1681.
Not long after he also wrote a paper to all rulers and magistrates
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, to dissuade them from persecution
for religion. His labour seemed not altogether ineffectual with the
parliament, for about the beginning of the year 1681, the house of
commons resolved,
That it is the opinion of the house, that persecution of
Protestant dissenters upon the penal laws, is at this time
grievous to the subjects; a weakening of the Protestant interest,
an encouragement to popery, and dangerous to the peace of this
kingdom.
But though the house of commons came to this resolution, yet it did
not stop persecution; for as long as the laws, (by virtue whereof
they persecuted,) were not repealed, which could not be done without
the concurrence of the house of lords and the king, those that were
malicious continued in their old way, which lasted yet three or four
years.
George Fox now also came into some trouble; since he and his wife
were sued for tithes, though she had lived three and forty years at
Swarthmore, and in all that time no tithe had been paid nor demanded.
Of this George Fox had certificates; but since they would not accept
them without an oath, it made his case the more difficult. He proposed
the matter to four judges at London, and found one more moderate than
the others; which put a stop to what her enemies designed. And the
judges wondered when they heard he had made a promise in writing, not
to meddle with his wife’s estate.
This year the king dissolved the parliament, and called a new one, to
sit at Oxford, and so it did; but for all that he could not make it
comply with his demands, and so he dissolved this also. Some time after
he desired the prince of Orange to come over, who thereupon came from
Holland into England, and after a short stay, returned to the Hague.
It was also in this year that the king gave a country or great tract of
land in America to William Penn, with a patent under the great seal, to
him and his in perpetuum, since the king owed him still a considerable
sum for the services of his father the admiral sir William Penn. This
tract of land on the river Delaware, from the fortieth degree to the
three and fortieth, with all the isles belonging to it, the king gave
to W. Penn, with full power to erect a new colony there, to sell
lands, to create magistrates, to make laws, not contrary to the laws
of England, and power to pardon crimes: and in the patent, the king
declared that this tract of land henceforth should hear the name of
Pennsylvania. This favour of the king, William Penn chiefly owed, I
think, to James, then duke of York, who being chief admiral of England,
sir William Penn, the father, on his dying bed, desired him to protect
his son against his enemies, who, because of his religion, were like
to fall hard upon him. This the duke promised, and performed; and it
was not without reason that William Penn afterwards, when the said duke
had ascended the throne, showed himself ready to be serviceable to him
in all that he thought might be beneficial to the kingdom. William
Penn now went with much company to America. And having seen the land
given him, he founded there the chief city Philadelphia, and some other
towns. And that he might the more peaceably enjoy the country, he
purchased from the Indians so much land that he became proprietor of a
country twice as big as all the United Provinces, as he himself once
told me: and this colony increased so suddenly, that after a few years,
at Philadelphia, there were built six hundred brick houses.
William Penn’s father was deceased long before, and on his dying bed
he declared that he had a gracious God, and he gave marks of a true
Christian disposition of mind: he also gave his son several wholesome
admonitions how to behave himself in this world. He complained much of
the wickedness of the times, and was heard at sundry times to say, ‘Wo
to thee, O England! God will judge thee, O England! Great plagues are
at thy door, O England!’ He also said, ‘God hath forsaken us. We are
infatuated; we will shut our eyes. We will not see our true interest
and happiness: we shall be destroyed.’ When he was near death, and took
his leave of his relations, he said to William Penn, ‘Son William,
if you and your friends keep to your plain way of preaching, and keep
to your plain way of living, you will make an end of the priests to
the end of the world. Bury me by my mother, live all in love, shun all
manner of evil; and I pray God to bless you all; and he will bless
you.’ Thus died the valiant admiral Penn, father of William Penn,
proprietor of Pennsylvania: and now I return to other matters.
1682.
