deny thee and thy Message too and the Spirit which spake in thee the Lord never spake it He said that he would lay me in a whole Pile of Chains where I should see neither Sun nor Moon I said he could not separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus lay me where he would He said He would give me to the Devil I said I did not fear all the Devils in Hell the Lord was my Keeper Though he had the Inquisition with all the Countreys round about on his side and was alone by my self I did not fear them if there were thousands more the Lord was on my right hand and the work they could do was but to kill the body they could not touch my life no more than the Devil could Job's He said that I should never go out of that Room alive I said the Lord was sufficient to deliver me But whether he would or would not I vvould not forsake a living Fountain to drink at a broken Cistern And they had no Law to keep us there but such a Law as Ahab had for Naboth's Vinyard He curst himself and callâ—d upon his gods and went forth and as he was making fast the door he put in his hand at the hole of the door and said Abide there Member of the Devil I said The Devil 's Meâ—bers did the Devil's Work the Woes and Plagues of the Lord would be upon them for it He went and told the Inquisitor of it and he â—aught at him saw it and felt it in that which is Eternal I vvas moved out of that Room before he came agaâ—n and vvhen he came he brought one of the Inquisitors men vvith him and tvvo very good Hens and said the Lord Inquisitor had sent them in love to me I said his love I did receive but I could not take his â—ens for it was not the practice oâ— the servant of the Lord to be chargeable to any while they have of their own He said We must not count anything our own for in the primitive times they did sell their possessions and laid them down at â—he Apostles feet He said We should not want any thing if they did spend a thousand Crowns I believe he would have had us lay down our money at his feet He saâ—d I was proud beâ—ause I would not take the inquisitors Hens when he sent them me in Charity I asked whether he kept me in Prison and sent me his Charity He said it was for the good of our souls he kept us in prison I told him Our souls were out of the Inquisitors reach or his either he told me before if we had not been going to preach we mâ—ght have gone where we would I askt him What should our souls have done then and vvhy their love shouâ—d extend moâ—â— to us than to their own family They could not charge us vvith â—in and they did commit all manner of sin they might put them into the inquisition and bid turn He said again We had not the true Faith and shew'd me his Crucâ—fix and askâ— me if I thought he did worship that I askt him what he did do with it he said it was a Represenâ—ation J said it did not represent Christ for he vvas the expresâ— image of his Father's glory which 〈◊〉 Light and Life J said it he could put any life in any of his images he might bring them to me And J 〈◊〉 him vvhat Representation Daniel had in the Lyonsâ—Dâ—n or Jonas in the Whales bâ—lly they oryed unto the Lord and he dâ—livered â—hâ—m He said I talks like a mad woman I talks so much against their idols He was in a rage and said He would give me to the Devil J bid him give his own J am the Lords He stood up and said He would do by me as the Apostles did by Ananias and Saphira He stood up and opened his mouth and I stood up to him and denied him in the Name of the Lord the living God and said he had no power over me And away he went to Sarah with the Henâ— and told her that I was sick and the Lord Inquisitor had sent two Hens and I would be glad to eat a piece of one if she should dress one of them presently and the other to morrow Mark this Deceiver this Lyar But she standing in the Counsel of the Lord answered him accordingly as did and he carried them away again We did not dare to take them the Lord did forbid us He said You would fain be burned because you would make the World believe you did love God so well as to suffer in that kind I said J did not desire to be burnt but if the Lord did call me to it J did believe he would give me power to undergo it for his truth and if every hair of my head was a body J could offer them up all for the Testimony of Jesus He came twice to know whether I had not been inspired of the Holy Ghost to be a Catholick since I came into the Inquisition J said No he said we were he said We called the Spirit of the Holy Ghost the Sipirit of the Devil We said the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in us will resist the Devil We told him the inspiration of the Holy Ghost was never wrought in the Will of man nor in man's time but in the Will of God and in God's time He asked How we did know a clean from an unclean Spirit We said an unclean spirit did burden the Seed of God and dam up the Springs of Life and a clean spirit would open the Springs of Life and refresh the Seed it was a Riddle to him but he said it was true He would assent to pure truth sometimes We asked him Whether every man and woman dâ—d not stand guilty before God of all the sins they ever committed beâ—ore Regeneration He said Yea. And he did confess all their Learning and languages in their places was but to serve the Lord. We told him all their Praying Preaching and â—rouding was no more accepted than Cain's Sacrifice unless they were moved of the Eternal Spirit of the Lord. We askt him if he that was in them was greater than he that was in us and why they had not overcome us all that time We were very sensible of their workings day and night He said Because we resisted still We askt him for our Bibles He said We should never see them again they were false We said if they were conjuring Books they had no warrant from the Lord to take them from us They always came two Fryars at a time and they would fall down and howl and wish bitter wishes upon themselves if they were not in the truth We would deny them and preach truth to them the Light of the Lord Jesus in the Consciences of every one to lead them to a pure life and did ask them where the pure and holy life was and what all of them did do
