NEW-ENGLAND Pesecutors Mauled With their own Weapons. Giving some Account of the bloody Laws made at Boston against the King's Subjects that dissented from their way of Worship. Together with a brief Account of the Imprisonment and Trial of Thomas Maule of Salem, for publishing a Book, entitled, Truth held forth and maintained, etc. By Tho. Philathes. Truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey, Isai. 59 14, 15. As Troops of Robbers wait for a Man, so do the company Priests murder in the way by consent, Hosea 6.9. Shall the Throne of Iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth Mischief by a Law; they gather themselves together against the Soul of the Righteous, and condemn the Innocent Blood, Psal 94.20.21. The Preface. Christian Reader; IT has not been without due Consideration, that we have seen cause to set forth and publish a true Account of some of the New-England Church Members cruel and bloody Laws, which through the Priest's instigating the Magistrates, were by them made against both Quakers and all other Religious Persons within New-englands' Jurisdiction, that were found to descent from their Worship, as also a short Relation of some few of the many Persons that suffered Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the aforesaid Church, with some brief Observations on each Law, and the Preamble thereof. Unto which is added, an Account of the Priests, Rulers and Church Members great Hurly-burley or Confusion made about a late Book, entitled, Truth held forth and maintained, etc. by Thomas Maule of Salem, in which Book is contained thirty eight Chapters relating to the Principles of Truth, agreeing with the Testimony of the holy Prophets, Christ and his Apostles recorded in the holy Scriptures of Truth, together with an Account of God's Judgements upon divers of the chief▪ persecuting Priests and Rulers, and a Declaration, the late great judgement of God upon the Priests, Rulers & their Follower's of whom Twenty were (through the Accusation ●y Spectre Evidence, which Judgement continued amongst the Inhabitants near or about Twelve Months, till at length there was so many of the Priests and Rulers, and others accounted eminent Persons, accused by the said Spectre or Apparition, that the Rulers, with as much speed as they had condemned and put to Death, d●d now face about and clear the Prisons, both of the condemned, as well as of all others accused by the said evidence for Witches, an Account of which is more at large to be seen in said Maules' Book, of which Books the Persecutors sacrificed sixteen pounds' worth a burn Offering to their Anger and Revenge, the which by them was done, as also Imprisoning him about Twelve Months before that upon his Trial he was cleared by a Jury that found him Not Guilty, the sums and substance of which trial will appear in this Book, by which it doth manifestly appear, that many of the New-England Priests and Rulers, with many of their Church-Member Brothers in ●n●quity, do remain in the same, when they fled from Old England to save their Purses and Bodies from suffering by the Bishop's Power, for their dissenting from their Mother Church, against whom it will sufficiently appear, have rebelled, by persecuting several Persons thereunto belonging, as well as all other Religious Persons found within their Jurisdiction, to descent from their Priest's Worship. As for Instance, soon after they came and had settled themselves in this Land, they began to persecute after a● horrible rate, and in a cruel bloody manner did they persecute Ann Hutchinsan, and that Company, of whom some wer●● barbarously murdered; so also was Mr. Clark and that Company, great Sufferers; as likewise Samuel Gorton and that Company, who for the want of one more casting Vot●, escaped the Gallows for a Dissenter; and the Sufferings of the Lady Moody, with many others, was very great; as also was the Sufferings of Mr. Williams, Obadiah Homes, Mr. Donstor the Precedent, and many others, of whom I shall hereafter more at large relate; about which time the Priests were so beset with the Baptists, Quakers, and the Church of England, that it caused thè Hirelings to roar out in their Pulp●●s for the help of Moses, otherwise Aaron must fall, and then they are all undone; whereupon the Magistrates mustered the Priest's Drudges together, and to work they went against Dissenters, with all the strength of their Faith Defenders, which mostly fell upon the Innocent Quakers, as will hereafter appear, which had these Persecuters manifested the least Repentance would have prevented the Authur from publishing the following Account of their bloody Laws, and the cruel barbarous Works acted and done thereby to the King's good Subjects within New-englands' Jurisdiction. Tho. Thilathes. Persecutors Mauled with their own Weapons. Antichristian Freedom established by the Law of the Old Charter Priests and Rulers in New-England. THis Court having considering the Proposals presented to this Court by several of the Inhabitants of the County of Middlesex, do declare and order. That no man whatsoever shall be admitted to the freedom of this Body Politic, but such as are Members of some Church of Christ, and in full Communion, which they declare to be the true intent of the ancient Law, Anno 1631, 1660. Observe, Hence you may understand, that the County of middlesex, for Money and wealth, did encourage for sale, the high Priests Beware, as well as in love to their Bellies, to seat themselves near to the Magistrates General high Court of Injustice, against Dissenters from their Worship, which said Courts were kept in Boston, where the Priests Drudges brought of the Dissepters Estates, for fin●s, to the Value of many hundreds of Pounds, with which the Priests and Rulers, with others of their Church Brothers feasted themselves from day to day, while they made Laws against them that dissented from the worship of their Priests, who when their Bellies were Ruffed with the best Provision, and their heads with the richest sort of Wine, had not far home to their Common Prayers against all dissenters, as well as Quakers; and while they feasted themselves with the best of other men's Labour, they kept the true Owners thereof with the best entertainment their Goal and Bridewell house did afford, as by their cruel suffering therein will hereafter appear, and as is related in the Book of Sufferings, under these persecuting Magistrates, that some went and demanded their fat Oxen of them again, to which their answer was, Would you that we should sit and starve, while we are about your business? which was to make Laws to devour them and their Estates; which work was of great encouragement to the Priestridden Freemen of their Body Politic, whose some Church of Christ, as in their Law they call it, is no other but the plain Church of Anti-christ, and so proved to be, by their persecuting all other Persons dissenting therefrom in their Jurisdiction. The Freeman's Law, by which a Body make, No man that's true can with their Church partake: He that will honour gain, and credit at their hand, He must forsake all good, then by their cause may stand. Preamble to the Persecutors Laws made against the People of God and the King's good Subjects. WHereas there is a cursed Sect of Heretics lately risen up in the world, which are commonly called Quakers, who take upon them to be immediately sent of God, & Infallibly assisted by the Spirit, to speak and write blasphemous Opinions, despising Government, and the Order of God in Church and common Wealth, speaking evil of Dignities, reproaching and reviling Magistrates and Ministers, seeking to turn People from the Faith, and gain Proselytes to their pernicious way. Observe; Here's the Persecutors preamble to their Antichristian Law, the unrighteousness of which is of their Father the wicked One, who from the beginning hath been an Accuser of the Brethren, wherefore the things of the Kingdom of God are hid from them, Mat. 11.25. Luke. 10.21. In which state they remain as the rebellious Jews, calling good evil, and the truth, blasphemous Opinions, having no more justly to accuse the Quakers of evil, then had the wicked Jews against the People of God in the Apostles day, and will in this following work appear so to be, to every true Christian Readers view of the same. Here now begins these freemens sin, The Cause for which Gods Judgements bring. Preamble to these Persecutors Law. The Court Considering the Premises, and to prevent the like Mischief, as by their means is wrought in our native Land. Observe, That of their many Lies and Unjust charges against both the Quakers, Baptists, and other Dissenters, as well as against them of the Church of England, is a Record to the end of Time, as also of their many other unrighteous Works against the People of God and the King's Subjects, which had they and their Brethren been as clear from all means of mischief as the Quakers, there had neither Rebellion, Treason, or Murder against the King been alleged to the charge of their New-England Brother Hugh Peter, Venner, and others of their Brethren in England, which they call our native Land. New-England Persecutors Law. 1. Do hereby order, and by the Authority of this Court Be it ordered and Enacted, That no Master or Commander of any Ship, Bark, Pinnace, Catch, or other Vessel, henceforth bring into any Harbour, Creek or Cove within this Jurisdiction, any known Quaker or Quakers, or other blasphemous Heretics, upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture▪ of O●● hundred Pounds, to be forthwith paid to the Treasure● of the Country, except it appeareth that such Ma●ter▪ wanted due 〈…〉 of information that they were such, and in 〈◊〉 ●●se he ●ay clear himself by his Oath, when sufficient proof 〈◊〉 the contrary is wanting; and for default of payment of the said Fine of one hundred Pounds, or good Security for the same, such Master shall be committed to Prison by Warrant from any Magistrate, there to continue till the said Fine be satisfied to the Treasurer, as aforesaid. 2. And the Master or Commander of any such Ship or Vessel, that shall bring them, being legally convicted, shall give in sufficient Securiry to the Governor or one more of the Magistrates, to carry them to the place whence he brought them; and on his refusal so to do, the Governor or said Magistrate or Magistrates, shall commit such Master or Commander to Prison, there to remain till he shall give in sufficient Security to the content of the Governor or said Magistrate. 3. And if any Person or Persons within this Jurisdiction shall henceforth entertain and conceal any Quaker or Quakers, or other blasphemous. Heretics, Knowing them to be such, every such Person shall forfeit to the Country Forty Shillings for every hours entertainment and concealment of any such Quaker or Quakers as aforesaid, and shall be committed to Prison, as aforesaid, till the Fines be fullly satisfied and paid. Observe, That several of the King's Subjects, Masters or Commanders of Vessels suffered to the utmost extremity of this unrighteous Law, which is so repugnant to the Law of God, and the King's Laws, that in making and prosecuting the same, they o●t do all their forefather's and elder Brethren in Iniquity, which Law was so well pleasing to the Priests, who the more that people might believe their work to be sanctified, set one day apart for Preaching and Praying, as a day of Thanksgiving for the same, hoping that by the means of a thorough prosecution of this Law, to keep their Jurisdiction clear of every Person called a Quaker, and that than their freemen would take the more courage against the Baptists and them of the Church of England; for with the Quakers they were hard bese●, and in fear they would deprive them of their God; and as Le●etrius, their Trade would come to nothing, and in fear of being slain, as was their elder Brother, Vagabond Cain▪ who as these had no certain dwelling in the Truth, which if their Worship had been the true Worship of God, as we read, John 4.24. but on the contrary, as we read, Mark 7 6, 7, 8, 9 Mat. 15.8. they worshipped they knew not what, John. 4 22▪ in which state of Disobedience they were far from the Rule of doing as themselves would have been done unto, Mat. 7.12. Luke. 6 31. but in fleeing the Land to s●ve their Purses with which their minds did abide, regarded not the Rule to entertain Strangers, Heb. 13.2. but on the contrary, ga●e them the like entertainment as the wicked Jews did to Christ and his Apostles, from whose Rule of ●r●eing all things ●r● held f●t that which is good, from the s●me do these Persecutors Law restrain, as will more at large hereafter appear. Of the like Laws we never find By men, that God and King do mind New England's Antichristian Law 4. And every Person or Persons that shall encourage or defend any of their pernicious ways, by speaking, writing or meeting on the Lord's Day, or at any other time▪ shall after due means of conviction incur the Penalty ensuing, viz. Every one so mee●●ng shall pay to the use of the Country, for every time, Ten Shillings, And every one speaking in such a Meeting shall forfeit Five Pounds. Observe, That by 〈◊〉 Law, and the other aforementioned Law of forty Shillings for every hours entertainment to any Person or Persons, or others whom they account blasphemous Heretics, as they did account all that dissented from their Priest's Worship, by which two Laws they gained abundance of Money for Fines of the Inhabitants, who were found either at the Quakers Meeting, or to entertain their Relations and Kindred, though Father or Mother, Brother or Sister, or any other Friend or Friends, or Relations and Kindred, whom in their Law They call by the name of Strangers and Vagabonds, as by the following Laws will further appear, and that every man by Membership admitted to the freedom of their Body Politic, was according to their Priest's way of teaching, become a Rule●, to lord over the Fait● of every Dissenter; by which the Christian Reader may fully comprehend the nature of these freemens Body Po●●●ick. Unto Religion th●se Freemen do pretend, We ●●ay all see that Money is their end. New-England Antichristian Law. 5. If any Person shall knowingly import into any Harbour of this Jurisdiction, any Quakers Books or Writings concerning their damnable Opinions, he shall forfeit 〈◊〉 every such Book or writing five Pounds; and whosoever shall disperse or conceal such Book or Writing, and it be found with him or her, or in his or her House, and shall not Immediately deliver the same to the next Magistrate, shall pay five Pounds for dispersing or concealing every such Book or Writing. 