PRINCETON, N. J. *^ BX 7742 .W58 A3 1830 Tuke, Samuel, 1784-1857. Memoirs of George Whitehead a minister of the Gospel i Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2015 Iittps://arcliive.org/details/memoirsofgeorgew02tuke or GEORGE WHITEHEAD; H JIttiniaterof tl^e ffiospcl IN THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS : 9 BEING THE SUBSTANCE ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE,^" WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, And published after his decease, in the Year 1725, UNDER THE TITLE OF WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A SELECTION FROM HIS OTHER WORKS. ALSO INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. By SAMUEL TUKE. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. ** If ye had kuuwu what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless." YORK: PRINTED BT W. ALEXANDER AND SON, CASTLEGJTE : SOLD ALSO BY HARVEY AND DAP.TON, W. DARTON, AND E. FRY, LONDON ; R. PEART, BIRMINGH IM ; D. F. GARDINER, DVBLIK ; WETHERELD & CO. BCLPJST- ♦ 1830. CONTENTS OP Folume tf)c ^econtj SECTION XI. Occurrences 1666 to 1670. — George Whitehead, ia 1670, taken from a meeting in Grace-church street. — The mayor orders a priest to read prayers and preach in Friends' meeting-house. — Other meetings disturbed. — An order of court to prevent Friends meeting at Horslydown. — Proceedings thereupon. 5 SECTION XII. Persecution continued with little abatement till the king's declaration in 1672. — George Whitehead success- fully applies to the king for the liberation of about four hundred of his Friends. — He travels with the king's Letters Patent under the Great Seal, to obtain the dis- charge of his Friends in Essex, Suffolk, Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Hertfordshire. He con- sults Judge Hale on the release of Friends in the distant counties — Procures their release by means of the sheriffs coming to London. , 35 iv CONTENTS. SECTION XIII. The Parliament express to the king their dissatisfac- tion with his declaration. — Persecution renewed in 1673. — The case of Friends presented to the king in 1679. — George Whitehead and T. Burr imprisoned in Norwich in 1680, and proceedings of the quarter sessions. — Their manly and Christian defence on their trial. 62 SECTION XIV. George Whitehead and Thomas Burr re-conveyed to prison — released at the next quarter sessions. — Distinc- tion between the refusal of Friends to take the oath and that of the Papists. — Change in the sentiments of parlia- ment respecting the persecution of dissenting protestants. — Bills for the relief of dissenters. — Character of inform- ers. — Petition to the king. — A discourse with him. — G. Whitehead labours in the ministry and shares in the sufferings of his Friends. 104 SECTION XV. Sufferings of Friends confined in Norwich, and endea- vours for their release — Persecution very severe. — G. Whitehead suffers by severe distraints in 1683. — Suffer- ings of Friends in London, and George Whitehead im- prisoned in Newgate, 1684. 146 CONTENTS. SECTION XVI. Suffering state of the Society at the death of Charles II. — Representation of it by an interview with king James II. and address to him. — List of the sufferers — Second interview with the king, and full representation of the Quakers' case addressed to him and to the parliament. — The king grants a general warrant for the release of the prisoners. — Commission granted on George Whitehead's application to the king to inquire into the dishonest practices of the informers. — Their suppression. — One of them in distress applies to George Whitehead, and is relieved by him. 172 SECTION XVII. The state of Society in other parts of the nation. — Two meeting houses seized and used by the soldiers. — Appli- cation to king James respecting this and other cases of suffering. I97 SECTION XVIII. Proceedings in the reign of William and Mary — Respecting the act of toleration. — The case of Friends •suffering for contempts, &c. — The obtaining of an act for the admission of the solemn affirmation of Friends instead of an oath. 2iy vi CONTENTS. SECTION XIX.' Brief notice of George Whitehead's further ser- vices. 26S Appendix 273 A Christian Epistle to Friends in general 275 The people called Quakers truly represented, and vindicated from some mistakes in the Lower House of Convocation, &c. &c. 297 The Christian Doctrine and Society of the people called Quakers, &c. &c. 329 M E MO IRS &c. SECTION XL Occurrences 1666 to 1670. — George Whitehead, in 1670, taken from a meeting in Grace-church street. — The mayor orders a priest to read prayers and preach in Friends' meeting-house. — Other meetings disturbed.-^ An order of court to prevent Friends meeting at Horslydown. — Proceedings thereupon. Having in those particulars of the domestic history, given by the author, travelled beyond the period of the general narrative ; we return to the account which he gives of the sufferings of himself and his friends after the fire of London. George Whitehead has passed over the in- terval between 1666 and 1670, nearly without notice. His work is, however, so much of a history of the Society in those eventful times, that it may not be improper to supply a few particulars. The operation of the act for suppressing con- venticles, passed in the year 1664, expired in VOL. II. B 6 MEMOIRS OF 1667 ; and although the remaining laws under which the Quakers and other dissenters had previously suffered, were sufficient to keep up the practice of persecution, yet they were per- mitted, during the years 1667 and 1668, to hold their reliorious meetining of their kingdoms, dominions, and countries. 108 MEMOIRS OF Of authorizing foreign princes to invade and annoy them. Of absolving subjects from their allegiance and obedience. Of licensing any of tliem to bear arms, raise tumults, or offer violence or hurt to their lawful kings, princes, governments, or subjects. Of treasons, traiterous conspiracies, and hell- ish plots against king, government, parliament, or people. Of that damnable position, that princes that be excommunicated or deprived by the pope, may be deposed by their subjects or any other. All which destructive principles and abomin- able practices, together with that antichristian spirit from whence they proceed, we do in good conscience and in the sight and presence of God who knows our hearts, utterly abhor, pro- test, and testify against ; and therefore do neither refuse nor scruple the said oath in favour to these or any such principles. What is now w anting that we must be run to premunire, to lose our estates and liberties r Is a peaceable conversation wanting on our parts ? No. Is the duty of allegiance towards our king wanting ? No. Are we infected with popish, treacherous, treasonable, or destructive principles against our king, or his government or people ? No ; God knows the innocency of G. WHITEHEAD. 109 our hearts and intentions, and men know our peaceable conversations. What then is the matter, that we must be so severely dealt withal, to the uttermost rigour of the law, to be de- prived of all outward liberties, properties, estates, livelihoods, and all our outward com- forts in this world ? Are we guilty of any such essential oft'ence or capital crime, in our not coming under the circumstance of an oath, as may justly and naturally merit such severity? No, surely. The case is brought to a near point, and reduced to a very i arrow compass. An innocent, honest, quiet, and well meaning man, both towards the king, his government, and people ; he is truly principled in his duty ; he is real and honest in his heart towards his pro- testant prince ; he is a real protestant against the pope and all popish anticliristian positions and destructive practices ; he not only performs his duty of allegiance in his peaceable conversa- tion, but also declares it in the sight of God and men, and is willing to sign and subscribe such declaration of his duty of allegiance, if he may not otherwise be believed ; only he con- scientiously scruples to say, I swear, and to kiss the book, to make his declaration an oath ; for want only of which circumstance and cere- mony, this poor innocent man and sincere protestant must be run to a premunirc, his 110 MEMOIRS OF liberty lost, and the little estate or substance he has must be forfeited and all taken from him ; his poor wife and small children left desolate, wholly impoverished and Avant bread ; his wife must go mourning and wringing her hands, and shedding of tears night and day, for the hard measure she has met withal, and her children dolefully crying and mourning for want of bread ! Where is now either conscience, equity, reason, justice, or mercy? Were it not very inhuman thus to testroy innocent and harmless protestants, and thereby gratify the popish spirit and party, merely because such protes- tants are afraid of an oath ? they dare not swear. And how is the real intent and end of the law answered, by such severe and inhuman dealing with innocent protestants ; who never were impeached nor justly chargeable either with treasonable attempts, principles, or prac- tices ? They cannot be detected either in actual treason, or, in being infected with any treasonable principles by any of their teachers or others ; and therefore, no such persons or people as those laws of premunire were really intended against, though such can escape them. We can appeal to God, angels, and all just impartial men this is our case ; we are not the people v/hich, in point of equity or justice, the G. WHITEHEAD. Ill law could ever be intended against ; we are of no such destructive principles or practices, as either the nature of the oath points at and in- tends, or the statute of preniunire, 16 R. 2, c. 5, was provided against ; unto which statute both that of the third of king James, c. 4, and seventh of king James, c. 6, do refer, for the penalty of a premunire upon persons refusing to swear to the declaration of their allegiance. Let that of 16 R. 2, c. 5, be considered, as to the nature and intent thereof. George Whitehead thus continues his narra- tive. It was very observable, that before the dis- solution of that long parliament in king Charles the Second's reign, which made sundry acts against us, there was a great alteration in its dis- position, being much turned against persecuting dissenting protestants, especially by those laws made against popish recusants ; and there was certainly an overruling power and hand of the Lord God in that alteration and change of the spirit of that parliament, to compassion rather than persecution. He that standeth in the congregation of the miglity, and judgeth among the gods, did certainly judge and plead for the cause of the innocent sufferers under the great and long persecutions that had been upon them. 112 MEMOIRS OF And it was also remarkable, that some time before the said long parliament was dissolved, many of our old adversaries and rigid persecu- tors therein were removed by death, and new members of better spirits and tempers chosen in their stead ; insomuch that before that parlia- ment was ended, it was so changed that it appeared almost like a new house of commons. After which, the ensuing parliaments appeared more and more considerate, and inclined to moderation and charity towards dissenting pro- testants ; and such were we esteemed, being publicly manifest by our plain testimony against popery. For towards the conclusion of the aforesaid long parliament, which was so much altered for the better by new elections, &c. a grand committee of the whole house was ap- pointed, to enquire into the case of the Quakers suffering by those old laws made against popish recusants, in the reigns of queen Elizabeth and king James the first. Divers of us appeared before that committee, among Avhom were Wil- liam Mead, William Penn, * myself, with some * The attention of the parliament, was drawn to the considera- tion of the discrimination of Protestant dissenters in general from Papists, and William Penn presented petitions to both houses, praying that in the discriminating clause, the solema declaration of a Quaker might be taken instead of his oath. Two speeches of his before the committee on this occasion are G. WHITEHEAD. 113 others ; and two things were inquired of us, or which we were to inform the said committee of. 1. If we owned ourselves to be protestant dissenters ? 