and living eternal Praises be given to the Lord God for evermore About three Moneths after this I was moved of the Lord to go and speak to her again and when I came to Houlter-Hall I asked for Thomas Preston's Wife and she came to the Door her self but I knew her not I asked her if she was the Woman of the House and she said No but if you would speak with Mistress Preston I will intreat her to come to you So she went into the House and brought another Woman with her and said Here is Mistress Preston Then the Lord made it known unto me that she was the Woman then I said Woman how darest thou Lye before the Lord and his Servant Thou art the Woman I came to speak to She was very quiet and did not open her Mouth Then I said Woman hear what the Lord's Servants hath to say unto thee Oh Woman harden not thy Heart against the Lord and his Servant for if thou dost he will cut thee off in his sore displeasure therefore take Warning in time and fear the Lord God 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth that thou mayst end thy dayes in Peace So I parted with her very quietly and returned to my House in Peace About three Years after this as I was riding from Swarthmore near to Halkor Hall I met with a young Man who said unto me Friend I have something to say unto you which hath lain upon me this long time Truly Friend I am the Man that about three Years since at the command of my Mistress did beat you very sore for which I have been very much troubled more than any thing that ever I did in all my time For truly Night and Day it hath been often in my Heart that I did not well in beating an innocent Man that never did me any hurt or harm I pray you forgive me and desire the Lord to forgive me that I may be at peace and quiet in my mind And I said unto him Truly Friend from that time to this day I never had any thing in my Heart against thee nor thy Mistress but I Love the Lord forgive you both I desire that it may never be laid to your change for ye knew not what ye did So I parted with him 〈◊〉 Heart being exceedingly broken with the true Love of God who hath pleaded my Cause in the Hearts of my Persecutors Glory and Honour and Living Praises be given to the Lord my God for ever of all the Children of Light Again the Word of the Lord came unto me in the 10th Month in the Government of Oliver Cromwell in the year 1652 when I was walking among my Sheep saying Thou shalt not eat nor drink for the space of 14 dayes any thing but Water But fear not for I will feed thee with the Dew of Heaven and with the sweet Incomes of my Love my Word shall be unto thee sweeter than the Honey or the Honey-Comb and I will make thee to know that I am able to keep and preserve thee fresh and strong and able to do my Work without the Creatures as well as with it And so in the Name of the Lord I set on and fasted fourteen dayes without any Meat or Drink save only Water And indeed the Lord was good unto me for in all that time I was kept very fresh and able of Body so that no Friend nor other could discern that I wanted either Meat or Drink So the Lord hath made me a true and faithful witness that the Lord God is the Life and Substance of all the Creatures who is able to support our Bodies with them and without them Glory and Honour be given unto his eternal Name for ever of all the Children of Light Again the Word of the Lord came unto me in the Year 1653 in the 2d Month saying Set thy House in order and go thy way into Cumberland for I have a People there which I have loved from the beginning Whereupon I freely gave up and left my Wife and small Children House and Land and all that I had in this world And as I was going I met with a dear Friend and Brother James Lancaster and I told him what was laid upon me by the Lord and he told me that it was much in him to go with me so we concluded to go together and declared the Lord's eternal Truth in those parts So we went into several Towns and Villages and Steeple-Houses and spoke the Word of the Lord as we were moved and much Persecution fell to our share in that County but many were Convinced of the eternal Truth about Cockermouth and Pardsaw for the Lord 's eternal Word was with us according to his Promise and when we were free and clear of Cumberland we returned to our own Houses again and had great Peace with the Lord. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me in the year of our Lord 1653. in the fourth Month in the Government of Oliver saying Go thy way into York-Shire and declare my Word freely that I shall give thee and fear not the Face of my Man for I will be with thee according to my Promise and speak to the Mayor of York the Word that I shall give thee Then I went as I was commanded of the Lord into York-Shire and came to a Town called Setle from thence to Scripton where I suffered much Persecution for declaring there the Word of Truth and was sorely wounded and laid up for a dead Man nevertheless the Lord was good unto me and healed me by his Eternal Power of all my sore Bruises for within three Houres I was a sound Man to the great astonishment of my Persecutors and the convinceing of many that beheld me this working a very good Effect in the Hearts of the People Thence I went as I was moved of the Lord to Bradford Leeds and Hallifax and declared the Lord's Truth amongst them and much Persecution fell to my lot in those parts but the Lord was good unto me according to his Promise From thence I Travelled to the Town of Doncaster and was moved to go on a first Day to a Steeple-House in that Town and when their Worship was done I spoke as I was moved of the Lord to the Priest and People and they were in great rage and Persecuted me much and drove me out of the Town and being sorely Wounded and Bruised they left me for dead notwithstanding by the Power of God I arose up and got to a Friends House about a Mile from the Town and lay me down upon a Bed and immediately the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Arise and go thy way to yonder little Chappel and speak my Word freely that I shall give thee and I will make thee a sound Man Then I got up on my Feet as well as I could and came down out of the Chamber taking hold of the Walls to support me and setting on freely towards the Chappel I
began to mend by little and little and coming to the Chappel I spoke the Word of the Lord freely as I was moved and when I was clear of the Place and People I went back again to the Friends House and Lord made me sound of all my Blows and Bruses according to his Promise Thence I went to the City of York as I was commanded of the Lord and spoke to the Lord Mayor of York as I was moved and to the Rulers in that City and being clear of it I left it and laboured in the Work of the Lord as I was moved in Towns Villiges and Steeple-Houses and sore Persecution fell to my share and lot in that Shire yet for all that the Lord God of my Life was with me in all my Straits and Hardships according to his Word and Promise So when I was free of that great Shire I returned to my House again and had great Peace with the Lord. For the space of twelve Months after I had received the Truth in the love of it my Wife Ann Halhead was very sore troubled and displeased in her mind because the Truth in my Heart had so much dominion in me that I was made willing by the Power of God to do his Will who had promised that he would never leave me nor forsake me in all my straits and hardships insomuch as she grew and became greatly discontented concerning me and often said I would to God I had Married a Drunkard I might have found him in the Alehouse but I cannot tell where to find my Husband And in this manner she was sore grieved and troubled in her mind for the space of twelve Months But the Lord God of my Life pleaded my Cause according to his promise for my Wife said unto me one time Truly Husband I have something to tell you One Night being in my Bed when I was mourning and lamenting with Tears in my Eyes I heard a Voice saying Why art thou so discontented concerning thy Husband I have callâ—d and chosen him to do my Work my right Hand shall uphold him therefore be thou content and pleased that he serve me and I will bless thee as his Children for his sake and all things shall prosper that thou shalt take in Hand But if thou wilt not be content but grudge and murmer and repine against me and my Servant whom I have chosen to do my Word as I live I will bring a greater cross upon thee These Words were fresh in my mind both Night and Day I often said within my self what cross can this be that the Lord will bring upon me that is greater than the want of my Husband But for all this I could not be contented but mourned both Night and Day all the joy I had or could find in all the World was in one little Child a Boy about five years old who would often take me about my Neck when he saw me Weeping and Mourning and say My dear Mother I pray thee be contented for my Father will come home in a little time And in this manner he did often refresh me but for all this I could not be content in my mind but mourned Night and Day Then in a little time it pleased the Lord to take from me my only Son Myles Halhead all the Joy and Comfort I had in all the World Then the Voice which I heard came into my mind that this was the cross the Lord had said he would bring upon me Then I smote upon my Heart and said within my self That I was the very cause why the Lord had taken away my only Son Then a great fear ceased upon me and I said within my self O Lord my God! give me Power to be content to give up my Husband freely to do thy will lest O Lord thou take away from me all my Children So from that time I never durst oppose thee my Husband any more in the Work of the Lord for fear the Lord's Judgments do fall upon me and my Children Thus hath the Lord pleaded my cause according to his promise Glory and Honour and living eternal Praises be gvien unto the Lord my God for ever Again in the same year 1653 in the Government of Oliver Cromwell when I