6 And every Person or Persons whatsoever that shall revile the Office or Person of Magistrates or Ministers, as is usual with the Quakers, such Person or Persons, shall be severely whipped, or pay the Sum of Five Pounds in money. The Reader may here note, That the substance of matter contained in these two last Laws, is very agreeable with what is before, as also with what will follow, all which is to promote the works of Unrighteousness against God and his People, thereby to hinder others from receiving the Truth, who for proving all things to hold fast that which is good, 1 Thes. 5.21. must as by their Law, pay five Pounds, either for bringing any Quakers Books or writings into their Jurisdiction, or keeping the same in their House when they are, without immediate delivering the same to the next Magistrate, which doth evidently manifest their design is to gain the People's Money, as well as to hinder them of receiving the Truth, which fulfil what is written, They will neither enter the Kingdom of Heaven themselves, nor suffer▪ others that are entering to go in, Mat. 22.13. but as those wicked Jews did, so do these Hypocrites most unrighteously charge the People of God with reviling the Office and Persons of Magistrates and Ministers, when as on contrary, their Testimonies were true for God's cause against Pride, Covetousness and Oppression, which greatly abounded in the Magistrates, Priests and Persecuting freemen, who for the most Part by their hireling Priests, were taught beyond all grace and common good, and that the whole Government of their Church and Commonwealth, as they call it, had as they concluded that dependency upon their ●old Charter, that as by their Law, it is manifest they neither feared God nor minded the Laws of the English Nation; for they had assumed to themselves the Power of both God, King and Bishops, wholly confiding in the strength of their old Idol Charter. Where Persecutors once gain Power, Like Lions, Bears, and Wolves devour. New-England's Anti-christian Law. 7. And every Person that shall publish and maintain any Heterodox Erroneous Doctrine, shall be liable to be questioned, and sencured by the County Court where he liveth, according to the merit of his Offence. The Reader may hence understand, That the County Courts were plenty of these Persecutors & Plenty of jackalls to hunt for their prey, which was to find out every Person in their Jurisdiction, that departed from the way of their Priest's Worship, such person and Persons became a prey, Is●. 59.15. who were accused to publish or maintain the Heterodox or Fr●onious Doctrine; at the opening of which Courts, were always some of their Priests to pray, pretending that what they did against Dissenters, would be the more sanctified through the means of their Prayers, which they pretended was for the honour of God, and good of the Souls of them, on whom the said Court did inflict punishment, both to their Body and Purses, so that what with these Hirelings unsanctified Prayers, and the like Advice to the Magistrates, they would be sure to lay load enough on the backs of the aforesaid Dissenters, especially upon the Innocent harmless Quakers, whom so often in their Law, they call Accursed! for unto them was the Priest's greatest Rage manifested, through their wicked advice to the Magistrates, to have them all hanged, of whom four were put to Death, and more had been, had not their Bloody Hands been stopped through the means of the King's Order to the Contrary, a Copy of which Letter will hereafter appear in this Book, which before it came, many were they that were put to cruel Sufferings, both by long Imprisonment, cruel Whip, Cutting off Ears, Branding with Red hot Irons, ordering Men and Women to be sold for bond Slaves, searching the Bodies of Innocent Women for Witches, besides Banishing upon pain of Death, and abundance of their Estate taken for Fines, on which these men, so free to do the Devils Work, did live, eating and drinking at a high rate, whilst others suffered as aforesaid. This was the work of wicked Priest ●nd Pulpit Liars, Whose work was like the Jesuits, the Monks and Frayrs. New-England Antichristian Law. 8. whereas there is a pernicious Sect, commonly called Quakers, lately arisen, who by word and writing have published and maintained many dangerous and horrid Tenets, and take upon them to change and alter the laudable Customs of our Nation, in giving civil Respect to Equals o Reverence to Superiors, whose Actions tend to undermine the Authority of civil Government, as also to destroy the Order of the Churches, by denying all established Forms of Worship, and by with drawing from the orderly Church Assemblies allowed and approved by all Orthrodox Professors of the Truth, and instead thereof, and opposition thereunto, frequenting private Meetings of their own, insinuating into the minds of the simple, or such as are less affected to the Order and Government of our Church and Common Wealth, whereby divers of our Inhabitants have been Infected and seduced; and notwithstanding all former Laws made, upon Experience of their arrogant bold Obtrusions to Disseminate their Principles amongst us, prohibiting their coming into this Jurisdiction, they have not been detered from their impetuous Attempts to undermine our Peace and hasten our Ruin▪ The Reader may here note, the great Wickedness of these unrighteous Priests and Rulers, who to accuse the innocent, run themselves into further mischief, through their bold Attempts against God and the King, which hath proved to be their ruin, for whilst they were digging Pits, and making Rods, and laying Snares the innocent, God was preparing his Judgements against them, and all those whose silence gave consent thereto, by which ●udgments they do not only suffer suffer the loss of their Fruit and Grain▪ throughout their Jurisdiction, but also are delivered into the hands of the Barbarous Indians▪ whom God suffers to make them a double measure of the like Cruelty; which themselves (as by their ●●ws) have indicted upon others, besides the loss of their old Charter and great Idol. God ever will for Innocent Blood Reward, Though while the Wicked live, little it regard. New-England Antichristian Law. For prevention thereof, this Court doth Order and Enact, that every Person of the cursed Sect of Quakers, who is not an Inhabitant, but found within this Jurisdiction, shall be apprehended without Warrant, where no Magistrate is at hand, by any Constable, Commissioner or Select Man, and conveyed from Constable to Constable, until they come before the next Magistrate, who shall commit the said Person or Persons to close Prison, there to remain without Bail, unti● the next Court of Assistants, where they shall have a legal. Trial by a special Jury, and being convict to be of the cursed Sect of Quakers, shall be sentenced to Banishment upon pain of DEATH▪ Obs. The Reader may hence understand, that the ●ea●er the Magistrates Laws did extend to destroy the Lives of the Innocent, the more pleasing it was to the Hireling Priests ●ho in honour thereunto, would set Time apart for the Church's Thanksgiving. A New-England Antichristian Law. And that every the Inhabitants of this Jurisdiction, being convicted to be of the cursed Sect of Quakers, either by taking up, publishing and defending the horrid Opinions of the cursed Quakers, or stirring up M●t●a●▪ Sedit● or Rebellion against the Government of our Church at ● Common Wealth, or by taking up their absurd and destructive Practices, viz. denying civil Respect and Reverence to Equals and Superiors, withdrawing from our Church Assemblies, and instead thereof, frequenting private Meetings of their own, in Opposition to our Church Order▪ or by adhering to, or approving of known Quakers, that are opposite to the Orthodox received Opinions of the Godly, and endeavouring to disaffect others ●o civil Government and Church Order established amongst us, and condemning the Practice and Proceedings of this Court against the Quakers, manifesting thereby compliance with those whose design is to overthrow the Order established in our Church and Commonwealth. The reader may here Observe the wretched state of these Bloody minded Persecutors, who for want of true faith were in the state of th●ir elder Brother Cain, that was a murderer, like unto these who destroy the righteous for their Faith and Obedience to God, for which cause these Persecutors bear cain's mark, being in fear that those which are not of their murdering Spirits, will slay them; and knowing themselves to be like principled, as was Hugh Peter's, Venner, and many others of their New-England Brethren in Iniquity, stirring up Mutiny, Sedition and Rebellion against the English Government, and the Order of the English Church established by the Bishops, as by the Chronicles of England doth at large appear of their Rebellion and Treason against the King and his Children, in that day▪ of their inventing so much mischief against others in our Native Land, to set up themselves above all others; which Spirit is the same in these their persecuting Brethren, who impute that to the Charge of an Innocent harmless People, which themselves are so highly guilty of, as is manifested by their setting up themselves, to lord it over the People of God and the King's Subjects, as for fifty or sixty Years time they have done in New-England, where the hireling Priests kept a constant stroke of putting all that dissented from their Worship, into bear skins, and setting their Followers to tear them in pieces, call out in their preaching to their people, Curse ye Meroz, Curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants that will not come to the help of the Lord against the mighty, Judg. 5 23. and cursed be he that doth the Work of the Lord deceitfully, by withholding his Sword from blood, Je●. 48.10. with more of the like, endeavouring to persuade, that God's general Judgements would not depart, until they had hanged all the Quakers, and sent going all other Dissenters. The Judgements may remove, but when old Charter men Are dead, and then Or when God sends here better men, Well to rule in Government, then, Pro. 29.2 From Devil and such Wicked Priests, pray God deliver me Then from all Mischief in the World, be sure I shall be free. Hosea 6.9. New-England Peusecutors Laws against the King's Subjects. Every such Person upon Examination and Conviction before the Court of Assistants, in manner as aforesaid, shall be committed to close Prison for on● Month, and unless they choose to depart the Jurisdiction, shall give Bond for their appearance at the next Court of Assistants, where continuing obstinate, and refusing to retract and reform the aforesoid Opinions and Practices, shall be sentenced to Banishment, upon pain of Death, and in case ●●the aforesaid Voluntary departure not to remain, or to return again into this Jurisdiction, without the allowance of the major part of the Council first had and published, on penalty of being banished upon pain of Death; and any one Magistrate, upon complaint, or information, given him of any such Person, shall cause them to be apprehended, and if upon Examination of the cause, he shall find Just grounds for such complaint▪ he shall commit such Person to Prison, until he come to his Trial, as above expressed. Observe, Here you may still note the Work of the Wicked, in whom he that was a Liar and Murderer from the beginning, gave them no rest from their bloody pursuit after the Lives of the Righteous, whom the Lord did preserve in all their deep sufferings and fiery Trials, that not one of the faithful Sufferers for his Cause conformed to their wicked Will, who would not endure any that differed in Judgement from their Priest's Worship to inhabit within their Jurisdiction, who without fear to God, or regard to Man, contrary to the Laws of the English Native, without either fear or regard to God, King or Bishops, made the defence of their Faith, Church and Common Wealth (as they call themselves) as strong as possible they could with Stock, Whip, Goal and Gallows, on which the chiefest strength of their Faith did depend; for when all their other Anti-christian Weapons failed them against the Quakers, the Gallows held, until the King's Letter came, and removed the strength of their Faith in that also; yet they continued by their old wont way of pl●king away men's Estates, by fining them in great Sums for dessenting from their Priest's Worship, which from the Quakers, R●p●●●●s, them of the Church of England and others amounted to about Twenty Thousand Pounds, in the bounds of New-England. When Wolves once get a taste of Blood, They are for killing all that's good. The Preamble to their Law. This Court being desirous to try all means, with as much lenity as may consist with our safety, to prevent the Intrusions of the Quakers, who besides their absurd and blasphemous Doctrines, do like Rogues and Vagabonds come in upon us, and have not been restrained by the Laws already provided. Observe. Here note the Fox's Preamble to their Wolvish Law, whose Ravenous bloodthirsty Na●●re is not contented with the ●l●●ce, but strive all they can (as have done the Wicked in days past) to have the innocent Blood also (as did their Brother bloody Bonner in Queen Mary's time) whenas to many Thousands of People it is well known that those which suffered in N●w-England, under the Name of Quakers, were neither in Doctrine, Principle nor Practice, any way guilty of these Persecutors charge, but on the co●t any differing therefrom, as Light from Darkness, Truth from Error, God f●om the Devil, Christ from Beli●● and Heaven from Hell, from whence is the Power and Spirit of all those that put people to Death for their Faith and Obedience to God, who permits these things to be done by the instruments of the wicked one, for a trial of Faith to those who are made wi●ling to part with all for the sake of him that first loved them, and gives them that Power through which they receive strength to withstand all the Powers of Hell, from whence proceedeth the Spirit of these persecutors, as did them in days past▪ John 8.44. Mat. 23.31, 33, 34, 35, 36. whose safety did (as these do remain by