2. How we suffered by laws made against popish recusants ? preserved, in which he strongly denied the imputation of popery, and at the same time dared to speak his mind as to the error of persecuting any persons whatever for their conscientious belief. The following passages from his speeches may probably be agreeable to the reader. After speaking of the abuse which had been heaped upon himself particularly, as a papist, and even as an emissary from Rome and in pay from tlie pope, he says : " Nay, some zealots for the Protestant religion have been so far gone in this mistake, as not only to think ill of us and dechne our conversation, but to take courage to themselves to prosecute us for a sort of concealed Papists ; and the truth is, that what with one thing and what with another, we have been as the wool-sacks and common whipping stock of the kingdon. All laws have been let loose upon us, as if the design were not to reform but to destroy us ; and this not for what we are, but for what we are not. It is hard that we must thus bear the stripes of another interest, and be their proxy in punishment. But mark ! I would not be mis- taken ; 1 am far from thinking it fit, because 1 exclaim against the injustice of whipping Quakers for Papists, that Papists should be whipped for their consciences. No ; for though the hand pretended to be lifted up against them hath, I know not by what discretion, liglited heavily upon us ; and we complain ; yet we do not mean that any should take a fresh aim at them, or that they should come in our room ; for we must give the liberty we ask, and cannot be false to our principles, though it were to 114 MEMOIRS OF In both wliicli we fully satisfied the com- mittee, and our case was generally considered unjust as well as illegal : since we suffered as popish recusants, when we were manifest to be real protcstants, and the papists were indulged and went free ; though for our parts we envied not their liberty, although we deeply suffered in their stead. It was very remarkable, that while our per- secutors were persecuting us upon the Conyen- relieve ourselves ; for we have good wni to all men, and would have none suffer for a truly sober and conscientious dissent on any hand." Towards the conclusion he says: " I do here solemnly declare, In the presence of Almighty God, and before you all, that the profession I now make and the Society I now adhere to, have been so far from altering that protestant judgment I had, that I am not conscious to myself, of having receded from an iota of any one principle, maintained by those first protestants and reformers of Germany, and our own martyrs at home, against the see of Rome. On the contrary, I do with great truth assure you, that we are of the same negative faith with the ancient Protestant Church ; and upon occasion shall be ready, by God's assistance, to make it appear, that we are of the same belief as to the most fundamental articles of her creed too ; and therefore it is we think it hard, that though we deny, in common with her, those doctrines of Rome so strenuously protested against, whence the name Protestants, we should be so unhappy as to suflfer, and that with extreme severity, by those very laws on purpose made against the maintainers of those doctrines which we so deny." Clarksoti's Life of TV. Penn, vol. 1 , page 221 . Editor. G. WHITEHEAD. 115 tide Act, and statutes made against popish recusants, and unjustly aspersing our religious assemblies, as being seditious conventicles and very dangerous to plot and contrive insurrec- tions, &c. ; about that very time, discovery was made of the popish plot. This plot being strictly inquired into by the commons in parliament, great information was given about it ; and in the address of both houses of parliament to the king, complaint was made against the conspirators in these words, viz. " A popish party, who have not only plotted and intended the destruction of your majesty's royal person, but the total subversion of the government and true religion established among us," &c. From which it may be observed, that it was not in any of the Quakers' meetings, nor in the meetings of any other dissenting protestants, that this conspiracy or plot was found ; but among a popish party. How unjust was it therefore, so severely to persecute the people called Quakers, and violently to interrupt their religious meetings, under pretence of being seditious and dangerous to plot and contrive insurrections, to imprison their persons, to fine them, and often to spoil their goods ? And not only to treat them thus, but to prosecute them upon those laws made against popish recusants 116 MEMOIRS OF and not against innocent protestants ; even whilst, as it is said, " this restless party (mean- ing of papists) not content with the great liberty they had a long time enjoyed, to exercise their own religion privately among themselves, to partake of an equal freedom of their persons and estates with your majesty's protestant sub- jects, and of an advantage above them in being excused from chargeable offices and employ- ments," &c. So that it then appeared to the parliament, that the papists escaped the pen- alties of those old laws made against them, for their absence from their parish churches, much more than the people called Quakers could, who deeply suffered thereby. After the discovery of the said popish plot, and the impeachment, trial, and condemnation of William Lord Viscount Stafford, in Decem- ber, 1680, the parliament thought it very neces- sary to consider and provide some means to increase the interest of all protestants, and strengthen and unite them in interest and affec- tion, for the better security of the kingdom and government ; which had . been long weakened and greatly injured by persecution. Then the parliament bethought themselves of preparing and bringing in a bill for dissenting protestants. In the votes of the house of com- G. WHITEHEAD. 117 mons, the 16tli day of December, 1680, there is this, viz. "A bill for exempting his majesty's protestant subjects dissenting from the Church of England, from the penalties of certain laws, was read the first time." This bill was read a second time and it was "resolved, that the said bill be committed upon the debate of the house, to the committee to whom the bill for uniting his majesty's pro- testant subjects is committed upon the debate of the house." Divers Friends attended the committee some considerable time that winter, about the said bill, both early and late ; desiring that it might be made effectual for our just liberty and free- dom from persecution, and clear from all clauses and provisoes which might in any way be a snare to us, or contrary to our tender con- sciences; and to answer the end intended both by the title and preamble ; the title being, " A bill of ease to all protestant dissenters ;" and the preamble thus : " Forasmuch as some ease to tender consciences in the exercise of religion, may be an effectual means to unite his majesty's protestant subjects in interest and affection, which is highly necessary in this time of immi- nent danger from the common enemy the papists, be it enacted," &c. TOL. II. G 118 MEMOIRS OF Which bill contained divers clauses which are in the act of the first of king Will iam the Third, for exempting protestant dissenters from the Church of England, from the penalties of certain laws, that is, of those made against popish recusants and conventicles, whereby we the said people chiefly suffered ; and also in the said bill this special exemption Avas made in our favour, viz. "And whereas there are certain other persons, dissenters from the Church of England, which scruple taking any oath. "Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every such person shall make and subscribe the aforesaid declaration, and also this declara- tion of allegiance following," &c. The first being the declaration mentioned in a statute, made in the twentieth year of king Charles the Second, entitled, "An act to prevent papists from silting in either house of parlia- ment." The second being the declaration of allegi- ance, without taking the oath ; which divers Friends have formerly proffered, being willing to sign the declaration without swearing to it, or using any of the words which render it an oath, as I swear, this oath, &c. or the final imprecation of, " so help me God," which more fully makes it an oath, together with kissing the book. G. WHITEHEAD. 119 As we were to be exempted from these, we esteemed it a favour then intended us ; though it could not in that parliament and reign of king Charles the Second, be brought into an act ; yet there was some honest and good beginning, which afterward, in the reign of king William the Third, upon more mature deliberation was made more effectual. The chairman of that committee which sat upon the said bill was the lord Finch, since earl of Nottingham, who then appeared favour- able and friendly to us ; and for promoting the said bill into an act, if it could have been in that parliament ; and to some of us since that, he has positively declared his opinion to be for toleration, without which neither we nor their church are safe. In the said committee we met with some interruption, by two or three members who were favourers of the Presbyterians and Inde- pendents' societies ; they offering terms of the ease intended in the said bill, in behalf of their friends the Presbyterians and Independents, which we the people called Quakers could not assent to, namely, the taking the oaths of supre- macy and allegiance. And if they had gotten what they offered inserted in the bill or act, as terms of ease to dissenting protestants, we well knew we should have been excluded and still G 2 120 MEMOIRS OF exposed to persecution and sufferings. I was indeed burdened when they made such an otFer, because I was sensible it tended to the injury of many other conscientious protestant dissenters. Wherefore on the same occasion I quickly went both to colonel Birch and alderman Love, and cleared my conscience to them against what they had offered ; knowing it would be very uneasy to truly conscientious dissenters, to have the oath of supremacy imposed upon them ; and thereby to swear, that they utterly declare and testify in their conscience, that the king's highness is the only supreme governor of this realm, &c. as well in all spiritual or ecclesiasti- cal things, or cases, as temporal, &c. How to reconcile with this oath,their dissenting in spiri- tual or ecclesiastical matters from the Church of England, I knew not, neither did I find they could tell or demonstrate ; nor how they could promise, that to their power they would assist and defend all jurisdictions, privileges, pre-emi- nences, and authorities granted or belonging to the king, his heirs and successors, or united and annexed to the imperial crown of this realm. I did both seriously and tenderly clear my conscience in the matter to them ; for I wished well to the men. After all our endeavours to have the said bill of ease passed with safety into an act, and our attendance on that parliament, the king's dissolving the same prevented it. G. WHITEHEAD. 121 One circumstance I took particular notice of: one night when we were attending the said com- mittee, Sir Christopher Musgrave came and complained to the committee, against the severe usage of many of our Friends ; telling the com- mittee the prisons were filled with them, and how many for small matters were excommuni- cated and imprisoned ; and what a shame and scandal it was to their Church, to use the Qua- kers so hardly for such small matters, &c. ; or to the same efi'ect. I little expected he would have then ap- peared openly an advocate so far for our suf- fering Friends, being a person who professed much zeal for their Church ; yet he saw it was not for its honour, to be guilty of such severe persecution. Although that parliament did not pass the act intended for the ease of protestant dis- senters, yet before their dissolution they passed a vote against persecution. It was resolved in the house of commons : " That it is the opinion of this house, that the prosecution of protestant dissenters upon the penal laws, * is at this time grievous to the sub- * Although these laws were originally designed against the Papists, yet all persons who did not go to church and did not receive the sacrament once a year, were liable to their penalties. Editor. G 3 122 MEMOIRS OF ject, a weakening of the protestant interest, an encouragement to popery, and dangerous to the peace of the kingdom." Being sensible the Lord was pleased to open the eyes of the parliament, to see what a popish design it was, for a protestant church, so called, to persecute protestants ; we were the more concerned at that time to attend the parliament, and to encourage their endeavours against per- secution ; to frustrate the design of popery, which is persecution and violent coercion. The zeal then stirring in the government against the same, deserved to be countenanced, though it had not the desired effect. However just and good motions and endea- vours, may tor a time be overruled and frus- trated, they will in time revive and break forth again, and be made to take effect by a Divine overruling Power and Providence, as has in our days appeared. Thanks be to God, who has opened the eyes of the government on sundry occasions, especially in latter times, against popery and persecution, which are both one in nature and ground : for persecution for con- science is popery, whatever church, people, or profession are for it or abet it ; they are drunk and blind, and shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Another instance of the parliament's design G. WHITEHEAD. 