and there prophesied that he should die and rise again and that then the eys of the blind should be open But the King comming shewed him that the spirits of the Prophets must be subject unto the Prophets for he pulled him down and committed him to the Jail for three days This jolly Taylor having thus stitched up a kingdom in haste turned his serious care to go thorow stitch with it For that there was need of supply to to remove the Bishop that hindered his work And because all should be done in a Prophetical way Tuiscocurer his chief agent came to him as it seems by his appointment one day as he was sitting in his Throne with more than ordinary Majesty and told him King John the Gospel must be renewed by thee Thus saith the Lord God Go and say to the King of Sion that he prepare my holy Supper in the Church-yard of the great Church and that he chuse Teachers of my word to send into the four Cuarters of the World to teach all men the ways of righteousness and bring them by the spirit of their mouth into my Sheepfold so a publick Communion was celebrated but they made it a full meal A great feast r it was both for the persons and the meat for they were above four thousand men and had three courses But between these courses there was a soul entercourse for the King accused a man of Treason and cut off his head with his own hand and returned merry to supper Then with his bloody hand he took upon him to administer the body and blood of Christ Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assisted with the Queen sometime John Matthias his wife who then did the office of the Minister or Deacon and administred the Communion t Quis talia fando temperet a lachrymis the like did the principal officers of the State saying Take this and announce the Lords death After supper the King asked the whole Congregation whether they were all heartily disposed to do Gods Will and to suffer and die for the faith to which the people answered with one voice that they were all in that mind then Tuiscocurer arose and said Thus saith the Lord chuse men among my people to send into the 4 quarters of the world u Where will they stop to do great wonders among the nations publish my wonderous things among the strange people then he read a note of the names of those whom God had chosen for that legation w Our Quakers have men every where of whom himself was one they were 26. Sleydan saith two more 7 were sent to Osnburge 6 to Cecsweld 5 to Warendorp 8 to Suzat To them the King gave certain pieces of Gold with this inscription on the one side Vnless one be born by water and by the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven On the other side The Word was made flesh one God one Faith one Baptism They were to present that coin to every Town where their doctrine was not received and leave x The Apostles dust more dreadful then their 〈◊〉 it there for a Testimony against them These new Apostles went into the Cities where they were sent crying in the streets that the people should repent and join with them else they should shortly perish With that noise having raised a tumult they were apprehended brought to the Magistrates before whom they spread a cloak upon the ground and threw their coin upon it saying that they were sent by the Father to offer them peace which if they refused they would leave that coin amongst them as a pledge of Gods wrath against their ungratefulness and hardness of heart That the time was come foretold by the prophets that the whole world should follow righteousness which God would work by their King and when he had made righteousness to raign over all the world that then he should give up the Kingdom unto his Father Being questioned by the Magistrates first with fair words and after by tortures about their faith their conversation and the state of the City of Munster they answered that none in the world but they y The trick of all Seducâ—rs had the true Doctrine which they were ready to seal with their blood z Causa non poena facit Martyrem that since the Apostles time the word of God had not been purely preached and no justice was in the earth That there was four great Prophets two good David of Delft and John of Leyden and two bad the Pope and Luther but Luther the worst of the two a True Religion more hated then fals by Seducers Being asked by what Scripture they could justifie their unjust dispossessing of so many good men from their houses and goods and making bold with their wives They answered that the time was come foretold by Christ that the meek b Meek with a witness shall inherit in the earth That in the same manner God had given the goods of the Egyptians to the Israelites and among the goods c Mad men reckon madly they reckoned the wives That they might lawfully take many wives upon condition they should lye with them all till they were with childe and when one was with child they might take a new one in her stead That they held women at 12 yearr of age to be fit for husbands That they put away barren women or past child-bearing and committed them to curators as being good for nothing d Poor encouragement for women â—o follow their precious ways As for the provision of the Town they said that S. James Church was all full of Malt. That they had barly for two years and many thousand quarters of meal and great store of Bacon A false relation for soon after they fell to eating of dogâ— and leather in Munster They constantly affirmed that their King expected a great army out of Holland and Frize which as soon as it was come he would begin his expedition to subdue the world and kill all Kings for their perverse administration of justice and that they knew by revelation that their King of Sion would shortly be King of the whole earth They persisted in denying all Magistrates but their own King e They can down with their own for which they were put to death as enemies of all laws and order and brands of sedition and there was an end of that Apostleship that should have preached a Gospel of rebellion over all the world This legation was in October 1534. at which time Munster began to be short of victuals this occasioned a plot of some of the Town to take the King and send him bound to the Bishop The plot was discovered to the King who thought it not safe to make the Authors known only he committed the Town and himself to twelve trusty Captains to whom he divided a government in the air of several Provinces sparing no Prince but the
