The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress of the Christian People Called Quakers: Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurrencs.Sewel, William
History
The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress of the Christian People Called Quakers: Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurrencs.
Sewel, William
Society of Friends -- History -- Early works to 1800
He then went to visit his friends in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire,
and Warwickshire; from thence to Norwich, and so to Wellingborough, in
Northamptonshire; where he found an opportunity to declare the Truth
of God in the steeple-house. After that he travelled to Cambridge,
visiting his friends there; and then returned to Norwich, where he
visited his friends in prison, and had great meetings in that city.
Then he went to London, where he was very kindly received by those
of the household of faith; and on a First-day of the week was at two
steeple-houses, at one of which he had large liberty to speak, being
indeed persuasive in speech; and in the afternoon, at a meeting of
dissenters from the public worship, he had liberty to publish Truth
without opposition, or contradiction from any; and many were added to
the faith: for at that time there were twelve ministering brethren,
most of them come out of the North of England, among whom was John
Stubbs, already mentioned, with whom he travelled into Kent: and coming
to Dover, where they were altogether strangers, not knowing any body
in the town, they took their lodging at an inn. J. Stubbs went on the
first day of the week to a meeting of the Baptists, and W. Caton to
the steeple-house, where he had but little liberty; but in the yard
he had more opportunity to clear his conscience to the people. In the
afternoon he went up to the castle, where the Independents performed
their worship. Shortly after, he and J. Stubbs went into the Baptists’
meeting, unto which much people resorted, and many began to be affected
with their testimony, and adhered to it. This made such a stir, that
they were hauled before the magistrates, who examined them, and ordered
that none should entertain them on a certain penalty; whereupon they
were turned out of their lodging. But one Luke Howard, a shoemaker, who
had already heard W. Caton at London, and afterwards at Dover, in the
steeple-house yard, though he little regarded him at London, but said
to his companion, ‘I know more than he can tell me, or more than either
I or he is able to live up to;’ yet now he became so affected with W.
Caton’s testimony, that he invited him and J. Stubbs to his house,
where he entertained them; and not long after they had a meeting there;
and he heard the testimony of his guests with no less satisfaction,
than Agrippa of old, did the speech of the apostle Paul, when he said
to him, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian:’ For Luke Howard
was not yet come so far that he could resolve to conform himself with
the Quakers, so called: but yet, such was his love to them, that when
the mayor of the town sent four constables to his house, with an order
to deliver them up, that so they might be carried out of the town, he
refused to do so, relying on his right as a freeman of the corporation;
and the doors being shut, kept the constables out of his house, and
told them from the shop window, that the mayor had no lawful authority
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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