A TRUE DECLARATION OF The suffering of the innocent, who is hated and persecuted without a cause.  
Wherein is discovered the zeal of the Magistrates and people of BANBURY, persecuting and imprisoning them that are sent of the Lord in love to their Souls to warn them of the evil of their ways.  
Declared in a Letter sent to William Allen, called Justice of Peace, with an answer to the false Accusations charged upon the Innocent.  
Also their Proceed laid open, and proved to be contrary to the SCRIPTURES.  
By Anne Audland, whom the world scornfully calls QUAKER.  
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces: out of heaven shall he thunder upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth: and he shall give strength unto his King, and exalt the horn of his anointed, 1 Sam. 2.10.  
And on my servants, and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy, Act. 2.18.  
LONDON, Printed, and are to be sold by Giles Calvert at the Sign of the Black Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Paul's, 1655.   

A TRUE DECLARATION Of the suffering of the Innocent, who is hated and persecuted without a CAUSE, etc.  
WIlliam Allen, Justice of Peace so called, but little peace I find in thee; We came to the Town of Banbu●y on the 13th. day of the 11th. month: and being strangers, we took in at the Lion: The next day being the fi●st day of the week, we went to a meeting which we heard of in the Town; and when the meeting ended, we were moved to go to the Steeplehouse, to speak the word of the Lord to Priest and People; and in obedience to the Lord, we went, and stayed till the Priest had done, and then my friend spoke to the Priest, and the rude multitude came and hurried her forth, as the customs of the Heathens is; Then I spoke to the Priest, Man, here, see the fruits of thy Ministry, and presently the rude people hurried me forth: Then came one and took me by the hand, and questioned me, what untruths their Minister had spoken; and I answered, That they that are out of the Doctrine of Christ, all they spoke was untruth: And though they say, The Lord liveth, surely they swear falsely, Jer. 5.2.  
Then another asked me, if the Lord did not live; I answered, yea, I know he liveth. Now there are two Boys that hath sworn against me, that which I did not speak, their blood will be required of them that caused them to err; And know this O man, that the Lord God will be avenged of all unjust Justices, and he will make his power known in the destruction of his Enemies: Therefore fear him, and beware of persecuting his servants, for justly shalt thou be judged, according to the deeds done in the body shalt thou receive thy reward; To the light in thy conscience do I direct thee, it will let thee see all thy actions, and from whence they arise, whether from the spirit of meekness, or from thy perverse will, which the Lord will judge righteously; To that in thy conscience I speak which will witness for God against all deceit.  
This was I moved to write to clear my conscience of thee, and leave thee without excuse, that when the book of Conscience is opened, thou mayest remember that thou wast forewarned in thy life time. A friend of the Truth, and a lover of thy Soul, who is a prisoner of the Lord for the Truths ●ake at Banbury, whose ●ame in the flesh is  
Anne Audland.  
