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
them all in the Name of the Lord and they came flocking about us high and low great and small into the house where we were lodged or where-ever we went of all sorts In a few days we were moved to go to the Governour and to lay their Abominations before him the just Judgments due unto them from the Lord for their great and grievous Wickedness and laid it upon him from the Lord to suppress it in so much as lay in him to do lest the just and holy Lord God Almighty did suddenly deliver them into the hands of their Enemies to be destroyed after the rest of them were slain in the Wrath and Anger of the Almighty and we told him they had not greater enemies without than they had within and if they did repent and truly fear the Lord their Enemies would be subdued within and they would know when to go out against their Enemies and prosper and the Lord would make their Enemies to be at peace with them So the Governour said he did lovingly receive our good Instructions and Admonitions and promised to follow our Counsel and would have given us money and desired us to eat and drink in his house We did freely imbrace his love without meat drink or money And he was very courteous to us and tender over us so that he gave Commandment to all the Garison That none should abuse us in word nor action upon pain of severe punishment There are many Portugals Jews and Irish which could as freely have burnt us as they could have burnt wood but our pure holy wise strong and powerful Lord God protected us in the midst of them and took away all slavish fear from us so that we were as bold as Lions for God's Truth against all their Idolatry and Wickedness The Lord is worthy to have the glory for evermore Amen And in a few dayes after it was laid upon us of the Lord to go forth to meet the Moors their Enemies which laid siege against them and they were such a bloody savage people that it seemed a very hard thing to us but the Lord said unto me Go forth fear not they shall not harm thée or you Behold the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon is with you And so we believed and were made willing to adventure life and all in obedience And so we went to the Governour to desire we might be let out of the Gate declaring the mind of God in it but the Governor told us we must expect nothing but cruel death or bonds for ever telling us what terrible weapons they had and entreated us to go again to our lodging and wait upon the Lord and pray as our manner was he said and then if we could not have peace we might come to him again And in two or three dayes after he came to us and asked us concerning the thing We told him we were made willing to bear and to wait upon the Lord to perswade his heart to let us go and said we did believe the Lord would preserve us in the midst of them and deliver us from them and we should be returned as safe as we went forth yet however our bodies were but a reasonable sacrifice to offer for him that gave them us So he left us at that time After that we went to his house again and he did seem to be somewhat willing then to let us go Then his Secretary stept to him and desired him that he would not let us go declaring to him that if he did let us go that it could not possibly be expected that ever we should return into the City again or see any of our Relations or Country except the Lord did work a wonderful Miracle by delivering us out of their hands And then the Governour told us in pitty and tenderness towards us he believing we were innocent harmless women and did truly fear God he could not let us go forth the English would speak very hardly of him and say he forced us forth to be destroyed by them So in a day or two after the Moors did shew forth their Flag to parley for Peace and came near to treat with them and till then our souls hearts and spirits were exercised in such strong travel and labour night and day we could not hide it from the people of the house where we lay but we do believe if we had gone forth among them before they came to treat with them the Lord our God who liveth for ever would have preserved us and we should have been returned to the conviction of many and to the astonishment of all the whole Garison for his own glory but if we should have gone forth to them when they came to parley for Peace then our Country-men would have said that that was the reason we were preserved and God would not have had the glory The Lord said our Sacrifice was accepted because he knew the uprightness of our hearts We went to take our leaves of the Governour having finished our Testimonies in that place acknowledging the love we received from him and he proffered us whatever we wanted for the Ship and his kindness extended so far that he would send it to the Vessel We received his love but took nothing of him and so we departed the City and went aboard the Ship that brought us thither and that Ship was commanded back into the Straits so that we were destitute of a passage So Sarah being moved of the Lord went unto the General and made him acquainted therewith and he very lovingly sent us aboard in another Ship and bade us take care for nothing he would give Order we should not want any thing till we came to England When we were ready to set sail there came a mighty Scool of Fish dancing round the Ship and leaping above water with great joy as I am a witness of and as I waited on the Lord considering what it might signifie the Lord answered me It signified the multitudes of his Saints and Servants in England or elsewhere that will rejoyce at the return of our Captivity and glorifie his Name which caused great joy and refreshment to our souls The Lord made it manifest we should have a safe passage to England and caused us to declare it so that many desired to return with us in that Ship on that account yet I told them we might meet with storms and hardships by the way and so it came to pass and great tryals we had by reason of storms and tempestuous weather that we were in great danger and peril so that many were wounded and bruised with the tossing of the Vessel and the Master of the Ship cast over-board when the Sea was so high as Mountains yet the Lord wrought wonderfully for his deliverance and he was brought into the Ship safe again and we all came safe to Land The Captain was a very civil man and we were very civilly used in that Ship We were
