it is recorded in the Scripture or that I have heard of such things but in obedience to the Lord I have written the things which I did hear see tasted and handled of the good Word of God to the praise of his Name for ever And all this time my dear Sister in Christ Jesus was in as great affliction as I in a manner to see my strong Travel night and day yet she was kept in the patience and would willingly have given me up to death that I might have been at rest yet she would have been left in as great danger wo and misery as ever was any poor captive for the Lord's truth for they did work night and day with their Divinations Inchantments and Temptations thinking thereby to bring us under their power but the Lord prevented them every way so that great was their rage and they came often with their Physician and said it was in charity I askt them whether they did keep us in that hot room to kill us and bring us a Physitian to make us alive The Fryar said The Inquisitor would lose his Head if he should take us thence and it was better to keep us there than to kill us The Room was so hot and so close that we were fain to rise often out of our bed and lie down at a chink of their door for Air to fetch breath and with the fire within and the heat without our skin was like sheeps Leather and the Hair did fall off our heads and we did fail often Our Afflictions and Burthens were so â—eat that when it was day we wished for night and when it was night we wished for day we sought death but could not find it we desired to die but death fled from us We did eat our bread weeping and mingled our drink with our Tears We did write to the Inquisitor and laid before him our Innocency and our Faithfulness in giving our Testimony for the Lord amongst them And I told him if it were our Blood they did thurst after they might take it any other way as well as to smother us up in that hot room So he sent the Fryar and he took away our Ink-horns they had our Bibles before We asked why they took away our goods They said It was all theirs and our Lives too if they would We asked how we had forfeited our lives unto them they said For bringing Books and Papers We said if there were any thing in them that was not true they might write against it They said They did scorn to write to Fools and Asses that did not know true Latine And they told us the Inquisitor would have us separated because I was weak and I should go into a cooler room but Sarah should abide there I took her by the arm and said The Lord hath joyned us together and wo be to them that should part us I said I rather chuse to dye there with my Friend than to part from her He was smitten and went away and came no more in five weeks and the door was not opened in that time Then they came again to part us but I was sick and broken out from head to foot They sent for a Doctor and he said We must have air or else we must dye So the Lord compelled them to go to the Inquisitor and he gave order for the door to be set open six hours in a day they did not part us till Ten weeks after But oh the dark clouds and the sharp showers the Lord did carry us through Death it self had been better than to have parted in that place They said we corrupted each other and that they thought when we were parted we would have bowed to them But they found we were more stronger afterwards than we were before the Lord our God did fit us for every condition They came and brought a Scourge of small Hemp and asked us If we would have any of it They said They did whip themselves till the blood did come We said that could not reach the Devil he sate upon the heart They said All the men and women of Malta were for us if we would be Catholicks for there would be none like unto us We said the Lord had changed us into that â—hich changed not They said All their holy Women did pray for us and we should be honoured of all the World if we would turn We said we were of God and the whole world did lye in wickedness and we denied the honor of the World and the glory too They said We should be honoured of God too but now we were hated of all We said it is an evident token whose Servants we are the servant is not greater than the Lord and that Scrpture was fulfilled which saith All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Upon a First day of the week we were fasting and waiting upon the Lord till the second hour after mid-day and the Fryars came and commanded us In the Name of the Lord to kneel down with them to prayer We said we could not pray but as we were moved of the Lord. They commanded us the second time Then they kneeled down by our bed side and prayed and when they had done they said They had tryed our Spirits now they knew what Spirit we were of We told them they could not know our Spirits unless their minds were turned to the Light of the Lord Jesus in their Consciences The English Fryar was wroth and shewed us his Crucifix and bid us look there We said the Lord saith Thou shalt not make to thy self the Likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath nor in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them but I the Lord thy God only He was so mad he called for the Irons to chain Sarah because she spake so boldly to him She bowed her head and said to him Not only my feet but my hands and my neck also for the Testimony of Jesus His wrath was soon appeased and he said He would do us any good he could he did see what we did was not in malice the power had broken him down for that present They came to us often saying If you would do but a little you should be set at liberty but you will do nothing at all but are against every thing We said we are against nothing that is of God but would do any thing that might make for God's glory Many did think we should not have been heard nor seen after we were in the Inquisition but the Lord did work wonderfully for us and his Truth For they new built the Inquisition and there were many Labourers for a year and a half and the great Men came to see the building and we were carried forth with great â—ower to declare in the Name of the Lord Jesus not fearing the face of man the Lord was our strength But
