TO THE KING AND Both Houses OF PARLIAMENT The Suffering Condition of the peaceable People, called QUAKERS, Only for tender Conscience towards Almighty God, Humbly Presented.  
Showing, That of late above One Thousand five Hundred of the said People (both Men and Women) having been detained Prisoners in England, and part of them in Wales (some of which being since discharged by the Judges, and others freed by Death, through their long and tedious Imprisonment) there are now remaining (according to late Accounts) about One Thousand, three Hundred, Eighty & Three, above Two Hundred of them Women. Many under Sentence of Praemunire (both Men and Women) and more than Three Hundred near it; not for denying the Duty, or refusing the substance of Allegiance itself, but only because they dare not Swear: Many on Writs of Excommunication, and Fines for the King, and upon the Act for Banishment. Besides above Three Hundred and Twenty have Died in Prison and Prisoners since the Year 1660. near One Hundred whereof by means of this long Imprisonment (as 'tis judged) since the Account delivered to the late King and Parliament, in 1680. thereby making Widows and Fatherless, and leaving them in Distress and Sorrow: The two last hard Winter's Restraint, and the close Confinement of great Numbers in divers Goals, unavoidably tending towards their Destruction, their Healths being evidently impaired thereby.  
And here in London, the Goal of Newgate hath been from time to time crowded, within these two years, (sometimes near Twenty in one Room) to the Prejudice of their Health; and several poor innocent Tradesmen, of late, have been so suffocated by the closeness of the Prison, that they have been taken out sick of a Malignant Fever, and died in a few days after.  
Besides these long continued and Destructive Hardships upon the Persons of Men and Women, as aforesaid, great Violences, outrageous Distresses, and woeful Havoc and Spoil have been, and still are frequently made upon our Goods and Estates, both in and about this City of London, and other parts of this Nation, by a company of Idle Extravagant ☞ and Merciless Informers, and their Prosecutions upon the Conventicle Act, many being convicted and fined Vnsummoned and Unheard in their own defence. As also on Qui Tam Writs, at the Suit of Informers (who prosecute for one third part for themselves) and on other Processes, for Twenty Pound a Month, and Two Thirds of Estates, seized for the King: All tending to the Ruin of Trade, Husbandry and Farmers, and the Impoverishing of many Industrious Families, without Compassion shown to Widows, Fatherless or Desolate. To some not a Bed left to rest upon; to others, no  to till their Ground, nor Corn for Bread or Seed, nor Tools to Work withal: The said Informers and Sheriffs Bailiffs in some places being Outrageous and Excessive in their Distresses and Seizures, breaking into Houses, and making great Waste and Spoil. And all these and other Severities done against us by them, under pretence of serving the King and the Church, thereby to force us to a Conformity, without inward Conviction or Satisfaction of our tender Consciences, wherein our Peace with God is concerned, which we are very tender of.  
The Statutes on which we, the said People suffer Imprisonment, Distress and Spoil, are as followeth.  

The 5th of Eliz. chap. 23. De Excommunicato Capiendo.  
The 23d of Eliz. ch. 1. for twenty Pound per Month.  
The 29th of Eliz. ch. 6. for Continuation.  
The 35th of Eliz. ch. 1. for Abjuring the Realm, on pain of Death.  
The 1st of Eliz. ch. 2. for twelve pence a Sunday.  
The 3d of K. James 1. ch. 4. for Praemunire, Imprisonment during Life, and Estates confiscated.  
The 13th and 14th of K. Charles 2. against Quakers, etc. Transportation.  
The 22d of K. Charles 2. ch. 1. against Seditious Conventicles.  
The 17th of K. Charles 2. chap. 2. against Non-Conformists.  
The 27th of Hen. 8. ch. 20. some few suffer thereupon.   