Vidi testor 8. For refusing to tell the people though oft urged thereto at your meeting house in Palace yard last May whether you were a Romanist or not your companion thereupon winking at you and causing you to be silent and let another stand up and exercise in your stead 9. Because the Papists talk passionately and write books in your behalf and you do as much for them against us Protestants 10. Because when you are not among Scholars as at Lynn and other places you pretend to learning of all sorts divine and humane skill in the originall Languages but when in Cambridge you appear unverst in all manner of learning 11. For joyning your selfe to such as have Licenses from the Pope to seduce men in England with this express clause non obstante concilio Tridentino the original instrument of one of these your brethren Fryars with this punctual expression being now with the Town-Clarke of Bristol The writing of this minds me of what two other Quakers said at a discourse with them in Southwarke one of them being told that he was a Jesuite he presently replyed he was of the order of Jesus and the other Quaker though at some distance and arguing with another at the very moment could take so much notice as to add yea we are all the Disciples of Jesus A Gentleman of good credit assured me that he met with an English Jesuite in London the first Lords day in June last 1659. one who was bred in Cambridge and had been formerly of his acquaintance who after some shiness to be known at length confessed that he came over to propagate the Roman faith and told him there was a good honest people called Quakers whom we jeered at that did their work at the second hand and he boasted much of the numbers that turned Catholicks immediately or mediately by becoming Quakers Danson in his Quakers follie Edit 2. Narrat p. 2. There may be two faces under one hood The waterman looks one way rows another To cry thief first the way to escape Page 47. But they have writ much against Popery and cry out of it By this light from within it doth appear what darkness they would lead us into and leave us in thus dangerous are they to the true reformed Church of Christ but not onely to that but even to very civil society the civil Magistrate is little beholding to them nay is in danger by them as appears not only by their rude carriage in the very face of the highest Authority and their sawcy language but by some passages of theirs in print to all the world therefore t is not without ground spoken by those that writ A faithful discovery of a treacherous design But be assured if the Magistrates had not a materiall Sword as the Ministers have not their language would light as heavy on their heads and more then so To give a taste of some 2. Dangerous passages against Magistrates 1. GOtherson in his Allarm p. 66. Now that Magistrate whose heart is not touched with the true fear of the Lord that seed of true faith that is as small as a grain of mustard-seed hath got the preheminence and is chief in his soul and Christ Jesus is set up in his soule in him on the Throne that he hath the whole heart and the whole man is in his dominion that can truly say by bearing testimony to the witness of God in him That to him to live is Christ and to dye is gain unlesse the Magistrate be such he is not Christs Magistrate For those that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And no drunkard whoremaster swearer proud ambitious self-seeker lover of pleasures more then lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof no such can be said to be of God so are not to have that double honour which is due to Magistrates that do truly rule in this fear And this discovers plainly how short those Judges and Justices come of being godly Magistrates that suffer and consent to the imprisoning of just and righteous ones whom the Lord esteemeth as the apple of his eye and those that touch them to their hurt will one day find it that the Lord esteems them as his jewels and yet how is the Goals filled with them through the Nation And some have perished to death because they cannot consent for conscience sake to pay Tythes seeing them to be a great and abominable oppression 1. Dat bonae verba sed laetet anguis in herba Here are many good words wrested and misapplyed but verba sapienti sat non sunt though they may deceive the simple they will not those that understand 2. It were indeed very desirable that all who ruled the Lord did rule them and that they who reigned by God God did reign in them Oh! that the Lords on earth were the Lords of heaven such whose hearts were touched with the true fear of the Lord and that Christs Throne was in their hearts that were in the Thrones that our Kings were nursing fathers and our Queens nursing mothers and that they made their glory serve to the new Jerusalem very good will the times be when great men are greatly good But 