Chap. XI. The HISTORY of tbe PuRTTANS, 759 nor leave them fo much as a bed to lie upon -- thus the iiformers King h · n d · h · f b f r b f: James If. are bot witne,leS an parties, to t e rum o great num ers o 10 er a1686 . milies; and jullices of peace have been threatened with the forfeiture of ~j one hundred pounds, if they do not iJJue out warrants upon their infor– mations-- with this petition, they prefented to the king and parliament a lift of their friends in prifon in the feveral counties, amounting to one thoufand four hundred and fixty. But 'tis impoffible to make an exaCl computation of the number of fuf- Computatio~t~ ferers, or efl:imate of the damages his majell:y's diffenting fobjeCls of the of the num– feveral denominations fufl:ained, by the profeq1tions of this and the Jail:~:~, ~{tj. reign; how many families were impoveriilied, and reduced to beggary; tim;te of the how many lives were loll: in prifons and noifome gaols; how many mi- damages fof-– nijlers were divorced from their people, and forced to live as they could, tamed by~ ., .f. • h . d n . d 1 b . dol non-con or-- jive mz.es J rom a corporatzon ; ow many 10 uwwus an ,, onons tra f!r mills in the· mm were cut off from their trades; and their fubllnnce and houlhold twolajl ' goods plundered by foldiers, or divided among idle and infamous informers. •·eigns. The vexatious fuits of the commons, and the expences of thqfe courts were immenfe. The writer of the preface of Mr. Delaune's plea for the non.coiform- Preface to ijls, fays, that Delaune was one of near eight tbou&md proteftant di(jen- Delaune's ters, who had periihed in prifon in the reign of king Charles II. and that plea, p. S.•– meerly for d:!Jmtingfrom the church in Jome points, which they 7Vere able to gi·ve good reajim jor; and yet for no other caufe (fays he), were they J1ifkd, I bad almofl: faid, murdered in gaols --- As for the fevere penalties inflicted on them, for feditious and riotous a!femblies, defigned only for the worlhip of God, be adds, that they fuffered in their trades and eil:ates, within the compafs of three years, at leail: two millions ;. and doubts, whether in all the times fince the reformation, including the reign of queen MARY, there can be produced any thing like fuch a number of cbri11ians' who have fuffered death; and fucb numbers who have loll: their fubftance for religion. Another writer adds, that Mr. .'fe- Hifl.Stuarts,. remy White, had carefully colleCled a lifl of the dijjlmting Juflerers, and P· 7 1 5• of their Ji!lferings; and had the names of fixty thoufand perions who had fuffe red on a rtligious account, between the refl:oration of king Charles II. and the revolution of king rf'il!iam; five thoufand of whom died in prifon. That Mr. White rold lord Dorfet, that king .'fames bad of-· fe1 ed hi 11 a thoufand guineas for the manufcript, but that he refufed all. invitations and rewards, and concealed the black record, that it might not appt .. to the difreputation of the church of England, for which !ome of the clergy fent him their thanks, and offered him an acknowledgement, which be gcneroufly refufed. The reader will form his own judgment of the truth of thefe facts. . 'Tis certain, that befides. thofe who fuf- \ · fered i
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=