UPon the fourth and sixth dayes of the second Month, in the year 1665. the Sessions being holden for the Coun­ty of Northampton, many of the people called Quakers, were brought forth to the same: Upon the sixth day of the Month aforesaid, the Court being set, and Richard Rainsford sitting Judge, four of the said Prisoners were called to the Bar, whose names are as followeth, viz. William Robinson, Richard Parsons, John Coory, and Elizabeth Harris. Proclamation was made that all should keep silence, &c.

The first and second Convictions (so called) being read, and their Indictment also, which was very large; but the substance thereof was to this effect, as near as can be remembred: That whereas William Robinson, Richard Parsons, John Coory, and Elizabeth Harris, and every of them, being unlawfully assembled at Robert Ashby's house, situate and being in Bugbrook, in the Coun­ty of Northampton, with divers other Malefactors, contrary to the Liturgy or practice of the Church of England, in contempt to the King, his Laws, and against his Crown and Dignity, &c.

William Robinson, what say you; are you guilty or not guilty of your Indictment?

I was at a Meeting to worship the living God, in Spi­rit and in Truth; and I had no evil intent in my heart against the King, Parliament or any other of the Kings Subjects.

But was you there only to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, as you say? And had you no other business there? And did you worship God according to the form of Worship now established in England by Authority? And had you the Common Prayer read amongst you?

We meet together to worship God in reality, in Spirit and in Truth; and I never met under colour and pretence, but in obedience unto God, as he hath made known unto me.

Richard Parsons, what say you; are you guilty of this Indictment? &c.

Not guilty of much that is therein inserted.

Did you worship God according to the Liturgie, or book of Common-Prayer?

Doth not the Liturgy allow of worshipping of God in Spirit and in Truth?

Yes.

Then I am not guilty.

How will you be tryed?

By the Truth.

John Coory, are you guilty of this Indictment?

Not guilty of breaking any just Law.

Did you meet according to the Liturgie? had you the Common-Prayer-Book amongst you.

We met together to worship God in Spirit and Truth.

Elizabeth Harris, are you guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty of meeting under colour and pretence of religious Worship, but in reality, in Spirit and in Truth.

The Prisoners Answers being given, as is before mentioned, it was taken for not guilty, and so after much ado a Jury was cal­led; their names are as followeth: William Smith, William Blisse, Nicholas Blisse, Robert Bartet, Robert Barber, William Smalbone, Thomas Henchman, &c.

And these were sworn truly to try and Judge between the King and the Prisoners at the Bar, and true deliverance make according to their evidence, &c.

Then three Witnesses being called and sworn, viz. James Ba­ker, a very prophane, swearing, drunken man; and Richard Poo­ley, a prophane swearing fellow; and Henry Addams, being all three soldiers: The Judge asked them if they saw the Prisoners at the Bar at Robert Ashby's house in Bugbrook, at a Meeting? unto which they answered, Yes. Then said the Judge, What day was it upon? and what time of the day? They answered, upon Palm-Sunday, about one or two of the clock in the afternoon. Then the Judge asked the number of the persons, and what they saw them do there? To which they answered, There was about thirty persons, and one of them was Preaching and Praying; for he sometimes stood, and sometimes kneeled down. Then the Judge asked them, whether they saw the Common-Prayer-Book amongst them? They answered, No. Then the Judge spake to the Jury, and set them in a way, that they might be sure to finde [Page 3] them guilty: they being a company of weak men (and some of them maliciously bent against truth) not well understanding the weighty matter they were imployed in; so the Jury went forth, and in about half an hours time, returned again, and brought in their Verdict, that three of the Prisoners were guilty of the third offence; and the woman they brought in to be guilty of the se­cond offence: Then said John Randolph a Lawyer, have you not brought them in all alike? Then there arose some confusion a­mongst them; but at length the matter was hushed up, and she found guilty of the third offence, as they account it; but to worship God in Spirit and Truth is no offence.

But it was observed by many present, that they never saw nor heard of so weak a Jury to be imployed in so weighty a matter.

Then the Judge told the Prisoners, that the Jury had brought them in guilty; and said he, I am to pass the Judgement of Trans­portation upon you; and asked them what they had to say for themselves, that the Judgement of Transportation might not pass upon them?

