In the year 59 in the fourth Month, the last day of the Month being the 5th day of the Week.  
THE presence of the Lord God was felt within me, and in his light he let me see what his pleasure was with me; it was clearly showed me that I should go to the Steeplehouse in Alderman-bury the first day of the week then following, and take with me something to work, and do it in the Pulpit at their singing time.  
〈◊〉 which sight I found much unwillingness in myself, yet sitting still with trembling, there came upon me a very great weight pressing me to obedience; yea a heavy burden was felt, till I had consented to obey; I felt the weight to increase, oh how hard my unwilling will was to yield, but the Lord strengthened me, and having consented, I found a little ease, yea I did resolve in the power of the Lord to go on: I purposed to carry with me a Pocket to sow.  
So the first day morning being the 3d day of the 5th month after the 8th hour one of the Doers being open, I passed in, thinking to get into the Pulpit to hid myself there till their singing time, and then get up and work; The Sexton spying me, took me by the arm, said friend we do not open yet, for it was their Communion day as they call: but the time I was in, I found that the Galleries were higher than the Pulpit, and I should have been discovered before their song began; I see the Clerk giving Tickets: so about the 9th hour their Doors were opened, I passed in as one of their own crowd, the throng came in very fast, I got into one of the Galleries to spy if possible to get in the Pulpit some way, but I found none at that time, so they began to read, and I came down, and finding no way to get into the Pulpit, I came to the Table that is prepared for that troop, I thought to get upon the Table to work, but the Table was set round with young men, and when they began their song, they laid on their hats upon the Table, so I standing still waiting on the Lord, having a great mind to do the Lords work; their song being up, my hat offended them, they took it off, and cast it away, and one of the young men gave it me again, I put it on, and it offended again, in so much that Piercefall did perceive me, who came violently, and took my hat off to flng it away, but I held it, than he took me by the hair of the head, and dragged me out, and as one of their own company testified to his face that he struck me, but I cannot say that, but a lusty red haired man did strike me, I supposed him to be an officer in that hateful place, but Piercefall after he had dragged me out by the hair, said Sirrah do you not know William Duike, I said nay, for I did not know him; Sorrah said he, I put him in prison, and find him ten pound, and you must be served so to, and so charged the Constable with me, and went himself in again, and received the Sacrament for all this.  
The Constable told me that I might go away if I would, but in again I must not. So I stood a while and finding in myself no constraint, I passed away towards More fields finding a little ease from the weight of the burden, being faithful to what might be done at that time: but the 6th day of the week being the 8th day of the month sitting at work in my Shop but not on the Shopboard, the burden of the Lord came upon me, and the light making manifest the same thing that was not yet done, must be done, and the Lord would not discharge me, but laid a necessity upon me. I beholding this with trembling and fear; I did resolve in the power of the Lord not to eat nor drink, till I had performed the Lords requiring. So having purposed in heart, I greatly desired the Lords assistance; and it was showed me how to do it, and the Lord made way for me.  
So the first day of the week being the 10th day of the 5th month, I waited opportunity till the singing time began, which when I heard, I passed in, but being fearful to he taken with the hat again; and so lose my main business, for the Lord: I stepped out again, but stayed not, I came in again; I looked towards the Pulpit and spied the pew door open, that the Priest might p●sse up the Pulpit. So I waited thinking that Edmund Calomy would go up the Pulpit, I intended to get in before him; for thought I that boy that sits upon the stairs will open the Pulpit door for the Priest, and I'll get in before, but no Priest came, whereupon in the power of the Lord; I fixed my eye upon the Pulpit, and I spied and iron hook, and I passed through the pew up the stairs, and unhookt the door, and pulled twice and got it open, and I sat myself down upon the Cushion, and my feet upon the seat where the Priest when he hath told out his lies doth sit down, and having my work ready, I pulled one or two stitches. The people lost their song, and some cried pull him down, some break his neck down, and a lusty fellow came up and did intent to do me a mischief, and rang my neck as if he would have rung it in two. So I let go my hold and he flung me down stairs; but the Lord preserved me, and I felt no hurt; for having done that which the Lord required me to do I was full of peace; and it had been little to me if they had there taken away or killed the body. For I was full of joy, and they were full of wroth and madness; so they tore my Coat off and my hat, and draged me out, and one took me by the hair and fling me upon the ground, and some that was without said why do you use the man so, but I got up again, than they draged me quite out into the street, and there held me, and while they held me, one came, and gave me a violent kick on the shins, and said he could find in his heart to knock me down, he made my shin bleed, and another kicked me on the other shin, but did not much hurt, another said that I had been some notorious sinner heretosore and now came to do something that might merit, Presently the Churchwarden as they call him, came out, and he and the Belltoler carried me away to the Counter till their Sermon was ended, as they call it, than they carried me away to Paul's Yard to stay for the Mayor, but the Sergeant said he would carry me away to the Mayor's House and there stay me till he came in; so he did: And all the way through Pater-noster-Row as I went, the boys kicked my heels, so then the Mayor came in, and they told him that I was at work in the Pulpit; then said he to me, Wherefore did you work there? I said in obedience to the Lords commandment: he said, It was a false Spirit, and said he, Where are your sureties? I said The Lord was my surety; he said, The Lord would not bear me out in this thing: said he to them, Carry him again to the Counter: So they carried me back agine, and there I was till the third day.  
Now let all sober people judge whither I did this thing out of envy against either Priest or People.  
Yea farther I say, the Lord God lay it not to their charge, who have said that I did it in malice, divilishnesse, and envy; it is the desire of my soul that they might be saved.  
And so do write my name being a Prisoner for the Testimony of the Lord in the Common Goal in Newgate London: Committed the 15th. of the 5th. Month 59 Solomon Eccles.  
FINIS.   

LONDON: Printed for M. W. in the 6th Month, 1659.