1661. By that Time he was got into his Burrow, came the Soldiers in, being a Party of the County Troop, commanded by Matthew Archdale of Wiccomb. He behaved himself civilly, and faid, He was commanded to break up the Meeting, and carry the Men before a Justice of the Peace; but, he faid, he would not take all; and thereupon began to pick and chufe, chiefly as his Eye guided him, for I fuppose he knew very few.

He took Ifaac Penington and his Brother, George Whitehead and the Friend of Colchester, and me, with three or four more of the Country, who belonged to that Meeting.

He was not fond of the Work, and that made him take no more. But he must take fome, he faid, and bid us provide to go with him. before Sir William Boyer of Denham, who was a Juftice of the Peace. Ifaac Penington being but weakly, rode; but the rest of us walked thither, it being about four Miles.

When we came there, the Juftice carried himfelf civilly to us all, courteously to Ifaac Penington, as being a Gentleman of his Neighbourhood, and there was nothing charged against us, but that we were met together without Word or Deed. Yet this being contrary to a late Proclamation (given forth upon the rifing of the Fifth-monarchy-men) whereby all Diffenters Meetings were forbidden, the Justice could do no less than take Notice of us.

Wherefore he examined all of us (whom he did not perfonally know) afking our Names,

and

and the Places of our refpective Habitations. 1661. But when he had them, and confidered from what distant Parts of the Nation we came, he was amazed. For George Whitehead was of Westmorland in the North of England; the Grocer was of Effex; I was of Oxfordshire; and William Penington was of London.

Hereupon he told us, That our Cafe look'd ill, and he was forry for it: For how, faid he, can it be imagined that fo many could jump altogether at one Time and Place, from fuch remote Quarters and Parts of the Kingdom, if it was not by Combination and Appointment?

He was answered, That we were so far from coming thither by Agreement or Appointment, that none of us knew of the others coming, and for the most of us, we had never seen one another before; and that therefore he might impute it to Chance, or, if he pleased, to Providence.

He urged upon us, That an Infurrection had been lately made by armed Men, who pretended to be more religious than others; that that Infurrection had been plotted and contrived in their Meeting-boufe, where they affembled under Colour of worshipping GOD; that in their Meeting-boufe they hid their Arms, and armed themfelves, and out of their Meeting-house issued forth in Arms, and killed many; fo that the Government could not be fafe, unless fuch Meetings were fuppreft.

We reply'd, We hoped he would diftinguish, and make a Difference between the Guilty and the Innocent; and between thofe who were

principled

1661. principled for Fighting, and those who were principled against it; which we were, and had been always known to be fo. That our Meetings were publick, our Doors ftanding open to all Comers, of all Ages, Sexes and Perfwafions; Men, Women and Children, and those that were not of our Religion, as well as thofe that were; and that it was next to Madness, for People to plot in fuch Meetings.

He told us, We must find Sureties for our good Behaviour, and to anfwer our Contempt of the King's Proclamation at the next General QuarterSeffions; or else he must commit us.

We told him, That knowing our Innocency, and that we had not mif-behaved ourselves, nor did meet in Contempt of the King's Authority, but purely in Obedience to the LORD's Requirings, to worship Him, which we held ourselves in Duty bound to do, we could not confent to be bound, for that would imply Guilt, which we were free from.

Then, faid he, I must commit you: And ordered his Clerk to make a Mittimus. And divers Mittimufles were made, but none of them would hold; for ftill, when they came to be read, we found fuch Flaws in them, as made him throw them afide and write more.

He had his Eye often upon me, for I was a young Man, and had at that Time a black Suit on. At length he bid me follow him, and went into a private Room and fhut the Door upon me.

I knew

I knew not what he meant by this; but I 1661. cried in Spirit to the Lord, that He would be pleased to be a Mouth and Wisdom to me, and keep me from being entangled in any Snare.

He asked me many Questions concerning my Birth, my Education, my Acquaintance in Oxfordshire; particularly what Men of Note I knew there. To all which I gave him brief, but plain and true Answers, naming feveral Families of the beft Rank, in that Part of the Country where I dwelt.

He asked me, How long I had been of this Way, and how I came to be of it? Which when I had given him fome Account of, he began to perfwade me to leave it, and return to the right Way (the Church, as he called it.) I defired him to fpare his Pains in that Respect, and forbear any Difcourfe of that kind, for that I was fully fatisfied, the Way I was in was the right Way, and hoped the Lord would fo preferve me in it, that nothing should be able to draw or drive me out of it. He feemed not pleased with that; and thereupon went out to the rest of the Company, and I followed him, glad in my Heart that I had escaped fo well, and praifing God my Deliverance.

for

When he had taken his Seat again at the upper End of a fair Hall, he told us, he was not willing to take the utmost Rigour of the Law against us, but would be as favourable to us as he could. And therefore he would dif

charge, he faid, Mr. Penington himself, becaufe

he

1661. he was but at home in his own House.

And he would discharge Mr. Penington of London, because he came but as a Relation to vifit his Brother. And he would discharge the Grocer of Colchester, because he came to bear Mr. Penington of London Company, and to be acquainted with Mr. Ifaac Penington, whom he had never seen before. And as for thofe others of us, who were of this Country, he would difcharge them, for the prefent at least, because they being his Neighbours, he could fend for them when he would. But as for you, faid he to George Whitehead and me, I can fee no Business you had there; and therefore I intend to hold you to it, either to give Bail, or go to Goal.

We told him we could not give Bail. Then, faid he, you must go to Goal; and thereupon he began to write our Mittimus; which puzzled him again. For he had discharged fo many, that he was at a Lofs what to lay as the Ground of our Commitment, whofe Cafe differed nothing in reality from theirs whom he had discharged.

At length, having made divers Draughts (which ftill George Whitehead fhewed him the Defects of) he seemed to be weary of us; of us; and rifing up faid unto us, I confider that it is 1 grown late in the Day, fo that the Officer cannot carry you to Aylesbury to Night, and I suppose you will be willing to go back with Mr. Penington; therefore if you will promife to be forth-coming at his Houfe To-morrow Morning, I will difmils

you