Sufferings and Oppressions of Many Christians in Devon, Title page – To the reader
A TRUE AND FAITHFUL Narrative, Of the Unjuſt and Illegal Sufferings, and Oppreſsions of many Chriſtians (Injuriouſly, and Injudiciouſly call'd FANATICKS, holding all the Fundamentals of the Chriſtian Religion, Believing all the Articles of the Chriſtian Faith; and whoſe Lives and Converſations are as Conſonant, and Agreeable to the Laws of God as theirs that Perſecute them) under, and by ſeveral of his Majeſties Juſtices of Peace, and others, who are no Officers, but Informers, in the County of Devon, ſince the Tenth of May, 1670 from a pretended Zeal, to put the Law againſt Conventicles in Execution.
AS ALSO, Of the moſt Malicious Proſecution of Nine Innocent Perſons, to take away their Lives, under a Falſe pretence of Murdering an Informer: And of the Tryals that were betwixt Matthew Hele, of Halwel, in the Pariſh of Pool, William Baſtard, of Garſton, in the Pariſh of Weſt-Alvington, Eſquires, and Mr. Edmund Reynel, and John Bear, (Called by a Nick-name Cocky Bear) Two Informers for pretended Neglects, of putting the Act againſt Conventicles in Execution, and the hard Meaſure they met with from the Judg; with the Horrid Perjuries of the Witneſſes brought againſt them, at the Aſſizes held at Exon, in the County of Devon, April 1671.
Printed in the Year, 1671.
READER,
IT is not neceſſary, that thou ſhould know who hath Compos'd, and Publiſhed, the enſuing Narrative, I ſhall only thus Characterize him to thee, that he is an Enemy to none that is a Friend to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and his glorious Goſpel; that he doth not value men by their moſt ſplendid Profeſſion, but ſerious practice of Religion; not by Religious Notions, but by a Religious Nature; nor by being of a Party, but by the practice of Piety; not by a not intemperate Zeal, either for Negative, or poſſitive Superſtition, or the ſlender Circumſtances, but the Vital parts, and ſubſtance of Chriſtianity. He loves, eſteems, and prefers an Epiſcopal perſon, that's a ſtrict, and cloſe walker with God, whoſe Life is conſonant, and whoſe Actions are correſpondent to that compleat and perfect Rule, which Divine Laws do conſtitute; before a prophane Presbyterian, or Independant, &c. and a Pious, Painful Conformiſt, before a looſe and laſie Non-conformiſt, when he knows it is ſo, though he muſt confeſs according to his Obſervation; the latter are not generally ſo morally Criminous, and Peccant as the former. He heartily deſires, that in theſe three Nations, all were of a pacate Spirit, and peaceable Deportment towards each other, and that every one were diſpoſſeſt of a cenſorious Devil. And as he doth not think any form of Civil Regiment, to be of Divine Right, ſo he can Honour, and Pray for the Governments that God doth ſet over us; and though he earneſtly deſires that all may anſwer the end of Goverment, which is the Advancement of the Common Good (this being the will of the Univerſal Rector, as his Supream Law, or Rule in Politicals) and that every Law of theirs may be Congruous, and not contrary to the Laws of the Supream Monarch, and higheſt Legiſlator; and that all may have their Foundation in Right Reaſon, and common Equity, which may make their Obligation unqueſtionable, and give the Eſſe of a Law indeed to them; yet when they are not ſo, though he cannot yield an Active Obedience to them, yet he can a Paſſive Subjection to the Magiſtrate that makes them; diſtinguiſhing between the Authority of his Laws, and of his Perſon, ſo that though he judgeth not the former Obliging to his Conſcience (or to ſpeak as properly that his Conſcience binds not to ſuch Laws) yet he doth the Latter to his outward man, to keep it from reſiſting when Puniſhed, though he could avoid ſuch Puniſhment by Reſiſtance.
