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Show The Au THo R's L 1 F E. VoL. I. J66o formity. Which frnall Stroke of Perfecution, not at all abating the .fl;[· ~ vour of his ?-ral, he was at length, for perfcvering in the hke R~~g~~~ Praaices, expell'dthe CoUedge. . b -~ ~From thence he returnedtlome, burnm tOok great Del~g tin tu"' "--vme 1661· pany of Sober and Religious People, which his Father know1ng to be a Block ~ jn the Way to Prefer111ent, endeaV:o\ued bQt'b. by Words and Blows to de~er Hom~ (rom him from ; but finding thofe Methods ineffeE\ual, he was at length fo tn· rbe 'UnivufiiJ· cenf~:c4 that he rurn•a hipl out .of Dqors: . .. "' . J662. P,Jtiencc furrnollntcd this Di,ffieo/ty, hlf)l,'i<J:)ther s Aff~hoa hal_g.b- ~ du'cl.his AngeL, lfho thth fen~'hirn lC '!r.utc,"" C.ornpllly >~i¥o!Jie _.,,. Bilgoineowr Jons of fluality, that were maktf!g a Tour thnh:r. He ~ontmued.:he~e a ro France. confiderable Time, rill a quite different Converfauon ~ad ~t\'ertedh~ Mmd fiOm the SeriOIIS n _,lf,gbt.ttJ_f Rel~fion: 1\nd up~on RJ~eturn, his Father finding him not only: .a.gooll.Pr'o6ttent [n ~the\FreiuG '!~ngu_e, but alfo I?e! .. fe8:ly accomplifhed with a Polite and ~rtly Behavzour, .JOyfully r~cetv 4 him, hopin~ his Point w:ts gain'd; and inde~d for fo~e Tt~e after hts Rc:_ turn from Fr01tct',. his Carriage was fuch as JUfily ermtled htm to"'the Ch~ 1664· ~ ~~i&ir;;' E"ercifts. nfler of a Compleat·Yo11ng Get~tleman. . . . ~ Great, about this Time, was his SpiritutJI_ Ccnfi!O; ~ts Blo~mtnl1o,b, His Natural Inclination, His Lively and AEltve Difpofi~ton, . Hts A'CIJIIlre.J. .A.ccomplifomentr. His Father's Favot~r, the Refpefi of hts Prundt and .Ac· ft~t~intance, did ftron(!:lY prefs hitn to embrace the G/o~y and Pleafuru of this ~Vorld, then :ts Jt were Courting and Carejfi11g h1m to accept them. Such a Combined Force might' feem almofr Invi~t&ibje; ~ur the earneit Sup· plication of his Soul bein_g to the LoRD for Prefervatz_o'!, He W:lS pie:J~ed to grant him fuch a Poruon of His H~ly PO)'.Qer ~nd Spmt, as enabl~ lum in due Time to overcome all Oppoji11on, and wuh an Holy Refoluuon1 to follow CHRIST~ whatfoeVer Reprottcbes or Perfecutions mightattend hjm. About the Yen 1666, and the 22d of his .'\ge., his Father committed to 1666• his Care and M::~nagement, a oonfiderable Ettate in Ircl,md, which 9cca!i- ~ oned his Reftdence in that Country. Being :l[ Cork, he was informed by Ireland, u.d. one of the People called ftualurs, that Tbovuu Loc, whom we mentioned hi1Convinu- before, was robe !hartly :lt a Meeting in that City; he went to hear him, mem rhtrt. who began his Declaration with thefe Words, '!here is 11 Faitb th111 wcr· coma the World, and tbere i1 a Faith that H overcome by the World; upon which SubjeD: he enlarged with much C!earnefs and Energy. By the u .. ving and powerful Teflimony of this Man, which had made fame lf!!_pref.. fion upon his Spirit Ten Years before, he was now throughly and efle8:ually Convin,·ed, and afterward conftantly attended the Meetings of that People, even through the Heat of l,'erfecution. 1667 On rhe rhird of the 9th Month, 1667, being again at a Meeting in Cor!; ~ he, with many oth.ers, were appre"hended -and canftd before the •. MaJor, Hif jif}f /In,.. w_ho obfe!ving th:Jt his Drefi difcoyer'd nor the _fiuaker, .would ha~e fet l'ifO#JtJa~t«t ~1m ar Ltberty" upon Bo11d for Ht.t Good &bavtoMr 5 whLch he refufing, f;urk. was, with about eighteen others, committed to Prifqn. • He h1d during his Hi#UrttrtCI rk E~rl of Orrery. Abode in Ireland, ,ontraf\:ed. an intimate .A:cquaint.,a11ce with many ~f the Nobility and Gentry, and, being now a Prifoner, wtote the f_?llowing Letier. . To the Earl of ~)R R E R v, Lord Prefident of.Munjler • . T HE ~ccafi~n may feem a.t flraRge ttl nty CJufe i.r JJJjl r huf· your . L?rdlh!p wtll no kfs expreft your Charity -in tbe one, "tbaJt your Juihce m the other. Religion abich U at once my Crime, and mine Innocence, maker me a PriJoner to a Mayor's Malice, but mine own Freeman; for being in the Affimb!y of tbe People caUed Quakers, there came fcveral Confi:ables back/ with Soldiers, rudely and arbitrarily ~equiring every Jlf,~n's .AppeaNnce hefore the Mayor,. and amongfl otber.r, vzo/!n.tly haled me umb them; Upon my coming brfore hun, be charged me for bemg prrfetrt at a Tumultuous ami Ri-otous