had a divine revelation for the purpose, undertook a journey to Rome with a view of converting the Pope. They had not been long there when they were taken up and put into prison. Luff was sent to the Inquisition, where he died, but not without a reasonable suspicion of having been murdered there. Perrot was put into a bedlam or hospital for madmen; from which being extricated, and this only by great interest, he returned to England. He had not been long at home, when he maintained that in the time of prayer men should keep their hats on, unless they had an immediate internal motion or notice to take them off; and he exemplified this doctrine by his practice into whatever meetings he went. It was in consequence of this irregularity of conduct, after many admonitions, that he was disowned. Soon after this his exclusion from membership an anonymous pamphlet appeared, but yet written by himself, called "The Spirit of the Hat." This occasioned William Penn to publish a reply, to which he gave the curious title of "The Spirit of Alexander the Coppersmith lately revived, and now justly rebuked." He had, how

ever, scarce ushered it into the world, before Perrot wrote against the church order and discipline of the Quakers. This compelled him to enter the lists again, when a publication called "Judas and the Jews combined against Christ and his Followers" was the result of his labour.

Besides the works now mentioned, he wrote in the same year "A Discourse of the general Rule of Faith and Practice, and Judge of Controversy," and "The proposed Comprehenion soberly and not unseasonably considered;" also six Letters of public concern, all of which are extant one to the suffering Quakers in Holland and Germany; another to the little Church of the same established in the United Netherlands; a third to those who were then settled in Maryland, and in whose behalf he had interfered with the Attorney General of that colony and the Lord Baltimore relative to their scruples against oaths; the fourth to John Collenges, a doctor of divinity, in defence of his own book called "The Sandy Foundation shaken;" a fifth to Mary Pennyman, who had taken offence at his book entitled "Judas and the Jews combined against Christ and

his Followers ;" and the sixth to Justice Fleming, who was deputy lieutenant of the county of Westmoreland, and who had been harsh as a magistrate towards the Quakers. From the latter I give the following extract, on account of the just sentiments it contains. "The obligation (says he) which thy civility laid upon the person who is now my wife, when in the north in 1664, is, with her being so, become mine. Not to acknowledge, though I could never retaliate it, were a rudeness I have not usually been guilty of; for, however differing I am from other men circa sacra, that is, relative to religious matters, and to that world which, respecting men, may be said to begin when this ends, I know no religion which destroys courtesy, civility, and kindness. These, rightly understood, are great indications of true men, if not of good Christians."-And a little further on he adds, "That way is but a bad way of making Christians, which destroys their constitution as men."

CHAP

CHAPTER X.

66

A. 1674-tries to stem the torrent of religious persecution by a letter to Bowls-and to two other Justices-and to the King-writes for the same purpose " A Treatise of Oaths"-also "England's present Interest considered”—contents of this work-also "The continued Cry of the oppressed for Justice"-short extracts from the latter-also a Letter to the Senate of Embdenpublishes Naked Truth needs no Shift"-" Ives's sober Request proved false”—and "Libels no Proofs" -Letter to G. Fox on the subject of his release.

THE declaration of indulgence to tender consciences in matters of religion, which was stated to have been granted by Charles the Second in 1671, had, for the short time it was in force, secured both the Quakers and other Dissenters from persecution; but in the year 1674, to which I now come, an occurrence took place, which became the means of removing it. The Parliament, though upon the whole friendly to religious toleration, considered this declaration of indulgence by the King as an undue extension of his prerogative, and therefore called it in as illegal. This measure was wilfully misinterpreted by those in office, who were bi

gots,

gots, as implying a wish on the part of Parliament that all privileges to Dissenters should be withdrawn; and therefore, to gratify their own barbarous prejudices, they availed themselves of this opportunity to consider the Conventicle Act as in force, and to renew their old practices. These cruel and wicked proceedings roused again the spirit of William Penn, and kept him employed, as we shall see, for nearly the remainder of the year.

Justice Bowls having led the way in Wiltshire by the persecution of Thomas Please, he was the first to attract the notice of William Penn; but the latter, not aware that this example would be so soon and so extensively followed, addressed to him only a short letter on the occasion."

The next breaking out of intolerancy was in Middlesex, where two justices of the peace summoned several Quakers before them, who had been charged with having met together in religious worship contrary to law. William Penn, on being made acquainted with the fact, addressed a moderate and respectful letter to them, in which he appealed to their own good sense on this

subject.