He wiſheth that the Smiles, and Favours of Royal Majeſty, may be as a ſoveraign Balſ…me, to heal thoſe many Wounds that are now made in our Body Politick, that it may at laſt be reduced to an Eucraſy, or a So…d, and healthful Conſtitution; but if that cannot or muſt not be, he equally deſireth, that they who feel the Smart, that Sigh, and Groan under the Anguiſh of them, may be of a Sedate Spirit, and to be perſwaded unto a patient Tolleration thereof; till the chiefeſt Phyſitian by his Infallible and unerring Wiſdom, contrive and provide a remedy that may inſallably, and with irreſiſtable …nergy, effecteth the Cure.
He will not charge it upon any of our Legiſlators, that they have made unreaſonable, and Unjuſtifiable Laws, to be as Swords, and Spears to make theſe deep and dangerous Wounds; to Vulnerate almoſt Mortally the greateſt part of the Political Body, to gratifie a few Members thereof; but he aſſerts that an Illegal execution of Laws, makes theſe freſh-bleeding Wounds, which the enſuing Narrative will preſent to thy Vew, and which I hope, if thou beeſt but either a truly Pious, or Right Noble, and Generous Soul, thou cannot look upon without pitty, and a compaſſionate Reſentment. Not only Piety but Generoſity is productive of higheſt Compaſſions, and Commiſſerations. I hold it more Eligible by far to fall into the hands of a man, that hath a Soul bravely Impregnated with that principle (ſuppoſing him to want the other) then of him; whoſe Soul was ſcarce ever Elevated, and raiſed a Degree above a Dunghil, who Lives and Acts as if it were but the very Origin, and Off-ſpring thereof, knowing, and affecting nothing but Sordidneſs, and Baſeneſs, ſuch a one is moſt Inſolent, Inſulting, and Domineering, Proud, and Scornful, when he hath power, moſt Incommiſerate, and Incompaſſionate, when others ſtand to his Mercy, and he ſees he can Tread, and Trample upon them, he is moſt Revengeful when he hath an oppertunity, which he is ever greedily waiting for; and what ever is Indecotous for a man to do, or unbecoming Humanity, that will he do; or hath ſtill an innate habit, or principal connatural with him, to act him thereunto, which will break forth, and ſhew it ſelf if not curb'd, or reſtrain'd by ſome forraign force, or external power; for this reaſon, it's alwayes better to have a truly Valiant Perſon …or an Enemy, than a Coward, becauſe if he Conquer, he will very tender of ſpilling Blood, unleſs there be an abſolute Neceſſity that compels him to it. If therefore this Narrative can but have the Honour, and Happineſs to kiſs the Hand, and be Viewed with the Eyes of any truly Generous Spirit (which hath ſuch a Law of Nobleneſs Enthron'd in it, as I am ſure it cannot Violate) what ever perſwaſion he be of, I know he cannot but highly diſdain the Actings of ſome, and pitty the the Wrongs, and Oppreſſions of others.
Why ſhould not Sufferers hope? Our King is of that Manſuete, Milde, and Compaſſionate Temper, that if he did but Read, and had but a right Information of ſuch things as are contained in this Narrative: (But alas! There are too many which endeavour a prevention of their acceſs unto, and arrival at his Eare, and Eyes, or repreſent them in a falſe Glaſs; and this is many times the Miſery of Princes, and a conſiderable cauſe of their Miſcariages in Government, that they cannot hear with their own Ears, from thoſe that would give a right Information and true ſtate of Perſons, and things; nor ſee with their own Eyes what is needful to be Expoſed to the View, and lye open to the Obſervation thereof) but he would endeavour ſome ſpeedy Relief for the Oppreſſed, if not grow Big with Royal Indignation againſt the Oppreſſers.
I ſhall not much concern my ſelf, whether this Narrative be Grateful, or …teful to the Reader, ſeeing it's compoſed of Truth; for what I have Collected, and Publiſhed, I have done it with awful Apprehenſions of the ſevere inſpection of God's All-ſeeing Eye; and therefore would not wilfully, and wittingly ſend abroad Falſhood to Travel in the World, neither would I deviate or vary from Verity in the moſt minute, and Inconſiderable Circumſtance: But if I ſhould, as poſſibly I may, yet I hope I ſhall be pardoned by the Candid Reader, and that he will become an Advocate for me (ſeeing the beſt, and trueſt Hiſtorians are Obnoxious to ſuch miſtakes) ſo long as the Subſtance is true: Which take as followeth.