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 〈◊〉 The City is divided into three 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 Whosoever 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 smoke of her torment how it did ascend and I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a voice saying Rejoice 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 J heard a voice saying unto me Beholdâ— and J looked and J saw Pharoah and his Host pursuing the Children of Israel and he and his Host were drowned in the Sea Dear Friends and People whatsoever J have written it 's not because it is recorded in the Scripture or that J have heard of such things but in obedience to the Lord J 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 of ten with their Physician and said it was in charity I askt them whether they did keep us in that hot room to kâ—ll us and bring us a Physician 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 great 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 thirst 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 joined 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 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 which changed not They said all their holy women did pray for us and we should be honored of all the world if we would turn VVe 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 honored 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 Scripture 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 told them they could not know our spirit unless their minds were turned to the Light of the Lord Jesus in their Consciences The English Fryar was wrath and shewed us his Crucifix and bid us loook there We said
asked Why I lookt so whether my Spirit was weak I said Nay my body was weak because I eat no meat it was in their Lent He offered me a License to eat flesh I said I could not eat any thing at all The terrors of death were strongly upon me but three nights after the Lord said unto me about the 11th hour Arise and put on your Clothes I said When vilt thou come Lord He said Whether at midnight or at Cock-crow do thou watch My Friend and I arose and the Lord said Do stand at the Door And we stood at the door in the power of the Lord I did scarce know whether I was in the body or out of the body and about the 12th hour there came many to the Prison-Gate We heard the Keys and looked when they would come in They ran to and fro till the 4th hour the Lord said he had smote them with blindness they could not find the way And we went to bed there I lay night and day for 12. days together fasting and sweating that my bed was wet and great was our affliction The tenth day of my fast there came two Fryars the Chancellor the man with the black Rod and a Physician and the Keeper and the Fryar commanded my dear Friend to go out of the room and he came and pull'd my hand out of the bed and said Is the Devil so 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 call'st him Devil He took his Crucisix 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 he 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 arole over Death and glorified God The Fryar 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 〈◊〉 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 fle◠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 yong childes life to destroy it yet again and great was my affliction so that my dear fellow and labourer in the Work of God did look every hour when I should depart the body for many days 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 Fryer 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 dye The Fryer bid my friend take notice what torment I would be in at the houre of Death thousands of Devils he said would fetch my soule 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 the Lord. He fell down of his knees and did howle and wish bitter wishes upon himself if he had not the true faith but we denied him The Physitian was in a great rage at Sarah because she could not bow to him but to God onely The last day of my fast I began to be a hungry but was afraid to eat the enemy was so strong but the Lord said unto me If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink in so doing thou shalt heap coales 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 rejoiced and magnified God and in the time of our great trial 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 did I 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 Allarum was struck up in Jerusalem and all the Enemies of God were called to the great day of Battle 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 12. 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
that the people did live in sin and all manner of wickedness And whether words and forms would serve without life and power He was as bloody a fiery Serpent as ever was born of a Woman and did strike as hard at our lives would hold up his hand often to strike us but had never the power he would quickly be cut down that he would say we were good women and he would do us any good He was compell'd to work for us sometimes and would say it was for God's sake and would have us thank him for it We would tell him those that did any thing for God did not look for a reward from man He said We were the worst of all creatures and we should be used worse than any the Turks Arminians Protestants and Lutherans should be used better than we We said the pure Life was ever counted the worst and we must suffer we were the Lords and could trust him let him do what he would vvith us vve did not fear any evil tydings vve vvere setled and grounded in the truth and the more they did persecute us the more stronger vve did grovv We vvere bold and valiant for God's Truth that vvhatsoever we did