The cause plainly shewed of the persecution which is now upon the innocent people called Quakers and here is also a true declaration of their just and honest intentions, and in this all moderate people may see the ground of their sufferings / by William Smith.

The Cause plainly shewed OF THE PERSECUTION Which is now upon the innocent people, CALLED Quakers, &c.

THe sure foundation is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, in whom there is no variablensse; but is to day as yesterday, and the same for ever; in him is all goodness, mercy and peace; and in the vertue of his life and holiness is fruit brought forth, and it is like him, and doth not differ from him; and this is his own work in the hearts of all the children of obedience, whom he hath gathered to be followers of him, and to keep his command∣ments; and he is become their leader, and their

salvation is in him, and their testimony is unto him; for which cause they are evil intreated and persecuted, and their bodies and estates exposed to danger and loss, and through all the earthly powers changing, they have been kept under deep sufferings and sore persecution, and yet their pa∣tience hath been made manifest in bearing and enduring; and they can truly say they beare no evil will to any who have caused their suffer∣ings, neither is it in their hearts to seek any re∣venge upon them, but cheerfully commit their cause unto him that judgeth righteously: and these things doe not arise against the form or shape of our persons; for they be now in appea∣rance the same, as when we had much love pro∣fessed, from such as now are great enemies unto us; And whilest we were one with them, and did abide amongst them, and could have run with them in excess and vanity, we were not then re∣proached, nor reviled, nor persecuted and impri∣soned, but seemingly much beloved: But the Lord God having redeemed us from amongst them, through the power of his living word, which in his love hath entered within our hearts, and hath shaken the foundation of the earth, and cau∣sed the mountains to fall, and also hath purged our consciences from those lusts which once we lived in, and hath crucisied the flesh, and destroy∣ed the body of sin, and the life which we had in those things he hath taken away; and the Lamb he hath raised, from whom the life of righteous∣ness is brought forth, and hath translated us into

his likeness, and stampt his Image upon us, which the world doth not know; therefore are we ha∣ted, and from this ground ariseth all the persecu∣tion which is this day upon us, and all the enmity and evil that is against us, and is uttered concer∣ning us; and if any bears but the name of a Qua∣ker, then the cry is to hang them, and banish them, and famish them, with much more, which is from the very cruelty of peoples hearts uttered concer∣ning us, without enquiry whether any evil be committed by us, or any thing done worthy of such things as they utter forth concerning us: and this is for all people to consider coolly, & to weigh it in the balance of moderation and patience, and search truly into the ground; and if we do com∣mit evil, or do wrong to the person of any man, or disturb the nations peace, then let such punish∣ment fall upon us, as in such case is provided for such offences; but if no such thing can be justly charged upon us, or proved against us, then let people stay their hands from violence, and their hearts from purposing cruelty, and stop their mouths, and do not utter words so rashly; and let the King, Parliament, Councils, Judges, Justices, Officers and Souldiers, all know, and also be o∣vercome to believe, and be perswaded in their own consciences that we are an innocent people, and seek the well-being & peace of all men: And if this will not be received, nor cannot be belie∣ved, yet know, that we do believe, and also are fully perswaded in our own consciences, that our purposes and intentions are just and honest to∣wards

all men, and to live quietly, peaceably and godly in this present evil world; and that we neither seek to destroy or ruine the lives or e∣states of any persons or people upon the earth; neither do we conspire, plot, or contrive any such thing; for we know that all plots and conspira∣cies, insurrections and rebellions, do arise from that spirit that lusteth to envy, and not from Christ Jesus the Lamb of God; and it is an evi∣dent testimony, that where such things are practi∣sed, they spring from that wicked one, and are nourished from the cruelty that is lodged in his enmity, out of which comes all murders, plots and conspiracies, rebellions and persecution; and the Scripture-testimony is clear against all such pra∣ctises, and the holy men of God they never wal∣ked in them, they never plotted or contrived, nor ever persecuted any people; nor Christ Jesus, the Prince of peace, he never was of that mind, as to destroy mens lives, but to save them, and ought not the same minde to be in people as was in Christ Jesus, who laid down his life for his ene∣mies? he did not seek to destroy them, or persecute them, though they were his enemies▪ now such are far off from his mind, that seek to destroy and per∣secute such as are not enemies, but truly friends and lovers of the whole Creation: now this is not his mind, nor doth not arise from him, but is brought forth from a contrary spirit, that was alwayes against him: And where doth the Scripture declare, that Christ Jesus the Prince of peace did ever persecute, or command persecuti∣on?

