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28 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. DOCUMENTS THE EXECUTION OF ABRAHAM CARLISLE AND JOHN ROBERTS. The following is a reprint of an old manuscript (perhaps contemporary) sent to the Haverford College Library some years ago by Norman Penney, of Friends' Reference Library, London. For an account of the episode see Isaac Sharpless, A Quaker Experiment in Government, p. 192 f. See also reference to George Dillwyn on page 18, above ; and to John Roberts on page 36, below. As to the guilt or innocence of the two victims Isaac Sharpless says they "had disregarded the advice of their meetings and given active aid to the royal cause." The executions took place after the British army evacuated Philadelphia, in 1778. An interesting relation respecting Abraham Carlisle and John Roberts, the two Friends who by unjust men were condemned to death, in America, for shewing the British army (by compulsion) where to cross a River: George Dillwyn with sundry other Friends visited them in the course of their confinement while under condemnation. A. C. appeared at first greatly afflicted and could not get into a state of resignation till near his end. J. R. was favoured to attain that very desirable state much earlier, and told George Dillwyn that if he had his choice to return to the world with all his former attachments to it, or die pursuant to his sentence, he would choose the latter and humbly trusting his peace was made. George went with their wives and children on the morning of the day of their execution to take the last solemn leave of them; as they went he said to Robert's [John Robert's] wife, "Dost thou think thou wilt be able to be a minister of strength and not of weakness?" After an awful pause she replied, "I hope I shall." Her mind, when the query was put was so sunk into profound silence, waiting on the source of all power, who alone could support her in the approaching trying time, that she seemed afraid to break it, long enough to give the answer. The mournful time arrived—they entered—a mournful sight ! ! The affectionate husbands, the tender parents bound in heavy chains (surely nature recoils at the idea) which were taken off, but here alas descriptive language fails ; they sat down together. O ! the successive struggles between an humble acquiescence in the Divine Will ; George says his feelings were altogether inconceivable, and such was the mercy and marvellous condescension of matchless love, that under a sense thereof, the final scene closed. But Oh ! No sooner had the separation taken place than nature again renewed the combat, and so prevailed, that when they got into a friend's house hard by, the daughters' DOCUMENTS29 emotion caused such agitation of their bodies that all their laces burst. J. R. wrote a paper of directions to his son the same day, with great composure. I suppose they were both enabled to pray that their cruel persecutors might seek repentance. What an excellent lesson had they learned from the great Master of their salvation!! "Lord forgive ¿hem for they know not what they do." They had both maintained through life unspotted moral characters. J. R. was a man of large property, and with a princely spirit shared it among his friends, neighbors, etc., whenever humanity made a demand upon him, so that he was justly, styled the Father and Protector of his neighborhood. The concern of friends and others who attended his remains bespoke that he lived and died lamented. Tho' they hung about an hour Abraham's body still retained his wonted cheerful and fine countenance, which was like an index to his mind. A rumour was spread that the bodies would be seized and not suffered to be buried in the Friends' Burying Ground, but it otherwise happened, for he says, the solemnity was so great that not a smile was seen among the prodigious multitude that was ranged to see and attend the funeral. The corpses were carried into the Meeting House, where they were favoured with such a Meeting as George thinks he never was at before or since; wonderful was the solemnity that covered...

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