ANNA TRAPNEL's Report and Plea OR A NARRATIVE Of her Journey from London into Cornwal the occasion of it the Lord's encouragements to it and signal presence with her in it Proclaiming the rage and strivings of the People against the comings forth of the Lord Jesus to reign manifested in the harsh rough boisterous rugged inhumane and uncivil usage of Anna Trapnel by the Justices and people in Cornwal at a place called Truro Whereto is annexed A DEFIANCE Against all the reproachful vile horrid abusive and scandalous reports raised out of the bottomless pit against her by the prophane generation prompted thereunto by Professors and Clergie both in Citie and Country who have a form of godliness but deny the power Commended for the justification of the Truth and satisfaction of all men from her own hand Printed at London for Thomas Brewster at the three Bibles neer London-house 1654. To the READER THe Lord and my Father Courteous Reader having put me upon this work and imployment I pray don't call it idleness lest you would be likened to those who call good evil and evil good and put darkness for light and light for darkness against whom there is a woe pronounced from the Lord * Isaiah 5.20 and is it not dreadful to come under the woe of the Lord sure it is much better to come under mens threats scourges and contempt and when for well-doing too what shall harm you if you be follower of that which is good * 1 Pet. 3.13 whatsoever is done to the upright in heart it 's no harm If ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour nor be troubled I bless the Lord my sufferings are for righteousness sake and I go not about to vindicate my self but Truth which indeed stands in no need of mine or any ones vindication but I would shew love and respect to it in opposition to those who with spades and shovels dig up mire and rubbish to throw upon it Power and Spear is drawn against the Lord and his Anointed for the holy Unction that the holy One hath given his they suffer and who can be sad whatsoever is laid upon them by men or devils when thereby they are not losers but great gainers from the Lord though losers from men and therefore men may give losers leave to speak to them which have offered them so much injurie But the Lord knows I would not reach out tongue hand nor pen to right my self or to seek restauration of my loss I wave that such a thing is below my spirit I bless the Lord truly I do not herein boast neither would I glory in any thing save in my infirmities not in my sins but in reproaches and vilifyings which the Apostle saith He will glory in * 2 Cor. 11.30 I will saith he glory of the things which concern mine infirmities He could glory in the Lords fatherly strokes as looking unto all things to work for the good of his soul seeing his Fathers love in all that was done unto him giving him a thousand-fold for his outward damage And though I am a poor inferiour unworthy to be compared with any of the holy men or women reported of in the Scripture yet I can say with Paul Through grace I am what I am and I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God who died and gave himself for a weak handmaid as well as for a strong Paul And my desire is to imitate that approved Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. who was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept sore for a Samuel wherein God might be glorified and advanced in and by that typical Prophet who held forth Christ that great Prophet that lives for ever who maketh fruitful and removes barrenness And if hand-maids in these dayes pray and weep for their Lord begging his coming to rule in them and in the Nation and to teach all sorts of people his statutes that so the statutes of Omri might be utterly ruinated such praying cannot be borne by the Inhabitants of this Nation there is such an old evil spirit of mis-construing and judging holy actions to carry in them evil consequences Eli the Priest of the Lord is imitated in his worst part England's Rulers and Clergie do judge the Lords hand-maid to be mad and under the administration of evil angels and a witch and many other evil terms they raise up to make me odious and abhorr'd in the hearts of good and bad that do not know me Pray Christian Reader well observe the ensuing Discourse whereby you may understand the voice of malice and envie uttered and acted by the Clergie and Rulers against me who hath shewed much love and friendship to them for many yeers and yet is no Enemy to her Enemies but prayeth for them I am sure they have sinned far more then old Eli who said of Hannah She was Drunk This grieved her and made her reply and say Don't count thy hand-maid for a daughter of Belial for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto Then Eli said Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him Here is a recantation quickly manifested and it 's probable he was exceedingly troubled for afflicting the afflicted What rash Judgers imitate him in this part 〈◊〉 though he was the chief-Priest in his dayes yet he thought it no disparagement to talk with a poor hand-maid being a sober holy woman Therefore I instance this example Reader that thou maist take notice how far short the great Rabbies come of Scripture-Rule in these dayes of the Gospel wherein they should abound not in pride haughtiness and lofty carriages but in humility and in acknowledging the wrong and evil judgement that they have brought forth and passed upon the innocent And as to what they have said and passed sentence may not Judas rise up in the Judgement-day of the Lord and condemn