d
functions of officials clothed with absolute power to impoverish and
harass those who met together for Divine worship in a way differing from
the "Church of England," in the hope of rendering such unable to live in
their native country. Accordingly a third "Act to prevent and suppress
seditious conventicles" was passed by Parliament, and received the royal
assent in the Fourth month, 1670.

Persecution now ran riot; and the power being by design placed in the
hands of the most profligate and debased, rapine, havoc, and
impoverishment were spread over the nation by the graceless informers,
abetted by a venal magistracy, eager to share in the plunder.

But the storm, biting and incessant as it was, was no more effective in
deterring Friends from assembling for the purpose of worshipping their
Almighty Father in Heaven, than that which had been raised under the
former "Conventicle Act." Grievously spoiled and cruelly abused as they
were, they knew their enemies could truthfully allege nothing against
them but that which concerned the law of their God; and in the sincerity
of their hearts they made their appeal unto Him, with full confidence
that He would extend his fatherly, protecting care over them; would
cause the wrath of man to bring Him praise, and when He saw it was
enough, would restrain the remainder of wrath, and limit the rage and
cruelty of their merciless tormentors. Deprived of the use of their
meeting-houses, they assembled as near to them as they could get; and
beaten, bruised, imprisoned, and fined, as many of each company were
almost sure to be, the next meeting-day found others at the same place,
engaged in the performance of the same indispensable duty; ready to
encounter, with meekness and patience, the wrath of their persecutors,
and to suffer for the maintenance of their rights as men and their
obligation as Christians.

Their treatment in London, bad as it was, was thought to be less severe
than in many other parts of the Kingdom. Yet in that city, it was a
common occurrence for those who attended their meetings for worship, to
be beaten with the muskets of the foot-soldiers, and the sabres of the
dragoons, until the blood ran down upon the ground; women, sometimes
young maidens, were maltreated in the most shameful manner.

On the fourteenth of the Eighth month, 1670, William Penn and William
Mead were taken from the meeting held in the street, as near to
Grace-church meeting-house as they co