3. Dominium non fundatur in gratia And it is false and dangerous to say unlesse the Magistrate be such he is not Christs Magistrate and that they that have onely a forme of godlinesse no such can be said to be of God and so are not to have that double honour which is due to Magistrates that do truly rule in his fear If they be great and good they are to be honoured the more for that But if God hath thought good to make them great we must not think much to give them honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for God hath commanded it in the first Commandment with promise Honour thy father and mother 4. Good men in some particulars may suffer as Malefactors when they notoriously offend the Judge may righteously punish yea should offend if their goodness should be immunity for what evil soever they commit but what persons he reckons on he presently declares how is the Gaols filled with them through the Nation and some have perished to death If he in Colchester Gaole it was through his own default famished himselfe through a wilfull abstinency and the curse lies on him that transgresses not on the Judge executing Law the business of Tythe need not so stumble but there are that conceive if that were with-held it would strike heavy at the publique Ministry and that is the eye-sore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jude 8. 2. The same Gotherson seems to speak evill of dignities in that passage p 81. of his Allarm None ought to have the title of Worthy but those that truly set their face toward Zion It is not much worthy of many words but surely though the righteous is more excellent then his
neighbour Pro. 12.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a worthiness of Sex there is a difference between hic and haec superiority in relations the man is the head of the woman 1 Cor. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hoary head m Goliah pag. 63. would foolishly avoid it by saying wisdom is the gray hair M. Danson that young men must honour parts and places that carry reverence in the face of them this man by the light within him cannot or will not read the fifth Commandment written in his heart but one day conscience will accuse him I had not said so much but that he layes such stresse upon it in words before This Priest is a bolsterer of men up in their sins and sowes pillows under their armes for he calleth them WORTHY that are his hearers a worthy proof and most unworthy charge And whether tends this but to make all men of no esteem that are not adorned with the jewel of grace nor those neither unless Quakers 3. Again in his Allarm p. 116 ult Let all Rulers and Magistrates cease their medling with setling the things of Gods Kingdom for I have seen they have all been broken to pieces as soon as they go about that work for the Lord will do his worke himselfe but he will break the great Potsheards of the earth to pieces if they meddle with those things that concern the setling of his kingdome with more to the same But Answ 1. But why all this That they might destroy and none might let They that have so much boldness now what would they then make all bow or break before them It is not forgotten into what a condition we had almost been cast into by you 2. The Lord hath alway done his work himselfe and yet hath vouchsafed to make use of means Moses David Solomon even to build Josias Hezekias Zerubbabel to repair And when he speaks of Gospel times he doth engage to do great things by great men whose wealth and power and dignity should much conduce to Heirusalems glory 3. And it is evident enough were the Quakers but Lords in the earth they would meddle with the things of God and Christ not to build but pull down with a witness in principle practice perswasions and great threatning words Eph. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do now what lies in them and more too but that they are holpen by the Prince of the ayre which workes in the children of disobedience and leads them captive at his will 4. In the Questions at the end of A Gag for Quakers p. 4. Q. 14. there is this query put Do not you say that the Magistrate who makes Acts of Parliament and doth not receive them from God as Moses did doth act contrary to the Law of God as I made in the Book called Fiery darts of the Devill quenched printed by Calvert 1654. and subscribed by six Quakers the answer to this is YEA Are you not ashamed Have you no more wit then thus to speak out and confirm it with a Yea What doth this but at once cut off the head of all humane Lawes and make Magistracy even an ineffectual cipher not in any capacity to make Laws pro hic nunc they have forgotten ex malis moribus nascuntur bonae leges that the wickednesse of the times timely occasions good Laws but the tendency of this is most pernicious to perswade men to rule and he ruled by the pretence of immediate Revelations and then the Devill will play Rex indeed witnesse but that sad story of Munster l. 1. c. 3.4 mentioned in the first Book where all was done by pretence of Inspiration till all was undone the like in all circumstances never being acted under the Sun God give our K. and Senators wisdom to enact wholsome Laws in such a time as this for the establishing of truth righteousnesse and peace and then shall we and our posterity in the obeying of them be happy and have great cause to blesse the great Law-giver though he give not Laws to them as sometime to Moses 5. In the same Author q. 16. is it not confessed by your selves in Sauls errand p. 4. and attested by several Justices of the Peace Ministers of the Gospel and people in the County of Lancaster that you teach Doctrines that break