How soon this prediction was fulfilled, we shall see in the next year;
for it was but a few months after the delivering of this letter, when
Richard laid down the government.
In the meanwhile we will take again a view of the persecution in New
England. There was, as hath been said already, a fine settled of five
shillings a week to be paid for not coming to church, as it was called.
And thus from time to time occasion was found to use cruelty against
the inhabitants, though none of those called Quakers came from abroad.
William Shattock, a shoemaker at Boston, being on a First-day of the
week, found in his house, instead of coming to the public worship, was
hauled to the house of correction; where, at his first entrance, he was
cruelly whipped, and then kept to work, whilst his wife and innocent
children were in want because of his absence. In the meantime the
deputy-governor, Richard Bellingham, did not stick to say to William’s
wife, that since he was poor, and could not pay five shillings a week
for not coming to church, they would continue him in prison. Thus was
verified that saying of Solomon, “cruel are the mercies of the wicked.”
Bellingham also endeavoured to persuade this woman, that what her
husband had done, was to be rid of her, and therefore advised her to
disown him. Now these persecutors began to have abundance of business;
and taking away of goods, and cruel whippings became almost daily work,
which was performed without regard of age or sex; all which to relate
would exceed my limits.
Two women, named Sarah Gibbons, and Dorothy Waugh, being come to
Boston, and having in the public meeting-place, after the lecture was
ended, spoken a few words, were brought to the house of correction, and
three days before their being whipped, and three days after, were kept
from victuals, though they had offered to pay for them. And when Sarah
afterward asked the governor, John Endicot, whether this was justice
or equity: adding, that by this all might see that God was with them,
that they were thus preserved without food; and if they perished, their
blood would fall heavy on those that were the occasion thereof; he
answered, that he mattered it not.
Not long after, Hored Gardner, an inhabitant of Newport, in Rhode
Island, came with her sucking babe, and a girl to carry it, to
Weymouth: from whence, for being a Quaker, she was hurried to Boston,
where both she and the girl were whipped with a three-fold knotted
whip. After whipping, the woman kneeled down, and prayed the Lord to
forgive those persecutors: which so reached a woman that stood by, that
she said, surely she could not have done this, if it had not been by
the Spirit of the Lord.
But when should I have done, if I would describe all the whippings
inflicted on the Quakers, so called, in those parts! For now a law
was made, which furnished continual work to the persecutors there.
The contents thereof were, that whosoever of the inhabitants should
directly or indirectly cause any of the Quakers to come into that
jurisdiction, he should forfeit an hundred pounds to the country, and
be committed to prison, there to remain till the penalty should be
satisfied. And whosoever should entertain them, knowing them to be
so, should forfeit forty shillings to the country for every hour’s
entertaining or concealment; and be committed to prison till the
forfeiture should be fully paid and satisfied. And further, that all
and every of those people that should arise among them there, should
be dealt withal, and suffer the like punishment as the laws provided
for those that came in, viz. That for the first offence, if a male,
one of his ears should be cut off, and be kept at work in the house
of correction, till he should be sent away on his own charge. For
the second, the other ear, and be kept in the house of correction
as aforesaid. If a woman, then to be severely whipped, and kept as
aforesaid, as the male, for the first; and for the second offence to
be dealt withal as the first. And for the third, he or she should have
their tongues bored through with an hot iron, and be kept in the house
of correction, close at work, till they be sent away on their own
charge.
In the latter part of the Fifth month, it came to pass, that William
Brend and William Leddra, having been at Salem, came to Newbury;
where, at the house of one Robert Adams, they had a conference with
the priest, in the presence of captain Gerish, who had promised that
they should not suffer; but after the conference was ended, the captain
would not let them go, but on promise presently to depart the town;
which, being loth to comply with, as they were on their way, they
were sent for back, and captain Gerish riding after them, commanded
them to return: which they refusing, he compelled them thereunto, and
sent them with a constable to Salem; where, being brought before the
magistrates, they were asked whether they were Quakers; to which
they answered, that they were such that were in scorn called so. Next
it was objected to them, that they maintained dangerous errors. They
asking what these were, it was told them, that they not only denied
that Christ at Jerusalem had suffered on the cross, but also that they
denied the Holy Scriptures. They boldly contradicted this, and said
they owned no other Jesus but he that had suffered death at Jerusalem,
and that they also owned the Scriptures.
