Quakers
discovered
to
be
Inchanters
,
IN
A
short
but
true
Narrative
(
part
attested
upon
Oath
)
of
severall
passages
,
hapnings
in
the
Towns
of
Wickhamskeyth
and
Mandlesham
in
the
County
of
Suffolk
June
1655.
Collected
by
a
friend
to
the
peace
of
the
Church
and
Commonwealth
,
and
set
out
partly
to
make
a
more
clear
discovery
(
then
as
yet
hath
been
made
)
that
those
who
are
called
Quakers
are
in
truth
Inchanters
;
partly
to
undeceive
the
people
by
them
grosly
sedused
;
and
partly
to
prevent
further
misreports
(
some
being
already
in
print
)
which
may
prejudice
the
truth
.
RIchard
Hobberthorne
called
a
Quaker
,
or
more
justly
an
Inchanter
,
late
a
Prisoner
in
Norwich
Castle
,
came
to
Wickhamskeyth
the
1.
of
June
,
where
at
a
meeting
upon
a
disputation
had
with
a
Minister
(
on
purpose
to
undeceive
the
people
whom
he
had
there
wickedly
misled
,
the
sayd
Hobberthorne
in
the
presence
of
many
of
his
followers
and
others
)
did
affirm
that
he
had
received
Revelations
,
and
Visions
imediatly
from
God
,
in
such
manner
as
Samuel
and
Paul
had
,
and
that
he
was
sent
to
call
such
into
the
Light
who
were
in
Darknesse
;
he
did
then
deny
the
Resurrection
of
the
Body
,
and
the
Trinity
or
three
Persons
in
the
Godhead
;
since
that
meeting
he
hath
dispersed
many
Books
in
maintenance
of
some
of
those
Opinions
,
and
other
horrid
Errors
,
set
out
by
himselfe
and
under
his
name
,
and
notwithstanding
the
sayd
Hobberthorn
at
the
said
meeting
,
was
admonished
to
depart
the
said
town
,
and
not
to
returne
againe
,
yet
neverthelesse
the
eight
day
of
June
he
came
again
to
the
house
of
Richard
White
,
accompanied
with
Francis
Howgill
and
Edward
Burroughs
called
Quakers
,
newly
(
as
was
reported
)
come
from
London
,
at
which
meeting
here
was
a
great
number
of
people
,
from
severall
parts
of
Norfolk
and
Suffolk
;
amongst
others
from
Norfolk
there
was
one
Mary
White
,
the
Wife
of
William
White
of
Starson
in
the
County
of
Norfolk
,
who
soon
after
became
distracted
,
or
rather
inchanted
,
and
so
died
,
as
may
appear
by
the
severall
informations
following
.
The
Information
of
Bartholomew
Lenald
of
Starson
in
the
County
of
Norfolk
Brick-layer
,
taken
upon
Oath
the
5.
day
of
July
1655.
before
Edmund
Harvey
Esq
;
THis
informant
saith
,
that
he
came
on
Saturday
before
Whitesunday
(
upon
the
invitation
of
Richard
White
of
Wickhamskeyth
)
with
William
While
and
Mary
his
Wife
to
the
house
of
the
said
Richard
,
where
the
said
Mary
continued
about
the
space
of
ten
dayes
.
In
the
former
part
of
which
time
,
Alice
the
Wife
of
the
said
Richard
did
read
to
her
the
said
Mary
divers
seducing
Books
(
as
he
conceiveth
)
and
full
of
Errors
set
out
by
Richard
Hobberthorne
and
others
,
who
are
commonly
called
Quakers
,
she
the
said
Mary
at
first
would
not
give
ear
or
listen
to
them
,
but
on
the
Friday
after
Whitsunday
there
came
the
said
Hobberthorne
with
two
other
called
Quakers
to
the
house
of
the
said
Richard
White
aforesaid
,
who
did
then
and
there
speak
to
a
great
number
of
people
,
and
on
Sunday
next
following
the
said
Quakers
met
at
the
house
of
Robert
Duncon
of
Mendlesham
with
a
number
of
people
,
whither
they
the
said
William
and
Mary
his
Wife
did
go
,
where
they
heard
the
Quakers
speak
in
such
a
manner
as
the
said
Mary
wept
(
as
this
informant
was
told
)
and
was
much
troubled
,
And
he
further
saith
,
that
on
Munday
night
following
,
she
the
said
Mary
White
fell
ill
,
and
distracted
or
possessed
with
an
evill
spirit
(
as
he
conceived
)
which
did
appear
to
her
,
as
she
the
said
Mary
confessed
unto
the
said
Alice
,
and
the
said
Alice
,
told
this
informant
,
that
the
said
Mary
told
her
the
said
Alice
that
when
the
spirit
departed
from
her
,
she
desired
the
spirit
not
to
sting
her
by
the
ey
although
it
did
her
flesh
,
and
it
went
out
at
the
window
(
as
she
said
.
