the will of God; and some suffer now because they cannot hold up the types, and so deny Christ come in the flesh; and some have been shut up in prison, because they could not swear, and because they abide in the doctrine of Christ; and some, for declaring against sin openly in the markets, have suffered as evil-doers: and now, if thou let them suffer in this nature by those laws, and count it just; I will visit for those things, saith the Lord, I will break the yoke from off their necks, and I will bring deliverance another way, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. ‘Moved of the Lord to declare and write this, by a servant of the Truth for Jesus’s sake, and a lover of thy soul, called, FRANCIS HOWGILL.’ The last of the First Month, about the ninth hour, waiting in James’s Park, at London. How this was received, I am not acquainted; but this I have understood, that some of Cromwell’s servants, and among these one Theophilus Green, and Mary, afterwards wife of Henry Stout, were so reached by F. Howgill’s discourse, that after some time they entered into the society of the Quakers, so called. Now in the said letter, or speech, we find notice taken of laws made concerning religion: these I do not look upon as made by the induction of Cromwell; but such as were made in former times, which he could have altered, if he would have done it: as afterwards many penal laws were abrogated, under the reign of King William and Queen Mary, as will be said in its proper place. For I do not find that in Cromwell’s time any laws were made to constrain people to frequent the worship of the public or national church. But notwithstanding, the Quakers, so called, were imprisoned for refusing to swear, or for not paying tithes to maintain the priests; and they were whipped like vagabonds, for preaching in markets, or in other public places; or they were fined for not taking off their hats before magistrates; for this was called contempt of the magistracy; and when for conscience sake they refused to pay such a fine, either the spoiling of goods, or imprisonment became their share: and thus always a cloak or cover was found to persecute them, and malice never wanted pretences to vex them. And it also often happened that E. Burrough and F. Howgill were opposed by the chiefest of several sects, whereby disputes were raised, which many times gave occasion for some of the hearers to embrace the doctrine maintained by the said Burrough and Howgill; which so enraged their enemies, that no slanders were spared, and they sometimes branded them as witches.