but he was forthwith and without any delay in the presence of all that were there according to the Military Practice of some Men so beaten and kick'd by the Colonel himself because he ought above any other to have desisted from such doings and practices as he had then taken upon him that he made him bleed and then was sent back to his old Prison and tyed Neck and Heels there But as there were many of Ames's fellow Soldiers and also other Soldiers who by little and little became of the Quakers Sect several of them having taken Counsel together and allotted their Work did either use their babling Interruptions in the Publick Assemblies while they were at Prayer or Preaching or fell a Trembling there or shewed some such idle and foolish Prank this Example was followed by many others both of the one and of the other Sex wherefore they were ever and anon one after another fined driven to Prisons and in some places miserably harrassed some of them were severely lashed but the Soldiers more than any until the Year Fifty Six when Colonel Ingoldsby the Governour commanded all upon a very severe Penalty to give no manner of Entertainment to any Quaker whatsoever and not suffer them to come within their Doors and that whoever did to the contrary should be expelled out of the City But it was to no purpose some indeed were driven away but their Number did even then and by that means increase and so by degrees came to hold their Assemblies Officers were sent to break open their Doors and to interrupt and disturb them some they fined others were banished but yet for all this they increased and multiplyed more and more this happened at Limerick Cork Waterford Kingsale and other places And thus did this Sect of the Quakers about the time of their rise and first Progress struggle in the time of the Common-wealth under the two Cromwels Father and Son Protectors under the many Afflictions they were put to by their Enemies and to the great hazzard both of their Religion and People The End of the First Book BOOK II. PART I. The Contents of the Second BOOK THE Endeavours of the Quakers upon the King's Restauration G. Keith R. Barclay The Quakers vain hopes concerning the King The Oath of Allegiance an inexplicable Snare to these Men. Tythes also The Cruelty of Keepers towards them Instances The King and Parliament's Disposition towards them A Letter of Fox the Younger to the King Fox his Book of many Languages concerning the Pronoun Thou Several Laws against the Quakers Hence their various Tryals Hubberthorn Burroughs and Howgil die in Prison A vain Suspicion that the Quakers cherished Popery Their Persecution at London The fall of Priscilla Mo The Burials of the Quakers The Persecuting of them at Colchester A Council held concerning Transplanting of the Quakers into the American Islands This transacted and handled several times The various and strange haps and Adventures of such as suffered this Penalty The Ecclesiastical Court The Law De Excommunicato capiendo Several Examples made upon their refusing to pay Tythes The Death of Fisher in Prison Fox's Three Years Imprisonment The Prophecy of a certain Quaker concerning the Burning of London The Troubles of the Quakers in Scotland and Ireland Keith's Doctrine of Christ being in Man Helmont concerning the Revolution of Souls rejected by the Quakers William Pen's turning Quaker A full Description thereof His singular Opinion concerning a Toleration of all Religions The Ecclefiastical state of the Quakers The Order of their Teachers A Meeting of their Teachers together Synods Liturgies or Sacred Duties How they observe the Lord's Day Their Complaint concerning the Protestants study of Divinity Their Opinion concerning a knowledge of Languages and Philosophy Of the Sallary of the Ministers of God's Word What the Call of Ministers is among them Their Discipline Their Solemnizing of Marriages Keith's Imprisonment Pen's Imprisonment at London Solomon Eccles's Fooleries and mad Pranks in several places Fox's Marriage A great Persecution of the Quakers throughout England accompanied with the greatest baseness Green's Fall Pen again and Mead with him Imprisoned at London They are Tryed Pen's Speech to the Judges A great Persecution in Southwark The notable Zeal of these Men in keeping their Assemblies A short respite from the Persecution G. Fox goes to the English Colonies in America His Imprisonment in Worcester and what was done at that time He writes several Letters more elaborately than profitably A Conference between the Quakers and Baptists R. Barclay's Apology for the Christian Theology variously received A Comparison between the Quietists and Quakers Several Persecutions of the Quakers in England The Assaulting of them in Scotland All manner of Slanders put upon the Quakers Doctrine and Life The Persecution of Bristol Of London The Quakers state under King James the Second W. Pen's Diligence for the Quakers The Quakers Affairs under King William Pen's Default Freedom and Liberty given to the Quakers by the Parliament Pen's second Default The Death of Fox The great Book written by him A Description of Fox The great Dissention between the Quakers themselves The present state of them I Have brought down the History of the Quakers to the Time of King Charles II. in whose Reign and even in the very beginning thereof as great changes happened not only in the State every thing being abrogated and taken away that had been Obstacles to the Kingly Power and Dignity or that might be so for the future but also in the Ecclesiastical Constitution for that Equality and Conjunction that ought to be between the Brethren Friends and Disciples of Christ was taken away whilst the Government thereof reverted to a few and for the most part to the King himself so there was among those Persons who were not dissatisfied with the Name Splendor and Authority of a King but with that turn in the Church no small commotion of Mind no light Care and Diligence not only that they might defend their own Churches with the Orders and Constitutions of them lest they should suffer any damage any other way but also that they might further vindicate all their Practices from the Envy of their Adversaries confirm and trim up the same and recommend them unto others Therefore this Study and Concern also seemed to be among all Persons who had as well departed from that same pitch of Religion as from that publick Religion in the very same manner did George Fox and his Colleagues and all of that Herd even every one according to his Place and Station diligently and industriously apply themselves to this Affair wherefore Fox according to his wonted manner began his Peregrination in England to visit his Friends to Preach amongst them but did not take upon him as formerly to talk in the Publick Churches Markets and Streets and there to stir up the People and seeing that he had before this attempted many things more earnestly than successfully he took diligent heed
from him that he even here and there subscribed his Name to every Page and confirmed by his Testimony that it contained and taught every Language by which Work and Labour Fox now shewed plainly the thing not to Boys but to all Men that were like Boys in Ignorance herein and untaught them that wicked way of speaking But when some objected against Fox his Ignorance in these Languages and that he was upbraided herewith as if he were mad he wiped it off thus with this new Joke That he knew only as much of Languages as was sufficient for him The Year Sixty Two was Remarkable for the Commotion and Change of many things to the great Inconveniency Trouble and Incommoding of the Quakers and went so far in the Times that followed that the Ruine of the whole Party and Race of them seemed to be at hand for the Solemn League and Covenant between the King and People of Britain and between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland than which League there was nothing before looked upon to be more Holy Just and Desirable no greater Foundation both of the Regal Dignity and the Peoples Liberty nor a greater Bond to gather and unite together the whole Body of the Church and to establish the Religion of both Kingdoms was now looked upon as it were an Antichristian piece of Work and the Spring of all Evil and there was the preceding Year even by the Parliament's Command rased out of all the Publick Records both in Church and State and at London in several places burnt by the hands of the Common Hangman This Year was the Episcopal Order and Authority which had always been the Spring and Original of many Brawls and Calamities was every where set up and establish'd there being some even of the Presbyterians who now were desirous of this Power and Glory which they had before withstood or when offered them did not reject them upon this Consideration that seeing they would endeavour to be good Men in the discharge of this Office they were afraid if they did refuse the same lest such should be preferred who would not carry themselves in that Station with that Moderation required of them The King now which had been the fear of good Men a long time and what was now looked upon as a new Prognostick and sad Omen upon the Kingdom contracted a Marriage with the Infanta of Portugal a Lady so given up and devoted to the Religion and Ceremonies of the Popish Church that she was inferiour to none of the Queens or Princesses of the Age for that Superstition At last the King after he thought he had established his House and Kingdom and made all things sure did more and more instead of the Care Labour and Continency he ought to have exercised give himself up to Ease and Luxury and left the Management of most things to his Counsellors and Ministers of State especially to those who were mostly his Familiars and Companions all which change wrought no small Perturbation Trouble Fear and Trembling in the Minds of all those whose Religion differed from the Religion and Constitution that were now thus revived again he who had persecuted another did even now persecute himself and whom many were before afraid of was not now without his own fears and had need to take care of himself and therefore from such a Commotion as this others became also afraid who were otherwise more to be feared and from this their Fear arose a Suspicion and hence Discourses and at last a Rumor that there was a multitude of Enemies and Conspirators in the City and elsewhere who laid in wait for the King and were ready utterly to overturn the whole frame of this new Government Though many did believe this to be an Evil Report cunningly contrived by those who looked upon such a Report to be the best way for them to arrive at that which they could not hope to obtain in Peaceable Times Now as there was nothing transacted by wicked and profligate Men of which the Quakers were not esteemed either the Authors Promoters Parties or knew of it or consented to it so here also these Men came to be suspected of this Crime when at the same time there was no certain sign of any Conspiracy or Sedition contrived by any sort of Men and not the least Foot-steps of it by the Quakers and so there was a Report quickly spread abroad that these were such Men as had embrued themselves in such great Wickednesses and that they had associated themselves and daily met together to that purpose Of which things when they did not of their own accord clear and vindicate themselves which they thought they ought not to do without certain Accusers nor could do without some Prejudice thence the same Suspicion and Report increased and by this means the People who were not indeed called to answer at the Bar because that would be done upon too slight a Conjecture contracted the real hatred of all and became in great danger and were impunedly troubled all manner of ways by them who because they were not hindred thought they were allowed so to do Now the King had commanded that the Quakers of London and Middlesex should take the Oath which seemed to be the strictest tye for the Testifying of their Affection and engaging their Faithfulness towards the King and Kingdom and that the Judges should shew favour to none But if the Quakers would not Swear in pursuance to his Proclamation they should hold their Meetings no where then follows another Law for the prevention of Seditious Assemblies That no Meeting should be held under a shew and pretence of Divine Worship that was not approved and ratified by the Liturgy of the Church of England nor more Persons meet together at one place than five But and if any above the Age of Sixteen Years and upwards did transgress herein and being a Subject of the Kingdom such an one should be punished for the same This Law seemed to have been enacted for the restraint of all Sects but did more especially appertain to the Quakers and none could but understand that it was a Snare for them and rended to Shipwrack their Affairs So that it came hereby to pass that such of these Men as were now imprisoned were for this reason more closely kept and used more severely by the Gaolers even by those who before seemed kind unto them As for the rest of them they had one Tryal and Affliction upon another and the same were every where openly not only when they were met together in the streets entertained with all manner of Ignominy and Reproach but were also enforced to abstain from their Religious Assemblies and when notwithstanding all they proceeded they were harrassed by Soldiers and fined sometimes entertained with more than an Hostile Fury and thrown into Prison and being required to Swear were upon their refusal detained in Prison or thrust into Working-Houses among wicked and profligate wretches who had
great Hereticks when as they onely differed from them in Church Government and some Eternal Rites and Modes and otherwise held the same true and Catholick Faith and Doctrine with these Men but also because all those penal Laws which were made and ordained before the time of the Reformation against Hereticks as they call'd them stood still in force and none of them was repealed not so much as that De Comburendo Haeretico or for burning the Heretick so that if at any time any one of Eminent power had a mind he might by Virtue of that Law Arraign any one and bring him to that dismal and horrid punishment and have it Executed upon him Which appears by the Examples of two Men under the Reign of K. James the 1st in the 11th year of this Century Which because it has not of a long while been taken notice of by most Writers and yet it is not amiss to be known especially at this time I shall briefly relate One of these Men was Bartholmew Legate of the County of Essex a Man of an unblamable Life ready wit and well read in the H. Scriptures but disliking the Nicene Creed and denying the plurality of persons in the God-head and the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ after he had been for some time kept in Prison at London and being enlarged again more boldly defended his impious Errors and could not be brought to desist from it even by these reasons the King himself brought at last in an Assembly of Bishops was Condemned of Contumacious and Irreclaimable Heresy and delivered over to the secular Judges and by the Kings command according to the Act de haeretico comburendo the 18. day of March about Noon was publickly burn't and Consumed to Ashes The other was one R. Wightman of the Town of Burton near the River Trent who was Condemned by the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield of several Heresies the first was that he was an Ebionite the last an Anabaptist and burn't at Litchfield the 11th day of Ap. 'T is true indeed that this Law for burning the Heretick as also for putting him to Death in any wise was repeal'd in the Reign of Charles the Second but this is true also that that repeal was not made without a great deal of Difficulty and Repugnance of some Men and it was so done too that tho the Clergy had this power of Life and Death taken away from them and yet still out of this power they had so much Authority left them as to Excommunicate as they call it those that they should account Hereticks and thereupon to deprive them of their Liberty and take away their goods and the Consequences which follow thereupon Which thing I have thought fit to take notice as being not well known and yet worth the while to know This repeal was made in the 29th year of his Reign and 77th of the Century in that memorable Parliament Which was continued from the year 61 by several Propagations down to that time There was a certain Man of the Country of Middlesex whose Name was Taylor who had defil'd himself with so many and great Crimes and Vices that he had no fear notice or Apprehension of God wherefore he was sent to London and brought before the Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Court. In which Court as they were deliberating what to Determine about a Man so very impious or rather an impure beast one of the younger Bishops being more vehement and hot in his Censures than the rest gave his Judgment that this Man should be Exterminated from humane Society by burning and alledges that Law for the Burning of Hereticks with fire Which seeming somewhat harsh to others of the Bishops and some giving their opinion one way others another The Earl of Hall the next day in Parliament in the House of Lords proposes and perswades that that Law for the Burning of Hereticks might be Abolished for as long as that Law was not yet taken away and repeal'd it might come to pass that what Religion or Sect soever came uppermost the professors of that by Virtue of this Law might put to Death by burning all those that they should count Hereticks The Bishops opposed and cried out against this Petition But when it came to the Vote the present Earl of Hallefax and likewise the Duke of Buckingham and Earl of Shaftsbury and other great Men Considering that at that time things look'd with a fearful aspect and that it was often seen in the Course of Nature that many times things which had been hindred and delayed might break out again as in that cursed Popish Plot and the preparations of the Papists for the Destruction of the reformed Religion at that time was easily to be seen and that that Law particularly might one day be signally Injurious and Destructive they so perswade the rest and make it out so plain by force of Argument that the repeal of that Law is concluded upon and decreed contrary to the mind and will of the Bishops which Bill being carried down to the House of Commons some Excellent Men among which the principal was W. Russell a great Lover of his Countrey and Religion and a Man worthy of immortal honour presently Vote for it and procured the Bill to pass And so by Authority of the King and both Houses of Parliament this ancient Law was Abrogated and Repealed by this Act That from henceforth by Authority of the King and Parliament the writ de heretico comburendo or for burning Hereticks and all Capital punishments following upon any Ecclesiastical Censures should be taken off Not taking away nevertheless or diminishing the Jurisdiction of the Protestant Arch-Bishops or Bishops or any other Ecclesiastical Court to punish Atheism Blasphemy Heresy or Schism or any other Damnable Doctrines or Opinions So that Nevertheless it shall and may be lawful to them to punish such Men according to the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws by Excommunication Deprivation Deposition and other Censures not Extending to Death What but also how fraudulent a Liberty to all Religions was granted by K. James the 2d and what care the Bishops most of them but not all took to oppose it is not necessary now to be insisted on But to return from whence I have digressed Now because these Quakers had made no inconsiderable progress in their Affairs in America that new and to the Ancients unknown part of the World there were some of them who thought it might be a work worth the while to attempt the like all over this part of the World which we inhabit and of which for the most part we have a more ancient knowledge of and that not onely in the European Countreys where we have great dealings but also in Asia it self and Africa among the remotest Nations Destitute of the right knowledge of God and brought up in the profoundest Ignorance of the truth and true Religion with a design to enlighten them and by their Arguments and Sollicitations
Appleby and when they also required him to Swear and that he could not be brought to do so he is led back to his former Prison He was again the Year following brought before the same Court and the same Question put to him where he declares with great Constancy but in much Modesty That he as to what belongs to the substance and matter of the Oath did not refuse to Declare and Promise the performance of it yea and to subscribe it but that he could not affirm the same by an Oath neither was that Lawful for a Christian nor Advantageous to Men seeing that such an Asseveration would neither impose a greater Obligation upon good Men in the preserving of their Faith nor take away fear from the wicked and that the same was only an Encouragement to Rashness and Temerity in all false hearted Men and a Cloak for Evil and sometimes for the most notorious Villanies By which speech and moderation in speaking Howgil was so far from being freed from the Prosecution and Envy of his Judges that for all that he was adjudged Guilty and adjudged as being guilty of Disloyalty to have all his Lands forfeited as long as he lived and Moveables for ever returned to the Exchequer and that he himself was out of the King's Protection and ordered to be shut up and detained in perpetual Imprisonment and so it came to pass that the Man continued in that Prison for five Years when at length he fell very sick and shortly after ended his Miseries by Death between the Arms and Lamentations of his Wife and many Friends who were the Witnesses of his Exit and of their own sorrow for the loss of a Man who was not only dear and delightful to them but to all of their Society at his Death he called God and Men to Witness That he died of thut Religion for which he had suffered so many Afflictions While the Quakers were thus disturbed harrassed and molested the Parliament made yet a more rigid Law That the Quakers should in direct words before the Magistrates take the Oath of Allegiance to the King and own him for the Supream Head of the Church But and if upon any Account they could not be brought to do this it was Enacted That within a Year's space they should leave the Kingdom as refractary and rebellious Persons that acknowledged no Authority of Rule and rejected and laid aside all Bands of Humane Societies By which Law they seemed now as if they did not only raise up Arms and Proclaim War against them openly and simply but design their utter Ruine and Destruction Now by this Law there was an increase of these Peoples Misfortunes the following Year in that it made them to be much more suspected and hated by the People but it 's uncertain whether this proceeded from the Opinion and from thence the Rumour of such sort of Men who think what they do not comprehend and say what they think or from them who believed cunningly enough that this was the best way and manner for them to be quickly and readily rid of these Men. Or lastly from them who hoped that they might in these troublesome Times gain some Profit and Advantage to themselves the Mischief was this These Men were more and more blamed that they cherished Papists and even Jesuits that certainly lurked amongst them which same Persons were so hateful to the People and which took upon them their Names and Persons and preached amongst them that sometimes one and the same Teacher on one and the same day did first Celebrate Mass among the Papists and afterward Preached in the Congregation of the Quakers either without Hair or with a Peruke on neither was there any Notable Preachment at any time had among the Quakers the Author whereof was not esteemed to be a Jesuit and this was so rooted in the Thoughts and Imaginations of most Men that if any one knew it not he was looked upon as ignorant of the Publick Affairs if he denyed it as Impudent or a Papist or Jesuit himself born to Lye and to Cheat And they offer this as an Argument of such Practices which made the same find a more easie belief to wit that the Papists did so as well because that hereby they might avoid Swearing as the Quakers were most averse to such Oaths and so should swear nothing against the Honour and Interest of their Religion as that so they might catch and allure the unwary by their Artificial and cunning Speeches I remember I have heard a long time after being in Company with some Englishmen and amongst some Quakers these Men complaining that even then such Discourses were bandied about concerning the Jesuits mixing with the Quakers and that they durst not contradict them I 'll go a little further some time after some I know not who according to their Jesuitical way and disposition that wrote Foxes and Fire-brands urging that there was a certain Jesuit that had lurked and taught among the Quakers for Twenty Years together but as often as I have put this thing to the Quakers they have answered That there could be nothing upon this Head found more falsly or more foolishly and that they could never find any thing that was like it or smelled of it but yet it is strange how much Envy and Hatred this Opinion contracted to these Men who followed this Sect and Constitution and certainly there is no Year so Memorable and Note-worthy for the Persecution of these Men than this of Sixty Four for seeing that neither those who were in Prison that they might be set free nor those at Liberty that they might prevent their Imprisonment could be brought of that Mind as to be willing to Swear and that those who were free would by no means cease to hold their Assemblies and that in greater Numbers than the Law allowed and that many times they went so far that they left their homes and went out of the Bounds of the Kingdom They were indeed in some places very severely handled and in other places over and above their hard Treatment seeing that all places were filled with Prisoners they ordered them into Banishment and drove them as the noisom and horrible Pest of the Kingdom into the uttermost Parts of the Earth The City of London had none of the least share in this Persecution where besides the Oppressions and daily Violences offered by the meaner sort and scum of the People as well as by the Soldiery who strenuously rejoyced in such doings and as having no regard of their own so did more lightly set by other Mens Lives and who every where waited for them in their Meetings and did ever and anon by the Magistrate's Command hale away many of them yea sometimes an Hundred together and drive them before them like a Flock of Sheep and throw them into Prisons but not into those that were next at hand and more at large wherein however they might have been safe enough
Society of Quakers This Man being born in Holland of English Parentage went over into England where he finish'd his Philosophical and Theological course in the University of Cambridge that Nursery of Learning which boasts so much of her integrity that she never emitted any Disciples that prov'd corrupt or unsound in Religious matters He afterwards became Minister to a Church in that Country being ordain'd by Reynolds Bishop of Norwich but he had not long exercis'd this function when he made defection to Quakerism at the same very time that he was most busy in confirming and fortifying himself and his hearers against the influences of that sect There was a young Virgin among the Quakers fam'd for her dexterity and skill in Preaching whom many of the people us'd to follow Coughen having understood that she was to preach in a certain place goes thither himself in his Canonical Robes in order to preserve his hearers from being seduc'd by her discourses But so soon as he came to hear her he was so mov'd and affected that he not only not oppos'd her or her Doctrine but appear'd for its defence and spoke publickly for it at that same occasion and returning home abandon'd his Ecclesiastick habit joyning himself to be a member of their Society in which he afterwards became a Doctor and Preacher and was much caress'd and applauded by them But not long after this he return'd to Holland again and meeting at Harlem with Edward Richardson Minister to the English Church in that place and discoursing with him about Religion he was so influenc'd by his company that he forsook the Quakers and their Society betaking himself to Leyden when he pursued the study of Medicine Which where he had finish'd he returns to England and professes that Art of administring medicine to the sick sequestrating himself all along from that Society till at length some three years thereafter he attempts to introduce a new Model of Doctrine and Discipline which had been so often endeavour'd by so many and so great Men of obliging all Christians to concentrate in one common faith and interpose their interest and power for reconciling the differences of Religion amongst all who profess'd the Name of Christ All this while Fox was not Remembred or talk'd of except amongst those of his own Profession and Society for he had been detain'd Captive for three successive years together one half of that time in Lancashire and the other half in Yorkshire he was first Imprison'd for his frequent Conventicles and also for refusing his Oath of fidelity so oft as it was requir'd of him During the whole course of his Captivity the Judges order'd and decreed many injurious and rough sentences against him The chiefest of his fellow Prisoners was Margaret Fell whom he afterwards made consort of his marriage-bed both of them were mutually assistant to each other in all duties of Religion affording one another such help and comfort as people so intimately conjoyn'd both in Friendship and Religion generally expect from one another But after this he was shut up in a Dungeon full of filth and nastiness and standing stagnating water where he underwent much misery being forc'd sometimes to pass the night without having whereupon to sup upon which he was taken very ill and was now but slowly recovering his former strength I have already told what havock that merciless plague had made both in London and the Neighbouring Countries But upon the back of this evil there succeeded another in the ensuing year sixty six viz. That terrible fire which did not indeed reach the whole Country but burn'd and wasted almost all that noble and populous City of London so that to this day all England has not been able to forget it nor shall succeeding ages ever obliterate such a dismalâ— account of their Remembrance Having given you an account of the many hard and miserable conditions of these Men I shall now adorn this treatise with some pleasing variety to divert and refresh the mind of my Reader perhaps now wearied with reading It will not be amiss therefore to take a view of what the Quakers wrote for these four years by way of Prophecy and Prediction concerning the future State of the Kingdom and both these memorable afflictions of the City of London for such kind of Histories do much delight and charm the ears of Men I shall only select those that are most memorable and worth observation The predictions of Men do generally run upon some great and wonderful revolutions and changes tho they seldom come to light till the event be past These people were so certainly persuaded that some of their faction had so distinctly and clearly foretold the future scenes of affairs and both these Calamities of London that whoever misbeliev'd 'em was concluded by them to have shaken off all manner of faith and belief A certain Quaker call'd Serles a Weaver in the year one thousand six hundred and sixty two saw these words wrote in legible Characters upon the Circumference of a Kettle hanging over the fire Wo to England for poysoning of Charles the 2d Cardinal I understand Moloch Twenty Nations with him Englands misery cometh The Man being affraid at the sight calls the Neighbours to come and see it who coming were ravish'd with admiration to behold that wonder which they could not guess from whence it came The writing appear'd legible for a whole hour together and then evanish'd on its own accord Many of the people and those of considerable note who were not Quakers attested the verity of this wonder I my self have seen and read both the story and the same very words mark'd by John Coughen whom I formerly mention'd in his Note-book that same year which book was kept in the Closet of a certain great Man in this Country from that year till two years after King Charles's Death all which time it was kept secret from any other body so that no doubt is to be made of the Authentickness of that Annotation But what the Quakers would have meant by these words or that sight and how they Accommodated it to the manner of K. Charles's Death and to the changes of Religion and Miseries to come after many years and how the future event of things happening about the King Charles's Death that were told reported known and seen through all England did agree with these words is not needful to be determin'd in this place The Quakers affirm'd that one of their Captives at London did clearly foretell the pestilence that was to overtake that City saying that in a short time the streets which then were replenish'd with Men and resorted to by many should be seen cover'd with grass and wanting Men to tread uponâ— them But I shall not extend this presage any further lest I seem to recede from the design'd order and brevity of this treatise This they relate of the fire of London that there was a Quaker at Hereford who before the burning of