we spake one and the same thing being guided by one Spirit They would go from me to Catharine 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 St. 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 read it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekness and see that nothing in you arise up against it for it is God's Truth Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world which hath enlightned every one that cometh into the world saith This is Life eternal To know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent New 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 conviâ—ceth of sin and iniquity when no mortal eye can see you and as you come to love it and to have your minds staid upon it you will feel the incomes of God's Power to administer condemnation upon the transgressor that keeps the pure Seed â—n bondage in you For Sion is redeemed through Judgement and her Converts with Righteousness Saint Paul saith If thou believest in thy heart the Lord Jesus and confessest with thy mouth that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto salvation and we do believe and see and tâ—ste and handle of the good Word of Life and have received the Spirit of Truth to lead us into all truth and doth bring all things to our remembrance without any visible thing And Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians saying My little Children of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you Where Christ is formed within there needs no form without the outward form is called an Earthen Vessel or an Earthen Tabernacle or an Earthen House but Christ Jesus is the express Image of his Father's Glory or Substance which is Light and Life Now the Image of Christ is a pure and a holy Image a meek and a Dove like Image an innocent and a Lamb-like Image a righteous and a glorious Image Christ in you the hope of glory saith the Apostle to the Saints The Lord our God hath given to every man a measure of the manifestation of his own Spirit to profit withall which is the Light in the Conscience the true Teacher of his People it is the Grace of God that bringeth salvation that appeareth to all men and it teacheth all that come to believe in it and to love and to be guided by it to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to walk soberly righteously holy and godly in this pâ—esent world and it will deal plainly with every one none need to fear being deceived by that in them which doth condemn them for sin and evil But they that live in pride are deceived already they that live in covetousness are deceived already and they that live in Lusts or Drunkenness are deceived already or in Lying Swearing Adultery or Idolatry are deceived or in Hypocrisie and Deceit hard heartedness or Cruelty they are deceived already for those you know are fruits which do proceed from a deceived heart being corrupted for want of knowledge My people perish for want of knowledge saith God He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his and he that hath the Spirit of Christ ought himself to walk as Christ walked Now Christ was no persecutor he never imprisoned any nor ever put any to suffer but he and the holy Prophets and Apostles were made to suffer as evil-doâ—rs this we know The Day of the Lord is hot and terrible against all sin and iniquity and that nature from whence it doth proceed and we are a WO for all them that are laying up of a Fuel for it This is God's Truth whether you can receive it yea or nay I am ready to seal it with my blood if the Lord shall call me to it Whosoever shall interpret this Paper before the Lord Inquisitor so called I charge thee in the Name of the living God as thou wilt answer before his dreadful presence to interpret it word by word as it is written without adding or diminishing Katharine Evans THe Fryar then came to me and askt me why I did not work I said unto him What Work dost thou do He said he did write I told him I would write too if he would bring me a Pen Ink and Paper and I would write truth He said He would not that we should write for St. Paul did work at Rome and we might get nine or ten grains a day if we would knit that is three half pence I told him if we could have that priviledge amongst them that St. Paul had at Rome under Caesar which was a Heathenish King we would have wrought and not have been chargeable to any St. Paul lived in his own hired House two years with a Souldier to look to him and had friends of the same Occupation to work with him and could send where he would and whosoever would come to him might and he taught them in the Name of the Lord Jesus and no man for bad him So I askt him Whether he knew the holy War of God yea or nay if he did I told him he then did know we could not be without exercise day nor night Then his mouth was stopped and he spake no more to me of work But though our affliction of body was very great and our travel of soul was greater yet we did knit Stockins and give to them that were made serviceable to uâ— and did make Garments for the poor prisoners and mended their Clothes which had need and were made helpful to them all to their condemnation that did persecute us But we could not vvork at the Fryar's Will nor any man 's else but as we had freedom in the Lord. As I vvas vveak in my bed the Fryar came to me and said We did deny the Scriptures I told him they did deny them we did own them and hold them forth thou dost know it He was in a rage because I said they denyed the Scriptures bid me eat my words again and threatned death upon me I said Christ Jesus was the Light of the World and had lighted every one that cometh into the World which Light is our salvation that do receive it and the same Light