Upon Indictments at Common Law, pretended and framed against our peaceable Religious Assemblies, for Riots, Routs, Breach of the Peace, etc. Many, both Men and Women, thereupon fined, imprisoned and detained for Nonpayment, some till Death. Instance the City of Bristol, what a great Number have been these divers years straight confined and crowded in Goal, mostly above One Hundred on such pretence, about Seventy of them Women, many aged. And in the City of Norwich, in the years 1682, & 83. about Seventy kept in hold, Forty Five whereof in Holes and Dungeon, for many weeks together, and great Hardships have been, and are in other places. So that such our peaceable Meetings are sometimes fined on the Conventicle Act, as for a Religious Exercise, and other times at common Law, as Riotous, Riotous, etc. when nothing of that Nature could ever be proved against them, there being nothing of Violence or Injury either done, threatened or intended against the Person or Property of any other whatsoever.  
The during and tedious Imprisonments are chief on the Writs De Excommunicato Capiendo, upon the Judgement of Praemunire, and upon Fines, said to be for the King.  
The great Spoil and excessive Distresses and Seizures, are chief upon the Conventicle Act, and for Twenty Pound a Month, Two Thirds of Estates, and on Qui Tam Writs. In some Counties, divers have suffered by Seizures and Distresses above eight years' last passed, and Writs lately issued out for further Seizures in several Counties, for Twenty Pound a Month, amounting to the Value of many Thousands of Pounds, sometimes seizing for eleven Months at once, and making Sale of all Goods and Chattels, within Doors and without, both of  Goods, Beds, Shop-Goods, Movables, , etc. and prosecution hereupon still continued, and in divers Counties much increased. So that several, who have long employed some Hundreds of poor Families in Manufacture, and paid considerable Taxes to the King, are greatly disabled from both, by these Writs and Seizures, as well as by long Imprisonments. So many Sergemakers of Plymouth, as kept above five Hundred poor People at work, disabled by Imprisonment: Many in the County of Suffolk, under a long Imprisonment, sentenced to a Praemunire, one whereof employed at least Two Hundred poor People in the Woollen Manufacture, when at liberty. Omitting other Instances, that we may not seem too tedious, these may evince how Destructive such Severities are to Trade and Industry, and Ruinous to many poor Families.  
On the Conventicle Act, within these two years last passed, many in & about this City of London, have been extremely oppressed, impaired and spoiled in their Estates and Trades, upon Numerous Convictions and Warrants made against them in their Absence, upon the credit of Informations sworn by concealed Informers, divers of them Impudent Women, who swear for their profit in part of the Fines and Seizures, their Husbands being Prisoners for Debt, through their own Extravagancies. The Warrants commonly made to break open & enter Houses, which is done with Rigour and great Spoil, not sparing Widows, Fatherless or poor Families, who are sustained by their daily care and industry, not leaving them a Bed to rest upon: The Fines upon one Justice's Warrants amounting to many Hundreds of Pounds: frequently Ten Pound a Warrant, and two Warrants at once for Twenty Pound executed upon one Person: and three Warrants at once from another Justice, for Sixty Pound upon another Person, and all his Goods carried away in about Ten Cart-Loads; and five Warrants at once for Fifty Pound upon another, etc. besides what we have suffered by others in the like kind. And in this Destructive Course the Informers have Encouragement, and are suffered still to go on, to the Ruining many Families in their Trades and Livelihoods; divers so discouraged and disabled, that they are forced to give over their Shops and Trades.  
These Informers being accepted for credible Witnesses, yet Parties, Swearing for their own Profit and Gain, in the absence of the Persons prosecuted; This we think is very hard, and undue Proceeding, and not consistent with Common Law or Justice  
As also Convicting and Fining us upon their Depositions, Vnsummoned and Unheard in our own defence, and so keeping us ignorant of our Accusers (unless upon Traverse of our Appeals) This Procedure appears contrary to the Law (a) of God, common Justice & Equity, and to the Law and Justice of the ancient Romans, (b) and of Nations. (a) Deut. 19.17, 18. John 7.51. Prov. 26.2. Job 29.16, 17. Gen. 3.8. Judges 19.30. (b) Acts 25.5, 7, 8, 10, 16.  