to the ends of the Earth to the astonishment of the Heathen and the amazement of the Ungodly to the preparation of all Nations to appear before the dreadful Presence of our Lord God Almighty to be stript of all false coverings and to be left without excuse Glory and Praises be to our God for ever Amen who hath made us eye-witnesses of his mighty Work and helpers together with you according to our measures to the chaining down of the Powers of darkness and to the defacing of that painted Harlot Mystery Babylon with all her Lovers to the utter overthrow of Antichrist with all his wicked Kingdom Amen The day is dawning the Sun of Righteousness is arising over all Nations for to make a clear separation to gather in his own Flock and to scatter the proud in the imaginations of their own hearts to feed the hungry to heal the sick and to bind up the broken hearted to cloath the naked to visit the spirits in prison and comfort the Mourners in Sion to cause the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem to rejoyce Oh my dear Friends who are precious in the sight of our Heavenly Father partakers of his Divine Nature living Stones and holy Assemblies wherein dwelleth the fulness of God Almightie's Power and Strength Riches Glory Wisdom Counsel Knowledge and Understanding he is the Rock of Ages the sure Foundation the Ark of the Covenant of the Promise of everlasting Blessedness Amen My dear and precious Ones whom my soul loveth my heart delighteth in you and my spirit rejoyceth greatly because of the excellency of God's Almightiness amongst you so that you are a dread to the Nations Kings Princes and mighty Men of the Earth shall bow before the Power of Almighty God by whom we stand and all shall be brought under the Foot-stool of Christ his Government and he alone shall reign in Righteousness and rule the Nations in Judgement then shall the cry of the Poor be heard and the sighing of the Needy be eased and the yoke of Wickedness be broken and the Oppressed shall be set free the Image of Christ restored and the Image of that subtile Serpent defaced destroyed and utterly cast down for ever Amen so saith my spirit Glory honour laud and praise be given to our Lord God Almighty for ever Amen A sweet Salutation is this from the breathing forth of my pure Life to the same Life in my Spirit joyning in my measure a sufferer for the Seeds sake Glory to the Lord who hath counted me worthy Farewel farewel my dear hearts My dear Yoke-mate K. E. dearly salutes all Friends Oh ye holy Assemblies whose hearts are wholly joyned to the Lord I with you in the Life and Power of the Almighty God do travel for the raising of the Seed and the gathering in of the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Oh! blessed be the Day wherein the Lord called me and counted me worthy to suffer for the Seeds sake Praise praise the Lord for me ye blessed of the Lord in whom the living Praises are found in the living Fountain of God Almighty the Fulness that filleth every empty soul in the Streams of Love Life Light Strength Riches Immortality and Eternal Glory So Truth Joy Peace and everlasting Blessedness remain with you all for ever Amen My Life is given up for the Service of the Lord Bonds Chains Bolts Irons Double-doors Death it self is too little for the Testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God so the Seed be gathered it is but a reasonable Sacrifice Bonds and Afflictions betide the Gospel of Christ He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution it is an evident token My dear Friends my Light my Life my Love hath perfect Union in the Eternal Spirit of the living God and remains with you all for ever Fathers Elders Pillars Nursing-Mothers in Israel true Israelites indeed in whom is no guile My dear Salutation and breathing forth of my Eternal Father's Love is to all the breathing Seed begotten of the Heavenly Father Peace Mercy and Truth be multiplied among you all for ever Amen Pray for us that we may have boldness over our Enemies to fulfil the righteous Will of our heavenly Father and be kept faithful in his Will for ever Amen Streams of Love and Life flow from a living Fountain to you all my dear Friends Our Love remaineth ever with you all Amen Present this to the hand of L. C. L C. Thou Nursing-Mother in Israel peace be to thee for ever Amen Thy dear Brother Daniel Baker in the Covenant of Life in obedience to the Lord hath visited us to the amazement of our Enemies Glory be to the Lord for ever Amen He hath been a faithful Steward indeed worthy to be had in remembrance in the Book of Israel for ever Amen Whatsoever for the Truth we suffer our Reward is with us and our innocent Life will clear us Amen Written by me Sarah Cheevers a Prisoner in the Inquisition for the clear Testimony of the Lord Jesus This 11th Month of the year 1661. NOw after I had received these Papers though not through little straits and difficulty with jeopardy of my precious Life which my God sweetly through all preserved Glory to his Name my heart was as it were overcome with the loving-kindness and salvation of the living Lord and in his savory Life my mouth was filled with thanksgiving and praises to my God and I said in my heart on this wise Who am I O Lord or what was my Father's House or what is the Land of my Nativity that I a poor afflicted and despised Worm should be raised up to see and perceive what mine eye mine eye in thy Eternal Power and pure Life beholds Oh my God! thou hast known the innocent travel of my Soul which I right-well know the same is not hid from thee even from the day of my birth unto this moment through no small trials and tribulations and through the exercise of manifold temptations yet behold my Life is preserved at this time And Oh my heart my mind my soul my spirit in thy pure undefiled Life and Vertue blesseth thy Name thy pure Name which thy Virgins love and live in and in the same they glorifie thy Beloved and the Wings of thy Majesty overshadoweth them and their delight is under the secret shadow of thy Almightiness blessed be thy Glory blessed be thy undefiled Power blessed and magnified be thy pure Wisdom and let the same be so even in the Tabernacles of the Just for ever Thou Lamb of Immortality the Thrones the Kingdoms and Eternal Dominions are thine and over all thy Throne is and shall be exalted and thy Lambs behold thy Glory and thy Majesty in this the day of thy terrible and glorious â—ppearance Wisdom Riches Glory Power Might and Dominion everlasting with Eternal Salvation over all to thy Name Amen saith my spirit in the Life which is was and for ever shall be the same
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