was walking in my Garden at Mount-Joy in Vndebarrow in the County of Westmoreland the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go thy way to Stanely Chappel in Lancashire So in Obedience to the Word of the Lord I set on and consulted not with Flesh and Blood but went to Staneley Chappel as the Lord had commanded me and there I found a great company of Professors gathered together in a pretence to Worship God but truly they proved very cruel Heathens to me for all their Profession for they would not suffer me to come into the Chappel but with great force and violence turned the Door of me So I walked quietly in the Yard till their Worship was done and then they came forth from their Worship and fell upon me in very great rage and one Captain William Rawlingson being one of the Cheifest Professors amongst them came to me in great rage and fury even like Cain his Father that fell upon his Brother Abel and slew him and in the same Spirit took hold upon my Arms and Shoulders and called of another man to take me by the Feet and Legs and in great Wrath and Fury they threw me over the Wall and I was sore bruised and much I had to do to get to my House again and as I was going home the Word of the Lord came to me saying Be thou content with that which hath befalen thee this day and be faithful unto me in what I will command thee to do and I will make thee a sound Man of all thy sore Bruises So I waited upon the Lord my God to know his Will so within six dayes the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go the next First Day to Windermore Steeple-House and fear not the Face of any Man but speak my Word freely that I shall give thee and I will make thee a sound Man according to my Word and Promise of all thy sore Bruises So I went to Windermore Steeple-House as the Lord had Commanded me and spoke to the Priest and People the Word of the Lord freely as I had received it So the Lord was very Good unto me for in that day I was made a sound Man of all my sore Bruises according to his Word and Promise Glory Glory and living Eternal Praises be given to the God of my Life for ever Again in the same Year 1653 about the sixth Month being in my Bed waiting in silence the Word of the Lord came to me saying Arise and take thy Horse and go thy way into Furneiss in Lancashire to Captain Sand's House and there thou shalt find a People gathered together in a pretence of my Name go and fear not but be faithful and I will make thee a
a great River side where Vessels from Sea may come up near to the Town 's Bridge so the Priests and People being in great rage against us had concluded together that the Women in the Town should Stone us and as I was walking by the River side the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Put off thy Cloathes and wade the River and fear not for I will be with you both and bring you safe to Land So I told my Brother and straight way we put off our Cloathes and waded the River very safely and so we Journied further in Scotland till we came to the City of Edenborrow and Town of Leeth and there we staid about ten Dayes and spoke in the City and Town as we were moved of the Lord and I went to the Garrisons of the City and to the Town of and Leeth and to the Captains and Officers of the Army and spoke to them as the Lord had commanded me they were much struck down for that present and confessed that the Lord had been very good unto them So I cleared my Conscience of the Lord's Word unto them From thence we passed to Glasco and Sterlin and spoke as we were moved of the Lord so when we were free of that Nation we came for England again but in our Passage we were moved to come to Berwick upon Tweed and spoke the Word of the Lord in the Streets thereof and were taken up and carried before the Magistrates of the Town and they sent us to Prison but the Lord pleaded our cause and made us a burthen some Stone to our Persecutores so that in a few days we were released and came from thence through Northumberland to New-Castle and to Durham and spoke the Word of the Lord as we were moved and many received our Testimony so being freed and free of those places and People we came to our own Houses again and had great Peace with the Lord even more than I can speak or declare Again the Word of the Lord came unto me in the year 1654 in the 7th Month saying Take thy Horse and go into Northumberland into the Town of Berwick and speak to the Chief Magistrate of that Town the Words that shall give thee and fear not the Face of any Man for I will uphold thee with my right Hand in all thy Straits and Difficulties according to my Word and Promise So I took my Horse as I was commanded and went into Bishoprick and there I met with my dear Brother Robert Withers I told him what was upon me from the Lord and he was made by the Power of God willing to go with me and so we came to the Town of Berwick and I went to the Mayor of that Town and spoke to him in his own Shop as the Lord had commanded me Friend hear what the Servant