these men who acknowledged his evil and likewise Simon Magus who confessed his sin and desired prayer and many Heathens did so recorded in Scripture and in many Histories besides which the learned are not ignorant of and shall Heathens and a vile Iudas a Spirit-abusing Simon Magus condemn those that are accounted Christians great in wisdom and knowledge and eloquent speeches and full of guilded words brave Orators great head-pieces so called but is it not more commendable to be in heart then in head My son give me thy heart And the Lord saith when Israel did so word it with him Oh that there were such an heart Here is brave language fair promises but Oh that there were such an heart Deut. 5.28 an heart comparable with such words God loves which brings sayings out into doings he delights in golden actions not in guilded words he esteems reality not falshood Who can
forbear taking up a Lamentation concerning poor ENGLAND whose Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests bear Rule by their means and the people love to have it so but what will they do in the end thereof for sure the end will be sad when the Lord shall come out as a swift Witness against the Seers of ENGLAND for strengthening Baal's Priests and upholding the Popes Dominion and dressing the Scarlet Whore in new clothes so as to blinde and decieve Cities and Countries telling them That it 's the true genuine fruit of the Womb of the Church and Spouse of CHRIST when it will indeed be discovered to be from the Harlots brood and so a Bastard which is sentenced by the LORD according to Scripture surely to die and the day of the LORD's vengeance will slay it for the LORD hath pronounced destruction to Babylons Brats as well as to Babylon why then should contention be for the Whores Brats Reader I beseech this of thee whosoever thou beest under Forms or without forms obedient to Ordinances for the LORD's sake or yet in the dark concerning them I beseech all sorts of people high and low to weigh in the balance of the Sanctuary the true Relation which followeth for I shall relate the Truth without addition though I cannot it may be remember all the passages in order yet as many as the LORD brings to my minde I shall relate for the satisfaction of the LORD's friends known and unknown in all parts where the rumour hath run A Declaration from my own hand shall follow not being put on by any save by the great Instructor who counselleth with his eye who beareth me out before men and devils The LORD is on my side I will not fear men what they can do the LORD is my help and refuge Farewel Your servant that loves Christ in sincerity A.T. Here begins the NARRATIVE or RELATION FIrst I shall give an account of my Invitation from friends which said Pray go down with us to Cornwal there you may do good to poor souls with the variety of Experiences God hath given you But I said There 's a far journey indeed Do you think I would leave all my friends to go so far from them they would take it very ill surely They said to me We have invited you we pray you spread it before the Lord and hearken to his minde in it and we will pray and wait for the Lords answer I said I would pray against going to Cornwal if I should finde any inclination or motion to go I would not hearken to it my minde was so strongly bent against that journey But two days after in the night I was praying to the Lord in my bed secretly and I desired I might abide neer my London-friends that so I might enjoy society with them that I was in Church-order with who were so dear to me and were written in my heart But the Lord that night perswaded my heart to pray to him for his presence in the journey to Cornwal saying Do n't pray agairst it any more for there thou must go And much perswasion was given in to my heart by the secret whisperings of the Spirit And the Scripture-sayings I had that night were these The first was Josh 1.9 The Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest And again I had that saying Where canst thou flee from my presence or where canst thou go from my Spirit Psal 139.7 I then said Truth Lord whither can I go from thy Spirit or flee from thy presence Then do n't fear to go to Corurwal though it be a long journey said the Lord for I will go with thee then I said Lord let me have thy Spirit and presence in places neer London why should I go so far and among strangers the answer was Fear not be not discouraged thy God who is thy Father goeth with thee then I mourned before the Lord and said I pray Father let me not go then the Lord said Thou reasonest as Moses did when he was to go to Pharoah he cavilled against the minde of God and so do'st thou then that saying was given into my heart The Lord hath purposed thy going there and his purpose and counsel shallstand and he will do his pleasure it pleaseth him thy going there and then I had that Scripture in Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness therefore said the Lord be willing to go and then my reasoning gainsaying spirit fell flat before the Lord and I prayed Thy will O Lord be done thy word coming with such power and great authority on my heart I can no longer contradict it then I had this saying Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses things are confirmed I have said the Lord given thee many confirming Scriptures for thy establishment concerning thy journey therefore be strong in thy Fathers strength rely upon him that will not forsake thee nor leave thee but will be thy guide unto death Then I told my sister I thought I must go to Cornwal the which she liked not but