WHereas I am accused in a Mittimus for certain blasphemous words, saying, That the Lord lives no●; I answer, these words are false, and never spoken by me: The Lord is my Redeemer, and I know that my Redeemer liveth: and my soul magnifieth him, and my spirit rejoceth in him; and here I deny your false accusations and blasphemy, it is your own words, and not what I said; and you that accuse falsely, know not the living God, the Heathen knows not God, and the Heathens rage, but the Lord will be avenged of all his enemies, and plead the cause of the innocent: And they are blasphemers which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. And whereas I am accused for causing a tumult in the Church, when the Minister was going to execute part of his Function, and likewise to assault the Minister; I answer, This is likewise false; Liars must be cast into the lake; The Church is built of living stones, elect and precious, and there is order kept in the Church; And I did not cause a tumult, neither did I assault the Minister (as ye call him) and that which is called part of his Function, is an invention; and there is neither command nor example in all the Scripture, that ever any of the Ministers of Christ did sprinkle Infants, and call it a Function; and here you have no Scripture to prove your Function, as you call it: And he that practices such things, for the which there is no Scripture, leads people into the inventions, and so they are not profited at all, as it appears by your own words, that they were in a tumult. O blush, and be ashamed of that which you call your Church, who are so suddenly in a tumult! Was there ever such a thing heard of amongst the Saints, that they would be in a tumult, when one came in peaceably among them, not offering wrong to any? Here you show yourselves to be children of your Fathers who lived in envy, haling out of Synagogues, carrying them before Rulers, and casting into prisons them who was called of the Lord to bear witness against their deceit; and here (him called the Minister) is made manifest to be one that runs before he was sent, and so never profitted the people, and so like Priest, like People. Therefore give over, and never call it a Church, who are fighters and strikers, scoffers and scorners, tumulters and false accusers, as your fruits makes it daily appear; And some of you confess that they are in danger of their lives that comes among you, the people are so rude. Now you that are Magistrates ought to punish evil Doers, Fighters, and Liars, and false Accusers; but such have liberty, and dare do it in your Church (as you call it) and you present, as he that caused the Mittimus to be made doth confess; That there was a tumult when he was present, and they that tumulted are not punished, but the fault is laid upon the innocent, who was beat and abused, but offered violence to none: And so they said Paul was a pestilent fellow, and they tumulted Paul, but Paul did not cause the tumult: So you are made manifest of what generation you are, and you shall be rewarded according to your deeds: And from the Lord I declare, That he will visit for these things, and plead with you for all your hard speeches, and all your ungodly deeds: and give you your portion with hypocrites, except you speedily repent; and when you come into the pit, remember you are warned in your life time: And so your false accusation and blasphemy I do deny, and the living God will judge between me and you.  
The Burrow of Banbury in the County Oxon. Anne Audland.  
THe righteous Judge of all the world is now arising to judge the world in righteousness, and the people with equity: And every tongue shall confess that the Lord is righteous, when he comes to judgement, and he will reward every one according to their deeds. And every tongue shall confess the Lord is just. For according to that in the conscience which is just and equal, will the Lord judge, whose Judgements are just and equal; and every tongue shall confess him just, when he takes vengeance upon the unjust: And behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken: And such are they that walk after their own lusts, and their mouth speaks great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration, because of advantage, such will the Lord execute judgement upon in righteousness: All you that are ungodly, the Lord will reward you according to your deeds; And all you that utter hard speeches against the holy one, and blaspheme God in his Temple, the Lord is coming with his Saints to execute judgement upon you; and you shall confess his Judgements is just, that which convinceth you of your ungodly deeds, and hard speeches, by it you shall confess the Lord is just, when you are judged for your ungodly deeds, and hard speeches; And all you that have men's persons in admiration because of advantage, you shall be judged righteously, and you shall confess that God is just, and his ways equal, and God respects no man's person; nor the Saints who comes with him to judgement, respects no man's person; for he that respects persons commits sin, and is convinced to be a transgressor of the righteous law of God; but they who are guided by that which convinceth the transgressor, they are kept out of the transgression, and they do not admire men's persons, nor respect men's persons. But you that do, are convinced to be transgressors; and according to that which convinceth, will you be judged by the righteous Judge, who cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, and he will judge all you that respects persons; for the Lord regards the rich no more than the poor; but this is he that the Lord regardeth, who is of a humble and contrite spirit, and trembleth at his word. Such you do not regard, who are poor, and trembleth at the word of the Lord: but you that respect persons, scoffs at such as they go along the streets; But the Lord will plead the cause of the poor, who is now despised amongst you that respects persons: you admire some men's persons because of advantage, and ye despise others, and persecutes the poor, and goes about to make one an offender for a word which is none indeed; and you set a snare for them that reprove in the gate, that so you might catch the innocent, & they that are offenders indeed, who can lie, & swear, & accuse falsely; such have liberty, & such are set to ensnare the innocent, & to be as judges against the innocent, and yet you profess yourselves Christians; Oh ●hat you were wise! oh that you would consider your latter end! how will you stand before the Judgement fear of God, in the day when the secrets of every heart shall he judged by Jesus Christ, who hath all judgement committed to him: A●d behold he cometh, and all the Saints with him, and he rules and reigns in his Saints, and sits upon his Throne: But how will you stand at that day, who now sits as Judges upon the Saints, and calls them deceivers, and persecutes them, who are made free by the Son of God, and in obedience to him suffers the loss of all things, and are killed all the day long, and are accounted as sheep for the slaughtery; and are become a reproach, and a byword, and a scorn, even among you that profess yourselves Christians, and so the Scripture is fulfilled, They that work wickedness are set up, and they that depart from iniquity becomes a prey to the wicked; and the sufferings of the Saints is become a sport amongst you; and you can stretch yourselves upon your beds of ease; and you do not remember the affliction of Joseph; nor you have not known, that all who live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution; And saith Christ, As they have done unto me, so will they do unto you: And the servant is not greater than his Lord.  