I left George Fox at London, and since he continued there and
thereabout a good while, I will take a turn to Bristol, where in the
year 1682, a dismal scene of persecution was opened: for the meetings
of those called Quakers were disturbed, not only by grievously abusing
and imprisoning them; but they were also vexed by breaking into their
houses, and committing all manner of violence, as among the rest in the
house of Richard Marsh, an eminent merchant in that city: for, to get
of him the fine that was pretended, first a cask of wine, worth twenty
pounds, was taken, and sold for four pounds; as often it happened, that
the goods thus taken, were sold for less than the half, because honest
people being unwilling to buy such goods, they were sold to any one
that would but bid some money, how little soever: for what was wanting
of the fine was taken anew from the fined person, and so they did here
also; for they broke open his counting-house, sought for money, and
took away his ledger, journal, cash-book, and other books and accounts,
besides many household goods; and several chambers were rifled, though
the wife, of the said Marsh lay in child-bed at that time. The chief
actors of these insolencies were the sheriff John Knight, and John
Helliar an attorney, who, with his companions Lugg, Tilley, Casse,
Patrick, Hoar, and Watkins, served for informers. Knight and Helliar
came frequently with a multitude of boys and rude rabble to disturb the
meetings of the Quakers; and then they carried them to the prisons,
which grew so full, that about fifty persons were crowded into one
room, which was so nasty, that one of the aldermen, viz. sir Robert
Cann, said, if he had a dog which he loved he would not put him there.
And though sir Thomas Earl, mayor of the city, and some justices and
aldermen, at the request of others, showed themselves inclined to allow
the prisoners a better place, yet the power of the aforesaid sheriff
John Knight, was such, that he hindered it.
The meetings of other Protestant dissenters were now also disturbed,
but they fainted and gave way; whereas the Quakers stood firm, how much
soever vexed; which often was done in a very outrageous manner: for
their meetings were not only disturbed often with the noise of drums
and fiddles, but liberty was given to the vilest fellows to commit all
kind of insolency without showing any regard to those of the female
sex, whose hoods and scarfs were torn; and Helliar, to give the boys
a sign to attack the women, was used to say to these, ‘have a care of
your hoods and scarfs;’ for then the boys fell upon them, and both aged
women and ancient men were carried to prison, and forced to go faster
than they well could, by pushing them, and pinching their arms black
and blue; and when once a girl spoke a word against this cruelty, she
was pulled by the hair, and hauled to prison; nay, little boys were
beaten on the head till they grew giddy, and then they were carried to
Bridewell, where Helliar charged the keeper to get a new cat of nine
tails, endeavouring to terrify the children, by making them believe
they should be whipped, unless they would promise to come no more to
meetings: but this succeeded not; for his extravagant malice did not
subdue the constancy of these children.
With such diabolical rage they persecuted this people at Bristol, and
not a stone was left unturned to afflict them. Once they were nailed
up in their meeting-house, and thus kept about six hours; which could
not but be very hard to nature, since there were also women of no mean
families, and among these the widow of the upper sheriff Lane. So many
also were taken prisoners, that at length there was no more room in the
jails. By these proceedings many families were ruined: for their goods
were taken from them, not only on the account of meeting, but when
any were believed to be of good estates, the oath of allegiance was
tendered to them. At court it seems they were the more offended against
the Quakers, because in the election of members of parliament some had
voted for such as they believed to be moderate, and no favourers of
popery; and therefore it was said underhand, that if Mr. Penn or Mr.
Whitehead would undertake for the Quakers not to vote at elections of
parliament-men, there should be no further persecution of them.
In the meanwhile the behaviour of the persecutors in the meetings was
brutish in the highest degree; insomuch that a certain woman, seeing
that the attorney Helliar lifted up her child by the hair of his head,
and asking him, why he so abused her child, was therefore ill treated
herself by him. And by order of the said Helliar a lass was committed
to Bridewell, because she gave an impudent boy, that would have turned
up her coats, a box on the ear; for which defending of her modesty,
this brutish Helliar called her a rioter and seditious person: for he
was, as hath been said already, a leader of insolent and saucy boys,
which he from time to time took along with him to disturb the meetings
of the Quakers. And sheriff Knight did often with his cane very
violently beat those that were met together, and once grievously abused
an ancient man called Britton; and some women were pinched violently
in their arms. Susannah York, an aged woman, was thrown down to the
ground; Mary Hooper was very roughly handled by Helliar, had her scarf
torn off her back, and was so thrust and flung about, that she was much
out of order long after; and Mary Page, being big with child, was so
violently hauled out of the meeting, that her life was endangered by
it. With Helliar it became customary to call men rogues, and the women
whores, jades, carrions, and damned bitches: he also bid the boys to
tear their scarfs and take up dirt, and throw upon them. Of this his
beastly rage there were many witnesses; for these abominable dealings
displeased many people of other persuasions: but it seems these enraged
fellows had encouragement at court, whereon they durst rely: for the
sheriff John Knight was knighted, and therefore grew more insolent.