123 to remove persecution, was the passing a bill in both houses, entitled, " An act for the repeal of a statute made in the 35th year of the reign of queen Elizabeth ;" and taking notice thereof in the ensuing parliament at Oxford, in the vote of 24 die martii, 1680-81, that it was not pre- sented to his majesty, as the rest of the bills were, for his royal assent. And also it was resolved, that the house would next day take into consideration, by what means the said bill miscarried. According to which order, in the next day's votes it is declared : " That the house took into consideration, the matter relating to the bill which passed both houses in the last parliament, entitled, an act for the repeal of a statute made in the 35th year of the reign of queen Elizabeth ; but was not tendered to his majesty for his royal assent. * How this bill came to miscarry we did not hear ; whether designedly mislaid or stolen, was questioned. It was pity it was not presented and passed, as both parliaments desired, viz. that in 1680 at Westminster, and that at Oxford * Burnet says: " On the day of the prorogation, the bill ought to have been offered to the king ; but the clerk of the crown, by the king's particular order, withdrew tlie bill. The king had no miad openly to deny it, but he had less mind to pass it." Editor. G 4 124 MEMOIRS OF 1681. For if the said statute of the S5th of queen Elizabeth had been utterly repealed, it had given a blow to the design of persecution and popery, which is greatly strengthened thereby ; it being a president and plea for the popish church to use their most severe persecu- tion against protestants, even unto death, for their religion and dissent from the Church of Rome. The said statute of the 35th of queen Elizabeth being a sanguinary law, to force dis- senters to abjure the realm upon pain of death ; and in her days several were put to death. And there appears as much reason that that severe and sanguinary law should be disannulled and abrogated, as there was for the utter abo- lishment of the writ, de hceretico comburendo, and all proceedings thereupon, with all punish- ment by death in pursuance of any ecclesiastical censures ; which were so abolished by the sta- tute of the 29th Car. 2. ch. 9. For as the popish hierarchy and governments unjustly turned the execution of the said writ against the protestant martyrs, so they were as likely to turn the said statute of queen Eliza- beth 35, against the protestant dissenters ; and there was the same reason for the repealing of one as the other. However, it was a mercy of God to the nation, to raise up a contrary spirit to that of G. WHITEHEAD. 125 persecution in the parliament in those days. And yet that furious spirit remained among many of the clergy, and the irreligious follow- ers and members of their church, who were still watching for opportunities to renew persecu- tion against honest innocent people, especially against us, and to enforce a conformity in church and worship with them, contrary to our consciences ; we being under a Divine obliga- tion to worship God in spirit and truth, and not in human traditions, after the command- ments, doctrines, or precepts of men. It is true we had some times of respite and ease from severe persecutions in those days, upon the king's said declaration for liberty to tender consciences ; yet those times were but short, iji comparison of the long continuance of those renewed persecutions which we suffered in those days. Informers, like beasts of prey, were lurking, creeping, and sculking about in many or most parts of the nation, where our Friends had meetings for the worship of God ; being en- couraged by those of the clergy and persecuting magistrates, who esteemed them useful servants of their church * to enforce conformity, though • William Crouch and I, anno 1683, having some discourse with Dr. Saiicroft, Archbishop of Canterbury, at his palace at G 5 126 MEMOIRS OF without conviction of conscience. Several of the priests also turning informers and assisting to disturb our religious meetings in divers places ; all which ministered encouragement to such vile persons, in their unchristian and destructive work against innocent families and people. Some of the priests even pleaded for and preached up coercion in matters of religion, from those texts, Ezra vii. 26, and Rom. xiii. 1, 2 ; though miserably perverted when applied to uphold persecution for matters of conscience, comparing both texts with the decree of Artax- erxes king of Persia, and the great encourage- ment and liberty of conscience which he granted, and gave to Ezra and Israel, with respect to the worship and service of their God according to their religion ; as fully appears in the same chapter. If an emperor, king, or chief ruler be a papist Lambeth, about (he great sufferings of our Friends by informers, and I telling him what wicked persons they were, and that many of them had forsworn themselves, and deserved to be indicted for perjury ; and what a dishonour it was to their Church, to employ such agents to force people to a conformity by persecu- tion and spoil, &c. to excuse them his answer was : " There must be some crooked timber u^ed in building a ship," or "A ship cannot be ^)uilt without some crooked timber in it." Was not this a learned and apt comparison, to show what sort of timber must needs help to build and support their Church I G. WHITEHEAD. 127 or an idolater, and would force me to be of his religion, or conform to his way and manner of worship, upon some great penalties or pains, even of death itself ; I must not therefore comply with him or be subject to his will therein, if I be a true Christian, but stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath set me free ; or otherwise I should fall under miserable bondage, and lose my inward peace with God. And then what good would all the world do me ? I would rather make Moses's choice, to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short season ; and at last end in tribulation and anguish of soul. It was observable, that when the informers were let loose and countenanced by authority against us, they generally sought more after our estates than the confinement of our persons, because imprisonment would not be their gain ; although many of our Friends remained in prisons, as appears by the following petition. To THE King. The humble petition of above a thousand prisoners, commonly called Quakers, Showeth : That our renewed hardships, our continued and in- creasing imprisonments, do occasion this our humble complaint and request ; of which we intrcat the king's G 6 128 MEMOIRS OF favourable acceptance and tender resentments. We do solemnly declare, that we know no other cause for our strait confinements and hard usage, then what concerns our tender consciences, in serving and worshiping Al- mighty God that made us ; being well known to be per- sons of quiet conversation and peaceable behaviour, and clear in the sight of God of all seditious contrivances, plots, and conspiracies, and are not evilly affected tow- ards the king's person or government. Ilowbeit, several gaols are filled, without regard to sex, age, or condition, not only to the impairing our healths, but endangering many of our lives ; many having already died prisoners, the greatest part of late committed for our peaceable religious meetings ; many of us under fines for that account, and upon the act of 13 and 14 Car. 2. c. 1, ex- tending also to banishment. In some gaols, many of us crowded in nasty holes and mixed among felons ; many under sentence of premunire, not for refusing fidelity or allegiance to the king, but only not swearing the same for conscience' sake ; many under sentence of excommu- nication, committed on writs of excom. cap. &c. for non- conformity, &c. and have undergone long and tedious imprisonments. By which confinements and hardships, many innocent and industrious families are left destitute and in distress ; many honest tradesmen, husbandmen, and farmers, greatly discouraged and spoiled in their trades and livelihoods; and many poor families depend- ing on them for employment, now for lack thereof ex- posed to great penury and want. Besides the violence and woful spoil made upon many, both in city and coun- try, by informers, persecutions, &c. ; and for twenty pounds a month, and two-thirds of estates seized into the king's hands, &c. ; which will unavoidably force many to shut up shops and leave off their trades and farms, &c. (as some have done already) if not timely relieved. Wc therefore, who are concerned in the sufferings G. WHITEHEAD. 129 aforesaid, do in all Christian humility request, lhal the king in his princely compassion, will please to take our distressed case into his tender consideration, and afford us relief from these hardships and imprisonments, as he hath formerly done for many of our suffering Friends, which we do thankfully acknowledge; we being sincerely desirous, by the grace of God, to live peaceably and inoffensively under the king and his government. Wherefore, according as our conversations are found concurring with this our solemn profession, we humbly crave liberty, that we may provide for our distressed families, and be capable of rendering to Csesar those things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's ; according to our Christian principle and persuasion. We did not only in this manner labour to influence the king with a sense of tlie general case of our Friends' sufferings, but also were very free and desirous to give him particular and plain instances thereof ; in which concern I was many times very free to appear before the king himself ; especially when desired to assist such Friends as were concerned for the sufferers, when they have come to London to apply to him in their behalf ; and also when we have had certain accounts of great oppressions sent from several parts of the nation, I have been stirred in spirit and desirous to acquaint the king therewith ; that he might be inex- cusable, and not plead ignorance of the miseries of those his innocent subjects. 130 MEMOIRS OF In my appearing before the king and council, as by the following account, our Friends Law- rence Steel and Charles Jones, jun. of Bristol, were with me ; being come to London on pur- pose to seek relief or some ease for our Friends, who were then closely confined and crowded in prison in that city.* Being willing to assist them what I could in solicitation, as I was deeply and compassionately affected toward our said Friends, I acquainted some of the lords of the privy council, as prince Rupert, the lord president, and lord chancellor with the case ; and desired we might be heard * In this time of persecution (1682) Bristol was almost pre- eminent in suffering. The meetings of Friends were disturbed in the most brutal manner ; and by the proceedings against them many families were ruined. So many also were committed to prison, that at length there was no more room in the gaols. About fifty persons were crowded into one room, which was so nasty that one of the aldermen said : " If he had a dog which he loved, he would not put him there," Four physicians of Bristol signed a certificate, declaring that the closeness of the prisoners' confinement and their want of room for rest, was in danger of inducing infectious distempers. The sheriff, however, who was the main actor in the persecution, disregarded all re- presentations ; and there appears to have been but little com- misseration excited in the public mind, in behalf of the poor Quakers, So desperately wicked was the gaoler, 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. — See Sewel. Editor. G. WHITEHEAD. 