THE General History OF THE QUAKERS CONTAINING The Lives Tenents Sufferings Tryals Speeches and Letters Of all the most Eminent Quakers Both Men and Women From the first Rise of that SECT down to this present Time Collected from Manuscripts c. A Work never attempted before in English Being Written Originally in Latin By GERARD CROESE To which is added A LETTER writ by George Keith and sent by him to the Author of this Book Containing a Vindication of himself and several Remarks on this History LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in Jewen-street 1696. TO THE Truly Noble and Honourable NICHOLAS WITSEN Burgomaster and Senator of Amsterdam c. THOSE two very things Right Noble and Honourable Sir to wit the greatness of your Name and the smallness of this Work which might disswade me from such an Application do both of them invite and in some sort engage me to adventure not only to make a Present of this Book but also a particular Dedication thereof unto you And seeing that it is a thing most certain and that the very sight of the Book doth immediately shew it that what I here offer is a Piece that is altogether new but yet neither over bulky nor prolix I was perswaded that this my Undertaking would not prove unpleasing to you because that as the Great are very much taken with the Novelty of other things even so they are of Books and as a conciseness in speaking is very agreeable to them a short and compendious way of Writing is found to be no less so which has given occasion to that old Proverbial Adage Little things are pretty To this I may add that this Book briefly treats of things transacted up and down and for some time in that Nation where in the Name of the Renowned States you have been first Envoy to the Most Potent and most Serene Princes King William and Queen Mary to that great and glorious Queen alas lately ravished from Earth by inexorable Fate of whose Vertues there are at this time so many Testimonies in the funebrous Orations of great and most Eloquent Men who for all that had they never so much exhausted their brains and been profuse of their Abilities in declaring and magnifying the Excellencies of this Queen had yet nee'r been able to form a true Idea of them in their Thoughts much less represent them as they ought to be to their Auditors than which nothing more can be said of Man and after that for some time Resident there where you were to Congratulate Their Royal Majesties Accession to the Throne and the Deliverance of so many Countries and People as also to confirm that Ancient League and Amity that was between both Nations In which Time and Place seeing that perhaps some but not all these things came within the Verge of your Knowledge this new and small Treatise but Pardon the Expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may gratifie that desire which your Honour and even most Men have who have lived or come from abroad of having a perfect Knowledge of such Transactions as have happened in those places during their time or near unto it by exhibiting as in a little Table-Book the first Rise Progress and End of all these doings But yet this is not all the Reason I had for such an Undertaking I must confess Illustrious Sir that as to the matter of this Work it is such as may seem to them that are not very curious needless and unnecessary and that it is such a way or method as may easily induce some who are not over-skilful but given to scoff and chatter to look upon it as very mean and contemptible because that having regard only to the single Relation of Things and to Truth I treat thereof in a Style and Language that is plain and ordinary free from all manner of Affectation and do not which is a thing very common and much approved of and prevalent among the Vulgar either ridicule or proudly scoff at and prosecute in Writing those things which 〈…〉 the Religion and Manners of those Men who are treated of herâ—en Neither do I though there may be some among those very Persons who look with an evil Eye upon and bear ill will unto us for that Reason retribute the same and make the like return unto them as some are pleased to do who think such reciprocal doings ought always to be But seeing that it many times so happens that they who write with such Moderation are liable to fall under I know not what Suspicion of crack'd Credit from these Men so as that I found my self under a necessity of seeking out for some Patronage and Refuge-place upon this Account I was fully satisfied I could meet with that principally in you Great Sir who know as well as any Man alive what amongst such a multitude of Writers and itch of Writing is most fit to be writ what an Historian's scope ought to be in such a Work as this is and over and above that what on the one hand Religion and what in the mean time also Nature and the Power of Humanity require and call for And because I have fallen upon this Head I earnestly wish the Temper of the present Times was not such that this were not the sad distinguishing mark of the Age we live in as that there should be so many Men such strangers to and devoid of Charity and Modesty and hurried with that unruliness and outrageousness of Mind that as soon as they discern any Heterodox Opinion in matters of Religion and especially if any Heresie be smelt in the case they immediately suppose that it is the Property of Religion to scoff at persecute and afflict such Men some going so far as to urge there ought to be a precision or a cutting off of the same by violent Methods Fire and Sword Imprisonment and Bonds Racks and Torments and even by the most dreadful and cruel Deaths For the Good and Peace of the Church and State for so they Argue cannot otherwise be preserved nor the Christian Faith and Humane Obligations subsist Were it not for this we should not see against so many Reformed Churches so many Hundred Thousand Christians such and so great and nefandous Violences contrived and offered such lamentable yea unheard-of Calamities and Slaughters and even if they could make entire Extirpation Rulne and Destruction by those who go by the Names of Christians and Catholicks but are in truth the most bitter and implacable Enemies of the True Religion I 'll go yet further I heartily wish there were not sometimes amongst others and even among them who have withdrawn themselves from the Papacy that immoderation of Spirit that even where there is no manner of Heresie no Fundamental Error yea not the least difference but in words and way of Expression only mens Minds become forthwith divided thereupon an Interruption of Fellowship and at last a sâ—â—â—ssion into Parties doth ensue And that those who lay
to his Party Elizabeth Hooton the first Woman that preached Who were Fox his first Disciples and Colleagues What sort of Men did more especially joyn themselves to the Quakers Fell Fox his Patron Whose Wife having afterwards married Fox did with her whole Family turn Quakers Others of Fox's Scholars The Quakers Sect dispersed through the Northern Parts Some others of Fox his Companions The rare History of ap John Burroughs goes to London His engaging with the London Champions his Speech unto them and the event thereof Fox brought before Cromwel Cromwel's Affection towards the Quakers The Circumspection of the Quakers among themselves Fox his new Companions The going of the Quakers into Ireland And into Scotland The causes of so many Progresses The Quakers hatred to the Episcopal Men and to the Presbyterians To others To the Ministers of the Word Their Judgment concerning all Protestants The Doctrine and particular Opinions Life and Conversation of the Quakers Why so many Men joyned with them How the People came to envy aud disturb them â—he ways whereby they were persecuted Singular Examples The strange Boldness and Impudence of some Quakers and hence Men became enraged against them Naylor's History These things pursued till Gromwel's Death New Instances of Persecutions The Quakers Affairs in Scotland In Ireland THE General HISTORY OF THE QUAKERS From their first beginning down to this present Time BOOK I. AMongst the many and great Conflicts of the Church while sojourning here on Earth there is none more usual and withal more difficult and hazardous than that she is engaged in for Vindicating the Truth of her Religion from the False Doctrines of her Insulting and Impudent Adversaries The Reason of all which cannot be unknown to any who considers that those who are lovers of and zealous for the Truth delivered by God neither ought nor can conceal and hide the same but make it known to the Praise and Glory of God whereas others who are fond of Falshoods that they may the better compass whatever seems good to their own Appetites or conducive to their Interest do not usually fail to propagate and defend their own Inventions and to accuse and condemn the more Pious and Honest Doctrines of others as being too opposite to them and their Designs It is likewise manifest that the Truth being of it self clear and evident is content with a simple discovery dealing candidly and openly with all whereas Lyes and Falshoods as having no solidity or weight in themselves must be adorn'd with a multitude of fair and boasting Expressions using a hundred little Tricks and Cheats for ensnaring the unskilful and unwary in which they are oft-times so successful that even the wiser sort of People and those who on other occasions are circumspect enough do sometimes chance to be entangled and do find it a matter of difficulty to extricate themselves from the same Moreover though it be Natural for Mankind still to complain of the Iniquity of their own Times insomuch that all Men are ready to fly out in Panegyricks upon the Ages past while they condemn that they live in yet I can scarce think that there are any who are not convinc'd that the days in which our Lot is fallen are such as in them all manner of Errors and Falshoods are broke in upon Religion all sorts of mad and unheard of Heresies the most terrible and foulest Blasphemies have over-run and as it were delug'd the Church Insomuch that she is now oblig'd not only to encounter Profane and Wicked Men for the defence of the Truth and Integrity of her Religion but to oppose her self to the Arms of her Bloody and Cruel Enemies for the maintenance of her Liberty and Freedom It is not sufficient for her to engage with Men but she is constrained to fight even with Beasts But there is no Affliction can overtake the Church of the Living God that does not admit of some Relief and Comfort Wherefore since this is now the condition of the Church in these evil days it is likewise her great Happiness that so many able and skilful Men have in these same very days bestirr'd themselves on her behalf for opposing and confuting the Erroneous Sentiments of wicked Men occasion'd partly by Ignorance and Folly partly by a resolute and furious Madness and thus assisting the distressed Church have successfully employ'd both their Tongues and Pens furnishing her not only with means of Knowledge and Spiritual Weapons for instructing and confirming her self against the Assaults of her Enemies but even for gaining convincing and vanquishing the same In prosecuting this their laudable Design some have contented themselves with the bare mentioning the horrible and monstrous Assertions vented by those cunning contrivers as accounting it a sufficient Confutation to have nam'd them which bewray their weakness at the first view But I cannot guess at the Reason why so very few have for so long a time made mention of the Quakers whose rise is dated from a little before the middle of this present Century and have since that time wonderfully increased in number of Proselytes beyond what is commonly thought of these Men I say accounted by some Superstitious and followers of Old Wives Fables by others the worst sort of Fanaticks and in the next degree to Lunaticks and Madmen have been quite past over in silence by most Writers so that not so much as the History of their Rise and Progress is yet on Publick Record at least wise if any there be that have touch'd upon this Sect they have done it in so slight and transitory a manner that they would rather seem to have made Publick their own Ignorance than to have left on Record the Actions Doctrine and Religion of these Men Unless perhaps this may be imagin'd for a Reason of the silence of Writers that they account of these Men so little as that they think it fitter to pass them in a negligent and disdainful silence than to spend words or time upon them Others there are indeed who have wrote something of them but to no purpose who being themselves altogether ignorant what manner of Men they be and having only heard of them by Report as being Prodigies and Monsters of Mankind chose rather to put in Print whatever they heard than to have just nothing to say of 'em reckoning the danger not to be great whether the Relation prov'd true or false for if true it is well if false it falls upon such a Tribe of Men think they of whom nothing can be said so ill that would not Quadrate to them My Judgment upon the matter is this that while I consider that England the Native Country of these Men Scotland and Ireland abounds so much with those called Quakers since their number in those Countries does daily increase nay and elsewhere they have propagated their Doctrines making and gaining Proselytes for that it is they bend all their force to having for this purpose for a long time publish'd
Doctrine Religion and way of Living from God himself whom his own Infallible Oracles term The Ancient of Days and from his Word first delivered from Heaven and then committed to Writing by the inspired Men of God which is the only Rule and Ground of all Truth They likewise Appeal to the Ancient Fathers or to the Testimony of those Books that we hold for true unanimously consenting to and asserting the same very things that they with the Holy Scriptures maintain When I say Fathers I speak after our way of speaking not after the manner of the Quakers who admit no such Names But by those called by us Fathers they understand the Writers who lived in the first and second Centuries after Christ For they conceive those who lived nighest to the Times of the Primitive Apostles that compiled the Holy Writings to have deliver'd their Doctrine with more Integrity than those who lived later who the further distant they be from the Times of the Apostles the more is their Sincerity and Integrity to be called in question like Water that the further it runs from its Fountain the more muddy it grows And therefore it is that they pay but little deference to those who lived in the later Ages of the Church freely acknowledging many things to be contain'd in their Writings that are justly to be rejected nor do they ever quote their Testimony except it be very conducive to the establishment of what they advance If therefore at any time others who are unacquainted with their Doctrines and Conversations or possess'd with Prejudice Envy or Hatred against them do at any time go about to brand them with these ignominious and opprobrious Names they if called to give a distinct Account of themselves do assume the Names of Christians Evangelick Apostolick Catholiek Men as if the Doctrine and Religion preached by them were the same as was delivered at first by Christ himself to the Apostles publish'd throughout the whole World by the Ministry of these his Apostles and embrac'd and retain'd by all the Faithful and Godly of all Ages whom Custom has term'd Catholick And upon this Account in all Debates they recur to the Scriptures not declining the Comparison of their Tenets with those of the Ancienter Fathers nay nor those of later times It follows next that unto what I have said I should subjoin some Account of the Sect that these Men so much follow inviting all Christians to do the same Their Sentiments therefore run in this strain That since the Doctrines and Manners of all Christians as also and consequently of those called Protestants likewise have been for so long a time corrupted and perverted it would seem that Apostacy and Defection from the Apostolick Doctrine and Discipline had its first beginnings in the Times of the Apostles themselves and from thenceforth did by degrees increase till it came to its perfect height in the Sixth and Seventh Centuries and from that time forth having confirm'd and harden'd it self through the firm and constant continuance for so many Ages so that no hope of its removal was remaining did so continue till this very Age we now live in Though add they in all this Series of Time there was always one or other in every Century that appear'd and declar'd against this their General Defection but without any Success as also to their own disadvantage and detriment And thus do they imagine of those great Men called by us the Reformers that all their Endeavours for the Restauration of Religion and Purity tended indeed to overthrow the Falshood Lightness and Vanity of Men but not to establish Truth or introduce Gravity of Life and Manners by restoring these Vertues to their Primitive Lustre and Splendor much like unto those that throw down their old Habitation and never think of building up a new one Moreover their Opinion of those who came after the First Reformers is that while they imagin'd to themselves that what they did tended to the advancement of a Reformation it proved diametrically opposite to the same for that in lieu of the Vices and Errors which polluted and defiled the Church that were corrected and rooted out by them they introduced other new ones of their own Invention like Men cleansing a House that cast out the Filth so as to let more come in So that these Men Preach up their Religion for the ancientest as having flourish'd in the first Golden Age of the Church which was afterwards from the very first rise of the Christian Name even unto this our Age miserably mangled and corrupted and in fine quite demolish'd until at length it was retriev'd and restor'd to its Ancient Purity by them being incited and raised up by the Divine Spirit to recover fallen Religion for the Salvation of all Men. Wherefore 't is that in all their Writings this is distinctly treated of having prefix'd as a Title to their Chapters that They as the Servants of Jesus Christ are called and raised up by God for dispensing the Gospel which after so long and dark a Night of Apostacy is now again come to light to be preach'd unto all Nations And thus do they Accuse Condemn and set at nought the Doctrines manner of Worship Rites Ceremonies nay the whole Life and Conversation not only of all these general Christians but of the Protestants who boast so much of their departing from that great Apostacy and cleansing themselves from the Babylonish and Papal Deâ—ilements Unto whom they oppose their Doctrine Worship and way of Life which indeed are such that their Doctrine is for a great part of it new or taken from some Ancient Opinions condemn'd and rejected by the Church which having lain so long dormant are revived anew by them and as to the rest 't is a Medley or Hotch-potch of the several Opinions of Protestants though not radically agreeing with them their Worship is diametrically Opposite to that of ours and their manner of Life so singular that between their Conversation and that not only of Protestants but of all Christians there is as vast a difference as possibly can be And these are the Tenets they have so busily spread abroad both at their first rise and in the further progress of the Sect and all of 'em that are capable either of speaking or writing Publickly do diligently apply themselves in all places to the Explaining Defending and Propagating their Doctrines inveighing and railing against the contrary Opinions of others with as bitter and reviling Expressions as they can invent and such their Accusatory Libels are dispersed abroad into all Countries especially those where they expect to meet with ready Compliants with their Doctrine and Way or at least such as would be fond of new Reformations and Changes in Religion being thus in some measure predisposed to receive and entertain their Advances Having thus spoken in General of the Conditions of these Men I come next to give a more particular Account of their Rise Progress various
Vicissitudes and Events befalling them The Original Mother and Nurse of the Quakers is England a Country once Famous for banishing and extirpating Heresie now the Seat and Centre of all manner of Errors The Quakers themselves Date their first Rise from the Forty Ninth Year of this present Century and 't was say they in the Fifty Second they began to increase to a considerable number from which time unto this day they and their Party have daily acquired more strength For while that Kingdom before the middle of this Century was engaged in an Intestine War occasioned by the Differences of Church-Government in that confused and dismal Juncture when both Church and State were miserably shatter'd and rent and Religion and Discipline were quite overturn'd innumerable multitudes of Men did on all hands separate from the Church and afterwards when their greatest Eye-sore and the imaginary Source of all their Evils the Episcopal Government of the Church was abolished and the Presbyterian Form of Church-Government which was what they so impatiently wish'd for and grounded all their hopes of Comfort and Peace upon was establish'd in its place yet even there were some whom nothing would satisfie that divided themselves into an innumerable Company of Sects and Factions of which this of the Quakers was one The first Ringleader Author and Propagater of Quakerism was one George Fox Some of that Party have not stood to give that Man after his Death the Title of The first and glorious Instrument of this Work and this Society the great and blessed Apostle So that as the Disciples and Followers of any Sect derive their Names from their Masters so might we call these Men Foxonians were it not unbecoming Christians to denominate themselves or others professing the Name of Christ from the Names of Men. I have many Accounts of George Fox in Writing in my hands partly dictated from his own Mouth to his Amanuensis a little before his Death partly obtain'd from his Friends and Followers and partly from others that were strangers both to George Fox and all his Society Which because they differ among themselves I shall only pick out what seems to be most probable and generally attested for it is difficult in such a case to distinguish between what is true what false George Fox was Born in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Four in a Village called Dreton in Leicestershire His Father Christopher Fox and his Mother Mary Lago were of no considerable Fortune but gain'd their Living by Weaving They lived devoutly and piously were of the Reformed Religion and great Zealots for the Presbyterian Party which then obtain'd in England And this their Zeal for Religion was accounted Hereditary to the Family especially on the Mother's side whose Ancestors had in the days of Queen Mary given Publick Testimony to their constant and unmoveable Zeal for the Truth and Purity of Religion not only in giving their Goods and Possessions to be confiscated and patiently undergoing the loss of the same but in yielding their Lives for a Sacrifice to the flames of devouring Fire preferring the undefiled and lasting Crown of Martyrdom to a sinful Life This George Fox while yet a Child discovered a singular Temper not coveting to Play with his Brethren or Equals nor giving himself to any of those things that take with Children but shunning their Company and disdaining their Childish Customs he loved to be much alone spoke but little or if at any time he chanc'd to speak both his Countenance and Speech bewray'd a sadness of Spirit his words were more Interrogatory shewing a great deal of Attention and Consideration and making many Observations unto all which was added Modesty in all his Actions and a diligent pursuit of the early Rudiments of Piety and Devotion so that even in his Infancy his Actions and Demeanor seemed to presignifie those Qualities of Mind which in progress of time he discover'd on the Publick Stage of the World Having spent his Infancy at home he was then sent to School to learn to Read Englâ—sh and to Write In which Study he succeeded as the other Country Boys and those of the meaner sort use to do having attained so much as that he could read Print pretty well but Writing he could read but little of neither could he write except very rudely And this was the only Piece of Learning the attain'd to all his Life long For neither then nor any time after when arriv'd at greater Maturity of Years did he ever apply himself to any Liberal Study So that he not only knew no other Language save his Mother-Tongue but even in that he was so little expert and so ill qualified either for speaking or writing all the whole course of his Life that what he understood perfectly well he could not explain or enlarge upon in any tolerable good English and far less could he deliver it in Writing in so much that he oft-times made use of Amanuenses and others who being well acquainted with his Thoughts and greater Masters of Language might put them into a better Dress And this I thought worth the Remarking because a great many Books are extant in George Fox's Name writ not only in terse English but also in Latin and interlarded with Sentences of many other Languages which are but little known to the Learned World the Names of the Interpreters or Methodizers being concealed Which whether it was an effect of great Simplicity in him or of his Ambition and Ostentation I shall not determine only it is plain that he had not the gift of Tongues George Fox having spent this part of his Life at School began then to look out for some way of Living and providing for the future part of his Life and accordingly concluded to betake himself to some Mechanick Trade that being necessary for the use and accommodation of Man could never be wanted and consquently never fail of answering the end he undertook it for such as making the Ornaments and cloathing of Humane Bodies Amongst which he chose to himself the Making of Shooes applying himself to that Art the remaining part of his Life in Nottingham the chief Town of the County of Nottingham bordering upon Leicestershire the place of his Nativity He being then a Young Man did behave himself Honestly and Modestly amongst Men walking devoutly towards God keeping close to that sense of Religion and Worship taught him by his Parents He dwelt much upon the Scriptures and when at leisure from the Exercise of his Trade as also when about it taking this advantage of his sedentary Work he Meditated upon ruminated in his Mind and recollected what he had read He had an Infallible Memory for retaining any thing he knew especially what he read in the Bible never slip'd out of his remembrance And having thus incessantly continued in the Study of the Scriptures from his Infancy to his latter end he became so exactly versed in them that there was no Remarkable Saying
Enemy to the Opposers of Fox and his Society rendring all their Efforts against him ineffectual But when the Hatred and Envy of Fox's Antagonists grew to so great a height that he could no longer restrain them and fearing they should become his Enemies likewise he seldom went to the Publick Meetings shunning to hear their Voices whose different Manners Designs and Contrivances he so much abhorr'd So much for the Husband But as to the Wife she totally forsook the Reformed Churches dedicating her self entirely to be a Member of the Quakers Society and spending all her time in their Company Her Husband loved her exceedingly and was much taken with her Piety so that she could easily obtain of him this favour that her House might be a Receptacle for Fox and his Colleagues and also a place of Meeting for all the Society to Assemble in together as oft as they would for the Publick Performance of Sacred Duties as indeed it was and continued so after his death till the death of Fox her second Husband Not long after her Conversion to this new Religion she began to abandon her Distaff and Womanly Instruments betaking her self to Preach and Teach Instructing the People not only Viva Voce but by several Books wrote and published by her by which means she gained many Proselytes And after this time her House and Family became as it were a School and Nursery for all that Sect both Hearers Preachers and Students of both Sexes and accordingly sent out about this time one William Caton a Young Man of Pregnant Parts conspicuous for his Modesty and Learning whom Judge Fell had taken into his Family for a Companion to his Eldest Son that by his good Example he might Encourage and Conduct him to a Vertuous Behaviour This worthy Young Man became afterwards very Famous and Renown'd for his great Accomplishments both at home and abroad in Holland But this was not all Leonard Fell a Son of the Family followed his Example as one Comrade imitates another or a Disciple traces the foot-steps of his Master being fondly loved and caressed by his Father for that he introduced into his Family that Sacred Office of a Minister His Brother Henry Fell imitated his Elder Brother They both became Great and Famous Teachers and tenacious defenders of that Sect. After the Males of the Family followed Sarah Fell their Sister undertaking the same Office whom these People do so much extol that they say she was not only Beautiful and Lovely to a high degree but wonderfully Happy in Ingeny and Memory so stupendiously Eloquent in Discoursing and Preaching and so effectual and fervent in her Addresses and Supplications to God that she ravish'd all her beholders and hearers with Admiration and Wonder She apply'd her self to the study of the Hebrew Tongue that she might be more prompt and ready in defending and proving their Doctrine and Principles from the Holy Scriptures and in this study the Progress she made was so great that she wrote Books of her Religion in that Language This is that Family which Fox came afterwards to be a Member of when upon the Death of Fell the Husband he married Margaret his Widow of which I shall have occasion to speak afterwards I now return to the Order of Times and Places that corresponds to the Actions of Fox and his Colleagues While Fox is propagating his Doctrine in the Countries above-mentioned in the Year Fifty Two of a sudden there appeared some in Cambridgeshire a place considerably distant from the Countries where Fox was now residing who owned themselves Members of this New Church Among whom excelled James Parnel a Youth of Fifteen Years of Age well skilled in the Tongues and of no obscure Birth or Condition Because the History of this Youth's Life and Actions is but short I shall here insert the same in one perpetual thread of Discourse This Young Man having so boldly adventur'd in so tender an Age on such an Enterprize was disown'd disinherited rejected and shut out of Doors by his Parents Friends and Relations all upon this Account Being thus forsaken and left to himself and receiving but sorry assistance from his new Friends he was obliged to live sparingly and meanly yet nevertheless he continued steadfast and eager in pursuing the same Design And after having frequently debated with his Condisciples and others concerning their Religion and his own and in this condition of Life spent two Years he comes into the County of Essex and Cloaths himself with the Office of a Preacher which accordingly he performed in the Fields Then in the Year Fifty Five he goes to Colchester and the next day after his arrival Preaches there and entertains many Disputations and Dialogues with the Doctor and Reader to that Church both publickly in the Church and in his own Lodgings and elsewhere by which one day's work he converted many to his Religion Having staid here some few days he goes to Cogshall where he went to Church and heard the Minister Preach a Sermon against the Quakers upon which when Sermon was ended he answered and resuted him in Publick Church Then retiring from Church he was caught and brought to Colchester and there put into a Castle or strong Prison Afterwards he was taken to Chelmsford to appear before the Judges but they because they could not finish and conclude the Business remitted him back to Colchester where he was block'd up in a Cave in some high craggy place where having endured Hunger want of Sleep and Cold for a long time becoming benumb'd in this nasty Dungeon and at length misfortunately falling and bruising his whole Body he finished his unhappy days notwithstanding all the Complaints and Addresses he made himself and all the Entreaties and Sollicitations made to the Magistrate by his Friends for relieving him out of all these Miseries It is reported that before his Death he sometimes was heard to say One hour's sleep shall put an end to all my Troubles When Death approached he said Now I go away then he fell asleep and about an hour thereafter he awaked and yielded up the Ghost His Body was tumbled away to the place where Malefactors are executed and interred In this same Year this Doctrine and Scheme began to diffuse it self beyond the Countries where Fox was now making his Terms with the Neighbouring County of Cumberland in which great numbers associated themselves to this Party Amongst the more Remarkable of these new Converts the first was one Thomas Lawson at that time Publick Minister to a Church at a Village called Ramside in Westmorland afterwards he continued both the Exercise of this Function among these People and likewise gave himself to the study of Herbs and after he came to London became the most noted Herbalist in England Next after him followed John Wilkinson Pastor to a Church at Embleton in Cumberland who afterwards proved a Famous Preacher among the Quakers both in Scotland and Ireland All his Hearers had deserted
