Another, Richard Sale, living near Westchester, being constable of
the place where he lived, had sent to him with a pass a Friend whom
those wicked professors had taken up for a vagabond, because he
travelled up and down in the work of the ministry. This constable,
being convinced by the Friend thus brought to him, gave him his pass
and liberty, and was afterwards himself cast into prison.
After this, on a lecture-day, Richard Sale was moved to go to the
steeple-house in the time of their worship, and to carry those
persecuting priests and people a lantern and candle, as a figure of
their darkness. But they cruelly abused him, and like dark professors
as they were put him into their prison called Little Ease, and so
squeezed his body therein that not long after he died.[130]
[130] These Friends, in their use of signs and striking
symbolisms, were undoubtedly following in the steps of the Hebrew
prophets. Both William Sympson and Richard Sale were squeezed in
Little Ease, the latter, being very stout, came to his death as a
result. "Little Ease" was a hole hewed out of a rock; the breadth
across seventeen inches; from the back to the inside of the great
door at the top seven inches; at the shoulders, eight inches; at
the breast, nine and a half inches; from the top to the bottom,
one yard and a half, with a device to lessen the height for
purposes of torture.
Although those Friends that had been imprisoned on the rising of the
Fifth-monarchy men were set at liberty, meetings were much disturbed,
and great sufferings Friends underwent. For besides what was done by
officers and soldiers, many wild fellows and rude people often came
in.
One time when I was at Pall-Mall there came an ambassador with a
company of Irishmen and rude fellows. The meeting was over before
they came, and I was gone into a chamber, where I heard one of them
say that he would kill all the Quakers. I went down to him, and was
moved in the power of the Lord to speak to him. I told him, "The
law said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth'; but thou
threateneth to kill all the Quakers, though they have done thee no
hurt. But," said I, "here is gospel for thee: here is my hair, here
is my cheek, and here is my shoulder," turning it to him.
This so overcame him that he and his companions stood as men amazed,
and said that if that was our principle, and if we were as we said,
they never saw the like in their lives. I told them that what I was
in words, I also was in my life. Then the ambassador, who stood
without, came in; for he said that this Irish colonel was a desperate
man that he durst not come in with him for fear he should do us some
mischief. But Truth came over the Irish colonel, and he carried
himself lovingly towards us; as also did the ambassador; for the
Lord's power was over them all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account