131 before the king and council the following council day, which was granted us. Prince Rupert and the lord president appeared most compassionate and tender toward our Friends, when they understood the extremity of their sufierings ; and the lord chancellor moderate. The substance of passages discoursed before the king and council, relating to the extreme sufferings of the people called Quakers, in the city of Bristol. George Wliitehead, Lawrence Steel, and Charles Jones, jun. being called in before the king and council, the 17th of the 12th month, 1081—2. Some question arising about taking off their hats, the clerk of the council, Sir Thomas Doleman, came to the door to take them off, but was forbidden, it was said by the king ; so they were concluded to come in before the king and council with their hats on ; which they did accordingly. Some present said : " Go up to the king being at the head of the board. George Whitehead then went nearer the king. George Whitehead's introductory request. " That our complaint and suffering case may be heard and considered abstractedly from those religious circurastances we are under, which 132 MEMOIRS OF may seem disgustful to you, that we may have justice done us. "These persons, Lawrence Steel and Charles Jones, jun. are come from Bristol, on purpose to seek relief of the king from the hard usage our Friends suft'er under in that city, beyond the severity of tlie law, as we conceive. " They are able to speak to matters of fact, from their own knowledge, how our Friends are used ; we intreat the king that they may be heard ; and for matter of law, Ave shall leave that for you to judge of." One in council. " What reason haA'e Ave to belicAe their Avords against other men's oaths, who are sworn for the king ?" George Whitehead. " We intreat that they may be heard, to give their accounts on those particulars complained of in our petition, Avhich is delivered in before you and I suppose read ; and then we shall refer the credit of the matters complained of to your consciences, that accord- ingly we may have justice done us." King. " Your petition is not noAV read ; would you have it read ? It has been read before." Lawrence Steel. " This contains further matter than Avhat has j et been read before you. Ijord Chancellor. " Of Avhat do you com- plain ?" G. WHITEHEAD. 133 Lawrence Steel. " We complain of the havoc and spoil made upon the freehold and tenement, and breaking open closets, boxes, &c." Lord Chancellor. " What, you mean of the meeting room ?" Lawrence Steel. " Nay, the tenement ad- joining to the meeting room ; we complain of the rude multitudes halinfi: and tearing women's clothes, and offering shameful incivilities to them ; also their pulling an innocent man's coat off his back, and taking money out of his pocket," &c. [Of this, though he had more to speak, they seemed not willing to hear it.] Lord Chancellor. " Of whom do you com- plain P" Lawrence Steel. " We are loath to recrimi- nate persons by name-" Lord Chancellor. " But you must tell us who. Is it the mayor ?" &c. George Whitehead. " Let them have some of their names." Lawrence Steel. " John Helliar and sheriff Knight, with a rude multitude." George Whitehead. " It appears that the sheriff and John Helliar, and other officers, have been most busy, and have encouraged the rude multitude in their abusive and riotous proceedings, and forced many to gaol directly from their meeting, at their will and pleasure, 134 MEMOIRS OF without any examination before a justice, or ■warrant of commitment ; and then have so crowded and filled the gaol, that the prisoners have not room to take their natural rest ; but some are forced to sit up in the nights." Lord Chancellor. " What would you have the king do ? Would you have him relieve you from the law ?" George Whitehead. " No ; we desire the king may relieve us from such irregular pro- ceedings, as we conceive the law does not war- rant." Lord Chancellor. " Why then do you not take course at law, and relieve yourselves by law ?" George Whitehead. " The prisoners and suft'erers in Bristol, are disabled from relieving themselves by course of law." Lord Chancellor. " How are they disabled ? What reason can you give that they are so dis- abled ?" George Whitehead. " 'Several reasons, as, " First, they are prosecuted on the Conventicle Act, made the 22nd year of the king ; and all the relief allowed us by law, is by way of appeal : and it admits of appeal to no higher court, than the court of sessions belonging to the same county, which is the county of Bristol, where there is no probability of relief upon G. WHITEHEAD. 135 appeal ; because there they must appeal to their adversaries, as some there in authority are ; ^nd John Knight, sheriff, is an extreme adversary, and has been violent against them ; and he has return of the juries according to his own pur- pose. " King. " Can you not procure a London jury then ?" &c. * George Whitehead. " Besides, if they make tlieir appeal, they are liable to have the oath of allegiance put to them, to prevent prosecuting their appeal ; for such kind of precipitant course hath been used figainst us." One in council. " He counts the tender of the oath of allegiance a precipitancy," &c. George Whitehead. " No, it is the manner of requiring it, I mean ; when it is done with design to anticipate the appellant and prevent the trial of his appeal. Secondly, the riots and abuses that are committed upon our Friends at their meetings, by tearing women's scarfs, beating, throwing persons down, &c. which are done by a rude company that are encouraged by the constables and officers who should keep the peace : so that there is none that will arrest or apprehend the • Supposed to be meant of the jury that acquitted the earl of Shaftsbury, and some others, upon trial in London. 136 MEMOIRS OF rioters, that we know of, because the officers take their parts and animate them ; and the rioters and abusive persons can readily escape in the crowd. " The third reason ." King. " And thirdly ; let us hear the third reason." George Whitehead. " The third reason of their being disabled is, for those of our Friends that are committed to gaol ; though we conceive their commitment irregular, yet if they should enter actions of false imprisonment against those that committed them, they may be destroyed in their strait and close confinement before they can have relief by a course of law that way ; they being so severely kept under hatches by their adversaries, if they should enter actions of false imprisonment against them, that might be an occasion to them to revenge themselves the more severely on the prisoners in the mean while." One in council. " Seeing the conventicle act admits of no appeal to any higher court than to the same court of sessions for that county, why do you appeal or make your complaint here ? what would you have the king do for you ?" George Whitehead. " We desire the king, and you of his council, tenderly to consider our suffering case, and how far the king may relieve G. WHITEHEAD. 137 US from those irregular proceedings that shall appear contrary to law." Lord Chancellor. " You would have the king to relieve you from the law, to interpose between you and the law; which he cannot do." George Whitehead. " No, under favour, lord chancellor, that inference follows not from what is proposed on our parts ; we desire that the king would be pleased to interpose between us and the destruction that attends us, through the irregular and extreme proceedings of those persons, who (whilst they pretend to put the king's laws in execution, and in pursuance of an order from him) exceed all the severity and bounds of the law : our present complaint there- fore lies, not against the law or execution there- of simply ; but against the mal-administration, the hard usage, and exorbitant proceedings we meet with, contrary to all law and justice as we conceive." Lord Chancellor. " Well, we have heard you ; you may withdraw." George Whitehead. " May it please the king yet to hear me a little farther, that the king and you his ministers may understand how probable the truth of our complaint is against those irre- gular and erroneous proceedings in Bristol, and how incident the justices there are to commit error in their proceedings against our Friends 138 MEMOIRS OF who suffer there ; please to take one instance, viz. "The most of their warrants of commitment, or mittimusses whereby our Friends are com- mitted to gaol, and whereof we have here copies, are defective and wanting in two mate- rial points, as, " First, the justices do not therein signify their lawful authority, as being the king's jus- tices of the peace before whom the prisoners were brought. And, " Secondly, their command to the keeper of the gaol for safe custody of the prisoners, is not given in the king's majesty's name, but in their own private names ; except that there is one named major, and one William Bristol ; the rest are only in their private or personal names : no mention made in their mandamus to the keeper, that these are in his majesty's name to will and require you, &c. but only they commit them in their own private names. This we conceive is irregular and unwarrantable in law ; and this I give only as one instance, to evince the proba- bility of the truth of our complaint, and that those justices are subject to err in their pro- ceedings in omitting such material points." Lord Chancellor. " Those defects are ex- ceptions pleadable, and they may be heard if they remove themselves by habeas corpus." G. WHITEHEAD. 139 L. P. S. " That exception of jours will not serve your turn." Lord Chancellor. " You may withdraw, &c." > George Whitehead. " May it please the king and you his ministers to observe this one thing, namely, that those officers and rude persons in Bristol, who have done so much violence and spoil to our Friends, pretend power and autho- rity from the king for such their proceedings ; and under pretext of an order from the king to put the laws in execution, they take liberty to commit all their disorders and abuses against our Friends, because of their innocent meetings. " Which being seriously considered, I hope the king will see cause to do himself justice, and likewise you his ministers will be concerned to do yourselves as well as us justice, by putting some stop to these their destructive proceedings, the violence and spoil they make under such pretence of the king's order and authority ; pray let it be duly considered, whether or no thereby they do not reflect upon the king, and dishonour him before his people, whilst they render him the patron or mover of these their riotous and oppressive proceedings against the king's peaceable subjects ; and whether or no they do not reflect upon you his ministers, tending to render you suspicious in (he eyes of the people ? I hope, on serious and tender 140 MEMOIRS OF consideration of these things, you will see cause to do yourselves and us justice. " You have had experience of us, and of our peaceable deportment towards the king and government for above these twenty years ; it is very hard we should now be thus severely used at this time a day ! " We have here a more large and particular state of our suffering case, which we desire you to receive and take notice of." Which case at large, being very fairly written in several sheets of paper, on the one side of each sheet ; George Whitehead delivered to the council board, in the king's presence ; where it was received and laid down on the board, before the lord privy seal and lord chancellor, &c. At last George Whitehead thus concluded, viz. " I pray God preserve the king, and direct you his ministers, to do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with God." I do confess I was under a very weighty concern of spirit, to use ray earnest endeavours in solicitation, in this heavy suifering case of our Bristol Friends, who then were sorely op- pressed and abused ; for it was a time of very hot, resolved persecution against them. And upon a thorough inspection into their case, and viewing the copies of the warrants of G. WHITEHEAD. 