The Cry of the Oppressed FOR JUSTICE: OR, The CASE of Thomas Rudd, Who was Imprisoned and Whipped through several Streets of the Town of Leverpool, in the County of Lancaster, by the Order of the then Mayor of the said Town, for going through the Streets thereof, and Exhorting the People to Fear God.  
WITH A Letter written by the said Thomas Rudd, to Thomas Sweeting, Mayor of Leverpool.  
LONDON, Printed and Sold by T. Sowle, in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-street, and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-Street, 1700.   

THE CASE of Thomas Rudd.  
WHEREAS Thomas Rudd of Wharf, near Settle, in Yorkshire, by Trade a Miller, of a sober Life, and orderly Conversation, one of the People called Quakers, had a Concern upon his Mind, in a Serious and Religious manner, to go through the Streets of Leverpool in Lancashire, to Warn the People to Fear and Dread the great God; was, by the Mayor of that Town, Thomas Sweeting, by Trade a Linen-draper, several times taken up, and committed to Prison; and by other Magistrates of the same Town was sent to the House of Correction; and had his Mare taken from him, and sold, and no part of the Money given or tendered to him, but pretended part thereof to be expended for Charges, in carrying him to the House of Correction, and the rest to be given to the Poor.  
And after this, being again concerned to go through the Streets of the same Town, was again taken up, and put in Prison, by the aforesaid Mayor's Order, and kept above Two Weeks in Prison; where Thomas Roe, Serjeant, that keeps the Prison, would not suffer the Iron Door of the said Prison to be opened, to get a Bed in for him to lie upon, all the time, nor any other thing, but what could be got through the the Square Grates of the said Door, or Hole in the Wall; pretending the Mayor's Order for the same.  
And when other Justices Signed a Warrant for to send him from Constable to Constable, to his own home; Nevertheless, The said Mayor caused Thomas Rudd to be Whipped (without the other Justice's Knowledge, and contrary to their Order, as they said) through some of the Streets of the said Town of Leverpool; and called to the Man that whipped him, (You or Thou Rogue) Lay on, because Thomas demanded Justice of him. Which Cruelty, how becoming it is for any pretending to be Christian Magistrates, to execute upon any sober Man, only for Exhorting People to Fear and Dread the great God, or Demanding Justice, we leave to the Truly Christian to judge; and whether hereby these Magistrates have not acted contrary to the Christian Doctrine of the Holy Apostle, who saith, Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works, but to Evil: He is the Minister of God, a Revenger, to Execute Wrath upon him that doth Evil; not upon them that do Well, and Exhort to Fear God; as King Jehosaphat charged them that he set for Judgement, to Act in the Fear of the Lord.  
And our present King William, in his late Proclamation, saith, We do expect, that all Persons of Honour or Authority should contribute to the Discountenancing Men of Dissolute and Debauched Lives; and strictly Charges and Commands all his Mayors, Justices, etc. to be Vigilant in Punishing all Persons guilty of Excessive Drinking, Profane Swearing, etc. as they will answer it upon Pain of his Highest Displeasure.  
And the late Queen, in her Letter, complained of the Neglect and Connivance of the Magistrates, in not putting in Execution those Laws against Profane Swearing and Cursing, and all other Lewd and Erroneous Practices.  
And the House of Commons, in their Address to the King, desires, That His Majesty would Effectually Discourage Profaneness; and that he would Issue out his Royal Proclamation, Commanding all Justices of the Peace, and other Magistrates, to put in speedy Execution these Laws in Force against Profaneness and Immorality.  
But the Mayor of Leverpool hath Imprisoned, and caused a Man to be Whipped, not for Profane Swearing, Cursing, or any Lewd or Erroneous Action, but for Exhorting People to Fear God, and telling them, the Lord would Punish, because of Sin: Which the King, in his Proclamation, declares, Nothing is likelier to Provoke God to withdraw his Mercy, and to Inflict Heavy and Severe Judgements upon this Kingdom, than the open and avowed Practice of Vice.  