God we might The Captain spake to us with tears in his eyes and told us what they had done for us but could not prevail It is this Inquisitor said he the rest were made free you have preached among these people he said We told him we were called upon the Testimony of our Conscience and the Truth that we have witnessed forth among them we should stand to maintain with our blood He said If they could get us off he would freely give us our passage and provide for us and the Vessel was his own We told him his love was as well accepted of the Lord as if he did carry us He offered us money he saw the Lord would not suffer us to take any He took our Names We told them they took us out of our way and put us into the Inquisition and bid us change our minds and we could not the Lord had changed us into that which changed not if they would burn us to ashes or chop us as Herbs to the Pot. The Friar said We did not work which was false we had Work of our own and did work as we were able We told him our Work and Maintenance was in England And they said It was true He said We would not accept of the Inquisitors Diet. We did not know who did prepare for us we did receive our meat as we had freedom in the Lord. Then he said We had suffered long enough and too long but we should have our freedom in few days and that they would send to the Pope for an Order And there were many English Ships that way but the Captain saw it was a very hard thing so that it grieved him to the heart He prayed God to comfort us and he went away and we do beseech God to bless and preserve him unto everlasting Life and never to let him nor his go without a blessing from him for his love he did venture himself exceedingly in that place But after he was gone they arose up against us with one accord The Inquisitor came up into a Tower and lookt down upon us as if he would have eaten us and they did try us for our lives again and did shut up our doors many Weeks we could not tell for what at length the Inquisitor came into the Tower again and Sarah was moved to call to him to have the door opened for us to go down into the Court to wash our clothes Then he gave command for the door to be opened once a week and in a little while 't was open ever day But great was our affliction indeed and she told him if we were the Popes Prisoners we would appeal to the Pope and he should send us to him But them in the Prison with us especially the Friar were mortal Enemies to us but yet they would have fed us with the choicest of their meat and would gladly give us whole Bottels of wine if we would receive it and were greatly troubled because we did refuse to eat and drink with them and did persecute us exceedingly but the Lord did visit them with his dreadful Judgements the Friar was tormented night and day his body did perish the Doctors and Chyrurgeons did follow him a long time And there were two or three English Ships there came into harbour and Sarah saw the coming of them in a Vision of the night and there was great pleading for us that we saw but she heard a Voice saying We could not go now So we were mad willing to wait the Lords time Then they sent for us forth when the Ships were gone and askt us If we would be Catholicks And we said we were true Christians and had received the Spirit of Christ and he that had not the Spirit of Christ was none of his The English Consul told us of the Ships and said They would not let us go unless we would be Catholicks and that we must suffer more imprisonment yet and said he did what he could for us One of the Magistrates shewed us the Cross We told them and said We did take up the Cross of Christ daily which is the great Power of God to crucifie sin and iniquity so we told them that one of their Fathers did promise us our liberty We did think that Friar was too tender-hearted to stay among them he did take a great deal of pains for us the Captain said We told him he would never have cause to repent it the blessing of God would be upon him for any thing he should do for us for we were the Servants of the living God and he promised us our freedoms in a little time This following I D. B. received from them in other Papers to Friends O Dearly beloved Friends Fathers and Elders and Pillars of Gods Spirituall House and Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ in the measure of Love and Life of our God do we salute you all and do embrace you in that which is Eternal and we do greatly rejoyce and glorify the Name of our Heavenly Father that he hath counted us worthy to be partakers of the death and sufferings of his blessed Son with you though we be the least of God's Flock yet we are of the true Fold whereof Christ Jesus is shepherd and he hath had as tender a care over us as he hath had of any of his Lambs which he hath called forth in this the day of his Power and hath carried us through and over as great afflictions as most of our Brethren and sufferers for his Name both in mockings scoffings scornings reproaches stripes contradictions perils at Land and perils at Sea fiery tryals cruel threatnings grief of heart sorrow of soul heats and colds fastings and watchings fears within and frightings without terrible temptations and persecutions and dreadful imprisonments and buffettings of Satan yet in all these our tryals the Lord was very gracious unto us and not absent himself from us neither suffered his faithfulness to fail us but did bear us up and keep us from fainting in the midst of our extremity we had not another to make our moan to but the Lord alone neither could we expect a drop of mercy favour or refreshment but what he did distil from his living Presence and work by his own strength for we sat one in one room and the other in the another near a year as Owls in deserts and as People forsaken in solitary places then did we enjoy the presence of the Lord and did behold the brightness of his glory and we did see you our dear Friends in the Light of Jesus and did behold your order and stedfastness of your Faith and Love to all Saints and were refreshed in all the faithful hearted and felt the issues of Love and Life which did stream from the hearts of those that were wholly joyned to the Fountain and were made sensible of the benefit of your Prayers O the sorrows the mournings the tears but those that
part according to our measures and we do press forward towards that which is perfect He then said We were good Women but yet there was no redemption for us except we would be Cathlicks Now the Lord said Fear not Daughters of Sion I will carry you forth as Gold tryed in the fire And many precious Promiâ—es did the Lord refresh us with in our greatest extremity and would appear in his Glory that our souls would be ravished in his presence I had the Spirit of Prayer upon me but was afraid to speak to the Lord for fear I should speak one word that would not please him And the Lord said Fear not Daughter of Sion ask what thou wilt and I will grant it thée whatsoever thy heart can with I desired nothing of the Lord but what would make for his Glory whether it were my liberty or bondage life or death wherein I was highly accepted of the Lord. The Room wherein I was separated was near the Chancery where all the Bishops Courtiers did resort and would come into the Inquisition Courts and I had work amongst them daily they would come on purpose to their condemnation some would be smitten and run as if they hunted and some would be set on fire and cry Caldere caldere and fuoco fuoco and many would pitty us because we were not Catholicks the Friars would say We might be Catholicks and keep our own Religion too and we should not be known we were Catholicks except we were brought before a Justice of Peace We askt if we should profess a Christ we should be asham'd of But as for the poor Workmen they were willing to do any thing for us and were diligent to hear us the Witness of God in them did answer to the Truth