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
Thus far G. Fox only hath been mentioned as a preacher of repentance;
but now some others of his persuasion began also to preach publicly,
viz. Thomas Aldam, Richard Farnsworth, and, not long after, William
Dewsbury. This made such a stir, that the priest of Warnsworth procured
a warrant from the justices against G. Fox, and Thomas Aldam. The
constable who came with this order which was to be executed in any
part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, took Thomas Aldam, and carried
him to York, and G. Fox went with him twenty miles; but though the
constable had a warrant for him also, yet he meddled not with G. Fox,
saying, he was loth to trouble men that were strangers; but Thomas
Aldam was his neighbour. About this time Richard Farnsworth went into
an eminent steeple-house, in or about Wakefield; where he spoke so
powerfully, that the people were amazed. The priest of that place,
whose name was Marshal, spread a slanderous report, that G. Fox carried
bottles about with him, and made people drink thereof, which made them
follow him. And that he rid upon a great black horse, and was seen in
one country upon that horse, and in the same hour in another country
three score miles off. But these horrid lies were so far from turning
to the priest’s advantage, that he preached many of his hearers away
from him; for it was well known that G. Fox had no horse at that time,
but travelled on foot. He coming now into a steeple-house not far
from Bradford; the priest took his text from Jer. v. 31. “My people
love to have it so;” leaving out the foregoing words, “The prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means.” G. Fox
unwilling to let this pass unregarded, showed the people the priest’s
unfair dealing; and, directing them to Christ, the true inward teacher,
declared, that God was come to teach his people himself, and to bring
them off from all the world’s teachers and hirelings, that they might
come to receive freely from him; concluding his speech with a warning
of the day of the Lord that was coming upon all flesh. He passed from
thence without much opposition, and travelled now for some time with
Richard Farnsworth: with whom he once passed a night in the open field,
on a bed they made of fern.
Then parting from him, he came to Wensleydale, where he went into the
steeple-house; and after the lecture, he spoke to the people much in
the same terms as he used to do on the like occasions; and had not
much opposition there. Thus he went from place to place, and often met
with strange occurrences, some of which were more jocose than serious;
others very rude, and even dangerous to his life. But he trusted in
God, really believing that he had sent him to preach repentance, and to
exhort people to a true conversion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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