A request to the justices not to make convictions vvithout hearing the accusers and the accused face to face in matters about religion: according to the law of God (and the Roman laws,) in many scriptures cited both out of the Old and New Testament.

A REQUEST TO THE JUSTICES Not to Make Convictions Without Hearing the Accusers and the Accused Face to Face in Matters about RELIGION : According to the Law of God ( and the Roman Laws , ) in many SCRIPTURES cited both out of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT .

WE do intreat the Iustices of Peace not take any Witness or Information from Informers against us , to convict us behind our backs , until you hear us together Face to Face : And we do believe that would ease you of a great deal of Trouble in your Courts and Sessions : for in some places the Justices have seen many of the Informers have sworn Falsly against us , to have been at a M●eting , when some of us the same time have been in the Cou●try , and other●●ave not been at a Meeti●g that day , as in several places have be●n pr●ved in open Court ; and the In●ormers have been cast : so that if we and our Accusers were bro●ght face to face before a Justice of Peace before Conviction many of our Causes would there end , and never trouble your Courts nor us further . And therefore we intreat you to Read these Scriptures following ▪ and yo● may see what the Law of God and the Roman Laws say in behalf of our Case .

Nicodemus saith , ( who was a Ruler of the Jews ) when Christ was accused by the Officers of the Jews , and Chief Priests and Pharisees , Doth our Law judge a●y Man before it heareth him , and knoweth what he doth ? John 7.45.51 . And was not the Jews Law , the Law of God ? which Nicodemus calls Our Law .

And the Lord said to Moses , the Chi●f Magistrate , Both the Men between whom the Controvers●is , shall stand before the Judge , &c. And the Judge shall make diligent search ; and if the Witness be a false Witness , and have testified falsly against his Brother ; then shall ●e do unto the false Witness , as he thought to have done against his Brother , Deut . 19.15 , 16.

And Solomon saith , A False Witness shall not be unpunish●d ; and he that tells Lies shall not escape , Prov. 9.5 , 9. And Solomon heard the two Women concerning the dead and the living Child , Face to Face , 1 Kings 3.16 .

And again , it is said , For all man●er of Trespasses , &c. which a●other challengeth to be his ; the Case of both Partys shall come before the Judge . [ Mark , Both Partys ] Exod . 22.9 . And was not this the Law of God from Mount Sinai ? that saith , Both Partys shall come before the Judge , &c.

And the Lord said , The Jews were to have one manner of Law , as well for the Stranger , as for one of their own Country , i . the Jews , Lev . 24.22 . So here was no hearing of any Case or Trespass to make any Conviction before the Judge , but Face to Face .

And when the Officers brought Christ Jesus before Caiaphas the High-Priest , where the Scribes and Elders were assembled ; The Chief Priests and Elders , and all the Co●nsel sought False Witnesses against Jesus , to put him to Death , but found none ; at last came two False Witn●sses , and said , This Fellow said , I am able to destroy the Temple of God , and build it again in three days , Mat . 26.59 , 60 , 61. John 18.12 . Luke 22.5 , 2.

Now here you may see in the High Priests Court , the False Witnesses were brought Face to Face against Jesus before the High Priest .

And after , when they led Jesus unto Pilate the Governour ; the Chief Priests and Scribes stood up , and vehemently accused him ; so Pilate the Roman Governour , heard Christ , and his False Accusers and Witnesses , namely , the Chief Priests and Scribes , Face to Face , before he condemned Christ , Luke 23. from 1. to ●6 .

And the Roman Chief Captain of the Castle in Jerusalem , when Paul was accused of the Jews , commanded the Chief Priests which accused Paul , and their Counsel to appear before Paul and him Face to Face , and set Paul before them ; so this Roman Captain , a Soldier , heard Paul and his Accusers Face to Face , in matter of Religion , and not only so , but delivered him out of their envious hands . A brave Act of a Roman Souldier , as you may see i● Acts 22.30 . and 23.1 , 2 , 3 , 4.

And this Captain sends Paul to Caesarea unto Faelix the Governour , and gives a Relation how he heard Paul and his Accusers Face to Fa●e , in matter of Religion : And Faelix the Governour sa●d to Paul , I will bear thee when thine Accusers are also come . So we see that Faelix the Governour , did not hear Paul till his Accusers were come Face to Face , Acts 23.35 . And after five days , Ananias the High Priest d●scended with the Elders , and with a certain Orator , called Tertullus , and said to the Governour Faelix , We have found this Man ( namely Paul ) a pestilent Fellow , and a m●ver of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the world , and a Ringleader of the S●ct of the Nazareens . Here this Governour Fael●x heard Paul and the Chief Priests , False Accusers , and Witnesses against him in matters of Religion , Face to Face . But Paul cleared himself from their False Accusation before them , Acts 24. whole Chap. And when the High Priests and Chief of the Jews , Informed Festus against Paul at Jerusalem , behind his back , when Paul was at Caesarea a Prisoner ; Festus did not make a Conviction of it behind Pauls back , upon the High Priests and Chief of the Jews Information . But Festus answered them like a Wise Man , and said , Go down to Caesarea , which among you are a●le , and accuse this Man , to wit , Paul . So they went to Caesarea , and laid grievous Complaints against Paul , which they could not prove .

So here you may see , Festus did hear Paul and his Accusers , in Matters of Re●igion and Worship , Face to Face . And Festus said to King Agrippa ; When I was at Jerusalem , the Chief Priest● and Elders of the Jews Informed me against Paul , and desired to have Judgment against him . To whom I answered , 't is not the manner of the Romans to deliver a Man to die , before he that is Accused have his Accusers Face to Face , and have license to Answer for him●●●f concerning the Crimes laid against him . So these made not Convictions behind back .

