To the most powerful in authority, to unloose the bonds of cruelty and oppression of an aged industrious person without work or friends. Boyce, Thomas. 1697 Approx. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A77168 Wing B3902A ESTC R170735 45789172 ocm 45789172 172485 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A77168) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 172485) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English Books, 1641-1700 ; 2634:7) To the most powerful in authority, to unloose the bonds of cruelty and oppression of an aged industrious person without work or friends. Boyce, Thomas. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1697] Signed: Thomas Boyce. Date and place of publication suggested by Wing. Dated at foot of p.: 1694. Reproduction of original in: Friends' Library (London, England). Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- England -- Controversial literature -- Early works to 1800. Broadsides -- England -- 17th century. 2008-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2008-11 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion To the Most Powerful in Authority , to unloose the Bonds of Cruelty and Oppression of an Aged Industrious Person , without Work or Friends . THomas Boyce of Lambeth , formerly of Horslydown , a Hearer of Quakers ; now , and long since of the Church of England , a Sufferer for Innocency and Truth ; and since his hard Case has not been unknown to both King and Kingdom , Authority having been pleased to take notice of it , and Publickly cleared his Innocency under the Hands of 12 Credible Witnesses , besides Sir Richard Ingoldesby , who have Certified my Honesty and Faithfulness to the Great Trust reposed in me by his Father Sir Richard , and his Lady Mother , while I , in former days , was many years Steward to them . But most unfortunately falling since under the English Inquisition of the Violent Bloody Quakers , who , by some of their Chief Leaders , unprovok'd , and Barbarous Assaults , like so many Wolfes , tore , and devoured him , and his Substance , in Three and thirty Weeks time , which he had been Labouring for all his Days , and sorely wounded him in his Body , Mind and Reputation , to the indangering his Life , themselves have since Confest he was amist ; as also his Neighbours aforesaid have Certified he was in a weak Distracted Condition at that time , his Speech taken from him , and the Use of his Hands ; Five Weeks together , had no Sustenance , only drank fair Water , and Six Weeks and three days kept from his wonted Course of Nature , otherwise than by Urine . And all the while uncapable of Work , notwithstanding the Quakers gave out , he was able , and might Work , and have spoke too , all the while , if he had list . And for his refusing to Consent to their Lies , after he had his Speech restor'd to him by his Maker , and was capable to Work , the Quakers , instead of restoring , what they had most falsely taken , and caused to be taken from him , that is to say , his Trade , Credit , and Livelihood , fell a Cursing him and his Wife and Children , and threatned him with Plagues and Vengeance that should come upon him , and be worse than ever he was . Insomuch , that for above these Twenty years last past , he has been reduc'd to the Laborious Calling only of a Taylor , and has not had Work sufficient , nor the value thereof , taking the whole time , for one pair of hands , to feed and maintain four Mouthes the greatest part of it . What hardships he has undergone in seeking for Work , but much more by their often Upbraiding him with their Bounty and Charity , so cold , are too long and sad to trouble the Reader : However he is able to make it plainly appear , if he might be permitted , that he is a Sufferer at this time above 500 l. in his very Trade and Livelyhood of his Family , besides his Credit , and a Childes part of an Estate of about 600 l. which was left him by his Parents and near Relations at Buckingham , which some of the former Leven of the Quakers possest themselves of , part of it without Administring , and other some , of the same Fry , without giving any Account , have , in the like manner , lately , by their Purses , and Practices of Lying , got the Remainder . So that the Quakers among them have Swallowed up both my substance of Bread , and not allowed me wherewith to Work for Money . And 't is very hard to be in Age , and in Want , having hands given Man to Labour , and a Tongue to Ask wherewith , and not permitted , without he will Bely the Giver of them , or confess himself to be Lunatick , or Mad , and Lazy . The Reverend Dean G. H. hath lately † Certify'd , under his Hand , That the said Tho. Boyce is an honest Laborious poor Man , and worthy , as he thinks , of Protection and Relief . And seeing the Power of the Most High hath shown a Wonder by this your Complainant , so as to raise him even from the Grave ; He humbly desires your Honours , to whom these are chiefly Intended , would be pleas'd to consider to what end , and in the mean time the Grass grows , that my poor Sickly Children , may no longer suffer Want , for their Father's Transgression , that is to say , for refusing to deny Truth , and his unwillingness of Mind to Starve for want of Work. Thomas Boyce , an Inhabitant of this Parish about 22 Years , and 12 Years before at Horsly-down aforesaid . March 25th , 1697. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A77168-e10 * an apostate † THese are to Certify , That Thomas Boyce of the Parish of Lambeth , Taylor ; formerly of the Sect of Quakers , and now , and long since of the Church of England , is an Honest Laborious poor Man , and worthy , as I think , of Protection and Relief , George Hooper , Rector of Lambeth . Nov. 7. 1694.