the relation of Subjects to their Magistrates Baxters Quakers Catechism p. 16. I know the highest of your Sect do forbid your owning of such relations See Tolderry before Cap. 3. a sufficient answer with Gotherson afterward to Naylors denying of it Wives to their Husbands Children to their Parents Servants to their Masters Congregations to their Ministers and of a People to their God Answ Our Doctrine tends to the breaking no true relations Reply It seems you think those no true Relations But here once for all Let me take an occasion to raise up against them an enemie from among themselves who though in other things theirs yet in this of naturall relations and some other things is clear and full against them Epist 4. Allarm p. 50. AMong those tender Lambs of Christ those Babes that are born again those plants of the Lords right hand trees of his own planting that are full of sap the Cedars of Lebanon I mean those that are by the wicked of the earth the men of this world in scorn called Quakers By this you see what an high account he hath of them and how low of all beside them Among those is crept in wicked deceivers ungodly men and ungodly women even as Judas crept in amongst the Apostles such who thinke that gain is godliness such who follow Christ for the loaves such as thinke they can serve two Masters God and Mammon Christ and riches Christ and lust Christ and the world Christ and Antichrist We see then 1. Though they boast of perfection yet they are a mingled mixed multitude there are evill and dangerous persons got amongst them 2. That simple people had need to be wary for by this very confession a man is in danger instead of meeting with an honest Quaker to be catched by a Judas a servant of Lust Mammon and Antichrist Such who teach the doctrine of Devills that Paul speaks of Neer kin to Papists denying to marry and to abstain from meats such as turn the grace of God in them into wantonnesse truce breakers breakers of Covenants pretending they were marryed in their carnall estate and they were never moved of the Lord and therefore they may leave their Husbands their Wives This is dangerous enough and the foundation laid broad enough Married in their carnall estate when the man is truly grown more carnall then when married and lusts after strange flesh then shall this serve for a bill of Divorce and when they shall be moved by the Devill then they were never moved by the Lord Are not these such as while they promise to others liberty are themselves
himselfe not onely by reproachfull speeches against the Minister but also by affronting the chief Magistrate of this Corporation by contemptuous speeches and gestures whilst he was in discharge of the duty of his place to the great disturbance of the publick peace and the grief and perturbation of the people there assembled These are therefore in the name of his Highness c. to will and command you forthwith to receive the said Thomas Goodaire into your custody and him safely keep till next generall Sessions for the Peace to be holden for this County And hereof you are not to fail as you will answer the contrary Given under our Hands and Seals this 27. of March 1655. Nicholas Person Tho Belamy 3. In Yorkeshire Derby Leicester Northampton There were divers proceedings against William Deusbery IT is informed that William Deusbery a Ring-leader of the Quakers goes up and down the County of Yorke and is now in the West-Riding thereof dispersing principles prejudicial to the Truth of the Gospel and peace of the Common-wealth It is therefore desired that seeing no man is allowed publiquely to exercise his gifts to a particular Congregation unlesse he be first tryed and approved that the said William Deusbery may not be permitted to go up and down from place to place teaching untill he receive approbation of some person who shall be thought fit to judge how agreeable his principles are to truth and peace The substance of what was delivered to Mr. Payler the foreman of the Grand Jury to acquaint therewith Judge Windham at Yorke Assizes 13. or 14. of March 1653. Whereupon a Warrant was granted in open Court to the Justices in Yorkeshire to apprehend him who being at Tholthorpe about ten miles from Yorke in the North-riding George Man went to Mr. Dikeson at Kerby Hall in Yorkeshire who granted a Warrant April 26. And on the 27. at Crake by John Lockwood the High Constable by that Warrant he was apprehended and on the 28 day brought before Mr. Dickeson by whom he was committed The Mittimus to the Sheriff of the County to the Keeper of the Gaol of the Castle at York WHereas there was a Warrant directed for the apprehending of William Deusbery of Stanly for the seducing of the people of this Nation from Judge Windham the last Assizes and he being brought before me and refuseth to find Sureties to be of good behaviour and to appear at the next Assize to be holden for the said County to answer the premisses you are to receive into your custody the said W.D. and him safely to keep untill delivered by due course of Law April 28. 1654. Tho. Dickeson At Yorke Castle he was kept prisoner till the Assizes till July 25. And at the end of the Assize cleared by Proclamation had a Liberate sent him as he saith himself From thence he went into Cleveland and other parts in Yorkeshire Nottinghamshire and so to Derby and at Derby he was laid hold on as he was declaring his mind and so carried before the Justices sitting in Sessions in the Town Aug. 24. 