The CAUSE plainly showed OF THE Persecution Which is now upon the Innocent people CALLED QUAKERS; And here is also A true DECLARATION OF THEIR Just and honest intentions; and in this all moderate people may see the ground of their SUFFERINGS.  
By WILLIAM SMITH.  
LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson, at the Black-spread-Eagle and Windmill in martin's Le grand. 1661.   

The Cause plainly showed OF THE PERSECUTION Which is now upon the innocent people, CALLED Quakers, etc.  
THe sure foundation is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, in whom there is no variablensse; but is to day as yesterday, and the same for ever; in him is all goodness, mercy and peace; and in the virtue of his life and holiness is fruit brought forth, and it is like him, and doth not differ from him; and this is his own work in the hearts of all the children of obedience, whom he hath gathered to be followers of him, and to keep his commandments; and he is become their leader, and their salvation is in him, and their testimony is unto him; for which cause they are evil entreated and persecuted, and their bodies and estates exposed to danger and loss, and through all the earthly powers changing, they have been kept under deep sufferings and sore persecution, and yet their patience hath been made manifest in bearing and enduring; and they can truly say they bear no evil will to any who have caused their sufferings, neither is it in their hearts to seek any revenge upon them, but cheerfully commit their cause unto him that judgeth righteously: and these things do not arise against the form or shape of our persons; for they be now in appearance the same, as when we had much love professed, from such as now are great enemies unto us; And whilst we were one with them, and did abide amongst them, and could have run with them in excess and vanity, we were not then reproached, nor reviled, nor persecuted and imprisoned, but seemingly much beloved: But the Lord God having redeemed us from amongst them, through the power of his living word, which in his love hath entered within our hearts, and hath shaken the foundation of the earth, and caused the mountains to fall, and also hath purged our consciences from those lusts which once we lived in, and hath crucified the flesh, and destroyed the body of sin, and the life which we had in those things he hath taken away; and the Lamb he hath raised, from whom the life of righteousness is brought forth, and hath translated us into his likeness, and stamped his Image upon us, which the world doth not know; therefore are we hated, and from this ground ariseth all the persecution which is this day upon us, and all the enmity and evil that is against us, and is uttered concerning us; and if any bears but the name of a Quaker, than the cry is to hang them, and banish them, and famish them, with much more, which is from the very cruelty of people's hearts uttered concerning us, without enquiry whether any evil be committed by us, or any thing done worthy of such things as they utter forth concerning us: and this is for all people to consider coolly, & to weigh it in the balance of moderation and patience, and search truly into the ground; and if we do commit evil, or do wrong to the person of any man, or disturb the nations peace, then let such punishment fall upon us, as in such case is provided for such offences; but if no such thing can be justly charged upon us, or proved against us, then let people stay their hands from violence, and their hearts from purposing cruelty, and stop their mouths, and do not utter words so rashly; and let the King, Parliament, Councils, Judges, Justices, Officers and Soldiers, all know, and also be overcome to believe, and be persuaded in their own consciences that we are an innocent people, and seek the well-being & peace of all men: And if this will not be received, nor cannot be believed, yet know, that we do believe, and also are fully persuaded in our own consciences, that our purposes and intentions are just and honest towards all men, and to live quietly, peaceably and godly in this present evil world; and that we neither seek to destroy or ruin the lives or estates of any persons or people upon the earth; neither do we conspire, plot, or contrive any such thing; for we know that all plots and conspiracies, insurrections and rebellions, do arise from that spirit that lusteth to envy, and not from Christ Jesus the Lamb of God; and it is an evident testimony, that where such things are practised, they spring from that wicked one, and are nourished from the cruelty that is lodged in his enmity, out of which comes all murders, plots and conspiracies, rebellions and persecution; and the Scripture-testimony is clear against all such practices, and the holy men of God they never walked in them, they never plotted or contrived, nor ever persecuted any people; nor Christ Jesus, the Prince of peace, he never was of that mind, as to destroy men's lives, but to save them, and ought not the same mind to be in people as was in Christ Jesus, who laid down his life for his enemies? he did not seek to destroy them, or persecute them, though they were his enemies▪ now such are far off from his mind, that seek to destroy and persecute such as are not enemies, but truly friends and lovers of the whole Creation: now this is not his mind, nor doth not arise from him, but is brought forth from a contrary spirit, that was always against him: And where doth the Scripture declare, that Christ Jesus the Prince of peace did ever persecute, or command persecution? or where did he require an oath, or allow of an oath, but plainly hath forbidden all oaths, and given forth a positive command not to swear at all, but to keep to yea and nay, for what was more was evil; (mark this) what was more than yea or nay was evil. And here was no definition or distinction of Oaths, for one to be lawful, and another unlawful, but plainly forbids them all, and bids them keep to their yea and nay: And we can truly say before the Lord, that we do not deny swearing upon any other account, but in obedience to his commands; and it is neither disaffection nor disloyalty to the King nor his Government, but to manifest our love to the King of Eternal Glory, in keeping his commandments; and though this be the great cause, at present, of our suffering and persecution, and from which so much wrath and fury is now against us, yet are our consciences void of offence, and in that we have peace, and we know our salvation and deliverance is in the hand of the Lord our God; and we know that persecutors have been always ignorant of the things of God; for had they known him, they would not have crucified him; and if the truth of God was known, as it is this day, in which the Yea stands, and is performed, innocent people would be freed from all this persecution which is upon them, and be in their honest callings, and with their families, over which God hath set them. And all this persecution for not swearing, is come up since the Apostles days; there was no such things imposed upon them, to bind them in Allegiance to any King or Kings in those days, and it was many years after that Statutes were made for imposing an Oath of Allegiance, and for refusing, to imprison the body and seize upon goods; this is not agreeable with any practice in the Scripture, but is come up in the dark night of Apostasy, since the power of God was lost, and the spirit of truth ravened from. And in that day when Laws and such Statutes were made for the imposing of an oath to bind to allegiance, there might be such a people as were manifestly against the King or Government, & might be deceitful in their promises, and no trust to be reposed in them, though they might make fair promises; such a people there might be in that day, and such a people there may be in this day: but number not the innocent amongst the transgressors; for the Lord God of power hath made manifest his living truth in our hearts, and hath gathered us in it, to show forth his praise, and in the power of truth is deceit purged out, and our words and promises in the truth of God are sure and faithful, and our yea is yea, and we are come to that which leads us into all truth, and was before Laws and Statutes were, or any King's reign in England, whose Statutes are now in force for imposing Oaths.  
And for our Allegiance to the King, we have made it manifest above many others; for unto him have we declared the counsel of the Lord, and also faithfully warned and exhorted him to obey the Lords counsel, that his Rule and Government might stand in the power of God, unto which we are truly allieged and willingly subject; and we have not at any time appeared against the King or his Government, nor plotted or conspired any evil against his person or power, but have paid our tribute in all lawful things, as subjects to him: and this is a more evident testimony of our allegiance to the King, than persecution and cruelty, wrath and fury; and all this swearing and imprisoning for refusing Oaths arises from the wicked one, that hath seated himself in people's hearts, and hath the dominion over them, and brings forth his cruelty through them; and so people having lost the power of God, that keeps faithful in the yea and nay without an oath, they impose oaths upon one another, and swear one unto another, but do not perform their oaths faithfully; then what is your oath worth, if there be not faithfulness to perform it? and this is not without a witness in every conscience, this day, how many several impositions have been invented, to engage and bind to every several Government, as it hath risen, and how have they falsified their Covenants and Engagements? and it will be so though people be sworn again and again, until they come to the power of God, that teacheth to deny swearing, and to perform every promise faithfully without swearing; and who are not come to the power of God, that keeps faithful in yea and nay, they are not faithful to their oath; so that it is not an oath that makes any faithful to the thing they are sworn unto, but the power of God that forbids swearing, and keeps faithful to what is promised in the yea, and to what is testified against in the nay. And here stands true loyalty and faithful obedience, both to God and man: The love is truly manifested unto God in keeping his Commandments, and the Allegiance faithfully performed to the King, in living peaceably and quietly under his Government, without any Insurrection or Rebellion; and it hath been so found amongst us without any deceit or guile, whilst others who have sworn have not been found faithful to their oath; therefore take our yea, and try us in it, seeing it is only for conscience sake that we cannot swear; and if we be not found faithful in our yea, than we shall fall into your hands as evil doers, and bear our punishment; but until you have proved us and found us transgressors, do not so cruelly entreat us and persecute us, for it will draw down judgement, and not