of the Lord hath to say unto thee Give over the Persecuting of the Lord's Servants whom he doth send in Love to this Town of Berwick to shew you the way that leads to Life Eternal I charge thee O Man touch not the Lord 's Anointed nor do his Prophets no harm lest thou procure the Anger of the Living Eternal God against thee So he was sore moved and sent me to Prison and my dearly beloved Brother Robert Withers went with me to Prison and so we parted and he took my Horse and sent him Home So the Lord made me a burthen some Stone to that Town of Berwick for the space of ten Weeks or thereabouts and then I was brought to the Sessions and a Bill was drawn against me and read in open Court I answered and said I deny that Bill but what I said to the Mayor of this Town of Berwick I will not deny Then the Words came fresh in my mind I declared them openly in the Court Then the Recorder of the Town of Berwick stood up and said that I had confessed as much as was in the Bill so he said Sirs as I understand by his own Words if he cannot prove the Mayor of this Town a Prosecutor in my Judgment he hath wronged him Then I answered and said If the Mayor of this Town of Berwick dare say in the presence of the Lord whose presence is here that he is no Persecutor but the persecuting Nature is slain in him I will be willing to abide the Judgment of the Court The Clerk of the Court said Mr. Mayor if you will say that you are no Persecutor but the persecuting Nature is slain in you he is willing to abide the Judgment of the Court The Mayor answered and said I know not what to do I would I had never seen him I pray you let him go and let us be no more troubled with him Then I answered and said That I would prove this Mayor of Berwick the greatest Persecutor in Town or Country I was once committed to Prison in this Town before for speaking the Word of the Lord in the Streets by some of the Justices that are now in this Court but thou O Man hast exceeded them all thou hast committed me and kept me in close Prison for the space of ten Weeks or thereabouts for speaking to thy own Person in thy own Shop Now I make my appeal to the Recorder of this Town of Berwick as I am a Free-born English-man whether my Imprisonment be Legal according to the Law of this Nation or not Then the Recorder of the Town stood up and said It is not very Legal for any Minister of the Law to Imprison any man in his own Cause Then the Court cryed Take him away For the fear and dread of the Living God was upon them Then the chief Priest of the Town stood up and desired the Court that he might ask me one Question Then I answered and said The Lord knows thy Heart O man and at this present has revealed thy Thoughts to his Servant I know thy Heart thou high Priest and the Question thou wouldst ask me and if thou wilt promise me before the Court that if I tell thee the Question thou wouldst ask me wilt thou deal plainly with me and I will not only tell thee thy Query but I will answer it Then the Priest said That he would Then I answered and said thy Question is this Thou wouldst know whether I own that Christ that dyed at Jerusalem or not Then the Priest said Truly that is the Question Then according to my promise I will answer it before this Court In the Presence of the Lord God of Heaven I own no other Christ but the Christ which dyed at Jerusalem and made a good Confession before Pontious Pilate to be the Light and Way that leads fallen Man out of Sin and Evil up to God Eternal blessed for evermore So no more Questions were asked me but the Goaler was commanded to take me away and within a little time the Court gave order to release me so I returned to New-Castle and when
and Brethern I beseech you in the Bowels of dear and tender Love that you walk as dear Children faithful to him who hath called you with an honourable calling and loved you from the beginning with an Everlasting Love that all your Friends and Neighbours and Men of this World that see your Life coupled with fear may be made to confess and acknowledge to the Honour and Glory of the living Lord that the God whom ye serve and fear is the only true God of Israel and herein you become a pretious savour unto the living eternal God and sweet smelling savour unto all the Children of Light and no good thing will the Lord God withhold from you the Mouth of the Lord God of Hosts hath spoken it whose Promises are Yea and Amen to his own Seed for evermore Given forth the 14th day of the 6th Month 1655 when I was Prisoner at the Prison-House at the City of Exceter in the County of Devnoshire for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God Myles Halhead IN the year 1663 in the Reign of King Charles the second I was Summoned to appear at one of the Bishops Esclesiastical Courts before his Chancellor Doctor Cradict holden at Kendal and I was free in the Lord to go with many of my dear Friends and Brethren who were likewise Summoned to be their I waited in the Court obove three hours and at length I was called