1654. where it seems he appeared in such manner as the Justices bid the Jaylor take him away to Prison for disturbing the Court. Into Prison he was put and at night the Mayor Thomas Yail sent for him and asked him what he came to Derby for he answered to declare the word of the Lord. The Mayor wilt thou go out of the Town Answ When the Lord orders me Then was he commanded to prison again The next day came one of the Mayors officers and said if he would go forth of the Town and come no more he would let him out he answered he would not till ordered of the Lord and till the man that said he had authority to put me in come and take me out afterward the Jaylor delivered him to the Officer who put him forth of the Towne and strictly charged him to depart But he returned into the Town again and there stayed as he saith till he was free in his spirit to go thence From thence he went to Leicâ—ster there he went into the Church and after the Minister had done he spake to the people then two from the Mayor Edmund Johnson carried him away to him who commanded his Officers to put him in prison and the next day he was brought before the Mayor and another of the Magistrates and after examination the Keeper of the Gaol was commanded to put him out of the Town and charged him to depart but he returned to go on in his speakings Then as he saith in obedience to the spirit of Truth he went into Northamptonshire and at Wellingborough went into the Church and after the Minister had done then he spake to the people Decemb. 28. Richard Dennis Constable had him with a Warrant before Mr. Thomas Pentlâ—w at Wilby in Northamptonshire who upon examination made him a Mittimus and sent him to Northampton Gaol and when he appeared before the Justices at Session he was again committed to prison to answer next Assizes March 1654. where he was brought before Judge Hale and Judge Windham by whom he was committed to prison again whilest he was there he writ his Discovery and his Mighty day 4. In Carlisle THomas Stubs went into the church at Dean after the Minister had done he began to speak and after that time Peter Head did likewise the Minister having a Warrant required the Constable to take him away and so he was carried before the Magistrate At the Sessions they were indicted and not submitting to the Justices they were commanded to prison Tho Stubs and John Head had not long after a Liberate for Peter Head there was a Mittimus that he should be in prison three moneths without Bail or Mainprize But they that might go free chose rather to abide in prison then pay their fees where they were above 13. weeks in Prison and Peter Head above three moneths 5. In Bury GEorge Rose was more then 40. weeks as he saith in the Gaol of Edmunds-Bury George Whitehead John Harwood and Richard Clayton passing through Bury in Suffolke about 5. miles from Halstead in Essex and passing by the Church Rich Clayton set up a paper upon the Church door the people gathering about to read it Harwood and Whitehead began to speak to the people and passing from the people Richard Hum Constable stayed them and carried them two before Justice Pelham who examined them and sent them by the Constable to Justice Walgrave who after examination gave his Warrant to imprison John Harwood and another to have Rich. Clayton whipped at Bury and sent from Constable to Constable till he came to his home and charged the Constable with Whitehead that week till another Justice came from the Assizes at Bury So they were had back to Bury and Rich. Hum that night in the open street whip'd Rich. Clayton and afterward sent him away that night and kept Harwood Whitehead Next morning Harwood
the servants of sin But hear Gotherson himself 2. Pet. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Quakers then are not led by the light within them That spirit those are guided by is of Satan and so will lead them to take others as their blinde ignis fatuus leads them for by nothing but imagination lust fancies are suich led And such leads away silly women that are captivated by Satan laden with divers lusts pleasures that are always learning never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Others are led to neglect their families and relations and children contrary to that of Paul A man is worse then an infidel that doth not provide for his family meaning his outward family n Give Ministers leave to provide for theirs For let every man wait on his calling and God hath appointed that the creation shall be managed that man may be Lord of all the creatures And Christ saith It is a more happier o His own English thing to give then to receive And the Apostle commandeth to lay up that there may be a distribution among the Saints and how can he lay up that is idle and runs too and fro wasting his time in idleness and consuming his precious time whilst his wife and children wants at home And so this spirit rends tears the affections of men from their Wives and women from their Husbands and children from their parents and this that bring into a disuniting is not the spirit of the Lord for the spirit of the Lord brings into union This spirit of righteousnesse teacheth a man to know his own wife and love her as Christ did the Church and it teaches the woman to know and love her own Husband God hath been pleased to pluck some out of the snare but others thereby have been hardned so out of this mans month truth in this proceeds oh that the rest may not the more oppose it Page 51. He goes on Others there are that are very loose in their carriage and deny the resurrection of the body contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle saying the resurrection is past already these do erre not knowing the Scriptures and so are led into the distraction which causes disturbance and this is by the cunningnesse of Satan and this simple people are led captive by