the strength of unrighteous Laws, and as they said, so say these, We have a Law, and by our Law, every Person dissenting from our Church Order, and against the Government of our Common Wealth, as is manifest the Quakers do, by condemning the Proceedings of this Court against Dissenters, who by our Law ought 〈◊〉 die. Which proves these Persecutors to be true Vagabonds, by having no dwelling in the Truth. Vagabonds are, as was their Brother Cain, Who murder them, that in the Truth remain▪ New-England Persecutors Laws against the King's Subjects. Have ordered, That every such Vagabond Quaker found within any part of this Jurisdiction, shall be apprehended by any Person or Persons, or by the Constable of the Town, where he or she is found, and by the Constable, or in his absence, by any other Person or Persons, conveyed before the next Magistrate of that shire, where they are taken, or Commissioner invested with Magistratical Power, and being by them adjudged to be a wandering Quaker, viz. such that hath no orderly allowance in this Jurisdiction, and not giving civil Respect or by any other means manifesting himself to be a Quaker, shall by warrant under the hand of the said Magistrate or Commissioner, directed to the Constable of the Town, or to any other meet Person, be stripped from the middle, upward, and tied to a Carts, Tail, and whipped through the Town, and from thence Immediately conveyed to the Constable of the next Town towards the borders of our Jurisdiction, as their Warrant shall direct, till they be conveyed through the outwardmost Towns of our Jurisdiction. Observe That by the following Copy of one of their many Warrants of the like Bloody and cruel nature, their Whipping of the Innocent Quakers, who by their Law must have no allowance to trade, buy or sell within the bounds is of their Jurisdiction; for which cause of being so prohibited, and found within their Jurisdiction, and by them called Vagabonds, whenas a 〈…〉 being found, as Cain was, to have no dwelling in the Tru●● are the right true Vagabonds, endeavouring (as much as in them lies) to whip others from their certain dwellings is 〈◊〉 Truth, to become Vagabonds like themselves. A Copy of one of their many Warrants. TO the Constable of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newber●▪ Rowley, Ipswich, Wenham, Linn, Boston, Roxbury, Dedham, and until these Vagabond Quakers are carried out of this Jurisdiction, You, and every of you are required in the King's Name, to take Ann Coleman, Mary Tomkins, Alice Ambrose, and make them fast to the Cart's Tail, and driving the Cart through your several Towns, to whip them upon their Naked Backs, and not exceeding Ten Stripes on each of them, in each Town; and so to convey them from Constable to Constable, till they come out of this Jurisdiction, as you will answer it at your peril. And this shall be your Warrant. Dated at Dover, December the 22th, 1662. Per me Richard Walden. Observe, Here are Eleven Towns in the Warrant, and from the first Town Dover, to the last Town Dedham, is about eighty Miles, and Ten Stripes on each of them in each Town, is One Hundred and Ten stpipes a piece with a Whip made with three small single hair twisted Cords, each of which being knotted, fit for the Priests Work▪ to defend their Faith, and so laid on the naked Backs of the innocent Quakers, as if it were possible, the Knots might kiss the Bones, which cruel work was agreeable, to the Priests exhorting their Drudges from these Scriptures▪ Judg. 5.23 Jer. 48.10. which Work was as far from the Work of God, in this day, as Heaven is from Hell, as may be read- Luke 9.54, 55·56. Mat. 5.44, 45, 46. Luke 6.31 32, 33. Mat. 13.28, 29, 30. 2 Cor. 10.3, 4, 5, 6. but contrary to these Persecutors act, as we read, John 8.44. Mat. 6.24. For his Servants they are to whom they obey, Rom. 6.16. But as their laws were bloody and their execution Cruel and Barbarous, so hath God suffered both he that drew the Warrant, with many more of his persecuting Brethren, to be destroyed, and their Riches consumed by the great Judgements of God upon them, as is more at large to be seen in the aforesaid late book, entitled Truth held forth and maintained, by Thomas Maule. And when the Quakery were commonly so whipped, with their torn Flesh and bloody backs, had about fifty miles to travel through the Wilderness Woods, before they came to their Friends at Rode-Island, and so hard weather with frost and snow, that divers People have been killed therewith in travelling between Town and Town, though but two or three Miles distant from each other. The Devil and the Priests, and all such Warrant Makers, In full Communion are, with all such Church Partakers. The Persecutors Law against the King's good Subjects. And if such Vagabond Quakers shall return again, then to be in the like manner apprehended, & conveyed as often as they shall be found within the limits of our Jurisdiction, provided every such Vagabond Quaker have been thrice convicted, and sent away, as aforesaid, and returning again into this Jurisdiction, shall be apprehended, and Committed by any Magistrate, as aforesaid, unto the house of Correction within the County, where he or she is found, until the next Court within that County, where if the Court, judge not meet to release them, they shall be branded with the Letter [R] on their left Shoulder, and be severely whipped, and sent away in manner as before. Observe, hence you may understand, that the Law of these Cain-like spirited Vagabonds, did extend against every true Christian, as well as those called Quakers, found within their Jurisdiction to descent from their Priest's Worship, and to manifest a dislike against their unrighteous Proceedings against the People of God and the King's Subjects, which was tyrannical, cruel, bloody and barbarous, that if any Person (though the Church of England,) was found to petition to the King and Bishops to maintain their right, respecting their worship agreeable to the way of the English Church, it was accounted high Rebellion by these Persecutors so to do; for which Offence, no less than Imprisonment and three Hundred Pounds, would keep them from being hanged on the New-England gallows till dead, dead, and of this nature, by imprisonment and paying three hundred pounds apiece, was Dr. Child, Samuel Maverick, and other Merchants in Boston, kept from being hanged, for their being taken, with a Petition to send to England, as aforesaid. Of which when I come to give an account of the English Church being persecuted by these New-England Freemen, to do what they saw most pleasing to their Priests, shall the more speak relating to the aforesaid suffering of Dr. Child, Samuel Maverick and others of the Church of England as aforesaid. From all Bloody Freemen, pray God deliver me, They are for Hanging all, that one with them not be. The Persecutors Law against the King's good Subjects. And if after this he or she shall return again, then to be proceeded against as Ineorrigible Rogues and Enemies to the common Peace, and shall immediately be apprehended and committed to the common Goal of the County, and the next Court of Assistants shall be brought to the Trial, and proceeded against according to the former Law made 1658. for their punishment on Pain of Death. Psalm 94.20, 21. Obs. You may understand, that of this nature it hath been in all Ages to the People of God, for as it is written, He that is born after the f●esh, persecuteth him that is born after the Spirit, even so it is now, Gal. 4. 2●. and that the People are great sufferers as by these Laws, when they fall into the hands of Hypocrites, which pretend so much to Religion, as did the wicked Jews to destroy the righteous in that day, which work (as we read in the holy Scriptures, Books of Martyrs, and the like true Histories) ever did, as now it doth, begin at the house of the persecuting Priests, who would have none live save those that are one with them in all things that tend to the upholding them with Money for preaching, which is made up with other men's words, whose Life and experience they witness nothing of, but at random make a sixth days Image with stolen words, with which they fright the People that know no better then to buy of their Ware, which further than they write it down, lose it before the next market day; such like is the preaching and teaching of every Hypocritical Hireling and Persecuting Priest, whose Doctrine does leaven every Persecutor of their Church to follow them in the like covetous practice, through whose Hypocrisy and Deceit many have been horribly cheated. Now if New-englands' Churches be not highly guilty of these things, as well as persecuting People to Death for Religion, than the People in Foreign Countries are the more to blame, to cry out at the sight of New-England Vessels, so much as they do against Persecutors, Deceit, Hypocrisy, false Doctrine, Surfeited Horses, and the like of stinking Fish, and other Cheats, with which it is common for Hypocrites and Persecutors to trade. Hypocrisy Deceit is cloaked with Religion, By men whose wicked Laws, for Blood do make provision; No men more wicked than Persecuters be, To find it true, in Scripture may it see. Mat. 23.32 33.34.35.36 New-England Persecutors Laws against the King Subjects. And for such Quakers as shall arise from amongst ourselves, they shall be proceeded against as the former Law Anno 1658. doth provide, until they have been convicted by the Court of Assistants, and being convicted he or she shall then be banished the Jurisdiction, and il after, that they shall return, and be found in any part of this Jurisdiction, than he or she so sentenced to banishment, shall be proceeded against as those that are strangers and Vagabond Quakers, in manner as before expressed. Obs. The Reader may hence understand, that as their Laws were bloody, the cruel nature of their unbelieving hard hearts, was in the execution of their Laws, agreeable thereunto, who being bewitched (by a Company of hireling Priests) not to obey the Truth, were through obedience to wicked Spirits, mad after the Blood of the Innocent, that the devout Members of their Antichristian Church, did Act with that fury to the Quakers, as if they could never use too much Cruelty upon them, which was the more by the Priestridden Executioners, through the Priests pronouncing Woes and bitter Curses against all such as should fail in the neglect of their work for the Devil, against both Quakers, Baptists, and them of the Church of England as well as against all other Dissenters, which Curses they still backed with Scripture words, as aforesaid, Judg. 5.23. Jer. 48.10. which work (as the wicked did, so these pretended) was done by them for the honour of God, and glory of his Name, and that their Church was the purest Reformed Church of all other Christian Churches in the World, But if the pureity of a Church consist in such wicked works as they have done by virtue of unrighteous Laws against the People of God, and the King's Subjects, than it is manifest (by the length of time in the like cruel bloody Work) that their Mother Church of Rome is more purer than theirs. But if Persecution be the work of the Devil, (as by Scripture it is manifest so to be) then according to Christ's own words, they are Children of him whose work they do; than it must consequently follow, that Rome's Church, being the first under the Name Christian, found to persecute, that all under that name found to persecute, are her children, whom so often they call the great Whore. The Devil's Work not only done to Quakers, But all Dissenters were in par● Partakers. New-England Persecutors Law against the King's Subjects. And it is further Ordered That whatsoever charge shall arise about apprehending, whipping, conveying, or otherwise about the Quakers, to be laid out by the Constable of such Town where it is expended, and to be repaid by the Treasurer, out of the next County Levy. And further ordered, That the Constables of their several Towns are hereby impowered, ●rom time to time, to impress Cart, Oxen, and other Assistance, for the Execution of this Order. 1661. Obs. The Reader may hence understand, That for the cloaking of the Devils Work they made all their unrighteous Warrants run in the King's Name, as if he was the Author of their cruel Work against Dissenters, whenas it manifestly appears, both by the holy Scriptures, and also by the King's Letter▪ (a Copy of which will follow) That they had no Warrant, Precept or Command either from God or the King, but did wholly act and do according to their own Wills, which still remain the same, to work Mischief against both Quakers; Baptists, and the Church of England also, (as will hereafter evidently appear) but their Horns at present are shortened, and their Cloak begins to appear threadbare, and now their Hypocrisy and Deceit will no longer hide their Wickedness from the King and People, whose Money out of the Treasury must serve to defray the Charge of the Devil's Work against the King's good Subjects, who had taken from them, by the persecuting Churches in New-England, to the value of Twenty Thousand Pounds, for Fines imposed upon them, because Dissenters from their way of Worship, whose Priests and Rulers had also of their People yearly Sallarys, according to the same Proportion of the aforesaid Sum of twenty thousand Pounds, through which means, as these Persecutors lived at a high rate on that which others had laboured hard to get, went in threadbare Coats, and their Families in want of that which was their own, and devoured by this persecuting Crew aforesaid; whereby their great Oppression reached the whole People of the ordinary degree, even as a sweeping Rain, that clears all before it. Balaam's State is theirs, who for unrighteous Gain, The People do Oppress, themselves for to maintain. New-England Persecutors Laws against the King's Subjects Suspended (during their pleasure.) This Court heretofore, for some Reasons inducing, did judge meet to suspend the Execution of the Laws against Quakers, as such, so far as they respect corporal Punishment 〈◊〉 Death, during the Court's pleasure. Obs. That tho' these Persecutors saw there was cause to suspend their bloody Laws against the King's good Subjects, so far as they did respect corporal Punishment or Death, yet it must be only during their own pleasure, not the Kings, no, they could not stoop to that. But whether they