There were many eyes over them had it not been for the great opposition there were hundreds would have flown to the Truth And because I said I did talk with G.F. he the Friar asked Whether G. F. did bring me money to maintain me in prison I said No but though I was abâ—ent in body yet I was present in spirit and was refreshed in him and in hundreds more besides They said I had seen Revelations and had talk'd with G. F. and he was God's Revelation Sarah said Christ was God's Revelation He said she came under the Haltar for saying Christ was God's Revelation She answered Paul said As soon as it pleased God to reveal his Son in me I did not consult with flesh and blood but immediately I went and preached him and is not Christ God's Revelation then He said Who denied that What they would have done to Sarah if they had taken her forth we know not but the Lord did work so wonderfully that night for the preservation of her poor soul out of their net that he is worthy to be glorified for ever The next time he came to me he came in Sheeps clothing but he had a Wolf under his Gown he gave me words as soft as Butter and as smooth as Oyl when he had a Sword in his heart and a Spear in his hand when they speak most fairest then beware of them He desired us we would not think so hardly of him as if he were the Author of all our wrongs and troubles he was not he said but would do any good he could for us were it with his blood But we thought he had been the chiefest that cast the poor man in Prison but he was the man that hope him out without any punishment at all though the Inquisitor did say he should be severely punished I told him he did well he would have peace in it and would never have cause to repent it He did entreat us he might not bear all the burthen We told him of many wicked things he did act against us and of his lying and cruel words He bid us take no notice what he did speak But we did feel his spirit that what he spake he would do if he had not been chained I did use to tell him My conscience was not seared with a hot iron I was not past feeling At last he was so weary of coming to us he did entreat the Inquisitor he might not come to us any more the Judgment of the Lord did follow him so it was like to kill him When we were partted the Lord did work mightily for us and we were kept by the Power of the Lord over our Enemies and were bold for God's Truth and did make war with them in Righteousness so they could not gain-say us in the Truth So that Scripture was fulfilled The wicked mouthes must be stopped and they were put to silence praises be to our God and were made to confess or say Of a truth God was in us our God was a consuming fire to them they were not able to stand in his presence but they would howl and make a noise like dogs and cry Jesu Maria and flie as people driven by a mighty rushing wind the Power of the Lord did pursue after them like a sword that Scripture was fulfilled which saith Christ came not to send peace on earth but a sword to cut down his Enemies the Lord was on our side and did take our part and did fight for us and did tread down our Enemies under our feet that they could not hurt us Mighty was the Work of God daily our tongues cannot express it they did work day and night with their Inchantments and Divinations Sorceries unclean spirits crying and foaming insomuch that we could take little rest day or night sometimes but the Lord was with us and did work mightily by his Power and kept us over them in the Life of the Son of God My Pâ—ison was nigh to the Palace and to their Worship that I could be heard of both and it was laid upon me of the Lord to call them to Repentance and to turn to the Light wherewith they were enlightned vvhich vvould lead them out of all their wicked Wayes Works and Worships to serve the true and living God in Spirit and in Truth the Power did raise the Witness in many and troubled them they did sigh and groan and some did stay to hear me so long as they durst for there were many did watch and it was upon pain of death or at least to be imprisoned As was the poor English-man that did come and speak to me whom they hall'd down violently and put him in prison but the Lord delivered him for his Love And we were parted One Year but great was the Work of the Lord and great was the Power to carry it on He was not wanting to us glory be to his Name but did give us Words Wisdom according to our Work So that Scripture was fulfilled which saith on this vvise Ye need not premeditate afore-hand what to speak or what to say for it shall be given you of my heavenly Father what ye ought to speak that the Enemies shall not
Saint Then as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer because of our long-suffering and our strong travel and labour and no fruit as did appear the Lord said unto me Be not grieved though Israel be not gathered the seed of Malta shall be as the stars of the sky for multitude That which ye have sown shall not dye but live Glory be to the Name of the Lord for ever A Copy of a Writing from their hands sent in pursuit after the Friar MALACHY THou saidst thou wouldst try whether we had the true Spirit yea or nay and thou hast tryed day and night but thou never tryedst the right way the Seed of God is not tried with deceit lying hypocrisie nor cruelty But if thou hadst turned in with thy mind to the Light of God in thy Conscience thou wouldst soon have known us or had the Love of Christ been shed abroad in thy heart thou mightst have comprehended us or hadst thou found the Ballance of the Sanctuary of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not man thou mightst have weighed us or hadst thou laid Judgement to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet thou mightst have fathomed us or couldst thou have opened the Book of Life thou mightst have read us 〈◊〉 hadst thou gone into the House of Israel thou mightest have had fellowship with us c. Contrary to our wills were we cast in amongst you and have given our Testimony for the Lord and called you all to Repentance and have forewarned you of the evil the Lord â—s bringing upon you but you have slighted the day of your Visitation and have done despite to the Spirit of Grace and have cast many hard speeches and false aspersions upon the Truth and the Messengers thereof and the Lord will visit for these things and you have blinded your eyes that you will not see and stopped your ears that you might not hear and hardened your hearts that you might not understand lest you should see with your eyes and hear with your ears and understand with your hearts and turn to the Lord and be converted and he should heal you Oh that you had known in this your day what had belonged to your peace but now it is hid from your eyes The desire of our souls is That every one may repent that can find a place and what ever you have done to us we desire it may not be laid to your charge for we count our selves happy that we were found worthy to suffer for tâ—â— Name of the