much more addicted to mirth and amusements, than to the duties of the ministerial office. Their example, and that of the court, had a demoralizing effect on others, especially the lower orders of society.

In order to counteract the opinion that the reformed religion was severe and strict in its requisitions, James published, in 1618, a royal declaration, drawn up by one of the Episcopal bishops, stating, that "for his good people's recreation, his majesty's pleasure was, that after the end of Divine service, they should not be disturbed, letted, or discouraged from any lawful recreations, such as dancing, either of men or women, archery for men, leaping, vaulting, or any such harmless recreations; nor having May games, whitsonales, or morrice dances, or setting up of May poles, or other sports therewith used, so as the same may be had in due and convenient time, without impediment or let of Divine service."

This was a source of great offence to the Puritans; and when the declaration was republished by Charles, and directed to be read in all the churches, many of the ministers refused to comply.

nation, and gave rise to the close and sharp reproof, which our early Friends so often found it their duty to administer.

The few parliaments which James and Charles assembled, evinced a disposition to apply some remedy to the religious dissensions and grievances which distracted the nation. This was an interference so little agreeable to the crown, that they were speedily prorogued, and a long period suffered to elapse before another was called, which gave rise to the suspicion, that the monarch intended to govern by prerogative only, and without the intervention of a parliament.

The condition of the nation when Charles came to the throne, was melancholy indeed. It was torn by internal dissensions; and the affections of a large portion of the people alienated from the king, by oppression and injustice. The encroachments of the crown-the continued encouragement given to Papists, the unmitigated persecution of the Puritans, and of such as had the magnanimity and courage to resist the arbitrary measures of the court and its minions, together with the failure of some of his military enterprises, tended to increase The license given by the indulgence, pro- the murmurs, and to rouse the spirit of those, duced the results which might reasonably have who regarded the liberties and the religion of been anticipated. The sports degenerated into the country. Influenced by mistaken notions noisy and tumultuous revels, with tippling, of royal prerogative, and misguided by his quarrels and sometimes even murder. These counsellors, Charles, instead of softening the disorders grew to such a height, that the jus- spirits of the Puritans by some concessions, tices, in some counties, petitioned the judges of proceeded to still greater lengths, until the the courts to suppress them, which they did. minds of many of his subjects were prepared But Archbishop Laud, then primate of Eng- for any change which promised to restore to land, summoned the judges before the king them their civil and religious rights. From and council, for invading the Episcopal juris- this state of things, it was but a short step to diction. A sharp reprimand and an order to open warfare, and accordingly the nation was revoke the prohibition, was the result. The soon involved in a civil war, which resulted in archbishop taking the matter into his own bringing Charles to the scaffold, and setting up hands, was informed by the bishop of Bath a new form of government. Numerous negoand Wells, within whose diocese the prohibi-tiations for a settlement of the religious diftion had been enforced, that the restoration of ferences took place, but neither the king nor the wakes and revels, &c. would be very ac- the parliament being willing to accede to the ceptable to the gentry, clergy and common terms proposed by the other, in 1642 they appeople; in proof of which, he had procured pealed to the sword to settle a controversy, the signatures of seventy-two clergymen; and which had hitherto been managed only by believed, if he had sent for an hundred more, words. During the course of the war, which he could have had the consent of them all. It continued with various success for several was determined to continue them, and the king forbade the justices interfering with the people. It may readily be supposed, that such proceedings would have a powerful influence in promoting licentiousness; when, in addition to the command of their king, the ministers of religion joined in encouraging practices, to which the depraved inclinations of the human heart alone, furnish strong excitement. We may safely rank this among the causes, which contributed to promote the immorality and corruption which so lamentably overspread the

years, the king was often reduced to great extremities, and at last falling into the hands of the parliament, he was brought to trial before his avowed enemies, and condemned to be beheaded as a traitor. This cruel sentence was carried into execution early in 1648.

It was in 1646, during the prevalence of the civil and religious commotions, that GEORGE Fox commenced his labours as a minister of the Gospel, being then in the 23d year of his age.