did not herein manifest a Spirit of Rebellion against God, the King's Order (as by his Letter will appear) and the Laws of the English Nation, I leave others to judge. Now the occasion of procuring this Order from the King, was their great Cruelty in banishing sober honest People out of their Jurisdiction upon Pain of Death, if they returned; for as before is said of Dr. Child, Samuel Maverick, and other Merchants, whose Imprisonment and three hundred Pounds a piece, saved them from the New-England Gallows, and none, without the like hazard, might make complaint to England; but several banished Quakers adventured to lay their said suffering case before the King, whose merciful Ear heard their Cry, and took Compassion on his suffering Subjects, and forthwith stopped New-England Persecutors wicked hands from shedding more innocent Blood, being acquainted with their great Wickedness, and knowing the manner of their Spirits, by what their Brother H. Peter, Vennor, & other of their N. England Brethren had done both against his Father and himself, as by his Letter he begins with them, as afterwards it proved so to be, as a wise man with the Tope Tile or covering of a fair outside Building, whose inside is full of all manner of Deceit, and the Foundation thereof very dangerous, by degrees, in working downwards, till he comes to the Foundation, which afterwards was wholly removed, through the loss of their Charter, which to them had been as an Idol Godd, in which they trusted as much as ever the People did in Baal; and if ever Silver and Gold procure such another, it may be at a high Rate, and they are like to be as cruel as before. But the English Laws are far before New-England Idols. God will not ever permit the Devil's Power, Nor wicked Men the Righteous to devour. A Copy of the King's Letter. Charles R. TRusty and well beloved, We greet you well Having been informed that several of Our Subjects amongst you, called Quakers, have been and are Imprisoned by you, whereof some have been Executed, and others in danger to undergo the like, We have thought fit to signify Our Pleasure in that behalf, for the future, and do hereby Require, That if there be any of those People called Quakers amongst you, now already condemned to suffer Death, or are Imprisoned, and obnoctious to the like Condemnation, You are to forbear to proceed any further therein, but that you forthwith send the said Persons, whether condemned or imprisoned, over into this our Kingdom of England, together with their respective Crimes or Offences laid to their Charge, to the end such course may be taken with them here, as shall be agreeable to our Laws, and their Demerits. And for so doing, these Our Letter shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge. Given at our Court at Whitehall, the 9 th' day of Septemb. 1661. in the 13 th' Year of Our Reign. Subscribed to Our trusty, & wellbeloved John Endicot, Esq and to all and every other Governors of Our Plantation of New-England, and to all the Colonies thereunto belonging, that now are, or hereafter shall be; and to all and every the Ministers and Officers of Our said Plantation and Colonies whatsoever within the Continent of New-England. By His Majesty's Command, W. Morris. Obs. Now these Persecutors had nothing to charge these Innocent People with, but that they were Quakers, against whom they had provided a Law, but this Law was repugnant to the Laws of the English Nation; and therefore upon the receipt of the King's Letter, they durst do no other than set at liberty both them condemned to suffer Death, and those imprisoned also; but herein they did not obey the King's Command; for he commanded them to send these Quakers so imprisoned or condemned, over to England, with the particular Crimes laid to their charge; but this they would not do, and good reason why, they had to Crimes to lay to their Charge, but that they were Quakers. And being brought to this pinch, instead of sending a Ship load of Quakers, and a large Roll of their Crimes of Treason, Rebellion, Subversion of Government, etc. home to the King, they send a Ship load of Masts for a Present to the King, with a parcel of horrid Wicked Lies against the Quakers; to defray the charge of which Present, the poor Inhabitants were severally Rated. After which their great Deceit and abominable Hypocrisy, the King came to find out, not only in doing as aforesaid, but upon many other accounts, too large here to relate; and before I conclude, enough against them will appear, to manifest their great Wickedness against God, the King and People. Yet notwithstanding all this, they could not long forbear their old work of Persecution, but soon put their Law in execution again; for the King's Letter was dated, 1661. and they revived their old Law again in 1662. which was done more in obedience to the Devil, and to please their hireling Priests, than in honour to God, or respect to the King, against whom they did rebel in so doing, as appears by his Letter, and their not sending any of the Quakers over into the Kingdom of England, but instead thereof sent a Present with a parcel of Lies, too large here to relate, and put their Law into Execution again, and as sharp, cruel and barbarous was the Execution (respecting corporal punishment) as formerly, though the Towns were not to be so many in which they were to be whipped, yet the Whip with three single hair twisted small Cords (each being knotted, fit for the Devil and Priests Work) was the same as before the King's Letter came, and did so continue till near or about the time they lost their Idol, viz. their old Charter, on which was their dependence, above GOD or KING, as is manifested by their Works. Priest's Rulers Masts for Ships, D●ceis and Lies withal, Poor People made to pay, for Presents to Whitehall. New-England Persecutors Laws against the King's good Subjects, (upon Complaint of the Priests) put into Execution again. NOW forasmuch as new Complaints are made to this Court, of such Persons abounding, especially in the Eastern parts, endeavouring to draw away others to that wicked Opinion, it is Ordered, That the last Law, Tit. Vagabond Quakers, May 1661. be henceforth in force, in all respects, provided, their Whipping be but through three Towns, and the Magistrate or Commissioner signing the Warrant, shall appoint both the Towns, and number of Stripes in each Town to be given, 1662. Obs. Here by comparing this their Date to their Law, with the date of the King's Letter, how little regard they had to the King's Mind and Will therein contained, which was, whether condemned to suffer Death, or Imprisoned, or to suffer corporal Punishment, to forbear to proceed any further therein, but forthwith to send the said Persons over into the Nation of England, with the respective Crimes or Offences laid to their Charge, to the end such course might be taken with them, according to the Nature of the Offence, as should be agreeable to the English Laws. Which express command of the King was but a small time minded by them; for upon their considering the cause some small time, proposed to themselves, that by virtue of their Idol Charter, they had as much Power in New-England as the King had in Old-England, and had they the like strength of Men and Shipping, would (no doubt) with stand all Kings and Princes that should adventure to oppose their way; now had not I myself heard some of them say these things, durst not have charged it here upon them, to public view; and for a further evidence of the same, witness their Proclaiming, (with a Trumpet before them,) against the King's Commissioners in Boston, persuading the People, (as near as as they could) That their Commissions were made under a Hedge, with much 〈◊〉 of the like Nature, too ●orge here to● relate. Priests Rulerr bloody Work, on People hath brought Woe, With their consent that silent were to have it so. They're Works of him that is of Hell, 'Gainst God and King all such Rebel. New-England Persecutors Law against the King's Subjects. Whereas it may be found amongst us, that men's Thresholds are set up by God's Thresholds, and men's Posts by God's Posts, especially in open Meetings of the QUAKERS, whose damnable Heresies, and abominable Idolatries are hereby promoted, embraced ând practised, to the Scandal of Religion, hazard of Souls and provocation of divine Jealousy against this People. For Prevention and Reformation whereof, it is Ordered by this Court, and the Authority thereof, That every Person found at a Quakers Meeting, shall be apprehended, ex Officio, by the Constable, and by Warrant from a Magistrate or Commissioner, shall be committed to the House of Correction, and there to have the Discipline of the House applied unto them, and to be kept to work with Bread and Water for three days together: and then to be released; or else shall pay a fine of five Pounds in Money, to the Country, for every such Offence; and all Constables neglecting their Duty, in not faithfully executing this Order, shall incur the Penalty of 5 l. upon conviction, one third part whereof to the Informer. Obs. The Reader may here take Notice of one of these Persecutors many horrid and wicked Lies, so proved by their Contradiction, who in their Preambles to their Laws, accuse the Quakers with keeping their Meetings private, yet at unawares in their Bridewell Law they charge the contrary; and though they pretend the sin is great, yet it may be bought off for five Pounds in Money, as often as they please; but the said Sum not being paid them by any one, they were much enraged thereat, finding their covetous design in making said Law, disappointed, because it reach no further than to punish them that were not free to pay 5 l. for being at a Quakers Meeting, as aforesaid, the Penalty of which Law several Merchants in Boston suffered, rather than to disobey God, by satisfying the lust of such covetous Priests and Rulers, who prefer the love of Money before punishing for that which themselves account so great sins, as by the Preamble of their Laws they pretend these abovementioned to be. Their bloody Laws are almost done, Which Work the Priests at first begun. New-England Persecutors Preamble to their Laws against provoking Evils, as they call them. Whereas the most wise & holy God for these several years past, hath not only warned us by his word, but chastized us with his Rod, inflicting upon us many general Judgements, but we have neither heard the word nor rod as we ought to be effectually humbled for our sins, to repent of them, hence it is the righteous God hath heightened our Calamity, and given Commission to the barbarous Heathen to rise up against us, and become a smart Rod and severe Scourge to us, in burning and depopulating several hopeful Plantations, murdering many of our Inhabitants of all sorts, and seeming, as it were, to cast us off, and putting us to shame, and not going forth with our Arms, hereby speaking aloud to us, to search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord our God, from whom we have departed with great back-sliding Obs. That to acknowledge the Truth is well, and well would it be indeed if they were found acknowledging the whole Truth, and to repent of shedding innocent Blood, which is the great sin of New-England Priests and Rulers, as also of the consenting Church Members thereof; but of this there is no mention made in their Preamble-confession of words, without Works of Truth and Righteousness to God and People, according as is at large manifest by their aforementioned Laws, the neglect of which Execution was by their Priests imputed to be the main cause of general Judgement to come upon them. But they use to say, If all the Quakers were hanged, and all other Dissenters cleared out of their Jurisdiction, then would their Land enjoy Peace: Unto which Work the Rulers were bewitched, so far as the Devil was permitted to drive them, who were as willing to run, and to work they went against all Dissenters, and set forth a Book against the Baptists, entitled, The Rise and Foundation of the cursed Sect of Annabaptists, in which was as many Lies as they use to gather for their Pulpit Work on the first Day against the Quakers, which Lies to hear also costs the People Money. None are more blind than those that will not see, The cause for which Gods general Judgements be. New-England Persecutors Law against Provoking Evils, as they call them. 1. This Court apprehending there is too great a neglect of Discipline in the Churches, and especially respecting those that are their Children, through the non acknowledgement of them, according to the Order of the Gospel, 〈◊〉 watching over them, as well as Catechising of them enquiring into their spiritual states, that being brought to take hold of the Covenant, they may acknowledge, and be acknowledged, according to their relation to God and his Church, and their Obligation to be the Lords, and approve themselves so to be by a suitable Profession and Conversation; And do therefore solemnly recommend it unto the respective Elders and Brethren of the Churches throughout this ●urisdiction, to take effectual course for the Reformation therein. Obs. By the aforementioned cruel bloody Laws against the People of God, what nature their Church Government was of, in which Covenant, the words, Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees▪ was put of, and instead thereof they put in, Beware of the Leaven of the Quakers; for which see Salem Church Covenant, so called▪ caused to be so done by their high Priest, John Higinson, who in his preaching told the People, The Quakers Light was a stinking Vapour from Hell, with much more of the like, as was usual with him in his daily Preaching and Teaching against the Quakers, Baptists, and other Dissenters, this Old-Charter Priest, with other of his devout Church-brethrens in Iniquity, use to wish their Children might be Rogues and Whores, rather than Quakers; which was too 〈◊〉 (though justly fulfiled upon many of them, as well as upon this old Priests, whose Daughter was highly accused of Witchcraft, and now maintained by the Parish. It is dreadful to consider what Wickedness is in men's hearts, to wish such horrid Wishes, as the Jews did, Mat. 27.25. which justly came upon them, as upon these of the like Spirit. No Members Child, a Member t●en could be, From Quakers Blood in all respects found free. New-England Persecutors Laws against provoking Evils, as they call them. 2. Whereas there is manifest Pride openly appearing amongst us, in that long hair is worn by some men, either their own, or the hair of others made into Periwigs▪ and by some Women wearing Borders of Hair, and their cutting and curling, and laying out their Hair; which Practice doth prevail and increase, especially among the Younger sort. This Court doth declare against this evil Practice, as Offensive to them and divers sober Christians amongst us, and therefore do hereby Enact and Advise all Persons to use moderation in this respect. And further, to empower all Grand Juries to present to the County Courts all such Persons, whether Male or Female, whom they shall judge to exceed in the Premises; and the County Courts are authorized to proceed against such Delinquents, either by Admonition, or Fine, or Correction, according to their good Discretion. Obs. That through the long continuance of Disobedience▪ which is as Rebellion, and the sin of Witchcraft, being highly guilty▪ of Innocent Blood, these Persecutors had lost their Dominion over their own Families, who began to run into great Superfluity and Extravagancy of those things which were not comely, decent and of good Report, in which they did greatly increase, and now abound beyond all the Power of their Laws to restrain. Where●o●e they may now see, their ungodly wicked Wishes are come both upon themselves and Children; for the Curse of the Lord remaineth in the House of th●m that have either actually or by consent been found before the Lord guilty of shedding Innocent Blood, Prov. 3.33. Mal. ●. 