suffer vve could not fear We were separated two years I had neither fire nor candle in that time above two hours none did bring me any nor I had not freedom to call for any The Fryars went to Sarah and told her if she would she should go forth of the Prison and say nothing nor do nothing She said she vvould upon that account He said they vvould come in the morning and so they did but the Lord saw their deceit and forewarned Sarah and bid her mind Esau who sold his Birth right for a morsel of meat and Judas that betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of Silver That when they came she vvas strengthned against them and said she stood in the Counsel of God and could take up nothing in her ovvn vvill they had not povver to have her forth They said the Inquisitor said if we did want Linnen Woollen Stockins Shooes or Money vve should have it But there was a poor English man heard that Sarah was in a room vvith a Windovv next the Street it vvas high he got up and spake a few vvords to her and they came violently hall'd him down and cast him into prison upon life and death And the Fryars came to know of us vvhether he had brought any Letters We said no I did not see him They said they did think he would be hang'd for it He was one that they had taken from the Turks and made a Catholick of him Sarah wrote a few lines to me of it and said she did think the English Fryars were the chief actors of it we had a private way to send to each other I vvrote to her again and after my Salutation I said Whereas she said the Fryars vvere the chief actors she might be sure of that for they did hasten to fill up their measures but I believe the Lord wil preserve the poor man for his love I am made to seek the Lord for him with tears And I desired she would send him something once a day if the Keeper vvould carry it and I told her of the glorious manifestations of God to my soul for her comfort so that I was ravished vvith love and my Beloved was the chiefest of ten thousands and how I did not fear the face of any man though I did feel their arrows for my Physician is nigh me and how I was vvaiting upon the Lord and saw our safe return into England and I was talking with G. F. to my great refreshment The Name of G. F. did prâ—ck them to the heart I said it vvas much they did not tempt us with money I bid her take heed the Light vvould discover it and many more things let it come under what cover it vvould And this Paper came to the Fryar's hands by vvhat means vve could never tell but as the Light did shew us the Lord vvould have it so it smote the Fryar that he vvas tormented many days and he translated it into â—talian and laid it before their Loâ—d Inquisitor and got the Inquisitor's Lievtenant and came to me with both the Papers in his hand and askt me if I could read it J said Yea I writ it O! did you indeed said he And what is it you say of me here That which is truth said I. Then he said Where is the Paper Sarah sent bring it or else I will search the I runk and every where else J bid him search where he vvould He said I must tell what man it was that brought me the Ink or else I should be tyed with Chains presently J told him had J done nothing but vvhat vvas just and right in the sight of God and vvhat J did suffer vvould be for Truth 's sake and J did not care J vvould not meddle nor make with the poor Workmen He said For God's sake tell me what Sarah did write J told him a few vvords and said it was truth Said he You say it is much we do not tempt you with money And in few hours they came and tempted us with money often So the Lieutenant took my ink and threw it away and they were smitten as if they vvould have fallen to the ground and vvent their vvay J saw them no more in three Weeks but the poor man vvas set free the next morning They went to Sarah and told her that I had honestly confest all and that she was best to confess too and threatned her with a Halter and to take away a Bed and Trunk and her Money to have half of it for me she answered she might not send to me any more She askâ— him Whether he was a Minâ—ster of Christ or a Magistrate 〈◊〉 he vvere a Magistrate he might take her money but she vvould not give it him And they that were vvith him said No he should not meddle with any thing He was a bitter wicked man He told her She was possest She answered and said she was with the povver of an endless life The Lord was not vvanting to us at any time for Povver nor Words to stop the mouths of gain-sayers of his Truth neither in Revelations nor Visions Praises be to his Name for ever He kept us in our weakest condition bold for his Truth declaring against all sin and wickedness so that many were convinced but did not dare to own it for fear of Faggot and Fire There were none that had any thing to say against vvhat vve spake but tâ—e Fryers but would have us to join with them There were none did come into the inquisition but the judgements of the Lord vvould be upon them so that they vvould cry and foam and send for a Physiâ—ian many of them The unclean spirits would cry out as much as ever they did against Jesus and would
