such as the law of God condemns? What evil have
we done in the land? Do we hurt any body? Are we not innocent
before the Lord and men? We appeal to the just witness of God
and men. Let it be answered; and though no man will hear and
consider our cause this day, yet the Lord will plead our cause
in his time, and season, and make the world to know we are his
people; in the meantime we are willing to suffer the reproaches
of ungodly men, till the Lord works deliverance in the earth.

‘But now it may be objected by the magistrates and rulers, that
we have now a law against you, and you must suffer, for we cannot
but put the law in execution, according to our oaths and offices;
and it is not we that persecute you, but it is the law of the
land by which you now suffer; and we cannot be blamed for your
suffering, we only execute the law. And after this manner is the
reasoning of some at this day,’ &c.

* * * * *

Answer. ‘To all which I do answer: It is true there is a law now
enacted against us, which is pretendedly made the ground of our
suffering; but whether that law be in itself just or unjust, I
shall not now demonstrate, but shall leave it to the judgment
of all Christian men that know us, our principles, doctrines,
ways, conversations; and let them judge whether we deserve the
penalties and punishments therein described, for any principles
or practice held and maintained by us. And though there be a
law against us, yet the magistrates that are executors thereof,
may execute the same with moderation or with violence; with
discretion, or too much rigour; and it will be well for them to
use moderation and discretion in this case: hereby may they save
themselves from that weight of anger and indignation of the Lord
God, that will come upon all violent-doers, who seek to destroy
the innocent, and rejoice in the occasion administered.

* * * * *

‘And though this law be enacted against meetings, not ours I may
say, but such meetings as are dangerous to the public peace, and
to the terror of the people: but our meetings are not such, and
therefore this law may not justly extend in its execution to the
breaking of our meetings, nor to banish us because of our meeting
together, which is for the worship of God, and are peaceable and
of good report among all good men; and are not for disturbance of
the peace, nor terror of the people, and therefore justly free
from this law as aforesaid.