John Coory said, We are an innocent People, and do desire to live in the fear of God. And further, said he, I do believe if we had been drunkards, swearers, lyars, covetous men, proud, coseners, cheaters, hypocrites, or dissemblers, we should not have been brought here; for that by you is tolerated, or at the least winked at, and little notice taken thereof.

Are you a just man? are you without sin?

I am one that feareth and serveth God daily, and I desire you may fear and serve the Lord also: And moreover, I have two small motherless children, and am a poor man; and so it will be good for you to take heed, that you do not make them fathe [...]less also; for if you so do, God will reward you according to your works.

Its your obstinacy, and your own wilfulness, and I am sorry at my heart to do it, but only I and the Justices upon the Bench with me, are sworn to do it; and if we should not, we should prove our selves to be perjured person [...], &c.

Are you sworn to do that which you are sorry for? This is a sad thing; and surely Gods hand will turn against all un­just Judges, Justices, and oppressers of his People, and all unjust Rulers whatsoever.

[Page 4] Interrupted.

You must hearken unto me, and must not speak, you must give ear unto your Sentence; which was to this effect: That you and every of you, shall be transported unto the Island of Jamaica, there to remain for the space of seven years; and if you return again before the time be expired, it must be at your peril: but this privi­ledge you have, that if you will pay in one hundred pounds a piece, before the Court be adjourn'd, you shall be freed from the Sentence of Transportation.

It may be observed, although Judge Rainsford hath before de­clared himself to be sorry to proceed with friends in such manner as he did; yet the contrary plainly appears by his actions: for when as one (called) George Robinson, did speak to the said Judge, (he being upon the Bench) in the behalf of the said (now senten­ced) Prisoners, and desired moderately to reason in their and his own behalf, (he being a Prisoner, and his time very near expired which he had been committed for) but the aforesaid Judge pre­sently gave order for his further confinement, and bound him to his good behaviour (as they call it) whereby to prevent him of his just Liberty. And thus as of old, Isa. 59. ver. 14. Judgement is turned away backward, and Justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Daniel Rooe being called to the Bar, and his Indictment read, it being in the same manner and form as was the other Indictments.

Daniel Rooe, are you guilty of this Indictment, or not guilty?

I have not transgressed any Law of God, or just Law of good men.

That's no matter; are you guilty or not guilty, of the Indictment?

As to that I have said. So this Answer being taken for not guilty, the Witnesses were called and sworn, being the same persons that witnessed against the other, and the questions put to them was much like the former, and the answers to the same purpose: Then the Jury was sworn, which was the same Jury that went forth upon the other, only the fore-man William Smith, was excepted against, and turned out by the Court. Then the Judge spake to the Jury, and said, You have heard, how that [Page 5] the witnesses have evidenced, That there was praying and preach­ing, but they did not hear the book of Common Prayer read amongst them. And also, said he, he himself cannot say they had the form of Common Prayer used amongst them. And here he laid the main stress of the matter, and seemed hereby to make it appear to the Jury, That because Common Prayer was not read, that they were Guilty; and the Jury being a going forth, the Prisoner spake unto them, and said, Oh Friends, and Countrymen of the Jury, I desire you, as in the presence of the Lord, that you take heed what ye do, for the thing is weighty you have in hand.

So the Jury went forth, and in a short time returned again, and cryed, A Verdict, a Verdict; the Court said, Who shall speak for you? they answered, The Fore-man; then said the Judge, How do you find it, are you all agreed? they said, Yes, and we find it for the King, &c. Then the Judge said to the Prisoner, Here you see the Jury hath found you Guilty.

I commit my cause to the Lord, for I have broken no Just Law.

Well, well, you was at these Conventicles under colour and pretence to worship God.

I was not there under colour and pretence, but in rea­lity to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth, as I was led and guided by the spirit of the Lord.

But how do you know its the Spirit of the Lord? you may be deluded, and led by an evil spirit, for we are not to be led by our own spirits, for some mens spirits leads them to Murder, and some mens spirits leads them to Adultery, &c.

The Spirit of the Lord leads into all truth, and this Spirit is not to be limited either to Time or place.

Well, come, have you any thing more to say for your self, why the Sentence of Transportation should not be passed upon you? if you have, you may speak, &c.