him Epist 5. p. 54. IT is not as Roger Crab William Smith and John Dunck surmises and others in wearing hair or not hair neither is it in dirty hands or faces as they fondly do surmise neither is it in straw hats or such fond conceits We see in what poor ridiculous things these people put their Religion in It is not in denying the lawful use of the creatures for the Apostle saith Whatsoever is sold in the shambles that eat making no scruple for conscience sake So that a man may lawfully eat all creatures as well as hearbs or what grows naturally and every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if received with praise and thanksgiving And if they or any led by their fond deceitful spirit deny the resurrection of the body of Christ out of the grave let them read Luke 26.3.7 and so on Acts. 1.9 They are superstitious in their observances and desperately erroneous in their judgements their Heterodoxies are not small therefore he concludes well The head of the Serpent is too powerful in Roger Crab and his followers Page 56. and leads them captive to do his will This is a true saying and worthy of serious consideration of them and the rest of that conspiracy And I shall take my leave of them even in Gothersons own language And so dear friends I desire you to repent and turn and put away the evill of your doings Cease to do evill learn to do well hide the word of the Lord in your hearts that you may not sin against God and be content with this knowledge of the Lord to know what he requires of thee and to do it and that is this What doth the Lord thy God require of thee O man but to do justly to love mercy and to walke humbly with thy God CHAP. XI A Narrative of some publique proceedings in reference to Quakers In Westmerland To the Justices of the Peace The Petition of divers Ministers and otther Inhabitants in the said County Humbly sheweth THat James Naylor and George Fox men whose Country habitation profession and condition is to us generally unknown meerly of their own accord have entred into the County and together with some others their companions and Proselytes who are risen up among our selves in it have filled it in some parts with very sad divisions and distractions stirred up much hatred wrath and strife even between the neerest relations and powerfully seduced multitudes of people from the truth and true worship of God to embrace their own corrupt and dangerous doctrines and follow their pernicious wayes which things are so notoriously known to all that live in those parts that we need not here say any thing to acquaint you with it And though those men tell people where they come that they are sent to them from God to declare what he hath revealed in them and labour to perswade them that they came to them with the authority of the Apostles of Christ yet our selves do confidently believe and know them to be wicked men deceivers and the very Ministers of Satan as may appear 1. By the Horrid blasphemies which they uttered 2. By the damnable Heresies and dangerous errours which they have broached All which tend not onely to the disturbance of the publique peace and safety of the Common-wealth but to the subversion of all government We do in all humility address our selves humbly and earnestly praying as you tender the glory of God and the good of so many soules as are or may be indangered by their impious principles and practiâ—es that you would be pleased to make use of that authority wherewith the Lord hath invested you speedily to provide for the safety of true Religion and the publique Peace by checking the wicked endeavours and proceedings of these men which we humbly conceive may be at least by ordering James Naylor and George Fox c. being strangers to depart out of this County to return to their own homes Francis Howgill to be of better deportment specially toward the Magistracy and Ministry of England and by enjoyning John Airey Alexander Dixon and the rest of the speakers and followers that live in this County to abide at their own homes study to be quiet and do their own business labouring in their own Calling which is the Apostles rule and not to wander up and down the County as seducers to draw Disciples after them save onely in a way of travell as private men about their own occasions and the Lords gracious guidance of you in the affairs of so great concernment we shall ever pray Given up at the Court
at the Sessions at Appleby Another To the R. H. the Justices of Peace for the County of Westmerland The humble Petition of severall Gentlemen Ministers of the Gospel and others Humbly shews THat in the late Wars we or the most of us did expose lives liberties estates and relations with all other personal advantages in the just defence of Religion and Liberty in concurrence with and maintaining of the just proceedings of our Parliament after the prosperous effects whereof we expected the settlement of the grand ends of our engagement and so much the more as being the promise of the Parliament the vows of their affections the price of our prayers purses hazards losses banishments and the blood of many thousands our fellow-servants in the work of God truly sacrificed in the quarrel of this Nation What hath bin done in the settlement of our civill Rights Peace and wholsom Laws we blesse God for and the Parliament as his instruments Nor can we but acknowledge what hath been done by them in the Cause of God as their Acts against Adulteries Fornication Swearing Drunkenness Sabboth-breaking Ordinances against promoters of Heretical Doctrines Acts against Ranters or Blasphemers may the Lord encrease the number of these things Yet so it is that in this County