141 commitment against the prisoners, together with the accounts of the riotous, shameful, and abu- sive work made against our Friends at their meetings in that city ; I clearly perceived both how invidious, inconsiderate, and ignorant of law and justice the magistrates of that city were, who were then most busy against our Friends and most ready to grant warrants against them, either to imprison their persons or seize their goods, thereby to gratify mercenary informers and the worst of persecutors ; to the great dis- honour and reproach of that city, which for- merly had been esteemed a place having more of profession and religion in it than many others. The king appearing affected with the inno- cency and boldness of my pleading the sufferers' case, alloAved me the more liberty to plead it against the persecutors ; and not only so, but he suffered us (Lawrence Steel, Charles Jones, and myself) to stand, and me to plead before him and his council, with oxxr hats on our heads all the time, which was about three quarters of an hour. And indeed the king liad the more reason to suffer us in that posture, seeing he would not permit our hats to be taken off by the clerk of the council, when we were called in before him, as we understood ; being minded to give himself some pleasant diversion, by VOL. II. H 142 MEMOIRS OF trying us in our plainness and simplicity, agreeable to our profession and self-denying testimony. In the years 1682 and 1683, George White- head appears to have been four times convicted under tbe Conventicle Act. In one of these cases, of which he has left a particular account, on being brouglit before the lord mayor for having preache: Friends in Norwich." Howbeit, after so great endeavours and long solicitation, our said suffering Friends were continued prisoners until the next assizes that summer, and then were released ; pursuant to the king's promise and instruction, as it was concluded ; to the great comfort and relief of them and their afflicted families. Although, with God's assistance, we prevailed with the king for relief in certain extreme cases of suffering, through great labour and solicita- tion, wherein I was much concerned, in great compassion toward our sorely oppressed Friends ; yet hitherto there remained great oppressions and sufferings throughout most counties and cities in England, by divers kinds G. WHITEHEAD. 161 and sorts of severe prosecutions ; insomuch that several of us, namely, Georo;e Fox, Gilbert Latey, Alexander Parker, Francis Camfield, and myself, were weinjhtily concerned to have a general state of our suffering Friends' case drawn up, by way of address or application, to be presented to the king ; in order to make him the more sensible of the great oppressions we still were exposed to. And accordingly, I did then take particular care, to have such an application effectually drawn to Friends' satis- faction. First, the intent whereof was, to clear our innocency from a plot, that was reported to have been against the king and the duke of York. Secondly, to make the king sensible of our great and long continued, as well as extreme sufferings, for our religious tender consciences towards Almighty God. Thirdly, earnestly to move the king for our relief. This address to the king was headed : " The humble address of the people commonly called Quakers." After denying any connexion with the plots which had been unjustly attributed to them, they declared their sense of the duty of obe- 162 MEMOIRS OF dience io magistrates, in all things not contrary to conscience ; and that, when for conscience' sake they could not obey, their principle and practice "was to sufTer patiently, and not to rebel or seek revenge. It concluded with the following appeal to the justice and humanity of the king. " Our prayers and supplications are to the Almighty, for thy future safety and peace ; and that in a thankful remembrance of God's great mercies towards thee, thou mayst be thereby obliged to show mercy, and to relieve the op- pressed from these unmerited afflictions and persecutions, which a great number of us thy peaceable subjects do even at this day suffer under, in our persons and estates ; not only by laws made against, but also by laws never in- tended against us. And which is more extreme, divers severities of late have been and still are inflicted ; for which no colour or pretence of law hath been or can be alleged ; several gaols being so filled as that they want air, and many innocent persons are held under extreme dis- tress, without regard to age, sex, or condition ; to the loss of some lives already, and apparent hazard of many more ; if not to the endangering infection in divers cities and places in this nation. And many houses, shops, barns, and fields are ransacked, and swept of goods, corn. G. WHITEHEAD. 163 and cattle; tending also to the great discourage- ment of trade and liusbaiulry, and to the im- povcrisiiing of a great number of quiet and industrious people ; and that for no other cause but for their religious worship, and the exercise of their tender consciences towards Almighty God that made them, who is the sovereign Lord of all, and king in men's consciences. " Therefore we humbly intreat thee, O king, in princely justice. Christian charity and com- passion, to open our prison doors and take off our bonds ; relieve the innocent and oppressed in thy land, that fear God and in conversation truly honour the king ; and suffer not the ruin of such as are quiet in the land, nor the widow and the fatherless, for their peaceable con- sciences, to lie at the door of a prince profess- ing the tender and compassionate religion of Christ." This address was presented to king Charles the Second, at Windsor castle, the 8th day of the 6th month, called August, 1683, by George Whitehead, Alexander Parker, Gilbert Latey, and Francis Camfield, and read distinctly to the king and the duke, in the presence of many more of the nobility, &c. by me. After I had read it, our ancient Friend Francis Camfield, declared a few words very weightily ; reminding him of the mercy of the Great God 164 MEMOIRS OF to him, botli in liis great deliverances, preser- vation, and restoration ; desiring iliat as the Almighty had shown mercy and compassion to him, in his afflictions and straits, he would show or extend mercy and compassion to his afflicted people ; and withal prayed for the king, accord- ing to our supplications hinted in the foregoing application : to which he said : " I thank you." The king at that time appeared seriously af- fected with our complaint ; and soon after we were told by a great person, that he said to a duke that stood by : " What shall we do for this people ? the prisons are filled with them." And that the duke, to divert him from his con- cern therein, drew him into other discourse. I have been bowed in spirit under a great weight and concern, with earnest breathing and secret supplication to the Lord to assist me, so often as I have had occasion personally to appear before the king, to make application to him on behalf of my suffering Friends and brethren ; and my exercise was the greater, when it was difficult to obtain access or to meet with him ; which I have divers times very ear- nestly laboured for, and also to be admitted to appear before him and his council, to plead their cause. And the Lord our God has made way for me therein, and by his power assisted me, in freely and boldly pleading the cause of G. WHITEHEAD. 165 the innocent for truth and justice, without being any ways timorous or daunted by the face of king, princes, or nobles ; and in these services, when the Lord has helped me through them, I have felt great peace and comfort, and his Presence was with me, enabling me to speak pertinently, and influencing them to hear at- tentively : praised be the Lord my God ! But though a little relief was obtained, in particular instances, by these applications to the king ; he was too much addicted to pleasure to act firmly or constantly, in regard to what he professed to wish ; and his profession of tolerant principles being attributed to a desire to screen popery, his apparent disposition to the toleration of dissenters, excited a hostile feeling on the part of many persons, and pro- bably retarded the course of public opinion in favour of religious liberty ; nor was this feeling likely to be diminished by the apprehension, that the king was anxious to extend the prero- gative of the crown, and that he had actually done so by the suspension of the laws which particularly affected the Quakers. Whatever might be the cause, certain it is, that the suffer- ings of Friends had never been more extensive, nor perhaps more severe, than in the two last VOL. II, I 166 MEMOIRS OF years of the life of this thoughtless and volup- tuous monarch. George Whitehead gives the following des- cription of the state of the Society at that time. Being shut out of our meeting-houses for divers years, in and about the cities of London and Westminster, and our meetings kept in the streets in all sorts of weather, winter and sum- mer, was a trial and hardship upon us. But that trial was not so great, as to have our estates and livelihoods exposed to ruin by ravenous informers ; although it was no small hardship to our persons, to be kept out of doors in the streets, in the great severe and long frost and snow, in the year 1683, for about three months together, when the river Thames was so frozen up, that horses, coaches, and carts, could pass to and fro upon it, and a street also be erected and stand over it. And yet in all that hard season, when we were so long kept out in the streets in the bitter cold air, I do not remember that I got any harm or injury thereby, although I frequently attended those our meetings in the streets ; Avherein I took great and serious notice of the merciful Providence of Almighty God, towards myself and many more of our Friends, who were sharers in the same mercy and preservation in G. WHITEHEAD. 16T that suffering and exercise ; no thanks to our unmerciful persecutors : but to our Heavenly Father be the glory and praise for ever ! We had in those days some opportunities to publish the Truth openly in the streets, and also to make public supplication to God ; but more frequently were not permitted, but pulled away by force, and either sent to prison or turned into the meetingrhouse, and there detained under guard until the meeting was ended in the street. Thus were the ministers and others among us often forcibly interrupted, and scarcely suffered, many times, to declare two or three sentences, without being haled away ; however, we saw it our duty, in the fear of the Living God, to keep our meetings, and patiently to wait upon Him ; wherein we often enjoyed his Presence to our consolation, even in our silent waiting upon Him : being not called to strive or contest with our adversaries, or their servants whom they employed, but in faith and patience to bear all ; believing that in due time thereby we should obtain victory. It was often then before me, that the Lamb and his faithful fol- lowers should have the victory, which was matter of secret comfort to me many times : glory to his Name for ever ! In those days I clearly saw, that the testimony required of us to bear, was not so much iu I 2 168 MEMOIRS OF words, declaration, or ministry, as to stand our ground in faith and patience, and to travail in spirit, with secret breathing and earnest suppli- cation unto God to plead our cause ; it being his own cause for which we suffered : and there- fore we patiently committed it to Him that judgeth righteously. In the year before the king's decease, I and divers other Friends were still desirous he should be made sensible what great sufferings were still continued upon our Friends, both by imprisannient and spoil ; and our Friend Wil- liam Mead and others of vis, being concerned the king should be at least acquainted and moved thereupon, the same was done ; and by the king's authority, direction given to the sheriffs of the counties respectively, throughout i England, to return the names and causes of our Friends then prisoners ; an account whereof was given to the king, by way of petition and information : a general memorandum whereof follows. The 15th of the 11th month, 1G83, George Whitehead and A. Parker attended the king, to present the general suffering of our Friends, both in prison and out of prison, by way of petition. In tlie afternoon we met with the king in the long gallery, and presented the petition ; which he received, and George G. WHITEHEAD. 