But the Prisoner said no more: Then was the Judgment of Transportation given, that he should be transported to the Island of Jamaica, there to remain for the space of seven years, unless the said prisoner would pay unto the Court one hundred pounds before the end of the Sessions. So the priso­ner [Page 6] was taken from the Bar, and with the rest returned to prison again.

Now people it may be well for you to take notice, how that the Tryal and Sentence aforesaid, was past upon the Lords people, even the next day following their pretended Fast, which they kept (as they say) for a blessing upon their Indeavours in their intended War with the Dutch. But how can a people expect a blessing from God, when they are smiting with the fist of wickedness, and even fighting against God and his Worship? Yea, even upon the very day of their pretended Fast, the Justices met together (as we are credibly informed) to carry on the afore-mentioned work, of Trying and Sentencing a people (for worshipping God) even for Transportation. And so instead of keeping a Fast, which the Lord hath chosen, which is to loose the b [...]nds of wicked­ness, and to undoe the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, and break every yoak, and deal their bread to the hungry, and to bring the poor that is cast ou [...] into their house, and to cover the naked, and not to hide themselves from their own flesh; I say, instead of these things, the quite con­trary fruits are brought forth (as it was said upon the day and day following their pretended Fast) even an adding to the bands of wickedness, and laying burdens upon the in­nocent, neither do they let the oppressed go free, but rather add to their yoak, and instead of dealing bread to the hun­gry, and taking those to house that are cast forth, they even cast them out of house (and if the Lord doth not prevent them) out of their native Land also.

And this is the measure which hath been meated unto the Lords people by this generation of men, after all the suffe­rings which hath been inflicted upon them by imprisonment and otherwise, which wo [...]k of persecution hath been much helped forward by one John Garrett (Steward to the man cal­led Lord Spencer) being a very great enemy to the appearance of God in any people that differs from the National Wor­ship, and also by John Witfield, and Thomas Hogg, Priests of those places where our peaceable meetings have been kept, for they have much stirred up the people against us, and some [Page 7] have readily answered their desires herein, and especially one cal­led Captain John Will [...]ughby, one also in commission to do justice; who both in Person, and by his Warrant, granted forth unto some of his souldiers, being leud wicked men, for the most part, such as the people where they dwell do very much abhor for their wick­ednesse sake: some of their names are as followeth, viz. James Ba­ker, a chief leader of them, being a Dog-keeper, a drunken swear­ing fellow, and Thomas Goodman a Fidler, a man noted for much prophane gaming, having been accounted their Vice, or fool of their play, and another Richard Pooley, a prophane swearing fellow: And these, with such like as themselves, the aforesaid John Wil­loughby, hath impowered by Warrant or otherwise, hath come along with them in person to our Meetings from time to time, halling, beating, bruising and abusing friends, when peaceably met together for the worship and service of the Lord in truth, and not under colour and pretence, so not liable to the penalties in the late Act; for its known we are, and have been all along a peace­able people ever since the Lord raised us up, and the Nation hath had great experience of the same; and so its altogether unequitable and unjust, even the present proceedings of those which do daily rise up against us, for the exercise of our consciences towards God in the way of his blessed worship, which he hath clearly made known unto us, although we may not have a Common Prayer-Book to read amongst People, as Judge Rainsford would seem to incense the Jury and others, that we were breakers of the late Act, because we used not the Common Prayer; which the Lord hath let us see the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse of those things, and we cannot, like the dog, return to the old vomit again, and like the sow that is washed, to the wallowing in the mire; though for the same we suffer; and are counted as transgressors in the sight of our Judges, but we are clear in the sight of God; and also the late Act clears us, where our enemies themselves are not Judges, or where Judgement is given without partiality; and so our cause we commit to the Lord, even to plead in our behalf, who through his goodnesse hath engaged us to appear in the behalf of his Name and Testimony, which he hath given us to bear even in this day of our tryal and exercise of our faith and patience, wherein God hath preserved us hitherto, in all the dangers and [Page 8] great sufferings which is known to the Lord right well; and he hath furnished us in this our day with all things answerable to our pre­sent necessities; so the glory of his works belong to him for ever. And so its for conscience sake we are sufferers this day, and for the worship of God, and not for evil doing, as our enemies and persecutors would render it. And this we are willing to make known, that so all might be informed concerning these things, and come to know the truth of this matter.