1, 12, 3. From all evil Wishes, pray God deliver me, And from all Wickedness me and mine keep free. N. England Persecutors Laws against provoking Evils, as the● call them. 3. Notwithstanding the wholesome Laws already made by this Court for the restraining Excess in Apparel, yet through the corruption in many, and neglect of due execution or those Laws, the evil of Pride in Apparel, both for costliness in the poorer sort, and vain new strange Fashions, both in Poor and Rich, with naked Breasts and Arms, or as it were pinioned with the Addition of Superfluous Ribbons, both on Hair and Apparel, for redress whereof, it is Ordered by this Court, That the County Courts, from time to time, shall give strict Charge to present all such Persons, as they shall judge exceed in that kind; & if the grand Jury shall neglect their duty herein, the County Courts shall impose a Fine upon them at their own Discretion. Obs. The outward Appearance of these Persecutors, by their smooth words & fair speeches, as also their short hair even or above their Ears, with high crowned Hats, peacked Board's, as likewise their two or three inch broad Bands, and their Apparel agreeable thereunto, by which they appeared in the outward, like men differing from all other people whatsoever, which with their Priests daily preaching, and their often loud praying, and their works not agreeable with their words, were by their fruits manifested to be men of the like Spirit whom Christ bid▪ beware of, Mat. 7.15. which the more to be accounted good Christians, under which name they pretended all their proceedings against the evil of pride, to be for the honour of God, and the good of the People Souls, when on the contrary it appears otherwise, by their selling that which themselves account sin, for money, which doth clearly manifest their work to be done in honour to themselves, whose love is to the People's Money, for the satisfying their own covetous Desire●▪ which work doth manifest Covetousness, Pride and Oppresion and Oppression in such Priests and Rulers that eat up the sin of the People, Hos. 4. 8·9. Micah 3.11. God's Cause is that to which they do pretend, But all men may see, Money is their end. New-England Persecutors Laws against provoking Evils, as they call them. And it is further ordered, That the County Court, single Magistrate or Commissioners Court in Boston, have hereby Power to summons all such persons so offending, before them, and for the first Offence to admonish them, and for each offence of that kind afterwards to impose a fine of Ten Shillings upon them, or if unable to pay, to inflict such punishment as shall be by them thought most suitable to the nature of the Offence; and the same Judge's abovenamed are hereby impowered to judge of, and execute the Laws already extant against such Excess. Obs. Whipping, or the like punishment, was only to such persons unable to pay their Fine, though the offence was no breaeh of any English Law, but these Sin-sellers Laws are distinct from all the Laws of other Nations that I have read or heard of, and indeed, in most things their Doctrines, Principles and Practices the same, which are not only condemned by all true Christians, but also by the Indians, Turks and other moral Heathens, who abhor the practice of living upon the Fines of people not found to transgress the Law or Laws of their Nation, as these New-England Priests and Rulers do, whose income for such like things, by them imputed to the People's transgressing such like Laws as abovesaid, is no less than Twelve Hundred Pounds a year, besides fifteen hundred Pounds a year from Persons chiefly of their own Churches, for the sin of Uncleanness, as also some years, no less than forty Hundred Pounds a year for Fine●▪ which they compelled from the people of God and the King's good Subjects dissenting from their Priest's Worship, with which, and ten Thousand Pounds yearly paid the Priests for preaching, and as much yearly paid the Rulers for making Laws and Judging; all which came out of the poor People's labour within the bounds of New-englands' Priests and Rulers. Where men can make what Laws they please, Such Priests and Rulers live at ease. New-England Persecutors Laws against provoking Evils, as t●●y call them. It is ordered by this Court. That no person within this Jurisdiction, nor any of their Relations depending upon them, whose visible Estates, real and personal, shall not exceed the true value of two hundred Pounds, shall not wear any Gold or Silver Buttons, or Gold or Silver Lace, or Bone Lace above two Shillings per yard, or Silk Hoods, or Silk Scarss, Points or Ribbons, or great Boots, upon the penalty of ten Shillings for every such Offence. And further ordered by the Authority aforesaid, That the Select men of every Town, are hereby impowered, enabled and required to asse●s every such Person so offending, in any of the Particulars abovementioned, in the Country Rates, at two hundred Pounds Estates, according as such men pay to whom such apparel is allowed. Always provided, That this Law shall not extend to the Restraint of any Magistrate, or public Officer of this Jurisdiction, their Wives and Children, who are left to their own discretion in wearing Apparel, or any settled Military Officer, or Soldier in the time of Military Service, or any other whose Education and employment have been above the ordinary Degree, or whose Estates have been considerable, though now deacyed; 1651. It is further ordered and Enacted by this Court, and the Authority thereof, that all Persons within this Jurisdiction that shall wear any Apparel exceeding their quality and Condition of their Persons or Estates, and either of these be so Judged by the Grand Jury and County Court of that shire where such complaint is made, all such Persons being convicted, shall for the first Offence be admonished, for the second Offence pay a Fine of twenty Shillings, for the third Offence forty Shillings a time, and so following as the Offences are multiplied, to pay forty Shillings a time ●o the Treasurer of that County. And further ordered, That if any Tailor shall make or fashion any Garment for Children or Servants contrary to the mind and order of their Parents or Governors, every such Tailor shall for the first Offence be admonished, and for the second Offence, forfeit double the value of such Apparel or Garment as he shall make or fashion contrary to the mind and order of such Parents or Governors, as aforesaid, the one half thereof to the Owner, and the other half to the Country. And all Grand-Jurys are hereby enjoined to present all those whomthey shall judge breakers of this Order. 1662. Obs. That in the year aforesaid, 1662. through the Priest's advice they were hot in persecuting both Quakers, Baptists, and all other Dissenters, thinking thereby to fine and whip the Christians from their Religion, which according to the advice of their hireling Priests, being in hopes to do, that when they had so done, and overcome the aforesaid provoking evil of Pride in Apparel, that God would the more hear their loud Prayers▪ and remove his great Judgements from amongst them; for it is certainly true, myself is witness to the same, that have often heard them say, That God's Judgements would never remove from amongst them, till all the Quakers and other Dissenters were hanged, or cleared out of their Jurisdiction. And for another Instance, ●once was present, when Thomas Maule of Salem came to one of the aforesaid Rulers, for a Warrant to search for one hundred Pounds worth of Silks and other rich Goods stole out of his shop the night before, to whom this Ruler answered, He would grant him no Warrant, but would complain to the Court of any man that did grant him a Warrant to search for his Goods. Moreover, in my hearing said to him, If a man knock you on the head, or hang you▪ the recompense is in your own hands; for you are not to be protected by the Laws of this Government. This was the Justice of this great Ruler and Church Member, free of their Body Politic, as they call themselves, whose Laws allow that Apparel to themselves which to others they impute the wearing of, to be one of the provoking Evils; for which Offence (as they call it) the Offender (by their Law) must be equally rated with such to whom the Law allows the said Apparel, as also to pay 40 s. a time, as the Offences multiply; and if not able to pay, then to be punished. Pride, Oppression and Covetousness abound, All which by Priests and Rulers Law is found. New-England Persecutors Laws against provoking Evils, as they call them. Whereas there is much Profaneness amongst us, in Persons turning their backs upon the public Worship before it be finished, and the blessing pronounced, It is Ordered by this Court, That the Officers of the Churches, or select men, shall take care to prevent such Disorders, by appointing Persons to shut the Meetinghouse Doors, or any other meet way to attain the end. Obs. The time was now near at hand in which all their wicked Works against Dissenters, as well as on other accounts, came to be throughly looked into by the King and Powers in England, who found their Unrighteousness so great, that, as before related, their building began a pace to be overthrown, which People perceiving, many of the Priests Hearers began to give little heed or regard to their Idol Worship, to which they had been so long kept for divers years, merely by the strength of unrighteous Laws; and now at this time finding the Priests and Rulers strength to confide in little more besides the Meetinghouse Doors, in a little time after they had been in Meeting, were willing to depart, without hearing any more of the Priests long wound Railing against the Baptists, Quakers, and all other Dissenters; for which cause, I say, many Persons turning their backs upon the Worship before it was finished, and the Money-blessing pronounced, the Priest's Money Box, always when done, held out by one of the Church Officers, would fall much short of the Priests pay for his Sermon, to what it use to do, when their cruel Laws were in more force than at this time; but the strength of their Meetinghouse doar, did at length also fail; yet at times, as the evil Spirit moved in them, they must run whom the Devil permits to drive into such Unrighteousness, would be afflicting one Dissenter or another, especially by Fines, which by Cart loads of Corn I have then seen the Priest's drudges fetch from the People called Baptists, as also Goods and Cattle from others. It was Profaneness, as these Persecutors say, I find the Cause, the Priests did want more pay. Old Charter Magistrates Hypocrisy, with an Instance of their Deceit and Cheat amongst themselves, at their General High-Court of Injustice to others. An eminent Merchant in Boston, who is said to have erected the Town-House at his own charge, besides several other considerable Gifts to public Uses, he kept an honest sober young Man to sell his Merchandise, and its like somewhat differing in Judgement from their Priest's way of Worship; he through a mistake sold a Bridle for something more than was allowed by these Rulers for men to advance on the Shilling; and being complained of was fined a great Sum of Money, and besides was ordered to stand one hour in a public Place with the Bridle in his Chaps; and the Fine was divided amongst the Magistrates, as one of them testified, who being out of Court at the time when the Division was made, was by his Brethren in Iniquity defrauded of his share, who was so offended at the same, that he openly complained of the Wrong he had received by his Brethren in this matter. Obs. You may perceive, that these Old Charter-men had strange kind of Laws, whereby to enrich themselves and impoverish others, as is already proved by their aforesaid unrighteous Laws, so also by this it appears to agree with the same. That no Merchant must advance more than 4 d. profit in the Shilling, for Goods from England, by means of which Law their Clothing and Necessaries were to them, & all of their way, at a cheap rate; for themselves were only Merchants of Law, and their Priests Merchants of that which they call their Gospel; which Law is their Wills, and their Gospel other men's Lines made ready to their hands; but the Laws of the English Nation are otherwise, and the true Gospel, to them that believe, is the Power of God to Salvation. By Religion, with Deceit, Makes Hypocrites to be a Cheat. A brief Account of some of the Three Hundred and Nine Persons that suffered Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church, besides those four Servants of the Lord cruelly-Murthered by a Law made at the Rulers and Priests high Court of Injustice against Dissenters found within their Jurisdiction belonging to Boston, which are as followeth, viz. NIcholas Vpshall, an old Man full of