Lord. Written in the Inquisition-Prison in the Isle of Malta Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers Behold victorious Hymns and Songs and Praises all in Verse The same sprung from the Seed of life its perfect Righteousness OH Lord my Life is given up thy Truth for to declare O Lord keep thou me in thine Arms and guide me in thy Fear Thy Bow is bent thy Sword is drawn thine enemies to deface Thy fire 's kindled against all those that will not Truth imbrace Thine Arrows which are sharp and keen upon their heads shall fall Thy double-edged Sword also to cut them down withal So plague the Heathen and correct the People in thy Wrath That they may fear and dread thy Name and come to know thy Truth Throughout the World so large and wide thy Truth thou dost declare Thy saving health for to enjoy by thy Light doth appear Thou dost send forth thy Messengers glad-tydings to proclaim To call the hungry forth to feed on thy Lamb being slain Feasts of fat things thou dost prepare the hungry for to feed And cloath the nak'd with garments fair that want and stand in need Heaven's Glory is appearing its Brightness shineth forth Over all Nations it's clearing the Lord's Eternal Truth Every one that 's in darkness under its shadow lye May come forth into the Brightness out of obscurity O Lord teach me thy perfect Wayes that I may walk therein And lead me in the Path of Life and cleanse me from all sin How gracious is the Lord our God and kind to Israel With us he doth make his abode his Presence doth us fill So that we are not desolate nor yet distrest with woes Because the Lord doth take our part and doth confound our foes Every one that is opprest and cast in danger deep If that in God they put their trust he will them safely keep Right dear and precious to the Lord are all his little ones That suffer for his holy Name he will avenge their wrongs And in his Wrath he will destroy his Enemies so stout And suddenly will make a way and lead his Servants out And he himself will them restore to Joy and Comfort both And will preserve them evermore because they do him love But as for men of corrupt minds whose wayes defiled are The Lord will visit with all kinds of Judgments and not spare He will pursue them with his Sword and cut them to the ground That do reject his holy Word his Plagues shall them confound Because that they do not obey his Mercies and his Grace Which he so free to them doth give if they would them imbrace But as their Fathers did so they requite the Lord with wrong And persecute thy Messengers and make them suffer long Because that they the Truth declare as Scripture telleth plain That Christ himself the Lord 's own Heir is come and he will reign Both Lord and Prince and King also throughout the World that 's wide And Antichrist will overthrow and Babel in 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 O 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 O 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 Pow'r 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 and strong Against the gathering in of all that to the Lord belong All Glory Honour Laud and Praise be to the Lord of Might Who hath made known in these our days 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
to praise the Lord and to be kept in a sensible feeling of his Power daily and that you may encrease in wisdom strength and power over God's Enemies The Blessing of the Lord God Almighty be with you and preserve you by his mighty Power unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Salute me to my Sister S. R. there is a tender Plant in her I do feel it to my comfort praises be to the Lord. I am in health I praise the Lord and do want nothing the Lord is my portion I cannot want he hath deckt my Table richly he hath anointed my head with Balm it runneth down the skirts of my cloathing Written in the Inquisition-Prison at the Isle of Malta by a sufferer for the Seeds sake Farewel at this time Amen Your dear Sister in the Lord Sa. Cheevers Another from K. E. to her Husband and Children with somewhat from both the Lord's Prisoners to Friends the which was taken with the rest of the Letters in the Inquisition and copied out for their Lord Inquisitor DEar Husband with my dear Children I beseech you together to wait in the patience having your minds alwayes staid upon the Lord Keep out of incumbrances for that is the Enemies opportunity to step in when the mind is gone forth to vail the pure and darken the understanding and so hinder you of the pure enjoyment of beholding the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Take no more upon you than you are able to perform in the Spirit of moderation and meekness for that is in the sight of God of great price See the Lord going before you in all your occasions that you may be prosperous in all your undertakings wait diligently upon the Lord to be seasoned with his Grace that you may come to a pure understanding of the mâ—â—ons of his Eternal Spirit and a true knoâ—ledge of the operation of his hands you will be able with all Saints to comprehend what is the heigth and deptâ— and length and breadth of the riches â— his Grace and Love towards mankind â— Christ Jesus our Lord Amen saith my spirit This is the Counsel of the Lord unto yoâ— I do often remember M. H. I do desire she may be brought up in the fear oâ— God and want for nothing that is convenient for her salute me to her dearly I have been very sensible dear Husband of thine and our Children and many dear friends more of your sorrowful souls mourning hearts grieved spirits troubled minds for us as being Members of one Body Christ Jesus being our Head we must needs suffer together that we may rejoyce together a true sorrow begets a true joy a true Cross a true Crown We do beleive it is our heavenly Fathers will and purpose to bring us back as safe to England as ever he brought us thence for his own glory though we are some of the least of Christ's Flock yet we do belong to the true Fold and our Shepherd hath had as great a care of us as he could have for any of his Lambs and hath brought us through great affliction praises be given to his glorious Name of us and you and all that know him for ever Though we are absent in body in the will of God from you yet we are present in spirit in the will of God with you and do receive the benefit of all your prayers daily and do feel the Springs of Life that do stream from all the faithful hearted to our great refreshment and strengthening After our money was gone the Lord Inquisitor with the rest in Authority put a great allowance in one of their servants hands for our maintenance because we could take no money our selves the Lord of Heaven did forbid us to meddle with any and he did send to know whether we did want any clothes he would send it to the Prison to us This was the large love of our God to us and we were made contented with that we had till the Lord God who is rich in mercy and full of all Grace and is never unmindful of any which