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Setting forth at large the Reafons of his refufing to 1662 pay Tithes, the Length of his Imprifonment, the Hardfhips he underwent,her Hard-heartedness towards him, Lanca and the manner of his Death. After his Death, Richard Cubban, another of the faid Countefs her Prifoners for Tithe, writ a large Letter to her, on behalf of himfelf, and his other Fellow-Prisoners at her Suit; laying their Innocency before her: And that it was not out of Wilfulness, Stubbornness or Covetousness, that they refused to pay her Tithes; but purely in good ConScience towards God and Chrift: and letting her know, that if he should be fuffered to keep them there, till they every one died there, as she had done their FellowSufferer, Oliver Atherton; yet they could not yield to pay her. And therefore defired her to confider their Cafe in a Chriftian Spirit, and not bring their Blood upon her felf alfo. But fhe would not fhew any Pity or Compaffion towards them, who had now fuffered hard Imprisonment about two Years and an half under her; but instead thereof the fent to the Town of Garfiang, and threatned to complain to the King and Council, and bring them into Trouble, for fuffering the Paper concerning Oliver Atherton's Death to be ftuck upon their Crofs. The Rage that she exprefs'd, made the People take the more notice of it; and fome of them faid, The Quakers had given her a Bone to pick. But fhe, that regarded not the Life of an Innocent Sufferer for Chrift, lived not long after her felf: For that day three Weeks, that Oliver Atherton's Body was carried through Ormskirk to be buried, fhe died; and her Body was carried dead that day Seven Weeks through the fame Town to her Burying-Place. And thus the Lord purfued the hard-hearted Perfecutor.

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As for me,I was kept to the Affize: and then Judge LancaTurner and Judge Twifden coming that Circuit, I was fize. brought before Judge Twifden, on the 14th day of the Month called March, in the latter end of the Year 1663. When I was fet up to the Bar, I faid, Peace be amongst you all. The Judge lookt upon me, and faid; What! do you come into the Court with Hat on! your

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1663. Upon which Words the Jailer taking it off, I said, The Hat is not the Honour, that comes from God. Lanca Then faid the Judge to me, Will you take the Oath of Allegiance, George Fox? I faid, 'I never took any Oath in my Life, nor any Covenant or Engagement. Well, faid he, will you Swear, or no? I answered, I am a 'Chriftian and Chrift commands me not to Swear;

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and fo does the Apoftle Fames likewife: and whe'ther I fhould obey God or Man, do thou Judge. I ask you again, faid he, Whether you will Swear, or no? I answered again, I am neither Turk, Jew, nor Heathen, but a Chriftian, and fhould fhew forth Chriftianity. And I asked him, If he did not know, that Chriftians in the Primitive Times, under the Ten Perfecutions, and fome also of the Martyrs in Queen Mary's days refufed Swearing, becaufe Chrift and the Apostle had forbidden it? I told him also; They had had Experience enough, how many Men had firft Sworn for the King, and then against the King. But as for me, I had never taken an Oath in all my Life: and my Allegiance did not lie in Swearing, but in Truth and Faithfulness; for I honour all Men, much more the King. But Chrift, who is the Great Prophet, who is the King of Kings, who is the Saviour of the World, and the Great Judge of the whole World, he faith, I muft not Swear: Now, whether muft I obey, Chrift, or Thee? For it is tenderness of Confcience, and in Obedience to the Commands of Chrift, that I do not Swear: And we have the Word of a King for tender Confciences. Then I asked the Judge, If he did own the King? Tes, faid he, I do own the King. Why "then, faid I, doft thou not obferve his Declaration 'from Breda, and his Promifes made, fince he came into England, That no man fhould be called in quefion for matters of Religion, fo long as they lived peaceably? Now, if thou owneft the King, faid I, why doft thou call me into queftion, and put me upon taking an Oath, which is a matter of Religion; feeing thou nor none elfe can charge me with un

