J. R. Will you fwear? Will you take the oath that the act requires of you?

W. P. This is not to the purpose.

J. R. Read him the oath.

I

The OA T H.

W. P. do fwear, that it is not lawful, upon any pretence whatsoever, to take arms against the king, and that I do abhor that traiterous pofition of taking arms, by his authority, against his perfon, or against those that are commiffioned by him, in purfuance of fuch commiffions, and that I will not at any time endeavour any alteration of government, either in church or ftate.'

J. R. Will you take it, or no?

W. P. What need I take an oath not to do that, it is my faith not to do, fo far as concerns the king. Lieut. Price. Then fwear it.

W. P. The oath in that respect is already answered to all intents and purposes; for if I cannot fight against any man, (much lefs against the king) what need I

take an oath not to do it? Should I fwear not to do what is already against my confcience to do?

J. R. You will not take the oath then.

W. P. What if I refuse the oath, not because of the matter contained in it (which only can criminate in the sense of the act) but of fcrupling any oath? Shall I therefore be committed to prifon? This is most unequal. It was about FIGHTING the oath and act were defigned, and not taking of oaths: therefore the denying to fwear, when there is a denial to fight or plot, is no equitable ground for commitment.

J. R. Do you refuse to swear?

W. P. Yes, and that upon better grounds than those for which thou wouldst have me fwear, if thou wilt please to hear me.

J. R. I am forry you should put me upon this feve rity; it is no pleasant work to me.

W.P

W. P. These are but words; it is manifeft that this is a prepenfe malice: thou haft feveral times laid the meetings for me, and this day particularly.

J. R. No, I profefs I could not tell you would be there.

W. P. Thine own corporal told me, that you had intelligence at the Tower that I would be at WheelerStreet to-day, almost as soon as I knew it myself: it is difingenous and partial; I never gave thee occafion for fuch unkindness.

J. R. I knew no fuch thing; but if I had, I confefs I fhould have fent for you.

W.P. That might have been fpared, I do heartily

believe it.

J. R. I vow, Mr. Penn, I am forry for you: you are an ingenious gentleman, all the world must allow you, and do allow you that; and you have a plentiful eftate why should you render yourself unhappy, by affociating with fuch a fimple people?

W. P. I confefs I have made it my choice to relinquifh the company of those that are ingeniously wicked, to converse with thofe that are more honestly fimple.

J. R. I wish you wiser.

W. P. And I wish thee better.

J. R. You have been as bad as other folks.

W.P. When, and where? I charge thee to tell the company to my face.

J. R. Abroad, and at home too.

Sir John Shelden, [as is supposed]. No, no, Sir John, that is too much: [or words to that purpose.]

W. P. I make this bold challenge to all men, women, and children upon earth, juftly to accuse me with ever having feen me drunk, heard me fwear, utter a curse, or speak one obfcene word, (much less that I ever made it my practice.) I fpeak this to God's glory, that has ever preferved me from the power of thofe pollutions, and that from a child begot an hatred in me towards them. But there is nothing more common, than when men are of a more fevere life than

than ordinary, for loofe perfons to comfort themselves with the conceit, That they were once as THEY are; as if there were no collateral, or oblique line of the compass, or globe, men may be faid to come from to the ARCTICK pole, but directly and immediately from the ANTARCTICK. Thy words fhall be thy burden, and I trample thy flander as dirt under my feet.

J. R. Well, Mr. Penn, I have no ill will towards you; your father was my friend, and I have a great deal of kindness for you.

W. P. But thou haft an ill way of expreffing it. You are grown too high to confider the plea of those you call your forefathers, for liberty of confcience against the Papists, Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, Bradford, &c. It was then plea good enough; "My "confcience won't let me go to mafs," and "My "confcience wills that I fhould have an English "Teftament."

But that fingle plea for feparation, then reasonable, is now by you, that pretend to fucceed them, adjudged unreasonable and factious.