her pride It 's not their golden Candlesticks nor Lamps that be so many That can shine through the Clouds so thick to give a Light to any To lead to a true resting-place where they may still behold The beauty of God's glorious face more bright than fined Gold Thou seest oh Lord what man hath done for to exalt himself Against the Lord thy blessed Son who is our saving health They have changed his glorious Form and Image that 's so bright And fashion'd it like sinful man corrupted in thy sight Arise oh Lord arise in haste and punish for these things These men that have sought thy disgrace that they might reign as Kings Over thine own Inheritance contrary to thy will To keep them still in ignorance without knowledge or skill But now the God of Power is come to raise up Sion bright And to build up Jerusalem in all the Heathens sight The Gates of Hell shall not prevail though they be wide strong Against the gathering in of all that to the Lord belong All glory honor laud and praise be to the Lord of Might Who hath made known in these our dayes his Way his Truth his Light Concerning the Cross of Christ which is not a visible sign or a piece of Wood but the invisible and immortal Power of the Lord God and his Wisdom unto salvation to and in all them that believe is the same Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God But the same Crosse 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. CHrist's Cross I do embrace Which gives me an entrance into Grace Sin and Death it doth deface And makes me run a glorious race A Crown of Life and Grace I do obtain And sin and death is daily slain And Christ himself alone to reign Through 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 thereâ—n 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 Heavenly 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 slays the enmity withall And makes of twain one perefect man And 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 and 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 They that live in sin and wicedness are enemies to Christ Jesus Cross For all 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 and bright That springeth up both day and night MY love to truth doth me constrain In Prison ever to remain If it be so that even I Cannot in truth be set at liberty My deare Redeemer's face so bright Doth shine upon me day night His count'nance doth exceed all Captivity and bodage thrall Amen K. E. My Love It cometh from a harmless Dove Within vvhose breats doth still remain God's perfect praises to maintain I have not time nor place to shovv The love vvhich from my soul doth flovv The blessing of the Almighty be upon thee And upon the vvhole Israel of God Amen THese Writings follovving 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 Grace 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 forthvvith sent for the Consul and charged him to get the same truly copied forth Then the Consul vvas vvrath vvith me that he should be exercised vvith so much trouble But in the Light and Counsel of my God I seeing and â—novving that there vvas nothing in them but vvhat came from a good ground of innocency and truth and pure natural affection I was moved in bovvels 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 â—men 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 onely in my hands but also the precious substance and virtue of the same that accompanied them even in my heart within my bosom and the Words of Wisdoms Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about my neck and 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 mightily preserved me in the shadow of his hand of Almightiness which stopt the mouths of devouring Lyons and chained and limited the ravening and devouring wild Beasts of the Forrest even he the King of
the 11th Month of the year 1661. Sarah Chevers to her Husband and Children MY Dear Husband my love my life is given up to serve the living God and to obey his pure Call in the measure of the manifestation of his Love Light Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus his onely begotten Son whom he hath manifested in me and thousands by the brightness of his appearing to put an end to sin and Satan and bring to light Immortality through the preaching of the everlasting Gospel by the Spirit of Prophesie which is poured out upon the sons and daughters of the living God according to his purpose whereof he hath chosen me who am the least of all but God who is rich in mercy for his own Name sake hath passed by mine offences and hath counted me worthy to bear testimony to his holy Name before the mighty men of the Earth Oh the love of the Lord to my soul my tongue cannot express neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of the things that God hath laid up for them that fear him Therefore doth my soul breath to my God for thee and my Children night and day that your minds may be joined to the Light of the Lord Jesus to lead you out of Satans Kingdom into the Kingdom of God where we may enjoy one another in the Life Eternal where neither Sea nor Land 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 Saviour 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 and 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 Lords endlesse love and mercies to my soul 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 joined to the Light wherewith you are lightened that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal and have community with you in the Spirit He that is joined 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 days 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 appearing wherein he will discover every deed of darkness let it be done never so secret the light of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience the Lord will rip up all coverings that is not of his own Spirit The God of Peace be with you all Amen Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand of Sarah Chevers for the hand of Henry Chevers 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 shewedst 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 would have fled the Cross but praises be to the Lord that kept me to it that I might not 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 let none take thy Crown The God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear pressing forward to the prize of an incorruptible Crown of Glory Peace and Rest out 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 