Once it happened that Helliar having disturbed a meeting, drove the
women along the streets as if they had been cattle; and being asked
whether he made beasts of them, he answered, ‘Ye are worse than beasts;
for beasts will be driven, but you will not.’
This disturbing of meetings continued till almost all the men belonging
thereto were clapped up in prison; and some of them sending a petition
to the mayor and justices of the city, that they might be pleased to
let them have larger rooms, since not only their health, but their
lives also were endangered, the said magistrates showed themselves
inclined to allow the prisoners some ease or enlargement: but the
power of sheriff Knight was such, that whatever they said or did,
all proved in vain. The mayor also signified to the sheriff, that he
would have all convictions made above board, and not in ale-houses
and taverns; and that he would have the distrained goods brought into
a public warehouse, and not in a by-lane. But though the mayor _ex
officio_ might have commanded the sheriff, yet this officer was so
countenanced, that he did not care for whatever the mayor said; nay,
so exorbitant was he, that his adherents began to threaten the mayor,
he should not be a parliament-man; insomuch that he was forced to
comply in some degree. In the meanwhile the havoc and spoil was so
enormous, that generally twice as much was taken as the fine amounted
to. The prisoners, some of whom lay on the floor, others in hammocks,
and some in a cold and open room, exposed to the wind, and injury
of the weather, suffered great inconveniences, and the jailer Isaac
Dennis imagining that nothing could be too bad for them, would not
show them any favour, but at a very unreasonable rate; and his wife
showed herself no less unreasonable than he, so that one extortion
was at the heels of another. Four physicians of Bristol, viz. John
Griffith, William Turgis, J. Chauncy, and T. Bourn, seeing how straitly
the prisoners were penned up and thronged together, gave a certificate
under their hands, in which they declared, that they resenting their
condition with compassion, and considering what dangerous consequence
such close confinement might be of, were moved to certify, that the
prisoners being destitute of room for rest, it had a ready tendency to
breed infectious distempers, to the endangering of their lives, &c. But
all this did not avail them, it being not counted worth the while to
be concerned for them. Nay, so desperately wicked was the jailer, that
when the prisoners complained for want of room, he said to his man, if
he could but shut the door, it would be well enough. But in due time we
shall see what anguish and horror befel him.
After most of the people called Quakers at Bristol were in prison, the
women who continued to keep up their religious meetings, were also
seized, and confined to that degree, that at length few or none but
children, that staid with the servants in the houses of their parents,
were left free. The number of the prisoners for the sake of their
religion amounted now to one hundred and fifteen, and some of them
were confined in Bridewell, among whom were also Barbara Blaugdone,
(several times mentioned before,) and Catharine Evans, who had learned
at Malta what it was to suffer a tedious and hard imprisonment. It is
very remarkable that children under sixteen years of age now performed
what their parents were hindered from: for these children kept up their
religious meetings as much as was in their power. But though they were
not within the reach of the law, yet once nineteen of these youths were
taken and carried to the house of correction, where they were kept for
some time. And though they were threatened with whipping if ever they
returned to the meeting, yet they continued valiant without fainting,
although they suffered exceedingly from the wicked rabble. But so
great was their zeal, that they despising all reproach and insolence,
remained steadfast; and thus showed in spite of their enemies, that
God would not suffer that the Quakers’ meeting should be altogether
suppressed, as it was intended. This persecution continued till the
next year, as it did in several other places also; for there wanted
no informers, who continually lay in wait for prey, even to such a
degree, that I find that some of those called Quakers, being come
from other places to market, and being gone into an inn to refresh
themselves, a snatching informer did not stick to declare upon his
oath, that the Quakers had kept a meeting there.