169 Whitehead spake a few words to him on this wise : " We iritreat the king to excuse our impor- tunity, for our extremity is the cause ; we pray the king tenderly to consider our suffering condition and afford us relief, accounts being returned from the sheriffs of our Friends in prison," &c. To which he answered : " Well, well, well." And perceiving the king then in some haste, George Whitehead told him : " If he pleased, we would acquaint the Lord Sunderland (being secretary of state) more fully with our case, that he might inform the king thereof," &c. To which the king answered : " Do, do." But alas ! the king's time was but short ; he was then near his end, and did not live to re- lieve us, either by opening the prison doors or removing the great oppressions and severe per- secutions we then suffered, and which he left us under ; his opportunity being slipped and day over and gone. I think I was the last Friend that spake to the king, to move him for relief from our suf- ferings but a few weeks before his end. He left about fifteen hundred of our Friends, both men and women, prisoners ; besides their being then eagerly followed and persecuted by wicked informers ; and many hundreds under heavy I 3 Jr. 1 170 MEMOIRS OF oppression and sufferings, for twenty pounds per mensem, and two-thirds of their estates seized, and great spoil made upon them in many counties and parts of the nation. We were still kept out of our meeting-houses in the streets, both in and about London and divers other places ; which persecutions and sufferings were continued upon us for some time after king James the Second came to the throne, and until he was prevailed upon to afford us some relief and liberty. All which we have cause to ascribe principally to the over-ruling Power and Provi- dence of Almighty God ; in whose hands the hearts of kings and princes are : and He can turn them like waters. To Him be the domi- nion and praise of all for ever I In the year 1684, George Whitehead being taken at a meeting in White Hart Court, in the act of prayer, was for a short time confined in the prison of Newgate, under an indictment for being engaged " in an unlawful assembly, n'o- touslj/ and with force of arms /" The recorder evinced his usual severity ; but George White- head observes, that some of the magistrates of the city of London were men of more modera- tion than the recorder ; and the sheriff. Sir Samuel Dashwood, soon sent an order to the keepers of Newgate, to discharge him from his G. WHITEHEAD. ITl imprisonment ; which was thus of only about sixteen days' continuance. He thus expresses himself, on reviewing the sufferings to which he had been exposed in the few previous years. " I humbly thank the Lord, my Heavenly Father, and praise his worthy Name, in remem- brance how He enabled me to be resigned to his will, in suffering both in person and estate ; and how well my dear wife was given up to suffer with me, for the blessed Truth's sake, in those days. But the Lord our God 'supported and comforted us under those trials ; as we were with one accord resigned to his will, to bear faithful testimony for his Holy Name and ever- living Truth, which He had made us partakers and witnesses of. Blessed be His glorious Name for evermore !" I 4 SECTION XVI, Suffering state of the Society at the death of Charles II, — Representation of it by an interview with king James II, and address to him. — List of the sufferers — Second interview with the king, and full representation of the Quakers' case addressed to him and to the parliament — The king grants a general warrant for the release of the prisoners. — Commission granted on George "Whitehead's application to the king to inquire into the dishonest practices of the informers — Their suppression — One of them in distress applies to George "Whitehead, and is relieved by him. The period of the death of Charles the Second, appears to have been the extreme point of suffering to the Society of Friends. Not- withstanding his character for good nature, and the frequent expression of his intention to re- lieve them, they were persecuted to a great extent, under the laws made against Papists in the reign of Elizabeth ; whilst the immediate objects of those statutes were, under the king's favour, enjoying comparative liberty. Probably the worshipers of uniformity would not have been satisfied without some victims for their idol ; and it was no doubt more agreeable to the king G. WHITEHEAD. 173 to sacrifice the poor nonconforming protestants, than to allow the insane fury of the people to fall upon his immediate friends. The prisons of England were crowded with honest and industrious people, whose only crime was a tender conscience, and against whom it might truly be said, that no occasion was Jbund, except concerning the laio of their God. No less than fourteen hundred and SIXTY of the people called Quakers were at this time in the prisons of England and Wales, in many places crowded together without respect to age, sex, or circumstance, in cold and filthy holes and dungeons, where many had died, and faithfully earned the crown of martyrdom. Not a few of these were fathers and mothers of families, which were thus left destitute of their natural guardians and protectors : indeed it is difficult to say whether the suffering within the walls of the prisons, intense as it was, was not exceeded by that endured by the numerous relatives and friends of the prisoners. The cruel separations of hus- bands from wives, and fathers and mothers from their children, were generally preceded or accompanied by robbery and spoil, and not unfrequently the entire ruin of the family as regarded their means of outward support. The true order of government was directly inverted, I 5 174 MEMOIRS OF governors being a terror to those who did well rather than to those who did ill. Apologizing to the reader for these intro- ductory observations to the present chapter, I proceed to give the substance of George White- head's account of his own and his friends' pro- ceedings, immediately after the accession of James the Second to the English crown. Much fear was now entertained as to what would become of protestant dissenters, many anticipating an increase of persecution, un- der the government of a professed papist. George Whitehead however, whose elastic mind never seemed to sink, had a lively impression which he communicated to his friends, that they should have ease under this king's reign ; — and certainly he spared no pains to bring it about. A few weeks after the death of Charles, he presented to his successor, in company with Gilbert Latey and Alexander Parker, the follow- ing truly courteous but unflattering address.* " To King James the Second. The humble Application of the people called Quakers, " Whereas it hath pleased Ahnighty God, by whom kings reign, to take hence the late king Charles the * Echard in liis history has given a very different but altoge- ther spurious address to Ihe King. The object of the composition appears to have bee-i to place the Quakers in a ridiculous light. G. WHITEHEAD. ITS Second, and to preserve thee peaceably to succeed, w« thy subjects heartily desire, that the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, may please to endue thee with wisdom and mercy, in the use of thy great power, to His glory, the king's honour, and the kingdom's good. And it being our sincere resolution, according to our peaceable prin- ciples and conversation, by the assistance of Almighty God, to live peaceably and honestly, as becomes true and faithful subjects under the king's government, and a conscientious people, that truly fear and serve God, we do humbly hope, that the king's tenderness will appear, and extend with his power, to express the same ; recommend- ing to his princely clemency, the case of our present suffering Friends hereunto annexed. The case of the suffering Friends referred to in the petition, contains so simple and affecting an account of their situation that it is well worthy of perusal. " The distressed case and request of the suffering people eommonly called Quakers, humbly presented. " Showing, " That according to accounts lately given, above fourteen hundred of the said people, both men and women, are continued prisoners in England and Wales, only for tender conscience toward Almighty God that made them.* Many under sentence of premunire, and many near it, not for refusing the duty or substance of allegiance itself, but only because they dare not swear ; • The followiDg list of the number of prisoners in each county is curious, as showing the wide spread of the Society at this time throughout England and Wales. We have no means of ascer- taining the total number, but large as it no doubt vras, the num- ber of suffertrs, including the families of the prisoners and those I 6 176 MEMOIRS OF others under fines on the act for banishment ; many on writs of excommunication ; besides some hundreds have died prisoners, many by means of this long imprisonment since the year 1690, as it is judged ; thereby making widows and fatherless, and leaving poor innocent families who suffered the spoil of their goods, must have formed a large and affecting proportion of the whole Society. No doubt also, such was the sympathy as well as courage of this branch of the Church of Christ at that day, that it might be almost said : " Whether one member suffered all the members suffered with it." An account of the number of the said prisoners called Quakers, in the several counties. Bedfordshire 30 Leicestershire 37 Berkshire 37 Lincolnshire 12 Bristol 103 London and Middlesex 66 Buckinghamshire 19 Norfolk 52 Cambridgeshire 8 Northamptonshire 59 Ely 11 Nottinghamshire 6 Cheshire 9 Oxon 17 Cornwall 32 Salop 18 Cumberland 22 Somersetshire 36 Derbyshire 1 Southamptonshire 15 Devonshire 101 Staffordshire 1 Dorsetshire 13 Suffolk 79 Durham 39 Surrey 29 ssex 10 Sussex 17 Gloucestershire 66 Warwickshire 31 Hertfordshire 18 Westmoreland 5 Herefordshire 1 Wilts 34 Huntingtonsbire 10 Worcestershire 15 Kent 16 Yorkshire 279 Lancashire 73 Wales 30 Total 1460. G. WHITEHEAD. 177 desolate, in distress and sorrow. These two hard winters' confinement tending also to the destruction of many in cold holes and gaols, their healths being greatly impaired thereby : besides, the violence and woful spoil made by merciless informers, on the conventicle act, upon many convicted, unsummoned, and unheard in their own de- fence, both in city and country. As also on Qui Tam writs, and other processes, for twenty pounds a month, and two-thirds of estates seized for the kins ; all tendinff to the ruin of trade, husbandry, and industrious families ; to some not a bed left, to others no cattle to till their ground, or give them milk, nor corn for bread or seed, nor tools to work withal. And all these, and other severities, done under pretence of serving the king and the Church, thereby to force us to violate our consciences, and consequently to destroy our souls, which we are very tender of, as we are of our peace with God and our own consciences, though accounted as sheep for the slaughter. And notwithstanding all these long sustained extremities, we the said people do solemnly profess and declare, in the sight of the Heart Searcher, that we have nothing but good will and true affection to the king, praying for his safety, and the kingdom's peace. We have never been found in any seditious or treasonable designs, as being wholly contrary to our Christian principles and holy profession. " And knowing that where the word of a king is, there is power, we in Christian humility, and for Christ's sake, intreat that the king will please to find out some ex- pedient for our relief in these cases, from prison, spoil, and ruin. " And we shall, as in Christian duty bound, pray God for the king's welfare in this world, and his eternal happiness in that which is to come. " LondoD, 2nd of 1st month, called March, 1634-5." 