great in you that you cannot speak I said Depart from me thou worker of iniquity I know thee not the Power of the Lord is upon me and thou callest him Devil He took his Crucifix to strike me in the mouth and I said Look here and I asked him Whether it were that Cross which crucified Paul to the World and the World unto him And he said it was I denied him and said the Lord had made me a Witness for himself against all workers of iniquity He bid me be obedient and went to strike me I said Wilt thou strike me He said he would I said Thou art out of the Apostles Doctrine they were no strikers I deny thee to be any of them who went in the Name of the Lord. He said he had brought me a Physician in charity I said the Lord was my Physician and my saving-health He said I should be whipt and quartered and burnt that night in Malta and my Mate too wherefore did we come to teach them I told him I did not fear the Lord was on our side and he had no power but what he had received and if â—e did not use it to the same end the Lord gave it him the Lord would judge him And they were all smitten as dead men and went away And as soon as they were gone the Lord said unto me The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death and the Life arose over Death and I glorified God The Friar went to my Friend and told her I called him worker of iniquity Did she said Sarah Art thou without sin He said he was Then she hath wronged thee But I say the wise Reader may judge For between the eighth and ninth hour in the evening he sent a Drum to proclaim at the Prison-Gate We know not what it was but the Fire of the Lord consumed it And about the fourth hour in the morning they were coming with a Drum and Guns and the Lord said unto me Arise out of thy Grave-clothes And we arose and they came up to the Gate to devour us in a moment But the Lord lifted up his Standard with his own Spirit of Might and made them to retreat and they fled as dust before the wind praises and honour be given to our God for ever I went to bed again and the Lord said unto me Herod will seek the young Child's life to destroy it yet again and great was my affliction so that my dear Fellow-Labourer in the Work of God did look every hour when I should depart the body for many dayes together and we did look every hour when we should be brought to the stake day and night for several weeks and Isaac was freely offered up but the Lord said he had provided a Ram in the bush Afterwards the Friar came again with his Physician I told him that I could not take any thing unless I was moved of the Lord. He said we must never come forth of that Room while we lived and we might thank God and him it was no worse for it was like to be worse We said if we had died we had died as innocent as ever did Servants of the Lord. He said it was well we were innocent They did also look still when I would die The Friar bid my Friend take notice what torment I would be in at the hour of death thousands of Devils he said would fetch my soul to Hell She said she did not fear any such thing And he asked if I did not think it expedient for the Elders of the Church to pray over the sick I said Yea such as were eternally moved of the Spirit of â—â—e Lord. He fell down on his knees and did howl and wish bitter wishes upon himself if he had not the true Faith but we denyed him The Physician was in a great rage at Sarah because she could not bow to him but to God only The last day of my Fast I began to be an hungry but was afraid to eat the Enemy was so strong but the Lord said unto me If thine Enemy hunger féed him if he thirst give him drink in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good I did eat and was refreshed and glorified God and in the midst of our extremity the Lord sent his holy Angels to comfort us so that we rejoyced and magnified God and in the time of our great tryal the Sun and Earth did mourn visibly three dayes and the horror of Death and pains of Hell was upon me the Sun was darkned the Moon was turned into blood and the Stars did fall from Heaven and there was great tribulation ten dayes such as never was from the beginning of the world and then I did see the Son of man coming in the Clouds with Power and great Glory triumphing over his Enemies the Heavens were on fire and the Elements did melt with fervent heat and the Trumpet sounded out of Sion and an Allarm was struck up in Jerusalem and all the Enemies of God were called to the great Day of Battel of the Lord. And I saw a great Wonder in Heaven the Woman cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head and she travelled in pain ready to be delivered of a Man-child and there was a great Dragon stood ready to devour the Man-child as soon as it was born and there was given to the Woman two wings of a great Eagle to carry her into the Desert where she should be nourished for a time times and half a time and the Dragon cast a Flood out of his mouth c. And I saw War in Heaven Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels and the Lamb and his Army did overcome them And there was a Trumpet sounded in Heaven and I heard a Voice saying to me The City is divided into thrée parts And I heard another Trumpet sounding and I looked and saw an Angel go down into a great Pool of water and I heard a Voice saying unto me VVhosoever goeth down next after the troubling of the waters shall be healed of whatsoever Disease he hath And I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a Voice saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Babylon the great is fallen And I looked and saw the smoak of her torment how it did ascend and I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a Voice saying Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven for he that is mighty hath magnified you and Holy is his Name And from henceforth all generations shall call you blessed And I heard another Trumpet sounding in Heaven and I heard a Voice saying unto me Behold and I looked and I saw Pharaoh and his Host pursuing the Children of Israel and he and his Host were drowned in the Sea Dear Friends and People whatsoever I have written it is not because