Now, although nothing could be objected against this, yet they were
carried to the house of correction, as such who, according to the law
made at Boston, might not come into those parts. Some days after they
were carried to Boston, where in the next month they were brought
into the house of correction, to work there. But they unwilling to
submit thereto, the jailer, who sought his profit from the work of his
prisoners, would not give them victuals, though they offered to pay
for them. But he told them, it was not their money, but their labour
he desired. Thus he kept them five days without food, and with a
three-corded whip gave them twenty blows. An hour after he told them,
they might go out, if they would pay the marshal that was to lead them
out of the country. They judging it very unreasonable to pay money for
being banished, refused this, but yet said, that if the prison-door was
set open, they would go away.
The next day the jailor came to W. Brend, a man in years, and put him
in irons, neck and heels so close together, that there was no more room
left between each, than for the lock that fastened them. Thus he kept
them from five in the morning, till after nine at night, being the
space of sixteen hours. The next morning he brought him to the mill to
work, but Brend refusing, the jailer took a pitched rope about an inch
thick, and gave him twenty blows over his back and arms, with as much
force as he could, so that the rope untwisted; and then, going away, he
came again with another rope, that was thicker and stronger, and told
Brend, that he would cause him to bow to the law of the country, and
make him work. Brend judged this not only unreasonable in the highest
degree, since he had committed no evil, but he was altogether unable to
work: for he wanted strength for want of food; having been kept five
days without eating, and whipt also, and now thus unmercifully beaten
with a rope. But this inhuman jailer relented not, but began to beat
anew with his pitched rope, on this bruised body, and foaming at his
mouth like a madman, with violence laid fourscore and seventeen blows
more on him, as other prisoners that beheld it with compassion, have
told; and if his strength, and his rope had not failed him, he would
have laid on more; he threatened also to give him the next morning
as many blows more. But a higher power, who sets limits even to the
raging sea, and hath said, “hitherto thou shalt come, but no further,”
also limited this butcherly fellow; who was yet impudently stout
enough to say his morning prayer. To what a most terrible condition
these blows brought the body of Brend, who because of the great heat
of the weather, had nothing but a serge cassock upon his shirt, may
easily be conceived; his back and arms were bruised and black, and
the blood hanging as in bags under his arms; and so into one was his
flesh beaten, that the sign of a particular blow could not be seen;
for all was become as a jelly. His body being thus cruelly tortured,
he lay down upon the boards, so extremely weakened, that the natural
parts decaying, and strength quite failing, his body turned cold: there
seemed as it were a struggle between life and death; his senses were
stopped, and he had for some time neither seeing, feeling, nor hearing,
till at length a divine power prevailing, life broke through death, and
the breath of the Lord was breathed into his nostrils.
Now, the noise of this cruelty spread among the people in the town, and
caused such a cry, that the governor sent his surgeon to the prison, to
see what might be done; but the surgeon found the body of Brend in such
a deplorable condition, that, as one without hopes, he said, his flesh
would rot from off his bones, ere the bruised parts could be brought
to digest. This so exasperated the people, that the magistrates, to
prevent a tumult, set up a paper on their meeting-house door, and
up and down the streets, as it were to show their dislike of this
abominable, and most barbarous cruelty; and said, the jailer should be
dealt withal the next court. But this paper was soon taken down again
upon the instigation of the high-priest, John Norton, who having from
the beginning been a fierce promoter of the persecution, now did not
stick to say, ‘W. Brend endeavoured to beat our gospel ordinances black
and blue, if he then be beaten black and blue, it is but just upon
him; and I will appear in his behalf that did so.’ It is therefore not
much to be wondered at, that these precise and bigoted magistrates,
who would be looked upon to be eminent for piety, were so cruel in
persecuting, since their chief teacher thus wickedly encouraged them to
it.