After the death of the king, the nation was without any legal form of government; but

the parliament, which had assumed the power, it. The articles of the constitution embracing and exercised it at the commencement of the that subject, contain the following, viz:war, still continued to govern. The Presby- "That the Christian religion contained in terians had the control of affairs chiefly in the Scriptures, be held forth and recommendtheir hands, and proceeded to model the reli-ed as the public profession of these nations. gion of the nation to suit their peculiar views. "That none be compelled to conform to the Instead of the liturgy of the Church of Eng-public religion, by penalties or otherwise; but land, they set up the Directory for Public that endeavours be used to win them by sound Worship; and, forgetting the severity of doctrine and the example of a good conversatheir own sufferings for non-conformity, when tion. others were in power, they now set about com- "That such as profess faith in God, by pelling all to comply with their established Jesus Christ, though differing in judgment forms. The arguments they had used against from the doctrine, worship, and discipline pubpersecution for religion, when smarting un- licly held forth, shall not be restrained from, der the lash of the Episcopal Church, were urged upon them in vain. Having the power in their hands, they appeared to consider it as a sufficient authority for coercing others, to adopt that form of worship and system of doctrines, which they had determined to be the best. Never did religious toleration seem to be less understood, or the great right of liberty of conscience more wantonly disregarded.

But while the parliament was acting in conformity with these narrow and bigoted opinions, principles of a contrary character were at work in the army, where the Independents predominated, and carried with them their wonted liberality toward the conscientious dissent of others. Against this latitude of indulgence, the Presbyterians declared with great earnestness, as a source of innumerable evils, and tending to the destruction of all religion. A long conference took place between the two parties, for the purpose of making some arrangement, by which the Independent form of worship and discipline could be included; but such was the pertinacity of the Prebyterian faction, that they refused to yield anything, and the scheme was abandoned as hopeless.

This arbitrary and oppressive course, rendered the sect unpopular; and the Independents finding they were not likely to obtain much from the parliament, and having the army on their side, with Oliver Cromwell at its head, he put an end to the Commonwealth and the parliament together, in the year 1653 -the former having continued a little more than four years, and the latter sat as a legislative body, with some short intermissions, for thirteen years.

It was not long ere Cromwell and his officers struck out a new form of government; and in the latter end of 1653, he was declared Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. The principles of the new government, relative to religion, were more liberal and Christian, than any which preceded VOL. I.-No. 1.

but shall be protected in, the profession of their faith, and the exercise of their religion; so as they abuse not this liberty to the civil injury of others, and to the actual disturbance of the public peace on their parts; provided, this liberty be not extended to popery or prelacy, or to such as, under a profession of Christ, hold forth and practice licentiousness."

Creditable as these provisions are to the enlightened views of religious toleration, entertained by those who framed them, they are still defective, in making exceptions to two classes of professors. Had they been faithfully carried out in practice, they would have saved much suffering for conscience sake, both to Friends and the Baptists. For however favourable the protector was to granting liberty of conscience to all, it was not the case with the magistrates, justices and others, in whose hands the execution of the laws was placed. From the cupidity or intolerance of these, Friends were often interrupted in the exercise of their religion, and punished, because they could not swear or pay tithes, though to a much less degree than was afterward the case.

Toward the close of Cromwell's government, he was again declared protector, under new articles of government, in which an attempt was made to narrow the grounds of toleration, by a more close definition of the doctrines to be professed.

In the opening of the second session of the parliament, in 1657, the Lord Commissioner Fiennes "warns the house of the rock on which many had split, which was a spirit of imposing upon men's consciences, in things wherein God leaves them a latitude, and would have them free."- "As God is no respecter of persons, so he is no respecter of forms, but in what form soever the spirit of imposition appears, he will testify against it. If men, though otherwise good, will turn ceremony into substance, and make the kingdom of Christ consist in circumstances, in discipline, and in forms, in vain do they

2

protest against the persecution of God's people, when they make the definition of God's people so narrow, that their persecution is as broad as any other, and usually more fierce, because edged with a sharp temper of spirit." "It is good to hold forth a public profession of the truth, but not so as to exclude those that cannot come up to it in all points, from the privilege that belongs to them as Christians, much less to the privilege that belongs to them as men."