And although it has been openly manifested, upon trial of Appeals at several Quarter-Sessions, both for Middlesex and London, and other places, that the Depositions of divers Informers have been false in Fact, yet the great trouble and charge in the Traverse of Appeals, and the great encouragement Informers have from Him who grants the most Warrants, hath been a discouragement to many from seeking such difficult Remedy, considering also the treble Costs against the Appellant, in case he succeeds not, or is not acquitted upon Trial: Whereas there is no Costs nor Restitution awarded or given against the Informers, for unjust Prosecution. Some also having refused to grant Appeals, others denied Copies of Warrants to prevent Appeals: Which, whether this be equal or just, pray consider, ye that are Wise and Judicious Men? And whether it be for the King's Honour & the People's Interest, that Idle, Drunken, Extravagant Informers should either be encouraged or suffered to go on thus to Ruin Trade, Husbandry and Families, or to command and threaten Justices of Peace, with the Forfeiture of an Hundred Pound, if they do not make Convictions, and issue out Warrants upon their bare Informations and uncertain Depositions, frequently in the absence of the Accused.  
And Lastly, One third part of the Fines being assigned to the King, he can only Remit that, but the Informers and Poor being assigned two third parts, seems not to allow him to Remit them, how much cause so ever may appear to him, to extend his Favour in that case: Is not this against the King's Prerogative, to restrain his Sovereign Clemency? And how far it Reflects upon the Government, and is Scandalous thereto, for Beggarly Rude Informers (some of them Confident Women) not only to command, threaten and disquiet Justices, Peace-Officers, etc. but to destroy the King's honest industrious and peaceable Subjects, in their Properties and Estates, is worthy of your serious Considerations? And whether the said Conventicle-Act ought not therefore justly to be Repealed? A noted Instance of the like case, we have, concerning the Statute of the 11 Hen. 7. ch. 3. (for determining certain Offences and Contempts, ☞ only upon Informers Prosecutions) being Repealed in the first year of K. Hen. 8. ch. 6. tho' that, in some respects, was more tolerable than this.  
Be pleased to make our case your own, and Do to us, as you would be done unto; as you would not be Oppressed or Destroyed in your Persons or Estates, nor have your Properties Invaded and Posterities Ruined for Serving and Worshipping Almighty God (that made all Mankind) according to your Persuasions and Consciences, but would, no doubt, enjoy the Liberty thereof: So we entreat you to allow the same Liberty to Tender Consciences, that live peaceably under the Government, as you would enjoy yourselves; and to Disannul the said Conventicle Act, and to Stop these devouring Informers, and also take away all Sanguinary Laws, Corporal and Pecuniary Punishments, merely on the score of Religion and Conscience; and let not the Ruin and Cry of the Widow, Fatherless and Innocent Families lie upon this Nation, nor at your Door, who have not only a great Trust Reposed in you for the Prosperity and Good of the whole Nation, but also do profess Christianity, and the tender Religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
And notwithstanding all these long sustained Extremities, we the said suffering People, do solemnly profess and declare in the sight of the Allseeing God, who is the Searcher of Hearts, That as we have never been found in any Seditious or Treasonable Designs (they being wholly contrary to our Christian Principle and Profession) so we have nothing but Good Will and true Christian Affection to the King and Government, sincerely desiring His and Your Safety, Prosperity and Concurrence in Mercy and Truth, for the good of the whole Kingdom.  
Having thus given you, in short, the general state of our Suffering Case, in matter of Fact, without Personal Reflection, We, in Christian Humility, and for Christ's sake, Entreat, that you will Tenderly and Charitably consider of the Premises, and find out some Effectual Expedient or Way for our Relief from Prisons, Spoil and Ruin.