God will be thy portion, O pope, who hath deceived the nations: and all ye jesuits and cardinals, howl, for your misery is coming, the mighty day of the Lord God upon you all; the Lord God, who will be worshipped in spirit and in truth, and with none of your inventions." Thus G. Fox wrote in that day to the pope and his counsellors; and no wonder that he paid dear for this sharp language against the head of the church of Rome; for it may be believed, that a great many of the court party, in those days, were either concealed Papists, or favourers of them and yet among the national clergy, and even of those of other persuasions, many branded the Quakers with the odious name of secret Papists, thereby to make them incur the hatred of the people.

Now I return to Francis Howgil, whom in the foregoing year we left in prison at Appleby. It was in the fore part of this year that he was brought to his trial. Being come into court before the judges sat, he spoke to the clerk of the assizes, and told him, he did not know whether they expected his appearance then or not the clerk said, "You have done well," and that he would acquaint the judge, and he should only engage to him to appear the next assizes, to answer the indictment against him, and that he should not appear in court; Francis bid him do what he would. In the meantime Sir Philip

Musgrave (so called) a great adversary to the truth, and the great and chief prosecutor of Francis, had informed the judges against him, that he was a dangerous person, a ringleader and a keeper up of meetings of dangerous consequence, and destructive to the peace of the nation; so then they concluded he should appear in court; and the clerk informed him, and told him about what time he should be called. So the court began; judge Twisden gave the charge to the grand jury, in which he said, there was a sort of people, who under pretence of conscience and religion, seemed to build upon the king's declaration from Breda, and under colour of this, hatched treasons and rebellions, and gave the jury charge to enquire and present such, that the peace of the nation might be preserved; so they empannelled the jury, and Francis was called to the bar, and the judge spake as followeth :

Judge, speaking calmly to him, said, the face of things was much altered since the last assizes, and made a large speech to him and the country, telling him, that all sects under pretence of conscience did violate the laws, and hatched rebellions, "Not" (saith he) "that I have any thing to charge you with: but seeing the oath of allegiance was tendered to you the last assizes, and you refused to take it, it was looked upon that such persons were enemies to the king and

government;" and said, "I will not trouble you now to answer to your indictment, but I must do that the next assizes; in the meantime you must enter into recognizance for your good behaviour."

To which F. H. answered, I desire liberty to speak, which he had without interruption, and said as followeth :

F. H. Judge Twisden, thou very well knowest upon how slender an account, or none, I was brought before thee the last assizes, where thou was pleased to tender me the oath of allegiance, though I believe both thou and the rest of the court, didst know it was a received principle amongst us not to swear at all; many reasons I gave thee then, many more I have to add, if I may have audience; for it may appear to you an absurd thing, and obstinacy in me to refuse it, if I should not tender a reason; I am (said he) none of those that make religion a cloak of maliciousness, nor conscience a cloak to carry on plots or conspiracies, the Lord hath redeemed me and many more out of such things; and seeing I am engaged to appear at the next assizes, I desire no farther thing may be required of me.

Judge. You must enter into bond this dangerous time, and therefore consider of it, and tell me now, or before the assizes are ended.

The second day of the assizes he was called again.

F. H. Seeing thou art pleased to let me answer to the indictment, which I am willing to do, I have been of good behaviour, and shall so continue; but it seems a hard thing to me, and full of severity, that seeing I am obliged to appear to answer an indictment of so high a nature (if prosecuted against me) which tends to the loss of my liberty for life, and my estate for ever, I hope the court will not envy me my liberty for five months.

Judge Turner said, We do not desire your imprisonment, if you will be of good behaviour.

F. H. pressed that they would not put him upon giving bond to be of good behaviour, knowing himself to be bound by the truth, that he could not misbehave himself.

One Daniel Flemming, another persecuting justice, had framed another indictment against him for meeting, and stood up (fearing the snare of giving bond would not hold) and said as followeth :

er,

D. Flemming. My lord, he is a great speakit may be the Quakers cannot want him. Judge. Let him be what he will, if he will enter into bond.

F. H. said he he had nothing to accuse himself of, for his conscience bore him witness that

he loved peace, and sought it with all men.

Judges both spoke. What do you tell of conscience? We meddle not with it; but you contemn the laws, and keep up great meetings, and go not to church.

F. H. We are fallen in a sad age; if meeting together peaceably, without arms, or force or intention of hurt to any man, only to worship God in spirit, and exhort one another to righteousness, and to pray together in the Holy Ghost, as the primitive Christians of old, that this should be reckoned breach of the peace and misbehaviour.

Judge Twisden. Do you compare these times with them? They were heathens that persecuted, but we are Christian magistrates.

F. H. It is a doctrine always held by us and a received principle which we believe, that Christ's kingdom could not be set up with carnal weapons; nor the gospel propagated by force of arms, nor the church of God built up with violence; but the Prince of Peace was manifested amongst us, and we could learn war no more, but could love enemies, and forgive them that did evil to us.

Philip Musgrave stood up, and said, "My Lord, we have been remiss towards this peo. ple, and have striven with them, and have put them in prison again and again, and fined them, and as soon as they are out, they meet again."