But before I leave Bristol, I must give some account of a ridiculous
act, performed on one Erasmus Dole, who bore the name of a Quaker. He
having said that he scrupled not to declare the contents of the oath
of allegiance, it was contrived that he should speak after the clerk,
and skip over such words he disliked, and pronounce another in its
room, as I declare, instead of I swear. This went on, and whilst he was
thus speaking, the jailer held his hand to the book, and when Erasmus
had said all, put it to his mouth, to make this pass for kissing it.
With this the court seemed satisfied; and the bishop of Bristol seeing
these apish tricks, told the court, that altered it not from being an
oath, at which they gloried, as having obtained a conquest. But this
was but a pitiful one; for Erasmus being a man of an irregular life,
the Quakers had but little cause to regret the loss of such a member,
who grew so dissolute, that in process of time they found themselves
necessitated to deny him, because of his offensive conversation.
In Gloucestershire the people called Quakers were also under great
sufferings by imprisonment, for keeping their meetings; and the wife
of one John Boy, being at a peaceable meeting at Little Badmanton, was
through instigation of the priest of the parish, in a violent manner
dragged out of the meeting by the lord Herbert’s footmen; through which
abuses the woman fell sick and miscarried, to the endangering of her
life; and her husband, who was also taken prisoner at the same place,
was not suffered at his request to see his wife.
In Leicestershire it went no better: one Elizabeth Hill being in a
meeting at Broughton, was by the rude boys dragged out, and so abused,
that she was seemingly quite spent, and near dead; and laying in the
dirt, one of the boys, to try whether she was still alive, put his
finger into her mouth, and perceiving her to breathe, said, ‘Let us at
her again. The devil is yet in her, and we will squeeze him out.’ These
cruel abuses made a neighbourly woman cry out, ‘What, will you kill the
woman?’ To which the boys said, ‘What care we? Mr. Cotton bid us do
so.’ ‘Did he indeed?’ asked the woman. ‘Aye, indeed,’ replied the boys.
‘Then,’ said she, ‘he may be ashamed of it.’ Thus these boys openly
said, that it was the parson, viz. Thomas Cotton, who was the priest
of the parish, encouraged them to this excessive wickedness; and his
man said in plain terms, his master was one of the best men in England;
for if every one would serve them so, this heresy would be rooted out.
And this man, whose name was Thomas Ambrose, did not stick to say,
that nothing would drive the Quakers away, but either fire or water;
and if the house was his, (meaning the house where they met together,)
he would burn it on their heads. More instances of such exorbitant
wickedness which happened at sundry places, I could mention, if I did
not study brevity.
George Fox being this year at London about the time of choosing new
sheriffs for the city, he wrote a few lines to those who, standing
candidates for that office, desired his friends to give their voices
for them. And he said in the conclusion, ‘Shall we be free to serve
and worship God, and keep his commands, if we give our voices for you?
For we are unwilling to give our voices for such as will imprison and
persecute us, and spoil our goods.’ The constables now at London were
sent sometimes with warrants to disturb the Quakers’ meetings; but
it was easily seen that they would rather have been freed from such
a commission: for coming there, they would bid George Fox or others
that preached, to give over speaking; but they and the soldiers who
sometimes came along with them, generally behaved themselves moderate,
sufficiently showing that they were not for persecution, and that
what they did was for the sake of their office. Sometimes indeed they
hindered the friends going into their meetings; but these then being
thus kept out, the number notwithstanding increased.
Once it happened that George Fox was stopped by the constables from
going into Devonshire-house meeting; and after having stood awhile in
the yard, till he was weary, one gave him a stool to sit on; after
awhile he stood up and preached, and in his declaration said, ‘Ye need
not come against us with swords and staves, for we are a peaceable
people, and have nothing in our hearts but good-will to the king and
magistrates, and to all people upon the earth. And we do not meet
under pretence of religion, to plot against the government, or to
raise insurrections; but to worship in spirit and in truth.’ When he
had spoken what was upon him at that time, he sat down, and after a
while concluded the meeting with prayer, at which the constables and
soldiers as well as others put off their hats; and when the meeting was
finished, a constable putting off his hat, seriously said, ‘The Lord
bless you;’ and all were suffered to pass away unmolested.
