A TRUE DECLARATION OF The bloody Proceed OF The Men in Maidstone in the County OF KENT: Who writ themselves, John Allen, Mayor, Lambert Godfrey, Recorder, John Chantler, Constable, against John Stubs, William Caton, who by the scornful generation of men are called QUAKERS.  
AFter nine or ten week's travel and labour of William Caton, and john Stubs, into several towns & villages in the County of Kent, we came into Maidstone upon the 27 day of the third month, being the first day of the week, about the third hour in the after-part of the day, having been at a Baptist-meeting the former part, at a place called Bauton Green, 2 or 3 miles distant from the said Maidstone, & coming thither as aforesaid, we went to one Whetstones house, though unknown to him or any man outwardly in the town; and continuing there about half an hour, one of us went to the Steeplehouse, where a people called Presbyterians meets, and the other went to a place where a people called Independants were, and when they that were set up to teach amongst them had done, & all silent, we spoke; but with scorn and contempt I who were at the Steeplehouse was put forth, but in the Steeplehouse-yard I spoke something to the people, till that one john Chantler, Constable, came to me in sury, & put me away, & gave another Constable charge with me, & by him carried to the Stocks, where I was kept awhile, & then brought me forth, and was had before one who writes himself Lambert Godfrey, call d a Justice of Peace & Recorder, & there by him was examined what I was, and from whence I came; my education in my youth, & what vocation I had followed from my youth up unto this present, and many subtle & needless queries not worth mentioning; but what I was free in the Lord to answer to, I did notwithstanding his malicious intentions against me, as afterward appeared; I told him for the most part, from a child I was kept at the School, until I was seve●teen or eighteen years of age; and some years after I was banished forth of my own Country, in the Bishops and Prelate's time, for the testimony of a good conscience, because I could not bow to that image, which was by them set up, and maintained by that power then in being, and afterwards I was a Soldier near from the beginning of the wars in the Northern parts, and told him when I came off the Soldiery, and the cause wherefore; then he asked what employment I followed since, and how I lived: I told him I lived with my wife and children in Bishopric, nameing the place where, but still he urged upon me again and again to know what I wrought, and how I lived, and who maintained me, I told him the Lord maintained me, and in him I lived, moved, and had my being; but that would not satisfy him, I must tell him what I followed for an outward livelihood, than I told him, that I had a Tenement of Land, which did afford me a sufficiency in the outward; then saith he, you are a Husbandman, I replied that I was little brought up with it, but thou may write me what thou wilt, and he said, he would set me on work tomorrow, and get me a Master; so he writes a Mittimus, and sends me to prison to a place in the town called the Brambles, and the next day I was called before him the said Godfrey, and john Allen, Mayor, and there examined again, part of which I have already related, in his former examination, which he again quired; in the second examination they demanded further, the month and year I came off the wars, and many other foolish and needless questions, which were tedious to relate; and he asked me the time when I came from my outward being, and when I came to London, and my continuance and employment there; I told him my employment and work was there to wait upon the Lord, to write and speak as I was moved of the Lord, against the deceit of Priests and People; then they examined about our coming into Kent, the time when we came from London, the way we came, the places we came to, the continuance in every place; all which was told them accordingly; and what we did in D●ver and the Towns and Villages thereabouts, and how we were employed; I told him we were employed in the work of the Lord, in declaring as we were moved, against the unjust deal of men, false ways and worships, and when I would have spoken further, they interrupted me; I told him, if thou do write, take all my words, and not some few only what thou wilt, and as thou wilt, but take my words as I speak them; so scoffingly he said, they are pure words, they must not want setting down, than they dimissed me from their Court, and sent me to hold again, and shortly after sent for me, and told me they had provided a Master for me; and they brought forth a Statute, and told me my wages was four pounds a year, and meat and drink; I answered, Wilt thou compel me to serve this man against my w●ll? Here thou wilt exercise the office of a Tyrant, produce one Sentence and clause of Law which I have broken, if I have let me suffer accordingly, and make it appear before this people wherein I have transgressed, or wherein thou hast power to make me a Slave in thy will co become another man's servant, and to limit me wages and time, what Law hast thou for this? O man fear the Lord, and plead the cause of innocent, and know that one day thou shalt find God will judge thee, and that justly; and therefore beware what thou dost, see that thou act not against me in thy own will, one sentence and clause of Law bring forth against me, let not thy will be a Law, I am no Child that thou needs to tender any such thing to me as a Master, I deny it, and I spoke to him that they called my Master; Friend, thou wilt get no service of me against my will, yet idleness I deny in myself, and declares against it in others, in my calling and work I am, and he that called me and sets me on work is the Lord, which you know not, than they sent me to prison again; all this while my dear fellow-labourer, and fellow sufferer was absent from me, being not then had to prison by those people called Independants, but was at liberty is his Lodging, where he was all night at an Inn in the Town; but soon after they had done with me, they sent for him, the manner of his Examination is as followeth.  