These just sentiments, which appeared to be gaining ground in the minds of men, were soon to receive a check, by the change of rulers. In 1658, Oliver Cromwell died, and was succeeded by his son Richard; who, finding the difficulties and perplexities of balancing the power of rival parties, and conducting the affairs of state, little suited either to his capacity or his inclinations, resigned his high and responsible station, after having occupied it only eight months.

A short interregnum ensued, and in 1660 the kingdom was restored to the house of Stuart, by proclaiming Charles II.

These frequent changes in the government had a tendency to keep up the unsettlement which had long agitated the nation, as well as those violent party feelings and prejudices, which the political and religious struggles had engendered. Friends took no part in the revolutions of government-their principles forbade them from putting down or setting up, and taught them to live peaceably, as good citizens, under whatever power the Ruler of the universe permitted to be established over them. But though peaceable and non-resisting in their conduct, they were neither idle nor unconcerned spectators of the course of events. Believing that righteousness was the only security for a nation's stability and prosperity, they earnestly enforced on the parliament and protector, as well as the monarchs who succeeded, the suppression of vice and immorality, the equal administration of justice, and the removal of all oppression. The addresses made to those in authority by George Fox, Edward Burrough and others, are marked with innocent boldness, and good sense, delivered in a style of great frankness and honesty. Nor did they omit to warn them of the consequences which would ensue if they failed to perform the divine will, predicting with clearness the overthrow of Oliver's government, and some other changes which occurred.

sciences, and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of opinion, in matters of religion, which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom."

But plausible as are these promises, and sincere as the king might have been in making them, the event proved how little reliance was to be placed upon the royal word. Devoted to his own pleasures, and with too little application or industry to examine the opinions of his advisers, or inquire into the sufferings sustained by his subjects, he permitted the clergy to pursue their own measures for the promotion of the church, who took care to return the measure of persecution meted to them under the commonwealth and protectorate, heaped up and running over into the bosoms of the dissenters. Conformity was rigidly enforced, and not satisfied with the existing statutes for punishing those who dared to differ in their consciences from the prescribed standard, new and more oppressive laws were procured.

The persecution fell with peculiar severity on Friends, who were suspected of being unfriendly to the restoration of the king, from their refusal to take any oath, and consequently the oath of allegiance to the crown-though they repeatedly offered instead, their most solemn declarations to the same effect.

The peaceable and unresisting spirit which governed the conduct of Friends, seemed to embolden their persecutors to oppress them without colour of law or justice, knowing they had nothing to fear from the law of retaliation, and that but few could be found to plead their cause or espouse the defence of their rights.

To give some colour to the severities practised against them, pretexts were drawn from supposed violations of the regulations of civil policy-"A Christian exhortation to an assembly after the priest had done and the worship was over, was denominated interrupting public worship, and disturbing the priest in his office; an honest testimony against wickedness in the streets or market place, was styled a breach of the peace; and their appearing before the magistrates covered, a contempt of authority; hence proceeded fines, imprisonments and spoiling of goods. Nay, so hot were some of the magistrates for persecution, even in Cromwell's time, that by an unparalleled and most unjust misconstruction of the law against vagrants, they tortured with cruel whippings and exposed in the stocks, the bodies both of men and women of good estate and reputation, merely because they went under the denomination of Quakers."

