Honoured Sir, July 11, 1743.
I Promised in my last to write to you again, and to let you know more particularly of our persecutions, which are as follow. On Saturday after I wrote to you, I met the society, and after we had sung an hymn, came brother I, with my dear wife from Bristol. They came into the society and sat down, while I exhorted them to stedfastness and patience under the cross. They seemed much strengthened, and ready for any suffering; for God was with us. After that, I desired brother I to pray, which he did. After that I prayed in faith, and was enabled to plead Christ's promises to his church; though we are but a little branch. I had not prayed long, but many of us were persuaded, he would never leave or forsake us. In every prayer we asked direction how to act. I was persuaded, the only way to still the mob, was, not to resist or fly from them, but to give myself up wholly to them, and let them do all that the Lord should permit: for the more we had drawn back, the more our adversaries rejoiced, and vowed they would and should put an end to preaching in Hampton. The mob, which consisted of near an hundred, were now about the house, making a terrible noise, and swearing prodigiously. I went down to them and opened the door, and asking them what they wanted. I told them, if they wanted my life, I was willing to deliver it up for Jesus's sake; but withal I desired to know, why they either disturbed me or sought my life? For I did not know I had given them any just cause for either. Some of them said, I had, by bringing in false doctrine, and impoverishing the poor. I told them, that they could prove neither, and that it was really false. They seemed something at a stand; when about five of them begun to be more exasperated, and took me, in order to throw me into a lime pit. I told them, they need not force me, for I was willing to suffer, though unjustly, for Jesus's sake. But while they were pushing me along, some neighbours took me in their arms and carried me into one of their houses; so I was delivered out of their hands. On sabbath-day morning about twenty of the society met again. We spent the morning in prayer. In the evening I preached, and had uncommon strength and courage given
