AN ANSWER TO THE QUAKERS PRETENDED CHARITY Above Ingratitude; Made manifest in their Barbarous and unrighteous Deal in the Case OF Thomas Boyce OF HORSELYDOWN In the County of Surrey, Who had been one of them above Ten years:  
And with the consent, and upon the earnest request of the said Thomas Boyce, published to the World.  

With Allowance,  
Octob. 2. 1676. Roger L'Estrange.   
LONDON: Printed 1676.   

The Quakers Wickedness.  
FOr the Readers clearer apprehension of the following Case, he is desired to be informed, that this Thomas Boyce, by Trade a Tailor, living on Horselydown in Southwark, was, many years since, seduced by the fair words, seeming Innocency and Holiness, and high pretences to Infallibility and Perfection of the People called Quakers, to frequent their Assemblies and Company; and at last his Innocent well-meaning Spirit was so far wrought upon by their specious Insinuations, as to expose himself to the displeasure of his former Acquaintance and Relations, so as to declare himself to be one of their Party, and continued to be one of them above Ten years; during which time, through those Clouds of Misapprehension which they had cast upon his Understanding, he believed their ways to be the best, and accordingly walked conscientiously amongst them, being strictly true to what he professed: but afterwards finding some of the Heads (or Leading-men) as well as others of them, acting contrary to their declared Principles, he was willing in the Spirit of Meekness and Righteousness, to tell them of their Errors, Backslidings, and Hypocrisy; who instead of harkening to him, or reforming themselves, fell upon him by way of threatening with great and terrible words; which caused a trouble upon his mind; and about June 1673, he was suddenly taken in a strange manner, to the amazement of them that saw him, it being amongst several hundreds of the said people called Quakers; whereupon some of them most falsely and unjustly cried out, Deceit; and others said, He was made a public Sign for his wickedness. After which time his Speech was taken from him, and he continued wholly dumb for the space of Three and thirty weeks together, only some few words he might speak for a week or two, but so weakly and brokenly, that those that were with him could not perceive what he meant; and for five weeks together he could eat no food at all, only drank water; and as it was not perceived that he had any sleep during all that time, so does he not know that in the whole Three and thirty weeks he was at all sick. The cause of which his preternatural Affliction he shall not rashly presume to judge of: But this he shall presume to say, That the Quakers, in that his deplorable Condition, were not wanting to add Affliction to Affliction, falsely declaring and suggesting, That the said Thomas Boyce was a Dissembler by making himself dumb and lazy; one of their chief Preachers saying, That he could both speak and work too, if he list, while he was so speechless: Whereas, in truth, the said Thomas could not speak, nor was able to work, as by the testimony of Two persons, chosen to judge between the Quakers and him, does upon full inquiry appear; as likewise by the attestation of all his Neighbours, ready on that occasion to be produced.  
That the Quakers upon the occasions , refused to employ the said Tho. Boyce afterwards in his Trade, which lay wholly amongst them; and by such Lies, false Accusations, and Slanders, dispersed amongst all that knew him, persuaded and hardened others against him, not to let him have any work neither; thereby endeavouring as much as in them lay to starve him and his Family; which so far took effect, that by means thereof, and his lamentable Affliction, he is now reduced to extreme Poverty, who before did help to relieve them Though true it is, three eminent Quakers did offer to allow him Sustenance, but it was upon such a Condition as he could not in Conscience and Honesty consent to and perform; for if he had, he believes he should be an undone man for ever.  
These People called Quakers pretend themselves to be the Seers, and all others out of their form and manner of Dress to be blind; but we may easily prove them Liars out of their own mouths, who tell people, They must be perfect, as God is perfect; which State of Perfection must be witnessed in this life; and all that preach against such their Doctrine, they say, Are the Ministers of the Devil. Now whether these men themselves be in such a state of Perfection, and whose Ministers they are, let the Christian Reader judge: For the tree is known by its fruit. Now some of the best of these (called Quakers) in particular, have threatened to vex the said Tho. Boyce, and called him Knave, Traitor, and Judas, with other vile and opprobrious Terms, would have turned him headlong down stairs. And at another time some of them took him by the legs and dragged him down stairs with his head on the ground, and had him towards the street, exposing him to the insolence of some rude Boys there, and then set him upon his legs; who being searce able to stand, by reason of their Abuses, to excuse themselves they gave out he was Drunk, and pretended to send for a Constable to fetch him away; but were so barbarous, that they would not give him a little water to wash off the blood they had drawn of him. From these Actions I would inquire what is become of that Meekness, Patience, and stillness of Spirit which the men outwardly pretend to? certainly the Quakers State of Perfection is much like that which some men represent for the State of Nature, where men may lawfully worry and pray upon one another.  
Again, that these people are guilty of gross Hypocrisy is evident, for that they pretend they cannot take an Oath for Conscience sake, nor swear at all in any Case: And one of their Preachers, viz. Solomon Eccles says, Our Yea and Nay is more than Swearing in a Court of Judicature: But if so, pray be pleased to inquire, why they do not take one another's Yea and Nay without subscribing to their form, that what they declare is the truth and no other.  
The Form (or the Quakers Oath) is thus:  