And the Queen did Require, That where any Officer of Justice shall be guilty of any of these Offences aforementioned, that such Officer by his Punishment may serve for an Example to others. But she never directed, That Men, Fearing God, of Honest Lives, and Christian Conversations, should be Imprisoned and Whipped, for Exhorting People to Fear God, which is every Christian's Duty.  
But this Mayor of Leverpool hath caused a Man to be Imprisoned and Whipped, for Exhorting People to Fear God. But how many he hath (in discharge of his Duty, pursuant to Law, and in Obedience to the King's Proclamation, and the Queen's Letter, and his own Oath) Prosecuted for Swearing, Cursing, or any other Vice, or Lewd Disorderly Practices, let the Inhabitants of that Town witness.  
And how true he hath been to his Oath, and the other Justices of the Peace of Leverpool, have answered theirs, who are Sworn to keep, as well as cause to be kept, all Ordinances and Statutes, made for the good of the Peace; and to Chastise and Punish all Persons in the said County offending; but not to punish any contrary to Law, and for Exhorting People to Fear God.  
And can any believe this is the way to carry on the Reformation, so Earnestly Pressed for by the Church of England, and by Twenty Seven Lords, Seven Bishops, and Seven Judges, Espoused by the City of London? Or to Unite the Hearts of the King's Protestant Subjects in Interest and Affection, thus to Treat a Man for Exhorting People to Fear God? How agreeable is this to his Oath, as Recited in Page 36. of the Account of the Society for Reformation of Manners, etc. That he shall do Legal Right to the Poor, and to the Rich after his Cunning, Wit, and Power, and after the Laws and Customs of the Realm? Which is not to punish any for Fearing God, or Exhorting thereunto; but those that Curse or Swear in Alehouses, Taverns, Bowling-Greens, Coffeehouses, or other Pulick Places, as Markets, or Streets, or Fairs; and are Drunk, and found in Lewd, Debauched and Disorderly Practices. And how many hath this Mayor, pursuant to his Oath, and in discharge of his Duty, Punished for these Offences, as aforesaid, let the Town of Leverpool witness for, or against him herein.  
And this Thomas Rudd hath been concerned, in like manner, to go through the Streets of London, and met with no such Treatment from any of the Magistrates there; and he hath also gone through the Streets of Bristol, and met with no such Treatment: The Mayor of that City did not discourage him in that Service. And surely there is great need of it in all the Cities, Towns and Villages of this Nation; for many, that have not this Fear of God before their Eyes, are too frequently found in many of the Evils ; which is not only to the Dishonour of God, and Scandal of the Christian Religion, but contracts Gild upon the Souls of them that are found therein, and Provokes God to send Judgements upon this Nation, and the Inhabitants thereof: Which, it's our Earnest Cry, and Fervent Prayer unto God, That he would Divert, if it be his Blessed Will, and Incline the Hearts of the People to Live in his Fear, that they may know him to Teach them, so that they may Live therein, and Enjoy his Blessing here, and Dye in his Favour, that they may be Eternally Happy hereafter.  

Here follows a Letter from the said Thomas Rudd, to the said Mayor.  
Thomas Sweeting,  
As thou art Mayor, and Professeth to be a Christian Magistrate, I Desire and Demand of thee my Christian Liberty, to Clear my Conscience in Obedience to God; and that I may have Justice done me, in what hath been wrongfully taken from me; and that thou may put a stop to Evil-doers in their Evil-doing. This last Night, in this very House, they were Drinking, Fiddling, Dancing, Cursing and Swearing, and calling upon God to Damn them, not only till Midnight, but until Daylight: And if such Evil-doers and Evil-doing be Tolerated, or suffered to go Free; and the Innocent, and such as come in Obedience to God, to call to People to Fear God, made to Suffer, will not God Judge for such things?  
From thy Friend, and all People's, In Sincerity and Truth, Thomas Rudd. Leverpool-Prison, the 6th of the 4th Month, 1699,   
THE END.