Now if you were Christians as you profess yourselves to be, then would persecution cease, and not be found amongst you; for Christians doth not persecute, but you that live in such things, are made manifest (to all the children of light) whose servants you are; and you that are Magistrates, who should punish evil doers, such have liberty in the streets to scoff and scorn, to swear and lie, and be drunk, and you pass by these things; but if any come amongst you to declare the word of the Lord against such things, than the innocent are accused by them who live in such things, and the innocent are persecuted and sent to Prison; and may not know from you who prisons them, what they are accused of; nor see their accuser's face to face; is this according to the Law of God? or is this as you would be done unto? Consider of it, and lay it to heart, for the Lord will visit for these things; I speak what I know, and find amongst you; for I was accused and committed to Prison, but I did not know what the accusers swore against me, neither could I see my accusers: but you took an o●th in secret, and so I was accused, and committed for that which I never spoke, and had not liberty to answer for myself, nor others had not liberty, nor could be heard on my behalf, who was by when they say I spoke these words, for which I am accused, which would bear testimony that they heard no such things spoken by me, as I am accused off, and so the innocent suffers innocently; and in the mean time wickedness is at liberty, and not only in a corner, but in your streets; men lie, and swear, and are drunk, and the innocent is a prey unto ●hem; and yet you do not lay it to heart; woe is me for you, that you should so slight the day of your visitation, and so wickedly requite the Lord for all his goodness; as to persecute his servants, who are sent to warn you; and despise h●s witnesses, and shamefully entreat his messengers, and them that comes to you in their own names, such you receive; but them that come to you in the name of the Lord, such are a reproach amongst you; and the Lord is highly displeased with you for these things; and he will make enquiry for blood; you know that the blood of the innocent hath been shed in your streets; one that came amongst you and offered violence to none, was beat and abused, and lost much blood amongst you: and yet you are not ashamed to profess yourselves Christians, when as these actions proceeds from you; and your care is how to wound the innocent secretly, that so your deeds might not be brought to the light; but it is in vain for you to dig deep to hid your council from the Lord; Woe unto you that deviseth to work mischief in the dark, and say, who seethe us; and consults together to shoot your arrows secertly against the poor. The Lord sees you, and knows your hearts, and your very thoughts which you think against the King in your bed chamber; there is a bird of the ●ire that carries the voice; And the Lord will bring every work to judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil; and the oath in secret shall be tried; and the Lord will sit as Judge amongst the Judges, and you shall all be weighed and those of you that a●e found wanting, the Lord will cast you by, though you be as high and mighty as Belshazzar was: and if you be angry with me for telling you so, and forewarning you in your life time; the Lord will judge you for it; for he is tender over his little ones; and in as much as you persecute one of them, ye do it unto him; and you that imp●ison the innocent, and they may not see their accusers, is this according to the Law of God? or is this to judge for God, and not for man, nor self ends, without respect of persons? They that were set over the people to judge them according to the Law of God, were just men fearing God, and hating covetousness: just men we●e to judge the unjust; for the unjust cannot judge true judgement: See what charge Jeh●shaphat gave unto them he set over the people, 2 Chron. 