little for three or four Weeks and then the Lord called us to fasting for eleven dayes together but it vvas so little that the Friars came and said That it was impossible that Creatures could live with so little meat as they did see vve did for so long time together and asked what we would do And said their Lord Inquisitor said We might have any thing we would We said we must vvait to know the mind of God vvhat he vvould have us to do We did not fast in our own wills but in obedience to the Lord. They were much troubled and sent us meat and said The English Connsul sent it We could not take any thing till the Lord's time was come We vvere vveak so that Sarah did dress her head as she would lye in her Grave poor Lamb I lay looking for the Lord to put an end to the sad Tryal which way it seemed good in his sight Then I heard a voice saying Ye shall not dye I believed the Lord and his glory did appear much in our fast he was very gracious to us and did refresh us with his living Presence continually and we did behold his beauty to our great joy and comfort and he was large to us in his Promises so that we were keept quiet and still the sting of Death being taken away our souls hearts and minds were at peace with the Lord so that they could not tell whether we were dead or alive but as they did call to us once a day till the time the Lord had appointed we should eat and they were made to bring many good things and laid them down by us so that Scripture we witnessed fulfilled Our Enemies treated us kindly in a strange Land said I. But we were afraid to eat and cryed to the Lord and said We had rather dye than eat any thing that is polluted and unclean The Lord said unto me Thou mayest as freely eat as if thou hadst wrought for it with thy hands I will sanctifie it to thee through the Cross And he said to Sarah Thou shalt eat the Fruit of thy hands and be blessed We did eat and were refreshed to the praise and glory of our God for ever We did eat but little in two Months and they did bring us what ever we did speak for for eight or ten dayes and afterward we were so straitned for want of Food it did us more hurt than our Fast Yet the Lord did work as great a Miracle by our preservation as he did by raising Lazarus out of the Grave The Friars did say The Lord did keep us alive by his mighty Power because we should be Catholicks We said the Lord would make it manifest to us then they should know the Lord had another end in it one day But still they said There was no Redemption for us We said with the Lord there was Mercy and plenteous Redemption We bid them Take heed ye be not found fighters against God They said We were foolish Women We said we were the Lords Fools and the Lord's Foolâ— were right dear and precious in his sight and wo to them that do offend them He said They were the Lord's Fools and shewed us their deceitful Gowns and their shaven Crowns and said They did wear it for God's sake to be laught at by the World We said they did not wear it for God's sake unless they were moved of the holy Spirit of God to wear it He said It was no matter they did wear it because of their Superiours Mark and before it was for God's sake as he said He thought to bring us under him for our food and did make us suffer a while though the Inquisitor and the Magistrates had taken a course we should want for nothing But the Lord did torment him and all the rest till they did bring us such things as were fitting Then he did work all that he could to send me to Rome and was coming two or three times for what I know to fetch me forth but the Lord would not suffer them and when they saw they could not prevail that way they said we should go both but the Friar should go first because he was not well he got leave to go he was so weary of comming to us that he did beseech the Lord Inquisitor he might come no more to us He told Sarah I was a Witch and that I knew what was done at London and he would come to me no more he said because when he did tell me a company of lyes I said I had a Witness for God in me which was faithful and true and I did believe God's Witness The Diviners did wax mad and did run as at their wits end from Mountain to Hill and from Hill to Mountain to cover them They ran to the Inquisitor writ to the Pope and went to him their King did not hide them at all some of them did gnash with their teeth and even gnaw their tongues for pain Yet the rest would not repent of their blasphemy sorcery nor enchantments but did post on to fill up their measures Oh! the Lord reward them according to their works A little before the Fryar went to Rome he came to the Inquisition Chamber with a Scribe to write concerning us to carry it with him I saw him as God would have it the Lord said There is thy deadly foe They were writing part of three days and when they had ended it the Lord would not let me eat till the Scribe did come where I was that I might pronounce wo against it and defie it which I did do in the Name of the Lord and it did wither with all the rest After it was gone the English Consul came to us with a Scribe and he brought us a Doller from a Master of a ship that came from Plymouth I told him I did receive my Country-mans Love but could not receive his Money He askt me What I would do if I would take no money I said the Lord was my portion and I could not lack any good thing I said to him We were in thy house near 15. Weeks didst thou see any cause of Death or Bonds in us He said No. I askt him how he would dispence with his Conscience for telling us He would have us before the Inquisitor when he knew that Room was provided for us and had not we been kept alive by the mighty Power of God we might have been dead long since He said How could I help it I said we are the Servants of the living God and were brought here by permission and in the spirit of Meekness gave in our Testimony for the Lord in faithfulness and told you the Truth as it is in Jesus and called you all to Repentance and forewarned you in love to your souls of the evil the Lord is bringing upon you if you do not repent He said How ever it be it will go well with you Mark that I told him he