178 MEMOIRS OF Between three and four months after the first interview, no relief being yet obtained, George Whitehead was " deeply concerned in spirit" to go to the king, to give him further informa- tion, and to endeavour to persuade him to put a stop to the ruinous persecutions. Acquainting his friend Robert Barclay with his intentions, (for whom the king had a particular respect, having known him in Scotland,) he was willing to unite in the application ; and they appear to have readily obtained admittance into the king's presence. George Whitehead took the principal part in this interview ; from his account of which I select the following passages : George TVhitehead. " We thankfully ac- knowledge the king's favour in granting us this admittance. Having acquainted the Lord Peterborough with our great sufferings by in- formers, &c. in and about London, he promised us to acquaint the king therewith ; which we hope he did, for he said, ' he had acquainted the king with our desire, that he would speak to the recorder, that a stop might be put to the informers,' &c. And further told us, ' that the king promised to send for the recorder, and speak to him himself, and that we should shortly feel the effects.' " King. " The Lord Peterborough did speak G. WHITEHEAD. 179 to me, and acquainted me witli it : I have not as yet spoken to the recorder, but intend to speak to liim to-morrow ; I'll send for him into the prince's lodgings, and speak with him about it : therefore do you put me in mind of it, when I go into the House of Lords to-morrow." George Whitehead. " The late king, after his coronation, gave out his Proclamation of Grace, to release our Friends out of the gaols through- out England ; upon which many hundreds were released. " And in the year 1672, the late king gave out his Declaration of Indulgence, for the liberty of tender consciences ; and his Letters Patent, (or pardon,) under the great seal, to release our Friends out of prisons : whereupon we had liberty for some years." King. " I intended a general coronation pardon ; but the reason why it was deferred until the meeting of parliament, was, because some persons who are obnoxious, by being in the late plot, would thereby have been pardoned, and so might have come to sit in parliament ; which would not have been safe. But I intend that your Friends shall be discharged out of prison. I was the cause of drawing up that Declaration, and I never gave my consent to the making of it void : it was the Presbyterians 180 MEMOIRS OF who caused it to be made void or cancelled, in parliament." George Whitehead. " The imprisonments, as also the great spoil made by informers, is still very hard upon many in and about London, and other parts : five warrants at once have been executed upon one person, amounting to fifty pounds, being ten pounds a warrant. We in- treat the king to put a stop to these informers ; for many are greatly disabled by them, and about giving over their trades and shops ; al- though we are as willing to pay our taxes and civil duties to the king as any other people. And by the close imprisonment of many, even here in London, in Newgate gaol, divers of our Friends have been so suffocated, that they have been taken out sick of a malignant fever, and in a few days died." King. " I intend your Friends shall be re- leased out of prison ; and I'll consider of a way how to stop the informers : but they having a part of the fines, I must consider which way I may best take to stop them and ease you :" or to the very same effect. George Whitehead. " We have just excep- tions against the Conventicle Act itself, in divers clauses." Robert Barclat/. " Convicting men behind their backs, is contrary to the law of nations." G. WHITEHEAD. 181 George Whitehead. "And then the awarding treble costs against the appellant, in case he is cast in the trial of his appeal, but no costs against the informers, nor any provision made that they shall make any restitution to the party grieved, in case they be cast or nonsuit in their unjust persecution ; this appears very unequal. " We are inclinable to present an account of our sufferings to the parliament, wherein we desire the king's favourable concurrence, and therefore thought meet to acquaint the king first with our intention ; for we are willing and de- sirous that he should be acquainted with all public applications we make to the parliament." King. " What is it ?" George Whitehead. " It is a plain account of our sufferings in matters of fact, of the same kind with that which we lately gave to the king, with some reason offered for the repeal of the Conventicle act." King. " Let me see it, and I'll give you my opinion concerning it." George Whitehead. " We intend to show it the king. And we humbly and thankfully acknowledge the king's favour, in admitting us thus far to be heard." The account alluded to in the foregoing con- versation, was addressed : " To the king and both houses of parliament, the suffering condi- 182 MEMOiaS OP tion of the peaceable people called Quakers, only for tender conscience towards Almighty God, humbly presented." It stated : " That of late above one thousand five hundred of the said people, both men and •women, having been detained prisoners in Eng- land, and part of them in Wales, some of which being since discharged by the judges, and others freed by death through their long and tedious imprisonment, there are now remaining, accord- ing to late accounts, about one thousand three hundred eighty and three, above two hundred of them women." It then proceeded to state the grounds and nature of the sulferings, much in the same manner as had been done in the account pre- sented to the king immediately after his acces- sion ; * and after enumerating the particular statutes under which they chiefly suffered,t the document proceeds as follows : " Many, both men and women, have been fined, imprisoned, and detained for non-pay- • The list of Sufferers is given at page 176, as a note. + The 5th of Eliz. chap, 23. De Excommunicatio Capiendo. Tlie 23rd of Eliz. chap. 1, for Twenty Pounds per Month. The 29th of Eliz. chap. 6, for Continuation. The 35th of Eliz. chap. 1, for Abjuring the Realm, on pain of Death. The 1st of Eliz. chap. 2, for Twelve- Pence a Sunday. G. WHITEHEAD. 183 ment, some till death, on indictments at common law, for riots, breaches of the peace, &c. ; in- stance the city of Bristol, what a great number have been these divers years straitly confined and crowded in gaol, mostly above one hundred on such pretence, about seventy of them women, many aged. And in the city of Norwich, in the years 1682-3, about seventy kept in hold, forty-five whereof in holes and dungeons, for many weeks together ; and great hardships have been and are in other places : so that such our peaceable meetings are sometimes fined on the Conventicle act, as for a religious exercise, and other times at common law, as riotous, rontons, &c. when nothing of that nature could ever be proved against them, there being nothing of violence or injury either done, threatened, or intended, against the person or property of any one whatsoever. " The during and tedious imprisonments are chiefly on the writs De Excommunicatio Capi- The 3rd of king James I. chap. 4, for Prcmunire, Imprison- ment during Life, and Estates confiscated. The 13th and 14th of king Charles II. against Quakers, &c. Transportation. The 2'2nd of king Charles 1 1. chap. 1, against Seditious Con- venticles. The 17th of king Charles II. chap. 2, against Nonconformists. The 27th of Henry Vlll. eh. 20, some few sufter thereupon. 184 MEMOIRS OP endo, upon the judgment of premunire, and Upon fines said to be for the king. " The great spoil and excessive distresses and seizures, are chiefly upon the Conventicle act, and for twenty pounds a month, two-thirds of estates, and on Qui Tarn writs. In some counties, divers have suffered by seizures and distresses above eight years past ; and writs lately issued out for further seizures in several counties, for twenty pounds a nionth, amounting to the value of manj'^ thousands of pounds ; sometimes seizing for eleven montlis at once, and making sale of all goods and chattels, within doors and without, both of household goods, beds, shop goods, moveables, cattle, &c. and prosecution hereupon still continued, and in divers counties much increased : so that several, who have long em- ployed some hundreds of poor families in manu- facture, and paid considerable taxes to the king, are greatly disabled from both, by these writs and seizures as well as by long imprisonments. So many serge makers, of Plymouth, as kept above five hundred poor people at work, dis- abled by imprisonment : many in the county of Sufl^olk, under a long imprisonment, sentenced to a premunire ; one w hereof employed at least two hundred poor people in the woollen manu- facture, when at libertj-. Omitting other in- stances, that we may not seem too tedious, these G. WHITEHEAD. 185 may evince how destructive such severities are to trade and industry, and ruinous to many poor families. " Be pleased to make our case your own, and do to us as you would be done unto : as you would not be oppressed or destroyed in your persons or estates, nor have your properties invaded and posterities ruined, for serving and worshiping Almighty God, that made all man- kind, according to your persuasions and con- sciences, but would, no doubt, enjoy the liberty thereof ; so we entreat you to allow the same liberty to tender consciences, that live peaceably under the government, as you would enjoy yourselves ; and to disannul the said Conven- ticle act, and to stop these devouring informers, and also take away all sanguinary laws, corporal and pecuniary punishments, merely on the score of religion and conscience ; and let not the ruin and cry of the widow, fatherless, and innocent families lie upon this nation, nor at your door ; who have not only a great trust reposed in you, for the prosperity and good of the whole nation, but also do profess Christianity and the tender religion of our Lord Jesus Christ. " Having thus given you in short, the general state of our suffering case, in matter of fact, without personal reflection ; we, in Christian humility and for Christ's sake, intreat that you 186 MEMOIRS OF will tenderly and charitably consider of the premises, and find out some eflFectual expedient or way for our relief from prisons, spoil, and ruin." George Whitehead and Gilbert Latey waited upon the king, previous to their presenting the address to the parliament, to receive his sanc- tion ; which he freely gave : * and having now become fully acquainted with the severe per- secution under which the Society laboured, he was pleased, says the narrative, " to grant a comprehensive warrant or commission to the then attorney general. Sir Robert Sawyer, on our suffering Friends' behalf ; including the several sorts of processes and convictions under which many of them suffered." + This order was dated 15th of Match, 1685-6, little more than a year after the king's accession. George Whitehead gives the following ac- • Gough thinks the sudden prorogation of parliament pre- vented the address from being presented to it. + Sewel, without referring to this special order for the dis- charge of the Quakers, attributes their relief to a proclamation of pardon, issued soon after the king ascended the throne ; yet he quotes G. Fox's letter on the occasion, addressed to Friends, and Trhich is dated four months after the commission to the ^ittorney seneral. G. WHITEHEAD. 187 count of the proceedings to carry into effect this joyful release. When this warrant was granted and delivered to us, the attorney general, Sir Robert Sawyer, was not in London, but near forty miles from thence, at his country house at Highcleare, in Hampshire ; and Friends in London being very desirous that our Friends in the several prisons throughout England, &c. might forthwith be released ; it was concluded that two or three of us should take a journey to the said attorney general, and deliver him the aforesaid warrant from tbe king ; and then in the first place, to obtain a warrant or liberate thereupon, to dis- charge and release our Friends in and about London. John Edge, Rowland Vaughan, and myself, were desired forthwith to undertake the journey to the attorney general, for that service. At that time I was but weakly in body, and so much indisposed as to my health, that I thought myself very unfit for that journey, for I then kept my chamber ; howbeit, they not being willing to go without me, I was in the greater strait, and after a short consideration was per- suaded, and concluded to go with them if pos- sibly I might be enabled to perform the journey. Whereupon my dear friend Theodore Eccle- 188 MEMOIRS OF stone lent me a good easy horse, and I being weakly, we were part of two days and the morning following before we reached to the attorney general's, who civilly received and entertained us, when we had produced the king's commission to him ; and we quickly persuaded him to give instructions to our then companion Rowland Vaughan, to draw up a warrant or liberate to release our Friends, who then were prisoners in London. And according to his instructions, Rowland drew up several warrants to discharge our Friends out of prison, which the attorney general signed that day ; and to get them done he would have us stay dinner, so it was the third or near the fourth hour before we could get all done and signed, to come away thence ; insomuch tliat it was within night before we got to Theal, about four miles beyond Reading, where we staid at an inn that night, and the next day came to Brentford ; before which time I was recovered in my journey, and was so well that I could travel much better than when I left London ; wherein I thankfully observed the merciful Providence of God, in affording me health and ability beyond expec- tation. In a short time the attorney general returned to London, to his office in the temple, where I attended him (with Gilbert Latey sometimes) to G. WHITEHEAD. 