peaceable

peaceable living? Then he was moved; and look- 1663. ing angrily at me, faid; Sirrah, Will you Swear?. I told him, 'I was none of his Sirrabs; I was a Chri- Lancafter AF'ftian: and for him, that was an Old Man, and a fiz 'Judge, to fit there, and give Nick names to Prifoners; it did not become either his Grey Hairs, or his Office. Well, faid he, I am a Chriftian too. Then do Chriftians Works, faid I. Sirrah! faid he, Thou thinkeft to frighten me with thy Words. Then catching himfelf, and looking afide, he faid; Heark! I am ufing the word [Sirrah] again; and fo check'd himfelf. I faid, 'I fpake to thee in love; for that Language did not become thee, a Judge: Thou oughteft to Inftruct a Prifoner in the Law, if he were Ignorant, and out of the way. And I Speak in Love to thee too, faid he. But, faid I, Love gives no Nicknames. Then he roufed himself up, and faid; I will not be afraid of thee, George Fox: Thou Speakeft fo loud, thy Voice drowns mine and the Court's; I must call for three or four Criers, to drown thy Voice: Thou baft good Lungs. I am a Prifoner here, faid I, for the Lord Jefus Chrift's fake; for his fake do I fuffer, ' and for him do I ftand this day and if my Voice were five times louder, yet I fhould lift it up, and 'found it out for Chrift's Sake, for whose Caufe I ftand this day before your Judgment-Seat, in Obe'dience to Chrift, who commands not to Swear; be'fore whofe Judgment-Seat you must all be brought, and muft give an Account. Well, faid the Judge, George Fox Jay, Whether thou wilt take the Oath, Tea, or Nay? I replied, I fay, as I faid before, Whether ought I to obey God or Man, Judge thou? If I 'could take any Oath at all, I thould take this: for I do not deny fome Oaths only, or on fome Occafion; but all Oaths, according to Chrift's Doctrine, 'who hath commanded his, Not to fwear at all. Now if thou, or any of you, or any of your Minifters or Priefts here will prove, that ever Chrift or his Apoftle, after they had forbidden all Swearing, commanded Chriftians to Swear, then I will Swear. I

faw

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faw feveral Priefts there; but never an one of them 1663. offered to fpeak. Then faid the Judge, I am a Servant to the King, and the King fent me not to difpute with you, but to put the Laws in Execution: Therefore tender him the Oath of Allegiance. If thou love the King, faid I, why doft thou break his Word, and 'not keep his Declarations and Speeches, wherein he promifed Liberty to Tender Confciences? I am a 'Man of a tender Confcience; and in Obedience to 'Chrift's Command I cannot Swear. Then you will not Swear, faid the Judge: Take him away, Failer. I faid, It is for Chrift's fake, that I cannot Swear, and for Obedience to his Command I Suffer; and fo the Lord forgive you all. So the Jailer took me away: but I felt, the mighty Power of the Lord was over them all.

Upon the Sixteenth Day of the fame Month I was brought before Judge Twifden again, and he was fomewhat offended at my Hat, but it being the laft Morning of the Affize, before he was to go out of Town, and not many People there, he made the lefs of it. He asked me, Whether I would Traverse, or ftand Mute, or Submit? But he fpake fo faft, and in fuch hafte, that it was hard to know, what he said. However, I told him, I defired I might have Liberty to Traverfe the Indictment, and Try it. Then faid he, Take him away, I will have nothing to do with him, • take him away. I faid, "Well, live in the Fear of God, and do Juftice. Why, faid he, have not I done you Fuftice? I replied, "That which thou haft done, hath been against the Command of Chrift. So I fher Pri. was taken away, and had to the Jail again; and fan. there kept Prifoner, till the next Affizes.

Lanca

Sometime before this Affize, Margaret Fell was fent Prifoner to Lancafter-Jail by Flemming, Kirby and Prefton Juftices; and at the Affize the Oath was tendered to her alfo, and fhe was committed again toPrifon, to lie till the next Affize.

Now Juftice Flemming being one of the fierceft and moft violent Juftices in Perfecuting Friends, and find

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ing his honeft Neighbours to Prifon for Religion's 1663. fake, and there being many Friends at this time in Lancafter-Jail committed thither by him, and fome Lancafter having died in Prifon; we that were then Prifoners, had it upon us to write to him, as followeth.

O fuftice Flemming!

Mercy and Compaffion, and Love and Kindness

adorns and graces Men and Magiftrates. Oh! doft thou not hear the Cry of the Widows, and the Cry of the Fatherlefs, who were made fo through • Perfecution! Were they not driven, like Sheep, from Conftable to Conftable, as though they had been the greatest Tranfgreffors, or Malefactors in the Land? Which grieved and tendered the Hearts of many fober People, to fee, how their Innocent Neighbours ' and Countrymen (who were of a peaceable Carriage, and honeft in their Lives and Converfations amongst Men) were ufed and ferved! One more is dead, whom thou fenteft to Prifon, having left Five Children, both Fatherlefs and Motherless. Now, how canft thou do otherwife, than take Care of thefe Fatherless Infants, and alfo of the other's 'Wife and Family? Is it not thy place? Confider Job, (c. 29th.) how he was a Father to the Poor; 'he delivered the Poor that cried, and the Fatherlefs, 'that had none to help: how he brake the Jaws of 'the Wicked, and plucked the Spoil out of his Teeth. 'But Oh! measure thy Life and his, and take heed of the Day of God's Eternal Judgment, which will 'come: and the Sentence and Decree from Chrift, ' when every Man muft give an Account, and re'ceive a Reward according to his Deeds: and then 'it will be faid, Oh, where are the Months, that are past! Again, Juftice Flemming, confider; when John Stubbs was brought before thee, having a Wife ' and four fmall Children, and little to live on, but what they honeftly got by their own Diligence; as foon as he appeared, thou cried'ft out, Put the Oath

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