Wisdom of God But the same Cross is to the outward Jew or Christian a stumbling-block and to the wise Greek that 's exalted and puft up in the knowledge above and over the Meek Life foolishness as saith the Scripture 1 Cor. 1.18 19. THe Cross of Christ I do imbrace Which gives an entrance into Grace Both Sin and Death it doth deface And makes me run a glorious race A Crown of Life I do obtain And Sin and Death is daily slain And Christ himself alone to reign Thorow the Cross I do obtain The Cross of Christ is more to me Than all the treasures I can see It brings me to my resting-place For to behold God's lovely Face The Cross of Christ is Power indeed Against the Serpent and his seed And Salvation it doth bring To all that do believe therein The Cross of Christ is my delight It doth uphold me day and night It keeps me from the power of sin Through Christ who is my heav'nly King Without the Cross I cannot be From Sin and Death at all set free The Cross alone doth crucifie Transgression Sin Iniquity It doth break down the Middle-wall And slayes the Enmity withal And makes of twain one perfect man So renews Christ for me again The Cross of Christ it doth destroy That nature that doth disobey In those that do themselves deny And take it up most willingly And daily bear it after him Who is our Lord our Prince and King And not at all to let it down Till they come to enjoy the Crown The Cross of Christ is Power and Life It doth destroy all mortal strife It keepeth from the power of Sin All those that love to walk therein All that do own Christ Jesus Cross Through self-denial they must pass For to be purged from their sin And no longer live therein The Cross of Christ doth operate Through every vein and vital part The heart and reins to cleanse from sin Of them that 's exercis'd therein All they that live in wickedness Are enemies to Christ Jesus Cross For ev'ry sin and uncleanness Doth pierce the Life of Christ Jesus Perfect Love and breathings of undefiled Life to the Seed of God greeting THe streams of Beauty pure bright That springeth up both day and night My love to Truth doth me constrain In Prison ever to remain If it in truth be so that I Cannot be set at liberty My dear Redeemers face so bright Doth shine upon me day and night His Countenance doth exceed all Captivity and Bondage thrall My pure and undefiled Love Which cometh from a harmless Dove Within whose brests doth still remain God's perfect praises to maintain I have not time nor place to show The Love which from my heart doth flow The blessing of th' Almighty be On Jacobs Seed eternally And let it make its sure abode Upon the Heritage of God Amen K. E. THese Writings following are Copies of divers Letters which they had written to their Friends and near Relations in the time of my visitation of them But it came so to pass that as they were handing the same through the Grate of the Prison by the hand of another man to be communicated to my hand being then present in the Room also that the said Letters were intercepted and in the first place communicated to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor and he forthwith sent for the Consul and charged him to get the same truly copied forth Then the Consul was wrath with me that he should be exercised with so much trouble But in the Light and Counsel of my God I seeing and knowing that there was nothing in them but what came from a good ground of Innocency and Truth and pure natural Affection I was moved in bowels of tender Love lest the said Letters should be finally miscarried or shut up in obscurity therefore I propounded to the Consul If that were such a trouble to him if he would let me have the Letters I should copy them out truly And after some time he consented and gave them into my hand and laid it upon my Conscience to perform as I had said which I did with gladness of heart not in submission to his Will but in obedience to the God of Love and Peace which guided me in the same and so after I had finished them I gave the fair Copies into the Consul's hands for his Lord Inquisitor And so in the wisdom of the Lord which is wiser than the Serpents I obtained the very desire of my heart for his Truth and Peoples sake and retained the Original Copies and in the endless Love and Power of the Lord Almighty which was and is with me and accompanied me blessed and magnified be the Power of his excellent Majesty and Glory Amen over the heads of the lofty Mountains and barren Hills I brought the Treasures of a blessed and good ground away with this body in which I am so that they were not only in my hands but also the precious substance and vertue of the same that accomâ—anied them even in my heart within my â—osome and the Words of wisdoms Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about my neck as Bracelets and Ornaments of a comely and delicate chaste Bride about my hands and loins and behold the Almighty Lord and King of Eternal Life that had so mightly preserved me in the shadow of his haâ—â— of Almightiness which stopt the moutâ— of devouring Lyons and chained and limitted the ravening and devouring wiâ—â— Beasts of the Forrest even he the King 〈◊〉 blessedness and endless Glory filled mâ— heart with his spotless and unexpressiblâ— Love And as I lay upon the deck of thâ— Vessel in which I was a Passenger and 〈◊〉 stranger among Men of many and diveâ—â— Nations in the morning of the day I feâ—â— and beheld the exceeding Glory of thâ— Lord under the secret shadow of his Almightiness in a Vision of God and in thâ— same I beheld the Bride the Lamb's Wife prepared for the Bridegroom 's coming and why should not I declare somewhat oâ— the felicity that mine eye in the Eternaâ— Life of blessedness saw albeit the Reâ—â— is unutterable which I felt and know how to be silent in the Father's Presence where every Babe knoweth my voice which iâ— to give a sound in their ears to whom I write and not to spread Pearls before Swine that will defile and trample oâ— them That mine eye mine eye hath seen and perfectly beheld the Free-born from above coming out of the Wilderness covered with goodly and comely Raiment white and clean as the light of the Sun or as a Stone most precious clear as Chrystal and mine eye beheld a Crown which was embraced in the Arms of the Bridegroom and the Crown was well adorned with many Stars which did excel each other in Glory and mine eye beheld the Sun as a Bridegroom rejoycing over the Virgin-Bride of his Espousal so that I was even sick with