contradicted And the day after this nights debating and arguing I told some of the Church I walk with That I was perswaded to go to Cornwal they were much against it and said to me You will not we hope do so we are against your leaving us to go so far and will you leave us in such a time as this Many of my sisters were troubled at my first speaking of going but when I had related the Scriptures I had for my going then they were silent for that time and I told them That if I had not a further call from God to the journey I would not go it being such an extraordinary journey I would not go without an extraordinary call further from the Lord sealing me up thereunto And going down to Hillington neer Uxbridge by the way as I rode I still was filled with apprehensions of my journey into Cornwal the joy I should have by the way and what benefit others would have through a poor creature And when I came to my friends house at Hillington I lay all next day silent but exceedingly filled with the presence of the Lord who shewed me a vision of my Cornwal-journey I beheld high rocky-hills and variety of places and towns and how I should be as I rode in the Coach much melody I should have this I saw and heard this saying That as sure as Paul in Act. 16.9 had a vision appeared in the night There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed Paul saying Come over into Macedonia and help us the Lord said as truely do I thy Lord call thee to Cornwal by this vision then I answered and said Paul was to preach there what is that word to me then reply was But as sure as
head between two friends where I lay and prayed till the morning and coming into my ordinary capacity I rose and had strength of body though I could not eat the day before nor after this night thus speaking so much yet I was not dry neither could I take any creature-refreshing though I had much offered me This I mention to advance Christ and not for any by-end Then my friends sent me in their Coach to London where I prepared for my Cornwal-journey all that week Coming to my habitation the second day of the week that week I had much of the Lord's presence in marvelous joy and yet many temptations between whiles the tempter tempted me against my journey and when I went up a pair of stairs I was tempted that I should fall from the top to the bottom of the stairs and break my limbes so that I should in such a way be hindered my journey and I was often tempted that week before I went that some evil should befal me to hinder me from going to Cornwal or some would hear of my going that would stop it And then Satan said What will become of all thy faith and the singing report concerning it And sometimes I was thus hurried yet I staggered not in my faith concerning the truth of what I had mentioned about my journey that it should surely be as I had believed and I waited for the accomplishment of it And the sixth day of that week I took my leave of my Tower-friends sitting up till the morning with them all the night praying and praising with them with joy more then an ordinary capacity could hold And in the morning I went to bed and lay some hours and then rose and abode there that day and night and the next day being the first day of this following week I bid my Tower-friends farewel and so departed from them taking my leave also of other friends by the way as I went to Alhallows where I met with the Congregation that I am in fellowship with which use to break bread there And I that day saw great shinings and tasted much of my Saviour that day who presenting his love liness in the ministery and his sweetness in the supper of breaking bread which filled my heart with joy unspeakable and glorious in believing And then after the Ordinances were ended I took my leave of many friends there who gave me their exhortations with counsel and prayer for my well-doing and I departed from them begging their prayers for me when absent in the body and half a score of my sisters kept that night in prayer with me at my friends house from whence I was to take my journey the next day And having thus spent the night in sweet communion with God I was prepared for my journey I wanted not sleep nor food-preparation having had the cordial revivement liquors from my Lord Jesus which strengthened me for my travelling to Cornwal And I said to my friends I pray be much in spiritual communion together and don 't forget to mention before the Lord your unworthy sister at a distance Thus desiring their remembrance of me they departed from me and I and my friends for the journey went by water from Southwark to White-Hall-stairs where we landed and went to the Inne where we took Coach and many friends came to bid us farewel among them came one who said to some after I was gone That if he had known me and had known I was going into his country he would have procured the Councels Order to have stopt my journey for the love he bore to his country which sure he thought I would corrupt and make like my self which he thought to have hindered but the Lord prevented his desire for my Father would have me go there and Satan nor men could not hinder me So we rode on our journey toward the West and in the first dayes journey my thoughts were taken up with the work of the praying Saints which met that day at Alhallows it being the second day which they use to keep for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Israel praying and speaking for that concernment which is so glorious and my thoughts were very seriously intent upon generation-work praying with them at Alhallows in the Spirit though I