or where did he require an oath, or allow of an oath, but plainly hath forbidden all oaths, and given forth a positive command not to swear at all, but to keep to yea and nay, for what was more was evil; (mark this) what was more then yea or nay was evil. And here was no definition or di∣stinction of Oaths, for one to be lawfull, and ano∣ther unlawfull, but plainly forbids them all, and bids them keep to their yea and nay: And we can truly say before the Lord, that we do not deny swearing upon any other account, but in obedi∣ence to his commands; and it is neither disaffe∣ction nor disloyalty to the King nor his Government, but to manifest our love to the King of Eternall Glory, in keeping his commandments; and though this be the great cause, at present, of our suffering and persecution, and from which so much wrath and fury is now against us, yet are our consciences void of offence, and in that we have peace, and we know our salvation and deli∣verance is in the hand of the Lord our God; and we know that persecutors have been alwayes ig∣norant of the things of God; for had they known him, they would not have crucified him; and if the truth of God was known, as it is this day, in which the Yea stands, and is performed, innocent people would be freed from all this persecution which is upon them, and be in their honest cal∣lings, and with their families, over which God hath set them. And all this persecution for not swearing, is come up since the Apostles dayes; there was no such things imposed upon them, to

bind them in Allegiance to any King or Kings in those dayes, and it was many years after that Statutes were made for imposing an Oath of Allegi∣ance, and for refusing, to imprison the body and seize upon goods; this is not agreeable with a∣ny practise in the Scripture, but is come up in the dark night of Apostacy, since the power of God was lost, and the spirit of truth ravened from. And in that day when Lawes and such Statutes were made for the imposing of an oath to binde to alle∣giance, there might be such a people as were ma∣nifestly against the King or Government, & might be deceitfull in their promises, and no trust to be reposed in them, though they might make fair promises; such a people there might be in that day, and such a people there may be in this day: but number not the innocent amongst the transgres∣sors; for the Lord God of power hath made mani∣fest his living truth in our hearts, and hath gathe∣red us in it, to shew forth his praise, and in the power of truth is deceit purged out, and our words and promises in the truth of God are sure and faithfull, and our yea is yea, and we are come to that which leads us into all truth, and was be∣fore Lawes and Statutes were, or any Kings reigne in England, whose Statutes are now in force for imposing Oaths.

And for our Allegiance to the King, we have made it manifest above many others; for unto him have we declared the counsel of the Lord, and also faithfully warned and exhorted him to obey the Lords counsel, that his Rule and Go∣vernment

might stand in the power of God, un∣to which we are truly allieged and willingly sub∣ject; and we have not at any time appeared a∣gainst the King or his Government, nor plotted or conspired any evil against his person or power, but have paid our tribute in all lawfull things, as subjects to him: and this is a more evident testi∣mony of our allegiance to the King, then persecu∣tion and cruelty, wrath and fury; and all this swearing and imprisoning for refusing Oaths ari∣ses from the wicked one, that hath seated himself in peoples hearts, and hath the dominion over them, and brings forth his cruelty through them; and so people having lost the power of God, that keeps faithfull in the yea and nay without an oath, they impose oaths upon one another, and swear one unto another, but do not perform their oaths faithfully; then what is your oath worth, if there be not faithfulness to perform it? and this is not without a witness in every conscience, this day, how many severall impositions have been invent∣ed, to engage and bind to every severall Govern∣ment, as it hath risen, and how have they falsifi∣ed their Covenants and Engagements? and it will be so though people be sworn again and again, un∣till they come to the power of God, that teacheth to deny swearing, and to perform every promise faithfully without swearing; and who are not come to the power of God, that keeps faithfull in yea and nay, they are not faithfull to their oath; so that it is not an oath that makes any faithfull to the thing they are sworn unto, but the power

of God that forbids swearing, and keeps faithful to what is promised in the yea, and to what is te∣stified against in the nay. And here stands true loyalty and faithfull obedience, both to God and man: The love is truly manifested unto God in keeping his Commandments, and the Allegiance faithfully performed to the King, in living peacea∣bly and quietly under his Government, without any Insurrection or Rebellion; and it hath been so found amongst us without any deceit or guile, whilest others who have sworn have not been found faith∣full to their oath; therefore take our yea, and try us in it, seeing it is onely for conscience sake that we cannot swear; and if we be not found faith∣full in our yea, then we shall fall into your hands as evil doers, and bear our punishment; but un∣till you have proved us and found us transgressors, do not so cruelly intreat us and persecute us, for it will draw down judgement, and not mercy; and hitherto we cannot be charged with the breach of our yea, since we have been gathered into Gods truth: therefore have we peace in our suf∣ferings, because we stand clear before the Lord, and have no guilt upon our consciences, as to the cause we suffer for this day. And were it not much better that people would come to the pow∣er of God, that forbids swearing, and keeps faith∣full in the yea, then to be strangers to the power of God, and run into transgression, and falsifie their Oaths? And this is the ground of distrust and unbelief one of another, because people are not come to the power of God, then they dare not