I fay, fince the only just caufe of the first revolt from Rome, was a diffatisfaction in point of confcience, you cannot reasonably perfecute others who have right to the fame plea, and allow that to be warrantable.

J. R. But you do nothing but ftir up the people to fedition, and there was one of your friends that told me, you preached fedition, and meddled with the government.

W. P. We have the unhappiness to be mifreprefented, and I am not the leaft concerned therein: bring me the man that will dare to justify this accufation to my face; and if I am not able to make it appear that it is both my practice, and all my friends, to instill principles of peace and moderation, (and only to war againft fpiritual wickedness, that all men may be brought to fear God and work righteousness) I fhall contentedly undergo the feverest punishment all your laws can expofe me to.

And

And as for the king, I make this offer, That if any living can make appear, directly or indirectly, from the time I have been called a Quaker, (fince from thence you date me feditious) I have contrived or acted any thing injurious to his perfon, or the English government, I fhall fubmit my perfon to your utmost cruelties, and efteem them all but a due recompence. It is hard, that I being innocent, fhould be reputed guilty! But the will of God be done! I accept of bad report as well as good.

J. R. Well, I muft fend you to Newgate for fix months; and when they are expired, you will come

out.

W. P. Is that all? Thou well knowest a larger imprifonment has not daunted me: I accept it at the hand of the Lord, and am contented to fuffer his will. Alas! you mistake your intereft; you will miss your aim; this is not the way to compass your ends.

J. R. You bring yourself into trouble: You will be the heading of parties, and drawing people after you. W. P. Thou mistakeft, there is no fuch way as this to render men remarkable: you are angry that I am confiderable, and yet you take the very way to make me fo, by making this buftle and stir about one peaceable perfon.

J. R. I wish your adhering to these things do not convert you to fomething at laft.

W. P. I would have thee and all men to know, that I fcorn that religion which is not worth fuffering for, and able to fuftain those that are afflicted for it: mine is; and whatever may be my lot for my conftant profeffion of it, I am no-ways careful, but refigned to anfwer the will of God, by the lofs of goods, liberty, and life itself. When you have all, you can have no more, and then perhaps you will be contented, and by that you will be better informed of our innocency. THY religion PERSECUTES, and mine FORGIVES: and I defire my God to forgive you all, that are concerned in my commitment, and I leave you all in perfect charity, wifhing your everlasting salvation.

J. R.

J. R. Send a corporal, with a file of mufqueteers along with him.

W. P. No, no, fend thy lacquey; I know the way to Newgate.

Being committed to this prifon for fix months, he filled up the time of his confinement by continual employs; and here he wrote "The Great Cafe of Liberty "of confcience, once more briefly debated and de"fended," together with several other pieces of occafional controversy.

In the time of his imprisonment, the parliament being about to take measures for enforcing with greater feverity the aforefaid conventicle act, he, whose freedom of spirit a prifon could not confine from advocating the cause of liberty, wrote the following paper, directed

с

F

To the High Court of Parliament.'

Orafmuch as it hath pleafed you to make an act, intituled, "An act for fupprefling feditious "conventicles, the dangerous practices of feditious "fectaries," &c. And that, under pretence of authority from it, many have taken the ungodly liberty of plundering, pillaging, and breaking into houses, to the ruin and detriment of whole families, not regarding the poor, the widow, and the fatherlefs, beyond all precedent or excufe; and that we are informed it is your purpose, inftead of relaxing your hand, to fupply the defects of that act by fuch explanatory claufes as will inevitably expose us to the fury and intereft of our several adverfaries, that under pretence of anfwering the intents of the faid act, will only gratify their private humours, and doubtlefs extend it beyond its original purpose, to the utter destruction of us and our fuffering friends;

• We therefore esteem ourselves obliged in Christian duty, once more to remonstrate,

Firft, That we own civil government, or magiftracy, as God's ordinance for the punishment of evil

• doers,