I A. B. do Declare in the Truth of my Heart, in the Fear of God, and before these (meaning the Heads of the Quakers) his faithful Witnesses, That, etc. Or otherwise,— In the presence of God, or, of him that knoweth all things.   
And without such or suchlike Declaration, they will not permit any one to Marry (as they call it) among them; nor in some cases will lend Money without such a Subscription. Now let the sober judge, how much this Form wants of an absolute Oath, against which they pretend so great a tenderness.  
Furthermore, the said Quakers are false Accusers and unjust Judges; for some of the heads of them, pretending to be Judges, did cause to be brought before them a Woman and her Son, being of their own Society, and accused them of Lying together and being unclean (commonly called Incest) and did without sufficient proof pass Judgement, that they were unclean. Whereupon the said Tho. Boyce hearing thereof, went to the chief of the said Judges, desiring to hear what he could say in the matter, being fully satisfied that he had given wrong Judgement: But instead of regarding the said Tho. Boyce therein, the said Judge rashly and without any shadow of proof, or colour of Crime, adjudged and pronounced him unclean also.  
Yet afterwards the Quakers preferred a Lass to this Youngman (the Son, who was so judged unclean) and joined them together as Man and Wife, according to their before expressed Form: But she afterwards not behaving herself according to the Place and Duty of a Wife, the said Tho. Boyce acquainting some of the Heads of the Quakers therewith, one of them (chief instrumental in putting them together) did acknowledge he had known her long to be a wild Lass; and another of them said, She was of a bewitching spirit, and a depth of deceit, and that she had deceived a Servant of his, who (he said) cried out she had undone him, and soon after died; And further said, He feared she would prove a Whore. And therefore they were willing to let her have a Husband, lest she should bring a dishonour upon the Truth.  
After all these Transactions, the Quakers published a Paper against the said Tho. Boyce, charging him for disturbing them, with several other false and scandalous Imputations, none of all which they could ever prove: For true it is, after he had been at their private Houses and private Meetings, to know what was the Deceit and Wickedness they had accused him of, and wherein he was unclean, and finding no satisfaction, the said Tho. Boyce did at their public Assemblies require the same thing. But instead of Christian Satisfaction, some of the Quakers there met laid violent hands on him, some taking him by the Throat, others thrusting their Elbows on his Breast, and some thrusting and punching his Belly and Stomach, even ready to take away his Breath; so that he could have no Right done him, either in Private or Public, but still they go on to load him with Slanders and Reproaches, notwithstanding he has it testified under the Hands of two judicious Men, who have examined the whole matter, and whom the Quakers themselves at their Meeting in Gracious-street did say, they believed were honest Men, and might be competent Judges therein: The said Tho. Boyce, I say, hath it under the said two Persons Hands, That he is innocent of what the Quakers accuse him, and that they cannot find that he hath wronged the People called Quakers; but on the contrary, that he hath been much wronged by the Quakers scandalous accusation against him, to his great loss of Credit and Trade, as by the said Certificate and Testimonial, dated Jan. 20. 1674. ready to be produced, appears.  
Nor has the Quakers Injustice and Partiality been less shown against the said Tho. Boyce in another Case, wherein he came before them for Justice against one of their Preachers, that had abused him; having met with nothing but Deceit, Delays and wicked Dealing in that affair, as by the several Papers, under the Hands of the persons concerned is manifest.  
And now having thus oppressed and tyrannised over the poor man, withdrawn his Custom and Livelihood, taken away his good Name, assaulted him in his Body, ruined him in his Credit, and undone him in Estate, to stop People's ears against his just Complaints, they every where publish and give out, that the said Tho. Boyce is distracted, and out of his Wits, etc. But although true it is, That Oppression, according to the Saying of the Wisest of Men, is apt to make even a wise man mad; yet through the Mercy of God, the said Tho. Boyce is in Sound Mind, and wishes all those that desire to continue so, to have nothing to do with this deceitful Generation of Men called Quakers: Who say they are infallible, and perfect, and a holy Seed, but are in truth Hypocrites and of the Synagogue of Satan.   
FINIS.