In his declaration issued from Breda, on the eve of his sailing for England to assume the crown, Charles held this conciliatory language, calculated to allay the fears of those Several obsolete statutes were brought to bear who dreaded the restoration of the hierarchy. most heavily upon Friends, though originally "We do also declare a liberty to tender con-enacted with a view of reaching the Papists,

a company of infatuated men, who, supposing that the one thousand years of Christ's reign on earth, mentioned in Rev. xx. was just commencing, rose in arms and ran about the streets of London, crying out that they were going to overthrow the government of King Charles, and set up King Jesus. Although there was not the shadow of reason, for connecting the Society in any way with this wild insurrection, yet the king made it the pretext for issuing his proclamation, for the suppression of all unlawful conventicles, or meetings for religious purposes, designating particularly those of the Anabaptists and Quakers. This encouraged the profane and irreligious populace to assail the meetings of Friends, and inflict upon them the grossest outrages and cruelties.

who refused to conform to the established religion. Among these was an act passed in the 32d year of Henry VIII.'s reign, against subtracting or withholding tithes; obliging justices to commit obstinate defendants to prison, until they should find sufficient security for their compliance. The laws made in Elizabeth's reign for enforcing a uniformity of worship, authorizing the levy of a fine of one shilling per week for the use of the poor, from such as did not resort to some church of the established religion, every sabbath or holy day, and also another, establishing a forfeiture of twenty pounds per month for the like default. A third law empowered the officers to seize all the goods, or a third part of the lands, of every such offender for the fine of twenty pounds. And as if these were not sufficiently severe, another was enacted in the 35th year of Queen Elizabeth, obliging offenders in the like case to abjure the realm, onlessly and openly met for the solemn duty of pain of death.

All these laws were revived, and attempts made to enforce them in the cases of Friends, though it was well known they were designed to bear upon the Papists. As Friends could not conscientiously pay tithes, believing that the ministry of the gospel should be free, according to the express injunction of Christ to his apostles, "Freely ye have received, freely give," great havoc was made of their property by the rapacious priests.

The Society of Friends viewed the positive command of our Lord, "Swear not at all," corroborated by the exhortation of the Apostle James, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not; neither by Heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath," as being of indispensable obligation, and entirely precluding the Christian from taking an oath on any occasion whatever.

Soon after Charles II. came to the throne, the acts made in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, requiring the subject to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy were revived, and visited upon Friends with great oppression.

In 1661, the parliament passed another act, aimed directly at the Society, providing that any Quaker refusing to take an oath, when lawfully tendered, or who should maintain, in writing or otherwise, the unlawfulness of taking an oath; or if five or more Quakers, above the age of sixteen years, should assemble for religious worship, they should forfeit five pounds for the first offence, or suffer three months imprisonment; doubling the penalty for the second offence; and for the third, they were to abjure the realm, or be transported.

The insurrection of the "fifth monarchy men," as they were called, was the occasion of fresh persecution to Friends. They were

Severe as were the sufferings of Friends under the operation of these oppressive laws, their constancy was not shaken. They fear

Divine worship, nothing daunted by the terrors which threatened them. This Christian boldness exasperated their enemies, especially the persecuting priests and magistrates; and another law was procured more prompt and terrible in its operation. It declared the statute of 35th of Elizabeth in full force; and that every person taken at a meeting consisting of more than five, beside the household, should suffer three months imprisonment, or pay a fine of five pounds, on conviction before two justicesdouble the penalty for the second offence, and being convicted of a third, before the justices at the Quarter Sessions, should be transported for seven years, or pay one hundred pounds fine-and in case they returned or escaped, they should be adjudged felons, and sentenced to death. It also empowered sheriffs, justices of the peace, and persons commissioned by them, to hunt out and break up all religious meetings, other than those of the established religion, and take into custody such of the company as they saw fit. Persons allowing such meetings in their houses, barns, &c. to be subject to the same penalties and forfeitures as other offenders. Such as were sentenced to transportation, were to be sent over sea at their own expense; and in default of ability to pay, to be sold for five years to defray the charges. Married women taken at meetings, to be imprisoned for a term not exceeding twelve months, or their husbands to pay for their redemption not exceeding forty pounds.