In the meanwhile it pleased God, even miraculously to heal W. Brend,
and to keep him alive; but as if the hearts of these persecutors were
more hardened thereby, to show themselves obedient followers of their
teacher, they made an order, that the jailer, if the Quakers that
were in his custody refused to work, should whip them twice a week,
the first time with ten lashes, the next time with fifteen, and so at
each time with three more, till they would work. This was performed
on four persons, two of which were William Leddra and John Rous, who
may be mentioned hereafter. And to keep the passionate jailer within
due bounds, forsooth, it was ordered that each time he should warn two
constables to see the execution. But how little moderation was truly
meant, and that this was more like a jest, may appear in that the
jailer the first time laid fifteen lashes apiece on the said persons,
and so added five stripes to the first number of ten.
It happened about this time, that some of the people called Quakers
that lived there, being had before the magistrates, it was demanded by
one of them, how they might know a Quaker; to which Simon Broadstreet,
one of the magistrates, answered, ‘Thou art one, for coming in with
thy hat on.’ Which made the other reply, it was a horrible thing to
make such cruel laws, to whip and cut off ears, and bore through the
tongue, for not putting off the hat. Then one of the bench said, that
the Quakers held forth blasphemies at their meetings. To which one of
the others desired him to make such a thing appear, if it were so,
that they might be convinced: and further, that they should do well to
send some to their meetings, that they might hear, and give account of
what was done and spoken there; and not conclude of a thing they knew
not. ‘But,’ said major-general Denison, ‘if ye meet together, and say
any thing, we may conclude that ye speak blasphemy.’ A very strange
syllogism indeed. No better, (to prove persecution lawful,) was the
argument of Charles Chansey, chief teacher at the university, who in
a sermon at Boston, argued thus: ‘suppose you should catch six wolves
in a trap, and ye cannot prove that they killed either sheep or lambs:
and now you have them they will neither bark nor bite: yet they have
the plain marks of wolves, and therefore ye knock them down.’ A base
expression, thus to compare man to a beast; for God said in plain terms
to Noah, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.”
But these persecutors thought there was stress enough in it to call
the Quakers wolves; and to make one pass for a Quaker, they counted it
a sufficient proof, when they saw he did not put off his hat to men;
‘Knock him down, it is a wolf.’
And if the hat was not found fault with, something else was thought on;
for at Salem twelve persons were fined forty pounds nineteen shillings,
for not coming to church; and of others much money was extorted,
because their wives absented themselves from the public worship.
William Marston, of Hampton, was fined ten pounds for two books found
in his house, viz. John Lilburn’s resurrection, and W. Dewsbury’s
Mighty Day of the Lord. Thus these people did whatever they would,
without any regard to the laws in Old England: and when once some
prisoners appealed to it, the governor, John Endicot, and his deputy
Bellingham, cried, ‘No appeal to England! No appeal to England.’ And
they seemed to fear nothing for what they did to the Quakers: according
to what major-general Denison said in open court, ‘This year you will
go and complain to the parliament, the next year they will send some
to see how things go, and in the third year the government will be
changed.’ Now they not at all caring for Old England, denied also the
prisoners their request of being tried according to the laws of that
realm, by a jury. And the rulers dealing thus arbitrarily, the jailer
of the house of correction did the like; for when some of his prisoners
showed themselves not unwilling to work, provided that their families
should have something of the gain, he would not allow that, unless they
paid him eight-pence for every twelve-pence gain: and when they refused
this, the whipping-post was his refuge.