was absent from them in body and meeting with a dear friend by the way who told me he intended to go to Alhallow meeting that day I said I pray remember what was earnestly desired of you that you would assist the Church in the wilderness and be helpful in the second dayes meeting keeping close to the work of the present day and I desired his prayer for me in my absence more words passed between us as he rode by the Coach-side a little way then he bid farewel and departed and my joy was encreased at the sight of that precious servant of Christ whose words left a fragransie upon my Spirits some part of the day and the enjoyment of prayer in the Spirit with them at Alhallows took up the other part of the day onely speaking a little sometimes to my friends with whom I went At night we came to our Inne where I had much refreshings in a little meditation of Gods goodness to me that day and after prayer I went to my bed and was refreshed with sights of the Lord in my sleep and rose in the morning taking another dayes journey and in much discourse we spent that second dayes journey And I rode the next day with the same persons as I did the day before and my Spirit then was all that day in a praying and singing frame and so it remained till night and then we came to Salisbury where we parted with the Judge that rode in the Coach with us for there the Judges met in their Circuit and there I was mightily fill'd with apprehensions of Christ's Circuit he was taking in the earth and of that blessed time that the Saints should judge the earth when in that time the earth should not pass their false judgements on the Saints and most part of that night I was thus and they that were with me saw and felt on my outward man which was like a dead clod I was so cold a great while And the fourth daies journey I sang prayed almost the whole day and so I did the fifth daies journey singing much of the creation-excellencies as trees grass and several plants and corn that grew as I went by And though I rode through townes I minded not any speakings of creatures for indeed I was not capable of outward sayings or doings nor of the ratling of the Coach those two dayes And the last day of that week we came to Exceter which day I was very cheerful in the Lord though not so very much as the dayes before there we inned at an old disciples house a widow one Mrs. Winter's a house that many yeers had entertained and lodged Saints which in their travelling still
all conditions and that saying made my heart revive presently and then the Lord gave me that Scripture-saying This he requires of thee To deal justly love mercy and walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 then I said Lord what am I to do here The Lord said I require this that thou holdest out a just upright walk with God before all people and in these parts thou shalt manifest the free justification received of the Father by the Spirit through Christ to poor souls telling them thy experiences there and thou shalt declare the mercy of thy God and thy love to it by shewing thy experiences thereof which thou hast had in divers maners discovered to thee Here are some tempted souls said the Lord that must be comforted through thy temptations the mercy thou foundst therein tell them love mercy in every kinde of it This saying I had also from the last words of the verse Walk humbly with thy God these things he requires of the just doing and walking mercy loving and a humble deportment in all thou doest then I said Lord make me humble said the Lord I will make thee humble through sufferings the Lord thy God begun it in thee when he manifested thy salvation to thee to be freely given thee making thee see thy self the worst of sinners and he humbled thee more in Satans prison and he hath brought thee here to humble thee more for he will teach thee much of his secrets Then my heart was melted as I was thus under divine speakings in the Garden and I said Lord if thou wilt make me a partaker of more of that lovely clothing of humility then then Lord I will not matter what I suffer here in this world below then the Lord said Thou must suffer many wayes then I said Lord balance me with thy word the Lord said What word wouldst thou have I said What thou pleasest then the Lord said Thou shalt have the same word as I gave to my servant Abraham I told him when he went he knew not whither that I would be his shield and exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 And as I was said the Lord to the father of the faithful so I will be to the children they having the same faith as faithful Abraham had I will give such the same promises then I said Lord I fall short of his faith said the Lord I look not on the quantity so much as at the quality I looking at the truth of it it bearing the same stamp with that of Abrahams which was the stamp of divine power and Spirit therefore take the same promise thou art come into a strange country among many that don't affect thee and thou art like to suffer by them but fear not I thy God have not onely given thee faith as ashield but I am thy shield and exceeding great reward I am a double shield to thee said the Lord so I was to Abraham a shield within a shield therefore fear not any enemy but look unto thy shield and buckler and defence for so Jehovah is to thee And the Lord brought to me those Scriptures that he gave me when he made me willing to go the journey as that saying He would go with me and that bis Spirit and presence should accompany me and that he would uphold me with the right hand of his righteousness which Scriptures were