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
From thence he went to the Isle of Wight, where some also received the
doctrine maintained by him. After some stay he returned to Sussex,
where he had great service. And travelling up and down the county, he
came to Weymouth and Melcomb-Regis, where speaking in the steeple-house
against the priest, he was seized and locked up in a nasty dungeon
where there was nothing to lie on but some filthy straw, and a stone
to sit on: there was also no house of office; but on the ground lay an
heap of dung, where he was also forced to ease himself. But there being
an opening at the top of the room, he could see people go along the
streets, and thus took occasion, from this subterranean cave, to preach
to the passengers with such power and efficacy, that his doctrine
entered into the hearts of the hearers and stuck there. This manner of
preaching often hath been in England, and I myself, in my young years,
have been an eye-witness of it; and have heard the prisoners lift up
their voice so, that it could be heard very easily in the streets;
which made people that passed by, stand still, and hearken to what was
spoken by such zealous preachers. And though these were often hindered
of having meetings, yet it was impossible to stop up the fountain from
whence their words flowed. Thus it was also with A. Rigge, who, after
an imprisonment of eleven weeks, being set at liberty, travelled up and
down again; but in many places where he came, a prison was his lot;
sometimes even when nothing could be laid to his charge, but that he
was gone from his dwelling-place; for the parliament had made a law,
that all who were gone from home, and could not give a satisfactory
account of their business, should be taken up as vagabonds. Under this
pretence, many who travelled to the markets with their goods, were
seized by the way; for if it did but appear that such an one was a
Quaker, which was presently seen by his not putting off his hat, then
there wanted no pretended reason to clap him up in prison.
A. Rigge travelling on, came also to visit some of his friends
in prison at Southampton. This was taken so ill, that the mayor,
Peter Seal, without examining, caused him to be fastened to the
whipping-post, in the market place, where he was severely lashed by
the executioner, and then put into a cart, and sent out of the town,
in freezing snowy weather; the mayor threatening him, that if ever he
returned, he should be whipt again, and burnt in the shoulder with an
R. signifying rogue. Notwithstanding this, he was moved to return, and
the mayor was very eager to have this executed on him; but the other
magistrates would not consent; and not long after the mayor died of a
bloody flux. This relation hath carried me a little beyond the course
of time. But now I leave A. Rigge for a while, intending to make
further mention of him hereafter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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