CHAPTER 111

LIFE OF WILLIAM ROBINSON.

I AM now brought, in the course of my work, to notice several Friends who suffered death for their religious opinions, in New England, by the Episcopalians; and in order to give the reader an idea of the circumstances under which they suffered, it may be proper to prefix some information, extracted from Joseph Besse's Account of Friends' Sufferings. "In that province," he observes, "were sitting at the helm of government, a set of men, making high pretensions to religion, and such as had loudly cried against the tyranny and oppression of the bishops in Old England, from whom they had fled; professing themselves, 'pious and peaceable Protestants, driven by severity to leave their native country, and seek a refuge for their lives and liberties, with freedom for the worship of God, in a wilderness, in the

ends of the earth.' Yet when invested with power, we find them exercising a cruel dominion over the faith and consciences of others; in which they appear to us not so inconsistent with themselves as some have thought: because, when, under oppression, they pleaded for liberty of conscience, they understood it not as the natural and common right of all mankind, but as a peculiar privilege of the orthodox. They had long before any of the Quakers came thither, viz. in the year 1646, made a law or order for uniformity in religion, by imposing a penalty of five shillings per week, on such as came not to hear the established ministers. Thus they early began to intrench themselves against any further discoveries of truth and religion, by a penal law; and as to the Quakers, they had received an unreasonable prejudice against them, as appears by their rigid treatment of the first of them who came into that country." Vol. 2, p. 177.

The preceding passage shows the persecuting disposition of these emigrants, who themselves fled from persecution. Finding that the people called Quakers were likely to visit them either in their commercial or religious concerns, they made severe laws against them, punishing those who came among them, with cutting off first one ear, then in case of repetition, the other, and for a third offence boring the tongue with a hot iron.

And when they found these punishments insufficient, with 'several cruel additions, they at length made a law for inflicting the punishment of death on all those who had been banished from them. This punishment was actually executed on three men and one woman, who came in gospel love to visit them, and to warn them of the evil of their ways; particularly in indulging a spirit of persecution, contrary to the precepts of Christ Jesus, our common Lord and Saviour.

William Robinson, the first of these sufferers, was a merchant in the city of London, of whom I find very little account; but it appears that he left his own home to pay a religious visit to the new settlers in America, about the year 1659.

In the course of his journey, he came to Rhode Island; and when travelling there, he found his mind drawn to go to Boston in New England, where, as is already noticed, a law had been made to banish all Quakers, not inhabitants, from the jurisdiction of that place, and making non-compliance, or returning after complying, punishable with death. Marmaduke Stevenson had accompanied William Robinson to Boston, and Mary Dyer was already there, also one Nicholas Davis. These four were summoned before the Court of Assistants, from whom they received sentence of

banishment. This however was not thought to be sufficient punishment for William Robinson, who being considered a teacher, and a principal, was also sentenced to be whipped. The sentence was executed upon him, by putting his hands through the holes of a great gun, to which the jailer held him fast, while the executioner inflicted upon him twenty stripes with a threefold corded whip.

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Robinson and Stevenson left the town of Boston; but not finding their minds clear of that religious service which induced them to come there, they remained within its jurisdiction, and visited their Friends in and about Salem. It was nót long, however, before they were again taken and imprisoned; as was also Mary Dyer, who, though she had left the State, found her mind drawn to return there, to testify against their unrighteous laws. After some time of confinement, they were brought into court, where John Endicot, the governor, presided; and who, without any prefatory proceedings, immediately passed sentence of death upon them, in these words: "We have made many laws, and endeavoured by several ways to keep you from us; and neither whippings, nor imprisoning, nor cutting off ears, nor banishing upon pain of death, would keep you from amongst us. I desire not your deaths. Give ear and hearken

to your sentence." Here William Robinson interrupted him, and desired liberty to read a paper, showing the reason why he had not departed from that jurisdiction. This reasonable request, however, was refused, and the sentence was proceeded with in these words: "You shall be had back to the place from whence you came, and from thence to the place of execution, to be hanged on the gallows till you are dead."

The sentence was then passed on the other two Friends, who seeing it was in vain to attempt to speak, did not offer to make any defence, though Endicot pretended to give liberty to Stevenson, who, after sentence was passed, warned them of the judgments which would come upon them, if they put their wicked sentence in execution, and thus made themselves guilty of shedding innocent blood.

These transactions took place on the 20th of October, 1659, and the execution of those virtuous and pious sufferers, was fixed for the 27th of the same. On the afternoon, the prisoners were taken to the place of execution, guarded by about two hundred armed men. In the procession, drummers were placed immediately before the condemned persons, and when any of them attempted to speak, the drums were beaten to prevent their being heard. Thus did these high pro