can separate In which Light and Life do I salute thee my dear Husband with my Children wishing you to embrace Gods love in making his Truth so clearly manifest amongst you whereof I am a Witness even of the everlasting Fountain that hath been opened by the Messengers of Christ who preach to you the Word of God in season and out of season directing you where you may find your â—aviour to purge and cleanse you from your sins and to reconcile you to his Father and to have unity with him and all the Saints in the Light that ye may be fellow Citizens in the Kingdom of Glory Rest and Peace which Christ hath purchased for them that love him and obey him What profit is there for to gain the whole World and lose your own Souls Seek first the Kingdom of God the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Godliness is great gain having the promise of this life that now is and that which is to come which is fulfilled to me who have tasted of the Lord 's endless Love and Mercies to my soul and from a moving of the same love and life do I breath to thee my dear Husband with my Children my dear Love salutes you all my Prayers to my God are for you all that your minds may be joyned to the Lighâ— wherewith you are lightned that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal and have community with you in the Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit one heart one mind one soul to serve the Lord with one consent I cannot by Pen or Paper set forth the large Love of God in fulfilling his gracious Promises to me in the Wilderness being put into Prison for God's Truth there to remain all dayes of my life being searched tryed examined upon pain of death among the Enemies of God and his Truth standing in jeopardy for my life until the Lord had subdued and brought them under by his mighty Power and made them to feed us and would have given us money or clothes but the Lord did deck our Table richly in the Wilderness The Day of the Lord is appeariâ—â— wherein he will discover every Deed of darkness let it be done never so secret the Ligâ—â— of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience the Lord will rip up all coveringâ— that is not of his own Spirit The God â—f Peace be with you all Amen Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand of Sarah Cheevers for the hand of Henry Cheevers my dear Husband give this fail not I do not well remember that this was one of the surprized Letters A Letter to a Kinswoman of S. C. S. P. MY dear Kinswoman I dearly salute thee with thy Husband and thy tender Babes I am not unmindful of thee nor of thy Love that thou shewed'st to me I know thou shalt not lose thy reward thou hast found refreshment in it for it was of the Lord My Burthen was weighty for the Lord I â—ould have fled the Cross but praises be to â—he Lord that kept me to it that I might â—ot lose the Crown I was straitned in it till I gave up to it Praised be the Name of our God for ever Amen Stand fast in the Lord â—et none take thy Crown The God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear pressing forward to the price of an interruptible Crown of Glory Peace and Rest â—ut of all strife Keep to the pure Life watch the Enemy keep thy mind staid in the measure of God's Grace that is able to make thee wise unto salvation and to give thee an inheâ—itance with the rest of the Children of Light My tender lamb fear and dread the living God keep in his presence go not out to let in the Enemy to break thy peace and to darken thy understanding and to vail over the pure from beholding thy Saviour Incline thine ear to him give up to a daily Cross to thy own will Stand single empty wait upon the Lord to be fill'd with his Fulness let him be all thy treasure ask of him he giveth liberally Believe and thou shalt receive his Promise is large I have found it so Having nothing yet enjoying all things I have â—asted handled and felt of his everlasting Love and indurable Riches my life is rapt up in it I have found Him whom my sâ—â—â— loveth Oh! what might I do to set hiâ— forth He is the choicest of ten thousands therefore doth my soul love him My life is given up for him his Truth for to declare Lord guide me in thy path and keep me in thy fear Amen My dear Aunt My dear love and life is with thee and I do embrace thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Fathers love with thy dear Husband and little Ones Another in the same Paper to Friends MY dearly beloved Sisters Friends of Truth I dearly salute you in the Light Life and Love of our God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost wherein I do rejoyce and have union with you My Life is given up to serve the Lord. Oh how my soul travels for the Seed of God's Kingdom to be sown throughout all Nations for the gathering in of Christ's scattered Flock and for the destruction of sin and Satan For our God is weighing the Mountains in Scales and the Dust in an equal Ballance He is pulling down the mighty and raising the meek humble lowly he is feeding the poor and hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away My dear Babes and Lambs feed of the sincere Milk of the Word of Life that you may grow up in it and wax strong in spirit to praise the Lord and to glorifie him who is worthy Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might seek him earnestly call upon him continually let your whole Meditations be staid in him alway Seek him earnestly deny your own thoughts and words give heed to the Light bring all your deeds to it give up all that is contrary to be slain stand single empty naked before the Lord that you may be filled with the Streams of his everlasting Love Oh my dear hearts our God is full of love stand not back press forward let nothing hinder you the Lord calls for you My Son give me thy heart The Promise of our God is as large to you as to any if you can believe your straitness is in your selves For God is a full Fountain abundance of love runs forth to them that can trust him I can witness it in the barren Wilderness he caused streams of living Water to break forth I cannot express it it is so large therefore doth my soul thirst after you my dear Ones the love of God is to you My dear Sisters I have you in my remembrance and do pray to my God and your God that you may be enlarged in your measures