much enlarged on my Spirits as I thus walked alone in the Garden and I had such sweetness from the Lord through the Scriptures that it made my heart much affected with my journey and my Spirit leapt within me and rejoyced that I was come into a country where I should suffer for the testimony of Jesus and I had at that time such cordials from the Lord that I could have walked many hours in that Garden but Captain Langdons man came and desired me to walk into the room where his Masters acquaintance were For it may be they would not take it well he said if I did not come and sit in the room with them I was very unwilling for my communion in the Garden was so delightful to me yet through much entreaty by him I went I told him I could the better bear their sowre countenances and girding expressions now I had drunk of divine cordials then I could before when I first saw them at my coming into the house So I went into the room among them that did not care for my company and I heard many expressions concerning visions I perceived what and who they aimed at I sate silent among them there was Major Bawden and his Wife they were strangers then to me but they spake very friend-like to me and it was not in Tongue but in Heart as afterward appeared and there was Mr. Vinson and his Wife my very loving friends they declared themselves to be Mrs. Vinson came to me then and said Pray come to my house for I entertain you upon a Scripture-a count which adviseth to be kinde to strangers and what gain they had in old time that in entertaining strangers they entertained Angels unawares Thus she instanced the Scripture which made her to speak to me a poor undeserving creature to be thus taken notice of and indeed I felt humility in my heart springing up much when she thus spoke I lookt on my self unworthy of such a word or loving expression to me but my Father caused that friend though a stranger to shew me kindness Again further This evening being spent I went to my lodging where the Lord smiled on me and made it a lovely night and I was no whit weary after so long a journey but had refreshing rest and in the morning Mrs. Langdon came to see me but I had no minde to rise out of my bed and that day the Lord fill'd me with much joy and singing and I was in the Spirit with my friends at London who broke bread that day and I was filled with apprehensions of Christ the eternal Sabbath and the glorious Rest and the first-day-Resurrection how glorious all this was meeting in Christ the Saviour and Deliverer from all bondage and inthralment and my heart was much with my friends in that Ordinance of breaking bread I partook of that sweet supper with them in the Spirit And thus I spent that first day that I came to Tregasow which was the first day of the first week that I took up my abiding there much of Christs Death and Resurrection was lively presented to me and I sang forth his praises And the second day my heart was heat also with the flame of love which many waters cannot quench as the spouse saith in the Canticles so I felt it for all that day I had the Spirits flame as I had the day before it being their meeting day those particulars they first thought upon in their beginning that meeting which were the uniting of Saints in that bond of love as those were in formerly in the primitive times and
his was a vision from the Lord to go to Macedonia so as sure had I a call and true vision to go to Cornwal then singing triumph was given me concerning the journey thither how filled I should be by the way which was so And then after I had thus sang and prayed I rode to see the Lords two Embassadours which were imprisoned in Windsor-Castle for the testimony of Jesus Mr. Simpson and Mr. Feak who were filled with the Spirit abundantly and when I a while beheld their courage for King Jesus I departed with other friends back to my friends house at Hillington and the next day rode to a friends house six miles off where I abode two nights And as I was walking in the fields I was suddenly very hoarse and I could not well speak but softly and I was greatly tempted as I walked in the fields that I should be hoarse while I lived like as a woman of the Congregation was with whom I walk so should I be not able to speak but hoarsly And therefore go not thy journey said Satan for that extraordinary dispensation of prayer and singing shall not be with thee then they will not regard thee whom thou goest with for they look at that and not at thee and that departing from thee thou wilt not be regarded by them and being in a strange place how sad then will it be with thee and they are but strangers to thee Acquaintance with them hath been but a little while therefore don't go Thus Satan and my fearful nature joyned together to frustrate what I had spoken from the Lord concerning my going being sealed up for the journey always after sealing unto any work of the Lord Satan tempts me but such is the goodness of the Lord to me who lets not out Satan till he hath first established me and then before I have the mercy the sentence of death is put upon what is in order to the bringing it forth to view so that the Lord thereby strengthens me the more and makes me live by faith which is the life of the just it 's a lovely life the life of faith But further as for Satans temptations they lasted but for half a day and a little part of the night and they were removed for in the night in my sleep the Lord refreshed me with many Scriptures as being my refuge stay and defence and strong Tower guide and succourer And at break of day I awoke out of sleep refreshed as one