I. W. C. being at an Inn at the sign of the Bell in Maidstone, (there waiting for an opportunity to speak with my dear Brother) was sent for by the Magistrate, and being brought before him, was by him examined where I dwelled, and how long it was since I came from my outward being, and which way, and many more frivolous questions which is not worth mentioning; unto some I answered, as that I came by London, and he asked me what I did there while I continued in the City? I told him, in making known the everlasting truth, as I was moved of the Lord, in whose work and service I was employed: Furthermore, he quired of me concerning my employment since I came into this County, what it was, if it were the same that I followed at London? I told him, Yea: my labour and work was to turn people from the darkness to the light, that with the light they might see themselves and their ways, and with it be brought to repentance from under the power of darkness: so than he said, he had now gotten a Master for me, and that I might now be set on work, and be bound unto him for so much a year; which I refused to be bound to any man, or to be in bondage to any, for I told him, that I was called into the work of the Lord, whose Truth as it was made manifest in me, I freely declared, for the testimony of which I saw then a calling to suffer to bear witness to it, and not when the time of trial came to fall away; after that the children of Israel were brought forth of Egypt by the mighty power of the Lord, they were no longer under Pharaoh, to bow to him; neither could I, being formerly servant to man, and made free by the power of the Lord, could not go out of my calling into which I was called by the Lord into his Vineyard to leave that work, and so to turn from the Lord out of my own freedom to be a slave to man; whereupon their wills being crossed, and they seeing that to them I could not bow nor yield, but in the power of the LORD I was kept, in which power I was made willing to suffer for the testimony of his EVERLASTING TRUTH, which shall testify against them his ENEMIES, who could not charge me with the breach of any LAW, neither was there any to accuse me, their rage and cruelty was so much towards the appearance of Truth in me, that from them my reward was correction at Bridewell.  
When they had thus examined us severally, they put us together, where I the said I. S. had been all night, and shortly after the Gaoler came and told us we had our liberty for paying our Fees, we told him we could pay none, he said we must be paid, so he took us forth, and the said Chauntler and another Constable took us away by Warrant with their black Staves of power, to conduct us to another prison, called the Bridewell, coming thither we were committed into the hands of the keeper of the said place, and many people, men and women did accompany us, few or no friends we knew amongst them, only they came to see what was to be done to us in that place, the Magistrates nor none of the Officers told us what fact we had done, what Law we had broken, though we desired them to instance one Sentence or one Clause, neither did we hear the Mittimus, neither did any man accuse us, nor lay any thing to our charge, but thus we were carried as aforesaid, to that place where the man took us into custody, and then searched us narrowly, and took our money, our Bibles, Gloves, Ink-horns, Knives, Papers, and such things as we had in our Pockets from us, and then had into a Room where we were stripped naked, and our Legs and Arms put in the Stocks, and there whipped with Cords in the sight of many, which forced tears from our adversaries, and they that were to see execution done, desired him several times to hold his hand before he did, but he was as partial in executing his office as the Recorder, and the Mayor was unjust in their bloody proceed against us, without any just colour of Law, for he gave my dearer fellow W. C. more Stripes than I got, though by their own Sentence a lesser offender.  
When they had thus done they fastened Irons upon us with great Clogs of Wood, and put us in amongst other two, which were committed and were working, so after we had been in a little while, being about the second hour of the second day of the week, the Executioner commanded us to work, and set forth work for us, but we standing out of his will and the will of man, could not answer his order, nevertheless he laboured much that afternoon and the next day, both by threaten and fair speeches to bring us in subjection to his will, and to the order of the place, as he said, which was, that all that came thither might work, or else not eat, so we seeing their tyranny and oppression, could not be subject to their wills, but was made willing to undergo what they had power to inflict upon us, which we saw to be a trial for us, and that it would but continue but a season, though that then their threaten and cruelty were exceeding great, for they would not let us have any thing for our money only a little water once a day we had, by the persuasion of some soldiers, and some others; so he continued with us the second and third day, sometimes by fair speeches and sometimes by threaten, to work if it were never so little, and we should want nothing, if not, we might not expect to eat, than the fourth day of the week, about the eleventh hour, the said john Chauntler brought a discharge, with two several