him and joyned to the Quakers upon which being forsaken he followed after them and became of the same Profession with them And now both in Cumberland Northumberland and the Bishoprick of Durham a great many of all Ranks and Degrees embraced this New Religion So that having thus over-run all the North of England it began to spread it self towards Scotland But as the multitudes of their Followers increased the Envy and Malice of their Adversaries was spurred up the more against them For they were not only laugh'd at and derided every where but many Reproaches and Calumnies were also thrown upon them and many Wicked and Impious Principles and Practices imputed to them In some places Orders were given to the Constables and Officers to detain Fox or any other Quaker in firm Custody whenever they could meet with them or else to hinder them access into their Precincts Accordingly Naylor and Howgil of Appleby are taken and put in Prison As also Fox is apprehended and imprisoned at Carlisle in Cumberland whom they looked upon as an Heretical Blasphemous Arch-Impostor and Deceiver the Head and Ring-leader of this deceitful Crew And it was confidently reported that the Judges were consulting among themselves whether they should put this Man to Death for his incessant Frauds and Enormities But it happened quite otherwise for Fox was absolved and dismissed without any other Affront or note of Ignominy save that they severely check'd and reprov'd him William Caton and John Stubs were whipp'd at Maidston in Kent In Lancashire their Meetings were opposed with great violence At length because the Doctrine and Sect of the Quakers was not yet known in the other Parts of England especially in London the chief Seat and Compend of the whole Kingdom where they knew nothing of this New Religion save what they heard by the wandring Reports that were murmured about Those who were the principal Administrators and Managers of that Church thought fit to select some of their Number that excelled for dexterity of Speaking and Teaching who should go into these other Parts of the Kingdom and perform the Office of Converting and Convincing the People These were the Evangelists and Apostles of the New Church who were sent out in the Year Fifty Four Accordingly they directed their course first into Wales first North-Wales then South-Wales and the adjacent Countries and at length to London the Capital City though far distant from the places of their first Pilgrimage from whence as from the Head they might diffuse their Doctrines through all the Members and infect the whole Body of the Kingdom with their Religious Tincture Howgil and Burrough were at that time Men of great Authority and Esteem among them These were the two chief Ministers appointed to Preach their Doctrines in Wales and at London though Burrough went afterwards to London alone being invited so to do by a strong itch and desire he had to be there When they came together to Wales and had begun to sow the Seeds of their Doctrine they found some who received them readily Among those who embraced their Religion in that Country and even among the first were several Justices of Peace particularly one Peter Price a Famous Preacher among them from that time to this very day Moreover there happened a very wonderful Conversion of one John Vp-John a Member of an Independant Congregation who was sent by his Pastor Morgan Lloyd into the North to inform himself both by seeing and hearing what sort of a Man Fox was who was then in those Countries what for People the Quakers might be and what were the Doctrines they Taught and to bring him certain word of the same for he had heard many things of them which he doubted to be false He performs the Journey and returns possessed with their Principles and shortly thereafter undertakes the Office of a Preacher among them opposing himself vehemently to his Ancient Pastor and Doctor and to all the Congregation reproving and accusing them and their Religion exhorting all to follow him and perswaded many to separate from them Some few Years after he travelled through all Wales Preaching and teaching every where he came to in Towns in the Fields in the Publick Roads and Streets Market-places Inns c. exhorting Men to Repent sometimes he had Fox for a Companion and Witness of his Actions And though he was sometimes cast into Prison yet when released again he set about his old Trade as vigorously as ever Howgil stays in that Country for some considerable time but in the mean time that he is Preaching there and the other Evangelists busie at the same work at their respective Posts in the several places of the Kingdom Burrough goes for London where few of his Sect had gone before him that being the place he loved and longed mightily to see The time of his abode there though he went sometimes to other places and returned again yet he mostly confin'd himself to the City till at length in the Year Sixty Two when block'd up in Prison and having patiently and constantly grappled with many Tormenting Evils that surrounded him and with a Grievous and Mortal Disease he yielded up the Ghost While he was in London he bended all his Thoughts and Cares how to be most Serviceable to that Interest and so to discharge his Office that he might not disappoint the Hopes and Expectations which his Associates had conceived of his Success And because he could not always meet with fit and opportune Places and Occasions of Preaching he sometimes promiscuously improved every occasion whether seasonable or not to that effect thinking no time or place unseasonable or improper for promoting the Salvation of Mankind of which I subjoyn one Example All that are acquainted with the City of London cannot but know that vulgar and frequent Custom among the meaner Tradesmen Shooe-makers Taylors c. their Apprentices and Journeymen of getting together into some by-place where they struggle and wrestle with one another till either by pulling them down or tripping them up they throw them Burrough accidentally passes by the place where a whole Band of them were at this Exercise He draws near looks on and waits to see what the issue of the Spectacle would be At length a lusty Young Fellow and dextrous Wrestler appears in the Field who throws them all round first one then another and at length a third yet even then he unwearied challenges any fourth to encounter him The whole Company stands amazed at the boldness and dexterity of the Fellow none of them daring to enter the Field save Burrough who steps into the Ring and moves towards the Triumphant Victor who was insulting over all the rest He thinking Burrough meant also to try his Skill in Wrestling makes ready to receive him But Burrough looking austerely and gravely upon him in some few severe words checks his Fury and Fortitude so that both his Courage and Strength were overcome and vanquished Then turning himself to
the Circle of the By-standers addresses himself to them thus It is a barbarous and cruel Spectacle to see Men delight so much in this Exercise fitter for and more becoming Brutes than Men which the wildest of the irrational Creatures abstain from unless provoked and irritated to the same We have another Conflict to mind which is more consonant to our Natures and allowed of God nay which both the Law of Nature and the Common Law implanted within us by God and his Divine Word revealed from above do Approve Command and Encourage I mean that fight wherein we are all engaged as being the Soldiers of Jesus Christ and fellow-soldiers one with another striving with all the endeavours of our Souls and Bodies to encourage and invite one another to pursue this fight of Faith and Piety that at length we may become Victors and obtain Eternal Life Which being spoke though most of the Multitude gave little heed to what he said yet some of them being moved with a sudden heat of Reverence and Fear of God and afterwards bethinking themselves more diligently of these words began to understand their Duty aright and abstain from such vain Exercises and Spectacles altering the whole Scene of their Lives and afterwards conforming to the Doctrine and Religion of the Quakers incorporating themselves into their Society Thus was it that Burrough by his indefatigable diligence pick'd up so many Followers and Adherents both in City and Country The number of the Proselytes at London was afterwards much increased when Fox came to that City For he was the Man among them all who pursued his business with the greatest Application and Diligence maugre all the Difficulties and Dangers stood in his way I may freely say that there is not one Church in any County Fox came into from the beginning of his Ministry to this very time nor any place of Religious Worship frequented either by those of our Profession or others that he did not visit taking occasion there to disprove the received Principles and advance his own not one day on which they used to Congregate for Religious Service that he did not punctually observe betaking himself to some Congregation or other and disturbing their Services with his Accusatory Libels Nor did he refrain from using the same Importunacy with the Military Men among whom though the greatest part of them differed vastly from our Common Soldiers since they only carried Arms for the Liberty and Religion of their Country and lived innocent and harmless Lives yet there were many light vain Fellows dissolute and corrupted in their Conversation who loved rather to be enjoying themselves in Taverns or Alehouses than hearing Religious Discourses Fox used to be running among them boldly and freely reproving them to their faces not only for what he found faulty in their Religion but for the Vices of their private Lives So that by his courage and boldness he overcame all that stood in his way neither did he take it ill to be called bold and forward but rather gloried in being such Nay he came to that length that oftner than once or twice in midst of great crouds he would brand some Women that he had never seen in his life before for being Witches and Sorceresses which he pretended to do by a discretive Spirit within him But in all these his Accusations I do not find that ever there was any Experiment made of the Art of these Women or any Tryal made of it or any Credit given to him unless by some that were prepossess'd with the same Fancy of the Women before Wherefore it is no wonder that he met with such Indignities and Affronts every where insomuch that sometimes several of the People would joyn together and Assault him openly others would lie in wait to take Advantage of him It is much more wonderful that he who was so oft sought after apprehended imprisoned and delivered into the hands of his Enemies should have escaped so oft or survived so great and many Troubles However he always acknowledged and returned thanks to the Almighty for that Divine Assistance which he said he never wanted in time of his bitterest and severest Afflictions nay which appeared so oft in his behalf taking Vengeance after a wonderful manner of his Injurious Enemies and such as contrived or executed such Wickedness against him Among many Examples which might be adduced I know none more wonderful and worthy to be related than this following which he used so often to make mention of among his Brethren and confirm with many words At Olican in Yorkshire a Band of Men had combined together to kill him and for that end came rushing into the Convention where Fox was but so soon as they cast their Eyes upon him they were all so astonish'd and filled with Fear and Confusion that none durst to move or attempt any thing Not long thereafter one of these Men happened to kill another Man and was seized as guilty of Murder Another of them who used as he passed by the Quakers to put out his Tongue and ridicule them exposing both himself and the Quakers to the Derision and Laughter of the Multitude had his Tongue swell'd so big that it hang'd out of his Mouth and he could not draw it in which new sort of Disease in a short time cut the Thread of his miserable Life But I return to speak of Fox's coming to London There happened a Memorable Accident both at Weston in Leicestershire and at London Fox was yet remaining in that Country and chanced to be in that place where he was in a Congregation of his Brethren going about Sacred Service when in the mean time some Ministers to Independant and Presbyterian Congregations Address Francis Hacker an Officer in the Army desiring of him that he would send of his Soldiers to suppress that irregular Meeting accordingly the Soldiers are sent and Apprehend Fox in the middle of the Assembly bringing him Captive to the Officer who having examined him sends him away Prisoner for London to be Judged there and undergo the condign Punishment of his Offences After some Years Hacker acknowledged that he did this by the Instigation and Influence of these Ministers which Confession he made the very day before he was hang'd having been found guilty of the Murder of the King Fox arriving at London is laid up in Prison and after having lain some time there is carried to Court to appear before Cromwel then Protector Cromwel after having entertained long Discourses with him backwards and forwards and given many Evidences of his Benevolence and Good-will towards him and his Faction absolves him ordering him to go into a large spacious Closet whither he sent some of his Domesticks to entertain him with Discourse and to invite him in the Protector 's Name to Sup with him But he refuses and as having now obtained all the Liberty he sought after went away Unworthy he was to have such an Opportunity put into his hands of
Engaging and Obliging so great a Man and of promoting both his own and his Church's Interest and also inconsistent with himself who could not observe the same Measures with Superiour People that he did with those of an Inferior Rank When the Protector 's Domesticks told him that Fox had refused to stay he express'd himself after this manner It seems therefore that this People is a Sect which no fair means nor courteous dealings can gain whereas by these I have subjected all other Men to my self In this course of Fox's Life and Ministry which was properly nothing but a perpetual Pilgrimage he began now to publish Books in which he was more intent upon overturning the Religions of other Churches than in building up a new one or explaining and confirming those Doctrines that he press'd all Men to embrace He wrote also many Letters some to his Colleagues admonishing and stirring them up to their Duty others to those of a different Perswasion inviting and exhorting them to receive and entertain the Doctrines which he taught And he carefully dispersed both the Books and Letters which he likewise caused to be Printed through all the Counties of England But as Fox was constant and diligent in his Office so his Adherents and Disciples imitated their Master Preaching up and down with the greatest servour and alacrity converting great numbers of Men who not only associated themselves to them but also signalized their Courage and Constancy in the patient endurance of all manner of Labour Fatigue and Persecution it self that they might not seem to recede from the Example and Pattern of their Ring-leader Fox They met frequently together in every City or Town either in Houses in the Night-time or in the Fields Desart Places and Mountains where the top of some rising Ground served for a Pulpit to the Preacher Being therefore that they thus persisted in their irregular courses the Magistrates whose Duty it was to prevent them caused them to be Apprehended cast into Prison and kept there for some time In the mean time Cromwel the Protector by an Edict discharges the Quakers to Assemble or Congregate together Publickly having observed that to be the mind of all the Publick Churches but withal forbids either the Ecclesiasticks or any other Men to do the least Injury or harm to them while they committed nothing against the Government and Publick Constitution of the Kingdom and when any sollicited him to use greater Severity against the Quakers as Hugh Peters his Chaplain frequently did that Famous wrangler that thought he could not exercise his Function of the Ministry aright unless he filled all with Confusion and Disorder by his Tumultuous Complaints he returned this Answer That That Sect the less it was persecuted the sooner it would fall and decay of its own accord But this Order of the Protector had little or no Effect for their Adversaries never wanted occasion of Accusing them of this Crime and they themselves became daily more bold and resolute in celebrating these forbidden Assemblies Hence ensued many Miseries upon the Quakers and oft-times Bonds which they endured with the greatest Constancy imaginable of which I give you one Instance Fox continuing to disperse his Books and Letters and keeping Conventicles and Meetings notwithstanding the Protector 's Edict to the contrary choosing rather to undergo the greatest Miseries nay the loss of Life it self than to desert his Office or desist from this his wonted Course is cast into Prison at Launceston in Cornwal and bound with Chains under which Affliction he continued for a long time as I shall afterwards shew designing now to treat in order not only of the Actions of Fox but of all the Society While he was thus conâ—ined and uncapable to do any Service to his Church one of his Friends and Relations who preferred the publick Good of his Sect and of his Friend in particular to his own Safety and Peace goes to the Protector while sitting in Council and desires of him that Fox might be exempted for his Captivity and Bondage and he himself put into his stead engaging himself to answer for his Crime as if he were guilty of it himself Though Cromwel denied the Request yet he could not cease to wonder and looking to the Council says Is there any of you would do so kind an Office to his Neighbour though it conduced never so much to his and the publick Advantage But neither did the Adversaries of the Quakers want Occasion of accusing and arraigning them for being guilty of raising Tumults and rebelling against the Civil Magistrate and Publick Government as this one Example can instance There was at that time a great many foolish silly Men who were great pretenders to Religion that used to raise their Spirits by wonderful Motions of their Bodies and antick Gestures calling it Piety and Sanctity But on the other hand there was also many turbulent and factious Spirits striving to innovate and confuse all things either upon a religious or civil Pretence and if any such kind of Crimes were committed against the Government by these turbulent Fellows the Quakers were accused as being the Authors or at least Abettors and conscious of the same But the Quakers did so enervate and nullifie this Calumny that all Judges pronounced them innocent It was true indeed nor did they deny it that many who professed to be of their Society were simple and foolish morose and impertinent and not so polished in their Temper and Conversation as their Doctrine and Profession required who made it their Business to run up and down the Streets and frequented Roads shouting and crying with a hideous Noise and Clamor exhorting the People to such Endeavours as they themselves knew nothing of and who oft-times committed many Incivilities and Impertinencies But they denied that this was peculiar to their Sect or Discipline for they who had Authority among them reproved and severely check'd such as were guilty of the like Enormities and threatned to expell them from their Society unless they amended their Ways of which more afterwards About this time many Converts of various Stations and Professions were added to this new Church and were afterwards invested with the Ministerial Function among them who became famous not only enlarging their own Credit and Reputation but that of their Sect both in the Island of Britain and in the United Provinces of Holland so that it shall not be improper in this place to give some account of them such as the designed Brevity of this Work may allow William Ames flourished at this time a Man of an acute Ingeny and indefatigable Industry both in Teaching Preaching and Writing and so much admired by these Men in this Country Holland that they do not stick to proclaim him a perfect Doctor He was born in Somersetshire near Bristol but was ill educated in his Infancy and Youth having applied himself to nothing that could be useful to humane Life So that being of a lazy
Temper and dissolute in his Life he betakes himself to the Soldiery that common Refuge for Sluggards and Covert to all manner of Wickedness joyning himself unto the King's Army which in those days was the most debauch'd and wicked Crew upon Earth He first serv'd therefore in the King's Army till the Death of King Charles I. Then he becomes a Marine Soldier under Prince Rupert in the Admiral 's own Ship in which were many Dutchmen by whose Converse he acquir'd Knowledge of that Language In the mean time he begins to return to his right Wits and repent of his by-past Actions and manner of Life But because he was not capable of exercising any other Trade for purchasing a Livelihood than that of being a Soldier though he now despis'd a Military Life as being liable to many Inconveniencies yet he continued in the same Condition of Life still even after his Mind was thus alter'd joyning himself to the Parliament's Army then in Ireland in which he was made Serjeant to a Company of Foot in one Ingoldsby's Regiment He preferred being in this Army than elsewhere because he thought there was many good Pious Men in it and Military Discipline better observ'd Moreover many in that Army both of Officers and Centinels were of the Sect called Baptists who do not differ from the Presbyterians save only in this one Point that they do not Baptize the Members of their Church till they give publick Confession of their Faith and engage for their own behaviour of whom Ames entertain'd very favourable Thoughts and having joyn'd himself to their Church became first an Elder and then a Minister in the same It happened that while Ames was residing at Waterford a Town in Munster Francis Howgil and Edward Burrough came into Ireland and to that same very Town in order to meet and converse with the Baptists whom they they thought of all Men the most accommodated and disposed for reception of their Religion and accordingly came into their Meetings and discours'd unto them of those Matters Ames gave great Ear to all their Discourses for his Mind was yet fluctuating and unsettled in his own Religion the Cares and Thoughts of his by-past Life afflicting and distracting his Mind and in a short time apostatizes from his own Church to the Quakers among whom he became a Preacher discharging that Function to the great Satisfaction and Contentment of that Party He wrote a Tractate entituled A true Declaration of the Witness of God in Man in which he relates and explains what Sense he had of the Divine Light within him from his Infancy to his Conversion and what Resistance he gave to the same Contemporary with him was Stephen Crisp an acute and polite Meeter who if he had added the Study of those Arts and Sciences call'd Liberal to the Promptness and Agility of his Wit he had given wonderful Specimens of Learning He lived in Colchester in Essex a Weaver by Trade he serv'd in the Parliament's Army some Years having abandoned his Trade not so much for love of a Military Post as for the Defence of his Liberty and Religion so that he did not suffer himself to be tainted with the Vices of Soldiers but lived honestly and devoutly at length wearied with Fatigue and Labour he returns again to his old Trade having professed himself a Baptist at which time James Parnel came to this Town he was the first of the Quakers that preached their Doctrine in this Place where he taught and disputed publickly Crisp and his Father hearing him and being moved with his Discourses turn Quakers but the Son becomes a Preacher He died at London in September 1694. Contemporary with them was Thomas Green in his youth a Coachman but now a Dealer in Merchandize at London and John Higgins a Cobler at Dover both Men of brisk Ingenies and much esteem'd by their Associates Also John Crosby a Gentleman of Bedfordshire and Justice of the Peace famous for all manner of Learning an eloquent neat and accurate Man both in his Discourses and Writings Also Josiah Coaly of Bristol a Gentleman who in his youth having come with his other Companions to a Quakers Meeting to ridicule and mock them was so taken with their Discourses that he forsook that Course and was afterwards so much affected and mov'd by the Counsel and Advice he received from two of their Preachers that he incorporated into their Family undertaking the same Office with them of teaching others while he was yet but twenty Years of Age It is said of him that in Prayer and Supplication he did it with so much Efficacy with such a Grace and Mode of Speech tho' without Affectation that he infinitely surpassed many of his Brethren He spent most part of his Life in Travels extending his Doctrine to several parts of the New-World resolutely encountering all Dangers even that of his Life it self Another Contemporary was Isaac Pennington the younger a Gentleman also of good Birth whose Father was Mayor of London and a Man of eminent Vertue civil and humane to all and much beloved of the Citizens had not he by his Consent embru'd his hands in the Blood of the King His Son had added to the Splendor and Nobility of his Birth a diligent Study of all Liberal Arts and was much exercised in Learning not that he might gain or live by it for he had whereupon to live with a handsome and magnificent Port but that he might adorn and beautifie himself and be capable to help and assist his Brethren He spent not his Youth as many do whose Fortunes and Expectations are lâ—rge and magnificent in Idleness and Debauchery or in pampering his Belly and living intemperately but in pursuing eagerly and diligently his Studies exercising his Ingeny with such Exercises as might be profitable both to himself and others He had wrote and published many Books full of Learning and Eloquence before the Name of a Quaker was so much as heard of After he became a Quaker he wrote several Theological Tractates in a grave plain Scriptural Style The last I shall mention that liv'd about this time was Charles Marshal of Bristol a noted Physician then at London These were the Men that have over-run all Britain and the Netherlands not as Emissaries but as Ringleaders and Heads of the Party I forbear to mention the Carews the Bailzies the Smiths and many others I have selected these not as the Periods and Order of Time conjoyn'd them but as they were noted and famous both among the Quakers and others But I cannot pass by Samuel Fisher whom they all extoll for the Credit and Pillar of their Church and never speak of but with the greatest Panegyricks a Man singularly learned and wonderfully eloquent because of his accurate Knowledge of the Greek and Latin Antiquities which stuck so to him even after he changed his Religion and Life that the Writings which he published since that time relish much of the same though I believe it
fell out so contrary to his Will and Design at leastwise it is repugnant to the Natures Customs and Practices of these Men. His Parents had designed him for a Minister to the Church of England and kept him while a Boy at Schools and Colleges in which his Diligence and Progress was so great that he surmounted most of his Fellows His Mind led him mostly to the Study of Eloquence Rhetorick and Poetry which were the Sciences he put the greatest Value upon so that as the Roman Orators used to say he kept Commerce with all the Muses that is he read and perused all Orators and Poets Having ended this Academick Course he was made a Presbyter of the Church of England and became Pastor to a Church in the House of some Nobleman who was likewise a Man of Eminent Piety and Vertue He demean'd himself in this Function so well that the Report of his Fame invited those who knew how to Judge of his Ability and Skill for greater things to advance him higher to some more dignified Place accordingly he obtains a Living in Kent of five hundred Pounds a year While he lives there one of his own Acquaintance and Friends called Howard solicits and disturbs him frequently about his Religion and Profession and many Rites and Ceremonies used in the Church This made Fisher begin to doubt and fluctuate within himself what he should make of his Hearers There came to him much about the same time a Baptist a Man of no Learning at least what is properly accounted Learning but of a sternly Countenance and supercilious Looks of a ready but flattering and deceitful Tongue which knew how to brand all the World besides with an infinity of Vices but to conceal or disguise those of his own Society extolling and commending all their Actions gilding over their Errours and Delusions with counterfeit Glosses who seeing him waver and fluctuate in his Mind accosts him with many fair and specious Words and those frequently turning over the same Crambe till at length he could endure his Discourses no longer as we see it frequently fall out that when Men cannot enervate the Objections of their Adversaries or discover their Fallacy they yield to them and forsake the Truth and accordingly he cast off his Religion divests himself of his Office and returns to the Bishop Diploma which he had got for to confirm his undertaken Office and joyns to the Church of the Baptists becoming a Diphabus or true baptiz'd believing That the only true Means to be incorporated into the City of God and numbred among his peculiar People Being thus destitute of so good a Living he contented himself with a little he had of his own and Farm'd a little piece of Ground in the Neighbourhood by which he had enough to live upon exercising this innocent and pleasant Trade of Life till at length he became a Baptist Minister About which time Caton and Stubs came to that Country and went to visit Fisher who receiv'd them in his House very kindly treating them as his Friends and Intimates though he had scarce known them before But they did not press him much to comply with their Desires for this first time lest by their preposterous Haste they had seem'd to encroach upon his Liberty yet when they returned again a second time they inculcated and repeated more vehemently and frequently what they had spoke to him before Upon this he began to waver and consulted his Collegue Hammond upon the Matter who was much wrath with him expostulating the Matter very sharply before the whole Congregation At length Fisher forsakes both the Baptists Society and the Office he was cloath'd withal becoming in a short time not only a Professor but a Preacher and a zealous Propagator of Quakerism He wrote many Books in Defence of that Religion among which is a noted one entituled The Country-man to the Vniversity-Scholar in which he refutes the Arguments of his Adversaries with many pretty and cunning Expressions So much for this Man But because I have already spoke of the Writings of this Man it is to be remark'd that all these Men I have hitherto mention'd from the beginning of this Treatise did write many Books nay great Volumes if they were all gathered together which were published after their Deaths For it is a Custom among the Quakers that when any famous Writer dies they pick up all his Writings and print them together prefixing for a Preface the Testimony of some noted Men of their Society of the Integrity and Worth of the dead Authors that so those who are bereav'd of their Natural Life may still live in the Memories of their Followers These new Ministers and many others not mentioned divided themselves into several Provinces some of them going up and down England others travelling into Foreign Countries all diligently solliciting and inviting Men to be Converted while in the mean time Fox the Head and Prince of that Society was incessantly proceeding in the Exercise of his Ministry in England not daunted or discouraged by all the Evils he grapled with He had a Custom when he designed a Visit for any City Town or Village to premonish and advertise them by Letters and Emissaries of the Time of his coming and Place of abode that all who had a mind to hear him might have timous Advertisement to resort thither In the Years fifty six and fifty seven he traversed Somersetshire Wiltshire Dorsetshire Devonshire and the neighbouring Counties At Bristol in Somersetshire there was at one time a Meeting of above a Thousand of the Inhabitants and Neighbours of that Place in some Woody Place near-by A little thereafter above Two Thousand assembled in one Place in Wiltshire So much Footing had this Sect taken in these Countries and so many Followers and Adherents had Fox in all the Countries he had been in among whom were many not ordinary or mean Persons but noted and conspicuous Men some of them Men of Authority and Trust in the Nation who shook off that Dignity and the Honour that attended it and part of whom became Ministers to the Sect. And the more Resistance or Opposition was offered to them in their Meeting and Congregating the more resolute they were in pursuing their wonted Course So some were ordered to watch and observe them keeping Watches and Guards in the Streets and Roads near to the Houses and Places where they used to assemble and as many as were catch'd were imprison'd insomuch that the Number of the Prisoners and Captive Quakers was seldom under a Thousand By this time Fox had purpos'd to go for London and communicate the Light of his Doctrine to the great Crowds and Confluence of People in that great and populous City thinking that the most probable way of promoting his Design And in his Journey thither stay'd some time upon the Road losing no Opportunity of propagating his Religion taking Advantage in the Inns and Taverns to apply himself to the other Lodgers admonishing
them to take good heed what Religion they profess also to send hither and thither to invite all that feared God to come into the Inn and hear him speak or dispute about religious Matters In which Course he gave the People Occasion of putting Tricks upon him and was several times so serv'd as the following Examples can Testifie which I should have taken for Fabulous and thought unworthy to be here inserted were they not confirm'd not only by the Relations of People that were present but by his own Mouth to his Followers and handed down to Posterity by his own Writings as memorable and true At Farnham after having preach'd somewhere in that Town he retires to an Inn desiring the Master of the Inn if he knew of any pious good People to give them Advertisement to come to him in the Inn Accordingly many came some Men of Honesty and Religion others more subtile and cunning than good or religious They all heard him preach and express himself with a great multitude of Words After he had ended most of them go away and some few stay desiring the Master of the Inn to cause a Fire to be made in the very same Room where he had preach'd for it was now cold Weather and to bring them something to drink In fine they sate there drinking all the rest of the day notwithstanding all the Entreaties and Solicitations Fox us'd to perswade them to be gone and demean themselves as good and sober Men and at length went away without paying their Reckoning which they left upon Fox who had invited them thither The Tapster came and call'd for the Reckoning from Fox who declin'd such an unjust thing using many Reasons to the contrary The Man who minded his Money most pressed him the more to pay it At length Fox seeing that he could not perswade him to desist paid the whole Sum writing a Letter to the Magistrates full of Wrath and Indignation warning them to take notice what manner of Citizens they had and to take some Measures for reclaiming them from the like Insolencies The next day he lights at an Inn in Lemnan which he found full of Stage-players Musicians and Quack-doctors After he and his Companions had put up their Horses and refresh'd themselves they agreed upon some Problems among themselves of the Natures of Diseases and the use of Medicine and towards the Evening presented the same to that Company in order to be consider'd upon and answer'd while they lodged in the House They rejected their Proposal flouting at them for Mad-men but Fox and his Companions took this ill and caused the Theses to be stuck upon the Mercat-Cross to be subjected to publick View after they were gone At London Fox was not so forward as elsewhere for he did not disturb the Publick Churches nor raise any Tumult or Crowd in any place but behaved himself more cautiously than he used or desired to do Before his coming thither many of great Note had been converted by the Ministry and Influence of Burrough And these frequently assembled together with Fox who had many Discourses among them and to the People but after all his utmost Efforts he gain'd but very few new Proselites which was much contrary to his Expectation having fill'd himself with great hopes of the Success of this Journey However he contents himself to stay a while longer in this City where he could see and hear so many things and be inform'd of every thing done in the whole Kingdom as also see and observe what opinions Men entertain'd concerning the Progress and State of his Religion all over the World At length having view'd enough of that City and satisfied himself he makes for the Country There was about this time a great Multitude of People in Wales who being of an unsettled and fluctuating Temper and fond of every thing New or Singular abandon'd their former Religion and professed Quakerism which Conversion was chiefly wrought by Howgil Vp-John Wilkinson and others Thither did Fox direct his Course though quite ignorant of the Welsh Language At first when he came and happened to preach separately from his brethren his Labour was all or most part in vain since so many of his Auditors either understood not his Dialect or were quite ignorant of his Language for his Mother-Tongue was the only Language he knew But afterwards when he took into his Society some of the Natives of that Country all the Progress he could make was that he preached sometimes among those of his own Perswasion and those of his Associates that understood English explained it in Welsh to the rest So that these his Interpreters were more Instrumental in propagating this Interest than he among whom the chiefest was Vp-John who had for a long time resided in this Country applying himself diligently to the Conversion of those People of whom he perswaded not a few to be Quakers These Interpreters were Fox's Predecessors in this Country who being back'd by him run up and down in the Country the Cities the Streets the High-Roads c. inviting and exhorting all Men to repent and these their clamorous Harangues had so much effect upon these People that no Country in England was so fertile of New Converts to Quakerism as Wales And thus did the Sect Doctrine and Religion of the Quakers in so short a time spread over all England to the year one thousand six hundred and fifty eight in which Year these Men proceeded to that height of boldness that they appointed a General Assembly out of the whole Realm to be held in the House of John Cross being a Place that was large and capacious for that purpose in the County of Bedford thereby as it were shewing and upbraiding their Enemies to what increase both of Number and Strength they were now arrived and seeing that they had not before despaired of the Progress and Improvement of their Affairs that they were also now full of hopes to bring them to perfection and altogether assured thereof There did the Messengers of each particular Congregation meet being accompanied with a great number of others who came not to speak but to see only Here were such Matters transacted as referred to their spiritual Laws and tended to the upholding of their Communities and the Council was celebrated for three whole Days I have said a little before how Howgil and Burroughs were the first that brought the Opinions of the Quakers into Ireland and particularly to Waterford This was done in the Year fifty five In the very same Year were these Men followed towards the carrying on the same Work by one Man whose Name was Lancelot Wardal and three Women Rebecca Ward Elizabeth Fletcher and Elizabeth Marshal But those for a long time made so little Progress in their Affairs that the Religion of the Quakers was universally unknown there that the very Name it self came not or at leastwise nothing but the Name within the Verge of their Knowledge The foresaid