Years, seeing their Cruelty to the harmless Quakers, and that they had condemned some of them to die, both he and elder Wisewell, or otherwise Deacon Wisewell, Members of the Church in Boston, bore their Testimonies in public against their brethren's horrid Cruelty to the said Quakers. And the said Vpshall declared, That he did look at it as a sad forerunner of some heavy Judgement to follow upon the Country; Which they took so ill at his hands, that they fined him Twenty Pounds, and three Pound more at another of their Courts, for not coming to their Meeting, and would not abate him one Grote, but imprisoned him, and then banished him on pain of Death; which was done in a time of such extreme bitter Wether for Frost, Snow and Cold, that had not the Heathen Indians in the Wilderness Woods taken compassion on his Misery, for the winter Season, he in all likelihood had perished, though he had then in Boston a good Estate in Houses and Land, Goods and Money, as also Wife and Children, but not suffered to come unto him, nor he to them but more of his Sufferings are at large related in the Books of the Quakers Suffering Persecution under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church, and so proved to be by their foregoing Laws. And more of their Cruelty will here follow. The next I shall mention is Anne Burden, whose Husband being dead, and having left Money due to him from several in New-England, his said Widow came into their Jurisdiction to get in the said Debts, for the use of herself and Children. Now th●se Persecutors had nothing to charge her with, but that she was a plain Quaker, and for that, and coming into their Jurisdiction she must abide the Penalty of their Law, and which they executed upon her, and then sent her away without getting in her just Debts, for which she came into their Jurisdiction. Which was one of their inventions to pay Debts to Dissenters with, especially the Quakers. Christopher Holder and John Copeland, men of good Estates, and of good Life amongst men, for being of those called Quakers, and coming into their Jurisdiction, and declaring the Truth, were cruelly whipped with their old wont Whip of three fold Cords, each being well knotted, fit for their Church work, wherewith their Member Whipper gave each of these men Thirty Stripes a piece, which were so cruelly laid on, that at the sight of their torn flesh and bloody backs, a tenderhearted Person fell down dead; after they had been thus whipped, they were put into Bridewell, and there kept for three days without Bread or Water; and with their wounded backs were forced to lie on the Board's without Bed or Straw; and for Nine Weeks were kept close Prisoners, where none, except the Gaoler (that devout Member) could come unto them. After which, both they and Coll. Rous's Son of Barbadoes had their Ears cut by the Member of their Peace, viz. the common Hangman. Now the reason why John Rous escaped with the cutting his Ears only, was the kindness they had for him, in respect to the knowledge they had of his Father, and his being a Gentleman, as is more at large in the said Book of Sufferings. Marry Clark, a Merchant's Wife in London, who for being called a Quaker, and coming into their Jurisdiction, must undergo their Law, though a Mother of Children and tender of Body, to which they had no regard but after their manner imprisoned her for twelve Weeks, and with their Church Whip, fitted as aforesaid, for their Priest's work, gave her weak tender Body twenty cruel Stripes, which was the more harder laid on by reason of their Hirelings saying, The Quakers did not flinch for their being so whipped, because the Devil was got between the skin and the flesh, or the flesh and the Bone; but more of this is to be seen in the Book of Sufferings, under the Anti-christian Power of New-England's Priests and Rulers. Laurence Southwick and his Wife, an ancient grave couple, either one or both of them being Members of their Church in Salem, who in good Nature differed from most part of the said Church, for their entertaining some strangers called Quakers, were fined, and their Goods taken away; besides, their Sons and Daughters were great Sufferers, by long Imprisonment and cruel Whipping, as also, they had their Goods taken away by the Priests Drudge●, and some of the said Southwicks Children were ordered to be sold for Bondslaves; and he and his Wife, and Son Josiah, either the one or all three of them were banished the Jurisdiction upon pain of Death. Horrid Gardner, a Mother of many Children, & a young Woman with her, having a young Infant at the Breast, both which Women were imprisoned and cruelly whipped, with more of the like Cruelty, as is to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings. Richard Dowdney, An honest harmless Man, tho● after the Romish Invention, was committed to Prison and whipped, after their usual manner, with thirty Stripes, with which his flesh was so torn and cut in pieces, that many People lamented at the sight thereof, that such an innocent man as he was should be so horribly abused, as in said Book of Sufferings is more at large to be seen. Sarah Gibbins and Dorothy Waugh, two young Women, for being of those called Quakers, and coming into their Jurisdiction, had for their entertainment in Boston, the flesh of their backs beaten to pieces by their Priests chief Workman, viz. the Executioner of their Law at their Gallows, and when so whipped was by another Member of their Church's Peace, viz. their Gaoler, shut up in a close Room, where none was suffered to come unto them, and there kept three days together without all manner of Food. And at another time kept them eight days without all manner of Provision; and had not the Lord preserved them at this time, beyond what men of themselves are able to do, they had perished under the Cruelty of the New-England Church; their said Sufferings are more at large to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings. William Shattock, an Inhabitant in Boston, for being one first day found in his House alone, was by one of the Priests drudges carried to their House of Oppression, for entertaining of Strangers; and in the time of his being kept there with the like whipping, some of the Priest's crew endeavoured to persuade his Wife wholly to leave him, and that they would place out his Children to Masters of Families, that tended their Meetings, whose suffering is more at large to be seen in the said Book of Sufferings. Thomas Harris, for declaring against Pride and Oppression (which the guilty proud Oppressor's itching Ears could not endure to hear) was committed to their House of Oppression, where the Gaoler (that devout Member of their Church shut him up, and kept him eleven days, five of which he kept him without Bread; and though he had before been cruelly whipped, yet this merciless Wretch gave his Weak bruised Body Twenty blows with a pitched Rope, whose sufferings are more at large to be seen in the Quakers book of sufferings, as aforesaid. Several Innocent Women called Quakers, had their Bodies searched for Witches, which work was done by the old Member women, with such cruelty to their Bodies, that one of the Women said, she did not the like trouble undergo in bearing and bringing forth five Children, besides what more they suffered under the power of those who were as free to run as the Devil was to drive them to perform his lust in the doing the aforesaid Anti-christian work, of which more is to be seen in the aforesaid Books of the Quakers suffering under the Anti-christian power of New-englands' Churches. William Brend, for coming into Bostons' Jurisdiction, where all the aforesaid work of Anti-christ was acted and done, and for being one of them called a Quaker, and declaring the Truth, was cruelly whipped, and shut up into close Prison, where the Gaoler and devout Member of their Church, locked his Neck and Heels together, so close that there was only room for the Lock to go between, in which manner he kept him sixteen hours, and then gave his weak bruised Body One Hundred and Seventeen Blows with a pitched Rope; having thus beaten him for dead, a out cry was among the People, That the Gaoler had killed a man; which to appease the People, bills were set upon the Prison doors, and else where, That the Gaoler should be dealt with; but said Brends coming to life again (though the Doctors said, it would be admittable if he did recover, for his flesh was beaten into a mere Jelly of Blood, however, as God would have it, he came to recover again, then to prevent the Gaolers being punished for this his great piece of Wickedness to said Brend, John Horton their chief high Priest said, if William Brend will endeavour to beat our Gospel Ordinances black and blue, it was just upon him if he was beaten black and blue; and withal in said Book, that his counsel was to his Church▪ Brethren in Iniquity, To put off the Bear skin, and put on the Fox Skin; which indeed is ●●●eling Priest like, the more to deceive poor ignorant. People, of whom God hath opened the Eyes of many, by which they see hirelings deceit. William Robinson a Merchant, Ma●maduke Stevinson, and William Leddra, as Informed the one a clothe● the other a husband man▪ and Mary Dier wife to Mr Dier of Rode Island, all which four were ●eat sufferers In Bostons' Jurisdiction under the cruel bloody hands of the Church Members, before they drove them with great number of their Priest's club man to their bloody altar, and many more by the Priests and Rulers with their con●enting Members in Iniquity, were intended to be she●●●leed an offering to their Anger and Revenge, had not the King's Letter as aforesaid, stopped their bloody hands, and when the Priests drudges, with their m●ny Swords, Staves, Guns and Drums to drown the Testimony of the Lords Servants from being heard among the People, had driven them to their Bloody Altar, where they cheerfully delivered up their Lives for the Truth of God and Testimony of Jesus, which was to the beholder's Admiration, and great rage of their Persecutors; when they were executed they cut down their Bodies, letting them fall, to the breaking the Skulls of some, and ripped off their Shirts, dragging their naked Bodies either by the heels, or with a Rope, and as they dragged them, gnashed their Teeth with mere Madness, as they went on with their work of dragging their Bodies to a filthy stinking Pit, into which they threw some of their naked Bodies, and never would grant their Friends liberty to secure their bodies from Ravenous Creatures, by putting about the place any manner of fence whatsoever. Seeing the Wickedness of these Persecutors to be great, and their Lies against the People of God many, I shall here give one instance of the many which might be produced to prove them liars that ●ay The Quakers might have had their liberty to have been gone, but would not accept it, therefore say such Liars, they were accassary to their own Death. But to prove the contrary here is the copy of a Merchant's letter in print, who was no Quaker but an eye and ear witness to what follows, viz. Boston, the 26th of March, 1661. ON the 14th of this Instant here was one William Leddra put to Death▪ The People of the Town told me, he might go away if he would; but when I made further enquiry, I heard the Marshal say, that he was chained in Prison from the time he was condemned, to the day of Execution. I am not of his Opinion, but yet truly me thought the Lord did mightily appear in the Man. I goes to one of the Magistrates of Cambridge, who had been of the Court that condemned him, as he told me himself; and I asked him by what Rule he did it? he answered me, That he was a Rogue, a very Rogue. But what is this to the Question, said I? Where is your Rule? He said, He had abused Authority. Then I goes to the man and asked him, Whether he did not look on it as a breach of Rule, to slight and undervalue Authority? and said, That Paul gave Festus the Title of Honour, though he were a Heathen; I do not say, those Magistrates are Heathens. I saw then when the Man was on the Ladder, he looked on me, and called me Friend, and said, Know, that this day I am willing to offer up my Life for the Witness of Jesus. Then I desired leave of one of the Officers to speak; I said, Gentlemen, am a stranger both to your Persons and Country, and yet a Friend to both (and I cried aloud) for the Lord's sake take not away the man's Life: I said, Remember gamaliel's counsel to the Jews, If this be of God it will stand, if not, it will come to Nothing; but be careful you be not found fighters against God. And the Captain said, Why had not you come to the Prison. And the reason was, because I heard the Man might go if he would, and therefore I called him down from the Tree, Come down William, said I, you may go away if you will. Then Capt. Oliver said, it was no such matter, and asked me, what I had to do with it▪ and besides, told me to be gone. I told him, I was willing, for I cannot endure to see this. And when I was in the Town, some did seem to sympathize my Grief, but I told them, they had no Warrant from the Word of God, not Precedent from our Country, nor Power from his Majesty to hang the man. I rest, Your Friend, THOMAS WILKY. Samuel Shattock, Joshua Bufsum, John Small, John Barton, John Smith, Edward Wharton, Samuel Gaskill, Danell Southwick, his Father and Mother, Sisters and Brother, and John Kitchen and his Wife, with others in Salem, were great Sufferers by these Persecutors, both by long Imprisonment, cruel Whipping, loss of abundance of Goods & Cattle, besides Land of John smith's, and several banished upon pain of Death, and others of them ordered to be sold for Bondslaves; all these were of Salem, and more of the same Town suffered much. Obs. By the fore going Lines the Reader may perceive how they have Persecuted all persons differing in Judgement from the way of their Priest's Worship. In the next place I shall here Instance a little relating to what them of the Church of England suffered; by which the Reader may the better understand their bold attempts, who neither fear God nor regard King or Bishops. First, you note the manner of settleing their Courts, viz. the manner was and yet is, at the opening of their Courts to have some one or more of their Priests to pray, and to make tedious long insiped Graces, as they call them, before and after Meals, as also to consult what Penalties