189 sign the rest of the warrants ; which according to his direction, Rowland Vaughan prepared for him to sign, to discharge the rest of our Friends out of prisons throughout England, so far as he had power given him by the commis- sion aforesaid. This took us up considerable time to attend to and see effected, and the pri- soners by degrees released ; for we had some- thing to do to obtain the warrants for release of our Friends in some places, especially at Bris- tol ; the town clerk having detained our Friends there in prison for non-payment of his demands : which occasioned our complaint against him to the king ; and on ray debating the matter with him before the attorney general, he was per- suaded to submit the matter to our Friends' courtsey and freedom, and was desirous that I would let him have the attorney general's warrant to discharge our Friends when he returned to Bristol ; and accordingly I intrusted him with the warrant ; whereupon he got them released out of prison. Thus, though many had died in confinement, were a great number of worthy confessors for the Truth, liberated from their severe imprison- ments of ten, twelve, and fifteen years ; and per- mitted to return to the bosom of their families and the Church. K 190 MEMOIRS OF Great however as was the ease, the sufferings of the Society were by no means at an end. The clergy in general appeared decidedly unfriendly to toleration, and a great number of magistrates, especially in London and Middle- sex, encouraged a set of vile informers, to whom the poor Quakers were a constant prey. George Whitehead now exerted himself earnestly, to induce the king to put a stop to the proceedings of these merciless creatures. His exertions in this business were very suc- cessful. He inserts in his memoirs a petition to king James, which was signed by several of the sufferers, stating the cruelty and illegality of the proceedings against them ; that they were fre- quently convicted "in their absence, and often on false depositions sworn by concealed in- formers" — that warrants against them were issued out by the recorder of London, "which were exe- cuted with great rigour and spoil, and without compassion to widows, fatherless, or poor fami- lies, who were sustained by their daily industry; not leaving them a bed to lie on :" that when they appealed from the recorder's judgment, he being judge also on the trial, altered the record and urged juries to find against the appellant ; by which they incurred heavy charges and, treble costs. Besides these grievances the peti-. tions stated, " that numbers were imprisoned; G. WHITEHEAD. 191 and crowded in gaol by him and others, for the same cause, to the greatly impairing of their healths and the loss of some lives." After this complaint had been presented, George Whitehead addressed the king, request- ing him to appoint commissioners to hear them and the informers face to face, that they might have a fair opportunity to prove the matters of fact complained of against them. The king- granted this request, and issued a commission accordingly, which was delivered to George Whitehead without fees. He and some of his friends prosecuted this matter very efficiently. They delivered the commission to two persons who had been nominated as the investigators of the affair, and who authorized George White- head to issue summonses to all persons whom he wished to be brought before them. Having collected and fairly stated about fifty cases of unjust proceedings on the part of the informers towards Friends, he accordingly issued his summonses to the several parties. On the day appointed, a great company of informers were collected at Clifford's Inn, doubtless under feelings of no little chagrin ; but when they saw a large number of the usual objects of their prey, coming forward to charge them with injustice and cruelty, before commissioners who would give an impartial K 2 192 MEMOIRS OP hearing to both parties, they seemed ready " to gnash upon them with their teeth." Two justices of the peace, who had incurred the high displeasure of the informers, by re- fusing to grant warrants against some Friends, or to convict them in their absence, were pre- sent at the inquiry, at the first meeting of the commissioners. George Whitehead proceeded very methodi- cally in his charges, beginning with those cases in which informers had sworn falsely, producing each Friend's case in order, and calling upon the parties concerned in each to appear together. Numerous cases were fully established, in which the informers had sworn against Friends for being at meetings which they were not at ; also for holding meetings at certain places and houses, w here no meetings had been held ; and they were also proved to have sworn upon trust, from one another's false and presumptuous in- fo miation. These several cases of false swearing occupied six broadsides ; and there were nume- rous cases of excessive distraints, accompanied by force and violence. So many instances in- deed, says George Whitehead, " we gave to the commissioners on the first day, of the horrid abuses of the informers, that they seemed almost weary with hearing them ; matters of fact being evidently proved against the informers to their G. WHITEHEAD. 193 faces, and to their great shame and confusion." At the first meeting they did not get through one-fourth of the charges ; and a subsequent meeting was held, at which, though they did not get through half the cases, the commission- ers thought they had ample grounds on which to form their report to the king. George White- head wished them, seeing the charges of false swearing and violence had been so fully proved against the informers, to discourage or stop their further proceedings ; but this the com- missioners thought was without their province. The informers were of course greatly enraged against George Whitehead ; and they so threat- ened him, that some of his friends were afraid of their doing him a mischief. He was however -no way intimidated : " I told them," says he, " that I feared them not ; nor what they could do ; for I was bound in conscience to make them manifest to the government : they should not deter me, by their threats, from appearing before the highest authority against them." George Whitehead had several interviews with the commissioners, in which he laid before them the cases which had not been inquired into. On one of these interviews they showed him, at his request, the draft of their report ; when he was surprised to find, that instead of stating the plain matters of fact, in regard to K 3 194 MEMOIRS OF which they had to inquire, they had given their opinion as to an easier way of dealing with the Quakers in future. George Whitehead remon- strated with them, for thus deviating from the points on which they were directed to report to the king ; when " one of the commissioners told him how hardly they were put to it to draw up their report, being sent to out of London, by some great person or persons of the Church, and much requested to report nothing which might disable the informers, or put them by from their great service to the Church !" George White- head however pleaded for justice being done to them, by a report as to matters of fact being made to the king ; and the commissioners did materially amend their report in consequence- Some further information was given to the king relative to the cases in a letter ; in which, having referred to the mal-practices of the informers, as stated in the report of the commissioners, the Friends concluded by earnestly entreating the king to put a speedy stop to the cruel proceed- ings against them. Our author, with all his cool- ness and moderation, seems unable to repress the feelings of his virtuous indignation, against the system of plunder allowed to be carried on under pretence of law, by the informers. " A company," says he, " of_ loose, irreligious, profligate wretches, have been encouraged and G. WHITEHEAD. 195 suffered to plunder, rob, steal, break houses, commit burglary, tear away and make havoc and spoil of their neighbours' goods, to serve the Church and king I What Protestant age or Church can parallel such barbarities and cruel persecution ? How scandalous to Church and state were such agents !" This scandal however was on the eve of being removed. Whether the king was sincere or not, in his professions in regard to liberty of conscience. Divine Providence was pleased so to overrule events, as tended to the ease of the suffering members of Christ's Church, who dis- sented from the established worship. " The king," says the memoir, " was at last induced so far to afford us relief from those devourers, by signifying his pleasure to some of his sub- ordinate ministers, magistrates, &c. to put a stop to the destructive persecution and spoil, made upon us by the informers." " Their un- just trade and gain being discountenanced by the justices and the quarter sessions, in London and Middlesex, as well as other parts of the kingdom, and discoveries made of their wicked- ness and injuries, some of them were forced to fly ; and others turned to beggary." As during the severe sufferings which they had been called to endure for conscience' sake, the Friends had exhibited a remarkable instance K 4 196 MEMOIRS OF, &C. of Christian patience ; so also, when Uieir enemies, the mercenary informers, became des- titute, did they exhibit a no less striking in- stance of Christian forgiveness. The Friends, though they had been so severely impoverished by the proceedings of the in- formers, did not hesitate to supply the wants of these worthless creatures in their destitution. George Whitehead gives an instance of this kind in his own case. "After the trade of in- forming was over," says he, " George Hilton, a notorious informer, came to my house, com- plaining to me that he was to be a servant to a great person, but wanted clothes or money to buy him some ; whereupon I gave him some- thing, being willing to render good against evil; he having been a very injurious adversary against myself, and many others of our Friends : liowevcr, I was comforted that the case was so well altered, as that from taking away our goods by force, these poor wretches were fain to come and beg of us." Thus did these Chris- tians heap the coals of charity upon the heads of their enemies. f SECTION XVII. The state of Society in other parts of the nation.— Two meeting houses seized and used by the soldiers. — Appli- cation to king James respecting this and other cases of suffering. The suppression of the wicked trade of the informers, though a very important step, was far from closing the sufferings of the Society, or the labours of many of its members, to obtain complete liberty of conscience. They wisely proceeded step by step in pointing out their grievances, and pressing them one after another upon the notice of the public, and of the highest authorities of the land. Tliough the general pardon of the king had some effect in discouraging persecution, yet it did not alter the law ; and a great number of Friends were at this time severely oppressed, and many of them greatly impoverished, by being charged or estreated in the exchequer, and by writs annually issued out thence against them, for seizure to be made on their goods and estates, under the old act against popish re- cusants ; by which they were fined twenty pounds a month, and two-thirds of their estates K 5 198 MEMOIRS OF