men afterwards did confess he knew not what a riot was; yet the prisoners were fined a nobie apiece, and re-committed to prison during life, (a hard sentence) or the King's pleasure, or until they should pay the said fines. William Woodhouse was forthwith discharged, by his kinsman's paying the fine and fees for him. Thomas Dell and Edward Moore also, by other people of the world paying their fines and fees for them; and shortly after Stephen Pewsey, by the town and parish where he lived, for fear his wife and children should become a charge upon them. The other seventeen remained prisoners till King James' proclamation of pardon; whose names were Thomas and William Sexton, Timothy Child, Robert Moor, Richard James, William and Robert Aldridge, John Ellis, George Salter, John Smith, William Tanner, William Batchelor, John Dolbin, Andrew Brothers, Richard Baldwin, John Jennings, and Robert Austin.

A SUPPLEMENT:

BEING A

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE

LIFE OF THOMAS ELLWOOD;

GIVING ACCOUNT IN PARTICULAR OF HIS BOOKS AND WRITINGS.

OUR dear friend THOMAS ELLWOOD, for whom we cannot but have an honorable esteem for his service in the Church, has written an historical account of part of his life, well worth the knowledge of posterity, so far as it goes, viz. to the year 1683, and there left off. Whether he wrote any further, or whether ever he designed it, or for what reason he did not proceed, is uncertain; but so it is, that no more of it can be found at present, which is to be lamented, he being a man so eminent many ways, that any part of it should be lost. In consideration whereof, it arose in my heart to write something, in order to supply the deficiency thereof, many things occurring to my mind, which it is a pity should be omitted. Therefore, for the respect I bore him, and owe to his memory, being acquainted with him for more than the last twenty years of his life, I shall endeavor to make up that defect as far as I am capable of; though far short of what himself might have done, by giving an account of some of the most material passages of the remaining part of his life, and such memorials of him and his works, as came to my hands; which I shall set down with as much brevity and plainness as I can, in sincerity to him, and the truth he professed and adorned. Particularly of his labors, writings, sufferings, and end, from the time he left off.

But, first, I must look back a little, to give some additional account of some passages in relation to his answers to the priests about tithes, for the reader's information and satisfaction, which every body may not know, to prevent misapprehensions in the

case.

In the year 1676, he answered a nameless book, miscalled, "A Friendly Conference between a Minister, and a Parishioner

of his, inclining to Quakerism," in a book entitled, "Truth prevailing and detecting Error," which he divided into nine chapters, according to the various subjects treated of, (wherein that nameless author had endeavored to misrepresent us,) the last of which was of tithes. "This (to use his own words) pinching the priests in a tender part, the belly, (as Erasmus wittily said Luther did the Monks,) made them bestir themselves, and lay their heads together, to consider what was to be done." After divers debates, and much consultation (as he was informed) about it, it was at last resolved to answer that first, which though the last chapter in his book, yet having the first and chiefest place in the priests' minds and affections, the priests' Delilah; the very darling and minion of the clergy, (says T. Ellwood,) the oil by which their lamp is nourished; the pay by which their army is maintained, (as the priest confesses,) and to take away tithes, would be to stop the oil that nourishes the lamp, and force them to disband for want of pay. This being, I say, their chiefest concern, and lying nearest at heart, obtained from them the first and chiefest defence; which at length came forth by a nameless author also, in a book entitled "The Right of Tithes asserted and proved." To which T. Ellwood replied in 1678, in a large book, entitled, "The Foundation of Tithes shaken, and the four principal posts, (of divine institution, primitive practice, voluntary donation, and positive laws,) on which the nameless author of the said book had set his pretended Right to Tithes, removed." Tracing them all along, from the Patriarchs to the time of the law; showing the design and use of them under it, and how they were abolished by the coming and sufferings of Christ in the flesh; and how they came to be set up again in the declension of the church, by Popish kings and councils, in the night of apostacy, for superstitious and idolatrous ends and uses, contrary to the gospel dispensation, and consequently not obligatory on Christians, by any divine right, to pay in this gospel day; answering all the objections and pretences, which were brought by that author for them, from the four fore-mentioned topics.

To this book of T. Ellwood's there was a pretended answer put forth two years after, supposed by the author of the former, but nameless still; the author not daring to own his work with his name, (though since called Comber's,) entitled, "The Right of Tithes re-asserted;" wherein the proofs from the four former points are said to be further strengthened and vindicated, especially from the objections taken out of Mr. Selden's History of Tithes. As if it was chiefly designed against John Selden; T. Ellwood's name, or book, not being so much as mentioned in the title-page, though often in the book; as if it was however

* Introduction, page 3. Right of Tithes, page 13.

designed as an answer to him: which therefore T. Ellwood (though not entitled to it) took in hand to rejoin to, and had begun and made some considerable progress in it; but before he had gone through, or finished it, some other occasions falling in his way, (of which hereafter,) it was laid by and never finished; though he had wrote, as he told me, near sixty sheets, (though I find but forty-six among his papers; but these, with his notes and quotations will make near sixty,) for he had collected a vast number of materials out of authors, in order thereto, as appears by his papers, which I have since seen. For thus it was: that some of the priest's party, vaunting that this second book of the priest's was not answered, I took occasion once at London, in the year 1692, to speak to him about it, and he told me that the substance of the priest's arguments, in this second book, were answered in his former, [The Foundation of Tithes shaken,] only some new quotations which he had brought; and that was what he chiefly designed to deal with the priest about, to examine and clear, by adding some new ones also; but that he never expected to have the last word with the priests about tithes, which their interest lay so much in, that they would never be satisfied; but always be caviling about some way or other, how little soever it was to the purpose; and some other services taking him off, (as aforesaid,) he laid it by. Which I mention to satisfy any who may question in their minds why it was never answered, or at least gone through. And this is the reason why I resumed this matter.

"In handling the argument of Tithes," says he, in a paper found among his manuscripts, as an introduction to his said intended answer, "I write with this disadvantage, that I encounter a numerous party and order of men, with whom interest is far more prevalent than truth; whose profit will not permit them to yield to reason; whose advantage will not suffer them to acknowledge the plainest demonstration; their gain as apparently lying in that which I oppose, as Demetrius's, and his fellowcraftsmen the silversmiths of Ephesus, did in that which the apostle preached against, Acts xix. 25, 26. Hence is it that they bend all their strength, and employ their utmost force to maintain this point, by which they are maintained; and like those shrinemakers of old, they endeavor to carry it by noise and clamor, instead of truth and reason. Nor do they regard what they say, how false soever; or whom they bespatter, how undeservedly soever, in order to the upholding their adored Diana, and enjoying their most beloved Delilah, Tithes. My present adversary is not ashamed to say, (page 1,2,) That I and my fellow quaking speakers, (as he reproachfully calls us,) have our gain by railing against Tithes. A charge so apparently and ridiculously false, that it needs no more than its own malice and folly to detect it.