and Sufferings were most fit to ●e inflicted on Offenders against their Arbitrary and unjust Law, and especially against any that were found to descent from their way of Worship, in which cast the Priest's Advice would commonly be, to lay on load enough, and the Advice was believed to be sanctified, though at the same time, they could not but understand they drank the Wine of the condemned, so expressly charged as a sin on the Magistrates, Rulers and Priests of Jerusalem, of no small provocation to the holy One of israel, though the matter in Controversy relating to such as dissented from their Priest's Worship, was no matter of Offence against the Law of God, nor the Laws of the English Nation, notwithstanding they minded not, but would proceed, according to their own wills without respect to any, no, not so much as to the Church of England, of which many suffered under the New-England Church, which pretended to make no separation in point of Faith and Doctrine, as witness that Letter of their fore fathers and Leaders into this Land, from on board the Arrabella, to the Bishops and Fathers of the Church of England, calling them Brethren, and begging their Prayers, and as who would know more of it, let them see it in a little book printed at Boston by Joshua Scottaway, about the year 1693. remarkable in that it is set forth by a Member of their own Communion; but how well they carried it to the Church of England, and its Sons, these few of the many Instances which might be produced, may sufficently evidence against them, that they spared not any found to descent from their Priest's way of Worship, as for Instance, Dr. child's, Samuel Maverick and other Merchants, of whom I have before hinted, were of the way of worship of the English Church, and by these Persecuto●● cruel Laws, were not suffered to have the least benefit of or by th●t Worship; and being wholly denied of their privilege, belonging to the Worship of the Church of England, they were found to Petition to England, for the maintaining their Right in Boston, but so soon as this was known to these Persecutors, they impeached the aforesaid Persons of High Rebellion, for attempting the same, and forthwith imprisoned them, and fined each of them three hundred Pounds, the wh●ch Money was the means of their escaping the New-England Church Members Gallows, wh●ch was not only, for Murderers, and the like, but also for th●se that dissented from their Priest's Worship, and were found to Petition to England for freedom and liberty of the English Churches way of Worship, as of the like Nature more will appear against these Persecutors by what follows. 2. The next was their aim to punish Mr. Jordan, who was a Preacher according to the way of the English Church, but he living in Ferdinando George's Patent, they were fain to use much of their deceit to get him to Boston, which by deceit was at last on this wise performed, by one of their Brethren in Iniquity, who with a small Vessel traded in the place where the said Mr. Jordan preached, he pretended great kindness to this Mr. Jordan, and withal invited him aboard his Vessel to feast it, and when he had got the ancient Gentleman aboard, brought him Prisoner to Boston, and there delivered him into the hands of these persecuting Priests and Rulers, who, for his preaching and baptising according to the way of the English Church, they imprisoned, and fined him in a great Sum of Money. The story is large, and would swell this small Book beyond its intended Bulk, to relate it at large. 3. Then again, about the Year 1684. when their Charter was even sick at heart, and ready to expire, yet they could not forbear dabbling in their old dirty puddle of Persecution; for at that time a Young Man, who had been ordained by the Bishop of London to preach at Carolina, where being sickly, was advised to remove and change the air, whereupon he came to Boston, and was civilly ●ntertained by some Old England men; and after some time recovering his Health, he came to be known to be a Minister of the Church of England, and for that he was a Master of the French Language, he was by some French Protestants, and others of the Church of England recommended to a poor and dark Corner of the Province, to preach to a small number of poor People, amongst whom he passed some few Months before the persecuting Priests found him out; but at last hearing that he preached & baptised according to the way of the Church of England, they stirred up the Magistrates against him, who were at their beck, and soon sent a Constable, who beset his Longing, and required him to desist from his preaching, etc. at his peril; but he knowing on what foot he stood, continued his preaching and baptising, according to his Commission from the Bishop of London, till at length he was threatened with Whipping, and understanding that the Constables had Warrants from the persecuting Magistrates to seize him, and for that end beset his Lodging; whereupon he returned privately to Carolina. 4. Nor were the Affronts offered to Robert Ratcliff, the first estblished Minister of the Church of England in Boston, to be passed in silence: He came over in the Year 1686. with Authority from the Crown of Eng●and to establish a Church in Boston; this man's meekness and Sobriety was sufficiently knwn, yet were his Affronts man●, by which they sought to weary him out, not only by personal Abuses and public Injuries, in breaking the Church Windows, tea●ing the service book, making Crosses of Man's Dung on the Doors, and filling the Keyholes with the same, but also seized his Clerk, and compelled▪ him to Prison in a Wheel barrow, of which nature they acted many abuses against the aforesaid and his Church, insomuch that no Minister longer being able to endure their horrid Anti-christian Abuses which did more daily increase against him and his Church, was necessitated (after about four years stay amongst them) to leave his Charge, and go for England, where the late Queen preferred him to a living. 5. And as a father sign of their hatred to that Church, at the time of the Revolution, they Imprisoned three Gentlemen, Members thereof, without any charge against them or since, save that they had officiated as Justices of the Peace under the King's Commission, and although they Joined with eight or ten more of their own Church Members, who sat and Jointly acted with them in the same County, yet could find no complaint against their own Church Members; so apparently partial were they to their own party, and violent to others, by which (as aforesaid) though not the thousand part of what might be brought against them of their great Wickedness against the People of God and the King's Subjects, ye● with a little more of the like nature to be added hereunto, will by their works be sufficient to the understanding of every true Christian, That the New-England Church is not the true Church of Christ, that worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth, viz John 4.24. Having thus mentioned some of the abuses offered to some Members of the Church of England, I shall now draw Conclusion so soon I have given a short account of the Trial of Thomas Maule of Salem, about his Book, called Truth held forth, etc. I shall begin thus, viz. Thomas Maule, a Young Man about twelve years of Age, came from England to the Island of Barbodoes', and from thence (for his health sake) came to New-England, where hearing much preaching and loud praying; he began to think with himself, what manner of People are these? whose Streets ring with the noise of Preaching and P●aying; and having lived amongst them about three years he did experience their words to be good, but by their works to have no good hearts; at the end of which time he removed himself to another of their Towns, called Salem, where he found the Church Members to be in all respects (as to Religion) one with them in the other Towns of their Jurisdiction; but in Salem he found a People of few words and good works, agreeable thereunto, with which people he Joined, by keeping to their Meetings, which so enraged the Church Members, that with their Priests, they stirred up the Rulers against him, and fined the man where he kept fifty Pounds for entertaining him; after which for his keeping open shop upon one of their fast days, and speaking the Truth, against their Priests railing against the Quakers, and the like, they five times imprisoned him, thrice took away his goods, a●d thrice cruelly whipped him, besides their many other Abuses, and also accusing him of posting his Books on the first day of the week, but he affirming the contrary, and though two evil minded persons, whereof one was a Thief, who then unknown had stolen Goods in her keeping, both which did say he posted Books, as aforesaid, notwithstanding i● being utterly false, and the evidence of no credit, yet recorded they him a Liar, when he had spoken no other but the Truth relating to the same, shall now proceed to the sum and as aforesaid. From which I shall now proceed to the Sum and substance of his late Trial, which was writ by a hand then present in their Courts, as followeth. The Copy of their Warrant Province of the Massachusets Bay. TO the Sheriff of the County of Essex, his under Sheriff or Deputy, greeting. Whereas there is lying before the honourable Lieutenant Governor and Council a printed Pamphlet, entitled. Truth held forth and maintained, & put forth in the name of Thomas Maule, said to be Thomas Maules of Salem within your County, & published without Licence of Authority, in which is contained many notorious and wicked Lies, and Slanders, not only upon private Persons, but also upon Government, and likewise divers corrupt and pernicious Doctrines utterly subversive of the true Christian and professed Faith. These are therefore in his Majesty's Name to Will and require you forthwith to make search in the House of the said Maule, and where else you shall be informed any of the said Pamphlets are, or may be found, seize and secure all that you shall find thereof, and to cause the said Thomas Maule to appear before the Lieutenant Governor and Council, at the Council Chamber in Boston, upon Thirsday the 19th Currant, to answer what shall be objected against him, on his Majesty's behalf. In the Premises hereof fail not, making return of this Warrant with your doings therein. Dated at the Council Chamber in Boston, December 12th, 1695. By Command of the Lieutenant Governor & Council. Jsaac Addition, Secretary A true Copy, attested by George Curwin, Sherriff. A Copy of the Return of their Warrant. Salem December 14 th', 1695. ACcording to the within Warrant, I have been at the House of Thomas Maule, and there have found thirty one of said Pamphlets, and them secured, as required, and have seized the said Maule, and delivered him to the keeper of their Majesty's Goal in Salem, there to be secured, in order to his apearance at the time and Place within mentioned, and have sent the said Thomas Maule by the bearer Jeremiah Neale, to answer as within expressed, which Jeremiah Neale I do constitute and appoint to be my lawful Deputy, to make return of this Warrant, with the Body of said Maule, and to act in all things which shall be further ordered relating to me concerning the within Warrant. George Curwin, Sherriff. This is a true Copy of the Origenal Return, attested By Jeremiah Neale, Sherriff-Deputy. Thomas Maule being brought by the said Neale, and said Goaler out of Salem County, into Boston County, where appearing at the Council Chamber, before the said Governor and Council, who put divers Ensnaring Questions to said Maule. He made this Reply, That no righteous Law did bind or enjoin him to answer further than he saw good, and that they had not acted agreeable to Law, in compelling him into their County, to stand trial before them, who in the case were not his equal Judges, and if they did intend to proceed against him, he did expect the benefit of the King's Laws, which did a●●ow his Judges to be Twelve men of his Equals, belonging to the same County he was of. The which being consented to, four hundred pounds' Bond was given for his appearance to answer them at their High Court of Injustice against him, at Ipwswich the 19th of the 3d Month May, 1696. But before said Maule came to his Trial they Imprisoned him and sacrificed sixteen pounds worth of his Books, a burned Offering to their Anger and Revenge, though upon his Trial the Jury could not find him in the least guilty of any evil fact, relating to their Charge about his Book. The time of the Courts setting being come, said Maule was called to his Tyral before Thomas Dan●ord, Elisha Cook and Samuel Sewal, three of the Council, and Judges of this Court, who demanded of Thomas Maule, If he did own that Book entitled, Truth held forth and maintained, etc. to be of his putting ●orth? To which he said, The outside of the Book did not fully manifest to him what the inside thereof did contain. The Book being given to him, when he had looked it throw, returned it again, with this answer, That all Printed in the Book, he did own to be Truths, which he did vindicate & maintain, excepting the Printers Errors, and some mistakes occasioned through Authors, which were common to good Books. Then Judge Danford said, You are to answer for Printing this Book without Liscence of Authority. To which said Maule answered, That if he were accountable for so doing, it was not to them, but to the Bishops of the Eng●sh Church, and the King did allow him the same liberty to have his Book printed, as they did to any of their subjects, which separated or dissented from their way of Worship. Then Judge Cook said, You are to answer for publishing your Book in this Government without the Licence of the present Authority. To which said Maul replied, The Government is the Kings, or aught so to be, and the Books are my own Goods, who as an English Merchant have good right by the King's Laws to dispose of my Goods in any of the King's Plantations. Then Anthony Chickley, the King's Attorney said, Your Books are not lawful goods to be disposed of amongst the People, because they contain notorious wicked Lies against the Churches and Government of this Province, as likewise false Doctrine, utterly subversive to the true Christian and professed Faith, besides Scandals upon many private Persons. To which said Maul made this Reply, That the Charge was yet to prove, and