)
And
this
informant
also
saith
,
that
on
Twesday
morning
she
the
said
Mary
continued
ill
,
the
said
Alice
came
to
her
and
read
in
a
Book
set
out
by
those
whom
they
call'd
Quakers
;
and
this
informant
further
saith
,
that
on
Thursday
morning
the
said
Mary
told
this
informant
,
that
if
she
had
got
the
foure
spels
,
she
had
had
it
;
but
what
she
meant
thereby
,
he
doth
not
know
,
and
he
also
saith
,
that
he
verily
believeth
,
that
upon
the
hearing
of
the
said
Quakers
speak
,
and
hearing
their
Books
read
by
the
said
Alice
,
the
said
Mary
became
altogether
distracted
or
inchanted
,
and
so
continued
about
the
space
of
ten
dayes
,
in
which
time
the
said
Mary
had
such
violent
fits
and
distenspers
as
that
foure
or
five
men
could
hardly
hold
her
in
her
bed
,
and
in
her
said
fit
she
roared
and
in
a
raging
manner
called
those
about
her
Devills
,
saying
,
stand
away
you
Devills
,
And
she
further
said
in
her
fits
when
the
said
Alice
was
with
her
(
have
I
come
unto
you
for
this
?
)
telling
the
said
Alice
and
others
that
she
was
inchanted
and
bewitched
by
the
seducers
,
And
this
informant
further
saith
,
that
after
the
said
Mary
came
to
her
own
house
,
she
continued
distemperd
and
cried
out
many
times
,
and
said
,
she
was
inchanted
and
seduced
,
and
that
they
were
seducers
of
Israel
,
these
and
such
like
wordes
she
used
so
long
as
she
was
able
to
speak
,
untill
her
death
.
The
Information
of
Susan
Green
of
Wickham-skeyth
Spinster
,
taken
upon
Oath
the
27.
of
June
1655.
before
Edmund
Harvey
Esq
;
THis
Informant
saith
,
That
William
White
of
Starson
in
the
County
of
Norfolk
and
Mary
his
Wife
,
came
unto
the
House
of
Richard
White
,
her
Master
,
in
Wickham-skeyth
,
in
the
County
of
Suffolk
on
the
Saturday
before
Whitesunday
,
who
at
their
comming
(
as
this
Informant
believeth
)
were
very
well
,
and
soon
after
their
comming
,
the
said
Richard
White
and
Alice
his
wife
,
did
discourse
with
them
the
said
William
and
Mary
,
concerning
the
Quakers
,
and
read
diverse
seducing
and
erronious
Books
to
her
the
said
Mary
,
which
were
set
out
by
them
,
whom
they
call
Quakers
,
the
said
Mary
at
the
first
refused
to
hear
them
;
but
on
the
Friday
after
Whitesunday
there
came
to
the
said
Richard
Whites
house
Richard
Hobberthorn
and
two
other
men
(
unknown
to
this
Informant
)
who
were
called
Quakers
,
who
did
then
and
there
speak
to
the
said
Mary
,
and
a
great
number
of
people
there
present
.
And
that
the
Sunday
following
they
the
said
Quakers
met
at
the
house
of
Robert
Duncon
in
Mendlesham
with
a
great
number
of
people
,
and
that
the
said
William
and
Mary
his
wife
went
to
the
said
meeting
,
where
they
the
said
William
and
Mary
(
as
they
told
this
Informant
)
heard
the
said
Quakers
speak
,
and
when
the
said
Mary
came
back
to
the
said
Richard
Whites
house
,
she
seemed
(
to
this
Informant
)
to
be
much
troubled
,
and
so
continued
all
Munday
following
;
On
which
day
,
she
spent
much
time
in
Reading
a
Book
set
out
by
the
Quakers
,
which
(
as
this
Informant
believeth
)
added
much
to
her
trouble
and
distractions
.