Affernbly, VoL. I; The A t1 T H o R's L I FE. AiT'ernbly, nnJ un!efs I wou/J t.ive Bond for my good Behaviour, who chat- 1667. lenge the Wor~d to accufe me tu.fl!y wah the co;untrr, be would commit me: ~ I il}ked for }m Authonty,_ fo~ 1 humkly concerve Wllhout an AE\: of Parlia-ment, or an AE\: of StJtC, tl mtght be ;uftly termed too m11ch 0/ftcioufnejs: Hi.r anfwer wtU, A Proclamation in the Year 16~c, and new lnftruftionsto revive that dead and antiqu:Jted Order. I leave y our Lordfhip to be ]Hdg~i if tbat Proclamation relates 10 tbif Concernment; That only was dejigned to Jupprefs Fifth· Monarchy Killing Spirits; and .fince the King's Lotd·Lieutenant and your felf, being [11Yy perf waded the Intemion of tbe[e coOed Qua• kcrs. by_ their };1eetings, Wm, rea_Yy the Service of .G 0 D, have therefore m11nififled a Repeal by a long Contmuance of Freedolfl, I hope your Lordfhip will not nOlo begin an uuufual Severity, by indulging Jo m11ch Malice in one, wlxife iJ.flionr favour iU wab bis net~re~ Neig~bo11rs, bt~t tba~ there nMy be a fpeedy Releafment to all, for ltttenJing tbetr Honeil Callings, with tbe. }~njoyment of their Families, and not to be longer feparated from both. And, tbo' to dijfent from a National Syftem, impo[_ed by Authority, ren~ tiers .A-len. Herericks, yet 1 dare believe your Lordlliip s beuer read in Reafon and Theology, than to ft~!ifcrihe tl Maxim fo vulgar and untrue, {or ima. t.ining n1ofl Vitihle Conftitutions of Re!igio11s Government, jitiuJ to the ·J\"ature and Genilu of a Civil Empire, it cannot he ejlcemed Herefy, b11r to fcare a Jlfultitt~de from j11cb Enquiriu ttl may create Divifions, jot a! to a Civil Policy, and therefore at worfl Jeferves only tile J\Tame ofDifturbers. But 1 prefume, my Lord, the Acquaimance you have bad toitb or her Coun• tries, mufl needs have [un:ijh'd you with tbiJ lnfallible Obfervation, that Diverfities of }~titb and Worjhip. cOittrihute not to the Dijlurhance of any Plrrcc, where Moral Uniformity- is barely reguifit( to preferve the Peace. lt is notltmg fincc you tvere a good Sollicitor for the Ubeny I now crave and concluded no Way Jo cffellualto improve, or advontagt this Country, 'm to tlifpenfe with Freedom in Things relating to Confcience; and I jnppoft were it Riotous or Tumuh11Jry, d.f by fome vainly imagined, your Lordlhip's In~ " dination, at well a1 Duty, would entertain a very remote Opinion. My bumble St~pplication r!Jerefot"t to you is, that fo m:Jlicious and injurious a PraB:icc to innocent Englilhmen, may net receive any Cot~ntenance tJr Encouragement from your Lordlhip; for as it is contra1y to the PraOice elfewhere, and a bad Argument to i11vire Englilh bitbrr, fo, tcitb Submi.flion, tvill it not rt~ femble that Clemency and Engli01 Spirir, that bath hitherto mode You .Honourable. If in this Cafe I may have ufcd too great (l Liberty, it is my SubjeCt, nor jlJilll I doubt )"OJJr Pardon, fince by your Authority 1 txpdl a Favour, wbicb never will he ufed unworthy an Honeft Man, and Your Lordfhips F::~ithful, f5c. W. P. His Requeft in the Letter, fo far as reb ted to himfelf, was quickly grant· HifDi[rh.vgt. ed, for the Earl forthwith order'd his Difcharge. His late Imprifonmen t was fo f:Jr from terrifying, th:lt it firengthned him HH co"ft'n'f • in his Refolurion of ::1 clofer Union with th:lt People, whofe Religious In- ',t::._,.~d bJ nocence was the only Crime they fuffer•d for. 11»ermg • And now his more open joyning with the :]_ual<ers, brought himfelf un· Hi# publici: der that reproJchfu l Name; His Companions wonted Complements and jo_rni11g ro she Ctrr_[I"C!, were chang'd into Scoff.r and Derifion: He was m::tde a BJ·Word, Qyakers. Starn .:tnd Comrmpt, both co n·ofclfors ::~nd Profane; to the latter for being l<c!igzotls, :Jnd to the former, for having .1.1. Better than theirs. . His Father being informed by Letter from a Nobleman of his Acquaint· Hif Jr.!rur, to .a nee, whar Danger his Son w.:ts in, Of being profelyted to !2_t~a!uri[m. re- England. "rno:tndcd him Ho1ne, and he readily obeyed . . Upon his Return, although HH E"mifo there was no great Alteration in his Drefs, yet his manfler of Deportment, wi•h bi1 &•· :1nd the Solid Concern of Mind he appeared to be under, were m:tnifeft Indi- tbtr, &ationr of the Truth of the Information his Father had received; who there- B z upon |