Warrants to convey us from Officer to Officer, to our own Country, and when he came to bring us our books and other things which they had taken from us, he the said Chauntler kept our papers and letters, which was given forth and sent to us from several friends and did not give us them again, but brunt them before our eyes which were precious papers, which tended to the destruction of sin: To the advancement of Holiness: That Satan's Kingdom might be defaced, and the Kingdom of Christ renewed, that people might be brought from Darkness to Light, from under the Dominion of Satan unto God: From under the teachings of men unto God, the Teacher of his people: From under the teachings of Hirelings which jeremy cried against: And from the teaching of Dumb-Dogs, and Greedy Dogs, which can never have enough: And from such as eat the fat and Cloth with the Wool, and makes a prey upon the people, which Isajah, and Ezekiel testified against: And from such as cries peace, peace to such whom the Lord hath not spoken peace to, which persecutors of the innocent holds up, in which state you are, Godfrey Allen, and Chauntler, persecuting them who with the same Light, as the Prophets of the Lord saw them then withal, doth see them now who you uphold, to be in the same steps that they were in, whom the Prophets of the Lord testified against, and therefore do we, as we are moved of the Lord, declare against them now, and lays open their deceits in writing now, so the same portion do we receive of you, as the Prophets of the Lord did of them, who upheld such then; Oh horrible! how can you call yourselves Christians, and such heathenish practices seen amongst you, you exceed the tyranny of the Bishops and Prelates, and Justices, and Mayors, and Recorders which were in power then, so as you exceed your fathers in cruelty and violence towards the innocent, if your punishment exceed theirs, say not God is unjust, when it comes you may remember you have been warned by one who have felt and born the Bishops and Prelates rigour over the Conscience by them then, suffered the loss of Liberty, Friends, Means, and all outward, dear and near Relations whatsoever, not only so, but traveled many years in the Parliaments Army, through much Scarcity, Watchfulness, Dangers, Perils, many cold Stormy Nights and Days; for several Years passed over my Head, much precious time spent, WIFE and small CHILDREN forsaken, and LIFE Engaged many times in the WAR, yet in the midst of the greatest straits and extremities still hoping a DAY of FREEDOM would come, and now to be thus rewarded by this POWER which is now in being, for which I have been made willing for many YEARS by past, to sustain the loss of all to do him good to my utmost against HIS and the NATIONS ENEMIES, and now to be thus served a poor REQUITAL, what EVIL have I done, let that in the CONSCIENCE speak.  
Lambert Godfrey, Recorder; john Allen, Major, john Chauntler, you are recorded to be persecutors of the Just, and worse than your forefathers (who bare rule in the King's days) that persecuted the Innocent without cause: In your Precept (as you call it) you charge us to be wand'ring, idle, and disorderly persons, idleness and disorder we do deny; and because our work and travel is to turn people from their false ways, false worships, heathenish Customs, from the Power of Darkness, and all unrighteousness, and doth direct people unto the Light, which doth discover unto them their works of Darkness, and lets them see their disorder and confusion, and lets them see the wickedness which all the world lies in, that so with this they may be turned from the evil of their do, towards Christ Jesus from whence it comes, who is the way to the Father: and when the Lord moves us to go to declare against his Enemies, such as he cried woe against, whether it be in Towns, Cities, or Villages, because we are obedient unto his command, which is contrary to man's will so your wills being crossed, you invented these three terms against us, upon which you grounded your cruelty, in saying we were idle, wand'ring, and disorderly persons, because we declare against the hirelings and false Shepherds of England, of which number you three are recorded to be Enemies to Christ, and upholders of Antichrist, but know assuredly, that the just judgements of our God will you pursue, and them you cannot escape, for that in all your Consciences shall (for the living God and us) bear witness, but against you eternally when the day of account comes, you shall witness what we speak to be true.  
And whereas we were seized upon and apprehended, the one at an Inn, the other at the Steeplehouse, neither of us had any Law transgressed; wherein it doth plain-appear, that it was only your wills that were crossed, and so exercised your cruelty upon us; he that were at the Steeplehouse after that all was ended, speaking a few words to the Priest which you called a disturbance; now let the Children of Light judge, whether this were disturbance or disorder, but order in the Church of Christ, which makes it clearly manifest that yours is no Church of Christ, but an Idolls-Temple, for in Christ's Church if any thing be revealed to him that sits by, the first is to hold his peace; now your Priest had finished his glass, and said his Prayer, and his blessing before I spoke, and after I had spoken a few words, they said, take him away, which was done accordingly.  
