HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS. CHAP. I. FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDULGENCE TO THE DEATH OF KING CHARLES II. The King by the advice of his counfellors, HE Dutch war being ready to break out (1672) feizes the opportunity, under colour of promoting domeftic peace, while engaged in foreign war, to iffue his proclamation for fufpending the execution of the penal laws against nonconformists. Those Friends who were at liberty, and free from the oppreffion of the penal laws, could not help feeling for their brethren under restraint, many of whom had been kept immured in uncomfortable prifons for feveral years. And as the prefent difpofition of government in favour of nonconformifts prefented an opportunity to intercede in their behalf, fome of the principal members in London, viz. George Whitehead, Thomas Moor, and Thomas Green, attended the King and council to folicit the difcharge of their fuffering friends, and were fo fuccessful as to obtain the King's letters patent, containing a difcharge for all fuch to whom he might legally grant the fame, whereby all that were VOL. II. convicted B. FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDULGENCE TO THE DEATH OF KING CHARLES II. HE Dutch war being ready to break out (1672) feizes the opportunity, under colour of promoting domeftic peace, while engaged in foreign war, to iffue his proclamation for fufpending the execution of the penal laws against nonconformifts. Those Friends who were at liberty, and free from the oppreffion of the penal laws, could not help feeling for their brethren under restraint, many of whom had been kept immured in uncomfortable prifons for feveral years. And as the prefent difpofition of government in favour of nonconformifts prefented an opportunity to intercede in their behalf, fome of the principal members in London, viz. George Whitehead, Thomas Moor, and Thomas Green, attended the King and council to folicit the discharge of their fuffering friends, and were for fuccessful as to obtain the King's letters patent, containing a difcharge for all fuch to whom he might legally grant the fame, whereby all that were VOL. II. convicted.. B. convicted for transportation, upon premunire, or in prifon for fines, confifcations, or fees, were reftored to their families, from which many of them had been feparated for fix or feven years and up wards. When the warrant to the attorney-general to make out the letters patent was obtained, the Friends found themselves in a dilemma in respect to the fees to be paid in the fundry,offices they were to pass through, understanding they would amount to a very great fum by reafon of upwards of 400 to be included in them. The Lord Keeper, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, generously and voluntarily remitting his fees, they thought themselves under a neceflity to make farther application to the King to moderate the reft, who accordingly iffued his order, "That the pardon, though comprehending a great number of perfons, do yet pafs as one pardon, and pay but as one.", Their fuccefs in this application furnished thefe Friends with an opportunity of giving a specimen of their difpofition to perform good offices to all, as far as in their power. There were fome other diffenters confined in prifon, and their folicitors obferving the fuccefs of this application, applied to George Whitehead for his advice and affiftance to get their imprisoned friends difcharged with his, by procuring their names to be inferted in the fame inftrument; he advifed them to apply to the King. for his warrant for that purpofe, which was ac-. cordingly obtained, and thefe were by the fame inftrument reflored to liberty. Those who were fhut up in the different prifons: in London, were almoft immediately fet at liberty: but how to extend the benefit thereof to thofe imprifoned in the country, and particularly the remoter counties, occafioned the Friends concerned confiderable thought and trouble; for the patent containing |