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 goeth 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 Farewell farewell dear heart farewell 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 lâ—â—t 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 thee 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 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 lyars 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 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 death's door I have lain very weak three Weeks at a time There are many for us as far as they do dare The Lord says 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 rejoice 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 faithful 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 carryed thee along in so weighty a work and hath prospered thee therein praises be given to his blessed Name for ever who hath enclosed 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 shadowing of his Almighâ—â—ness 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 see clearly in the Light Eternal honor and glory be to his Name for ever who is called Wonderful 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 Sâ—â—an â—ho hath winâ—owed us with every bait winding and twining slights 〈◊〉 he hath Praises be to our God for ever who hath preserved 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 and I will confirm my Covenant unto thee 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 and be refreshed and the God of Life and Peace encrease the same and multiply your strength abundantly Amen Malta the 10â—h day of the 11th Month 1661. 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 Oh Lord How long will it be before thou wilt send thy Messenger whose feet are beautiful coming upon the Mountains bringing glad tyding 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 rejoiced and our bodâ—es strengthened 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 Farewell in the Lord. By us Katharine Evans Sarah Chevers OH our dearly beloved and precious Friend and Brother right honorable 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 withall 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 and Peace Dear heart farewell farewell K. E. S. C. Another Letter from Sarah Chevers 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 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 word hath made us eye witnesses of his mighty Work and 〈…〉 with you according to our measures â—o the 〈◊〉 down of the Powers of darkness and to the defacing of that paâ—â—ted Hâ—â— lot Mysterie Babylon with all her Loverâ— to the utter overthrow of Anâ—iâ—hrist 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 rejoice 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 Almighty'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 rejoiceth 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 and 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 honor 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 joining 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 O ye holy Assemblies whose hearts are wholly joined to the Lord. I with you in the Life Power of the Almighty God do travel for the raising of the Seed 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 Seed's sake Praise praise the Lord for me ye blessed of the Lord in whom the living praises are sound 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 Chaine 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 fuâ—fil the righteous Will of our Heavenly Father and be kept faithful in his Will for ever Amen Streams of Love and Life floweth 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 〈…〉 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 a little streights and difficulty with jeopardy of my precious Life which my God 〈◊〉 through all preserved Glory to his Name my 〈…〉 overcome with the loving-kindness and salvation of the living Lord and in his savory Life my mouth 〈…〉 giving and praises to my God and I said in my heart on this wise Who am I oh Lord
or what was my Father's House or what is the Land of my Nativity that I a poor â—â—flicted 〈…〉 should be raised up to see and perceive what mine eye 〈◊〉 eve in thy Eternal Power and puâ—e Life beholdâ— Oh my God! thou hast known the innocent travel of my soul â—hich 〈…〉 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 a at this time And oh my heart my mind my soul my spirit in thy pure undefiled Life and Virtue 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 appearance 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 which liveth and abideth for ever and fâ—deth not away In the same I commend thy dear tender Lambs to be preserved according to thy unsearchable Wisdom and counsel of thine own heart to thy everlasting Renown and Glory and their Eternal comfort and joy and felicity with thy Saints and Angels in the Light of thy countenance and in everlasting remembrance in the powerful and Eternal Kingdom of Immortality if I be no more in this World when this body is gone to its place according to thy Eternal Purpose and Decree in thy Eternal Counsel so be it saith my spirit yea and Amen saith my soul which blesseth and magnifieth thy Eternal Name in asmuch as thou hast so far fulfilled thy living Word of Prophesie and not onely so but much more also in the desire of my heart in the behalf of thy dear tender suffering and long-suffering Seed of thine own bowels for which be innumerable Praises Wisdom Salvation Glory and Dominion to thy holy Name Amen Amen MY right dearly and well-beloved Friends of Eternal Life of the Church of the first-born of the living God which is the Pillar and ground of Truth of which Christ Jesus our Lord is the alone and onely Head Peace be unto you in him who is arisen in