Therefore let all people judge (whose understandings are opened) betwixt us two that were imprisoned and whipped at Maidstone, and the Priests and Teachers of this Nation, who are the most idle, wand'ring, and walks disorderly, whether they who are out of the practice, and out of the life of the Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles, who wanders and turns from the Light in their Conscience, which brings the children of Light from the wand'ring state to be stayed upon the Lord, out of negligence and idleness into diligence, and to labour in the work of the Lord, and in his Vinyard, that all slothful servants may be bound hand and foot and cast into utter darkness, for cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently; therefore be awarned all ye Hirelings every where in the Nation, the woe lies near you, those three crimes which we are charged withal, take them to yourselves, persecutors, Priest, and people, wanderers, idle, and disorderly you are, who walks contrary to the Light in your consciences, which comes from him who is a God of order, so acting contrary to this you wander from the pure commands of the Lord, and neglect his work, which is to labour in his Vinyard, why stand ye idle, yet making yourselves a cloak to cover your filthiness withal? taking the Prophet's words, Christ and the Apostles words, and Preaches them for hire, which were spoken forth freely, here you are thiefs, and we charge it upon you, for stealing the Saints words, and selling them to people for so much a year, but they that spoke these words which you make a trade of, they were such as came thorough great tribulation, they followed the Lamb whithersoever he went; there was no guile found in their mouths, the Epistles were written to the Saints, for the perfecting of the Man of God, for Holy Men spoke them forth as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost, they were not written for proud men to trade withal but they testify against pride and all manner of filthiness, which are now practised among Priests, and People, and Professors in this Nation, who have gotten the Saints words, which was redeemed from their vain conversation, but cannot agree about the meaning thereof, they are in such confusion among themselves, that one cannot understand another's Language though all English men: therefore, O England, England, it is time for thy towers to fall, when thy bvilders are thus confounded among themselves, the pride of Priests and Teaches, and people in thee, is come into remembrance before the Lord, and thou cannot escape.  
Therefore all Magistrates and other Officers, who do this read, take warning and beware upon whom you lay your Law, for if you make your wills your Law, and exercise your cruelty and tyranny upon the innocent; then that which is according to the Law of God in all your consciences will you condemn, and better it had been for you, that you never had been born, than to have persecuted and abused the Servants of the most high God; whose eternal power is made manifest in them, by which power he doth them preserve and keep in the time of trial: Therefore to that in all your Consciences do we speak, that with the Light in you the unjust may come to judgement; and so you may learn to judge according to that, and that will bring you to lay the Law in its place upon the transgressors, for the which end it was added because of transgression, and here them that do well will be praised and encouraged by you, and the evil doers terrified, and this will be acceptable with God, and such a power we honour in our souls, and are subject to for Conscience sake, so we have cleared our Consciences to you persecutors at Maidstone, in laying open your cruelty against us without cause, that herein you may see the evil of your do and be ashamed, and so come to repentance, that for the time to come you may be awarned, how you exercise your cruelty upon the innocent, to that which is just in you all we speak, which is your condemnation for your unjust proceed.  
john Stubs, William Caton.  
CAIN was the Vagabond and the fugitive who had no habitation in God, but woe from God proceeded against him, for said God to him, if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted, if not, sin lies at thy door, and he did not well, and he was wrath, and his countenance fell, and he was a persecutor of him that was in the faith, and a Murderer: and you be the Vagabonds and the Fugitives who persecute them that be in the faith, though you may Sacrifice as Cain did, your Sacrifice God doth not accept, but woe from God doth proceed against you that are in cain's way persecutors, envyers, and Murderers, full of wrath, whose countenance falls, as your fruits hath made appear, and the Vagabond fellows would have murdered Paul, and the wandering Stars spoken of in jude went in cain's way, which is Envy, Murder, and Persecution, which Abel is not which was in the faith, and the faith is one; the Apostles which were in the faith, they saw the Vagabond fellows, they saw the wandering Stars which went in cain's way, and Balaams' way, from the Spirit of God, with which Spirit we see such who are born not of the Spirit, but of the flesh, persecuting them who are not of the flesh, but of the Spirit, whose Sacrifice God accepts.  
The Son of Man was no Vagabond, he had no place to lay his head; and the Apostles were no Vagabonds, who had no certain dwelling place, and such who are spoken of in the Hebrews, who were in the Faith, which were imprisoned, and in Bonds, with scourge, and tempted, and afflicted, and tormented, and destitute, but these were so at the Town called Maidstone, through the Faith obtained a good report, who are such as the world is not worthy, looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of their Faith, running their race with patience, enduring the cross, and despising the shame, and knowing and seeing Jesus, him that endured such speakings against of sinners, in him we have faith from whom we have received it, which gives us victory over the world, which brings to inherit the promise.  
And you at Maidstone, who have showed your unworthiness in not receiving the Servants of the Lord, but by cruelty and persecution, shaming your Religion, Teachers and Church: Now the folly of it is manifest, to that in all your Consciences I speak, the Light which comes from Christ Jesus, who saith, I am the Light of the world, and lighteth every man that cometh into the world, there is your teacher to let you see what you have done, there is your condemnation, for this is the condemnation, the Light saith Christ, and remember in the day of your calamity and condemnation, that in your life time you were warned, and that the messengers of God were amongst you.  
G. F.  
FINIS.   

London; Printed for Giles Calvert, and are to be sold at the Black-Spread-Eagle near the West-end of Paul's. 1655.