About the Case of John James by W. A. S.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 7, 1916

About the Case of John James

By W. A. S.

Our “History of the Sabbath” gives the essential facts regarding the martyrdom of John James, one of the old-time Sabbath keepers of England. However, interest attaches to any historical statements regarding this matter, even though they may add no essential particulars.

The case of John James illustrates the ease with which religious intolerance makes use of political prejudice to bring accusations. Stirred by religious prejudice, the Jewish leaders brought political charges against Jesus in order to secure his condemnation. Just so those who found fault with the doctrinal teaching of John James made use of political charges to secure his condemnation.

Masson, in his ‘Life and Times of Milton,’ tells of the conditions of those days of 1661, following the collapse of the Commonwealth and the restoration of the monarchy in England under Charles II. After speaking of characteristic enactments to punish political leaders of the Commonwealth period—even bodies of some who had died being exhumed to hang on gibbets—Masson says:— “Equally symptomatic in another way had been the hanging, drawing, and quartering, on the twenty-sixth of December [November], 1661, of John James, a preacher of the ‘Seventh-day Baptist’ denomination, for what was called treasonable language in the pulpit. They wanted an example from among such preaching sectaries, and had dragged this poor man, as suitable for the purpose, out of his conventicle in one of the city alleys, where detectives had been catching his words.”—Vol. VI, p. 228.

In his trial, John James disavowed any sympathy whatever with the acts of Oliver Cromwell. Those who were not of the popular Puritan sects had by no means received any favors under that administration. But victims were demanded by the spirit of the times, and John James, with his Sabbatarian principles and his preaching of the coming of Christ’s everlasting kingdom, was taken. How churchmen looked at the matter is shown by the following from a pamphlet printed in 1661, entitled, ‘The Speech and Declaration of John James, a Weaver, in the Press Yard at Newgate, on Sunday Last.’ This apologist for government-regulated religion wrote:—

‘Blessed be the name of God forevermore, we have the word preached among us faithfully. We need not go into corners and holes to hear the word of our blessed Lord and Saviour taught. It abounds, through the great hand of Providence, in a most miraculous way, to all liege and loyal subjects, and the conduit pipes of heaven we see apparently opened, from whence descends the fountain of living water. God in his great mercy continue the powerful influence thereof. And if there be some (and I suppose too many) that have a design to soar beyond their capacities and undertakings, let them learn that good and Christian lesson of the holy apostles, Submit yourselves to the higher powers. . . .’

‘In one of their private conventicles at Whitechapel, on Saturday, Oct. 19, 1661, John James, a pretended preacher to that society, a silk weaver by trade [mind that], took his text out of the eighth psalm and second verse; the words these, ‘Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.’ From whence he raised several doctrines, which alluded to seditions and rebellions, as appeared by the testimony of some witnesses, who being then present, departed the place, and acquainted the next justice of the peace with it; upon which information the said justice sent for some officers, and immediately came to the place where this conventicle was, where they found the aforementioned John James in the full height of his seditious exercise.’

The chief witness who testified to hearing seditious sentiments was a “Mr. Tipler, a tobacco-pipe maker,” a man of thoroughly unreliable repute. Members of the congregation testified that they had never heard John James express the seditious sentiments which this man and other like witnesses claimed to have overheard.

The effort of Mrs. James to secure the intervention of King Charles II just before her husband’s execution, is thus told in Palgrave’s “State Trials,” under the year 1662:—

‘His wife, by advice of some friends, endeavored to make address to the king, to acquaint him with her husband’s innocency, and the condition of this loose person who had falsely accused him. . . . ‘With some difficulty at last she met the king as he came out of the park, going into the gallery [of St. James’s Palace], where she presented him with the paper, which on the back side was indorsed, ‘The humble request of Elizabeth James;’ acquainting him also by word who she was, to whom he, holding up his finger, said, ‘Oh, Mr. James—he is a sweet gentleman!’ but following him for some further answer, the door was shut against her; which was all she could obtain at that time. The next morning she came again to the same place, where she had not long been before the king came out of the gallery to go into the park, whom she followed down the stairs, imploring his answer to

her request; he then replied ‘that he was a rogue, and should be hanged.’ One of the lords attending him asked her of whom she spoke; whereupon the king answered, ‘Of John James, that rogue: he shall be hanged, yea, he shall be hanged.’ And so she came away, satisfied in her conscience that what she had done was but her duty.”—Vol. III, p. 475.

Bogue, in his “History of the Dissenters,” adds, with reference to the king’s remark: “For once the king remembered his promise, and Mr. James was sent to join the noble army of martyrs.”—Vol. I, p. 155. W. A. S.