mercy; and hitherto we cannot be charged with the breach of our yea, since we have been gathered into God's truth: therefore have we peace in our sufferings, because we stand clear before the Lord, and have no guilt upon our consciences, as to the cause we suffer for this day. And were it not much better that people would come to the power of God, that forbids swearing, and keeps faithful in the yea, then to be strangers to the power of God, and run into transgression, and falsify their Oaths? And this is the ground of distrust and unbelief one of another, because people are not come to the power of God, than they dare not trust one another upon their yea, but impose oaths one upon another, which never makes any people faithful. The Saints yea was yea, and they were trusted upon their yea, and believed one another upon their yea; and the Kings in those days did not impose any oaths upon them, for the spirit of truth led them into all truth; and what they promised in their yea, the spirit of truth led them faithfully to perform it. And so were they trusted and believed upon their yea, without any imposition of an oath to bind them beyond it: And all the distrust one of another, & the unbelief one of another, as to what is promised in the yea, it is come up since the days of the Apostles, that the true spirit hath been lost, and the false spirit hath got a seat in people, and rules in his dominion, and leads their minds into deceit, that their yea is not performed; then doth the false spirit beget in them an imagination to impose an oath upon people to make them faithful, and so hath all this swearing come up in the dark night of Apostasy, and all distrust and unbelief one of another is got up since the power of God was lost, and so nothing will be taken for truth, but what is sworn unto; and this is a manifest token of the spirit of error, which works in the minds of people, and draws them from obedience to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles, and then labours to draw others into transgression with them.  
And it is said by many who are amongst the oaths, We swear, and you must swear, and the nations law is so to do, and you must obey or suffer; and the Scripture declares of swearing, and they did bind their promises solemnly with an oath, and an oath for confirmation is an end of all strife; and Abraham swore, and many others that were holy men of God, they swore; and it was not counted unto them for transgression.  
Now what they might do in the dread and fear of the Lord God, in promising solemnly some words in their own freedom, as a sure confirmation of their true intentions to perform their promise, it doth not make the lawfulness of an Oath imposed: And this they did do, and might do without transgression: but what is this to the proof of an Oath form, and people to lay their hands upon the Bible, and then to have these form words read unto them, and to say, You shall swear unto such things, and then pronounce, So help you God, and then to kiss the Book? Is there any Scripture that makes mention of Abraham, or any of the holy men of God, taking such an Oath? or was ever such an Oath imposed upon them? And Christ Jesus is come, who hath put an end to the strife, and to the Oaths that stood in the strife, and he now creates Peace, and leads into Peace, where there is neither striving nor swearing. And we can truly, pronounce our Allegiance to CHARLES the Second, now King of England, and can truly promise subjection to all his just and lawful Commands, and not to contrive or conspire, or any way to rebel against His Person or Power, but to be assisting in all lawful things that may be for the preservation thereof; And we do renounce the POPE and all Jesuitical practices, with all Idolatrous superstitions; and we do not, nor shall not hold any Correspondencies or Intelligences with the POPE, or any that do belong unto him, as to the owning of his Supremacy. And this we can freely promise in the presence of the Lord, who is the searcher of all hearts, and knows that we lie not; and we can seal it with our Yea, and sign it with our Hands; and the contrary with our Nay, and sign it with our Hands.  
And this Innocent Testimony of our Allegiance and Subjection to the King and all his lawful Commands, I that am now a sufferer in Worcester County-gaol, because I dare not swear and run into condemnation, am made free in the Lord to declare it unto all people, in behalf of my own innocency, and also my faithful brethren, who are this day sufferers with me for the testimony of a good conscience; and if it be so that we cannot be trusted, and be believed in our Yea, and subscription unto this or some other just testimony; we are also free to declare, that we cannot swear for conscience sake, and for no other cause or matter whatsoever; and we are freely given up into the hand of the Lord our God; and what may be permitted to fall upon us, either in body or substance, we wait upon the Lord for strength to bear it patiently, and to rest in it peaceable, until he arise our innocent cause to plead, who now are in Sufferings for keeping his Commandments, and no other thing that any have against us: And if people did but know the Peace and Joy which in the we have, they would surely rather choose to suffer with us in the same cause, then in any wise to oppress us and persecute us in our bodies: For in the day determined all shall receive a recompense.  
From the County-Gaol in Worcester, the 23. day of the 11. month 1660. W. S.  
THE END.