never changeth My dear and faithful Friends I am often refreshed in you when the Light brings you to my remembrance then do I feel the springs of Love and Life which ariseth from the pure Fountain of Eternal refreshments to my joy and comfort wherein I am made to praise and glorifie my God and your God who hath redeemed us out of the Chains of darkness and Kingdom of blackness into the everlasting brightness glory joy and perfect blessedness for ever to dwell in the enjoyment of his living presence as we abide faithful to Eternity in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right â—and is pleasure for evermore My prayers are night and day without ceasing to our Heavenly Father that not one of his begetting may ever turn or slide back but that every one may press forward towards the Mark of the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus who is our Life and Glory and so all may come to wear the Crown of Life and Immortality triumphing in the everlasting Blessedness of the Heavenly Riches and Eternal Joy and Happiness that 's perfect for ever Amen Oh! my dear Brother and Sister we are all Children of our Father begotten in the everlasting Seed of the Promise of Eternal Life and Salvation Oh my precious Friends wait patiently with me alwayes in the pure Fear of the perfect and pure God who hath an eternal Treasure full of everlasting Riches and ready to distribute them to all his dutiful Children Glory and Praises be given to his blessed Name for ever Oh my Beloved ones your love to me is written in the Records that cannot be lost Dear hearts glorifie our God in my behalf that ever he counted me worthy to suffer for his Name I hope to see youâ— faces again yet once more with joy and gladness with my dear yoke-fellow in the Lord's Work before we go hence and be no more seen So in the tender bowels of pure Love do I take my leave of you at this time The everlasting peace and blessedness be upon you and upon the whole Israel of God Amen Dearly salute us to all Friends This was written in the Inquisition at Malta in the 11th month of the year 1661. Katherine Evans There was another Letter and Paper which was intercepted but I have it not here with me it being sent home from Legorn Yet here followeth more of their Writings to Friends and to my own particular which at several times I received from them unknown to their Oppressors A Copy of a Letter that I was moved to write the next day after I came to the Island and City and communicated to their hands DEar Lambs Peace be unto you Amen Now seeing that the Everlasting God and Father of all Truth hath in his tender love fatherly mercy and bowels of compassion through the tryals of manifold sufferings and temptations hitherto even to this day upheld and preserved you in the Innocency and its Testimony against the contrary although sometimes I know that you have tasted the sentence of death in your selves and even as it were ready to despair of life yet in the living Testimony of Innocency in the answer of a good Conscience I Daniel bear you Record in the Covenant of Life the same remaineth with you and you are in it a good sweet savour to the Lord and his Eternal Truth and People Oh! blessed for ever be his Name yea and my very heart and life blesseth and magnifieth the Lord on your behalf Wherefore my dear Friends be faithful full of Faith and the living invisible God of Peace is with you and will not forsake you seeing it is so and much more you know which might be declared Oh! I am moved in the Bowels of my Father's Love as one with you in tryals and the exercise of manifold temptations to stir up your pure and innocent minds by way of remembrance and also to beseech you to take heed to the Testimony of Life that 's undefiled and manifest in you and to dwell in the same which retains the Joy and Comfort of the Lord and his Peace which you know is not of the World and so to watch and beware of the Enemy that is near to tempt to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and to dispair and so to betray not only your own innocent long-sufferings but also the Testimony of the Lord God of our Life for which you have so long suffered and by the pure Divine Vertue of the same have you been to this day preserved so that the Lord who is and will be your reward hath not been wanting to you on his part Oh faint not but lift up your heads and be faithful still as I am not otherwise perswaded concerning you and I am well perswaded that in his own Covenant and Way Deliverance will come to the Seed and ye know if the same come not in his own Covenant of Truth in the Light of his Countenance it cannot be well but your nay you know is to be nay and so to stand in the Truth against the contrary whatsoever our God permits unreasonable men to inflict upon the outward or visible body and the same also will work for his Glory and also for the Good and Eternal Peace of his innocent suffering Lambs notwithstanding Your tender Brother D. B. ANd when this with other Papers I had through not a little difficulty communicated to their hands over the heads of our Enemies I was moved to speak my Message as from the Lord of Life to them after I had offered up my body and to lay down my Life for these poor Innocents my dear Friends and so with my voice I saluted them in the Lord's Truth as they stood at the Prison-Grates with these words in the behalf of the general Assembly of the Saints in light to wit The whole Body of God's Elect right dearly owneth your Testimony and you are a sweet savour unto the Lord and his people And forasmuch as one of these poor afflicted Lambs replied and said on this wise as if it was a trouble to them that they could not be more serviceable Then my heart being melted and my bowels of pity mercy and compassion being moved I said That it was a wonderful mercy of the Lord in as much as they were preserved in their own measure of Truth and pure Innocency for which my heart praised the Lord for what mine eye saw which right dearly affected my heart and we were well refreshed at that season in the sweet presence of our living God albeit our bodies were at a distance but so as we could behold each others face through the Prison bars of Iron in the Inquisition Now for so much as in the Wisdom of God it is seen meet that the fore-mentioned and following Writings which came from their hands might appear to publick view that thereby every Member of the one Body may have a right understanding and not only