with new wine and indeed I had that night such well-refined wine as Scripture makes mention of And hearing the birds cherup in the morning early about my chamber-window I had this saying given into my heart Thou hearest those birds in their notes and motion which pleaseth thy ear And doth the great Creator take care of birds still maintaining them with a supply of food suitable for them that so they may live and be lively in their service to man And doth God take care of fowls that not a sparrow shall fall to the ground without the Fathers providence or ordering it to be so then what care and provision doth he make for rational created pieces which the whole Trinity was in the make thereof as for other pieces he said Let it be and it was so but as to mans make the whole Trinity gave their judgement And said the Lord to me hath God honoured thee with this first honour in making thee a rational peice and also giving thee a share and interest in the death and resurrection of his Son and hath made thee partaker of the divine nature of that heavenly-born state of that second creation in Christ spoken of in Eph. 2.19 Art thou thus provided for to be made a possessor of two creation-works a first and a second and also hast thou the Spirit of adoption whereby thou canst cry Abba Father then having done thus much for thee will he withhold any thing that 's good for thee he will not And I felt my hoarsness removed from me presently and all my temptations which I told you the day before did so seize upon my Spirits and the Lord renewed my faith concerning my journey and made me to rejoyce over Satan And I arose and rode that day to meet with some of the Lords servants where a day of thanksgiving was kept for many special favours received from the Lord and for his upholding comforting presence in sufferings and there I stayed till night in which day I beheld much of divine presence and glory coming towards the Saints and great ruine unto the enemies which were presented to me like a tottering house that stands shaking and ready to fall And I had that saying So doth and shall totter all the towers and Babels builded and rear'd up in contempt to King Jesus who will confound all such builders and their work as the Apostle saith They that build hay or wood or gold or silver or any thing of their own materials it shall be burnt 1 Cor. 3. this foundation will admit of nothing of mans corruptible stuff to be joyned with it for it is compleat and will compleat his servants that build upon him Then when this thanksgiving-day was ended I rode to my friends house at Hillington where I was filled with joy and singing most part of that night and the next day I rode to another friends where I stayed the next day being the first day of the week that day I went to hear a Minister which preacht a mile off in whose ministery the Spirit much warmed my heart and refreshed my Spirits and though I was ill in my outward man all that day yet the matter I heard was so reviving being spiritual that at night thinking of it and walking in a curious garden where I saw the pleasant trees and plants and walks and fish-ponds and hearing the birds pleasant notes all this begat such an harmonious apprehension of God in my heart that I began to sing forth his praises and continued while it was so late in the evening that my friends that walked with me thought it convenient to lead me into the house which they can best give an account of for I minded not the time nor those that were with me neither can I tell whether I felt the ground I walkt upon my Spirits was so much in divine rapture and my Spirits so heat with Spirit-fire which produced singing-melody while midnight the which singing speech was directed to the whole family and those belonging to it at that time which family consisted of many persons grave and judicious and learned understanding persons before whom I thought my self unfit to speak when I was in an ordinary capacity but being filled extraordinarily I wanted not words composed and orderly and learning for the learned Herein I don't boast but in the rich free love of God who gives to whom he pleaseth Then after that singing I was put to bed being weak in body and
had a vision of the Ministers wife stirring against me and she was presented to me as one enviously bent against me calling that falsity which she understood not And I saw the Glergie-man and the Jurors contriving an Indictment against me and I saw my self stand before them in a vision I saw this And I sang with much courage and told them I feared not them nor their doings for that I had not deserved such usage But while I was singing praises to the Lord for his love to me the Justices sent their Constable to fetch me who came and said He must have me with him and he pulled and call'd me they said that were by but I was not capable thereof they said He was greatly troubled how to have me to his Master they told him He had better obey God then man And his hand shooke they said while he was pulling me Then some went to the Justices to tell them I could not come But they would not be pacified some offered to be bound for my appearance next day if I were in a capacity but this was refused they would have me out of my bed unless some would take their Oaths that it would in danger my life to be taken out of my bed which none could do without they had loved to take false Oaths like some others in those parts Then a friend perswaded them to see whether they could put me out of that condition and told them I was never known to be put out of it so they came Justice Launce now a