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⚫ from all that went before, or followed after him, and 'more than a little confirms my prefent confideration. I fhall omit the recital of later and prefent teftimonies In Europe they are fresh, and in our fight. It is not the property of religion to perfecute religion; that fcorns to employ thofe weapons to her defence, that others have used to her depreffion. It is her privilege alone to conquer, naked of force or • artifice: and that person who hath not the election of his religion, hath none.

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For my own part, I know not any unfit for political focieties, but thofe who maintain principles de• ftructive of induftry, fidelity, juftice and obedience, in all matters relative of them, (wherefore the Romans exiled their Mathematicos) which neither myfelf, nor any Quaker living, can with any fhew of reafon be charged withal. But to conceit that men muft form their faith of things proper to another world, by the prescriptions of mortal men, or else they can have no right to eat, drink, fleep, walk, trade, be at liberty, or live in this, to me seems both ridiculous and dangerous. Since it is most <certain, the understanding can never be convinced by other arguments than what are adequate to its own nature; which force is so remote from, that as <it abundantly expreffeth paffion or ignorance in those who use it, fo experimentally do we find, that it is not only unsuccessful, by confirming perfons that really have reasons on their fide, but greatly ob<durates alfo the unreasonable, who forget their own weakness, by gazing on their perfecutors, being well affured, that whofoever is in the right, he al<ways is in the wrong, that by club-law and corpo

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ral extremities thinks to illuminate and convince the < understanding: it may make hypocrites, not converts; and if I am at any time convinced, I will pay the honour of it to truth, and not to base and timorous hypocrify. Nor, indeed, are fuch inquiries material, as well as that it is unlawful to make fo diligent fearch for confcience, and that in cafe

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they

they find her without the mark of publick allowance, and that he pays no cuftom, fhe must be there forfeited. For who loves to afk at any shop, ' of what religion the mafter is, and not rather what is his price for this or that commodity? It therefore 'greatly were the king's intereft to clear the prifons ' of all confcientious perfons, efpecially fince uniformity of mind is not lefs impoffible in all punctilios, than is exact refemblance in vifage, and men must be new-made in both refpects, before they can be 'changed to gratify fuch defires.

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However my cafe is fingular, fince wholly guiltlefs of what was charged against me; and if the 'observation of Tacitus on Lingonius's various cafe 'be of any force, who, though he did deferve punish'ment inflicted, yet because it was done without exa'mination, and due conviction, faith Tacitus, "He "fuffered unlawfully;" then for a greater reason 'must my confinement feem injurious, who have been 'fhut up above these fix months, under a ftrict and clofe imprisonment, from many common comforts and neceffary concerns of life, without the least formal caufe or reason why exhibited against me, contrary, I conceive, to the natural privilege of an Englishman.

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My hopes are, I fhall not longer continue a prifoner, merely to affure the world I am not innocent of what in very truth I am not guilty; nor yet that ' matters of lighter moment be fought to prolong my restraint, because as yet there is no law to deprive an inoffenfive Englishman of fo great and eminent a right as liberty: fince this were too near

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ly to resemble the lamentable cafe of the innocent Idaughter of guilty Sejanus, who, because the Ro'man laws allowed not virgins to be ftrangled, was 'first deflowered, that fhe might be. My life shall

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go before my chastity, let men contrive what they will. But, above all, methinks the name Chriftian imports fo holy, fo juft, and fo condescending a difpofition, that these severities can have no plea Vol. I.

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⚫ from

from fuch as have truly entitled themselves unto it. For my own fhare, as it is my principle (as I have declared) to live myself, and encourage others, in the purfuit of juft, fober, and induftrious courfes (which are the true grounds of all civil focieties, and only ways to their profperity) fo in whatever I differ from the publick establishment, it shall never find me remifs therein.

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But I beseech thee to intreat the king, on my ac<count, not to believe every man to be his enemy, that cannot shape his confcience by the narrow forms and prefcripts of mens inventions; and the personal obligations, befides the publick refpect that I owe him, but above all, the holy forgiving TRUTH I profefs, will never admit of fuch a thing; nor do we own one principle that will not, instead of acting us to his prejudice, at all times in our ftations fit us to difpute with any (in civil matters) the first place of obedience to his commands, our confciences being • left unprescribed.