Burroughs was now the first Man that introduced these Opinions into Scotland who a little while after was followed by Alexander Parker who before he took upon him this new Function exercised the Trade of a Butcher which came to pass in the Year fifty four but by the Means of these Guides and Teachers there appeared a greater Concourse of People in Scotland that espoused the Quakers Cause and consequently frequenter Meetings of them whom when the Nobility and Magistrates who from the disposition and usage of the Nation do not easily admit of a strange Religion opposed them they did the more firmly and intensly hold to it until at length a Persecution ensued and that Persons were ordered into their Houses to disturb their Meetings and hale the Men to Prisons and some they detained and handled severely for a long time but for Brevity's sake I shall add no more hereof But of Fox I have this further to say in the year fifty seven he lived in Cumberland upon the Borders of Scotland and so went thither who though he were ignorant of the Tongue yet knowing and confiding in his Companions which he took along with him and whom he was about to meet with there he made use of them for his Interpreters this man with his Friends have frequent Conferences in Houses about the Unity of Religion often preaches amongst them and goes about all Places seeking to find out or to make known if he could more of his Mind The which he endeavoured to effect with much Labour and Toyl yet he failed of his purpose for when he sometimes sent out his Messengers to invite Men to hear him Preach and appointed both Time and Place for that purpose it so happened now and then that there was not one Man came near him Besides this he made it his business here and there in the Streets where he found a concourse of People to allure Men to him but with the like success Fox also with a few Followers directed his Course to the Highlanders of Scotland who are Men of rude and unpolished Natures which when they came to hear they came down from the Hills to meet them and drove them back with their Weapons Upon this Fox goes to Edinburgh the Capital City of the Kingdom which when the Council came to know who were not ignorant of Fox's Methods and foreseeing he would not be wanting there also to play his usual and giddy Pranks they cite him to appear before them and gently require him if he had no Business in those Parts thence to depart Fox withdraws but very slowly visiting in the mean time other Towns and Places and trying to bring over Men to his Party but as I said to no effect Fox and his Companions during the time of his sojourning in Scotland endeavoured both by Libels which Fox together with his Followers and Associates wrote and by their Railleries to render the Doctrine and Articles of Faith of the Scotish Church as odious and hateful to Men as possibly they could Wherein they so demeaned themselves that the Scots thought nothing enough to be said concerning the Impudence Revilings and Cheats of those Men for they charged the Ministers of that Church and perswaded their Followers that that Church taught such Articles of Faith particularly concerning Divine Election and Reprobation and the Providence of God concerning the sins of Men according to their ungrounded Opinions and fardled Consequences as that Church not only never taught but such also as she abhorred Moreover as the Scots as well as the English and also divers of the Reformed Churches called the Lord's Day whereon Christians abstaining from their daily Labours give up themselves to the Worship of God as 't is vulgarly phrased the Sabbath-day or day of Rest according to the Appellation of the Ancient Sabbath of the Jews and seeing it did manifestly appear that all the Scotch Churches did strictly observe that day and during the whole time abstained from their Labours and demeaned themselves as reverently and decently as they could Fox and his Companions wrote and preach'd every where that the Scots did wickedly Profane the Sabbath-day by keeping of Fairs and doing of many other momentous things appertaining to their daily Labour and Business the which when they were enforced to explain themselves they did it in this manner That the Scots did those Works on the last day of the Week but that that day was truly the Sabbath-day according to God's Command delivered to the Jews Moreover Fox had this up in the whole course of his Ministry and Peregrination even to this time in what place at what time and part soever of the day he sate any where and discoursed with Men of his own Sect though there were but two or three present and that they only saluted one another this he called to have had to have found an Assembly as it were of Men for the Professing of their Religion and that the number of their People had so much increased But if there were any of his Auditors who did not cry out against them but were attentive to what was delivered and took any thing under consideration them he called convinced Persons and Associates and when it happened that at any time he met with some who prest him with some ingenious and sharp Answer or Question or Argument when he was not able to make Answer again or resolve the Question or enervate their Arguments he went his ways or thus put off the matter That it was a weighty and dangerous Disquisition that there were some Persons who made it their business to wrangle that it was a thing he did not care for and that he was very unwilling to Discourse with such Men And whereas there were not a few of the number of those that joyned with Fox and the Quakers who were part of that vast multitude that dissented from the Publick Church of England and such also as exercised the Functions of Preachers and that some of these Men were of scandalous Lives Tiplers and Alehouse-keepers Fox when he acquainted his Party with his Progresses among Men all these without any distinction did he call by one and the same name of Professors Presbyters Teachers and by such other names as were commonly used to be given to the Members and Ministers of the Publick Church thereby drawing no small Envy and Scandal upon that Church And all this Fox hath carefully set down in his Journal-Books and wrote to his Friends who believed approved and published it all Moreover Fox as often as he made mention of any business that was transacted conjoyntly by himself and Friends if any thing was well managed therein there was no Name so much celebrated as his own and he was more especially a great Publisher of his own Affairs but these things I shall not pursue at large nor the History of Fox as studying brevity the Order both of the Thing and the Time requires that I should shew more
particularly what has been the Cause Occasion and Original wherefore so many Men should so suddenly which is a very hard thing fall away every one from his own Church and Religion to that of these Quakers The Principal Reason hereof seems to be in that Men among whom there were really many who were desirous to live Piously and Religiously and to lead a truly Christian Life did imagine that they saw so much Corruption every where if not in Doctrine yet in Rites and most assuredly in the Manners of all Societies that would be accounted and called Christians and even Protestants that if any one persisted in Communion with any of them he might very well diffide and despair of his Salvation and that indeed there was at this time either no Church or that this Church which these new Teachers pretended was that wherein a Man might and ought to render his self secure and come into a saveable state And though many who joyned themselves to this new Sect did not give such exact Accounts of their Thoughts and Affections yet they who were found to be more wise and intelligent than the rest judged they were able to give such Reasons as were most valid for this their departure and new Confederacy And seeing that those who had never been without the Bounds of their own Native Country entertained so ill an Opinion chiefly of the English Churches those who also passed into and travelled Foreign Nations passed the same Judgment upon the rest of those other Churches therefore did these chiefly and in the first place charge the English Churches with such great depravedness and corruption and of these they did more especially reprehend those that to this time under the Kingly Government did prevail by Publick Authority which from the Bishops their Authors and Rectors they called Episcopal that is they did so blame and revile this Hierarchy or Spiritual Power Order and Degree Rule and Lordly Jurisdiction yea their Harshness and Tyranny towards those who dissented from their Religion or seemed to be in the wrong who yet out of no Obstinacy but only from a tender Conscience could not joyn with them the Magnificence and Pomp gross Idleness Remissness and Delicacy both of their Prelates and all the rest of their Clergy or Ministers of the Word that were under them moreover such a bundle of Ceremonies or Rites in their Churches and Sacred Communions and Collection of Lessons Singings and Prayers the forms whereof to be so strictly followed with the Observation of Holy Days Lastly besides this the Sloth Incontinency and Lasciviousness of the whole People in words and deeds that from hence it came that not only the Quakers now at length but many other Societies of Men long before the Quakers were born or known separated themselves from the Communion of that Publick Church And thus did they heap up as much suspicion of Corruption upon that Church as they could and stirred all Men to Envy and implacably to hate her Now as these Men did chiefly by this blot and censorious Discourse vilifie the Episcopal Churches and so fiercely and violently inveigh and bellow against them so did they next fall upon accusing of them called by the name of Presbyterians in as severe and harsh a manner who notwithstanding had not only long since withdrawn themselves from under the Government Order Rites and Methods of the Episcoparians but also sharply opposed them and were now after the Abolition of Episcopacy and the taking away of all that Ceremonious Worship and after the beheading of the King and almost an entire extinction of the Regal Name intensly bent upon the Reformation of the whole Church These from the first beginning of their Church they did own to be no bad Christians and that some of them did excel and continued to be such as all ought always to be both in the Faith and Rule of Life but that afterwards they became by degrees more and more changed and that for some time neither that Care and Attention to God's Spirit no nor to the Word which they professed to have was to be met with amongst them but that they were found to be puffed up with much confidence hope and assurance in their own even External Performances and that many of them had more the shadow than real Vertues of Christians and more Vices under a shew of Vertues Now though among all the Parties they entertained the most esteem for those Independants which they call Brownists yea and for those whom they call Baptists yet they objected against these that they had indeed great Love and Affection for their Religion but that they were very much wanting in a Spiritual and true Love to God and in Unanimity and Agreement amongst themselves and that they were very rash and morose towards such as dissented from them and sometimes full of Cruelty and Harshness For as to those others who also would be accounted Independants them they looked upon as Hypocrites who had a shew of Religion in their Countenances and at their Tongues ends and who while they saw many Vices with great clearness and resented them in others with much clamour and a scornful contempt were themselves inwardly full of the most secret and worst of Vices Moreover as the Quakers did censure so hard of the Churches of England they did most grievously inveigh against those whom these Churches looked upon as their Guides Teachers and Pastors and did conclude that the Original Stock and Seed of all that Calamity did arise from them to wit that while they profest it to be their business to discharge that Office of Teaching and of Guiding-Men in their Spiritual Concerns and seemed to give up themselves entirely thereunto did some of them desert their Work others were slothful and negligent others did indeed publickly discharge their Office and many times with a loud Voice but had privately no regard to their Work but only consulted their own Profit and served their own Turn preferring the same before the Common Good of the whole Church and that so indeed they fed their Peoples Ears with words but in like manner to stick to their Manners and to that which comes to pass by their Examples this they thought by the same Doctrine to be honest and not unlawful There were more especially two things which these Men could not bear in those Rulers and Ministers of the Publick Churches one of which was this In that they in lieu of their Labours in Preaching of the Gospel and discharging of their Office amongst their People did not only receive a Reward which they did indeed bear with but such an one as was certain and by Compact almost always a great sometimes a greater now and then the greatest Sum not only from the Publick Annual Profits but also from the Incomes of Private Persons and that even of such who had scarce of their own whereon to set their Foot from the Fruits Cattle Services Annual Profits Marriages Christenings Funerals
with Grief and Compassion discover those Vices neither did they as became Christians gently and discreetly advise the wandring and such as were out of the way and bring them kindly back again but did most bitterly and invidiously relate all things and cast all manner of Reproaches upon those Churches and as it were set upon the Men in an Hostile manner and drew together and united into a Mutual Confederacy in this War though no ways injured nor provoked nor indeed entertained with an hard word and this in such a manner as that all were frightned by them from the Community of such Churches and from the entrances into them and set them such Examples as were much to be shunned that there is no doubt to be made as concerning them who thus raged but that they acted more from a desire and study of Novelty and Glory than from a sincere and pious Mind so that that Man who blames the Works of another ought to take heed lest he be deceived himself and to see 〈◊〉 while he is applying of Remedies for one Evil other Evils arise therefrom thus it was with the Brownists and Independants many years before who first separated themselves from the Church of England because of the many Defects and Abases therein and afterwards from the rest of the Reformed Churches by reason also of the unworthiness and want of Diligence which they imagined they saw in them and even so now the Quakers supposing they had the same Causes and Reasons for what they did undertook the same thing and that in such a manner that supposing those fore-runners had not done enough they began a new Schism and did altogether constitute and pursue a new Doctrine among themselves a new way of Living and a new Church these they testified to be the causes they had whenever they spake of their Undertakings or conferred with others or appeared before the Magistrates and that in plain and direct words and upon this Head did many of them write Books and Pamphlets which upon such an occasion are much more efficacious and prevalent than larger Tracts among which the most remarkable were published by Fox the Inventor and Introducer of these things and Howgil Pennington and Whitehead which last three were however more moderate in their Writings than Fox was to say nothing of the rest of them These Pieces they also translated into other Languages and dispersed through other Countries Now I am come to that which has occasioned me to dwell so largely upon this Subject And because I have spoken of that Religion and course of Life which these Men went about to overthrow I have also deemed it seasonable and necessary distinctly to set forth what manner of Life and Doctrine that was which they after that they were increased to a Multitude and so much polished and instructed under so many Masters and Teachers then set up and which is now maintained by all their Followers For the Tenour of their Doctrine was the same as that of others that they who framed it should in process of time from smaller beginnings polish and reduce the same into a greater Decorum and Order Especially in that they were more intent at first upon the destroying of the Religion of others than upon erecting any new one of their own and that they were at this time more given to an Active than a Contemplative Life or than to that which consists in much Meditation Enquiry and strength of Understanding thus judging with themselves that to be a Christian was not to understand profound things nor to speak of great Matters but to live from whence as in former times so also now these Men can no otherwise be compared than with most Professors of Religion be it what it will that they are endued with greater Love and Zeal for their Religion than a knowledge of it and even many Teachers of the Quakers themselves not excepted But yet there were some from the beginning as there are many at this day that gave a good Account of their Religion and explained it Now the Doctrine of these Men consisted chiefly of four kinds the first whereof was the Principle of Religion another the Subject of the Divine Benefits the third the embracing of them the fourth and last the way and manner of Communion The first sort therefore was that which belonged to the Principle and Foundation of true and saving Knowledge this with them was a clear and distinct Revelation of the Holy Ghost either without the written Word to wit by Speech or some Apparition or Dreams or by the written Word and either this or that which we call the Holy Scriptures or by some other or else some certain way which is equivalent to the Word For the Holy Scriptures as we take that Word is not to them a perpetual Medium and such as is absolutely necessary and the only and compleat Rule and Form of Faith and Manners and here you may easily see how far they differ from those who while they own the Scripture take away the Spirit and substitute Reason in the room thereof and how much from those who acknowledge the Scripture as the only necessary Instrument and the sole Rule of Faith and Manners And that the Assistance of the Spirit is required towards our having a certain knowledge of the Divine Will and performing of the same The Second Head contained the Subject on which the Divine Benefits are bestowed concerning which they thus judged and determined That all Mankind by the Sin and Fall of Adam were utterly depraved and lost so destitute of strength and in so desperate and forlorn a condition as that they were unable to think of that which is good but that God did so universally love Mankind as that he gave his Son Jesus Christ and constituted him to be a Peace-maker between God and Man Hence God bestowed upon all Men a new Birth Himself his Son his Holy Spirit the Light and Word within and did by the same so stir up their Minds even every one of them in his true Way and peculiar Measure so as to understand and perceive their Misery and did so excite them as that they at length sought God and were converted unto him which Light was yet effected sometimes by the Word from without and lively Preaching but then it was they said that that Light and Word was to be received of Men when they did not resist the Divine Operation but received it and being stirred up by God they gave way to his Impulse and Incitement but here seeing there was none to whom the Doctrine of the purer Protestants upon this Head was known and to whom the Opinions of such as savoured of Pelagianism or in some part inclined to them were not unknown who did not think that the Quakers also pursued and imitated some such thing as these last mentioned the Quakers hereupon cryed out that they were much in the wrong since indeed their meaning was that either the
fatigued with so many and so great vitiosities Fooleries and Juglings ought to acknowledge their Vertue in that they durst batter and break through such common and inveterate Pravity and Perverseness with so much Inconveniency to themselves though these Men did not deny as Experience doth now also force them to confess but that some of them were not such as they would have and wished themselves and all other Men to be and that indeed there were at first and are at this day some among so great a confluence of these Men who hiddenly and craftily insinuate themselves into their Societies and do follow rather their words than deeds and not only pass over the Limits of that their so great Severity and Gravity but do also themselves commit those Vices which they lay to the charge of others and more especially do carry themselves maliciously and fraudulently in their Negotiations and Dealings with Men and set their Profession to Sale and serve Persons and not Offices and also accommodate themselves to the present times but they say they hate despise and are angry with such Men yea that they are a loathing to them and that they make a diligent search after them and if they find they will not be reclaimed nor repent that then there are severe Chastisements reserved for them but and if notwithstanding they do not return they order them to be cast out of their Community But as I have long before begun to say there was so great a concourse of Men to the Inventors and first broachers of Quakerism and after they had associated themselves unto them there was such a Zeal from time to time for this same Religion and this Sect or way of Living and on the other side so great an Emulation and Strife of other Men against these that both sides seemed to strive who should most fatigue and soonest overcome the other concerning which matter I have now at length determined to speak at large This is that which those Men have professed of themselves and such is the Testimony they gave unto them who daily joyned themselves to their Communion that they were and indeed had been of the number of those Men who had a great desire for and single Love to God and their own Salvation wherefore as Birds of a Feather do easily flock together there were those of the multitude of every Religion especially such who had most Piety towards God and were most desirous of the blessedness of their Souls than which nothing is more desirable to Man that betook themselves to their Society they did confess they were now sensible of and bewailed with what negligence sloth indifferency and perverseness they had sought God before and studied their own Salvation for which they should have been mostly concern'd and that they were desirous now to make amends for and compensate this Evil with so much the greater and more vigorous diligence in doing good Hence they had frequent Meetings together and with united Minds turned to God they presented themselves unto him and stirred up one another to do the same Thus they loved nothing so much as their Meetings and did so exercise mutual Offices one towards another that they were resolved rather to suffer any thing yea rather Death it self than not do so And now they affirmed that they pitied others the wretchedness of all and the common destruction because that they were affected with no manner of care no thoughts of their Salvation and that they had no other desire than to deliver them from such great danger and hazard of their Souls hence it was that they used many words to such as they thought to be within the compass of such danger whence many were daily enticed and brought over by them and several were taken by no Word but only Example and seeing that all of them were of the same Mind herein there was none or rarely any Dissention between them in regard to their Sermons or Speeches no contempt of any Man's Parts Condition and Gifts and thus every one as gifted one way or another bestowed upon and dispensed to one another and divided his Talent among all which is indeed the real Communion of Saints so also did the younger Men discharge the Offices of a full Age as did likewise Virgins and Maidens and neither did Women confine themselves to the discharge of their Duties towards their Husbands which was only in use to this time but publickly Taught and Preached wherefore many of both Sexes were daily moved to betake themselves to this side where they might have an Opportunity to shew what they were especially Women partly through the Inconstancy of their Natures partly from a super-abounding Zeal and Love of Religion and partly for to have a Publick Tryal of themselves and also to Instruct Men before the Church which only thing seemed yet to be wanting in this part of the World to make up the licentiousness of the Female Sex Moreover as in England this Sex is looked upon as having a great power and ascendency by their blandishing demeanors over their Husbands and such as belonged unto them hence it came to pass that many Families by their means did often joyn and unite themselves to these Quakers though they were not so ready to receive and admit of these Men into their Society and they did try each of them with all the exactness they could and though in the beginning a less number of Men joyned themselves to them and that afterwards and at this day there is a much greater increase of them that Custom of Womens Teaching and Discoursing publickly did then and more and more by degrees and at this day almost universally wear out and grow into disuse Now their Assemblies and the Worship performed in them were without any charge to them and if there were any of their number poor and needy these held the same Rank and were had in the same Esteem with them as the rest and them they relieved according as their Wealth and Substance would bear so as that laying aside all Ambition and Pride its Price and Reward might be equally distributed to Vertue alone and that every ones Probity might be only his own Commendation and Praise wherefore there were many who were either not so much esteemed or not so well relieved among their own Societies who fled to these among whom there were not a few found who according to the old and common Contagion made Religion only a Cloak for their Humility and Obscurity and the nourisher of their Idleness but there was a far greater cause than all this and indeed there is nothing so opposite to Religion and Godliness so much an Enemy to Reason common Sense and Humanity than to desire to Rule in such things as appertain to Religion over the Consciences of Men much more to constrain Men in a violent manner not to follow their Religion which they believe they have received of God and to compel and force them to
and medling with them more than other Men. I have spoken of these things in general I come now to particular Instances as being them alone wherein the Proof Testimony and Truth of things do lie for the Quakers did not deny but did Object that there were many things which they reprehended in the Doctrine and Religion of others insomuch that they harped much upon this string That there were many and great Scandals and Reproaches cast upon their Doctrine and Conversation by many and that from hence it was that great Injuries were offered unto them every where The Quakers did indeed Muster up several Petitions offered by the Publick Priesthood let me make use of the publick words of that People who were in Publick Power which tended to the expelling and banishing of the Quakers for those Reasons which if they had been true they themselves did confess that they deserved having thus carried it in respect to the Christian Religion not only to be thrust out of one Province or the whole Kingdom but from the face of the Earth and the number of the Living if as these Men did deny it was Lawful for any Humane Power to inflict so severe and violent a Punishment upon any for any wickedness whatsoever Such an Humble Petition as this if I mistake not was presented in the Year Fifty One by several Pastors of Churches and Citizens and Inhabitants of the County of Westmorland to the Justices of the Peace for that County wherein they desired That James Naylor and George Fox and Francis Howgil and the rest of their Companions which Men they said were generally unknown unto them from whence they came where they dwelt what their business was and whom they said came by their own Authority into these Places and did miserably distract all sorts of Men and set them at dissention and together by the Ears and had wickedly seduced many People with great Efficacy from the true Religion into dangerous pernicious horrible and damnable Ways and Errors and brought things to such a pass as that they perverted and disturbed all Peace and Order in the Common-wealth when in the mean time they are notwithstanding any egregious and even Divine Reasons offered by them to the contrary wicked Men Impostors the Ministers of Satan wherefore they pray they may be driven away and commanded to go into their own Countries and confine themselves within those bounds to their own Occupations and Employments The Effect and Prevalency of which Petition was this that Naylor and Howgil were thrust into Prison though one of the Magistrates to wit Gervase Benson did bear open Testimony against his Brethren that Naylor did not deserve to be censured for what he had done as if he were guilty of Blasphemy and that he as a Criminal should be admonished and laid under such a Punishment for violating of the Law against such Persons and so great Villains To which this must be added that the same Justice Gervase Benson and Anthony Pearson another that was Judge in that matter did afterward turn Quakers and wrote several things for those Men Another Example of this Petitioning was One two Years after presented to the Council of State so they call'd it by many Noblemen Iustices of the Peace Ministers and Citizens of Lancashire in which Petition you have these words That G. Fox and James Naylor and their Associates and Companions did not cease both to dissolve the Bond and Vnity that was between all sorts and ranks of Men as also between the People and God and brought their own Followers to such a pass that all of them Men Women Children and little Ones were in their Conventicles agitated with strange and ridiculous motions trembled foamed swole with their Bellies and that some of their Teachers did not stick to say of themselves besides other abominable Heresies that they were equal to God To this Petition was subjoyned a Catalogue of their Heresies with the Witnesses hands to it in these words That George Fox confess'd and did persist therein That he was equal to God the only Judge of the World Christ the Way the Truth and the Life and so if that any one took upon him in his Sermon to the People to explain any Text of Scripture be was an Enchanter and his Preaching an Enchantment and that the Scripture was carnal that James Melver confessed that he was God and Christ and that the same Man gave out these Prophecies that the Day of Judgment was at hand and farther that there should be no more a Judge in Lancashire and that he would shortly pull up the great Assembly of Parliament by the Roots that Leonard Fell professed that Christ never had any other Body but the Church that R. Hubberthorn had said that the coming of Christ in the flesh was only a Type and Figure But though the Quakers did thus determine among themselves that these things which were laid to their charge were such that even the thing if they held their peace would totter of it self but yet as they left nothing that was objected against them without some Answer so did they also confute this in their Writings in such a manner and with such Reasons that it was very apparent that they were wicked Men who invented these things and that those who believed them were Fools excepting the Prophecies of Melver the Vanity of whose words they willingly acknowledged and reproved yea and seeing it was the Fate of these Men in all Judgments to have many Actions and Opinions full of Scandal and Disgrace laid to their charge besides their Doctrine and way of Living they answered and overthrew these charges not in one Pamphlet only and set forth what they had expounded concerning any matter what their Opinion was and whose it was but they also sent these Pamphlets to all the Judges and also to the Protector Cromwel and did moreover Publish them among the People so that all and every Person might be throughly acquainted with their Doctrine and Life with the causes thereof and plainly weigh those things that might come to be controverted and if any suspicion insinuated it self into the Minds of some Persons they might remove it and that they might no longer lie under such false Accusations as these but whether it came to pass from such an imputed Crime or from Resisting and Opposing in an over violent manner or rather wickedly and imprudently impugning the Doctrine and Fame of the Ministers of God's Word Hubberthorn from this time forward did not sustain one only Imprisonment at Chester but was also confined in Norwich and that to the Year Fifty Five but of this briefly and by the way Let 's go on there are some Instances of these Men being accused by their Adversaries falsly even then when they went to them for to clear themselves of that Ignominy either they challenged them to set themselves in some place and to hear how these Accusers proved and made the thing good after