his pure immortal life and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Word of his Power and his Eternal Gospel of Peace which is not hid from us but it 's clearly manifest in us by his coming who ariseth with healing in his wings Glory Dominion living endless praises Immortal to his Name now and for evermore and let all the upright in heart with my precious life say Even so Amen Dear suffering and long-suffering Lambs ye know that as I came in the Eternal Love and Peace of Immanuel God's Lamb to visit and serve you and minister to your necessities the which in the same Life and Peace and in the integrity and uprightness of heart and in its pure innocency my God knoweth and behold I call your Life that 's manifest in you in which is our perfect unity as Members of one Body to bear me record That I have endeavoured in the good will of my God to perform the same and verily the hand and blessing of Almighty God is with me and hath blessed me and so my reward is with me and my work hath been manifest before me even in the Light of his Countenance that liveth for ever and this Scripture is fulfilled in me also The Father worketh hitherto and I work So my dear Friends I have honestly and nakedly before the Lord cleared my Conscience so far concerning you and on your behalf which is my reasonable service and so I leave the same to the living Testimony of the Lord Jesus which you hold and for which I am satisfied and in the behalf of the whole body of God's Elect you have so long suffered So the Eternal God of Power Dominion and Glory of Heaven and Earth consolate support and strengthen you to the end that your Testimony may be finished with joy to his ever â—asting praise to whom onely it belongs and so my Spirit in the Light and Life Immortal saith Even so Amen Farewel dear Lambs I am your true Brother D. B. Joseph was not made known to his Brethren the first time though his Bowels earned towards and over them till at last he could no longer forbear crying out with tears saying I am Joseph your Brother and little Benjamin the youngest he dearly loved you know This 5th day of the Week and the 30th of the 11th Mo. 1661. When my face you do not see Wait in the Eternal Life and then remember me So farewell and feel the Well-spring of Life This and many other Papers was communicated to each others hands which are seen meet not to be added hereunto with the jeopardy of my life and what else did attend us but magnified and for ever blessed be the living Lord and his Goodness Wisdom and Salvation who prospered his Work and Workers in his own Life of lasting Righteousness through and over self over all that which must dye and go to its place Amen DANIEL Here followeth somewhat relating to the Travel and Service of D. B. which he hath freedom to giveforth for the Truth 's sake and Friends satisfaction THe intent of the Spirit of the Lord within my heart and mind stirring me up to write somewhat concerning my travel from my Native Countrey Kindred and Father's House being freely given up to serve the Lord his Truth and People in the Power and Gospel of God I having no imposition or necessity at all laid upon my Conscience as from any mortal man but certainly it was a pure necessity from the living God of Heaven Earth many of his faithful servants Messengers sons daughters that were are as dear precious to me as my own life may beat me record on the Lords behalf unto the truth of what I write on this wise surely in the counsel everlasting the thing was hid from me then whether ever I should return to my Native Countrey or not However in the love and favour of God and in his fear set up within my heart was I given up with my body also offered as a living Sacrifice which was but my reasonable sacrifice to give a sound to the Nations afar off of the mighty day of our God and his blessed Truth the Light of Jesu-manifest in every Conscience in which Light we
have most assuredly believed unto salvation And verily the Power and pure Presence of his Eternal Strength was with me through many hardships trials and tribulations the right hand of the hiding of his Power did sweetly guide strengthen support me even as it did and doth his Lambs whom he so send forth as among Wolves in his Dovelike innocency harmlesness wisdom which is as wise or rather wiser than the Serpents And this Scripture have I well witnessed fulfilled whilst travelling from one Nation to another people as my Father did in the ancient days And on this wise with three more Brethren so freely given up with one consent in the behalf of the Gospel everlasting that is now preaching again to the Nations Tongues and Kindreds We set forward the 16th of the third Month and we sweetly parted with our right dearly beloved Friends Brethren Fathers and near Relations that were flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and from all our outward acquaintance and Native Countrey in the Will Love and Spirit of our God in the same day from Graveseâ—d we set forth and at the end of 44. days we arrived at Legorn in Italy where we gave a certain sound of our innocent service and Message of Salvation and of-its life and blessedness coming upon the Nations as a weight either to condemnation or justification as the same is received or rejected among them And thus as we had opportunity among the men of our own Nation the Jews and others we gave a sound and the blessing of the God of Heaven and his Presence was with us whether the Nations of men did hear or forbear but the Witness of God in sundry was reached and the same answered in us And herein we are so far well satisfied whilst others were hardened who defied us and our Testimony as their uncircumcised Fathers always did resist and gain say the truth that saves from sin and so finally from its condemnation And it came to pass after that we had waited upon the Lord to understand his good will and pleasure he answered