Thus this year came to an end. All other Protestant dissenters were
now suppressed; for they were restrained from exercising any public
worship; and some there were, who, in their nocturnal meetings, would
pray God, that it might please him to keep the Quakers steadfast, that
so they might be as a wall about them, in order that other dissenters
might not be rooted out. And yet these, to render the Quakers odious,
formerly had been very active in setting them forth in very ill
colours. But the said people continued now so valiant, and without
fainting, that some of their persecutors have been heard to say, that
the Quakers could not be overcome, and that the devil himself could not
extirpate them.
1683.
In the year 1683, persecution continued in many places; and by
computation it appeared that above seven hundred of those called
Quakers yet suffered imprisonment in England. I could mention several
instances of persecution in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and
elsewhere; but to avoid being prolix, I will only take a turn again to
Bristol, where persecution continued still; for if sometimes any of the
people called Quakers came to a meeting, they presently were committed
to prison; among these was one Richard Lindy, a blind man, of about
fourscore and ten years of age, who was carried to jail, and forced to
sit up three nights in a chair, though others offered to pay for his
lodging, if some convenient place to lie down on had been allowed him.
Some of the prisoners, being tradesmen, would willingly have worked
in prison, to earn something for their sustenance: but the jailer
Isaac Dennis, would not permit them that liberty. Other prisoners
fell sick of the spotted fever, and some died of it: yet all this did
not soften the said hard-hearted jailer. But at length a heavy stroke
fell from heaven upon him. About the middle of the month of October
he fell sick, and was seized with terrible anguish of mind. Then he
wished he had never seen the inside of the jail; and he desired some
of the Quakers to pray for him, and to forgive him for what he had
done. To which they answered, that they forgave him; but he should
ask forgiveness of God. But still his anguish increased; and when the
physicians ordered him to be let blood, he said, no physic would do him
good, his distemper being another thing: and that no man could do him
good, his day being over; and there was no hope of mercy from God for
him. Some of those called Quakers seeing him in this woful condition,
signified, that they desired, if it was the will of the Lord, he might
find a place of repentance. And it was told him, they hoped his day was
not over, because he had such a full sense of his condition. To which
he answered, ‘I thank you for your good hope; but I have no faith to
believe.’ And he further said, ‘Faith is the gift of God.’ Whatever was
spoken to him, he continued in saying, that his day was over, and there
was no mercy for him. Such a gnawing worm is the guilt of conscience;
and in this desperate state he continued above a month, and died the
last of November, without any visible signs of forgiveness; but the
judgment thereof we must commit to God.
Although the people called Quakers were oppressed by sufferings all
over the country, yet generally they continued valiant; and as George
Fox did not omit from time to time to encourage them by letters to
faithfulness and steadfastness, so several others of their teachers did
not neglect to exhort them to perseverance both by word and writing:
and what was indeed remarkable, those who travelled to and fro in
the country, and publicly preached in the meetings of their friends,
generally went free; and the informers were often disappointed of
catching a preacher. I find it left upon record by Charles Marshall,
who was none of the least, that though in the time when persecution was
most hot, he travelled through the nation, yet none laid hands on him,
or fined him for his preaching, which was the more remarkable, because
he being a very zealous man, was used to lift up his voice in a very
powerful manner.
William Dewsbury, who was now grown ancient in his imprisonment at
Warwick, had wrote an epistle of consolation to his suffering friends,
which was thought fit to be reprinted, and is as follows:
‘_Dear Brethren and Sisters_,
‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord, ‘Though you now
drink the cup of adversity, and eat the bread of affliction,
and are trampled upon, as though you were not worthy to live
upon the earth, yet notwithstanding all the fury of men, you are
resolved in the strength of my Spirit for ever to be deprived
of the sweet enjoyments of wife, husband, tender children,
parents, and outward possessions, liberty, and life, before you
deny the testimony of my name before the sons of men. Oh! you
dear and tender children, who love not your lives unto death
this day, that you may furnish a good testimony for the glory
of my name, saith the Lord God; lift up you heads in the light
of my covenant, and believe in my name, for I am near unto you,
saith the mighty God of safety; and let not any weight or burden
lie upon you: for I will be more than husband to wife, and more
than wife to husband, or parents to children, or children to
parents; yea, I will be a husband to the widow, and a father
to the children who are deprived of their tender parents for
my name’s sake: I will enlarge your borders in the life of my
righteousness: you that suffer in true innocency, will I refresh
with the depth of my mercies, yea, I will guard you with the
angel of my presence, and all that devise mischief against you
shall be confounded before the glory of my power, with which
I will keep and preserve you in the word of my patience, and
safety, in my presence,’ saith the Lord God.