But to go on: in the foregoing year mention was made of John Copeland,
and Christopher Holder, these coming in the sixth month to Dedham,
lodged there one night; but the next day, were taken up by a constable,
and carried to Boston, where being brought before the governor, he
said in a rage, ‘Ye shall be sure to have your ears cut off.’ Not long
after, John Rous came again to Boston, but was shortly after taken, and
committed to prison. On the 17th of September, he, with Holder, and
Copeland, were brought before the magistrates in the court, where the
deputy-governor told them, that they, in contempt of the magistrates
and ministers, being come there again to seduce the people, might know
that whatever befel them, whether the loss of their ears, or of their
lives, their blood would be upon their own heads. They denying this,
and saying, that the Lord had sent them hither, the governor, Endicot,
said, ‘You are greater enemies to us, than those that come openly;
since under pretence of peace, you come to poison the people.’ Being
asked for proof that the Lord had sent them they replied, that it was
some kind of proof that the Lord had sent them, because they met with
such entertainment as Christ had told his disciples would be meted to
them, for his name sake, viz. whipping, &c. To this, major-general
Denison said, ‘Then when malefactors are whipt, they suffer for
Christ’s sake.’ Then John Rous, whose father was a lieutenant-colonel
in Barbadoes, said, ‘If we were evil-doers, the judgments of God would
be heavier upon us than those we suffer by you.’ To which major Denison
replied, ‘Mr. Rous, (for so I may call you, having heard your father
is a gentleman,) what judgment of God do you look for greater than
is upon you, to be driven from your father’s house, and to run about
here as a vagabond, with a company of deceivers, except you look for a
halter?’ To this Rous said, ‘I was not driven from my father’s house,
but in obedience to the Lord I left it; and when the Lord shall have
cleared me of this land, I shall return to it again.’ Then Endicot
called to the secretary to read the law, who thereupon read this clause
in it, that if any that had suffered the law, should presume to return
again, they should have one of their ears cut off. Some more words were
spoken, and among the rest, Endicot said, ‘The Quakers have nothing to
prove their commission by, but the spirit within them, and that is the
devil.’ And when one of the prisoners said, ‘We have seen some of your
laws, that have many scriptures in the margin; but what example have
you in Scripture for cutting off ears?’ Endicot asked, ‘What Scripture
is there for hanging?’ To which Denison said scoffing, ‘Yes, they would
be crucified.’ Then Endicot called the three prisoners by name, and
said in great passion, ‘It is the sentence of the court, that you three
have each of you his right ear cut off by the hangman.’ Then they were
carried to the prison, and on the 16th of September, the Marshal’s
deputy came thither, letting as many come in as he thought meet; and
when the doors were made fast, the said marshal read the following
order:
‘To the marshal-general, or his deputy: you are to take with you
the executioner, and repair to the house of correction, and there
see him cut off the right ears of John Copeland, Christopher
Holder, and John Rous, Quakers; in execution of the sentence of
the court of assistants, for the breach of the law, intitled
Quakers.
EDWARD RAWSON, _Secretary_.’
Then the prisoners were brought into another room, where John Rous
said to the marshal, ‘We have appealed to the chief magistrate of
England.’ To which he answered, he had nothing to do with that. Holder
said, ‘Such execution as this should be done publicly, and not in
private; for this was contrary to the law of England.’ But captain
Oliver replied, ‘We do it in private to keep you from tattling.’ Then
the executioner took Holder, and when he had turned aside his hair,
and was going to cut off his ear, the marshal turned his back on him,
which made Rous say, ‘Turn about and see it; for so was his order.’ The
marshal then, though filled with fear, turned, and said, ‘Yes, yes,
let us look on it.’ Rous, who was more undaunted than his persecutor,
suffered the like, as well as the third, and they said, ‘those that do
it ignorantly, we desire from our hearts the Lord to forgive them; but
for them that do it maliciously, let our blood be upon their head; and
such shall know in the day of account, that every drop of our blood
shall be as heavy upon them as a millstone.’ Afterwards these persons
were whipt again; but this practice becoming so common in New England
as if it was but play, I will not detain my reader with it.
