UPON the ſecond day of the eight Month, called by the world October, in the year 1660. the general Quarter Seſſions for the County of Oxen was kept at Oxford, and one which is called by the world Sir William Walter was Judge of the Court, and I, and another friend, called Benjamin Staples was brought by the Jaylor of Oxford into the Court before them, and when they had examined me, and could find nothing againſt me, they on purpoſe to enſnare me, tendered unto me the Oath of Allegiance, I told them I owned the King to be the Supream Governour, in civil and temporall things, and was willing to obey him in all juſt and lawful commands, but if King Charles and they that are in Authority under him, command me to do that which is contrary to the Command of the LORD JESƲS, then I ſhall chooſe rather to obey CHRIST JESƲS then King Charls, or them that are in Authority under him, and ſo I told them I could not ſwear for conſcience ſake, if it would gain me the whole world, becauſe Chriſt Jeſus hath forbid it, and ſaith Swear not at all (and the Apoſtle James likewiſe) Matth. 5. 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. & James 5. 12.) but nothing would ſatisfie them that could be ſpoken, except I would ſwear, and ſo in obedience to Chriſt I refuſed to ſwear; then the aforeſaid William Walter aſked the reſt of thoſe called Juſtices that ſat upon the Bench with him, whether they had any thing to ſay againſt it, whereby he might not paſſe judgement againſt me, they all with one accord conſented to him that he might, then he ſaid unto me, HEAR YOUR SENTENCE, You are out of the Kings protection, and all your Lands, Goods, and Chattels are forfeited, and to be ceaſed on for the uſe of the King, and you are to remain in Priſon during the Kings pleaſure; and then he command the Jaylor to take me away▪ and I aſked him if he gave orders to the Jaylor to put Irons upon me (which was thereon when I was brought before them, and when I came firſt into Priſon) as Theeves and Murderers have, he anſwered, The Jaylor might doe what he would with me (or words to this purpoſe) for I was out of the Kings protection, and ſo the Jaylor took me away, and brought the aforeſaid Benjamin before them, and when they had examined him and could finde nothing againſt him, then they tendered unto him the ſame Oath, but he refuſed to take it (in obedience to Chriſt) for conſcience ſake, as I did, and ſo the aforeſaid William Walter, with the conſent of the reſt, paſſed the ſame Sentence on him as he did on me; and ſo the Jaylor ſent us both away to Priſon, and when the ſaid Jaylor came down to the Priſon, he ſpoke to the Common-Priſoners and told them, if they wanted Coats, they might take ours off our backs, for we could have no law againſt them; then one of the Priſoners anſwered, He would go naked before he would take off ours. And this is Printed and publiſhed that all ſober minded people may ſee and conſider, whether we be not cruelly uſed, and unjuſtly dealt withall, by them that are now in Authority, contrary to the righteous Law of God, (which is) that every one ſhould do unto all men, as they would be done unto themſelves.

Now here followeth ſomething in anſwer to the aforeſaid Sentence, which was paſſed by the aforeſaid William Walter, with the conſent of the reſt of thoſe called Juſtices which ſat upon the Bench with him that day.