The next enactment by which Friends suffered, was commonly known by the name of the Oxford five mile act. It was aimed at the Presbyterian and other non-conforming ministers, requiring them to take an oath, that it was not lawful under any pretence to take up arms against the king; and that they would

ing the decision with a single justice, himself often the accomplice of the informer and the sharer of the prey. It would be difficult to conceive a scene of more extensive rapine and plunder, in time of peace and under colour of law, than the execution of this Act produced throughout the nation. Many Friends were reduced from competency to destitution of the very necessaries of life.

not at any time, endeavour to procure any al-promoted by the privacy of the trial, and restteration in the government of church or state. Such as refused to take the oath, were declared incapable of teaching any school, public or private, under penalty of forty pounds. All nonconforming ministers were likewise prohibited from coming within five miles of any city, town, or borough sending members to parliament, or within five miles of any place where they had officiated as ministers, unless it might be in passing along a public highway, under a forfeiture of forty pounds; one-third of which went to the informer.

In 1672, Charles issued his declaration of indulgence, by which, in virtue of his royal prerogative, as supreme in ecclesiastical as well as civil affairs, he assumed to suspend the operation of the penal laws against the non

general liberty of conscience, were not for ward to accept the boon thus offered, and even wrote against it, on the ground that it would sanction the exercise of the dispensing power

The refusal of Friends to take an oath, brought their ministers within the scope of this law, and fines, distraints and imprison- conformists. The right of the sovereign to ments were the consequences. exercise this power, was warmly contestIn 1670, there appeared to be a disposition ed. Some of the dissenters, and especialamong some of the officers of government to ly the Presbyterians, who were extremely put a stop to persecution. The king, on seve- jealous of the Papists, and unfavourable to ral occasions, had shown his dislike to it; but being opposed by the bishops and parliament, he had not the firmness or resolution to withstand their influence. The former Act for suppressing religious meetings having expired, in the king. a new one was prepared and passed, making Friends had suffered more severely during the penalty five shillings for the first offence, the preceding persecutions, than any other and ten for the second; the preachers or class of dissenters. They had stood their teachers in such meetings to forfeit twenty ground with unflinching intrepidity, when pounds for the first, and forty pounds for the others fled before the storm. They contended second offence; and twenty pounds penalty that liberty of conscience was the natural right for suffering a meeting to be held in a house of all men, and that every interference of the or barn. A single justice was authorized to civil power, with the peaceable exercise of conconvict on the oath of two witnesses, and the scientious duty, was contrary to Christianity fines to be forthwith levied on the offenders' and to sound principles of government. They goods, and in case of his poverty, on the goods meddled not with the politics of the day, nor of any other offender present at the same meet-professed to be skilled in questions of royal ing; provided the amount so levied shall not prerogative. The knowledge, that hundreds exceed ten pounds for one meeting.-One third of their brethren were unjustly lying in of all the fines to go to the informer, as a re- prisons, while their helpless families were exward for his services. Justices, constables, and posed to the rapacity of merciless informers, other officers, were authorized to break open was an argument sufficiently powerful, to inand enter any house, or place, where they duce them to accept the relief which the king's might be informed there was a conventicle, and declaration afforded. An application was acsearch for, and take into custody, all persons cordingly made to the crown for the discharge found assembled there. If any justice of the of those who had been imprisoned for conpeace refused to perform the duties prescribed science sake; and such was the favourable in the Act, he was to forfeit one hundred pounds, opinion produced by the constancy, and uniand every constable five pounds. And it was formly peaceable and consistent conduct of the further enacted, that "all clauses in the law Society, that a warrant was readily obtained should be construed most largely and beneficial- for their liberation. The success of this aply for the suppressing of conventicles, and for plication, afforded Friends an opportunity of the justification and encouragement of all per- proving the sincerity of their opinions in favour sons to be employed in the execution thereof." of universal toleration and charity. There A more unjust and oppressive law could were other dissenters confined in the same scarcely be conceived. In the hope of rioting prisons, and their solicitors requesting the aid on the spoils of the Quakers' goods, unprinci- of Friends in their behalf, they cheerfully acpled men lurked about their dwellings, lodged corded it, and included the names of their information against them on the most frivolous prisoners in the same instrument, by which pretences, and swore falsely to procure their their own members were relieved from bonds. conviction; the facility of which was greatly The respite which the declaration afforded