Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 137
our narrative, except as it was one of the causes of anxiety on the part
of our forefathers, who hated heresy- quite as cordially as Catliolicism
itself. In March, 1G73, a AVestfield Quaker was dealt with, but by no
means so severely as the Bay authorities would have done. The case
was as follows : —
Geo. Filer of Westfield being presented by the Jury for diverse disorders
and being examined firstly, for entertayning of Quakers Last summer :
he
ownes
he did entertayne them being necessitated thereunto because none else would as
he sayes. George Filer sayth he shall before the World own that he is one of
them Avhom y*^ world calls Quakers : Also he is presented for absenting himselfe
from Gods publike worship on y« Sabbath he ownes he has gen''lly absented liimself
gen'Uy last winter, his speeclies have been contemptuous of the Ministers of the
AVord and their work vizt that they turne over 20 or oO Authors in a week to
tho he would jiretend
patch up an bourses discourse or two on the Sabbath : And
that he meant not the ministry in that Town or of N England, yet by the testimonyes
it appeares otherwise : He seems to be a very seminary of corrupt &
hereticall opinions tending to poysoning & corrupting the minds of them w'-' w'"
And in speaking of the religion of the Quakers (he speaks of it
he hath to do :
as distinct from that x^ft^ss^'l '^y our Nation in this countrey) he calls it Our
religion, tliat is liis own & sucii as bee.
Filer was simply reprimanded for his opinions, but £5 flue " or be
well whipped " was imposed for his " speaking against the ministry."
We will not leave John Matthews without transcribing a very cu-
rious and interesting record found at Northampton, where the County
Court sat in September, 1()7