trust in his Name of his everlasting love did send his faithful Messenger whose feet are beautiful and face is comely cloathed with a bright shining Garment from the Crown of the head to the soal of the foot and came in great power and strength indeed armed with the wholâ— Armour of Light and drest in the Majesty of the Most High and being commissioneâ— of the Higher Power went to the Lorâ— Inquisitor to demand our lawful liberty which would not be granted except we could get some English Merchants of Legorn or Messaena to engage 4000 Dollerâ— that we should never come into those parts again The Lord who alone is ouâ— Life and Redeemer moved our dear Brother to offer his own body to redeem ours but it would not be received then he offered to lay down his own dear and preciouâ— life for our liberty Greater love can nâ— man have than to lay down his life for hiâ— Friend the Lord will restore it into his bosom double his service can never be blotted out his Name is called Daniel Baker his outward being is near London a right dear and precious heart he is The blessing strength and power of the Almighty be upon him and his and overshadow them for ever Amen Greater comfort could never be administred to us in our conditions Glory honor and praise to our God for evermore Amen This is a dear and sweet salutation in that which never changeth fadeth away nor waxeth old from us whom the Lord hath counted worthy to bear his Name and 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 O 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 Darlings 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 faithful 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 Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers Malta 11th Month of the year 1661. 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 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
of amongst his faithful Flock and endued with so much power to come into such a place as this not the like in all Europe by their own report and all others and to stop the mouths of Lyons and to trample upon the heads of Serpents Scorpions and Vipers of the Earth and they could not hurt thee their stings are taken out of their heads and out of their tails Glory Honour and everlasting Praises be given to our God for evermore of all that know him for he is worthy And the Lord bless thee and thine for ever Amen and encrease thy strength and multiply thee abundantly in every good Gift and Grace and prosper all thy undertakings that thou mayest be approved for ever before the King of Saints in the General Assembly of the Most High and stand before the Throne of his Majesty with joy unspeakable and full of glory Amen Amen saith our spirits Dearly beloved pray for us that we fall not nor fail whereby our Enemies may have any advantage to rejoyce and say We served a God that could not save us and called upon a God that could not deliver us as if we were like them to call upon stocks stones pictures and painted walls and dead things that cannot see hear nor speak through their throats We do beseech thee to tell all our dear Friends Fathers and Elders the Pillars of the spiritual Building with all the rest of our Christian Brethren that we do desire their Prayers for we have need of them HOw strong and pow'rful is our KING To all that do believe in him He doth preserve them from the Snare And Teeth of those that would them tear We that are sufferers for the Seed Our hearts are wounded and do bleed To see th' Oppression Cruelty Of men that do thy Truth deny In Prisons strong and Dungeons deep To God alone we cry and weep Our sorrows none can learn nor reade But those that in our path do tread But He whose Beauty shineth bright Who turneth darkness into Light Makes Cedars bow and Oaks to bend To him that 's sent to the same end He is a Fountain pure and clear His Chrystal Streams run far and near To cleanse all those that come to him For to be healed of their sin All them that patiently abide And never swerve nor go aside The Lord will free them out of all Captivity Bondage and Thrall LEt E. C. know that his Exhortations I do dearly imbrace and do witness it to be an eternal Truth I have had large experience of it the Lord hath carried me on in much difficult service so that many times the way hath been stopt up that to the eye of Reason I could not have a way made either by Sea or Land Oh! if thou didst but know what experience I had of the mighty hand of the Lord in making a way thou wouldst wonder Once my way was stopt and my persecution was so hot that I sate in a Field all night to wait upon the Lord to make way for me to do the work he laid upon me I could not get lodging for money in the Town nor City it was at Salisbury where I was whipt in the Market And the next morning I went through the City by the Watchmen and they took no notice of me Wheresoever the Lord did send me into what Land or City or place soever if they did put me out never so oft he would make me go till I got victory save in the Isle of Man there was a Souldier came to my Bed side with a naked Sword and took me by the Arm and hall'd me out of the Bed at the tenth hour of the night and carried me on Ship-board When I put on my clothes I did not dare to rise That place lies upon me yet and I have motions to Edinburgh in Scotland I was never there The Lord did make me to do him service to almost all the mighty men in England and Ireland insomuch that I cryed oft to my God saying Lord what wilt thou do with me that am so foolish to go to such wise men If I were wise I did not care if thou didst carry me to the end of the Earth The Lord said The foolish things must confound the wise and he would carry me before the mightiest men in all the earth to bear his Name before them and I should have victory wheresoever I went And I do believe the Lord and we both are made willing to wait the Lord's time which is a time of peace and joy safety and happiness And we do bless laud praise and magnifie his holy Name that he sent so heavenly a Messenger to relieve strengthen comfort and refresh us in our great necessity which is a mercy beyond expression all Friends that do understand it will say so Glory and everlasting praises honour power and dominion be given to our eternal Lord God for evermore of us and all that know him Amen Amen saith our Spirit Oh true and Faithful Brother into the Arms of everlasting Power and Holiness Strength and Mightiness Purity Righteousness do we commit thee to be kept and preserved and prosperously carried on in thy Journey The powerful blessing peace joy and happiness of the Majesty of the Most High God go along with thee to preserve and protect thee for ever Amen Amen Pray for us dear Heart that we may recive strength to overcome that we may sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb and the Redeemed of the Lord Amen Dear Heart it is hard for us to part with thee thou wilt feel it The Will of our eternal Father be done In the pure Unity of the blessed