And
this
Informant
,
further
saith
,
that
Alice
the
wife
of
Richard
White
did
declare
to
this
Informant
,
that
Mary
the
wife
of
William
White
confessed
to
her
the
said
Alice
,
that
on
Tuesday
morning
the
Devill
went
out
of
her
,
and
that
the
Spirit
of
God
had
possessed
her
,
which
said
spirit
of
the
Devill
seemed
to
her
the
said
Mary
(
as
she
confessed
)
to
be
like
to
a
Knat
or
a
Flie
,
which
stung
her
by
the
ey
,
and
afterwards
did
flie
out
at
the
Window
.
And
she
also
confessed
that
she
did
see
Christ
crucified
,
and
that
she
was
among
the
Virgins
.
And
this
Informant
saith
,
that
on
Wednesday
,
she
the
said
Mary
(
seemed
to
this
Informant
)
to
grow
worse
and
worse
in
her
distractions
by
her
staring
in
such
affrightfull
manner
,
that
(
as
this
Informant
believeth
)
she
was
possessed
with
a
Devill
,
and
that
she
the
said
Mary
on
Thursday
morning
seemed
(
to
this
Informant
)
to
be
worse
then
formerly
,
being
possessed
with
strange
fits
and
distempers
;
In
one
of
the
said
fits
,
she
this
Informant
did
perceive
something
to
rise
up
in
her
body
,
with
such
violence
,
as
that
the
said
Mary
sometimes
roared
,
and
at
other
times
hallowed
,
and
sometime
barked
like
a
Dog
,
and
often
times
in
the
same
day
did
attempt
to
have
drowned
her self
,
but
being
prevented
and
hindred
,
she
did
get
a
Knife
(
as
this
Informant
believeth
)
to
have
killed
her self
;
and
that
in
her
fits
she
was
of
such
force
,
that
three
or
four
could
scarce
keep
her
in
her
B●d
;
and
that
after
her
said
fi●s
&
distractions
were
over
,
the
said
Mary
would
lie
very
still
and
quiet
by
the
space
of
four
or
five
houres
or
thereabouts
.
And
by
the
space
of
half
an
houre
or
thereabouts
she
would
speak
in
a
raging
and
strange
manner
,
Crying
out
to
the
said
Alice
,
Stand
away
you
Devill
,
you
Devill
,
you
seducer
of
Israel
;
And
the
said
Mary
continued
in
these
distractions
and
distempers
,
about
the
space
of
ten
dayes
,
and
then
dyed
in
that
distracted
condition
.
The
Information
of
William
White
of
Starson
in
the
County
of
Norfolk
Bricklayer
,
taken
before
Edmund
Harvey
Esq
;
the
14.
of
June
1655.
&c.
THis
Informant
saith
,
that
on
Saturday
seven
night
,
last
past
,
Richard
White
his
Brother
,
living
in
Wickhamskeyth
,
in
the
County
of
Suffolk
,
sent
for
this
Informant
,
and
Mary
his
wife
,
to
come
to
Wickhamskeyth
,
&
that
on
the
same
day
this
Informant
and
his
wife
came
to
his
said
Brothers
house
,
where
they
heard
many
Books
read
,
set
out
(
as
he
was
told
)
by
those
whom
they
call
Quakers
,
&
he
believeth
in
his
absence
(
for
he
returned
home
on
the
Munday
and
lest
his
wife
behind
him
)
his
wife
was
there
so
seduced
,
as
on
Tuesday
the
12.
of
this
instant
June
,
she
fell
into
a
distraction
,
and
thereupon
this
Informant
was
sent
for
to
come
to
his
said
wife
,
and
according
as
he
had
heard
,
he
found
her
distracted
,
and
she
so
continueth
.
And
this
Informant
further
saith
,
that
this
present
day
being
the
14.
of
June
,
she
did
severall
times
attempt
to
have
drowned
her self
,
and
had
got
a
Knife
(
as
this
Informant
believeth
to
have
killed
her self
.
And
this
Informant
further
saith
,
that
the
distraction
came
to
her
(
as
his
said
wise
told
this
Informant
)
by
foure
Spels
,
but
what
she
meant
by
those
Spels
,
he
cannot
tell
.
But
this
Informant
saith
,
that
in
her
Fits
,
he
hath
observed
that
something
within
her
body
did
ru●●p
and
down
,
and
in
her
Fits
somtime
she
roared
like
a
Bull
;
so●●●●●
barked
like
a
Dog
,
and
somtime
blared
like
a
Calf
,
and
that
she
did
claspe
her
Legs
about
her
Neck
,
so
round
as
she
might
have
been
put
into
a
Bushel
.
