Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-07
NO. 264.
From the Salem Observer.
A REVIEW OF The PAST FROM THE QUAK.
Err STANDPOINT. eI
Continued from Yesterday

| distance of a mile from the gaol, and the
prisoners were escorted by two hundred
men armed with halberds, guns. swords
and pikes-in addition to many horsemen.
| II was thought the safest arrangement for
this procession to avoid the direct tho
roughlare through the city. and the drum.
mers We're ordered Immediately before
the three captives, and to beat more loud
| " il they should attempt to speak. Thus
when William Robinson did so. the only
words which were audible were, This is
vour hour. and the power of darkness"
| Marmaduke Stevenson's voice was drown
ed by the same means "Yet they went
on" as Sewel saws, with great cheer
fulness, as if going to an everlasting we'd
ding"-which indeed they were. In re-
ply to coarse taunt by the Marshal,
Mary Dyer said This is to me an hour
of the greatest Joy I ever had In this
world No ear can hear, no tongue can
utter. no heart can understand, the sweet
incomes and the refreshings of the spirit
of the Lord which | now feel" Having
bade farewell 70 his friends and mounted
the scaffold, William Robinson addressed
| the assembled crowd: I'VE suffer not
as evil doers. but as those who have testi-
| fed and manifested the truth. This is the
| day of your visitation. aud therefore l
| desire you to mind the light of Christ
| which is in you, to which l have borne
| testimony and am now going to seal my
| testimony with my blood" Wilson,
minister of the city. changing the scoffing
tone he had assumed whilst they were
| walking to the Common, now exclaimed
Hold thy tongue; be silent; thOu art
going to die with lie in thy mouth"
After the execu'ioner had adjusted the
rope, William Robinson said. "Now are
| We made manifest; | suffer for Christ in
| whom live and for whom l dte." Mar
maduke Stevenson also spoke q few
words to the spectators: ''Be 1t known
unto you all this day. that we suffer, not
as evil doers. but for conscience sake.
| This day shall we be at rest with the
Lord"
The friends of the martyrs were not
| allowed TO provide coffins for them, nor
even to enclose the pit into which the
bodies were thrown. Wilson, the minis
ter to whom alluson has already been
made, composed a scofling song on the
sufferers. But no amount of indignity
which might be heaped upon them could
prevent their death from being solemn
attesta'ion to the futility Of every effort
of blind bigotry to crush the conscience
of those who. bearing the image and su-
prescription of Christ, rendered nnto God
the things that are Gods. and consequent
ly with regard to these .things" acknowl.
edged no ruler but Him in whose kingdoms
their spirits dwelt. So deep an impression
was made on John Chamberlain, an in
habitant of Boston. by what he saw and
heard that day. as to cause his convince
ment of the truth of the doctrines held
| Erip txvn vUo cnn
he had been imprisoned. banished. and
also cruelty whipped through three towns;
yet his Savior suffered not his faith to fail,
for we learn that this persecution 80 far
from beating him from the truth, rather
| drove him nearer to it,"
| After Mary Dyer had ascended the lad.
der. she was told that if she would return
home her life should be spared. "Nay,"
she answered, 81 cannot for in obedi-
ence to the will of the Lord came. and
in his will abide faithful unto death. To
the charge of being guilty of his own
blood, she replied: Nay, | came to take
blood guiltessly from you, desiring you
to repeal the unrighteors and unjust law:
therefore my blood will be rquired Of your
bands who wllfully do it," When asked
if she wished any of the people to pray
for her she said that she desired the
prayers of all the people of God and TO
the proposal that an Elder should do 90,
she answered Nay-first a child. then q
lyoung man then strong man before (be-
ing) an Elder in Christ Jesus" When ac-
cused Of having said she had been ia Par
adise, she replied without hesitation,
Yea. have been in Paradise these sew
eral days" The few more words she
spoke were on the everlasting happiness
now so near at hand. A friend who had
united in her ministerial services on Shell
ter Island, sums up his description of her
saving: "she even shined In the image
of God"
Some eight or nine months later, Wm.
Ledra. who is said to have been q Cor
nish man. though his home is in Barba-
does, was condemned to death for having
returned to Boston after sentence of ban
ishment. When in 1868, after mutual IA
bors for their Lord. he had shared the im-
prisonment of his friend William Brend in
an unveniiated cell--the cruelty of which
he had been the victim had imperilled his
life: and now, notwithstanding the in.
clemency OF New England winter he
was kept chained in an open prison. On
the day before his death he addressed q
letter TO "the little flock Of Christ" In
WHltH Ht TtindEkS tntt He WAS Ulleu with
the 10Y of the Lord in the beauty of holi-
ness. whilst his spirit was wholly swal-
lowed up in the bosom of eternity. As the
flowing of the ocean Che continues) doth
fiji every creek and branch thereof, and
then retires again towards its own being
and fullness, and leaves SAVIOUR behind
it; so doth the life and virtue OF God flow
into everv one of your hearts. whom he
hath made partakers of His Divine ma
ture." Abiding to his tender yearnings
for the young he says: "Stand In the
watch within in the fear of the Lord,
which is the very entrance Of wisdom and
the state wherein you are ready to receive
the secrets of the Lord Hunger aud
thirst patiently. be not weary. neither
doubt stand still and cease from thy own
workings, and in due time thou shalt en-
ter into rest and thy eyes shall behold his
salvation. Confess him before men bring
all things to the light that they may bs