poor men wo and alas for them the end of which will not be peace but contrariwise wo and misery And they put the same Warrant in execution and sent a Turkish Janisary and a Drugerman that were Officers under the Consul of the English Nation and they came with Harmols viz. called Porters with Cain's Weapons and fetcht us from our Lodging before the Consul and the man was courteous and moderate and had his ear open then to what we in the reverence and fear of the Lord then said unto him which was his honor who then saw over and beyond that foolish Ceremony of the Hat neither did he burthen himself with the same as many unwisely do to the clouding or veiling of the nobility of a good Understanding which hath a more noble respect to Equity Justice and Judgement without respect of Persons in them where it is set up in its proper and peculiar Authority than to such foolish Ceremonies which are below men of Wisdom yet he desired that we might not take it ill as from him in his place of Authority in doing as he was obliged in the prosecution of the Warrant which summoned all Officers and Members of the Factory with Masters Officers of Ships to be aiding and assisting to surprize and banish two innocent naked harmless Men that had neither Bow nor Sword nor any such like material or visible Weapon of War to resist evil as Paul and Barnabus had not against whom the hard-hearted Jews cryed out with the same voice Help men of Israel c. and such like stir there was And we let the Consul know at our first coming that we owned his place of Authority and were ready to submit to any thing that was just or equitable and at last in this thing we could not submit without suffering forasmuch as in the uprightness of our heart and in the innocency of the same were we come so far to do the Will of God and to suffer for it as his hand permitted So with many other expressions I cleared my Conscience as also by Words Sufferings and Writings to the whole Nation there and the Consul seemed to be unwilling to use violence against us that at our departure we prayed for them that hated us without a cause knowing not what they did we seeing it could not at that season be otherwise but what the Lord had permitted them to bring to pass not to their justification but as a Judgement among them from the living God who did not onely dispence the visitation of his Love and Salvation day by day among them but he visited them also with the strokes of his Displeasure even unto death and destruction and surely he smote and took away of the Chiefest others of them daily And verily my heart often cryed and besought the Lord for them in secret more especially though I was constrained not to cease uttering my voice openly among them and for them while they sought my hurt as many of them I know by the Witness of God in them may remember And so we were sent away as Prisoners or rather as Lambs driven from the Dens of Lyons or from the barren Caves of ravening Wolves whose nature worried them Now we had spoken for a passage by a Dutch ship to have gone from thence to Constantinople but before the Ship departed Smyrna the Warrant came to the Consul's hands which thou mayest see came not from either them called Turks Jews Heathens Greeks or Barbarians but even from the men of our own Nation Alas alas yea wo and alas for them So the Reader may see what a stir there hath been in the Region of Asia against the appearance of Truth and its Innocency in plainness to expel and banish it together with its Message and Messengers out of their Coasts or Borders and not to have any entertainment or at least to come within the extent of their Authority whatever becomes of them let them go where they will c. So as in effect they say We will not have this man the Light Truth Temperance Innocency its Life and Wisdom from above to rule or have its preheminence over us in our Consciences we will rather chuse to live in the practice of our own evil hearts and ways And therefore thus to their own hurt they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy Wayes Job 21. and as for the Word of the Lord we have no delight in it Lo they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what Wisdom is in them And such the holy perfect and upright Man saw rebel against the Light and said They are of those that rebel against the Light they know not the Wayes thereof Job 24.13 neither abide in the Paths thereof And so with consent they joyned together to banish Truth its Message and Messengers of Peace which provoked them to jealousie that believed not who scorned us as fools and what not else not honestly considering how that God is provoking the Nations to jealousie and wrath with a foolish People as in the ancient dayes Deut. 22. was prophesied And such besought our Lord and Master even Jesus to depart out of their Coasts or Borders who loved and fed their Swine upon the Mountains even the Gadarens besought him to depart who saith He that loveth Father or Mother or what else more than Me is not worthy of Me and Father and Mother and such Relations are of more honourable esteem than many Swine And to his Disciples he also saith that was dead and is alive and liveth for ever As they have done unto me so will they do unto you if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you These are his faithful and true Sayings He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me John 13.20 receiveth him that sent me Mark that Verily verily I say unto you Whomsoever receiveth whom I shall send receiveth me and him that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me c. He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And it 's to be understood that such like dealing J. S. and H. F. our Brethren found at Alexandria from whom they also were banished And on this wise being rejected despised banished out of Asia from Smyrna in about eight dayes we arrived at the Island Zant where my dear Brother and Companion in sufferings and not only so but in the Kingdom patience of Christ he was visited with sickness nigh unto death but the Word and Commandment of the Lord ordered me to pass through part of Italy and my face was set towards Venice and we weighed the thing in the fear and counsel of the Lord and were both given up in one to travel yet it was so that the poor Lamb was not capable in body to travel with me by reason of weakness and he being fully perswaded and satisfied in his own mind