And
this
Informant
saith
,
that
she
was
never
formerly
distracted
or
distempered
.
It
is
credibly
reported
,
that
there
are
others
in
the
Counties
of
Norfolk
and
Suffolk
,
in
the
like
distractions
.
It
is
observed
,
that
such
as
be
the
followers
of
the
said
Quakers
,
are
in
their
Opinions
and
Judgments
;
either
Jesuiticall
,
forbearing
and
forbidding
to
read
the
Scripture
,
and
hold
it
of
no
more
esteem
than
Popish
Tradition
,
or
Athiesticall
;
denying
the
Trinity
,
the
Humanity
of
Christ
,
his
Ascension
,
the
Resurrection
of
the
Body
,
and
the
like
.
Their
Lives
,
Conversations
,
and
Practises
are
sutable
to
their
Opinions
,
for
most
of
them
are
(
like
Jesuites
)
industrious
and
solicitous
to
seduce
others
,
and
draw
them
to
their
opinions
,
and
do
disperse
and
communicate
their
Erronious
Books
to
such
as
they
find
inclining
to
them
,
or
weak
or
wavering
in
their
judgements
.
They
rail
on
and
revile
the
Ministers
of
Gods
Word
and
all
Magistrates
,
and
will
not
yield
or
acknowledge
any
honour
or
obedience
to
be
due
to
them
,
or
to
any
other
power
,
save
to
such
(
as
in
their
sence
and
as
they
conceive
)
are
Saints
and
called
of
God
.
They
hold
and
practice
that
they
are
not
to
seek
God
for
his
blessing
upon
the
Creatures
which
they
are
to
receive
,
nor
to
returne
thanks
to
God
for
the
same
being
received
.
Some
of
them
hold
and
maintain
,
That
all
Prayer
is
to
be
laid
aside
,
and
not
used
(
for
God
knows
our
wants
)
and
to
make
good
this
errour
,
they
abuse
that
scripture
(
The
Prayers
of
the
wicked
are
Abomination
to
the
Lord
)
with
these
and
the
like
horrid
opinions
,
they
have
poisoned
much
people
in
the
said
Town
,
and
some
other
Towns
adjacent
.
That
the
said
Quakers
do
concurre
in
Opinion
and
Practice
with
Thomas
Mantzerus
,
1535.
Johannes
Leydensis
,
David
Georgius
,
Michael
Servetus
and
Gasper
Suenkfildius
(
the
two
first
proved
troublesome
to
the
Princes
of
Germany
,
the
other
to
other
places
)
may
plainly
appeare
in
severall
Histories
of
the
Church
.
And
that
they
are
Inchanters
as
well
as
Seducers
,
is
manifested
as
well
by
some
late
Bookes
,
set
out
by
John
Gilpin
and
others
,
as
by
a
Book
set
out
in
the
year
1591.
called
Arthingtons
Seduction
and
Repentance
;
who
together
with
Edmund
Coppinger
,
were
so
Seduced
and
Inchanted
by
William
Hacket
,
that
they
proclaimed
in
Cheapside
London
;
Christ
Jesus
(
meaning
the
said
William
Hacket
)
was
come
to
judge
the
world
;
Hacket
was
executed
for
Treason
,
whose
last
words
were
as
high
blasphemy
,
as
ever
was
spoken
by
man
;
Coppinger
died
in
Bridwell
London
;
Arthington
(
being
●prisoner
)
upon
notice
given
to
him
of
the
death
of
Hacket
and
of
his
desperate
end
,
felt
himself
(
as
he
confesseth
in
his
Book
)
quite
dispossessed
of
the
hot
spirit
,
(
for
so
he
called
it
)
and
of
all
those
his
grosse
errours
,
which
he
held
and
maintained
with
mad
zeal
:
All
which
,
with
many
other
strange
passiges
are
set
forth
at
large
in
the
said
Book
.
Let
this
be
accepted
,
not
as
an
intire
Argument
against
them
,
but
as
a
single
matter
of
Fact
,
which
together
with
other
significations
of
their
wickednesse
,
and
Gods
heavy
vengeance
,
may
undeceive
the
Seduced
,
and
preserve
the
weak
from
falling
from
the
Faith
.
FINIS
.