to give my answer why I came not to the Steeple-house to hear the Priests Then I desired the Court they would hear me and I would give them a plain answer in the fear of God and uprightness of my Heart and they promised me they would be quiet and still I told them I was about fifty years of Age and I had spent thirty of it in hearing the Priests and in all that time I had not profited by them but finding them preaching one thing one year and another year preaching quite the contrary therefore I cannot now hear them Then I said to the Doctor now I appeal to that of God in thee and to all moderate Men that hear me this day if I have not given thee a plain answer in the fear of the Lord to thy own Question He answered I had come as near him as any had done that day So this is recorded in the Bishop's Court against me That I went thirty years to the Church and in all that time I had not profited at all So I stand Excommunicated in the Bishop's Court. Again the Word of the Lord came unto me in the year 1667 in the fourth Month in the Reign of King Charles the second Saying Go thy ways into the City of Bristol and Glostershire and Wiltshire and Summersetshire Devonshire and Cornewall where thou hast been formerly and declared my Eternal Word amongst them and suffered hard and sore Imprisonments for my Name sake and speak to my own People my Sons and my Daughters whom I have called and chosen in this the Day of my Love out of the World and the barren Mountain thereof to serve me in Truth and in Righteousness all their dayes and bid them prepare themselves for I am coming to take account upon them all my Sons and my Daughters even from the greatest to the least of my Children and he whom I have given Ten Tallents shall count for Ten and he to whom I have given five Tallents shall count for five and be to whom I have given two shall count for two so every one both Man and Woman shall count for what he hath received So I command thee to go and speak to my own People whom I have chosen to serve me the Words that I shall give thee and though thou be weak and feeble of Body yet fear thou not for I will uphold thee in all thy weakness by my eternal Arm and Power and I will put my Word into thy Mouth what thou shalt say unto my chosen People my Sons and my Daughters whom I have called in this the Day of my Love and they shall receive thee as my Servant and confess and acknowledge that I have again sent thee in dear and tender Love and Fatherly Care unto them So I took my Horse and went to the City of Bristol and into those other Counties as the Lord had required and spoke to the Churches as I was moved and though I was but very weak of Body yet the Lord made his Promise good unto me in all my weakness Glory and Honour and Living eternal Praises be gvien to the Lord my God for ever of all the Children of Light And when I was about ten Miles off Plimouth I was brought before the chief Rulers in Devonshire and Cornewall and they asked me my Name and from whence I came I said out of the North. They asked me Out of what Country in the North And I said Westmorland Then they asked me What business I had in Devonshire I answered to see my old Friends whom formerly about ten Years since I had acquaintance with One of the Rulers answered I am a Devonshire man I pray you what are the Names of your Friends you had acquaintance with ten Years since in Devonshire I answered one Sr John Coplestone who was then High Sheriff of Devonshire and one John Page who was then the Mayor of Plimouth and one Justice Vowell who was then the Judge of the Sessions of the City of Exceter and one Colonel Buffit who was a Justice at that time Then one of the Rulers said Truly Gentlemen though this man call these men his Friends surely they have been his Persecutors Then another of the Rulers said Would you know how it is with these your old Friends No man in all Devonshire nor Cornwall can give you a more perfect nor truer Account than I can Your old Friend Sr. John Coplestone hath sold his Land and I know not where he may be found And as for your Friend John Page who was the Mayor of Plimouth he is become a broken Merchant and is fled out of his own Country and as I hear is gone for the Barbadoes And as for your Friend Justice Vowell he is gone to his long home And as for your old Friend Colonel Buffit he was committed to Prison at Bridge water in Summersetshire for high Treason and is stolen away from the Goaler and is quite gone and dare not be seen in his own Country And so Friend I have given you a true Account of your old Friends And truly Friend if these men were your Persecutors you may be sure that they will trouble you no more for if they that trouble you and persecute you have no better fortune than these men I wish that I nor none of my Friends may have any Hand in Persecuting of you So I took my leave of these moderate men and travelled to Cornewall Thus hath the Lord pleaded my Cause according to his Word and Promise who will give to every man a just