Day and in the same Church spoke these words against John Knowles the Preacher after he had pronounced the Blessing upon the People This is the Word of God to thee Knowles I command thee to Repent for what thou hast done and to hearken to the Light of Conscience that is within thee and so being again punished with many blows and thrown out of the Church she was first confined by the Watch of the City and afterward committed by the Mayor into the Common Prison and had no heavier Punishment inflicted upon her From whence almost all sorts of Citizens grew enraged and cryed out that these Men sought nothing else by their Inventions and Undertakings but occasions of Reproaches Disturbances and Confusions as also matter of Enmities and Revenge against them Now Audland and his Companion were returned into the City who when they were a going out of the City towards a place where the Quakers intended to keep a Meeting they were like to be in great danger from the Boys that assaulted them and it s very like they had perished if they had not been saved by the Care and Industry of some of the chief Men of the Place Which when the Common People and such like unto them came to know and supposing those Principal Citizens had not done their Duty as they ought they broke out against them and some threatned the Magistrates and made a Clamour That this new base and partly flagitious and wicked People the Quakers had passed over the Bounds of Modesty and proceeded so far that they could not arrive to a greater Audacity and Impudence than they were come to and that the Magistrate saw and bore with all this to whose care it was committed to maintain the Honour and Dignity of the Common-wealth whom they represented and to take heed lest the whole People should at last be endangered in their Religion so that seeing now when so great a matter is in agitation the Laws are silent Judgments dumb Punishments ceased all things both Divine and Humane lie unregarded and the extream Fate of the Religion and Liberty of the City was at hand it was high time that the People themselves should watch and upon the neglect of the Magistrate those whom it most concerns are to be Magistrates to themselves and must seek after their own safety which they cannot otherwise procure This though it may not be Lawful at another time yet at such a time as this is it 's both right and just and ought and there is need it should be done but before they would enter upon it they desired that an Account of the whole matter might be transmitted to Cromwel who was the defender of the Common Law and Liberty The which was done without delay for there were some who transmitted their desires forthwith in this matter to Cromwel And so while these Men thought that they acted the part of Citizens bravely yea that they like so many Viceroys imagined they discharged the Office of Judges well the Magistracy winked hereat or contemned it especially because things were brought to that pass that the Guard of Soldiers that was placed in the City did no ways deter them therefrom This Tumult lasted for the space of two days and then was appeased of it self But lo while the Magistrates were studying to aslay this great outragiousness of the Times by reason of such Insolence in their own People and upon this Consideration did not afterwards call the heads of the Rioters to an Account for such their doings another Quaker Henry Warren by Name had rather exasperate the matter and was as it were the poisoned Nail in this Altar of the City for he had such a Lust as I may say for it and proceeded to such a height of boldness that in the Church and that even when there was a very great Assembly he spake these words to the face of the Minister after he had made an end of his Office and Work The Prayers of the Wicked are an abomination to the Lord with which opprobrious speech than which nothing could be more contemptible all were stirred up and provoked so as that they violently drave the Man from the Church and lead him before the Mayor and Sheriffs of the City who that they might not go unpunished commanded them to be thrust into Prison but such was the intenseness and desire of these Men to talk at this rate in these places and they were so much tickled with the Glory which they placed therein that they seemed to deliberate one with another and to determine with Judgment for to pursue this matter whatever Hatred Trouble or Mischief befel them and their Companions therefore it was not only one but many of them broke out in this manner who were ever and anon assaulted and violently beaten for it and indeed wounded in the croud until they were thrust into Prison At last the Magistrate calls all these Prisoners to an Account for their doings which till then by reason of the Times and other necessary Circumstances was omitted but so even as now things stood their Examination was done in a mild tender and gentle manner the Magistrate supposing that many harsh things might be alleviated by gentle Animadversion and Forbearance but those Prisoners made their Answers to the Magistrate not at all more submissively but in a sharper manner and as often as their Crime was laid to their charge they would acknowledge and confess no Crime and stifly vindicated what they had done as what was Lawful and decent and that they did not do them things of their own will but according to the Will of God and the Instinct and Admonition of his Divine Spirit and the Examples of Holy Men insomuch that the Obstinacy and Obdurateness of these Men prevailed wherefore the Judges commanded them to be kept in Bonds by reason of their causing these Molestations and Disturbances and for their perverse Manners and Obstinacy and not for any other causes as these Men by way of Complaint did alledge Moreover the People were generally so irritated and exasperated with hatred wrath and rage against them that they set upon the Quakers every where laid hands on them beat knock'd and kick'd them and that so far that some of them rushed into their Houses and haled Men out from thence ransacked all that was therein and omitted nothing that might gratifie their incensed Minds Of them that were at this time in this City were Audland and Camie Howgil and Burroughs and Naylor and Fox whom we ought to have named first as being always the first and with the foremost as if there had been a Council called here and that this were done about most weighty Affairs which when the Magistrates came to know because there was a Report made unto them and that some had made Oath of it that there were certain Franciscan Fryars come from Rome to London who concealed themselves under the name of Quakers and deluded simple Men
to defame and heap up scandalous Reproaches upon the Credit Fame and Reputation of the Magistrates and Pastors of the Church in their most bitter Letters to their Friends such Practices as these might also be seen in other places and these things did the Quakers of those Times extol as noble doings and glorious actions and to be imitated by others and on the contrary did in their Pamphlets represent those things which these Men suffered for such Practises as the most Criminal and bloody deeds of their Enemies And indeed these things were done by Men of a depraved disposition and not by the best of them who may justly be called Ideots for all of them were not guilty of it they who were of better quality and disposition their Leaders and Rulers saving perchance one or two or the like and saving always Fox did neither commit nor commend these sorts of little Fooleries even as all this day as far as they can avoid it neither do nor admit of the same and when they hear of such things transacted by their Sect they say they do esteem such Actions as the impulses and singular motions of those Men and as it were the burning sparks of their Zeal Love or Desire whereof there have been many instances in this kind in the Church both in Ancient times and within the memory of our Fathers these things were transacted in the Years Fifty Four and Fifty Five but some Quakers this last Year met at Evesham in Worcestershire in the House of one Thomas Cartwright to Celebrate their Divine Worship when this came to be known a certain Constable rushes into the House and brings out Cartwright and together with him under one labour Humphrey Smyth and carries them before certain Justices that were together in the same and in company with Haphinch the Minister of the Church these after a long Debate and Contention with them did at last promise to dismiss these Men if they would engage and swear that they would not meet again but when they denyed that they neither would nor could do so but would meet for such just ends as they had in hand and would not confirm any manner of thing with an Oath these Justices supposing they had sufficient cause against them they commanded them as Persons intent upon Rebellion and disturbance of the Peace to be lead to Prison But some Quakers were so affected with the Misery of their own Imprisoned Friends and mindful of them as if they had been in Prison themselves that they betook themselves to the Prison and when they were not permitted to go in they stand still without mute to see if they could at least by their Sighs and Prayers obtain any relief from God but whether Smyth by receiving of some sign came to know that they were there present or that he was stirred up thereunto of his own accord he at the same time with a loud voice falls to Prayer in the Prison which when the Keeper and others that belonged to the Prison that were by chance there present heard they run to him and being ready to do the Man a mischief hal'd him from thence and drive him down into another place under Ground of the Nature of a Dungeon those who were without repeat the same thing next day and seeing that before they had held only a silent Meeting one of them now Thomas Woodren by Name began to speak the same Keeper when he perceived this goes out unto them in great Rage and Commands them in a very rough and angry manner all to avoid the place and to depart This they did not because of his words but of their own will and accord and return again within a few hours after they had departed The which as soon as Smyth in his Cell came to know he calls and speaks to them and they Discourse together It was on a day wherein the Townsmen had been at their Religious Worship in the Church and the hour wherein they were to depart from thence to their respective homes and so some of them passed by that way where the Quakers were gathered together and Woodren was speaking to them about their Concerns but a certain Colonel lays hold on him and brings him before the Mayor and was thereupon by his Command sent into Prison to Smyth and this Magistrate was so angred and enraged against these Meetings that he threatned them if they offered to come together in that manner again to Pillory hang them and what not and because they were afraid lest the Quakers persisted in that their purpose they keep a Watch but yet they proceeded to do as they were wont to do and therefore they also were punished with Imprisonment Smyth had some Pamphlets of the Quakers in his custody these were taken from him and burnt in the sight of the People in the Market-place There had been a Law some time before made by the Protector Cromwel wherein it was enacted under a severe Penalty That none should Swear profanely and more especially not only to swear falsly but that none should swear slightly and for no cause and by no means Profane the Holy Name of God This Statute was read before the People but not set up as the Custom was on any Publick Place the Quakers hence took occasion to Complain that there were some among the Magistracy of this City and so of the Nation who themselves did grievously offend more than one way against so Holy a Constitution for one was to be met with who drove Men most lightly to take an Oath when he must needs know how great the wickedness of some Men was and how that many might and were wont to be brought to swear falsly and to Perjure themselves with no more Conscience than if they told an officious Lye another there was who himself had no Religion but confirmed ever and anon what he said with an Oath another that was a Drunkard wherefore a certain Quaker fixt that Decree of the Protector on the Post of the Court that it might be read by all but this was pluck'd off by another The Quakers did hereupon send their Petition concerning these things to the Protector and then was a Letter sent by the Mayor Subscribed by Forty Hands besides to him they urge that he would do them Justice and that Cromwel's Decree might be put in execution in pursuance to which both theirs and other mens Vices might be punished but their Petitions had no such Effect as they expected for they did indeed but disturb the Ears of the one with them and so irritated the Minds of the others that they brought a new Misfortune upon themselves and did also render the Cause of their Friends and Familiars the more difficult and did besides aggravate the Burden of the same upon which they afterward chose rather to contain themselves and stir the less and so be the less liable to danger Towards the lâ—tter end of this Year and almost the whole
of these Students they flew thither and halâ—d and thrust the Men out of Doors and there tossed them backward and forward and tormented them all the ways they could but if they could not conveniently get in they broke the Doors and Windows but when they could not or would not do that they stood about the House and there received them as they came out as before and this also was a small matter with them there were some of them who were furnished with Pipes and Tobacco an Herb well known and so called from him who first shewed the use of it and Ale of which they themselves did not only sip often but also reached the same to the Quakers and upon their refusing thereof yea saying nothing at all to the matter and as it were silently sipping up and digesting all that Affliction they poured the Drink down the Throats of the People and upon their Cloaths struck them pulled them by the Nose and tore their Beards that they might force them to speak something to them But these vile doings were yet but little in their Eyes there were some of them who run upon and trod them under their Feet who discharged Muskets at them and threw Squibs and Serpents as they call them which flew and burnt their Cloaths where ever they touched them others brought Mastiff Dogs with them and set them on not only to bark at the People but to fly at them and bite them some of them when they went away took the mens Goods along with them and when the Quakers made Complaint of these Mischiefs and Injuries done them to their Tutors and Professors they were deaf to them and took them but as so many Tales told them And indeed they suffered such great and so many Evils that unless these Men had written concerning the same openly to the World and that none did ever refel and confute what was written by them hereupon they could not be believed Such things also as these they complained were done unto them by the Students in Cambridge and this they set forth in Print While these things were transacted Oliver Cromwel died being the Year One Thousand Six Hundred Fifty and Eight on the Third Day of September at Three of the Clock in the Afternoon of a Tertian Ague after he had had a severe Fit of it This Man had the boldness to arrogate to himself so great a Power in all the three Kingdoms that of Old were esteemed to be another World that all things were governed and managed according to his Pleasure alone having rejected the Name of King and assuming that of Protector that he himself might be the more protected from all Hatred and Envy Under the Government of whose Son Richard which was but very short and not managed with that Industry as his Father had done nor administred with that Moderation that he shewed so as that neither his Authority had lessened the Peoples Love to him nor the Favour of the People his Gravity the Quakers Affairs begun daily to grow worse and worse while both on the one side and the other the Quakers were hurried on with greater boldness and those who opposed with greater Cruelty And seeing there are very many Instances extant and such as are very memorable yet because we would shun satiety and that I find the same creeping on I shall dispatch the matter in a few words Seeing there were now more Persons among the Quakers than before who uttered their vain Ribaldry and Bablings even in the Churches and while the Ministers were in the midst of their Sermons so there were also other Men that were more animated and forward to do nothing with Deliberation so that the Quakers for that reason were much more severely punished especially in Wales and some parts of Pembrokeshire There was at London a certain Man whose Name was Solomon Eccles a Man void not of Understanding but of all Shame and Fear who began such a deed that it 's very strange that the same Quaker himself should be willing to Record it and put the matter beyond all doubt and maintain it besides in the very same Pamphlet and thereby shew that no Fact can be feigned be it never so foolish and rash which some would not at least do and not commend as a right and laudable thing to be committed against those whom they so much complained of in respect to the wrongs and injuries done unto them I shall take the thing from the beginning This Man was a Musician and could Sing and Play very well having been Instructed in this Art and Science by his Father and Grandfather and did by it maintain both himself and his Family very genteelly and plentifully It was believed he could Yearly by Teaching of others and by Playing get no less than Two Hundred Pounds Sterling But he had a mind to change this sort of Life and to get into the Fellowship of the Quakers and so experience another way of Living and so he first sells his Books and all his Musical Instruments at a great rate as being now useless and noxious to him but afterwards bethinking himself that they might be hurtful to others as well as to him and that he ought not if he could avoid it suffer any to be injured at the expence of his Profit and Conveniency he buys them back again of those to whom he had Sold them for the same Money and when he had so done he gathered them all together and goes with them directly to Tower-Hill and having there set up a Pile of Wood and fired it at Noon day he does in the sight of many People commit to the Flames and burn all these Excellent and Precious Instruments and Books altogether as being a means to draw Men to be idle to promote a Lascivious Life and as stings to their Lusts and commands all Men to take Pattern by him and shun and curse all such vain and profane Arts. So great was the Zeal of this Man for his new Religion and so great was his Anger and the fervour of his Mind against the Publick Religion of the Kingdom that he could not forbear but must go upon every new bold and rash Act whereof above others this is a most memorable Instance When the People were met together in Aldermanbury Church for to Celebrate the Lord's Supper this Man came thither having furnished himself first with a Sack full of Shooe-maker's Ware so that now from a Musician he was turned Shooe-maker and partly a Cobler to that end that he might go into the Church and there in the croud before that the Minister had got into the Pulpit might Act somewhat of the part of a Shooe-maker And so that he might not be put out he had taken care to get very timely and secretly into the Church and hid himself there in some place Afterward when they were singing of Psalms he rushes up and draws nigh unto the Table and stood with his Hat on
there among some of their own Friends of their Religion some whereof had been there for Two Years and longer because that they also refused to pay Tythes and to Swear the Jaylor put such thick and heavy Fetters of Iron upon these two Men that their Feet were wounded with them which when they desired might be taken off the Keeper of the Prison demanded Money of them for so doing they did not shew themselves very forward to do that whereupon he thrusts them into a filthy and noisom place where they had nothing either to sit or lie upon besides dirt and so they desire they might have a little Straw allowed them and here the same Mercenary Wretch promised he would give them some if they gave him Four Pounds in Money which when they despised and rejected the Keeper's Wife who was even more wretchedly Covetous than her Husband and far more greedy of Prey as often as she came to them would rail and revile them bitterly pulling and haling of them violently at her pleasure In some time they were both ordered to appear at the Assizes of Oxford where when they were accused of various things and that nothing could be found against them that was worthy of Punishment they were again asked as before to take the Oath of Allegiance which when they now also said they could not do it they are remanded back into the same Prison among the same Thieves and Cut-Throats that were kept there which before it was done Goodrey asked whether the Judges did Command them to be laid in Irons The Chief Judge made Answer That the Keeper of the Prison might do as he pleased because they were Persons out of the King's Protection There does the Keeper put them again amongst those Villains and profligate Wretches and gives those wicked Men leave if they wanted any Cloaths to take off theirs I mean these two Innocent mens Apparel at which one of the vilest amongst the whole Crew made Answer That he had rather go altogether naked than take any thing away from these Men And so it was that while the Law was silent at the Bar of Justice and no Fence against Injuries in Prison and Darkness these wretched Men suffered all Violence and Cruelty These few Instances from among many may serve but because the first Parliament under this King was yet sitting the Quakers supposing the Tribunals to be every where set against them so as that there was no hopes of Justice for them they prefer their Supplications to the King and Parliament as being Supream Magistrates and the Authors and Defenders of Liberty Right and Judgment highly complain of the great and many Injuries Violences and Troubles that they suffered from their own Country-men and Neighbours and implore their Help and Assistance and that they might affect them the more they produce a great Commentary or rather Catalogue in Writing containing how that during the time of the two Cromwels there were no less than Three Thousand One Hundred and Seventy Nine of their Society that had been Imprisoned in England Scotland and Ireland and other Countries beyond the Seas Subject to the King's Dominion and that of them Thirty Two were dead And in the close thereof they add That from the King 's Coming in to the present time there had been and were still kept in Prison Three Hundred and Seventeen of them They name every place of their Imprisonment and give the Names of most of the People and did also set forth the Afflictions that most of them had suffered before for what Causes and what those are also for which they were still Imprisoned they did moreover the next Year Present a Writing to the King and Parliament wherein they set forth that their Number was now so increased who since the King's Return had been thrown into Prison that they were no less than Five Hundred Fifty and Two many of whom had also even before their Imprisonment sustained many Afflictions in their own Congregations and did even now undergo many Miseries in the places where they were detained they did in that Writing confirm the Matter with Examples and Testimonies that the Magistrates themselves in some places came to them and carryed them away that in other places they left them to the management of Soldiers and elsewhere that the Commonalty and Rabble who had neither Fortune nor Good Name set upon them with Swords and Staves haled them away and after many blows threw them into Prison Moreover that many Ministers of Churches in several Countries seeing there were some of the Quakers who had not paid Tythes and refused to pay any that came and took out of their Houses and Fields for these Tythes much more than they ought to have done neither did they afterward restore the Over-plus yea that some of them were so choused of their Money that they had rendred them uncapable of paying any more and needed take no further care of exacting the same from them This Writing which was full of Truth was partly neglected and partly despised both by the King and whole Assembly For which there seems to be more than one cause for when the King who was not yet well confirmed in his Kingdom minded his own and other Publick Affairs he did indeed think that these mens Affairs were not yet seasonable and worthy of his Cognizance and Judgment and had entirely forgot all that he had promised to these Men which they thought they had fixt in his Memory with a Ship-nail But as to the Senate of the Kingdom they did indeed seem not yet to have laid aside their Hatred and Enmity against these Men at leastwise the greatest part of them They acknowledged indeed the freedom of Religion given to them but they thought that under that Pretence and Cloak all wicked and abominable Sects and Opinions would creep in and that this Sect of the Quakers was of that sort moreover although the former Endeavours of the Quakers and their Insolent Attempts and such as seemingly were Turbulent were now over and that no Crime could be laid to their charge that tended to the disturbance of the Publick Peace yet as the good as well as the bad of such as are once envied are always hated and that to those who are afraid even false things are true such an Opinion of them did continue and could not be removed that the Quakers were still Men of the same Spirit and Temper and that all their doings tended to Discords and Disturbances Lastly this Affair of the Quakers seemed to have been so often adjudged and decided by so many Judgments that it were unworthy to be brought upon the Stage again So that these calamitous Men were hereby deprived of the benefit of all Judgment of every Suit and Complaint there being no room left for the same And so those who were imprisoned were like to be so always and kept in greatest want and misery neither had any of them the least hopes of their
seized by them and severely handled some who had escaped safe to their Homes from this terrible Usage had their Doors broke open and were hardly used there but neither did this also deter them from Meeting together again but they returned next day to the same place whither came again the same number of Horsemen armed some of them besides the Instruments already mentioned with heavy-headed Clubs and so set upon them throw them upon the Ground beat them and handle them with such a Violence that they drew Blood from many of them some they left as if they had been dead upon the Ground and had died had it not been for the Citizens who being moved with Compassion received some of them into their Houses and took care of them some were so used that they could not lift an Hand to their Mouths yea and could not use any Member of their Body for a long time after There was one of the Horsemen who struck at one of them with so much violence that he shook his Blade out of the Hilt which when the Quaker perceived he gives it up to his smiter saying Take thine own but as for me that which is ours and a Christian's part I beseech and pray to God that the work of this day may not be laid to thy Charge And so on the one side Fury and Cruelty and on the other Constancy and Gentleness seemed to outvie one another But all this Violence could not yet repress the Endeavours and Purposes of these Men And so they met again another day whereupon the same Persons are sent to them also being now looked upon as the best and surest Chastisers and Punishers of these Men who set upon them and handle them according to their wonted manner and while the Quakers endeavour as every one best could to escape they pursue them even to their very Houses And when these Men could not still be diverted from their way and purpose but that they met together on the Twenty Seventh day again the same Troop came up with and before they set upon them they placed Sentinels at the Passes to stop their going out whereupon the Horsemen to the number of Thirty Six break in upon them and with their Clubs and Muskets so beat and bruise the Limbs and Heads of these People with such hard blows and some of them receiving even an Hundred that there was scarce any part of their Body free from Wounds and Bruises and seeing there were some of them who sought to escape their hands by flight they fell in the Avenues into the power of the Sentinels and were as severely handled as the rest and those Punishers and Chastisers intermixt so many Maledictions and Curses with these things that the Quakers who are a People of few words and such as are awful and modest affirmed that they were not so much hurt with their Swords and Clubs in their Bodies as they were troubled at their wicked Words in their Hearts These Men were now so hardned with all these Tryals and Evils that they were not only not moved in the least thereat but also looked upon whatever they suffered as pleasant and glorious being as it were a Martyrdom for their Religion They again Meet on another day to the Number of Sixty Persons with a stedfast and firm Resolution of Mind expecting to be put under the bitterest Tryals and Afflictions at what time a Company of People partly on Horseback and the rest on Foot all of a sudden set upon them in a Tumultuous Boisterous and Clamorous manner and whomsoever they catched they knock'd down to the Ground with their Arms and did so beat and assail some of them and made them so weak and infirm that they could not for a long time stir their Limbs for the use of their Bodies Yet this Outrage could not bring these Men to take better Advice and change their Purpose wherefore the Forty Troopers were sent again against them who thinking they could not be forced by the former Arms they had used do now drive very sharp Nails into the ends of their Clubs wherewith they might repel them and so when the Quakers returned boldly to their Place of Worship on the Sixth of November they set upon them and with horrid Curses and Railleries beat them all from all sides and separate some of them from the rest Here a certain Widow and an Old Woman received Twelve Wounds and another Woman was wounded to her very Reins This Persecution lasted six Weeks From thence forward the Governour took another Course and first of all indeed according to his former manner but now accompanyed with the Recorder of the City and some Officers goes to the places where the Quakers were to Meet together breaks the Doors open and goes in and as soon as any of the Quakers entred dispersed them at another time making use of gentler Remedies he Commands them and lest they should not do it in the King's Name to be gone to which they made Answer That they were full of Duty towards the King but that they loved God the King of Kings more who commanded that no one should forbear to Worship him when they had time and place This the Governour interpreted either as the greatest Ignominy or the utmost Contumacy and thinking neither of them was to be endured renews his former severe Methods against them which he had for some time intermitted and sends Soldiers who should drive them from the places where they were by thrusting haling and smiting of them But when he still found that he neither could by all his Devices and so many Tryals do any good nor was able to bridle them but that they were of that Mind and Disposition either to live with this Freedom of Meeting together or to suffer Death for it he chose rather at last to cease and give over taking any notice of them These things which are worthy of Admiration and which might seem to be set forth at large by the Quakers by way of Accusation I take notice of not only from their own Relations of themselves but also from the Testimonies of others and of the most sober Christians of that City moreover there was no Citizen who had any sense of Pity and Humanity about him that did not express his Indignation Dis-approbation and also Detestation of the great Severity used against them THE Remaining PART OF THE Second BOOK OF THIS General History OF THE QUAKERS Begins at Aa Page 1. THE General History OF THE QUAKERS BOOK II. SO Eager and Resolute they were for the maintenance of their Religion profession and publick meetings that maugre all the severe Laws enacted against them all the miseries they had already undergone and the future evils impending on their heads yet they never intermitted so much as one day from assembling together and managing religious concerns Nay so far were they from being dispirited by the great calamities and miseries they lay under that from the lowest