19.6, 7, 9 Saying to the Judges, take heed what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement: wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, and take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God: nor respect of persons, not taking of gifts: And he charged them saying, thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart: Now all you that denies a perfect heart, and are respecters of persons, you cannot judge with a perfect heart; and such are not judges for God, who judges not not with a perfect heart, but are respecters of persons; but they who fear God, and do faithfully with a perfect heart, such Judges, and Magistrates I own who are just men; such rules for God, and is a terror to the wicked, and for the praise of them that do well; and such am subject to for conscience sake; but they who were the servants of Christ, & Ministers of Chr●st, when they were commanded by the rulers that which was contrary to the command of Christ; they said whether is it better to obey God or man: judge ye, and I say the same, and they which command any thing contrary to ●he command of Christ, which rules and reigns in his people, and is one in the male and in the female; such are not just men fearing God and judging faithfully with a perfect heart; and such who do not fear God and have not a perfect heart, such knows not the voice of God; but Christ's sheep who follow Christ, and are sent of God knows his voice: Now Magistrates and people will say, how may we know that you are sent of God? as Pharaoh said to Moses, who sent thee? and he answered, the Lord sent me, to bid thee let Israel go free; and Pharaoh said, I know not the Lord, neither will I obey him, and let Israel go free; such are they who fear not God, nor know not his voice; and such cannot discern the things of God, Magistrates nor people who fear not God, and have not a perfect heart: now consider if you judge me according to the Law of God, when you heard all that was against me and did accuse me, but would not hear the accused and the accuser's face to face, nor those that was by, who would have witnessed against those untruths charged upon me, but put them forth and said, what have you to do here; notwithstanding, they said they came to bear witness to the truth: see how Moses charged the Judges, Deut. 1.16, 17. saying, Hear the cause between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him; ye shall not respect persons in judgement, but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgement is Gods: and Deut. 16.18, 19, 20. The Judges and Officers was to judge the people with just judgement; thou shalt not wrest judgement; thou shalt not respect persons; neither take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eye of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous; that which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee; now this is true Judgement, and takes hold upon the unjust; but here you do not act according to the Law of God, who doth respect persons, and doth not hear the small as well as the great, which you have not done who have committed me to Prison; and I had not liberty to speak face to face with my accusers, and so I am falsely accused, and imprisoned upon a false accusation, he that knows all secrets is my witness; and he will plead my cause, and he will judge righteous judgement upon all the Heathen; and the Lord comes with his Saints; and this honour have all the Saints; to execute upon the Heathen all the judgements written; but the Heathen ought not to Judge the Saints; but the heathen rages, & the heathen persecutes & prisons, & falsely accuseth the Saints, and the viols of wrath is now to be poured out upon the wicked; and the Saints shall take the kingdom & rejoice in God for ever and ever, which giveth them victory over the world, and gives them strength to rejoice in tribulation; praises to the living God for evermore. And so I warn you all people, Magistrates, and Teachers, to fear the Lord God, lest his wrath and indignation break forth against you, and the decree be sealed, and he take you away with his grievous stroke, and there be no remedy; for God is my witness that my desire is for you; that you may know the things that belongs to your peace; so to you all I have cleared my conscience, and I am free from your blood, glory to the Lord for evermore, who hath given me to believe and suffer for the testimony of Jesus; so I remain a witness for the truth, and a prisoner in bonds at Banbury for the truth's sake, who am innocent; but falsely accused, and slandered, and reproached; but the reproaches for Christ, is my riches: whose name in the flesh is,  
The 5 day of the 12. month, 1654. Anne Audland.  
FINIS.