And here you may see , the Chief Priests and Elders of the ●●ws , would have acted contrary to their own Law , ●he Law of God , ( for Nicodemus saith , Doth our Law judge a Man before it hear● him ? ) and contrary to the Roman Law , which doth not judge a Man , before his Accusers be brought Face to Face , and he to answer for hims●lf , as you may see Acts 25. to the end . And Festus said to King Agrippa , That after Examination , ( namely , hearing of both parties Face to Face ) it s●em'd to him a thing unreas●nable to send a Prisoner to Augustus Caesar , and not withal to signify the Crimes laid aga●●st him , Acts 25.26 .

So if the Law of God in the Old Testament , and the Roman Law , did hear Men Face to Face , concerning matters of Outward things and Religion , ( for Pauls case was a matter of Religion , and in this the Roman Captain and the Governours did hear Paul and his Accusers Face to Face , before they made a Conviction , or sent Paul to Caesar ) then surely Christians should not ●ct below the Law of God and the Roman Laws , to Convict People behind their backs ; so that they cannot hear nor see their Accusers Face to Face , till after Conviction ,

And likewise in Acts 6.7 . The Chief Priests heard Steven and the False Witnesses against him Face to Face , in matters concerning Religion , before they stoned him to Death . But in Acts 25.15 . The Chief Priests and Elders were so envious and mad , that they would have had Judgment of Festus against Paul beh●nd his back . But Festus answered , 't is not the manner of the Romans , &c. before he that is accused have his Accusers Face to Face , and license to answer for himself , concerning the Crimes laid against him .

And therefore we do intreat you to consider us in these things ; and let not Convictions be made upon u● behind our backs , by such as we know not what qualities they be of , nor who they are ; but let our Con●ictions be Face to Face , that we may be heard ●efore we be Convicted , according to the L●w of God , and the Romans Law , which is but reason . And it is commonly said , That the Laws of the Land , are grounded upon the Law of God , Scripture and Reason .

In Gen. 3.9 , to 19. you may see , after Adam and Eve had ●ransgressed the command of God , how the Lord examined them , and heard what they could say for themselves , before he passed Sentence on Adam and Eve , and upon the Serpent . And not only so , but he said , The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head . Christ Jesus , who through Death destroyes Death that Man and Woman were bro●ght into , by eating that which God forbad . And likewise destroyes the Devil , the power of Death : For as in Adam all dies ; even so in Christ shall all be made alive , 1 Cor . 15.22 .

And in Gen. 4 9 , to 16. you may see , the Lord examined Cain , and asked him , Where is Abel thy Brother ? after he had killed him , and the Lord said , What hast thou done ? The Voice of thy Brothers Blood cryeth unto me from the Ground ; which was a Witness against Cain . And so here yo● may see the Lord examined Cain , before he made a Conviction upon him , and Condemned him . And do you think the Lord could not have ●ondemned Cain , and have passed Sentence u●o● him , without asking where his Brother Abel was ; but to give Example ?

And in Gen. 6. God looked upon the Earth , and behold it was Corrupted . For all Flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth . And the Lord said , My Spirit shall not alwa es strive with Man , &c. I will destroy Man , whom I have created , from the face of the Earth . Here the Lord look 't upon them , and strove with them , before he destroyed them .

And in Gen. 11. when Nimrod and his Company were b●ilding of Babel , the Lord God said , Behold , the People are one , and they have all one Language , and this they begin to do ; and now nothing will be restrained from them , which they imagine to do And the Lord said , Go to , let us go down , and There [ Mark , There ] confound their Language , that they may not understand one anothers Speech . So the Lord confounded and scattered them over all the Face of the Earth . So here you may see what the Lord said , Let us go down , and there confound their Languages . So he confo●nded them , and scattered them abroad upon the face of all the Earth .

And in Gen. 13.13 . The Men of Sodom were Wicked and Sinners before the Lord exceedingly . And in Gen. 18.20 , 21. The Lord said , Because the cry of the City of Sodom is great , and because their Sin is grievous , I will go down , know , and see , whether they have done altogether according to the Cry of it , which is come unto me . If not , I will know . Now 't is said in the Margin , God speaketh after the f●sh●on of M●n . That is , I will enter into Judgment with good advice .

Here yo● may see , before the Lord did destroy Sodom , he said , I will go down a●d s●e , whether they have done altogether according to the Cr , which is come to me . If not , I will know . And do you think any th●ng was hid from the Lord , concerning Sodom before ? But th● Lord wou●d manifest his Righteous and Just Proceedings unto the Eyes o● Men .

And when Tamer was accused as being with Child by Whoredome , Judah said , Bring her forth , and let her be burned . And when she was brought forth , she Convicted ●udah with his Signet , Bracel●t and Staff . Which made Judah confess , That Tamar was more Rig●teous than he . So 't is not good to make Convictions , and give Judgment behind Peoples backs , lest they be made to confess as Judah did , They whom they make Convictions or give their Judgments agai●st behind their backs , are more Righ●eous then th●y who judge them .

But we do think it very hard , that several Justices of Peace should make so many Convictions in some places behind our backs , without hearing us and our Accusers and Witnesses Face to Face , who if they did hear us Face to Face , we do believe it would ease the Sessions of a great dea● of Trouble , and prevent many False Swearers against us , as hath been proved in some Courts ; which hath put us to a great deal of Trouble and Charges in the Tryal of our Appeals . And when they have been cast , & proved forsworn , we have had little relief against them as yet : But the Informers have gone on still But if we were but heard before Conviction , it might prevent many False Oaths , & the Trouble at your Sessions , & a great deal of Charges we are put unto . So we shall leave all those things to your weighty Consideration , and desire that the Lord may give you Wisdom and Understanding to hear and judge of our Suffering Case .

From the People called Quakers , first Moneth , 1684.