progress of time encreas'd their small Fortunes to a considerable bulk so that their former Persecution and the Exchange of their Habitations prov'd advantagious to them Besides there were not wanting some among them who besides their domestick Affairs took care also of the General interest of the Sect even in that Country and by introducing New Meetings and constituting a New Society there became the chief Pillars and Ornaments of their whole Church tho formerly they had been in no repute amongst their own People either for Riches or other Endowments so that their Friends and Associates did not stand to say publickly of them that they were toss'd and harrass'd by many tribulations and at length brought to that Country by the Divine Counsel that they might be oblig'd to Acknowledge that Divine Assistance which enabled them to compass such great undertakings the same thing happening unto them that we observe in Trees and Plants the which the more they are shaken with the Winds the deeper and faster Root they take and when prun'd bring forth Fruits better and in greater plenty or when bare at the Roots or digg'd up and Transplanted to other ground Fructify better and produce a more plentiful Harvest A pious and laudable Action to put such favourable Constructions upon adverse events and to enlarge and magnify what prosperously befalls ' em The Quakers at this time complain'd hugely of the cruel and inveterate malice of the Ecclesiasticks and Ministers against them who should have been meek even to their Enemies following in this the Example of their Lord and Master while on Earth who was meek and tender to his greatest Enemies Their mouths were also fill'd with the cruelty of the Bishops who are the chiefest managers of all publick concerns and the principal Members of the Parliament the supreme Judicatory of the Nation whose Authority is of so great weight and influence in the Nation that they were the Authors of all the sâ—vere Laws and Rigid constitutions made against them that they propos'd nothing concerning the restraining and suppressing of Sectaries and consequently Quakers that was not forthwith listen'd to by the Noble Men and Statesmen of the Kingdom Their complaint therefore was that Justice was done them no where that they could not obtain liberty so much as to display the injuries that were done them that this persecution was Universal and every where insomuch that every Town or whatever place was frequented by People ring'd with the persecution and affliction of the Quakers And because they are of this principle that Resistance is to be offer'd to none nay not so much as to ward off force by force that whatever fortune befell them they should not only acquiesce in it but receive it with all chearfulness and willingness of mind while it was for Conscience sake that whatever evils they were oppress'd with they should undergo them with the greatest Constancy Patience and Fortitude of mind and body they complain'd that upon this account the world was the more jealous and suspicious of them that their wrath and malice was incited the more against them that they lay open to the snares and devices of all Men such as could not be avoided by simple and open hearted Men and to the greatest Perils and Dangers that any Mortals could undergo not otherwise than if every thing alledg'd against them had been prov'd or if their patient enduring the Punishments inflicted had been their crime and this their constancy in suffering accounted by some stubbernness and contumacy had call'd for a greater weight of punishment to be inflicted In opposition to which when such like complaints came to the ears of the Church-men they endeavour'd to purge themselves thus that seeing the Quakers did so obstinately forsake and separate from the publick Religion Churches and Sermons and neglected despis'd and endeavour'd by all means to render ineffectual the Laws and Constitutions of the Church and stoped oppos'd and diminish'd as much as in them lay their revenues incomes and advantages so that they design'd and contriv'd to ruine them and theirs if they could there was therefore no remedy left for curbing and checking their corrupted minds irregular Actions and unaccountble boldness but the method they had chosen for that effect and the punishments they met with were no less than they deserv'd that as for them they had done nothing but what was their duty and became them in the conscientious discharge of their function which was not to be their Enemys as they said but to correct punish and reform sinners But the Quakers chiefly found fault with this that they always cited them before the Ecclesiastick and Spiritual Courts which after this year became very frequent this touch'd them so sensibly that they could not conceal the grief and anguish of their mind nor moderate their tongues from expressing the same This Ecclesiastical Court was after this manner The Quakers being most obstinate and tenatious to all the Articles of their Religion and very nice and insulting in the minutest Tenets of another did by their obstinacy and trouble mightily incourage the Ministers of the Churches and which of all things here on Earth is most sensible occasion'd the diminution of their revenues They were then cited to appear and if they either made any great Resistance or refus'd to give surety or to appear before the Court they were excluded from Communion with the Church as being the Excrements and Off-scourings of the world This we commonly call Excommunication Which Excommunication was approv'd and confirm'd by every Bishop in his Bishoprick and also by the Bishop of the Diocess where it was done after which any Accusers or Actors had full power and liberty to prosecute them as lewd and wicked people separated from the Mother the Holy Church Then being delated to the Magistrates and by their command apprehended and cast into Prison were to lye there till they had suffer'd all the penalty and pay'd the last farthing tho in the mean time none of them had began to pay the first penny This Action is call'd by Lawyers de Excommunicato capiendo The crimes they were accus'd of that made them liable to this Thunderbolt of Excommunication were these That they did not frequent the publick Churches nor observ'd the set holydays in attending Sermons and publick Prayers that in holy days they and their families did not abstain from profane wocking that they withheld their Children from baptism and would not give surety for them when they excluded 'em from the Number of Christians That they did not receive the other Sacrament that they were not married by their Parish Ministers nor any others of the Church that they were not joyn'd together in the bond of Matrimony according to Law but liv'd together like lewd and debauch'd persons making their Wives whores and their Children bastards and illegitimate This depriv'd the Ministers of the Advantages they otherwise had by the fees and allowances paid them on such
substance and was fond of an occasion to terrify the rest from doing the like he caus'd this Man to be hal'd to Prison where he smarted for his contumacy by fifteen weeks Captivity during which time and likewise after that Dobson was releas'd and return'd to his own house he pillag'd and harass'd his house and possessions taking off his Horses Kine and other possessions which were priz'd and sold for his benefit till he made about forty pounds English And afterwards in the year sixty six and sixty seven when the poor Man was secure fearing nothing he attacks him again takes from him his Horse four Kine and all the Cattle he had of whatever sort all the furnishing of his house and the very beds they lay upon so distressing and empoverishing the poor Man that he and his Family scarce had wherewithal to cloath themselves But some time after when he had almost overcome this disafter having purchas'd two kine which gave Milk out of which and the cheese made of it he sustain'd his Family without any other food the Minister of the Parish Church whose name I choose rather to conceal pursues him with an Edict of Excommunication insomuch that not only this small remnant he had for maintenance of his family was taken from him but himself thus poor and empty was cast into Prison which was done in the same year from which time he remain'd captive till the year Seventy two when he was set at liberty by the King 's special Command at length having return'd to his former dwelling place and beginning to improve his small fortune a little by labouring the ground and diligent working this same Tithe-master I have already nam'd so well vers'd in his exactory Discipline that no office of humanity withheld him from the same falls upon him again and takes all the possessions he now enjoy'd leaving him nothing so that the value and price of what he took from him was reckon'd to be eightly pounds English which is eight hundred and fifty eight Dutch Gilders And moreover to give a farther instance of his unparallel'd Barbarity he caused him to be cast into Prison in the year seventy five where he was shut up among Thieves and Robbers and those who were not only guilty of such Enormous Crimes but even of Whoring and Revelling the Botches and Exulcerations arising from their intemperate Venery being yet running upon their bodies creating a most noysome and grievous smell and all the whole Members of their body being infected and corrupted with the same But Dobson's greatest comfort was that he found in Prison Men of his own Society who were kept Captive upon the same account that he was Sometime after when one of these miserable pocky wretches had rotted unto Death through the Corruption of that blackest and foulest disease the Keeper of the Prison a Man inferior to none for wickedness and excess of Rudeness and Inhumanity who dealt so with these Quakers his Prisoners that he shew'd to the World that his humor and constitution was fitted for tormenting mankind gather'd up the straw upon which this Corrupted and Loathsome carkass was laid bringing it into that place where Dobson with his fellow Quakers and also the rest of these flagitive miscreants were throng'd up where he burnt it in a fire to testify that burning hatred and malice against the Quakers which rag'd and flam'd within his Breast And from the flames of this burning straw there proceeded such Exhalations and Contagious fumes that the Quakers were all taken ill of a most grievous and dangerous disease which in a short time put a period to the lives of some of them Dobson recover'd of this Distemper but continu'd under the same miserable Captivity till the wellcome day of his Death which happen'd in the last day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred seventy and seven The Quakers therefore being griev'd in soul for this insupportable affliction of their Brethren and apprehensive of the like Events about to befall themselves could not contain themselves from expressing the Estuations and Boylings of their incensed Minds nor restrain their extravagant Tongues and Pens from complaining and lamenting every where publishing Books and Writings Exaggerating the misery of their Condition and demonstrating unto the World what for Men these Evangelical Reform'd Protestants as they call'd 'em Evidenc'd themselves to be Those who in ancient Times cry'd out against Persecution for Religion's sake pretending that none but God had Power to call their Religion and Conscience to account and yet in these days are so fierce and cruel with their own Countreymen upon the same Religious Account sighting against them with carnal Weapons and oppressing them to such an high degree that tho they spar'd their Lives yet inâ—licted Evils far worse than Death it self introducing the same Tyranny that was us'd against the Church oâ— Old but with a New Face and Name The Quakers relate and also some of the Chroniclers or these Times record That in the Time of that fatal and bloody Plague which Rag'd so severely both in London and many parts of that Realm the Bishops besought the King and boldly counsell'd him That in Order to avert and appease the Weath of God which then so heavily afflicted them he would free and cleanse the Kingdom from that Pâ—st of Quakers and other Fanaticks the Banishment and Extirpation of whom would be an acceptable and Propitiatory Sacrifice for the sins of the Land But the moderation of the King was too great to give Ear to such Counsels for though he would not countenance or assist these men yet he was not willing to use such inhumane Cruelty against them and accordingly chose rather that the Old Punishment should be continued against them than a New One of that Nature take place This Year which was so fatal unto many places destroying both the Quakers and their Enemies promisouously did likewise give the same deadly stroke to Samuel Fisher whose Fame among the Quakers Acuteness of Wit Learning and Neat Polite Way of Writing I have already mentioned He died in Prison The Quakers mightily lamented his Death being sensible what a great Doctor and what a Skillful and dexterous Defender of them and their Religion they had lost Their Enemies and Ministers of the Church on the contrary rejoyc'd and congratulated his Death who had given them so much trouble while alive being educated in the same Colledges with themselves and having been one of their own Tribe taught the same manner of learning and invested with the same office and well acquainted with all their writings â—â—trigues methods and Ecclesiastical Policy so that he was more capable to use their own Weapons and Arguments against themselves which he did very dexterously At this same very time they were likewise bereav'd of John Coughen so fam'd and renown'd among the Quakers who tho he was not taken out of the World yet deserted his Station and separated himself from the
admirer of Knowledge and Learning and to reason with her out of the Book of Plato concerning this Platonical Doctrine and came that length with her that both he and she embrac'd the same opinion for a truth and because Keith was oftimes present at their Conferences they bring him in also to take share in the same opinion Which being made known to the Quakers Helmont who was a stiff Defender of his own Opinions which they look'd upon some of them as Dangerous Innovations others as foolish Errors and Distracted Notions became suspected and hated by them upon which he bids farewell to them and all their Society proceeding not only to Vindicate his Opinion but because he thought it yet rude and unpolish'd to refine and adorn the same instructing himself again and again out of the Jewish Writings of what might be serviceable to his Design digesting his Thoughts into this Form which I give you a Draught of in as few words as possibly I may Before the Souls are united to their Bodies they exist in another World after they are united to the Bodies each of them has its day of the Divine Visitation after One Thousand Years given to it for this End that by absolute Holiness and Sanctification it may prepare for Eternal Felicity But if it abuse the Goodness of God that it may expect to be condemn'd to that long and terrible Punishment which God hath prepared for them at the expiring of this their set Time But this Space of a Thousand Years is not continued and undivided but distinguish'd and circumscribed by Twelve Revolutions or Circnits of the Soul into the same Body except unto some of the Saints who are purg'd and sanctified enough in the first or second Cireuit And these Returns happen after Three Hundred Thirty Three Years and Four Months But while they are out of the Body they do not advance or proceed in Piety therefore if they be good it goes well with them if ill they fare the worse Those Souls which before the Death of Christ were translated from this Life and were not saved when they return to their Bodies may obtain Salvation through the Gospel of Christ But those since the Death of Christ to the End of the World that have not heard of the Gospel shall return again to their Bodies all at one time and in one place and then shall hear with their Ears the Tidings of the Gospel and obtain Salvation if they believe After that the Saints return to the Earth the First Resurrection shall be and all the Saints shall live upon Earth a Thousand Years without any Sin even as Adam in the State of Innocence and after the Example of Adam they shall be born of Virgins being begot of God their Father Then the Second Resurrection shall follow when the Saints shall after the Example of Christ the Second Adam be made perfect and consummated in their Heavenly Bodies And lastly The Felicity and Bliss of the Godly shall be Eternal but the Punishment of the Wicked shall be Finite and at length terminate in an End But I return to Keith I am firmly perswaded that Keith receives and entertains these Positions if not all yet at least the chiefest and most material of them though he would not discover his Mind in these Points unto any save those that are his Secretaries and Trustees or that seem a little wiser than the rest But he is not the only Favourite of these Doctrines there be others among them that are as fond of them as he tho very few so that they are far from being universally receiv'd by all the Society Nay the Quakers shall not long tolerate any Abertors of such Principles to continue of their Society if it be true what I have oftimes heard from some of their principal Members I have taken occasion to express my self more largely upon this point not only for sake of the Quakers but also of those who when they hear or read of these propositions and the books that treat of the same as not a few are curious to do are ignorant what is the original and beginning of these opinions and thus are ready to Judge of the whole matter amiss After this time William Penn joyn'd himself to the Society of the Quakers who after his fathers Death becaine Governour of Pensilvania a Man famous all over England and renown'd even among forreigners that are not quite ignorant of the English affairs by whose accession to that party counsel assistance diligence and activity the interest of the Quakers was much enlarg'd and amplified not indeed all of a sudden but by degrees It shall not therefore be improper according to my method of describing these great Men which we have follow'd from the beginning to subjoyn an account of the occasion and manner of his Conversion to this Religion his Love and Zeal for it and of his Wit and Conversation William Penn his father was Vice-Admiral to the English Navy a prudent and grave Man who behav'd himself so in the midst of the Distractions and Dissensions in the Government that according to the Divine Religion he was faithful and honest to his Neighbour This father having design'd his Son who was not born to him but to his Country and to the Common-wealth for some publick Remarkable Station in managing publick concerns not for being merely intent upon raising and encreasing his private fortune took care to have him well instructed in all Divine and humane Offices and sent him afterwards to the University of Oxford that among the rest of the young Gentlemen of that place he might exercise his mind with the study of Learning and liberal Arts. Then afterwards he went to France and staying sometime at Paris appear'd frequently at the French Court. At this time being yet very young he gave great testimony both of his stoutness and continency defending his Life boldly from the assault of an Enemy and a Fencer who sought to slay him but withal sparing the Life of this his Adversary when it was in his power to have kill'd him Having return'd to his own Country he went into Ireland where he heard many things of the Quakers and not being altogether an Enemy to their Doctrines and Conversations he freequented their Meetings This was the year sixty six and of his Age twenty two It happen'd that when he was present at their Meeting the Magistrate of the place came and took both him and the rest of the company Prisoners But he was so far from being frighten'd by this sudden and unexpected accident or from being tempted to withdraw from their party and profession that even in Prison he applied his mind more eagerly to their opinions after having understood of them more fully what were the peculiar properties of these Men either in Doctrine of Conversation The father was ravish'd with Admiration and not a little angry at his Son who was the only hope and comfort of his parents and who
on the other hand pay'd the greatest respect and reverence to them imaginable who was thus become the disgrace of his family for ever and the reproach of all his kindred and express'd his violent and severe resentment both in words and deeds and when after all he saw it impossible to reclaim him he discharg'd him his house threatning to disinherit him Unto this his fathers anger were added the reproaches revilings and enmity of his fathers Domesticks and his ancient Companions both at Court and else where with whom he was Educated and had Convers'd much before and also of the Ecclesiasticks who formerly render'd him all manner of Love and Friendship Unto all which disadvantages Penn oppos'd this one remedy the integrity of his Life as opposite to the ill reports that were scattered abroad of him and the constancy of his mind and body to counterballance that weight of afflictions that surrounded him And by these two properties he brought his affairs to that pass that his father not only receiv'd him into favour again and became as fond of and kind to him as ever he had been disgusted at him comforting and refreshing his afflicted and humbled Son but also in his Will left him heir of all his Riches and Enjoyments encouraging and commending his singular piety and fortitude of mind exhorting him to persist in the same Moreover when the father observ'd what heaps of envy and hatred his Son had drawn upon himself what evils were yet impending upon him and what difficulties he might come to grapple with he when lying upon a bed of sickness and looking for certain death sent to the Duke of York High Admiral who as Penn was by place next to him was in dignity next to the King himself and if he surviv'd his brother would undoubtedly succeed him since destitute of a lawful off-spring he sends I say some of his Friends to this Duke to desire of him in his Name that he would recommend his Son to his brother the King and that he himself would preserve and defend him who had already suffer'd so much from what persecutions and oppressions might attend him and unto which both he and all the train of his Associates were so subject to Which both the Duke and his Royal Brother the King granted him because of his great merits towards his Country tho they could not so defend his Son always as to prevent his Imprisonment at sometimes But it is not here to be omitted that Penn the father lying upon his Death-bed and when drawing near to his last exit which he certainly knew to approach took leave of his Son in these his last words My Son remember to serve God the Omnipotent King so constantly and to prefer the same to the service of Earthly Kings and all things besides Which if ye do and if you and your Friends persevere in your simple and innocent way of preaching and living verily ye shall make an end of all the preachers to the end of the World Which words of the dying old Man do not obscurely insinuate what his opinion was of these Men and how great affection he had for their sect Now as to what was the Wit and Spirit of William Penn the son from his youth what promptness and dexterity of discoursing attended the acuteness of his wit what knowledge of Tongues such as are usual among the Learned and of things what Temper and Conversation of life he was of I had rather the Quakers or any body else should give you an account than I. For I know well how difficult and troublesome it is for any Man to interpose his Judgment of a matter in which the Judgments of other Men are so various But certainly tho my pen were silent of him his own Writings will speak him forth to be the most eminent member of all that Society for while in his Writings he studies to Accommodate all to the capacity and understanding of the Vulgar yet the variety and abundance of things therein contain'd his language and style especially the gravity of words and sentences which when he writes of Theological subjects are connected and intermix'd with whole chains of quotations from the Holy Scriptures do so evidently testify of him that unless one be malitiously envious of the vertue and praise of another he must acknowledge that he is an eloquent and well spoken Author The Quakers fed themselves with so great hopes of him that presently they allow'd him to do the part of a teacher among them and their esteem of him was so great that they did not doubt to call him the perfectest of them all Nor is there any among them who do's not acknowledge that there was always an exact consension and agreement betwixt him and all the rest of the Quakers about all the Articles of their Religion This was singular in him that he always esteem'd more slightly of these things which pertain to the knowledge and speculation of sacred and divine matters and chiefly oppos'd himself to the forcing and constraining Mens Consciences to any Religion or persecuting them upon a religious account than which indeed there can be no greater cruelty and oppression us'd pleading for a toleration and liberty to all Religions so that he would not only have the Quakers tolerated the exercise of their Religion but likewise all Men at least that are accounted Christians to be admitted to places of Authority and trust in the Government not excepting the Socinians with their wanton little tricks nay nor the Papists a people so inveterate against that his Religion and all other Religions different from their own so bloody cruel and thirsty of Christian blood that when they have exerted their utmost and cruellest efforts are yet never satiated And Penn was so sensible of the ill demerits of these Men and so well acquainted with their temper that he us'd to say That the Quakers had reason to fear none so much as the Socinians and Papists who would be last of all in the field against them tho they had vanquish'd all other Religions It seems Penn had a design to shew himself an Abettor of all Religions whatsoever or to encourage that opinion of him which then possess'd every Mans mind that he was deceitful and in his heart a Socinian or as others believ'd that he was a Papist and not only so but a Jesuit The Quakers did not agree with Penn about these Libertine Principles His notions of the Christian faith was that in order to the maintaining of that there was no more necessary than in general to believe the Scriptures and love them as the word of God and believe all the fundamental Articles contain'd in the same By these fundamental Articles a term much in use among Divines he understood such propositions as are expresly and in explicite terms deliver'd in the Scriptures or so evidently attested by them that all Men who are honest and sincere-minded cannot but discern and comprehend the meaning of
or despise to follow and imitate the others Example yet betwixt 'em both there 's a very great difference and jarr as the Molinists adhere to the Rectors of Conscience sacred orders and very many rites and the Quakers reject all these Rules and Principles which being neither abstruse nor hard to be known I shall not now inlarge on with any further addition England being now at leisure from War and Peace with the Dutch again establish'd the long-gather'd grudge against the Quakers and the anger that sometime was restrain'd and forborn began to be now reviv'd and strengthen'd in order to renew the War against ' em Fox as yet thinking himself most concern'd yea to have the oversight of the Quakers affairs went on preaching with such boldness confidence and care of their business that he run himself into many dangers So also did Keith and Penn. Whether with a design to avoid the danger or because they suppos'd that they could and ought to deserve well by their Counsel and Authority at the hands of their friends that were living elsewhere it 's not known In the year 77 they went together into Holland and part of Germany to visit some few friends they had in those Countreys In which Voyage what was done by them I shall endeavour to shew in the following book In the mean time the daily encrease of evil started reproach and oppression against many There was afterward a great persecution begun in the County of Nottingham which being also diffus'd into other Provinces and at length in the year 80 through the whole Land run through the people with an exceeding violence This affair that year Penn and Mead did accurately describe and many others whose fellowship with those that suffer'd Calamities was such that what they endur'd they thought done to themselves and therefore they sent their desires to King and Parliament to inform them of the Injuries done to their friends and intreat at length a remedy and help against those evils of so long Continuance Tho I could insert Innumerable examples of their troubles that I may not excur without the bounds of my intended brevity I shall content my self to repeat two of 'em mention'd by those whom I have already nam'd so far I suppose from being unknown that tho they have been kept silent their truth may be attested by the memory of many as yet for I write nothing but what I am assured of W. Godrig of Banwal in Somerset-shire being desir'd to give light to somewhat by his Oath knowing certainly that he would religiously refuse it upon his refusal was dragg'd into Jayl and despoil'd of all his goods and movables to the value of 244 lib. ster and also Immovables whose yearly value was suppos'd to amount to 60 lib. or thereabout at last after thirteen years Imprisonment all his Estate was publickly Confiscated Mich. Renald a wealthy and monyed Man in the County of Bark-shire owed the Tythes of his Land for one year to about the summ of 10 lib. which he refusing to pay was summoned by the Creditor being also so unwilling to follow such a suit that he rather would have sustain'd any greater detriment the cause was so ordered in Judgment and the tryal given in the plaintiff's favour that the Collectors for a fine out of his Cattel or stuff should instead of ten take 60 lib. wherewith these fellows being cunning severe and hot for their gain were scarce contented they took away to the value of 97 lib. besides being their own Officers they take as their wages out of the shaves of Corn about the worth of 12 lib. more About this time the Quakers counted 243 that were dead by wounds and strokes received at their Meetings While these things were done in England in Scotland also especially the Northern part much trouble was raised against the Quakers and that by reason of their publick Preachings some were greatly sined others refusing to pay them had their goods taken from them and that to the double of what was laid on Some were miserably kept in Custody amongst whom was Barclay's father mention'd in the former book and Alexander Skein once famous amongst the Magistrates of Aberdeen yet amongst all the Calamities and Sorrows they suffer'd they had no greater grief torment nor sorrow than to see and understand their Religion Behaviour and Actions to be so execrably and malitiously defam'd'd and revil'd For so they were every where in Libels and Verses Base and Reproachful pictures describ'd and design'd and that often by the vilest sort of Men. So in familiar Conference eatings and drinkings there was scarce a talkative prattling or babling fellow that lov'd to talk or act Comically but he must reduce his discourse and gesture to traduce the sincerity and simplicity of the Quakers There were no â—ordid Vagrants Quacks Juglers or Gamesters that had a mind to please the people or make themselves be laught at but must bring in the Quakers in their Gesticulation and Buffoonry Yea the Theatres and shows in Plays and Comedys which are wholly exploded when void of wantonness and not Arm'd with the follies and Madness of such words and Actions These must assign the Quakers their Acts Speeches and Motions and so lay open to the view of the world they profess'd themselves Masters to know and display the Lives and Actions of all sorts of Men. Yea in the Courts of Kings and Princes their Fools and Pleasants which they kept to relax them from grief and pensiveness could not show themselves more dexterously ridiculous than by representing the Quakers or aping the motions of their mouth voice gesture and countenance I heard a pleasant story from them Helen which the English for shortness calls Nell at London a most noted Dancer at the Play-house afterward a miss of King Cha. II. tho she could imitate all the Actors by any gesture of her body yet she could not by her out-most effort and endeavour even before the King and Courtiers whom she often pleas'd with such ludicrous Actions Act the Quaker so to the life as to draw out compress and remit the Spirit and so to ape their praying and holding forth without betraying force and affectation and how unhappy she was in Imitating those Actions which she could never have knowledge of by any Conjecture I was told the like of one of the Kings fools by those that were Eye-Witnesses of the matter The Quakers were also greatly afflicted in Leicester and Somerset-shire in the year 81 and 82. There is a Village in Leicester not far distant from the chief City of the whole province thither many of the Quakers are conveen'd and assembled which was not pleasing to some Inhabitants and especially Ministers of Churches that liv'd in those places Some young Men and Boys watch'd to disturb their Meeting and at other times Men with silence and constancy when they met they Immediately assault them unawares take 'em pull the Men's hats and womens upper coats from