Spirit of Light Life Joy Peace and everlasting Glory do we here take our leave of thee at this time hoping to see thy face again with joy in our Lord's time O dear Heart our hearts souls spirits and our whole lives go along with thee The pure Peace of our God rest upon thee Amen Dearly salute us to all Friends for they are dear and precious to us indeed Farewel farewel dear Heart farewel Dear Heart THou hast cleared thy Conscience towards us in the sight of God and man if here had been many Friends what could have been done more concerning us than thou hast done Thou hast stood in great jeopardy ever since and thy life hath been sought for much We have felt it and cryed night and day to our heavenly Father to preserve thee and safely deliver thee Whatsoever we do suffer we desire the Will of our heavenly Father to be done in all things If the Lord doth stir up the Earth to help the Woman it is his own free love and upon that account we shall receive it and not upon any other This they spake concerning the Money I left with them and for their necessities And the Lord did appear unto me in a Vision of the night and smote me on the arm and said Look there is
the Pope he will not hurt thée where he stood in the room as one forsaken of God and man this was at the English Consuls when there was some fear upon me concerning him Now here is a Roman in the Prison which came hither upon some account he is a Doctor of Law and differs from them in many things but they are all of one spirit He doth constantly affirm that the Pope hath sent an Order to set us free and he saith they are liars and false blasphemers if they do say the Pope sent any such Order as they speak of They do meet every day concerning us we do feel them some would have it one way and some another and so they cannot agree because they do act contrary to the Will of God the Lord sets it all on fire and hath burned all that they have done these three years concerning us Now where they will look a Reward of their charges we do not know the wise are taken in their own craftiness and the subtile in their own snare There have twelve of them sate in Judgement upon us three years and some have struck hard at our lives so that we have been even at deaths door I have lain very weak three weeks at a time There are many for us as far as they do dare The Lord sayes there were two with the Inquisitor for us and did plead much with him I did see it in a Night-Vision The English Consul which is dead was with us two several times after we were in the Inquisition he said he would lend us five pounds when we did want but when our Money was near done we were made to rejoyce greatly and could not take any of any one We did not know the mind of the Lord in it but had we had Money we had not known the mighty Power of God Now we are able to trust the Lord where-ever he shall carry us without money We do question the Money in the Consul's hand it will be hard for him to part with it Our life is with thee A few Lines to D. B. OH our dear and faithfull Friend and Brother begotten of our heavenly Father right dear and precious in his sight and beautiful before his presence Dear Heart we do glorifie our God in our hearts souls and spirits who hath called chosen and elected thee to come up to the help of him against the Mighty and hath carried thee along in so weighty a work and hath prospered thee therein praises be given to his blessed Name for ever who hath inclosed thee in his Bosom and Chamber of his Everlasting Love and hath hid thee in his private Pavillion where them that would hurt thee cannot find thee because of the shadow of his Almightiness under whose defence thou art kept safe and he doth carry thee upon the Wings of his Power so that the Mountains do become plain before thee which we do clearly see in the Light Eternal Honour and Glory be to his Name for ever who is called Wondeâ—ful Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace in whom we have fellowship and unity one with another and none can hinder Dear heart we do dearly embrace thy sweet Exhortations thou being sensible of the instigations of Satan who hath winnowed us with every bait winding and twining sleights that he hath Praises be to our God for ever who hath perserved us and prevented him The Enemies being busie with their Temptations to have us enter into their Covenant thereupon I was moved to write these following words which I communicated to their hands with the former Paper viz. BEhold the Word of Life arose in me saying this morning Keep to Yea and Nay I will confirm my Covenant unto thée These Words were spoken to the true Seed that shall inherit the Kingdom the same you know is but one in Male and Female And so the blessing of my Life rest upon you and be with you in the same even in that which hath no end neither fadeth away yea and my Spirit saith Amen Dear Lambs read within be refreshed and the God of Life Peace encrease the same multiply your strength abundantly Amen Malta 10th d. 11th m. 61. D. B. Another Paper from them to my hand DEar and precious heart in the Eternal Covenant of Light and Life of our God do we salute thee and dearly embrace thee Oh! what hath the Lord made thee unto us far more precious than we are able to express and great will be thy Reward for thy faithfulness to the Lord and thy dear and tender Love to us and thy diligent care of us Oh! thou art the Messenger we have cried long for to our Heavenly Father saying How long O Lord How long will it be before thou wilt send thy Messenger whose feet are beautiful coming upon the Mountains bringing glad-tydings of great joy to us thy poor Captives Now hath the Lord our God answered us at large Praises Praises be to his Name for evermore Oh! how are our souls refreshed and our spirits supported and our hearts comforted our minds rejoyced and our bodies strengthned thou canst never do greater service to the Lord our God than to come into such a place as this is to offer up thy dear Life in ransoming us Great was the Power that brought thee and great is the Power that doth uphold thee and mighty is the Strength which doth preserve thee and great will be thy Reward Thy labour of Love we do bear Testimony cannot be forgotten nor thy Faith unfeigned put out of remembrance it is written in the Book of Life for ever and it will be registred and read in the House of Israel eternally The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and he will perform it Farewel in the Lord. By us Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers OH our dearly Beloved precious Friend and Brother right honourable indeed for ever We dare not look out at thy departure because we stand in the will of our Maker The blessing of the Almighty be upon thee for ever and make thee flourish in all thy endeavours Thou art called by the Name of Daniel Baker in the midst of thine Enemies thou art in the hand of thy Maker And this the Lord hath spoken where-ever thou dost come thy Glass shall not be broken until thy Sand be run Oh! this day is this Prophesie fulfilled in our sight When they have done dealing treacherously they shall be dealt treacherously withal the Lord doth steal in upon them Praises be to his Name Dear heart salute us dearly to thy dear and precious Wife with all dear Friends in the Covenant of Grace Peace Dear heart farewel farewel K. E. S. C. Another Letter from Sarah Cheevers to Friends in Ireland to be read among the Assemblies of Saints in Light OH all ye righteous Ones whose dwellings are on high in the Fulness of beauty holiness and glory whose Name and Fame reacheth