Parliament-man was one of them I was told These Justices that came to ferch me out of my bed they made a great rumult them and their followers in the house and some came up stairs crying A witch a witch making a great stir on the stairs and a poor honest man rebuking such that said so he was tumbled down stairs and beaten too by one of the Justices followers and the Justices made a great noise in putting out of my chamber where I lay many of my friends and they said If my friends would not take me up they would have some should take me up one of my friends told them That they must fetch their silk gowns to do it them for the poor would not do it And they threatned much but the Lord over-ruled them they caused my eye-lids to be pull'd up for the said I held them fast because I would deceive the people they spake to this purpose One of the Justices pincht me by the nose and caused my pillow to be pull'd from under my head and kept pulling me and calling me but I heard none of all this stir and bussle neither did I hear Mr. Welsted which I was told called to the Rulers saying A whip will fetch her up and he stood at the Chamber door talking against me and said She speaks non-sence the women said Hearken for you cannot hear there is such a noise then he listened and said Now she hears me speak she speaks sence And this Clergie-man durst not come till the Rulers came for then they say The witches can have no power over them so that one depends upon another Rulers upon Clergie and Clergie upon Rulers And again After they had made all the fury appear that the Lord permitted them to vent against me they then went away saying She will fall in a trance when we shall at any time call for her The Lord kept me this day from their cruelty which they had a good minde further to have let out against me that witch tryer-woman of that Town some would fain have had come with her great pin which she used to thrust into witches to try them but the Lord my God in whom I trust delivered me from their malice making good that word to me in the Psalms The rage of man shall turn to thy praise and the remnant of rages thou wilt restrain Then further to tell you how the Lord carried me in singing prayer after they were gone two hours as I was told and then I came to my self and being all alone I blessed God for that quiet still day that I had And the Gentlewoman of the house coming into the chamber I said Have I lain alone all this day I have had a sweet day she replied and said Did not I hear the Justices there and the uproare that was in my chamber I said No. Then she told me how they dealt by her house bringing in their followers and what a noise they made Then another friend asked me Whether I did not hear that stir I said No. They wondred and so did I when I heard the Relation which is much more then I will write for I don't take delight to stir in such puddles it 's no pleasant work to me but that truth engageth me to let the world know what men have acted against the pourings out of the Spirit in a dispensation beyond their understanding they hearkened not to Scripture-advice which would not have any judge that they know not After that dayes tumult at night many came to catch at my words and it was very probable that the Rulers sent some to watch for what could be had further against me and there were two women that they had got their names who had promised them to swear against me and of this I shall further speak when I come to it but now I am telling of what past that night mentioned many people spake much to me asking me questions the which the Lord helped me to answer And my friends kept most part of that night in prayer on my behalf And many watched what they said in prayer for there were listeners under the window which fain would have had something to have informed against them There was great endeavouring to have found a Bill of Indictment against Captain Langdon but they could not they could not vent their spleen though they to the utmost desired it the Lord would not let them have their evil desires herein for though they in this would have brought him into contempt yet they endeavoured this that so I might want a surety and then they had had what they desired which was to have cast me into the Goal But to leave that and to tell you that I had the presence of the Lord with me that night abundantly and my sleep was sweeter then at other times my sister Langdon lay with me that night and in the murning she told me That she could not sleep all night for thinking of my going to the Sessions that day she told me She wandered I could sleep so soundly all night I told her I never had a sweater night in my lise and as for my going before the Rulers I was no what afraid or thoughtful for I had cast my care upon the Lord which I was perswaded would speak for me therefore I was not troubled nor afraid for the Lord said to me Fear not be not dismaied I am
