Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
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A44361
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For the King and both Houses of Parliament being a brief and general account of the late and present sufferings of many of the peaceable subjects called Quakers, upon the late act against Conventicles, for no other cause but meeting together to worship God according to their perswasions and consciences.
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Hookes, Ellis, d. 1681.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing H2661; ESTC R749
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9,600
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20
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sick of the Flux this half year was taken out of his Chamber very rudely and without Mercy haled out of the Town being scarce able to go on his leggs Devon-shire from 1670 to 1674. SIxty one Persons for Meeting had Pewter Brass potts Sheep Warming Pan Brass Kettle Linnen-Cloath Jack Dishes Candlestick Fire-Pan Weaving-Tooles Wool-combing-Tooles Houshold-Stuff and necessarys for rigging a Ship for 154 l. 13 s. fines Taken to the value of 222 l. 10 s. 6 d. Two Labourers for refuseing to carry away goods distrained were comitted to Prison Four Constables sent to Jayle for not distreining Peoples Goods Hartfordshire from 1670. to 1675. TAken for Meeting in Heifers Horses Sheep Houshold Goods and Mault to the value of 582 l. 10 s. Two Prisoners in this County upon a writ of Excomunicato Capiendo and another for non payment of Tythes York shire TAken for Meeting in Horses Cows Sheep Shop ware and Houshold-goods to the value of 2381 l. 00 s. 3 d. Taken from one Person in this County Twenty-eight Head of Cattle Nine Horses and 130 Sheep in all worth 130 l. And when the Constable affirmed at the Sessions that he could not get the Goods sold one of the Justices told him you must sell them though you sell Ten pounds worth for 10 s. And though the Losses have been so very great in this County yet they are not to be compared to the Loss of their Trades many of them being Trades men and Labouring Poor men who have had their Looms Leads and Tenters taken away which was the Upholders of their Families And some poor Women had their Goods taken who were hardly able to get Food and Necessaries Mary Toà d a poor Widdow for having a Meeting at her House one Francis Driffeild called a Justice sent a Warrant to bring her before him but she was so Aged she was not able to go on Foot nor Ride so far Then he gave Order to Distrain 20 l. 5 s. on her Goods The Informers told him her Goods was not worth so much well said he take all she hath which they performed as neer as they could not leaving her a Bed to lye on taking her very Cloaths though she was but a poor Widdow Aged and in Debt William Thornaby the younger and John Allison both of Richmond grand Informers searching for a Meeting at a Widdows House where they found three persons visiting the Widdows Daughter who lay very weak not likely to live and whilst they were Searching there came in two other persons accidentally one of which was a Kinswoman and no Quaker as was afterwards proved nevertheless Thornaby set down their Names and went to James Metcalf called a Justice who Fined the Persons and granted a Warrant to Distrain but th◠Sufferers appealing the most moderate Justices judged this hard measure and illegal and ordered the money to be returned This is only noted to shew the wickedness of these Informers and some Justices Note That among the Sufferers the Burthen hath fallen exceeding heavy upon some Particulars as Farmers Trades men Shop-keepers Handicraft men being Fined and Unreasonably Distrained because of the Poverty of many others whereof particular Instances may be given if occasion require This fore-going account being but an abstract of the many and great sufferings which we have received an account of already and for expedition sake thus abreviated there being also much more suffering as we understand in divers Countys which we have not yet a full Account of as in Norfolk Cheshire Cambridge Suffolk and some other places the spoyl being greatest where the Magistrates are ready to answer the Mercinary Informers the Cry of whose destructive proceedings is very loud in this Nation and the Land mourns because of this Oppression Therefore we request your speedy redress of this Grievance that the Poor the Oppressed and Industrious Families may be Relieved Eased and Encouraged and do likewise pray that God would graciously be pleased to enlighten and open your understandings and make your hearts tender and sensible that he may turn away his Wrath and divert those heavy Judg-Judgments and Calamities which this Nation is liable to We were always willing to give Caesar his due and we desire we may have liberty to give God his due in all respects and to Serve Obey and Worship him in Spirit and Truth and to meet together in the peaceable exercise thereof as we are commanded If we be Ruined in our Persons and Estates or Masters of Families destroyed in Prisons how can we pay the Kings Taxes or Landlords their Rents or Contribute to the Service of King or Country You may understand what lamentable havock is made of us and only for good Conscience in obeying God and Christ for nothing contrary has been sound against us for which we suffer It is the Liberty of the Gospel of Christ Jesus that we desire knowing that neither He nor his Ministers did ever force any man to their Religion by Imprisonment or spoyling Goods so as we are enjoyned to stand fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free from the Thraldom of Sathan we desire this our liberty may not be infringed upon We greatly suffered for our tender Consciences towards God in the other Powers days and we think it very hard that we who own the Lord Jesus Christ should suffer in a Nation professing Christianity You cannot be unsensible how many of us have also been Imprisoned and Premunired because they durst not break the command of Christ and the Apostle who commands not to Swear but keep to Yea and Nay Math. 5. Jam. 5. Wherefore we request that our Yea Yea and Nay Nay may be taken instead of an Oath and when we are called to testifie the Truth in any case or bear any Office if we break or be found false in our Yea or our Nay then let us suffer the same Punishment as they do that break their Oaths and not for our Conscientiously refusing to Swear while we speak the Truth as we are still liable to suffer unless you are pleased to grant a redress Be it Remembred That there have suffered Imprisonment for Conscience-sake since the King came into England above 8000 of the People called Quakers and since near two hundred have dyed Prisoners by reason of their close Confinement Of which number Seventy-nine Dyed in Newgate and on Board the Ships appointed for their Transportation in the time of the Contagion in London being Prisoners and many under the Sentence of Transportation upon the Act against Conventicles and 138 Persons Sentenced for Banishment He that justifieth the Wicked and the that Condemneth the Just even they both are an abomination unto the Lord Prov. 17.15 THE END Carefully Examined and Compared with the Original Accounts sent out of the Countreys on the behalf of the aforesaid Sufferers By Ellis Hookes