A collection of the sufferings of the people called Quakers : for the testimony of a good conscience, from the time of their being first distinguished by that name in the year 1650, to the time of the act, commonly called the Act of toleration, granted to Protestant dissenters in the first year of the reign of King William the Third and Queen Mary, in the year 1689 / Taken from original records and other authentick accounts [extracts]

              «c
Chap. 6.      of the People c*#W QUAKERS.
*' Commiffion either as Field-Officer or Captain, or that may hereafter be in
" Commiffion, who are Gentlemen of confiderable Eftates within any the
46 Towns in this Ifland.
" 34. And be it farther (fl*tl8Cte&, by the Authority aforefaid, That the
45 feveral Troops of Hoife and Companies of Foot, of the ftanding Miliiia in
" the feveral Regiments within this Ifland, do appear compleat in Arms for
" Exercife at their feveral Places of Rendezvous once in every eight Weeks,
and not oftner, unlefs by fpecial Order from the Governour or Commander
in Chief of this Ifland ; any Law, Ufage or Cuftom heretofore to the contrary notwithstanding.
%$. And tul)ftcatf fundry Plantations within this Ifland may happen to
lie in feveral Divifions, which of Neceffity will occafion great Inconveniencies
to the Inhabitants in fending their People on Alarms, or other Occafion of
Service, for Remedy whereof, be it 4D1&afn*& and (fcmtttb, by the
Authority aforefaid, That in all fuch Cafes in what Divifion foever the
Manfion-houfe of any Perfon fhall ftand, in that Divifion only fhall heferve
himfelf, and all the Men and Horfe for him required by this A&, and in no
other whatfoever ; any Thing in this Act to the contrary notwithftanding.
*« 36. And laflly, it is (ttinttti**, by the Authority aforefaid, That all
former Acts of the Miliiia of this Ifland be, and henceforth ftand repealed
and utterly void to all Intents and Purpofes whatfoever.
" Given under my Hand the 28th of September 1675.
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3°5
BARBA-
DOES.
1675.
34. Rendezvous to be
every eight
Weeks.
35. Terjovs
tofeve -where
they dm11.
it
$6, Former
Acts repealed.
€C
Jona. Atkins."
does.
In confequence of this Law the People called Quakers fuffered much, as will
appear by their Accounts thereof exhibited to the Governour and Council, which
we fhall hereafter infert.
In this Year 1675,   William Edmund/on,  a faithful Man,   and  a zealous Services of
Preacher among this People, went from Ireland, where he dwelt, to this Ifland W. Edmund-
of Barbadoes, under a religious Concern, to vifit the Meetings of his Friends f
there, and to publifh the Doctrine of Truth among the Inhabitants, in which
Service he travelled through all Parts of this Ifland, and was received and heard
"with much Attention by many of the People who reforted in great Numbers to
the Meetings by him appointed, and exprefled much Satisfaction with the Doctrine of Truth by him delivered, and fome of them were effectually convinced
thereby.   He had alfo a publick Difputation with one of their Priefts who op-
cofed him and his Doctrine, the Iffue of which was, that the People were farther
informed and enlightned j but the Prieft, whofe Name was Ramfey, moved
with Envy, went to Sir Jonathan Atkins, the Governour, and complained againft
him, of which the laid William hath given the following Account in the Journal
of his Life, pag. 74, 75, 76, viz.
" After the Meeting Prieft Ramfey made a great Complaint againft me, that
<{ I was a Jefuit, came out of Ireland, pretending to be a Quaker, and to make
«4 the Negroes Cbriftians, but would make them Rebels, and rife and cut their
" Throats: Upon which the Governour was about to fend his Warrant to ap-
" prehend me, I heard of it, and went to him before the Warrant came,
" Robert Dree, a Friend, went along with me.
«« When we came to the Governour and he knew my Name, and who I was,
*' he faid, He bad heard of me, and would take a Courfe with me, ufmg many
«« rough Words, and threatning highly what he would do to me, fo lent his
«' Man for theMarfhal, who lived a Mile from thence ; but before the Mar-
*' fhal came we had much Dilcourfe, and amongft other Things he told me,
«6 He was informed that I was making the Negroes Chriftians, and would make
" them rebel and cut their 'Throats. I told him, It was a good Work to bring
*c them to the Knowledge of God and Chrijl J ejus, and to believe in him that died
46 for them, and for all Men, and that would keep them from rebelling or cutting
Vol. II. 4 H <* any