trust one another upon their yea, but impose oaths one upon another, which never makes any people faithfull. The Saints yea was yea, and they were trusted upon their yea, and believed one another upon their yea; and the Kings in those dayes did not impose any oathes upon them, for the spirit of truth led them into all truth; and what they promised in their yea, the spirit of truth led them faithfully to perform it. And so were they tru∣sted and believed upon their yea, without any imposition of an oath to bind them beyond it: And all the distrust one of another, & the unbelief one of another, as to what is promised in the yea, it is come up since the dayes of the Apostles, that the true spirit hath been lost, and the false spirit hath got a seat in people, and rules in his domi∣nion, and leads their mindes into deceit, that their yea is not performed; then doth the false spirit be∣get in them an imagination to impose an oath up∣on people to make them faithfull, and so hath all this swearing come up in the dark night of Apo∣stacie, and all distrust and unbelief one of another is got up since the power of God was lost, and so nothing will be taken for truth, but what is sworn unto; and this is a manifest token of the spirit of errour, which works in the minds of peo∣ple, and drawes them from obedience to the do∣ctrine of Christ and the Apostles, and then la∣bours to draw others into transgression with them.

And it is said by many who are amongst the oaths, We swear, and you must swear, and the nations

law is so to do, and you must obey or suffer; and the Scri∣pture declares of swearing, and they did bind their pro∣mises solemnly with an oath, and an oath for confirma∣tion is an end of all strife; and Abraham sware, and many others that were holy men of God, they sware; and it was not counted unto them for transgression.

Now what they might do in the dread and fear of the Lord God, in promising solemnly some words in their own freedome, as a sure confirma∣tion of their true intentions to perform their pro∣mise, it doth not make the lawfulness of an Oath imposed: And this they did do, and might do without transgression: but what is this to the proof of an Oath formed, and people to lay their hands upon the Bible, and then to have these for∣med words read unto them, and to say, You shall swear unto such things, and then pronounce, So help you God, and then to kiss the Book? Is there any Scripture that makes mention of Abraham, or any of the holy men of God, taking such an Oath? or was ever such an Oath imposed upon them? And Christ Jesus is come, who hath put an end to the strife, and to the Oaths that stood in the strife, and he now creates Peace, and leads into Peace, where there is neither striving nor swearing. And we can truly, pronounce our Allegiance to CHARLS the Second, now King of England, and can truly promise subjection to all his just and lawfull Commands, and not to contrive or conspire, or any way to rebell against His Person or Power, but to be assisting in all lawfull things that may be for the preservation thereof; And we do renounce

the POPE and all Jesuiticall practises, with all Idolatrous superstitions; and we do not, nor shall not hold any Correspondencies or Intelligences with the POPE, or any that do belong unto him, as to the owning of his Supremacy. And this we can freely promise in the presence of the Lord, who is the searcher of all hearts, and knowes that we lye not; and we can seal it with our Yea, and signe it with our Hands; and the contrary with our Nay, and signe it with our Hands.

And this Innocent Testimony of our Allegiance and Subjection to the King and all his lawfull Commands, I that am now a sufferer in Worcester County-gaol, because I dare not swear and run into condemna∣tion, am made free in the Lord to declare it unto all people, in behalf of my own innocency, and also my faithfull brethren, who are this day suffe∣rers with me for the testimony of a good consci∣ence; and if it be so that we cannot be trusted, and be believed in our Yea, and subscription unto this or some other just testimony; we are also free to declare, that we cannot swear for conscience sake, and for no other cause or matter whatsoever; and we are freely given up into the hand of the Lord our God; and what may be permitted to fall up∣on us, either in body or substance, we wait upon the Lord for strength to bear it patiently, and to rest in it peaceable, untill he arise our inno∣cent cause to plead, who now are in Sufferings for keeping his Commandments, and no other thing that any have against us: And if people did but know the Peace and Joy which in the

we have, they would surely rather chuse to suf∣fer with us in the same cause, then in any wise to oppress us and persecute us in our bodies: For in the day determined all shall receive a recom∣pence.

From the County-Gaol in Worcester, the 23. day of the 11. moneth 1660.

W. S.

THE END.