Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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B09954
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A conference betwixt a modern atheist, and his friend. By the methodizer of the Second spira.
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Sault, Richard, d. 1702.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing S732; ESTC R28854
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9,262
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20
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contents thereof and my Servant man also was intended by the Warrant but they mistook his name therefore he went not When we were come to Hungerford and had staid there some time there came three of those called Justices viz. John Elwes William Dormer and William James and when they had called the Constable and Tything men and others that were amongst them where was one poor man which they promised to set free if he would upon his Oath give them the names of the rest of his Neighbours that he saw at the Meeting which the said poor man for fear of Suffering presently did then they called me and pressed me much to discover the names of the two Friends that kept the Meeting at my house urging that thereby I should free my self from suspition of entertaining Jesuits and dangerous persons tending to the disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom I told them they were known to be honest men and were never suspected to be disturbers of the Peace nor of doing injury or harm to any man they answered my words would not satisfie them nor clear my self unless I would discover them adding further that if they were honest men what need I fear to tell their names I answered I was unwilling to tell their names because I would not occasion their Sufferings but if they would promise that they should not trouble nor molest them I would presently tell who they were William Dormor promised that if they were honest men they should not be medled with so I told their names and places of abode and after some more words by way of Examination they proceeded to the imposing of Fines and fined James Basford 10 s. which they compelled him to pay down presently and the rest they fined 12 d. a piece and because I could not for Conscience sake stoop under them as they did to promise not to go to any more Meettings and to confess my self guilty as an Offender in that which before the Lord and all just men I was innocent they fined me 5 l. or else to endure three Moneths imprisonment upon the first offence so called and not paying their demand I was sent Prisoner to Reading Goal for three moneths But yet this satisfied not the Priest for within four dayes after I was committed VVilliam James sent another Warrant for my man for being at the forementioned Meeting who had been at home but a little time since he was a Prisoner at Reading being committed for two moneths to the house of Correction there for being at Meeting and he accordingly appeared and VVilliam James committed him VVilliam Coules by name to the house of Correction at Abingdon for four moneths for only being at home at his Masters house Now though I never came to hear this Priest nor never had one penny worth of Service from him yet he hath by force and violence gotten wages ruling by force and cruelty over the Consciences of men like those whom the Prophet was sent of the Lord to cry wo against read Ezek. 34. his proceedings have been farther on this wise First I was summoned by a Subpenae to appear at the Court of Exchequer at VVestminster and when I appeared according to the express words of the Writ the 12th and 13th dayes of the nineth moneth 66. there was none as I knew to prosecute or lay any thing to my charge and then he would not proceed any farther in the Exchequer but procured a Justicious Warrant so called from the Sheriff of the County and sent two Bailiffs and took away my Horses and kept them in the Bailiffs custody at Newbury and put my Cows in the Pound and lockt them in and both Priest and Bailiff was so hard-hearted that they took no order to give them any meat so that if I had not carried Fodder to them in all probability the Cattel might have suffered much and have been lost and then one of my Relations went to the under-Sheriff and past his word that they should have the Goods when they demanded them and thereupon after they had kept them seven or eight dayes they were returned to me again And on the 8th day of the 2d Moneth 1667. the Sheriff kept his Court at Abingdon whether this Priest repaired and imployed a Lawyer who drew forth a Declaration against me wherein were many untruths and some of my Relations caused an Attorney to make an appearance and the Attorney said that the Priest could not have a trial for Tythes in that Court or words to that purpose and I heard no more of this Law in four or five moneths so that I was ready to think the Priest had let fall this Suit also But on the 26th day of the 6th Moneth 1667. he procured a trial in the same Court which was so subtilly and privately prosecuted that I had no certain knowledge of it before the Bailiff came with an Execution which was early the next morning after the Trial and the Bailiff Richard Smith by name suddenly approached and search'd my house and took away Three pounds of Money and drove away all my Cows and sheep amounting in all to the value of Thirty pounds or thereabouts and the single value the Priest sued for was Six pounds Eight shillings The unreasonableness of this Priest doth surpass most in this Nation for there was one who out of natural affection to me sent to him without either consent or knowledge of mine by several of his Neighbours men dwelling in the Parish of Boxford that if he would take two indifferent men and let them value what the Tythes of my Living was worth