gain-say they were so tormented that they did run to the Hills and to the Mountains to cover them from the Presence of the Lord and from the Wrath of the Lamb which sits upon the Throne to judge them righteously and to condemn them for all their wicked deeds which they so ungodlily had committed against him Oh! the goodness of the Lord and his long-suffering and forbearance vvhich would lead them to Repentance but they would not hearken to his Counsel but turned his Laws behind their backs and hated to be instructed by them therefore the Lord did laugh at their destruction and did mock when their fear came Their wickedness was so great and my burthen so heavy to bear it that I cryed to the Lord and said It is better for me to die than to live and would gladly have given up my life in testimony against them all I was as 't were compelled to declare against all their Wayes Works and Worships insomuch that they ran to the Inquisitor to have me chained or punish'd some other way but the Power of the Lord chained them that they could not diminish a hair of my head the Lord was my safety praises be to his Name for ever Now some as they passed to their Worship-houses would sigh and some pray and some did throw stones at my Window they did work night and day about the Prison as though they would have broke through to slay me but the Lord was with me and did fight for me and did scatter his Enemies as the dust before the Wind Glory be to his Name for evermore I cannot express the large Love of our God how he did preserve us from so many Deaths and Threatnings as they did come to me with falling down upon their knees saying Mass and would have me to say after them but in the Name of the Lord I denyed them They would howl like Dogs because they could not beguile the Innocent and slay my righteous life but praises be to the Lord our God who did preserve me from the Wolf and the Devourers denying them their Sacrifices And when they saw they could not prevail to betray us from the Truth then they said they would give us to the Devil to be tormented and deliver us over to their bad Catholicks to do by us as they pleased for they would use us badly and so they did seek to do Oh the cursed noises and cryes the Sodomites did make crying Quake quake running about the Prison raging and some singing and crouding round the Prison night and day as if they would have broke through to slay me and the sons of Belial did run to bear false witness so that I looked every hour when they would fetch me out and slay me The Enemy did so work to perswade that they had prest my dear yoke fellow with stones which was a great trouble to me because I I could not suffer death with her I did yeeld she had been slain And afrerwards this great tribulation being ended then they said my dear and faithful yoke-fellow should be sent to Rome and I should tarry at Malta which did so encrease my sorrow and wrought upon my spirit to try and examine wherefore the Lord should deal so hardly with me as to leave me behind or whether he did not count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony with her to Rome and offer up my Life for the Testimony of Jesus than to have my liberty to return to England with her and I cryed day and night to the Lord and would not give my soul rest nor my eyes sleep till the Lord did answer me glory and praises be to his Name for ever But we saw Jacob must part with all Benjamin must go too So we were willing to give up in obedience to the Lord our tryals were unspeakable Oh the unclean spirits they would speak to us at noon-day but the Lord did give us power over them that we did not fear the wild Boars out of the Wood nor the wild Beasts out of the Field Then there was one came and said that Katherine and I must be both sent to Rome Which did rejoyce my soul and renewed my strength because the Lord did count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony for his Truth the Word of his Prophesie before the great and mighty ones of the Earth The Lord said I should not be afraid and he shewed me in the Light how he had bowed them down before us and I saw them in the Light of Christ how the Pope the Friars and Sorcerers stood in ranks bowing down before us So we saw our Dominion in Spirit They did work to send us to Rome but the Lord did blast it and fought against them that they could not send us Now our Testimony was as largely given in at Rome as at Malta The Friars came to me and shewed me Mary and her Babe pictured against a Wall and would have me look upon it I stampt with my foot and said Cursed be all Images and Image-makers and all that fall down to worship them Christ Jesus is the express Image of his Fathers Brightness which is Light and Life who doth reveal the Mystery of Iniquity the cunning working of Satan to draw out the mind to follow him from the pure Life and to vail over the Just One from beholding the Presence of the Lord. But glory be to the Lord who hath made him manifest in thousands of his in this Day of his Power When we were separated we spake one and the same thing being guided by one Spirit They would go from me to Katherine and they would bid her speak as Sarah did and so she did to their condemnation Praises to the Lord Amen A PAPER sent from them to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor in Malta For the Lord Inquisitor and his Council c. MEns persons I cannot admire they that do admire and respect any man's person do it because of advantage and such are transgressors the Apostles James and Jude say In obedience to the Lord in love to your souls from the Fountain of Love and Springs of Life that stream forth to the refreshment of the whole City of God am I constrained to visit you with these few Lines and I beseech you to reade it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekness and see that nothing arise in you against it for it is God's Truth Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world that hath enl ghtned every one that comes into the world saith This is Life eternal to know thee the only true God Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Now the knowledge of God is Life eternal and there is no other way to come to this knowledge but to have the mind turned from darkness to the Light out of the visible to that which is invisible viz. the Light in the Conscience which convinceth of sin and iniquity when no mortal eye can see you And as