us in the joy of our hearts and we received his counsel and communicated of the same to each other's satisfaction in the love of God in which we were wel confirmed to obey the same until the death as the Lord our God might have permitted for his Name 's sake who then further ordained us to be separated viz John Stubs and Henry Fell to pass on towards Alexandria and my dear brother and companion Richard Scostrop with me to pass Eastward to Smyrna and Constantinople in Asia and after a little season we parted in the goodness of God And when 24. dayes were finished having in the mean time touched a little season at the Island Zant we arrived at Smyrna But behold it came to pass immediately at out coming there was not a little stir together with the evil surmizings and what else arising up as a flood with threatnings breathed forth from the Apostate Christians especially men of no small degree of our own Nation against us when Turks Jew Greeks Heathens and others were not altogether so evil affected as to let us from the exercise of our Conscience void of offence towards God and man and so to hold forth the example of the harmless Life and unblameable Conversation in all equitableness in Doctrine Life and Practice of what we professed in the midst of them But oh how the Christians by Name in Asia who should first have received the Word of saving-health how did they defie and reproach not onely us but our living Testimony and Message of Blessedness which day by day was sounded in their ears notwithstanding the Lord God lay not what they did against us to their charge when they have most need of Mercy and Peace with God if happily repentance unto life be witnessed by them who know not what they did yea and my spirit is ready to say Amen for their sakes that hated us without a cause as the same unbelieving nature did our Lord and Maâ—â—er whom we love serve and honor in the same and therefore keep his sayings which are not grievous to us in that one and the self-same Spirit which reproves the World for sin in which we worship him as the Father the which guideth into all truth from all evil concerning which we wel admonished their minds to subject to the one and to avoid and turn from the other each having their proper effects attending them as anguish woes judgements and disquietments upon the soul and conscience that doth evil and contrariwise blessings peace glory honor and the goodness of God attending the soul of man which worketh good in the Light of the same excellent Spirit of God which exerciseth the Conscience in temperance and sobriety meekness and gentleness of Christ. And on this wise we besought the men of our own Nation together with many more in them parts that they may become a sweet savour of the pure life of Christ and Christianity indeed and in truth which tends to answer the Witness of the Eternal God manifest in Turks Greeks Jews Heathens and Apostate Christians among the dark Nations where they have their conversation Yet I am constrained to express somewhat of their manner of dealing with us to our good Wherefore men of reasonable and honorable understanding may bear with me to the end that the honest-hearted may be informed to beware of a persecuting Spirit which is not of God neither ever was it born of him Their threatnings encreased daily and they burthened themselves exceedingly with us whose deportment and behaviour they were made to confess to as did the Consul and divers others which in truth they could not say otherwise but that it was temperate innocent harmless and unblameable in our conversation Magnified be the Lord and blessed be his Grace of Life by which we in submission to the same were guided herein But because our Testimony was not for but against whatsoever might be said in truth to be evil unjust or unequitable which is dishonorable therefore were we hated of the high and lofty to the disquieting of their own rest day and night because they burthened themselves so with the truth and innocency of the Lord's Testimony which our Life held forth among them who received not the same in his love that they migâ—t be saved not onely from sin but also from the wrath to come So they forthwith sent a Message from Smyrna to the great City Constantinople to the King's Embassador of England and besought him to expel us out from among them of Asia that we might not have a being in the extent of their Authority in visiting them on this wise as by the annexed Warrant thou that reads the same may understand A Copy of the Warrant which they produc't and prosecuted WHereas we are informed that there is lately arrived with the Zant Frigot one Daniel Baker with his Companion commonly called Quakers
over the members of the body but that which created the body and every Member which is to have the supream authority and preheminence as well in the female as in the male and so he the Spirit of Truth that 's to guide into all truth he the man is not he to speak viz. Christ in the male the same in the female where he is risen and manifest as King Priest and Prophet a Guide Leader and Commander in all equitable and just things which are truly honorable But the woman was in the transgression against the Spirit Flesh lusteth against the Spirit saith the Apostle and the Woman that 's in the transgression is to be under obedience and to be in silence to learn in silence and to ask her Husband at home but what if she have a disorderly drunken Husband and not Christ the man the true Husband the true Lord how can he teach her seeing the woman is to learn of her Husband in silence and to be under obedience and not to usurp Authority over the man as also saith the Law which hath dominion over all that are under it in the transgression but the Spirit of Grace and Truth that 's poured upon sons and daughters teacheth us to deny the sin and guideth from the same and so maketh free from its condemnation and