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To conclude: fince my adverfaries have overshot the mark, that the accufation is fictitious, and many of them have publickly retracted their firft opinions of the matter, after fo ftrict an imprisonment, without any legal cause, or just procedure, contrary to the privileges of every Englishman, as well as the meeknefs, forbearance, and compaffion infeparable ' from true Christianity; I think it is time, and I defire ‹ I may be ordered a release, to follow my ordinary employments: but if it fhould yet be fcrupled, or denied, upon the leaft diffatisfaction unremoved, I intreat the favour of access to the king, where I shall freely and justly answer to all fuch interrogatories as may concern my prefent cafe: or if that will not be allowed, that it would pleafe thee to give me a full hearing to all fuch objections as may be thought to carry any weight; that fo if I must remain a prifoner, it may be known for what; and in the mean time that fuch liberty may be granted me, as is customary for other prifoners to enjoy, after the first

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or fecond month of their imprisonment, the season

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especially confidered.

I make no apology for my letter as a trouble, the ' usual stile of fuppliants; because I think the honour that will accrue to thee, by being juft, and releafing the oppreffed, exceeds the advantage that can fucceed to me: worthy and generous minds gladly embrace 'occafions to affift the helplefs, and then are most 'ready to afford them their affiftance, when nothing 'is to be got befides the hazard of expreffing it. And

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I am well affured the kindness and juftice it fhall 'please thee to employ on that account, can never 'mifs of a plentiful reward from God, and praise of ‹ all virtuous men.

Thy true friend, who fuffers wrongfully, which the Lord God forgive, if he fo please,

W. P.'

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ift of the 5th Month,

•1669.'

And in order to clear himself from the afperfions caft upon him, in relation to the "doctrines of the

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Trinity, the incarnation and fatisfaction of CHRIST," he published a little book called, "Innocency with " her open face," by way of apology for the aforefaid "Sandy Foundation fhaken. In this apology he fo fuccefsfully vindicated himself, that foon after the publication of it, he was difcharged from his imprifonment, which had been of about feven months continuance.

On the 15th of the 7th month this year, he fet out again from London for Ireland, took shipping at Briftol on the 24th of the 8th month, and on the 26th arrived at Cork. In his paffage thither, we think the following occurrence worth relating: At his former 'coming from Ireland, the converfation and fociety ' of a perfon called a Quaker, who came over in the fame veffel, was a ftrengthening and encouragement to him then newly convinced. This man now hapB 2

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pened to return thither again in his company, and obferving how effectually the power of truth had wrought upon our author, and the great progrefs he through a fincere obedience had made in his journey heavenward, and feeing himself not only overtaken, but left far behind, by one that had fet out after him, was led to a folid reflection upon his own negligence and unfaithfulnefs, and expreffed, with many tears, a renewed vifitation and deep concern upon his fpirit.' So forcible is the example of the faithful, to the stirring up an holy zeal and emulation

in others.

Being arrived at Cork, he immediately vifited his friends imprifoned there, and the next day had a meeting with them, in which they were spiritually refrethed and comforted together: having tarried there fome days, he went from thence to Dublin, and on the 5th of the 9th month, was at the national meeting of friends there, which was held at his lodgings. At this meeting, an account of his friends fufferings being drawn up, by way of addrefs, he prefented the fame a few days after to the lord-lieutenant.

During his ftay in Ireland, though his bufiness in the care of his father's eftate took up a confiderable part of his time, yet was he frequently prefent at, and preached in, friends meetings, efpecially at Dublin and Cork, in one of which places he ufually refided. He alfo wrote during his refidence there, feveral treatifes, particularly, A Letter to the Young Convin"ced." He very frequently visited his friends in prifon, and had meetings with them; nor did he let flip any opportunity he had with thofe in authority, to folicit on their behalf: and in the beginning of the 4th month, 1670, through his repeated applications to the chancellor, the lord Arran, and the lord-lieutenant, an order of council was obtained for their releafe. Having fettled his father's concerns to fatisfaction, and done his own friends many fignal services, he fhortly after returned into England.