in the Feâ—r of God it was brought to my remembrance that the Lord had said we had two things to work over before we could be set at liberty So they used many words but we eying the Lord yet answered them in the Spirit of meekness They called for half a sheet of paper and the Chancellour asked what he should write but the Lord stood up for his own glory so that they had not power to write one Letter The Lieutenant said they would talk of it another time and they did ask us whether we would not return back again to our Husbands and Children if it were the will of God We answered It was our intent in the will of God so to do The Lord Inquisitor took his leave very courteously of us and desired our prosperous return into our Country and likewise the Magistrates with the inferiour Officers not requiring penny or penny-worths for any Fees or Attendance that we had among them in that time but as we saw our freedom in the Lord we gave the Keeper and some poor men something for Conscience sake So we departed in peace according to the compleat example of the holy men of God kneeling down and desiring our heavenly Father never to lay to their charge what they did unto us because they knew us not so this Scripture was fulfilled that he made our enemies our footstool and they that hate us without a cause to be at peace with us So we were delivered in Power and great glory out of the Inquisition into the Consul's hand to be sent for England as opportunity did present The Consul said that he did engage for us after we were out of the Inquisition but we could never find that it was true So we were kept eleven weeks at the Consul's house before they could have a passage to carry us out of their Coast and the Cross was so heavy and the travel of souls so great that as to the visible all hopes were past that I could live in the body but all things are possible with God who by his mighty Power hath removed Mountains and subdued the Earth and broke through the double-doors locks and bolts and Iron bars and all the chains of wickedness every unrighteous Decree and by his high mighty Hand and strong outstretched Arm hath returned our Captivity that Jacob may rejoyce and Israel may be glad magnified be the Name of our Eternal Father for ever yea Honour and Glory Power and Dominion over all to him who ruleth on high world without end Amen And when we had been at the Consul's house eleven weeks there came one of the King's Frigats called the Saphire the Captain 's name was Samuel Titswel The Grand-Master sent to the Captain of the Saphire to entreat him to stay the Ship all night to take up almost forty Passengers The Captain made himself unwilling because he had no product but lay out in the Road a league from the City The Grand-Master writ to him he knew his brother at England would not deny him such a courtesie to take in twenty four Knights Cavalliers and their servants and two Quakers and so he staid till the next day it was for his great advantage Upon pain of death the Cavaliers must not see us heretofore but our heavenly Father doth know how to bring his own purposes to pass and none can hinder him Oh! that we should be put on board with so many of them and one was the Inquisitors own brother as he said and was as like him as if the same man as I told the Captain before I knew who he was he spake to the Captain often that we might not want any thing that was in the Ship and he told us if we were at Malta again we should not be persecuted so for as soon as he saw our faces he said he would not differ with us he and some other of them laid to the Captain If we went to Heaven one way and they another yet we should all meet together at the last But we held out Christ Jesus the Light of the World to be the alone way to the Father And great was our labour from day to day But our own Country-men were much worse than most of them so that they bid us go back to Malta again and said the English would use us worse than the Maltezes So when we came to Legorn the Ship could get no product and if we would go a-shoar there we might go into the Lazaretta for forty dayes And so the King's Agent desired the Captain to carry us as far as he could till he met the General and then he would provide a passage for us if that Ship was commanded back again for if he should have left us there in Lazaretta the Agent must take order for us he said according to the King's Order The Merchants shewed us no small kindness and treated us with much love and sent us Wine and Bread and a great many good things for our refreshment the Sea was high so that they could not conveniently come to us but they told the Captain they would come and if we would have money or any thing else whatsoever we would write for they would send it to us We had but little money but being we were coming for our Country we saw but little freedom to take up money And the Captain promised as we should not want any money nor any thing else till we came to England so he should not have taken any money for our passage because it was the King's Ship but he received several Dollers which victualled the Ship So he hasted thence and came to Tarloone and there he could get no product but all the Malta Knights were set a-shoar into Lazaretta so we came to Malago and there the Captain had product but he did not dare to make any long stay there for fear the Fleet should be before him at Tangeer He was sent before the Fleet out of Turkie with Letters to Malta and to Legorn and other places and we had some service for the Lord in every Harbour So we came to Tangeer above two weeks before the Fleet came The Captain said it was above an hundred pound out of his way because he made so much haste The Lord did hasten him for his Work 's sake as it was clearly manifested to us all along The Captain said we must not go a-shoar till he had spoke with the Governour 's Excellency So we went a-shoar as we were moved of the Lord and great was our Work for the Seeds sake Oh! oh great are the Abominations of the wicked in that place none worse than English-men for swearing lying pride drunkenness whoredoms and such like so that our righteous souls were vexed day and night with their unclean conversation and the pure Spirit of the Lorâ— was grieved and the Seed of God was pressed even as a Cart is pressed with sheaves So we declared boldly against