he would be engaged to pay it but the Priest would not accept of it but said he would rout me out of the Town or words to that effect and also his envy and malice was so great that he did even shew murther in his face for on a certain time calling me Heretick he said to me that if the King would but grant a Law he would be the first man that would set a Faggot to my Tayl and at another time he said that if the King would grant a Law he would be the first that would have me burnt and again at another time he said the like words whereby it is manifest what lodges in this mans heart and what Papistical and Jesuitical cruelty he would act had he a little more power for it was they who exercised their cruelty in that way toward conscientious People who could not pay them Tythes and uphold them as History do testifie in setting Faggots to their Tayls and Burning them and this it seems he would do nay he says the first that would do it if the King would grant a Law which God forbid he ever should for the tender mercies of James Anderton and such as he is would be very great Cruelty as he already doth declare which may be caution enough any wise man would think to the People of Boxford yea and all People in
England to beware of such men and to mark and take notice of them what ever they may pretend and how smooth and fair soever their words at some times may be till their ends be accomplished and I say the Lord give men understanding to consider Well but farther also his envy hath been manifest in this particular for after I was Excommunicated as is before mentioned he said that none must have any thing to do with me either to buy or sell or the like to which intent the Miller was forbidden to grinde my Corn yea the Priest threatned one man that did work for me that if he did not leave off working for me he would present him into Oxford Court and the severity of the Law should be prosecuted against him and bid him work for me if he did dare and the man for fear of the Priest left off and did not dare to work for me any longer at that time but about a year after the same man almost forgetting the Priests threatnings did work for me again but it is evident the Priest had not forgot to deal wickedly by him for he was presented and the Parater came to summon him to appear and the man being in doubt what should be the issue and fearing the envy of the Priest agreed with the Parater and gave him money to prevent further trouble c. One thing more I shall mention which is this As I was lately digging a Trench or Gutter under the eves of my house next the Mass-house yard that the water might pass away for the Tower formerly fell down and the rubbish thereof lay so high against the side of my house that it did much hurt but when the Priest saw me there at work he came on with open mouth as if he would have devoured me and violently took the Mattock from me and threw down my Garden bounds on the side next the Steeple-house yard flat on the ground and caused the Trench to be filled afterwards and with the clamor that he made several of the Neighbours came and the Priest asked me before them whether I would own that Letter I lately sent to him I bid him produce it and read it to them for I would assuredly own it but he would not produce it The occasion of my writing this Letter to him was this after he had taken away my goods for Tythes as is before recited some of my Relations saw that my goods were like to be sold under hand they made an agreement with the Priest for to pay him twenty pound and they to sell the Goods and as they say the residue they will keep for him till another time that he makes war again but I do here testifie that I am so far from consenting to this Agreement or having any hand to bring about this conclusion that to the utmost of my power I endeavoured to hinder and withstand it as the Lord who knows bears me witness and when this Agreement was thus patch'd up there was a general Release under the Priests hand and seal sent to me which I returned back again to him with this Letter a Copy whereof follows James Anderton I Have lately received a general Release under thy Hand and Seal I much marvel thou wast so impudent as first to Steal my Goods and Rob my House for Wages though I never set thee at Work and then deceitfully thou makes as if I had paid thee thy demands and thereupon hast acquitted me But be it known unto thee thou Hypocrite that I never consented to pay thee any thing because I owed thee nothing and thy Release I return to thee back again as a Testimony against thy Deceit But as for the Goods and Money that was by thee violently taken from me I can look upon it to be no other then Theft and Robbery which will assuredly be upon thy Account before the righteous God before whom I have committed my cause whose Truth and Servants thou hast reproached and whose Worship thou hast disdainfully opposed for at Chievly the 10th day of the 7th moneth thou didst prefer Card-playing before the true Worship of God Oh thou full of all subtilty how thou perverts the right Way of God thou shalt assuredly feel the vengeance of God and his fiery indignation for these things as thou hast done them and with the Murtherer Swearer and Lyer thou shalt be shut out except thou speedily repent O Repent Repent if thou canst find a place The 24th day of the 8th Moneth 1667. O. S. And now James Anderton consider with thy self what thou hast brought to pass by thy striving in Cruelty against me these four years thou hast but made thy folly manifest alas what am I that thou shouldst thus strive against me but it is the Living God that is on my side and hath preserved me hitherto living Praises be to his Name for ever In the Truth of God unto which all must how At first I was not so strong as I am now Holy Praises be to my Rock and Strength for ever For from his Love no Earthly thing can sever The End