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
to have these men hauled out of his house, and sent out of town,
there being no hue and cry come after them. They staid yet some days
in his house, and he became so strengthened by their ministry, that
he joined with them in profession, and also gave up his house to be a
meeting-place for their friends.
Then W. Caton and J. Stubbs departed the town, and went to Folkstone,
and from thence to Hithe, in both which places they found opportunity
to preach the Truth. After some stay, they went to Romney, and so to
Lydd. Here it was, that Samuel Fisher, both by their ministry, and by
that of Ambrose Rigge, and Thomas Robinson, (who now were also gone
forth in the service of the gospel,) was convinced, and brought over to
their society.
He was trained up to literature, and had studied diligently in the
University; and though but young then, yet was of a pious conversation,
and disliked many ceremonies and customs usual in the schools. When he
had finished his course there, he was ordained a priest of the church;
and a certain great man took him to be his chaplain; and afterwards he
got a living at Lydd, worth about two hundred pounds a year. But after
having been thus employed some time, he came to see that infant baptism
was an human institution, and to preach for wages unlawful. To this
may be added, that Luke Howard, some time before he knew the Quakers,
so called, not being satisfied concerning the singing of David’s
psalms at the public worship, so troubled his master that he had been
apprentice with, that he got Samuel Fisher, as a learned minister, to
come and discourse with him, and to try to convince him: and S. Fisher
talking with him, L. Howard told him, that God was a Spirit, and must
be worshipped in Spirit and Truth, of all those that would worship him
acceptably. And also, that it was contrary to Truth, for a proud man
to sing, “he was not puft in mind, he had no scornful eye, and he did
not exercise himself in things that were too high;” when he lived in
pride, wherein God beheld him afar off. And further, that it was very
unbecoming such an one to sing, “Rivers of tears run down mine eyes,
because other men keep not thy laws,” when he never knew a true sorrow
and repentance for his own sins. This reason of Howard’s against the
customary singing in their worship, had so much influence upon S.
Fisher, that from that time he was stopped from any more giving David’s
conditions to the people to sing; and becoming in time more and more
uneasy to go on in acting what was burdensome to his conscience, he
resolved to desist from his ministry, and so went to the bishop, and
delivered up the commission that he had received from him to preach:
and casting himself upon God’s providence, he took a farm, and turned
grazier, by which means he maintained his wife and children much better
to his content than before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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