ore a
large assembly of people: "Friend, take care what thou dost; God will
soon punish thee for persecuting His saints." This magistrate, being one
who besotted himself every day with bad beer and brandy, died of an
apoplexy two days after, the moment he had signed a _mittimus_ for
imprisoning some Quakers. The sudden death with which this justice was
seized was not ascribed to his intemperance, but was universally looked
upon as the effect of the holy man's predictions; so that this accident
made more converts to Quakerism than a thousand sermons and as many
shaking fits could have done. Oliver, finding them increase daily, was
desirous of bringing them over to his party, and for that purpose
attempted to bribe them by money. However, they were incorruptible,
which made him one day declare that this religion was the only one he had
ever met with that had resisted the charms of gold.

The Quakers were several times persecuted under Charles II.; not upon a
religious account, but for refusing to pay the tithes, for "theeing" and
"thouing" the magistrates, and for refusing to take the oaths enacted by
the laws.

At last Robert Barclay, a native of Scotland, presented to the King, in
1675, his "Apology for the Quakers," a work as well drawn up as the
subject could possibly admit. The dedication to Charles II. is not
filled with mean, flattering encomiums, but abounds with bold touches in
favour of truth and with the wisest counsels. "Thou hast tasted," says
he to the King at the close of his epistle dedicatory, "of prosperity and
adversity; thou knowest what it is to be banished thy native country; to
be overruled as well as to rule and sit upon the throne; and, being
oppressed, thou hast reason to know how hateful the Oppressor is both to
God and man. If, after all these warnings and advertisements, thou dost
not turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, but forget Him who remembered
thee in thy distress, and give up thyself to follow lust and vanity,
surely great will be thy condemnation.

"Against which snare, as well as the temptation of those that may or do
feed thee and prompt thee to evil, the most excellent and prevalent
remedy will be, to apply thyself to that light of Christ which shineth in
thy conscience, which neither can nor will flatter thee nor suffer thee
to be at ease in thy sins, but doth and will deal plainly and faithfully
with thee, as those that are followers thereof have plainly done.--Thy
fa