Quakers destroy the soul.* This is an abominable falsehood; for it is sin that destroys the soul, and such as those that preach to the people, that there is no freedom from it in this world, contradict Christ's doctrine, "Be ye perfect," &c. And that of the apostles, He that is born of God cannot sin. And thus their blind guides mistake light for darkness, and darkness for light. Among the many hundreds that were slain, I heard but of three of our friends being killed, whose destruction was very remarkable, as I was informed; the one was a woman, the other two were men. The men used to go to their labour without any weapons, and trusted to the Almighty, and depended on his providence to protect them, (it being their principle not to use weapons of war, to offend others, or defend themselves, but a spirit of distrust taking place in their minds, they took weapons of war to defend themselves; and the Indians, who had seen them several times without them, and let them alone, saying, They were peaceable men, and hurt nobody, therefore they would not hurt them; now seeing them have guns, and supposing they designed to kill the Indians, they therefore shot the men dead. The woman had remained in her habitation, and could not be free to go to a fortified place for preservation, neither she, her son, nor daughter, nor to * This priest was soon after killed by the Indians, as I was told by a minister. take thither the little ones; but the poor woman after some time began to let in a slavish fear, and did advise her children to go with her to a fort not far from their dwelling. Her daughter being one that trusted in the name of the Lord, the mighty tower, to which the righteous flee and find safety, could not consent to go with her; and having left a particular account, in a letter to her children, of her and their preservation, I think it worthy to be inserted here in her own words. "When the cruel Indians were suffered to kill and destroy, it was shewed me, that I must stand in a testimony for truth, and trust in the name of the Lord that was a strong tower, and we should wait upon him. And I often desired my mother and husband to sit down, and wait upon the Lord, and he would shew us what we should do: but I could not prevail with him, but he would say it was too late now, and was in great haste to be gone; but I could not go with him, because I was afraid of offending the Lord: but still he would say I was deluded by the devil, so that my mother would often say, a house divided could not stand; and she could not tell what to do. Although she had most peace in staying, yet she had thoughts of moving, and said to me, Child, can thee certainly say it is revealed to thee that we should stay? if it be, I would willingly stay, if I was sure it was the mind of God.' But I being young, was afraid to speak so high, said, Mother, I can say that it is so with me, that when I think of staying and trusting in the name of the Lord, I find great peace and comfort, more than I can utter, with a belief we shall be preserved; but when I think of going, oh, the trouble and heaviness I feel, with a fear some of us should fall by them! And my dear mother sighed, and said, she could not tell what to do. But I said to them, if they would go, I would be willing to stay alone; if they found freedom, I was very willing, for I was afraid of offending the Lord. But still my poor husband would say, I took a wrong spirit for the right. And he would say, how I should know; for if I was right I would be willing to condescend to him. And then I said, in condescension to him, I would move; but I hope the Lord will not lay it to my charge, for was it not to condescend to him, I would not move for the world; and after I had given away my strength, in a little time there came men from the garrison, with their guns, and told us, they came for us, and told us, the Indians, they thought, might be near; and then away we went ; and my mother went in with my brother-in-law, although I persuaded her not to do it. But she said, Why, my child is there: and why may not I be with him as well as thee?' and so we went along to Hampton, to my husband's brother's. But O the fear and trouble that I felt! and told my husband, it seemed as if we were going into the mouth of the Indians. And the next day was the first day of the week; and our dear friend, Lydia Norton, came with my dear mother; and in her testimony she said, there was there that was very near to her life, that was very near death. O then I was ready to think it would be I, because I believed we had done amiss in moving, and great trouble was I in, and told dear Lydia of it; but she comforted me as much as she could, and said, she did not think it would be I. And my dear mother went to my sister's again, to the garrison, where she found herself not easy; but, as she often said to many, that she felt herself in a beclouded condition, and more shut from counsel than ever she had been since she knew the truth; and being uneasy, went to move to a friend's house that lived in the nighbourhood; and as she was moving, the bloody cruel Indians lay by the way! and killed her. O then how did I lament moving. And promised, if the Lord would be pleased to spare my life, and husband, and children, and carry us home again, I would never do so more. But O the fear, and trouble, and darkness, that fell upon me, and many more at that time! And three or four of us kept our meeting, but although we sat and waited as well as we could, yet we sat under a poor beclouded condition, till we returned home again; then did the Lord please to lift up the light of his love upon our poor souls. O then I told my husband, although he had built a little house by the garrison, I could not move again. So he was willing to stay while the winter season lasted, but told me he could not stay when summer came, for then the Indians would be about; and so told me, that if I could not go to the garrison, I might go to a friend's house that was near it. And I was willing to please him, if the Lord was willing; and then applied my heart to know the mind of truth, and it was shewed me, that if I moved again, I should lose the sense of truth, and I should never hold up my head again. O then I told husband he must never ask me to move my again, for I durst not do it. Still he would say it was a notion, till our dear friend Thomas Story came and told him, he did not see that I could have a greater revelation than I had. And satisfied my husband so well, that he never asked me more to go, but was very well contented to stay all the wars; and then things were made more easy, and we saw abundance of the wonderful works, and of the mighty power of the Lord, in keeping and preserving of us, when the Indians were at our doors and windows, and at other times; and how the Lord put courage in you, my dear children; do not you forget it, and do not think that as you were young, and because you knew little, so you feared nothing; but often consider how you staid at home alone, when we went to meetings, and how the Lord preserved you, and kept you, so that no hurt came upon you. And I leave this charge upon you, Live in the fear of the Lord, and see you set him always before |