25 ~  [14 September 1692]  Case of William Morris for blasphemy

Somerset County.  The Jurors for their Ma’ties being sworne upon the holy Evangelists at a grand Jury held for the body of the County the 14th day of Se’ber doe present and find that whereas in all Christian societies the prime & first Care is the honour of Almighty God, and to that end to make good & wholesome laws for the advancing of the same, which hath been prudently & carefully done in our Assembly in the year of our Lord 1649 Entituled an Act Concerning Religion whereby it is enacted that whosoever shall Blaspheme God, viz. to curse him or deny our Saviour Jesus Christ to be the Sonn of God, or shall deny the Trinity or the Godhead of any of three persons thereof or the Unity of the Godhead or shall use or utter any reproachfull speaches concerning the same or any the three persons thereof shall suffer death less of all. Yet not withstanding of the good & Christian laws, William Morris of Dividing Creek in Pocomoke Hundred Labourer, not having the fear of God before his eyes, but like a most wicked horrible & blasphemous Athiestical wretch upon the third day of April 1691 in the house of Edmund Howard near Rehobeth in Pocomoke Hundred & elsewhere at other times did most presumptuously vilifie and damnably blaspheme our most sacred Saviour Jesus Christ as well as utter diverse other innumerable oaths & curses & being therefore reprehended several times, the said Wm Morris of Dividing Creek Labourer for a further agrivation of the sd horible crime, being asked how he would answer the same, before the great judge at the last day, in a most wicked blasphemous & presumptuous manner, advisedly, audibly and with a loud voice replyed, God dam the judge as also at the said house of Mr Edmund Howard about 12 or 1 a clock in the night after the sd Wm Morris had sleeped arose & continuing his said curses & oaths, advisedly premeditately considerably audibly & with a loud voice did express & declare that he could fool the devil hell & death & Christ our Judge damned with several other Atheistical expressions as the last enemy that shall bw destroyed is -- (f.26)  by whome our judge Damn him & thus continued for a while cursing & blaspheming our Saviour Jesus Christ. As also the same Wm Morris of Dividing Creek at another time on the said third day of March at the house of Mr George Layfield in Pocomoke Hundred being reprehended for his horrible curses & oaths did then & there at the said house of George Layfield, Esq advisedly premeditatedly considerably audibly & with a loud voice when asked how he could answer it at the tribunal Barr before the great judge of heaven & earth, said God damn the judge. Now their Ma’ties Attorney comes and says that the said Wm Morris of Dividing Creek in Pocomoke hundred hath not only  violated & in a most blasphemous nature transgressed ag’t the Sacred Laws of Almighty God, but also is guilty of the said Act of Religion & ought to suffer the pains & punishments by the Act inflicted upon such horrible & grose offenses ~~

                                                                        James Sangster   Clk Ind’ts

After w’ch indictment was read the said Morris pleaded the Indictment was false. Then the Evidences viz. Martha Houghes, Archibald Holmes & Dr. John Vigerous made oaths to their former Depositions inserted in Liber BWZ.

 

Mr Samuel Hopkins Testimony to the Court concerning sd Morris who sayes he heard the sd Wm Morris cursing & damming, the sd Hopkins reproving the said Morris & telling him that he must one day give acc’t to God the said Morris replyed God damn thee & thy God, with many more such like expressions. This was the day after the foresd Sermon. After which this Court ordered the Sheriff to take into Custody Wm Morris & him transportt to the Provincial Court to be holden at the Citty of St Maries with a transcript of all proceedings ~~~~~