several persons Proselytes of one George Fox and James Naylor do in the time of our Assemblies ordinarily in a way of contempt and scorn come in among us with their hats on at the time of our prayer or singing used in our Congregations Some of them shew violent actions in time of Sermon or Prayer or singing cry out aloud with horrible clamours slanders abuses reproaches against our Ministers to the stirring up of wofull Tumults evident disturbing of the work and the turning of the peaceable Assemblies of the Church of Christ into the grossest confusion that their deportment is such and with so continuall violence against the most godly of our Ministers in all places of their travels in the streets abusing them with railing language scornfull behaviours walking in the Markets with such great numbers together and scarce passing by any one not of their judgement without abusive words that as it cannot but shew us no small symptomes of bad designs so no small reason to provide for our security That it is their great designe to stir up the spirits of people against the Ministers of England in generall without distinction setting forth and sending abroad daily almost Libels and Slanders against the office as needlesse terming them as or under the names of Antichrists Antichrists Merchants Tythemongers Robbers Deceivers Ministers of the world Priests Murtherers Conjurers Devils and attempting to make Proclamations in the open Markets to the said effect That their main drift is to engage the people against the Ministry by reason of Tythes crying out with open clamour against Tythes as unlawful antichristian to the necessary overthrowing of the Laws to that purpose bringing an odium upon the Government and tending to stir up sedition in the people to with draw their due obedience from the Lawes and Government of England That besides what others perhaps may know of the blaspemies of them we do plainly see and know that their practices do exceedingly savour of Sorcery the quakings swellings roarings foamings and such as we never heard of but such as were possessed of the Devill of persons at their meetings and especially of young children And giving too sad a suspition of it and the more by reason of the known suspition upon George Fox to deal with the Devil before he came to us in these parts That we know the principles of some of their followers are against subjection to Magistrates against distinction amongst men and the practices of the most is such that there is a denying of relations children professedly refusing subjection to their Parents servants to their Masters That we are sensible what confusions divisions tumults and parties are made by these mens disturbances and cannot but with sadnesse of spirit remember that such small beginnings have in other Nations grown to eat out their peace and stagger the foundations of their States As also to lay it before you what advantage it gives for the common Enemie weakens the Parliaments Interest in the peoples hearts to see such persons unrestrained creates discontents and layes a clear foundation for Civill Wars or at least advantage to the Hollanders or French now in arms against us to carry on their wicked intentions with greater facility Therefore as you are Christians and English Magistrates we are free men born of England and desiring something more as instruments under God with others of your present peace do cry and challenge from you 1. Your timely looking to the peace of England than seems too evidently to be endeavoured to be rent asunder 2. The protection of our selves and our Ministers from violence or disturbance in our Worship of God and suppression of offenders 3. Execution of the Statute against Sabboth-breakers and such as under pretence of Religion are in no religious Assemblies that day 4. Charge to all differing Judgements to meet together each Lords day peaceably and not to spread themselves to severall places for disturbance 5. Suppression of persons living without any Calling and your witnessing against all Blasphemers of the name of God especially such as are contained in the Acts of Parliament and if the application of any effectuall remedy lye not within your power that you would please to joyn with us in this designe and transmit this cause to the Right Honourable the Council of State as a cause too neerly concerning the peace of England And we shall ever pray c. An Order that was ordered at the Sessions at Appleby in Westmerland ORdered That whosoever shall hereafter disturb any Minister in the publique Exercise of his Ministry within this County or give any scandalous or opprobrious termes against any of them shall be apprehended by the Constables or Church-wardens of the place where the offence shall be committed and brought before the next Justice of the Peace to finde sureties for his or her good behaviour And upon refusing to finde such sureties to be committed to the Common Gaol till willingly they shall do the same or be from thence delivered by due course of Law And likewise all such persons as meet in great numbers and assemblies apprehended and bound to good behaviour as aforesaid I find James Naylor to have been prisoner at Appleby and then to have written his Discovery of the first wisdome from beneath and the 2d Wisedome from above 2. In Worcestershire A Mittimus To the Keeper of the Gaol for the County of WORCESTER Cujus contrarium verum Badaire FOrasmuch as Thomas Goodaire the 25th of this instant March being the Lords day came into the Parish Church of Kidderminster at such a time as many hundreds of the good people of this Common-wealth were assembled to worship God and there misbehaved