Persecution being now come to the cutting off of ears, did not stop
there, but went higher, and rested not, before it came to the taking
away of lives. But to compass that proved very difficult; for there
were many honest people who abhorred such a cruelty. Yet John Norton,
and the other priests, petitioned the magistrates, to cause the court
to make some law to banish the Quakers, upon pain of death. This gave
encouragement to the magistrates, for since the churchmen pushed on
so wicked a business, no scruple was made to go on with this bloody
work; and the court of magistrates voted it to be put in execution by a
country court, which three magistrates made up, the majority of which
might hang at pleasure, without trial by a jury; a thing not heard of
in Old England: but it served the purpose of Norton, and his fellow
preachers. The court where this law was made, consisted of twenty-five
persons; and when it was put to the vote it was carried in the
affirmative, the speaker and eleven being on the negative, but thirteen
on the affirmative, so that one vote carried it. This so troubled one
Wozel, when he heard it, having through illness been absent, that
he got to the court, and weeping for grief, that his absence should
occasion such a law to pass, said, if he had not been able to go, he
would have crept upon his knees, rather than it should have passed. But
what he said proved in vain; they had now passed the Rubicon, and what
was eagerly desired, was obtained. Yet there was a great difference
in the court, and the twelve that had voted in the negative, resolved
to enter their dissents to that law; which the others seeing, and
that so many difficulties would weaken their law, they admitted this
addition, to be tried by a special jury; though a standing law of the
country contained, that none be sentenced to death and banishment,
but by a special jury, and a court of assistants; and such a court
consisted of seven magistrates at the least. But it was now resolved,
to prosecute the Quakers to death; and all this trial, when it came
to it, was but, whether they were Quakers? Which they judged by their
coming in covered; and that they had been banished out of the country.
Now to enter upon this bloody business, the following act was made at a
general court, held at Boston, the 20th of October, in this year, 1658.
‘_An Act made at a general court, held at Boston,
the 20th of October, 1658._
‘Whereas there is a pernicious sect, (commonly called Quakers,)
lately risen, who by word and writing have published and
maintained many dangerous and horrid tenets, and do take upon
them to change and alter the received laudable customs of our
nation, in giving civil respect to equals, or reverence to
superiors, whose actions tend to undermine the civil government,
and also to destroy the order of the churches, by denying all
established forms of worship, and by withdrawing from orderly
church-fellowship, allowed and approved by all orthodox
professors of the Truth, and instead thereof, and in opposition
thereunto, frequently meeting themselves, insinuating themselves
into the minds of the simple, or such as are least affected to
the order and government of church and commonwealth, whereby
divers of our inhabitants have been infected, notwithstanding all
former laws, made upon the experience of their arrogant and bold
obtrusions, to disseminate their principles among us, prohibiting
their coming in this jurisdiction, they have not been deterred
from their impetuous attempts to undermine our peace, and hazard
our ruin.
‘For prevention thereof, this court doth order and enact, that
every person, or persons, of the cursed sect of the Quakers, who
is not an inhabitant of, but is 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, to the next magistrate, who shall
commit the said person to close prison, there to remain, without
bail, unto the next court of assistants, where they shall have
a legal trial: and being convicted to be of the sect of the
Quakers, shall be sentenced to be banished upon pain of death:
and that every inhabitant of this jurisdiction, being convicted
to be of the aforesaid sect, either by taking up, publishing, or
defending the horrid opinions of the Quakers, or the stirring
up mutiny, sedition, or rebellion against the government, or by
taking up their absurd and destructive practices, viz. Denying
civil respect to equals and superiors, and withdrawing from our
church assemblies, and instead thereof frequent meetings of
their own, in opposition to our church order; or by adhering
to, or approving of any known Quaker, and the tenets and
practices of the Quakers, that are opposite to the orthodox
received opinions of the godly, and endeavouring to disaffect
others to civil government, and church orders, or condemning
the practice and proceedings of this court against the Quakers,
manifesting thereby their complying with those, whose design is
to overthrow the order established in church and state, every
such person, upon conviction before the said court of assistants,
in manner as aforesaid, shall be committed to close prison for
one month, and then, unless they choose voluntarily to depart
this jurisdiction, shall give bond for their good behaviour,
and appear at the next court, where continuing obstinate, and
refusing to retract and reform the aforesaid opinions, they
shall be sentenced to banishment upon pain of death; and any one
magistrate, upon information given him of any such person, shall
cause him to be apprehended, and shall commit any such person to
prison, according to his discretion, until he come to trial, as
aforesaid.’
Here endeth this sanguinary act, being more like to the decrees of
the Spanish Inquisition, than to the laws of a reformed Christian
magistracy, consisting of such who, to shun persecution themselves,
(which was but a small fine for not frequenting the public worship,)
had left Old England. This act was answered by Francis Howgill, and
the said answer published in print, wherein was plainly shown, that it
spoke the language of the ancient persecuting Jews and heathen. In the
sequel we shall see the bloody execution of it upon some persons.