‘Therefore, you dear children, who drink the deepest in
sufferings, think it not hard, for it is my purpose unto you all
that have not an eye to self, but alone seek my glory in all
you do; I will make you more and more honourable in the glory
of my life, and double my blessings upon you and yours; for I
have beheld your integrity, and my bowels are mightily moved
with compassion towards you; therefore am I risen for your sakes
this day, to declare unto you, my suffering people, that not an
hair of your head shall perish, neither shall you be detained
in prisons and desolate holes any longer than I have determined
shall be for your eternal good, and the glory of my name for
ever; therefore in my life stand faithful, in resistance of every
evil thought, or whatever would cause you to murmur, or desire
any thing but what you know will advance the glory of my name,
and the exaltation of my truth, over all that riseth up against
it, in your being truly subject to the measure of my light and
life, that will not let any seek a pre-eminence or esteem amongst
men; neither let self-striving nor self-serving have power in
any; but in true humility, love, and meekness watch one over
another; and let the strong take the weak by the hand, that
you may all gently, in love, meekness, and holy fear, dread my
name, and serve one another; that your love may be manifest unto
me, saith the Lord your God, and one unto another in the naked
simplicity of your spirits; then will I make my dwelling amongst
you, and with you; and my dreadful and glorious presence you
shall all feel mightily in you, and amongst you, moving in the
exercise of my Spirit, to the renown of my name, and the comfort
of one another; and I will crown you with heavenly blessings,
and the glory of my powerful life; and you shall praise my name
for ever, that I made you my jewels, and counted you worthy to
suffer for the testimony of my name. I will go before you through
all the waters and floods of afflictions; and I will appear with
you before all the councils of the sons of men; and my saving
power shall compass you about in your hot and sharp afflictions,
all you who have your confidence alone in me, the Lord your God.
Therefore, trust in my name, ye my dear children, and cast all
your care upon me; and if any of you joyfully suffer the spoiling
of your goods, I will supply with what is needful for you and
yours; and if any of you seal your testimony in the word of my
patience with your blood, I will take care of your tender wives
and children, or parents, for whom your souls have been poured
forth in prayers unto me for their good.
‘Therefore hear my word, which is sounded unto you from the
throne of my grace and eternal glory: rejoice not too much in
spirits being made subject, but throw down your crowns before
me, that there be not a self-seeking, self-serving spirit in
the family of my people, but all feel the birth immortal raised
up in the resurrection of my life in you all, which truly makes
self of no reputation, so that all loftiness be laid low, and
all haughtiness bowed down in every one, that I the Lord God in
you all may be loved, obeyed, and exalted; who is taking, and
will take to me my great power, to exalt the meek upon the earth,
and reign over all the pride of the children of men, (that is
exalted above my witness in their conscience,) that so my sons
may be brought from far, and my daughters from the ends of the
earth, in the sight of all people, whom I will make to confess,
in subjection to my power, that you are the beloved people of
the most high God, and of the righteous seed which the Lord hath
blessed; and not any weapon formed against you shall prosper,
but come to nought, which will be hastened to your comforts, and
certainly performed according to what is here declared, to your
eternal joy; and you shall assuredly know the mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it.
‘The word of the Lord, before
expressed, came to me in the
prison-house at Warwick, the 13th
day of the First-month, 1664,
which constrained me to send it
to be read amongst you, dear,
faithful, and suffering people of
the Almighty God, in whom I remain
your brother and companion in
tribulation and kingdom of patience
in the Lord Jesus Christ.