inheritance 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 tasted handled and felt of his everlasting love and indurable Riches my life is wrapt up in it I have found him whom my soul loveth Oh what might I do to set him 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 Thy dear Aunt My dear love and life is with thee and I do embrase thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Father's love with thy dear Husband and little ones Another in the same Paper to Friends MY dearly beloved Sisters and 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 rejoice and have union with you My Life is given up to serve the Lord. O 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 Skales and the Dust in equal 〈◊〉 Ballance He is a pulling down the mighty and raising the meek humble lowly he is a feeding the poor and hungry with good things but the rich he sends
away nor waxeth old from us whom the Lord hath counted worthy to beaâ— his Name and to suffer for his sake to all our Christian Friends Fathers and Elders Pillars of Gods spiritual House Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh my dear Husband with our dear and precious Children Lambs of God and Babes of Christ begotten of the Immortal Seed of Light Life and Truth with us and all the whole Family of everlasting blessedness Pray for us believingly all things are possible with our God So my Dearlings in the arms of everlasting love do I take my leave of you the blessing and peace of the Most High be upon you ever Amen Amen Oh my dear Husband praise the Lord that ever thou hadst a Wife that was found worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Inasmuch as I can understand the moving of the Spirit of God My dear and faâ—thful Yoke-fellow Sister and Friend is worthy to be embraced of all friends for ever the deeper the sorrow the greater the joy the heavier the Cross the weightier the Crown This was written in the Inquisition at Malta of us Malta the 11th Month of the year 1661. Katharine Evans Sarah Chevers From K. E. for two Friends DEarly beloved Brother in the everlasting Covenant of Light and Life do I dearly salute and embrace thee with thy dear Wife my beloved Sister and thy dear Children whom I dearly love in that which 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 blâ—â—â—ness 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 hand 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 always in the pure fear of the perfect and pure God who hath an Eternal Treasure ful 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 your 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. Katharine 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 the 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 and Fatherly mercy and bowels of compassion through the trials 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 trials and in 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 despair 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 virtue 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
with intention to come up to this Port and because we sufficieâ—tly have had experience that the carriage of that sort of people is ridiculous and is capable to bring dishonor to our Nation besides other ill-conveniences that may redound to them in particular and to the English in general We therefore will and require you to give a stop to the said Quakers from proceeding any further in their journey either to Constantinople or the present Court of the Grand Signior viz. the Great Emperor of the Turks or to any other place where our Authority extends shipping them away either directly for England or any other part which they shall chuse to imbarque And we do hereby require all Officers and Members of the Factory and Masters and Officers of Ships to be aiding and assisting to you herein And for so doing this shall be your Warrant For our loving Friend Anthony Isaacson Esquire Consul for the English Nation at Smyrna By his Excellency's command Paul Ricoat Secretary Given under our Hand and Seal at our Court at Pare of Constantinople the 19th day of July it should be August for we were not in Asia in the Month called July 1661. Winchels 4. And forthwith this Warrant was dispatcht with a Messenger from the Embassador's Court at Constantinople to Smyrna and behold the Merchants of the Earth and others that could not endure to hear of the sound of Truth received the same not with little gladness poor me 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 car 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 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 and Officers of Ships to be aiding and 〈◊〉 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 Barnabas 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 first know at our first coming that we owned his place of Authority and were ready to submit to any thing that was 〈◊〉 or equitable and at last in this thing we could not submit without suffeâ—ing 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 prayd for them that hated us without a caus 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 and 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 wooried 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 Heathen 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 Truâ—h 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 ways 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 neither abide in the paths thereof And so with consent they joined together to banish Truth its Message and Messengers of Peace which provoked them to jealousie that believe not who scorned us as fools and what else not honestly considering how that God is provoking the Nations to jealousie and wrath with a foolish people as in the ancient