Launse I should have told you how I said to him If he would know what the ordinary impulse of Spirit was that I had to bring me into that country I would tell him so I related the Scriptures as that in the Psalmes and in the Prophet Isaiah how the presence and Spirit of the Lord should be with me and he would uphold me and strengthen me with the right hand of his righteousness he answered Such impulse was common they hoped they had that they were not ignorant of such impulse of Spirit much to this effect was spoken I seeing they were very willing to be gone I said Have you done with me answer was I might now go away but I said Pray what is it to break the good behaviour you have bound me over to I know not what you may make a breaking of it is it a breaking the good behaviour to pray and sing Justice travel said No so I did it at the habitation where I abode It 's well said I you will give leave it shall be anywhere I said I will leave one word with you and that is this A time will come when you and I shall appear before the great Judge of the tribunal seat of the most High and then I think you will hardly be able to give an account for this days work before the Lord at that day of true judgement said Tregegle Take you no care for us So they were willing to have no more discourse with me And as I went in the croud many strangers were very loving and careful to help me out of the croud and the rude multitude said Sure this woman is no witch for she speaks many good word which the witches could not And thus the Lord made the rude rabble to justifie his appearance for in all that was said by me I was nothing the Lord put all in my mouth and told me what I should say and that from the written word he put it in my memory and mouth so that I will have nothing ascribed to me but all honor and praise given to him whose right it is even to Jehovah who is the King that lives for ever I have left our some things that I thought were not so material to be written and what I have written of this it 's to declare as much as is convenient to take off those falsities and contrary reports that are abroad concerning my sufferings some making it worse then it was and some saying It was little or nothing Now to inform all peoples judgements I have thought it meet to offer this relation to the worlds view and with as much covering as I can of Saints weaknesses herein praying the Lord to forgive them and as for the Lords enemies that he would confound them but as for my enemies I still pray I now shall declare how God shewed me kindnesse further I rode home with my friends to Tregasow that day rejoycing that I was counted worthy to be so reproachfully dealt by for speaking in the Lord Christs behalf in prayer and praises and I remained very chearfull continuing in prayer and Thanksgiving and many spirituall songs unto the Lord but about ten dayes after the Souldiers of the Fox came to take me and the day before they come it being the first day of the the week I went to hear Mr. Frances who preached hard by where I abode one whom the Clergy would fain have had to have spoke against me but he said he would not they then called him my disciple and laughed and jeered at him when he came among them on their Lecture dayes They used to meet at an Ordinary where many of the Clergy and others dined together while I was in these parts the Clergy and others made me their Table and Pulpit talk and would have had Mr. Frances to have done as they did but he refused and hath since I hear left the place where he preached when I was in those parts But I return where I left in telling you how I was the day before that the Souldiers came for me I was very heavy in my spirit as I sat at dinner with my friends and I was very ready to shed tears and being loath my friends should see me I held from weeping as much as I could for I thought they would think that I took something unkindly but truly I could not for I had as much love from every one in the Family as could be desired but I was very sad and I rose from the Table where I dined and went and took my Bible wherein the Lord refreshed me and in the afternoon I went to hear and came home and went into the garden to walk alone and Captain Langdon coming into the Garden I discoursed a while with him and I said sure my London friends pray me up to London and when I come there I will write of Cornwell Cornhell in the West He said you might have suffered at London but not as here said I for here they deal very uncivilly and unchristian like by me well said I the Lord send me to London for I shall count it a great mercy to see their faces again I had said a Bridewell among them shall be sweet to me and so the Lord made it I that night was perswaded my work was done in Cornwall and that I should erelong see London yet being I was bound over to the Sessions which was not to be till August so that I was to have carried many weeks by the Justices order but they could not bear so much praving so long a time to be in their parts therefore they hasted their Letters to the Councell at White Hall to send their order down for me having a Governours Troop so near to agitate their businesse And the Governours was afraid of his Souldiers he commands them to their Colours and Ensign Raundle he must be cast out of his place for inviting his old friend Captain Longdon and his wife and his mother and me to come with them to his house And the Souldiers were charged to keep me out of Tregny that is three miles from Tregasow where a poore tempted soul was that would fain have entertained me at her House and this work the Fox made in his fortified places but the poore who are rich in faith prayed for me in those parts and some I never saw about ten miles from the place where I was who hearing of my trouble improved their interest with the Lord for me their faith and prayer did me more good than all the gold or filver or favours of great men could have done me I shall relate now further concerning that night before the Souldiers took me I saw in my sleep Souldiers come to take me and I rode towards London with them very joyfully and in the morning I made me ready and went down stairs and there was a friend came to see Captain Langdon so I went up into my Chamber to write to London and