with the Authority of a General assembly of that perswasion about the end of the year ensuing I long sought it with great Industry and after much pains it came at length to my hand but not till the whole work was almost finished and a part of it already receiv'd from the Printer I perceive by that book some things we 've related concerning Fox to be there omitted but what we 've said in ours of Fox doth for the main agree with what there is recorded I made some Remarks from thence of Fox which tho I knew not before I adventur'd to make use of relying on his own Credit and Testimony I may take the liberty to say further of that great book of Fox that it contains but few Historical Narratives consisting chiefly 〈◊〉 Enumerating places he Travell'd to all the days of his Life and the disputes he there maintain'd with several sorts of Men and the almost innumerable Orations and Epistles he wrote Fox was a Man alike famous for the temper and disposition of his body and mind of a very solid and succulent body and a mind fitly attemper'd thereto of a great Memory and tho not at all dull yet not Extraordinarily quick and acute Always more ready to think than to talk and yet more forward to speak than to write Unacquainted with no Doctrine or Art tho ne're so Vulgar not Curious yet sometimes taking pleasure to divert himself by playing with the cheats of the Learned Laborious and diligent tho 't were of little or nothing in all the minutes of his Common leisure Indefatigable even when strugling with the greatest of troubles Much given to watching making the measure shorter than that of the Night So given to frugality both for Health and Religion that he once fasted ten days as he testifies of himself being equally temperate in all the parts of his Life Bold and always of a constant patience doing all things so openly as not fearing to make 'em known so enduring all things as if the sole suffering and not the Cause or Action were glorious so ambitioning the Title of a Martyr as if he had thought the Name alone to be sufficient He was moreover couragious tenacious of his Opinion and morose so much considing in his Person Pains and Advice that he thought nothing could be done rightly or perfected without him being deâ—irous every where to be present and preside and what happen'd to be done well he laid claim to the glory of it pretending Title to the Reward of the Praise of it from all and yet all this under colour of Simplicity and Humility Pleasant and Bountiful to those that lov'd him but bitter against others that were not of his Society not only hurting 'em verbally but really as fer as he cou'd and that sometimes not only imprudently but even immodestly and impudently too One of his ancient friends and acquaintances writes in a certain Letter of Fox that he was according to the measure of his Capacity devoted greatly to the worship of God and promoting of Piety among Men meek in Conversation yet tainted with this which almost all teachers labour under in a new Sect or Discipline that he was too harsh 'mongst the Quakers themselves especially those that wou'd not receive such forms as he had conceiv'd or constituted He left many books which some of his followers do but faintly praise yet others extoll 'em to the Skies few touch 'em that are not of their perswasion and no body reads 'em that loaths repetition of the same thing in various dress of words and expressions or dislikes treating a theme with that Prolixity as not to regard what 's sufficient but how much can be said While Fox was alive the Quakers lived with a Brotherly Concord though there always were some that differ'd in some Article beside others that fell off from their Fellowship but Fox as their supreme Master being remov'd whose sayings and doings they regarded as a Law the Bond of Union being now broken though hitherto they seem'd to be led and govern'd only by his Mind and Desire a great Discord arose in England especially among those who tho they were not much wiser than the Vulgar arrogated more Wit and Accuracy to themselves The Subject of this Controversie was the Humanity of Christ first kindled some Years ago in Pensylvania and now toss'd 'twixt Keith and his Friends and others with their Followers puff'd up with some Knowledge I shall treat of this Controversie in the following book They 've Disputed in England concerning that Article almost to the losing of all Society He that pursues the Life of an Enemy neglects the use of no sort of Weapon but he that studies to rob him of his Fame forbears to revile him with no sort of Reproach That Controversie was so invidious divisive and troublesome and persu'd with so much eagerness of mind that men being flush'd with the Desire of Overcoming were not content to contend with words nor only to load one another with many Suspicions but also to spread an ill Report of their Antagonists to hunt after and wound one another with Calumnies openly denouncing Enmity Division and Schism Upon this it 's almost a wonder to think what Ignominy the Quakers did every where incur what Reports were in all places dispers'd of 'em for their so great desire of strife and contention that their whole Church seem'd infected with that Itch and Contagion And since the division of their parties was such there was little Conjunction Peace and Brotherly affection to be expected nay rather the time seem'd to draw nigh when the Sect and its Name must dwindle into nothing and that by the force of its own endeavour There were some concern'd in this Controversy who tho they managed it not by force and violence but hidden Engines not by open blows but private Lashes yet certainly contributed to their downfall and destruction There were General Councils of 'em held yearly at London from ninety two to the year ninety four In this year Keith came from Pensilvania to London and was called by the Council of that year as the principal head and adviser of the whole affair After he came and was long heard even that Council cou'd not compose these strifes nor so much as a little decide the difference So that the mischief as yet remains with Reproach and Disgrace Such is the stiffness and vehemency of these Men while now Iull'd with the soft Gale of Prosperity and Ease that there was never the least shadow of the like before while they wrestled with the rough wind of Adversity But of this I 'll speak more fully in the following Book lest this be swell'd beyond its bounds and there the matter comes in in its more proper place And now this and many other signs give some no small occasion to affirm that liberty case and External Tranquillity do Minister to discord slothfulness wantonness and Intemperance which are all dangerous to
of his party signed And so much for the passages in Philadelphia till towards the end of the year 93. But when the News of all these things was sent into England and to London it is hard to say what a great Grief and Trouble these things were to these Friendly People and gave Occasion to their Enemies to inveigh against and insuit over the whole Sect hitting them in the Teeth that now they plainly saw what they had long suspected of their distinction and difference of Religion and now they both heard and saw what they profess'd themselves and what they practised This was no ways pleasing to the Quakers in these parts nay it was very grievous and intolerable for them to hear of And they laboured might and main to wipe off all Suspicion from themselves and shewed That if any where or at any time there should be such an unwary disagreement in Doctrine and Manners amongst those of their Sect That these Objections therefore did not lie against them all and that they in England and these parts did agree very well together and were consonant in Faith and Prayer and kept up the ancient Glory of their People But they were so far from beating any body off of this Opinion by their Speeches and protestations that they encreas'd it the more For in a short time there arose amongst the Quakers themselves some that so engaged themselves in this Difference every one taking his side and so prosecuted one another with Hatred Ignominy and Reproaches that at last they began to talk of dissenting and departing from one another and making Schisms So that there was no body of any Parts or Sense who did not see that that Excuse was not only very useless but also extreamly vain and ridiculous Things going thus there were nevertheless some of these People of the greatest Name and Place amongst them towards the ending as I said of this Year who gave in charge to some of the Leading Men of the Church at London and those of the most ancient Professors Whitehead Park Marshal and Eight more that in the Name of the Society they should write subscribe and publish a Confession of the Faith of them all in their own English Tongue as an Answer to their Adversaries Objections Which work they perform entituling their book The Christian Doctrine and Society of the People called Quakers Vindicated from the Reproach of the late Division of some in some parts of America as being unjustly charged upon the body of the said People either here or elsewhere And when they come to declare and profess their mind and belief of the several Articles of their Faith in that Article that treats of Christ they deny that to preach Christ within and Christ without is to preach Two Christs But when they treat of Christ's Resurrection and Ascension and of Heaven and Hell they oppose themselves to the others New Doctrines At last in the end of the Work they reject the Notion of the Transmigration of Souls after the Death of their Bodies into New Bodies and declare they know none who say that God has revealed any such thing to them In these things they make mention of no Mens Names and before they conclude the Work they take occasion to exhort all to sound Faith Peace and Charity In the mean while divers Complaints both of the Keithians and their Adversaries were at several times sent over to London to the General Yearly Meeting This Meeting which was thereupon first held considering what a disgrace and prejudice this Dissension would be to their People not only in these Parts but also all the World over and that if they should delay the time and go slowly to work to remedy this Inconvenience it would be in vain to bring help afterwards if they would they leave no stone unturn'd to avert this Mischief and Danger Yet this Meeting lost all their labour And that was not all neither For now at London and elsewhere and all England over there were some of the Quakers that interessed themselves in this Dispute and growing sharp upon it while some of them could not or would not without Passion refute the others they stood stiffly to their own Opinions and would not be refuted Hence Hatred and at last Faction arising they were distracted among themselves and some strive to dissolve the Society altogether These indeed at first were not many but as sometimes a little Cloud raises a great Tempest so this insolence and Vehemence of a few stirred up greater Concussions and Motion amongst many Wherefore the next Year's General Meeting who easily might see that such Dissentions and Strifes could have no other end than their mutual destruction being very desirous of Peace and Amity were so much the more intent upon this to bring things to that pass That all laying aside their Controuersies and Enmities and Quarrels the Event of which was so dubious and no advantage or next to none could redound to the Victors but the detriment would be mortal and perpetual should study to preserve Peace and without any fraud desist from such Wars and sice what they had hitherto done in accusing one another and quarrelling together could not be helpt that they should not go on so to do and blot out the memory of all things said and done that were past by a perpetual Oblivion of 'em and thereupon shake hands together in Token of Faith and Amity But neither could this Meeting altho they imploy'd all the Vigour both of their Minds and Discourse to this purpose decide the Controversie or put an end to this business and bring the Contending Parties to an Agreement But they were so far from leaving off the thing they had attempted that though they heard these Parties as Brethren and Judges yet the strife did but increase and the longer it continued the sharper it was The time of the last Meeting or of the last Year 94. came on And now Keith was come back from Pensilvania into England to London he on whose account all this Difference had risen Therefore it second good to the Meeting held that Year that in so great and long continued motions of their distracted People the Heads and Chieftains of the contending Parties and likewise Keith should be present and plead their own Causes before this whole Assembly So in the first place there were read several Letters writ and sent from Pensilvania to this Assembly upon this Occasion Then the Parties were heard and every one had the liberty of Defending and Proving But here the Dissention and Vehemence of some of them was so greet and they were so provoking and contentious in their Language that the more the matter was debated the farther off still they were This Meeting lasted for Twelve Days whereas never any before had been above Four Days So after a long while since the aforementioned Order for Oblivion signified nothing and there was no End made of contending no Cessation of the
that he might walk indeed but could not go far He takes his Clog and as if he had got a battering Ram falls a beating the Wall with it to such a degree that at last he broke it thorow and made a whole big enough to Creep thorow and so away he runs with his Clog on and gets home to his own house The rest of them follow his Example and get away too all but one softly fellow who thought that if he should go away without the Magistrates leave it would be a betraying of his cause a Condemning of himself and Confession of his Guilt and therefore he thought it was better to stand to it stoutly than to run away shamefully But when the Burgo-master had more exactly considered these people's Case and reflected that their Crime was not of so high a nature as to deserve a very severe punishment he recall'd his own order and caused him that staid behind to be set at liberty and made no search after those that were gone away But these Men were no ways belonging to the Society and Communion of Quakers as was then generally believed and as our little News-Mongers writ in their Letters following the Common Vogue Whereof this is an Argument that happen'd a little after for Caton and others of his Society coming hither and hearing of what these people had done blam'd their doings as being a foolish and mad action and utterly refused to joyn Communion with them As those people themselves afterwards did not joyn with the Quakers but also mightily opposed them and set themselves as great Adversaries against their Discipline ways and manners And altho Ferner he who had been their Preacher afterwards joyned himself with the Quakers yet at last he fell off from them again and casting of all manner of goodness probity and religion he turn'd Physician but he took more care of and looked after his own body and indulged himself in Riot and Luxury than regard to the health of his patients and after he had riotously consumed his Estate he betook himself to little triffling Vanities and joyn'd in Communion Friendship and faith with the Papists in which State not long after he died and like a good Catholick stept aside into some of the better sort of the internal Mansions And so I have said enough of this Meeting and the more because I was willing to Vindicare those that truly are Quakers from this Crime of which they are innocent and to undeceive others that may lye under a mistake about it by relating the whole story as I have been certified it was transacted To return therefore to the main stream of our discourse when neither Ames or his Companions could do any thing or very little to the purpose Caton and Stubs truly they lay still for one while Considering what to do But Ames left Holland and went into Germany to the Palatinate of the Rhine but notwithstanding a while after returns into Holland again and goes to Amsterdam But it being known â—hat he came for and what he would be at the Burgomaster sends for him by a Sergeant and one one of the Citizens of the City with him and when they were come with undaunted Courages he commands them within 24 hours to depart the City Which they delaying to do the next day the Burgomaster gives them the same charge again Which new order besides that they refus'd to obey they spoke against and said that they neither deserved to be used so nor could they bring themselves to Comply with it so the Burgomaster finding them so twice disobedient and giving ill Examples to the City commands them to be apprehended and publickly kept in Custody for six days and then in the Evening to be obscurely and secretly carried without the Gates of the City and there left with a charge never to return again But this command also they took no notice of so that notwithstanding they returned back again the next day and Ames in the middle of the day in the sight of all the people walked in the Market and went up to the very Court it self Which one of the Burgomasters seeing through the Lattices is said to have express'd himself to his Colleagues thus Denoting not his own desire but the merit of the Man Lo yonder 's that Quaker that we might make a Martyr of now if we would Yet these great Men who would have punished such a deed severly if it had been in another case thought fit to wink at this Concluding amongst themselves that as long as it was doubtful and uncertain what the designs or doings of these people were that mercy was to be prefer'd before the strictness of justice and that whatsoever the Enterprises or Intentions of them were yet that a Command of Prohibition was alwaies less available than one that prescribed any thing to be done and that many Men if they are not restrained from any thing of their own accord are but so much the more eager after and desirous of it if they are forbidden Moreover that in a great Multitude sometimes it is a point of principal prudence to take no notice of some things which we know and that in great Governments oftentimes the Authority is better preserved by dissembling than punishing small faults And indeed it was not long before Ames seeing that he could do no good by his presence boldneâ—s or confidence went away of his own accord out of the City From thence he goes to Scheidam and Rotterdam and Goud and staid in these places for sometime and oftentimes went and return'd the same way and trys the same thing over and over and sounds the minds of the people when at the same time he could do almost nothing by all his great labour and pains and travel but onely set the minds of some people against him and brought upon himself and his followers the hatred of the Clergy For as some of those who were Ames his most Zealous Auditors and followers which for the most part were Mennonites a bold sort of people very talkative and Litigions began more freely and petulantly to give out their Speeches and hold their Conventicles so also those who look'd upon it to be their duty and place to suffer no Diminution of the esteem and dignity of their Church began to hate those Men and look upon them not only as Fools but as Mad-men Men of a Malignant seditious temper whose assemblies were nothing else but Seminaries of discord and wickedness Wherefore these Men gave warning to their Auditors both privately and publickly that they should have nothing to do with them in any wise And those that were most zealous and intent upon this Argument insinuated them to be a sort of Hereticks and that they ought to be punish'd and their Meetings restramed And at last advised Classes and Synods to be held for asserting the rights and warding off Injuries from the Church and that nothing should be wanting thereunto and to make
into Joke and Banter and so it ended after the same rate as Disputations most commonly do The Quakers are wont when they talk of the Things that happen'd to them in these Countries to say That they never suffered so much but that the benefits they now enjoy do more than countervail it and that whatsoever they have suffered that they have suffered nothing for any ill Deed or Crime which even those that are most inraged against them never pretended to object against any one of them and that indeed they have not suffered for their Doctrine and Religion since that at the time they suffered those who were their Persecutors did not so much as know what their Doctrine and Religion was and such their Religion was looked upon as Error through mistake had apprehended it and when afterwards what their Doctrine and Religion was began to be more exactly known and conceived by Men and that not upon suspicion and by conjecture only but certain notices and due apprehensions thereof that thenceforward no Injury or Violence was offer'd to them by any Persons whatsoever upon the account of their Doctrine and Religion Moreover thus they will go on to argue with you and say That although they cannot absolutely forget nor totally blot out of their mind the remembrance of what had befallen them in these Countries yet that this they can do nevertheless to take no notice of but bury them in perpetual silence and to rejoyce in their present enjoyment Now there springs up a new race of Men a new Sect Discipline and new way of living in these Provinces These were comprehended in that Communion and Society which they called Labadistic from the Author and Gatherer of it one John Labadee a French Walloon formerly a Papist and Jesuit afterwards coming over to our side a Minister of the Gospel in several of the French Churches last of all at Middleburgh in Zealand but he was put out of his place for refusing to submit to the Judgment and Decree of the Walloon Synod for so here they call the French Churches of some Fact he had done A very ripe-witted and subtle Man he was indeed moderately Learned but above measure Eloquent and Rhetorical and beyond expression prompt and ready to speak Extempore upon any subject Of this Man various were the Opinions and Senses of the People For thus they that were Adversaries to him described him as a Man of a sickle temper and always changing disdainful yielding to none that were his Superiours to his Equals arrogant and proud and to his Inferiours altogether intollerable neither in Mind nor Manners the same sort of a Man that in Countenance and Habit he seem'd to be making shew of a great deal of Modesty and Humility but full of Craft in Counterfeiting and Dissimulation though better at playing the Counterfeit of what he was not than Dissembling what he was so that there was no Man living more fit or better qualified under a specious pretence of Goodness and shew of Religion to tickle the Minds of unwary People and circumvent them as he pleas'd There were others that lov'd the Man well and were his Followers and familiar Friends and most intimate Acquaintance as could scarce ever endure to be out of his Sight and these celebrated his Praises as one that far exceeded all the Doctors of the Churches and a Man sent on a Divine Embassy from Heaven to Mankind who thought and did all things Divinely and with a Mind perpetually conversant in Heaven and from thence deriv'd instituted and was to perfect the Work of Reformation to others either altogether unknown or an ungrateful task they would not care to undertake or that it would seem an insupportable burthen or of such a kind as no body would be able to go through with Others there were that had entertained a middling sort of an Opinion of him between both these Extreams and they look'd upon him as a very excellent Man and a very useful and necessary instrument for the Reformation of Life and Manners and likely to become their undoubted Restorer but that he was a little too hasty and severe and almost passionately intent in the weighing and correcting of Men and so by over-doing did undo and spoil what his Intentions aim'd at Of thi◠Society there was as it were another Parent one Anna Maria a Schurman a noble Maid and very Rich and more than that which is seldom heard of or found I had almost said known 〈◊〉 Person endued with most singular Piety and Integrity abounding in a universal Learning and Knowledge skill'd in various Arts and Sciences and the Knowledge of very many Languages not only of the European but also of the Oriental Tongues and that not only of those that were more anciently in use but of the modern times so that in this Sex there has either never or at least very seldom been seen a more illustrious or eminent Example so that hereby she was become the love and delight and as it were the Lady Patroness of the Learned of her time which she her self afterwards took notice of and deplored in a Book which she Writ and Intituled it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of this Society there were Members many of the Nobility and People but they were such as were of the best Esteem and Monied Men in whom there was either an inclination or intention of Piety and a forsaking of evil Company and a Contempt and avoidance of the frail and fleeting things of this World A fit Society this for those that were thus disposed for those I say who in this light transient and soon perishing state of the Affairs of the whole Universe and in so great an abundance of the wickedness of Mankind and those great numbers of Christians as they pretend themselves who only are so in name and not reality were nauseated and tired with what they heard and saw and to whom Christ alone and their Salvation of their Souls by him was their only desire and care The first House this Society had was at Amsterdam Then at Altona upon the Elbe where Labadee deceased being a Man mightily belov'd by all those of his Party Last of all at Wiewerd a Town in Friesland not far distant from Leeweward where they had a very ample House formerly the Mansion-House of the Waltars and then afterwards Hereditary to the Family of the Sommeldices In which place not long after this Society was dissolved and dispers'd about rfter the manner of the Primitive and most blessed State of the Church which a great many People presag'd and foretold from the very first and so all this expectation was lost and all those Treasures which several of the Society had contributed towards it were turned into Ashes Now before this came to pass this noble Maid being now stricken in years and almost decripit arriv'd at the end of her Race and Dying was Cloth'd with Immortality Happy she had she not in the very midst
of her Glory turn'd aside to this By-Way and having run through part of her life in that very House on which she had with those prodigious Endowments of Mind bestow'd so much Cost she was forsaken of all those that gap'd after her Estate and all her Family and left all alone but only not forsaken of God or abandoned to Desperation and so in her mournful Seat she breath'd out her Soul when she had first recommended it to God in Christ Of this excellent Maid to add this by the by What was mortal and perishing was repos'd not in the Sepulchral Monument or Tomb belonging to the Family of the Waltars erected in the Church as it might have been but without in the Church-yard or Ground lying about it in the common Earth amongst the rest of her Brothers and Sisters according to her own desire leaving that Monument out of Modesty that Familiarizer and Governess of all other Virtues of which this Lady in her life-time was always the perfect Pattern But since what the Doctrine of these People was what their Religion and how their way of Living what their Intention and what their aims and enterprises about the Church and other Men were may be fully known by their Writings which several Men among them yea and some Women too have published concerning themselues and many of our Learned Men of them I shall not now stay to Recapitulate But because all this Relation tends to this end to shew what Agreement there was between the Quakers of whom alone in this Work we treat and these Labadists I call them so because I know no better name to call them by in Doctrine and what Institution to one and the same purpose and lastly what intentions they had to joyn in Friendships and contract Acquaintances I will shortly and in few words relate it As to their Doctrine although these Men at first introduced little or nothing which was different from our Faith yet in process of time they brought in divers Innovations about the use of the Holy Scriptures and the guidance and operations of the Holy Spirit and Prayers and the remaining parts of Worship and the Sacraments and Discipline of the Church so that they came nearer to the Opinions of the Quakers in these things than to our Doctrine Now it appears that these Men no less than the Quakers reprehended and found fault with many things in our Churches and those of all Protestants that they were all so corrupt and deprav'd that no effect no fruit of the Spirit of God appeared amongst them nor no Worship of God but only a carnal and external One no mutual attention no conjunction of Minds no love no will no endeavours for the good one of another or the common good that was to be seen Lastly That no one's Life and Manners answered what they all profess'd or the Example and Precepts of Christ And as this was the complaint and quarrel of the Quakers so in like manner was it of these People too that with these vices above others were infected those that were the Prelates and Preachers of the Word and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Lastly these People thought thus that they were the Men from whom the beginning and first Examples of the Restitution of the Church was to be expected who also were wholly intent upon the famous work of this Reformation Just as the Quakers thought that this was chiefly reserv'd for them and that they were in a special manner obliged to go on with this Work of Reformation So great was the Fame of this Society that there was scarce any place in these Countries where there was not a great talk talk about these Teachers and Workers so that in Foreign Countries there was scarce any where unless it were among such People who have no regard to what is done abroad who had not heard something of them Therefore when these Reports were gone over into England and Scotland at first indeed there were some of these Men who being averse from the State of the Church as under the Bishops contained themselves within their own Churches which were more remote from external rites and splendor and a worldly and delicate polite as they call it and elegant Life and Conversation who also undertook the Ministerial Function At last also the Quakers who as soon as ever they heard of this sort of Men and their plain Religion and way of Life that they followed they began to think in good earnest of this Society of People and to be better acquainted with them and to consider ways and means amongst themselves how they should come to enter into Consultation with them I know that there was one of those Ministers of the Gospel so averse from the Episcopal way and addicted to Presbyterial Churches who not only himself writes to this Society but also communicates his thoughts upon this subject to an eminent Quaker which Man when after that time he foresaw many things from the face of the Kingdom which tho not altogether true indeed yet seeming very probable and likely to come to pass at that time he was not such a fearer of Episcopacy but that one might read in his Countenance and since he was a Man that one time or another it would come to pass as afterwards it happen'd that he was made a Bishop The first of the Quakers that came from Scotland to the Labadists to Amsterdam was George Keith a Man both very skillful in and much us'd to Controversie and Disputes After him comes out of England R. Barclay a Man likewise of great Experience and well seen in the Defence of his Religion These Men one after another treat about this matter with Labadee and the rest of them on whom the Government of the Society lay But when the Quakers opened their Mind briefly and in a common Style but they on the other hand us'd such deep and far fetch'd Speeches and those so round about the bush and turning and winding and so much Eloquence or endless Talkativeness that the Quakers knew not what these Men would say or how to know or find out and discern their Opinions Institutions and Intentions or where to have them which also had often happen'd to our People enquiring of these Men about these things and now began to suspect that they were not such a pure sort of People and were either bordering upon some Errors or privately entertain'd and bred some monstrous Opinion And when the Quakers tried again at another time to see further if by any means they could bring things to a Consent and Agreement and a conjunction together that they might act in common Concert the Labadists not only drew back but also resented it ill and were so angry that they thought it would be to no purpose to try any farther Conclusions with them And either upon the occasion of these Meetings together or from the designs of some of their Adversaries to reproach them it came to pass
that from that time the Labadists came to be call'd Quakers which name followed them from Amsterdam to Hereford and there accompanied them so that Men all abroad not only call'd them by the Name of Quakers which to them appeared as a horrible Title but also oftentimes us'd to throw Stones at them To avoid which reproach and withal to shew how much they hated both Name and Thing they out of their Printing-Office which they carried about with 'em publish'd a Writing by the Title shewing what the Argument of the Book was An Examination and Confutation of the Quakers Nevertheless after this there went to these Labadists in Friesland William Penn that most famous Man amongst the Quakers A Man of such Spirit and Wit as was both willing and able to encounter with all their Adversaries But the end of all was the same To which I will add this Relation That William Penn at this time being so near the Wood the Summer Residence of that Illustrious Lady the Princess of of whom as indeed she was and is a Princess who has a peculiar Talent of Wisdom and Piety and Greatness of Soul in asserting and promoting the Interest of Religion he had heard much talk and this Princess being now there present it comes in his mind and he intreats it as an extraordinary Favour that he may have the Liberty of Access to wait upon her Highness And she her self too having heard much of Penn admits him but so as what she had heard many say runs in her highness's mind that Penn was not the Man that he desired to be taken for but was either a Jesuit or else an Emissary of his King 's sent to sound the minds of the People and Grandees of this Country and therefore she fore-armes her self against him But when this Princess had admitted Penn to her Speech and he composes his Speech not with those Artificial Elegancies and Courtly Niceties which his former Inclination Education and Customs had enabled him to but with the highest gravity and as far as Religion would permit in the most exquisite terms he could devise and thinking this discourse might not be displeasing to the Princess at the end of it he begs leave to make a Sermon before her Highness To which the Princess to make short with him Answers that she had very good Preachers of her own whom he might hear and she had not far off David Fluda Giffen a Preacher worthy of such a Princess as who besides his natural parts Learning and sweetness of Conversation 〈◊〉 with Probity of Life and endued with a singular gift in Preaching was now the worthy pastor of the Church at Dort a Man to us well known and our very great friend Which Answer Penn taking in the stead of a civil Refusal with a chearful Countenance and in kind terms asks her Highness if in any other respect he might be serviceable to her and so takes his leave of her Highness Now from Friesland a province of our Belgium which is simply called Friesland I go on to that they call East-Friesland In that Countrey in the chief City call'd Embden in the 74th year of this Century there were a few Quakers that appear'd there of whom the Principal or chief Men were John William Haasbaard a Doctor of Physick John Borsome and Cornelius Andrews These Men began first to hold their Meetings privately afterwards more openly then to publish books of their Tenets to allure and invite the more to their Communion Which being known and growing publick to the Magistrates convened most of the Quakers before them into their Courts They appear there By the Magistrates order there came thither two of their Ministers one the Presidents of the Meeting of East-Friesland and another next to him Frederic Vlderic and John Alardin The Senate has under Deliberation that whereas as yet they did not rightly understand other than by Relations from other hands what the sentiments of these Men was what they did or what they aim'd at and pretended to that therefore it would be their best way to hear and understand these things from themselves least they should seem to pass a sentence upon people before they had heard or known what their Cause was and on the other hand if they were indeed found to be such as fame reported them that they might in due time obviate and prevent their attempts and mix them as it were in the bud before they grew to greater strength But when these Quakers appeared before the Magistrates they stood with their hats on and would not pull them off altho they were ordered so to do not out of Pride or from Innation or Contempt of them but because it was the Custom and Fashion of those of their opinion and they thought that such sort of honours were not due to Men. A great deal of Dispute there was about this business between the Quakers and those Ecclesiastical persons Which Discourse being drawn out to a great length and nothing brought to the purpose that was intended the Magistrate Haasbaard as being the principal and most skillful mannager of this affair that 2 days afterwards he should appear before a Convention of the Pastors and Synod of the Church and there before them state the Case of his Religion under the penalty of 10 Imperials Haasbaard refus'd this Meeting and appears not at the Stated day But the Quakers however go on and in the mean while and afterwards meet in Haasbaard's house Wherefore the Magistrate lays a fine upon them of 100 Imperials a time as often as they met together after that manner They take no notice of that neither So the Magistrate taking this as an affront to his Authority and Dispising of his gentle Government and Clemency concluded to take another course with this People Which yet before he would do he thought fit once again to try if he could pick out of 〈◊〉 Men what their Intentions desires and aimes were therefore the next day he causes them to be call'd into Court before him and together with them the two Ministers before mentioned were order'd to be present that they might Examine them about these things and maturely deliberate upon them For they thus thought that it was absolutely belonging to the Duty and Business of the Political and Ecclesiastical Order to look after and enquire what was done in the City and in the Church and with all Care and Diligence to provide and take Order that no Disturbance Faction Tumult or any pernicious Error Deceit or Seduction should arise and spread about among the People and that the Quakers themselves in this case ought not only to pay their Obedience to the Magistrates but also themselves of their own accord and free will by the impulse of their Religion and monitions of our Lord Christ and the Motions of the Holy Spirit not to decline the Exposition of what it was they insisted on and the Principles they so much Gloried in but with all