which they could never prove against him; and so long as there was no evil fact, he was no Transgressor of any righteous Law; and if their Cha●ge were true, as it is not, it is no more than what they and their Priests are guilt▪ of against all Persons, as well as the Church of England, that dissented from their Priest's way of Worship, for which cause, and persecuting the People of God and the King's Subjects to death, their Doctrine, Principles and Practices were condemned by all true Christian People that did know or hear of their unrighteous Works, which f●●●hese many years have caused God's Judgements to come upon this Land; and for not repenting are you now given up to murder one an there, through the Devis accusation, by Spectre Evidence, accusing both Priests, Rulers and People of being Witches Then Judge Cook to this purpose said, You are a horrible Liar, and it wer● better you would forbear in this nature running yourself into further Troubl●, by accusing the Churches and Government after such a horrible wicked rate, as you have done, and still do persist in, for which you are to suffer, according to your Deserts. To which said Maul made this Reply, That the Truth by him to them was spoken, and so lo●g as he did not ●xceed the bounds thereof, he did not fear their Whip, Goal or Gallows; and withal, that relating to this his Testimony, he had suffered ten times 〈◊〉 their Jurisdiction, five times by Imprisonment, three times by the loss of Goods taken from him, and twice by cruel Whipping; and now before this Trial they had both imprisonmed him, and burnt sixteen pounds' worth of his Books, and 〈◊〉 yet not given him any Copy of the particulars of the Charge against him. To which Judge Danford said, It is but reason that Thomas Maule should have a Copy o● what we have to charge him with, and also time to consider of it, which by the renewing of his Bond, he may have till next Salem Court. Which was agreed to. Then Judge Cook said, That he would have Thomas M●ule to be more careful of what he said relating to the Scriptures, and not to undervalue them, as he had already done, by comparing his Book with the Bible. To which Maul answered, That to compare that with the Bible which was agreeable to the holy Scriptures in the Bible, could be in no way found to contradict or undervalue the Bible. And as to Errors now so much talked of, he did not know of any Book that was free; for as some of the learned have said, Beza committed eight hundred Errors in his first Translation of the New Testament, which by amending through his second Translation, left three hundred Errors therein. And by comparing Mat. 27 v. 5. w●th Acts 1.18. proves as great a Mistake as any he knew to be in his Book▪ Judge Cook commanded this Sentence to be writ down. Then said Maul desired it might be writ down, That at present he did so believe. Which being done, he said, That if through his now so believing did prove an Error, he did hope, through a contrary belief to be free of the Error before his next Trial. Then Judge Cook said, Then your belief is changeable, and so contrary to the Quakers Principle of Perfection, that it overthrows their whole Religion at once. To which Thomas Maule made this Reply, That it was not so, because, said he, every true Believers warfare makes a change from worse to better, that through Grace, by Faith, they come to forsake the Error to join with the Truth, which makes free from all that is evil; and had not the like in measure, been my state, to have departed from evil, I had not become a prey to you, who have caused me to suffer for the Truth, as it is manifest you have done. Then Judge Danford said, Thomas Maul, forbear, we have something else to do than to spend time to hear you p●ate after this kind of rate. To which Thomas Maul answered, That he was willing to forbear without further Trouble to him, by or from them. A Copy of the Grand Jurys Presentment, as also a Copy of the Judges Charge. AT a Superior Court held at Salem, for our Sovereign Lord the King, in the County of Essex, in the Province of the Massathusets Bay in New-England, the 10th day of the 9th Month, 1696. The Grand Jury do present Thomas Maul of Salem, Shopkeeper, for publishing, or putting forth a Book, entitled, Truth held forth and maintained, wherein is contained divers Slanders against the Churches and Government of this Province; and for saying what he did before the honourable Court at Ipswich, in May last, as will appear on Record, reference thereunto being had, may more at large appear, as in this hereunto annexed. James Stivens, Foreman. Thomas Maule being bound over by Recognizance to this Court, and being asked concerning a Book put forth by him, entitled, Truth held forth and maintained, etc. did in open Court declare an● say, That there was as great mistakes in the Scriptures as in his Book, and instanced, comparing Mat. 27. v. 5. with Acts 1. v. 18. and this being read to him, desires to be understood, That at present he believes so, at the Superior Court of Judicature held at Ipswich on the third Tuesday May last, 1696. A true Copy, by Adington Davenport, Clerk. Dr. Benjamin Bullivants Speech, in the first part of the Pleas 〈◊〉 the Presentment, is as followeth, viz. To the Presentment of the Grand Jury, exhibited against Tho. Maule this present Court, always saving to himself the liberty of such further Pleading and Defence, as by Law are due unto him, viz. First, That the uncertainty of matters alleged in the said Presentment is so notorious, that he that runs may read them; and the Lord Cook says, The Law requires certainty in all cases, especially such as are Penal to the Lives or Estates of the Subject, which uncertainties are. Secondly, That neither County, Year or Day are laid in the said Presentment. Thirdly, That the Presentment is not laid to be made for the King, who if any one hath Offence by whatever in this case alleged against the Defendant; neither is his Majesty's Name or S●ile used in the Presentment, as is necessary, and required particularly by the Laws of this Government. Fourthly, That it is not laid upon Oath, as it ought to be, if it hold a man to his Answer. Fifthly, That the Jury had no Plaintiff to inquire for, they being sworn, Well and truly to try, and true Deliverance make between our Sovereign Lord the King, and Thomas Maule the Prisoner at the Bar. And Yet the King's Name and Style entirely omitted in the Presentment aforesaid. Sixthly, That if it were true the Defendant should have said, as is laid to his charge in the Indictment, That there was as great Mistakes in the Scriptures as in his Book, yet this can charge no fac● by Law punishable upon him▪ the Presentment wanting an invendo or meaning, whether they were the holy Scriptures or words of God, since there are profane as well as holy Scriptures, and the Defendant may be supposed, in Construction of Law, to intend as well profane as sacred Scriptures. Seventhly, That it was not laid to be against the Peace of the King, or so much as a Misdemeanour. To these Arguments Judge Danford answered, That the Presentment was according to former Usage, and their Custom, and that want of form could not destroy the ●udictment, or hinder the coming to his Answer. Judge Cook said, As to the Invendo, that it would have been necessary if the particular Quotations had not been named, which he did believe Thomas Maules' Counsel would not deny to be the Books of the holy ●●riptures, which was conceded unto. Then was Anthony Chickley, the King's Attorney, ca●●ed upon, to know what he had to say to it on the behalf of the K●ng, who only said, He would answer to the third Exception brought against the Indictment, viz. That it wanted the stile of the K●ng, assi●t●g a●d not want it, founding his assertion on th● Preamble of the ●●●ictment, it being said, at a superior Court held at Salem for our Sovereign Lord the King. Reply to this was made, on the behalf of the Defendant, That the Preample had no relation to the Body of the Presentment, since the Presentment was presumed to begin at these words, The Grand Jury do present. The Court, after some further debate, overruling the Pleas, the Prisoner is left to say for himself. Thomas Maule to the Judges on the Bench, as followeth, viz. To you who have set yourselves to be Judges in this case, against me▪ as you are invested with Magistratical P●wer by Commission from the King, I do respect you, out wherein you do assume to yourselves the Power of the Bishop's Court, as in this case, I do no more value you than I do Jack-straw. And if you will approve yourselves wise men, you ought to mend the many Rents by you already made, through the mismanagement of the Tru● committed to your Charge, before you proceed to make a further breach upon me, who has not given you any just occasion so to do, which if you are resolved to make a Rod for me, that it may be easy, for the more ease of your own that is to come, for it is said by him that cannot lie, The same measure that men make, the same shall be made to them again; and if your Power, by which you act against me, do long continue, he that now enjoys a good Estate, under your Government, in seven years' time, after this rate, may not be left worth a Groat; for as you are set to watch over the People, things are at that pass, through your means, that they have the greater need to watch over you, otherwise they are like to be undone by the heavy burdens you lay upon them. Then the Cause, with the said Maules' Book, and a Speech made to this purpose by Judge Danford, was committed to the Jury, viz. You have now heard the Cause, which with the Book is now committed to your hands, who have taken a solemn Oath to do the thing that is right in the sight of Gods as near as you can; therefore you ought well to consider the horrid Wickedness of Thomas Maules' setting forth the Book now ●e●ore you, in which there is contained a great a●al of blasphemous matter against the Churches and Government of this Province. You weak 〈◊〉, that when the Husbandman hath take● great care and labour to fence in his f●●ld of Wheat, and there comes a ravenous Creature and makes a Gap through the Fence for other like Creatures to go through and spo●l the Corn, and to trample down and lay waste the H●sband-mans Field, will he not use his utmost endeavour to destroy such a ravenous Creature that doe● so? how much the more are we to preserve the H●dge of the good Husbandman with which he hat●, by his Ordinances, and good Government, fenced and hedged his Churches and People in this Pr●●gi●●●, against which the wicked work of Thomas Maule doth wholly tend, to overthrew all good in Church and Commonwealth, which Go● hath planted amongst his People in this Province; w●ich ●ause with the said Maules' Book is now before you, to do that which is right relating thereup, 〈◊〉 near as God shall enable. In answer to which Speech, Thomas Maule made this R●ply to the Jury, and said, Jury look well to the work which you are now going to do, the Cause is now committed to you, who are to be Governed by the King's Law; no Law of our Nation have I broken, as to you will appear; the Book has no evidence in Law against me, further than to you it doth appear, I have writ or caused to be printed any thing contrary to sound Doctrine, and Inconsistent to the holy Scriptures of Truth, which if you take up with any part of these Judges unjust Charge against me, and say, there is such like matter in my Book as they charge me with, you may seek to the Printer for satisfaction, for of any such like matter in the Book I know not, and my hand is only to my Copy, which now is in another Government, in the hands of the Printer, and my Name to my Book made by the Printer does not in Law evidence to prove the same to be Thomas Maule, no more than the Spector Evidence, in Law, is of force or validity to prove the person accused by said evidence to be the Witch, but rather conclude the Spector to be the Witch; therefore Jury look well to your Work, for you have sworn, True Trial to make and just Verdict give, which if you miss of doing me Justice, the fault will lie on your part▪ for these my Accusers on the beach, are but as Clerks to conclude your Work with Amen. In some small time the Jury brought in their Verdict for the Prisoner, whom they found not Guilty, At which the Judges seemed much dissatisfied therewith, and ass● the Jury, how that could be, having the Book before them? who answered, That the Book was not sufficient Evidence, for that Thomas Maules' Name was there unto set by the Printer, and the matter therein contained not cognizable before them, they not being a Jury of divines, which this case ought to be. Then Judge Danford made this Speech, That tho, Thomas Maule had escaped the hands of Men, yet he had not escaped the hand of God, who would find out all his Evils and Blasphemies against his Church and People, and for which Wickedness God did reserve him▪ or further Ja●gm●●o come upon him. In answer to which, said Maule replied, That he was no way guilty of their Charge, but had great cause to praise God ●or his di●●●erance by the Jury, who were made Instruments of freeing him out of the hands of them, who had manifested their unrighteous Works against the People of God, and the King's Subjects, as their Father's be●ore had done In which time of the said Reply, Judge, Danford called out, Take him away, take him away. The Reader may hence understand, that the distance of these Persecutors from the King, and much further froms God's Truth, is the cause that by them, many of the People of God and the King's Subjects suffer, more than they would do, were they where their complaint could readily be heard by the King, who would not suffer his Subjects to be persecuted under the Anti-christian Power of the New-England Church, who yet continue the old stroke, according to their Power, against the Quavers, at this very t●me of liberty of Conscience, respecting to Religion now allowed by the King and Powers of England, as for instance, they now do suffer in their Jurisdiction, especially in the Town of Linn, where for the Priest's maintenance, they compel the Quakers Oxen, their Pots and Platters, with the of other Household goods more worse in that respect, then of the first two wiked Priests we read, Sam. 2.12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. For which sin God will reward the wick●● Priests▪ FINIS.