You that pretend to be the Kings friends, and to act for him, and in his name, this I would have you take notice of, foraſmuch as you have perſecuted the ſervants of the Lord, for obeying the command of Chriſt Jeſus, and hath caſt us into Priſon, and paſſed an unjuſt Sentence againſt us, contrary both to the Command of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, recorded in Matth: 5. 33, 34, 35, 36, & 37. verſes, & Jam: 5. 12. and contrary to the promiſe of King Charls, and therefore you are enemies to CHRIST JESƲS, & King Charls, for Chriſt ſaith, Swear not at all, and King Charls hath promiſed, that we ſhall have the liberty of our conſcience, and not ſuffer for our Religion or Opinion (or words to this purpoſe) and moreover he ſaid, We had the word of a King for it; and this he hath promiſed to my friends, which is one with me in Spirit, and it is now in Print, to the publick view of his Subjects; therefore you are no friends neither to God, nor the King, but on the contrary you are enemies to both, becauſe you go about, and do as much as in you lyes to compel and force the ſervants of the Lord to break the command of Chriſt, and make it of no effect and force; and alſo you go about to cauſe the King to break his promiſe, and to make his promiſe and word of none effect, which he hath promiſed before the Lord, and to his people, for which he muſt give an account to the Juſt God, if he do not perform his promiſe which he made to them; therefore if you do not repent of this your wickedneſſe, and turn to God with all your hearts, and forſake the evil of your ways and doings, and ceaſe perſecuting the people of God, the Lord will cut you off from the face of the earth, and give you your portion with the wicked and ungodly, and reward every one of you according to your works, and paſſe this ſad Sentence againſt you which he did againſt the wicked and ungodly in the dayes of old, which is recorded in Mat. 7. 23. Mat. 25. Luke 13. 25, 26, 27, 28. verſes, Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, and theſe went away into everlasting puniſhment where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth; and the Lord is the ſame now (as he was then) and you your ſelves are in the ſame nature, and as vile, and wicked, and guided by the ſame ſpirit as they was, as your fruits make you manifeſt; and the ſame woe and miſery that came upon them for their wickedneſſe and diſobedience, will certainly come upon you for your ungodlineſs and diſobedience to Chriſt Jeſus the Light of the world, If you do not repent ſpeedily, and fear the Lord, and ceaſe from all your ungodly wayes, and Iearn to do well; for the God that we (who are in ſcorn and deriſion called Quakers) own, ſerve, obey and worſhip, is the only true God that made Heaven and Earth, who is pure, and of purer eyes then to hehold iniquity, and not any that lives in pride, covetouſneſs, high-mindedneſs, vain-glory, ſelf-ſeeking, pleaſures, vanities, hawking, hunting, gaming, ſporting, oppreſſion, perſecution, envy, wrath, ſwearing, lying, whoredom, drunkenneſs, fooliſh jeſting, corrupt communication, or any unrighteouſneſſe whatſoever, can enter into Gods kingdom, nor any unclean thing whatſoever; and they that are without purity and holineſs, whoſe hearts are full of luſt, pride, and deceit, living and dying in this miſerable ſtate and condition, cannot enjoy the pure preſence of the Lord, neither in this life, nor in the life which is to come after death; and verily the Lord God is provoked to anger daily, and his Spirit is griev'd to ſee the wickedneſſe and the abominations that is acted, committed, and done in England, and elſewhere, both amongſt the Rulers, Teachers, Profeſſors, and prophane now at this time, for all the whole world lyeth now in wickedneſſe, and are in the broad way that leads to deſtruction, and there is no true change, nor reformation, neither amongſt the Rulers, Teachers, nor the generality of people, but they grow worſe and worſe, and more vile and wicked then they have been formerly, and ſo their hearts is hardned in ſin and wickedneſs, and they are paſt feeling, whoſe conſciences is ſeared as with a hot Iron, for they have given themſelves over unto laſciviouſneſſe, to work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs, and the leaders of the people cauſed them to erre, and they that are led of them are deſtroyed, for the leaders lives in pride, covetouſneſſe, and in all manner of wickedneſſe, and without the true fear of God, and ſo doth the generality of people that followeth them, and ſo as they are, ſuch are the people, for they are patterns of ungodlineſſe, and evil examples for others to follow, and thouſands are like to periſh for want of the true knowledge of God, whom to know experimentally is life eternal, and therefore if the blind lead the blind, they are both in great danger to fall into the Ditch; therefore as you tender the good of your ſoules, and the honour and glory of God, Prize your time while it is called to day, and ſee that you walk more circumſpectly then you either have done, (or do) and take warning in time, and do not act againſt the Lord Jeſus, nor his people any longer, (as now you do) leaſt the Jugements of God come upon you at unawares.

And although you have paſſed an unjuſt Sentence againſt us, whereby to deſtroy both our perſons and eſtates, and deprive us from having any protection by the King, or his Laws, which the righteous God will one day call you to an account, both for this, & many other unjuſt things which you have acted againſt him, which Gods witneſs in your own hearts and conſciences will ſet you ſee, and tell you what you have done againſt the Lord and his people, if you hearken to it, and it will accuſe and condemn you for what you have done. And this I would have both you and others to know, that you cannot (neither is it in your power to deprive us from being protected by the KING of Heaven and Earth, who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he is our King, Law-giver and Judge, and he doth (and will) protect and defend us, and in his own time he will deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, and out of the hands of all the wicked and ungodly, and this we do verily beleeve that our God whom we ſerve and obey will do for us, as he hath done great things for us already, bleſſed and praiſed be his great and glorious name for evermore; and our only hope, truſt, and confidence is in the Lord, who will never leave nor forſake his own people that puts their whole truſt and confidence in him; and in the mean time we are contented with our preſent condition, and what the Lord hath ſuffered to come to paſſe, knowing that all things which the Lord brings, or ſuffers to be brought to paſſe concerning his people, will work altogether for their good; and this is ſuffered by the Lord to be thus done unto us, for the exerciſe and tryal of our faith and patience, and the Lord hath made us willing to ſubmit unto his will, and bleſſed be his glorious name for evermore that counts us worthy to ſuffer for his ſake.