imaginable Readiness to comply with the Magistrates desire herein and to render an Account of their Faith and Actions before these men The Quakers made their appearance and stood with their Hats on to plead their own Cause and First the Magistrates began to reprove them not only for refusing to obey their Order but also that they had so far cast of all manner of Obedience to them to whom by the Laws of the City they were subject and the Confession of their Life and Faith they left to them to declare to those who with so much mildness attended their Answer as to these things Then both those Ministers began with a great deal of Modesty and Simplicity to ask them their Opinion of the several chief Heads of Divinity and the Christian Religion and where they Esteem'd them to lye under any Error to instruct them To whom the Quakers opposing their Answers both Parties entered into a Dispute amongst themselves and in the Disputation the Quakers at last grew so far out of patience that they inveighed against the Preachers and Ministers of the Word and term'd their Examination a Spanish-Inquisition and them Hireling Ministers and thereupon cry'd out That they would have nothing to do with them with which immoderation the Magistrate being moved against forbid them to Meet under the same Penalty And tells them withal that if yet they would so do that he would take Order that they should depart the City and his Jurisdiction This was done in full Senate But yet this Threatning was so far from deterring them that presently after in the very same place they held their Meetings again The number of the Quakers was found to be about 10 or at the most not above 12 Families Therefore the Magistrate supposing that so far he might possibly give License to their obstinacy but their Confidence increasing that it would be a troublesome thing always to Contest with People of this sort of Temper and that therefore it would not be Proper to defer the Punishing of them any longer but to Inflict it as far as his Power and the Condition of the City requir'd it so he calls the Quakers afore him again and they continuing still to be in their former tune and Refractory as before by his Edict and Command he orders them within 3 days to depart the City and his whole Jurisdiction and if they would not Obey they were to expect a severe Sentence to be passed upon them and this interdict they despise and again reiterate their Facts and meet together nevertheless This was told again to the Magistrate and the Penalty they had incurr'd was found and read So they together being ten in number both Men and Women as being Disobedient to the Laws of the City were sent aboard a Ship and carried out of the jurisdiction of the City with Charge that they should never in their whole life-time return into the Province again So the Magistrate unwillingly and contrary to his Nature and Custom dealt the more sharply with these Men only to set an example before other stubborn Persons and those that might be ready to do ill Deeds as not unless compell'd we cut of a Limb of the Body least it should infect the rest and bring the whole to Destruction But they being sent away scarce tarried one day before they came back again Then they were all committed to Prison which was a Cellar under the Burgo-master's House and had nothing else allow'd them for Food but only Bread and Water and were denied the priviledge of having their Friends come to see them or bringing any better Provision for their Accommodation But if any of them was not well he had the liberty granted him of going home to his House and there remaining till he was recovered A little while after they were again sent out of the Country all but Haasbaard And though they had undergone so many Hardships yet resolved to lose their very lives rather than give over their Enterprizes they return back again Being provok'd now after the usual manner and as it were made a joke and â—aughing-stock they were clapt into the same Prison again and afterwards transported in a Ship out of the City and all the Province except Haasbaard again upon whom as the Ringleader of the rest the Indignation and Anger of the Magistrates principally fell And the Quakers complained and wrote that some of the Magistrates especially the Consuls they give you both the Deeds and Names of them I only which is enough for my purpose shall take notice of the thing it self at this time were very vehement against their Friends and especially very high in their Words They added also that the Ministers of the Word were also more hard and rigid against them except one of whom they said and wrote that in a publick Sermon he had declaim'd against the Persecution of the Quakers They pass over his Name I shall speak both of the Name and Passage what was told me by Reverend Men who both at this day are Pastors and Elders of the Church of Embden and chief Men in the Ecclesiastical Assembly of that Tract to wit That there was none of the Ministers and Pastors of the Church who besides Refuting the Opinions of the Quakers in Words did any thing more And amongst those Ministers there was then one Herman Holthuse now of Pious Memory of whom I remember that he was a Man both of great strictness as to other things and also as to his Life and Conversation joyned with the highest lenity and goodness towards all other Men who deeply Commiserating the Case and Afflictions of the Quakers thought and said that they were too too severely prosecuted but this in his private Discourses never abroad and in the Pulpit Now an ill Omen follow'd there was an Order issued out to the Chamberlain to confiscate the Goods of the Captives and Exiles When neither Haasbaard nor his Mother being called upon would lay down the Fine his Goods were all Sealed up in the House and he again driven into Exile from whence nevertheless he quickly returns with the fresher and more eager heat because of his loss by Death of the dearer part of himself his Wife and his little Children left behind the Mother now out of her Goods fallen to her paying the Chamberlain the Sum of 200 Imperials The Goods of another a banished Maid were sold by publick Outcry Moreover about the end of the year there was an Order set out That no body should let his House to a Quaker or take any of them for Lodgers Now return back as I said before all the expelled Quakers But all of them are again thrust into the same place and also a Woman with Child but not so near her time as the Quakers thought As also that was too great a glory of Martyrdom which the Quakers told of a certain Quakers Child of 3 years old or scarce so much which upon a disturbance made in the
and unlearned Man and who besides the common English Books had ne're looked into any other nor could he Read them would by no means have it thought or doubted that this weighty Epistle â—o full of Learning and compos'd and written in so Elaborate a manner and with so much Pains and Study was not Written by him and his own Production and that he was not the Man who had daily perused all those Books and made them his own or that it was thus Written by a Multitude or whole Society of Men yet so as that they should leave it to the Judgment of one Fox an ignorant Fellow and upon his Approbation look upon it to be firm and good and he to approve of the same by the greatness and Authority of his Name affixed to it And hence it 's apparent that there is no mind so Humble but is apt to be carried away with the Air of Glory yea many times Glory and Applause is mostly coveted by those who most contemn it and endeavour to introduce a Contempt thereof glorying and taking Pride herein in that they despised all manner of Glory so much But however it were the Letter pleased the King and the Matter of it was very grateful to him insomuch that the King either by his own Authority or other Engagements brought it so about that they ceased to persecute them But the same Persecution was in a short time after revived and introduced upon them When Fox writes a new Epistle to the King and deprecates the Injuries and Dangers brought upon those People his Friends interceding with the King thereby on their behalf discovering now in this his Letter himself entirely as he was and not as before hand over head without all manner of shame and blushing Arrogating to himself the Work of other Men and a false praise But this Letter did not please the King so well so as either to purge them from what was laid to their Charge or to free them from their Sufferings These Quakers are even to the present time a prey and a laughing-stock to almost all the Inhabitants and they had long since been utterly ruined and destroyed all of them had it not been for a few among them that had some small Substance who out of their own Necessities have sustained them under their oppressive Poverty And had it not been also for those Quakers in Holland who are superiour to these in Fortunes and Estates And now that I may pass over nothing that may appertain to the State and Concerns of the Quakers before I depart from these Men in Germany It will not be impertinent to insert the short History of those Men lately sprung up in Germany and who still coverse and are scattered up and down in divers parts of the same Country which are called by the name of Pretists and whom many look upon as the Brood and Offspring of the Quakers or Enthusiasts sprung up again in these times and being as it were lopped off grow again and bud out from the old Stock concerning which Men there are many who have taken upon them to write who have discovered themselves to have heard and imagined more things concerning them than they really know but I shall not take in all herein but will leave out the larger passages and only take notice of the Principal Heads For seeing that in so great a multitude of Christians as well else where as in Germany who declare themselves to be the Disciples of blessed Luther and to follow his Doctrine and way of Living most of them all were indeed affected with a great desire of and love to their Religion but yet retained through great Ignorance and intollerable superstition the observance of some Rites and Ceremonies and which in very deed had little or nothing in common with some Religion Piety and Holiness and this was not so abstruse but that it was apparent to all so as that they might behold it with their Eyes and handle it with their Hands yea and the same was now consined and as it were â—ealed by examples and manners some Godly Men zealous towards God and for the good of Men and such as were also both Learned and Experienced bethought themselves that it was every ones duty with the utmost care and Diligence to heal or cut off this Malady or Pestilence in the Church which crept dayly more and more into Men's Lives and Conversations Among these in the Year sixty one one Theophilus Brosgeband a Deacon of the Lutheran Church in the City of Rostock in the Duchy ef Mâ—chelenburg sets up in Opposition to these Practices and so in a book written by him in the German Tongue sets forth and notes the various Errors that the Lutherans were conscious of and at the same time speaks moderately and gently concerning the Controversies that were between the Lutherans and other Reformed concerning the Lord's Supper and sets down his own Opinion in the matter with his Reasons for the same He was indeed a man that studied and was a lover of Concord and Peace between Friends who held the same Faith which is very good and the very name delectable but he got little Praise and Thanks for his Pains nay this his labour and endeavour went scarce unpunished for there were many Persons that forthwith fell at variance with him hereupon reviled him were very bitter against and troublesome to him which he by his long-suffering and patience wore out and diverted After this Henry Muller became one of this number who in the same City was Teacher and Professor of Divinity in the Church and University and a Person of exquisite Learning and Piety and who about five or six years after Brosgeband did in like manner reprove those of his own Religion concerning their Errors and Lives and Conversations that were unsuitable to Religion and especially in a book written also in the German Tongue that it might come into the hands of all those to whom it did more peculiarly belong handling that Passage of the Apostle Paul which is in his First Epistle to the Corinthians 12. c. 2. v. in which place the Holy Apostle that he might make way for to shew to those Men how much they were now Honoured and Enrich'd by the Spirit of God puts them in mind how in times past they were carried away to dumb Idols led and driven thereunto by unclean Spirits he wrote that Christians now a-days had not left their dumb Idols whereunto they cleaved to whom they attributed all things neglecting true Religion and setting true Godliness at naught to wit The Pulpit from whence they Preach to the People The Baptismal Font The Confessor's Tribunal and the Altar By which words many that were of the same Function with him took themselves to be much Inspired and so lookt upon him to be their Enemy and did not only content themselves with injuring of him in his fame and the esteem had of him and seeing that the Name of
those impetuous Spirits For seeing that all the rest except those two Colleagues aforesaid stuck to Horbius's side there was at that time very great Dissention and Strife between those Pastors who stood in opposition to Horbius and those that were on his part and that by Sermons Pamphlets and Letters every one according to his Faculty in Speaking or Writing putting forth his utmost in defence of his side and in opposition to his Enemies and placing the victory in the last action untill at length the matter was brought to that pass by the Interposition and Authority of the Senate Magistrates and Supream Power of the City a special and principal Remedy for such sort of divided Men and Assemblies that all the quarrel and difference in Words and Writings was taken off by an Amnesty as they call it or General Act of Indemnity and each of them were to forgive what was past as much as all good Men hoped it would be so It 's sad to consider what a vast number of things have been written all this time through all Germany that is of the Lutheran Religion not in the Latin Tongue save a very few but in the German Language that so now the whole Dispute which so many Learned Men could not find an end to should be equally committed to the Judgment of the Learned and Unlearned and especially be the entertainment of the vulgar and abject sort of Mankind whose Judgment they who thus contended are so far from expecting that they even Despise and desire not to have them named with them In the mean time we must pretermit that the Quakers abiding elsewhere and very well knowing and retaining an account and the particulars of all their own Conveniences neglected nothing wherein they thought there was any thing to their Advantage that might be done in this Commotion and Division of these Men. They had certainly in those places at this time a certain Hope wrought in them and their Spirits were raised with some joy that it might come thereby to pass that there should be such Persons that would Judge more favourably of the Doctrine of the Quakers and that perhaps they would apply their Minds to them the Words of their Epistle in an Anniversary Meeting at London the preceeding year writ to all the Churches of the Quakers bear witness hereunto which were to this purpose That they had Thoughts and some Hopes that the falling out of the Lutherans in those places amongst themselves might tend to a farther Discovery and Promotion of the Truth in those Parts Moreover there was in Germany as it were three sorts of Pietists pardon the expression One which I have described consists of those who sought and pressed nothing else but sincere Religion and true Piety and the greatest part of those are among the Learned and better sort of men through Saxony and all Germany Another sort of them was that cryed That the Church was much Corrupted and loved Piety but such who themselves on the other hand stagger not a little in the Faith and True Religion and these same are commonly less moderate and more violent in Celebrating their Assemblies together These came near the Weiglian Sect and such sort of Fanatical People that sprung up about an hundred year ago and not dead in all that intermediate time in Misnia and other Countries about who imagined as if it had been an Opinion not yet received in the Church and yet necessarily to be delivered That there is one certain Divine Seed in all Men and that God and Christ do so infuse themselves into Men that they are one Moreover That man becomes God and Christ and that so he ought to Worship God and Christ in himself and a great deal more of such stuff Which Tenents seeing they were of themselves very obscure and incomprehensible or only an empty sound without any Sence they by their winding cants did yet further involve and make more intricate and these men dreamt of I know not what Millenary Kingdom and Golden Age and continued watching among all who should be no longer Mortal in which Kingdom all things should be restored to their former state and condition and the Blessed abound with all Spiritual and Corporal Pleasures and Delights and should be satisfied at a Thought in what they desired or Wished from the Divine and Celestial Affluence of the Holy Spirit wherefore seeing that they now thought the same time was at hand They so settled their Rules that laying aside all Controversies among Christians they now with one mind by mutual instructions and exhortations looked to that Kingdom prepared themselves for it and invited other men unto it and made it their business so to do The Third sort of them was that which may be called Behmists or Teutonists these called back as it were Jacob Behman the Shoemaker of Garlingen in Silesia from the Dead who was called Tutonick and did both Broach those Opinions which had been really delivered by him as also those Errors that had been falsly laid upon him and ascribed to him yea and horrid and hellish Blasphemy and cried them up as worthy of all Esteem and Glory But before I give the particulars hereof I do not think it absur'd to say somewhat concerning the Doctrine and Writings of this Behman and the rather because of the great variety of Opinions and Observations of Learned and famous Men concerning them He had wrote and published in the German Tongue some Books or rather Pamphlets wherein as he would perswade himself he discovered many things necessary to be known or the Foundations of true Religion and Piety in dark words disjoyned from the usual and known names and such as he that would could not perceive and apprehend producing some of his own and adding as his own invention some other things which he had heard or road else where But when it came to pass as it often happens that those Germans especially the Lutherans who Assumed to themselves the Appellation of Learned Men and who were eager in a search after Knowledg Science and Truth and durst attempt any thing and were already puffed up with their own and other mens Opinions concerning the Excellency of their Learning alight upon these Notions these as coming nigh unto Behman's Principles but looking upon them yet to be ruder and as it were but rough drawn as being what he had only begun they go on to compleat them and from the Store-house of their own Wisdom build up and heap together many Opinions but such as were Monstrous and Horrid and digest them into books and Publish them and render the Behman Name well known in Germany Holland and England by their writing in those several Languages Some things also they Publish'd in Latin and they prove and extol the whole with a wondrous Character as if they were Golden Books and to be got all by Heart by those who followed the Christian Religion and loved their own Everlasting Salvation In the
answers yes Then said she What is the meaning that the King is bare it 's not the fashion of the Kings of England Upon this the King puts on his Hat so the Woman run over briefly what she had before written in the Letter in the King's Presence to whom the King with a Kingly Gravity and Brevity replyed But Woman I desire Peace and seek Peace and would have Peace and tell the Prince of Orange so So in envy and spight do they in France call William King of great Brittain to this very time wherein now for fear they begin to acknowledg and own his Regal Majesty in their pompous words and names this K. I say a K. so constituted according to all Divine and Human Laws that if any one would decipher a Lawful and Just K. he can do it no better than by defining of it under the name of this when as at the same time that name of Prince of Orange has been throughout this Age and before throughout the World as Glorions and Venerable as that of King and as much feared by Enemies At these words the K. went his ways and so did the Woman likewise and having got Passes from the King goes to Holland and from thence returns for England having with all her endeavours effected nothing and so far is the Woman's Account of her self whom the Quakers think ought not to be mistrusted herein because related by her self of whose Sinceriry and Honesty they make no manner of of doubt but others think it a thing more to be heeded because the Woman did shew the Letters delivered to her before the one signed by the Queen's Secretary and the other by the King's Command and with his own Hand Strange are the things which these Men relate and some Write concerning the Travels of Samuel Fisher John Stubbs John Perrot and John Love Ministers of their Church into Italy and from thence to Ionia the Lesser Asia and Smyrna as also of others and of some Womens Journeys into those remote parts as I know not through what difficult places and what great pains they took for the propagation of their Religion and how many Expeditions they went upon as if they would view and enlighten throughly all those Countries and Nations I shall only persue these Men's Relations as they refer to that same expedition of mine formerly from Italy into Ionia and what is worth Remembrance shall be taken notice of briefly and so calling to remembrance my former Journey and that same City I mean Smyrna I lived for some time in my younger days and was Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord for so pleasant and delightful are our past Labours and the most pleasant thing most unpleasant if we may not some times speak of it or at least remember it Those four Men which we have already named arrived in Italy by Sea and came ashore at the Port of Leghorne as 't is now called but formerly Portus Herculeus c. There they delivered some of their Pamphlets to the Governor who delivered the same to the Inquisitors and Censors of Matters that appertain to Religion who when they found nothing in them that belonged to the Popish Religion and that they had done nothing for which by right they ought to be dissatisfied with them they dismiss them They go forwards and get to Venice and there offer their Pamphlets to the Doge who holds the Chief Dignity in thâ— Republick and from thence without stop go to Rome the compendium of the whole Papacy and there see slightly and hastily the vast heap and mass of so many things that are to be seen in that place and having viewed them leave them as an evil Omen and return without any delay to Venice from whence they came Then Perrote and Love take Shipping at this place and go for Smirna touching all the way no Land no Port nor so much as any Shore where when they were arrived because they had an intention to go for Constantinople when the English Consul came to hear of it and had wisely considered the Life and rough Demeanours of those Men who knew not how to forbear and to serve the times and so fearing least they should act somewhat rashly towards the Emperor that might tend not only to their own Inconveniency but to the Disadvantage of the English Nation he sends them against their Wills back again into Italy And so when they arrived there they returned to Rome while they were at Rome Love and Perrote being Men not able to hide their Disposition and moderate the same for some time and in the place they were and to the Men they came amongst and not willing to dissemble and form Lies when by this their Carriage they came to be known what they were and what their Design was they are by the Inquisitors thrown into Prison Love died under his Confinement as some Monks declared by Starving himself to Death but as afterwards some of the Nuns reported so hard a thing it is to keep a secret most difficult when once blabbed out to suppress for the more 't is concealed the more it 's discovered he was Murdered in the night Perrote continued some time in Prison and was afterwards set at liberty About the occasion of which Enlargement there was at first various Opinions but afterwards there was no vain Suspicion that he being shut up in this place chose rather to go backward than forward in his Work seeing that after his return into England he forsook the Quakers and set himself directly against them drawing others also off along with him and engaging of them to embrace his new Opinions and Precepts The other two being struck with fear fled away And here I shall subjoin the Example of a London Youth one George Robinson by name He when he had sailed from England in a Merchant Ship to the end of the Mediterranean and arrived at Scanderoon and from thence as 't is the way of many that Travel those parts as being a shorter and easier way continued his Journey towards the place which they call Jerusalem with a design to see if he could behold or effect any thing there that might be advantageous to his Religion Here he many ways discovered himself to be a Quaker the which when it came to the Monks and Popish Priests Ears they in their Monastery which is as it were the Store-House and Treasury of all manner of Villany take Counsel together whereby to bring him to such a danger from which there should be no escape and so put this villanous trick upon him There was such a Law among the Turks formerly tho' not many years past made That if any Christian enter into any of their Churches he is put to Death unless he redeem his Life with the change of his Religion which Law was made not by the invention of the Turks themselves but by the instinct of Ambassadors and European Consuls on those Coasts who
thought it to be their Prudence to provide in that manner least their Mariners who are so serviceable to their Countries but a ruffling sort of Men and prone to all impetuous and saucy Actions should offer any violence to the Churches and Porches of the Turks and demean themselves insolently upon that account and that so from that foreign Evil another worse Evil arise and befall the whole Nation therefore that they might bring this young Man into the utmost peril of his Life they by their cunning Machinations order the matter so as that he entred into one of their Mosques or Churches There the Turks seize him and having got an Interpreter which sort of Men who are of the Greek Nation is never wanting they threaten him that unless he would change his Religion and forsake his Christianity and embrace the Mahometan Way they would burn him alive upon Camels Dung He chooses to Die they prepare for it but a Turkish Officer comes up to them with great speed who had found out by what Methods Cunning and Craft they had trappan'd the young Man and crys to them that they should be quiet stop and see what they did he shews them the whole matter and so frees the young Man who was ready to Die and almost Breathless from the very Jaws of Death and after that brought him to his own House cherished and succoured him and does as it were hug and adore for some time as 't is the manner of the Turks to love venerate and esteem such worthy of eternal Monuments for undergoing such a Death as to be Martyrs for their Religion and at last commanded those Papists and bald Monks who had not an Hair of Humanity to conduct this young Man but one who was endued with a manly Nature and Fortitude into a place of Safety unless they were minded to incur the like danger or some other vindictive displeasure for the same These manly Examples were imitated by some of the Female Sex both Wives and Virgins not out of a Womanly precipitancy and boldness but upon a determinate Advice taking good resolution of Mind and raising up the Fortitude of their Bodies contemning the danger of their lives changing as it were their Sex or being transmuted from Women to Men which says Pliny's credit in reference to a Transmutation of this Kind of which sort L. Mutianu's shewed a Boy at Smyrna which he had seen For so did they steer their Course towards those same Places and studied to obtain the same Glory and Praise for the Preaching and Propagating of their Religion Of these Women the first two were Catherine Evans and Sarah Chevench who in the year 61 went by Sea from London to Italy to the intent they might get a Ship to go from thence to Scanderooâ— and so on to Judeae which VVomen while that the Ship as they sailed touched upon Malta went out of the Ship and drew near the Island There they forthwith deliver their Pamphlets to such as they met with and in the mean time beholding and abhorring so many Signs of an Idolatrous People seeing they could not by their Tongue and Language express the Sence they had of it to these men for they use partly the Italian partly the Turkish and partly a mixt and medley Speech as having been Conquered and the place inhabited by both People several times they did it to them by Signs and Nods and other Gestures being afterwards brought to the Inquisitors and having an Interpreter assigned them they refuse to do what the Papists would have them Dispute against them and at last reject and so despise their their Worship Adoration and Religion that the Malteses seized upon these chattering Women and threw them into Prison and there kept them about two years and then at last thrust them out of their Island There were two other Maidens who were also English Women one of which was afterward Married to a Citizen and eminent Merchant of Amsterdam for there is no need of naming her or her Companion that even as these Women had done did with the same design go by Sea as far as Scanderoon but being there not permitted to go any further by the English Consul they did at length with much Grief and Sorrow return to their own Country I shall add another Example of the strange and ardent Resolution of Women which is almost too great and therefore the less Credible and therefore every one may make Judgment thereof as he pleases but it 's such as that the Quakers who have received it and delivered the same unto me do so attest that for all they have no other Testimony of the Truth of the thing no manner of witness none conscious or judge of the same besides the Woman her self they say they doubt so little thereof as if the thing had been done in their Sight She was an English Maiden her name Mary Fisher who would not be at rest before she went in Person to the great Emperor of the Turks and inform'd him concerning the Errors of his Religion and the Truth of hers It was the same Emperor who in my time and long after governed that Empire called by the name of Mahomet Han the 4th of the Name a Monster of a Man a Deformed sight both in Body and Mind as if one strove with the other how to offend of a black Complexion with a flat broad Nose and Mouth stupid logger-headed cruel fierce as to his Aspect and besides other marks upon his Body had a Scar beneath his Eye-lid on the upper part of his Cheek which came from a wound and cruel Cut given him by his Brother's Guards and Followers a Testimony of his Boisterous and Cruel Disposition because that upon his Brother's Accession to that Throne he attempted to take him off and cut off his Head with his own hands Tho others have given a diffent Relation of this matter to wit that this Mahomet's Father because he had understood by signs and Prophesies that the Son should expel the Father from the Throne had endeavoured to cut off this his Son and that in the mean time while the Son was kept from falling into the hands of his Father in this manner he gave him this mark of the mischief he designed for him This passage has been interlac'd here not that there is any great connexion between the matter in hand and it but for curiosity's sake upon the account of them who are desirous of Novelties and that this Maiden might come to the sight of this Man speak with him and put him in mind of the Justice of her cause she goes on board an English Ship and Sails for Smyrna but when the English Consul at Smyrna came to know her design he advises the young Woman by all means to forbear but she persists in her Resolution so the Consul not enduring that she should expose her self to so many and such great hazards and rash undertakings and being not able to divert