Their _Sentence of Banishment_ as Circumstanced, by an Impartial and equal eye, may be looked upon as an Act which the court was forced unto _se defendendo_, in defence of Religion, themselves, the Churches, and this poore State and People from Ruine: which the principles of confusion, daylie and studiously disseminated by them, threatened to bring all unto, if not seasonably prevented. _Exile from a wilderness_, from a place of exile; though voluntarie, from a place; confinement whereunto would indeed justly be called exile, is an _easie exile_.” (Pages 48, 49, 53, 54.) [19] _Rhode Island Records_, i. 376–378. See also the letter of the General Assembly, 378–380. [20] Bishop, 95. [21] _Mass. Records_, iv. (1), 383. [22] _The Sufferings of the People called Quakers_, by Jos. Besse, London, 1753, ii. p. 177. [23] Bishop, 89–95, 109. [24] Hubbard’s _History of New England_, p. 173. See also an _Address to the King_ (Charles II.), Dec. 19, 1660, in which the colonial authorities argue as follows: “Concerning the Quakers, open and capitall blasphemers, open seducers from the glorious Trinity, the Lord’s Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. the blessed gospell, and from the Holy Scriptures as the rule of life, open enemies to government itself as established in the hands of any but men of their oune principles, malignant and assiduous promoters of doctrines directly tending to subvert both our churches and state, after all other meanes for a long time used in vajne, wee were at last constrejned, for our oune safety, to pass a sentence of banishment against them, vpon pajne of death. Such was theire daingerous, impetuous, & desperat turbulency, both to religion & the state civil & ecclesiastical, as that how vnwillingly soever, could it have binn avoyded, the magistrate at last, in conscience both to God and Man, judged himself called for the defense of all, to keep the passage with the point of the sword held towards them. This could do no harm to him that would be warned thereby: theire wittingly rushing themselves therevpon was theire oune act, & wee, w^{th} all humility, conceive a cryme bringing theire blood on theire oune head. The Quakers died, not because of theire other crymes, how capitall soever, but vpon theire superadded presumptuous & incorrigible contempt of authority; breaking in vpon vs notw^{th}standing theire sentence of banishment made knoune to them. Had they not binn restreigned, so farr as appeared, there was too much cause to feare that wee ourselves must quickly haue dyed, or worse; and such was theire insolency, that they would not be restreined but by death; nay, had they at last but promised to depart the jurisdiction, and not to returne w^{th}out leaue from authority, wee should haue binn glad of such an opportunity to haue sayd they should not dye.” _Mass. Records_, iv. (1), 450–453. Bishop, 113. [25] _Mass. Records_, iv. (1), 419. [26] _Mass. Records_, iv. (1), 366. Bishop, 90, 91. [27] Bishop, 44–48, 52–54.