days 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 Gadarenes 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 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 unâ—o you if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you These are his faithful and true saying He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me 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 seâ—â— 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 onely so but in the Kingdom and patience of Christ he was visited with sickness â—igh 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 that I was to pass onward in the tender Love of our God he did the more constrain me I finding some unwillingness to leave him in that condition which was not a little cross unto me But in the Heavenly Will and Peace of our God and joy of the Lord out of all visibly we parted asunder and it came to pass that he laid down his body there in about two days after There being a Ship of Venice ready I embarqued on the same and had a good passage through the Gulf of Venice After three Weeks were finished was I admitted together with the Ships company to receive Product or Admission to come into the City as their manner is and there I continued about eight days as a sign and wonder among many and gave somewhat of a sound of the Lord's Day in truth among them and from thence I travelled to Legorn and my face was as if it were set towards England I being alone as a Mourning-Dove in a desolate Wilderness Yet it came so to pass when I arrived at the same Port or City that the everlasting Love of my God did fill and overcome my heart and mine eye right dearly affected the same and verily the living Word and Commandment of my God sounded in mine ear and mine understanding was quickened in the Spirit of Life from God so that I was made willing and not to rebel against the Heavenly Voice And what if I testifie that mine eye saw the Angel of his presence which was expresly for me to give up and pass away from thence to visit his long suffering Seed of Innocency shut up in the Inquisition in the Isle of Malta under the Pope's Authority and to communicate to their necessities and verily the sweet promise of the Lord entered and possessed my heart and my God made my way prosperous for in the Light of his countenance he had often set these poor afflicted long-suffering innocents before my face Wherefore my body and mind was freely offered up as my reasonable service to serve his Truth and the least Member of it and so to the death of the Cross whereto I became obedient in uprightness of heart as if I should never see Kindred or Native Countrey more A Vessel of France being ready to depart from thence Eastward I embarqued thereon for the Isle of Cicilia to Musena and from thence to the Isle of Malta in a Vessel of the said Island and in my passage the Vessel did bear in to Syracuse where Paul abode three days in his passage to Rome after he had suffered abode three days in his passage to Rome after he had suffered shipwrack on Malta and at Syracuse I abode five days where I gave a sound of the Lord's Truth and Life And so we immediately sailed from thence and within 24. hours we arrived at the Island of Malta and within some hours after I came upon the said Island I had admittance to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor to whom I delivered my Message in the Italian Tongue on this wise I am come to demand the just Liberty of my innocent Friends the two English women in prison in the Inquisition And he asked if I were related to them as a Husband or Kinsman and whether I came out of England on purpose with that Message And I answered I came from Legorn for that same end and he replied at last They should abide in Prison till they dye except some English Merchants or others that were able would engage or give obligation for the value of three or four thousand dollers conditionally that they should never return again into those parts On this wise was his reply divers times with the Consul and many others together and asunder but in the Name and fear of the Lord God I withstood the same unchristian-like demand and cruelty in the Word Power and Travel of the Lord in his innocent suffering Lamb behalf albeit they daily threatned me with their cruelty and Inquisition of darkness and followed me to and fro with their Officer and Black-Rod and the Popes Deputy would have bound me that I should neither speak good nor evil to any one while I was on the Island as the Consul said save to him neither to come to the Prison alone except the Consul came also with me or some of his Family at least But their snares Bonds and Covenants in the Name of my God I defied because the Spirit of Life from the Lord gave me Dominion through sufferings in Spirit First over their unjust dark Impositions yea and in the same good authority in the innocency and uprightness of my heart I travelled through and over the darkness over its works and ceased not to publish the end of my coming which they would not have known abroad the sound of Truth and its dread and same struck terror in their hearts that both high and wise great men together with the Popish Priests and Jesuits knights them called of the Nobility of the Pope's Dominion of Spain and France and of many Nations they did not burthen themselves a little with my bodily presence my clear testimony and Friends in general all which they defied and withstood as it doth appear by the words of Truth in this Treatise And thus it comes to pass among the Nations because we are not of this world as our Life and Testimony also is not for but against the same therefore we marvel not if the world hate us knowing its birth which is from beneath earthly and sensual persecuteth that which is from above heavenly and