from under the Law to be under the Grace and Truth that is in the one Seed Christ in the Male Christ in the Female the quickning spirit the Lord from Heaven and so who are lead and guided by this are not under the Law which saith the woman is not to usurp Authority over the man as also saith the able Minister of the Mysterie of the glory and riches of Eternity which is Christ the fulness in his Saints their hope of life and glory but the woman is to be under obedience as also saith the Law yea but they that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law so are the sons of God manifest yet under the Grace covered the same Grace with which the Man-Child the holy Child Jesus was covered and filled with the same and no other but that which did and doth save the Saints from sin and so from under the Law and its condemnation and not onely so but also the same Grace which bringeth salvation and appeareth to all men it teacheth them not onely to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts but also to live soberly and righteously in this present world and verily this Grace is in them which saves and justifieth them and it 's not of themselves it is the gift of God And such are the servants of the living and true God that have their fruits and possess the same unto holiness and not onely so but the end of the same which is the pure manifestation of the Eternal substance to wit everlasting life pure clean power which is the excellent Treasure in the Earthen Vessels as saith the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 4. But Oh ye Congregations of the dead ye gathered Churches of so many Names and Heads to you sounds my voice saying What have ye done Oh! how guilty do ye appear before mine eye that 's single in the Lord's Light of despising prohesying and quenching the tender Spirit of glory which resteth at this day in and upon many sons and daughters and behold if ye can see how they do and have prophesied in the Name of the Lord and have fore-warned you of that which is justly come to pass upon you while many of you despised and wondered in the days of haughtiness and its prosperity among you But oh my soul how hast thou been wounded in me whilst I have travelled and mourned over you And so you have been found despising that and quenching that Spirit of Grace which teacheth the Saints in Light and reproves for sin and testifieth against the World and its deeds because they are evil And this same Spirit strived long with you and in you and would have arisen up in its Authority Power and great glory from on high had ye not preferred and exalted the Spirit of this World in it's proper place in you above the just and long-suffering which is but one and the same in male and in female Oh! what have you done Can any of you yet smite upon your thigh and say so yet if ye can enquire enquire ye the Watchman's voice is the same it was and not otherwise viz. Return come yea return and come to the tender Spirit of holiness and of the gentleness of Christ and his yoke of self-denial and the daily Cross they are the two great Ordinances which ye have left behind and so the vail and the Darkness has covered you but the true Israelites have Light in their dwellings and their habitations is in the best of the Land of the living Wherefore my spirit saith Return come and hearken to the Lamb's voice and now see whether ye can follow him or a stranger wheresoever he goeth that 's the true Prophet raised up like unto Moses and obey his voice which savoureth not of this world for so his Kingdom and servants are not Therefore beware lest your souls be cut off from the Land of the living and ye perish in the outward observations by which the Kingdom cometh not among the Congregations of the dead where ye are yet seeking the living but I as a Brother even Joseph tell you yet again He is not there but is arisen from the dead from death to life who is the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven over the Earth over all the Land of Aegypt over the Land of darkness the same Lord the same Spirit which hath done excellent things is exalted in the new Heaven and in the new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness and let the Virgin-Daughter of Sion publish the same even from henceforth to all generations yea and my spirit it 's ready to say Amen There was one that saw a little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and he well retained his sight so long until in the Light of the living he saw the same which was so little wax so great that it became an exceeding great Mountain Verily the beloved City is manifest set upon a holy Hill it cannot be hid from them that see the glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and his Light is like unto a stone most precious clear as Chrystal The Fountain is opened free come down from on high and thou shalt see if thou dost thirst for springs of Life To the Light submit thy mind and cease from strife in the same to behold the Bride the Lamb's Wife from the false Church Dan. Baker A Salutation to the whole Body of the Elect of God whether gathered or scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth And tender Greeting with Information from the same suffering and long suffering Seed whose Earthen Vessels are held in the Bonds of strait Captivity
call them to repentance and many other questions and they went away but commanded that vve should be staid there And the next day they came again and called for us and vve came but they vvould examine us apart and called Sarah and they asked Whether she was a true Catholick She said that she vvas a true Christian that worshippeth God in spirit and in truth and they proffered her the Crucifix and vvould have had her svvare that she vvould speak the truth and she said she should speak the truth but she vvould not svvear for Christ commanded her not to swear saying Swear not at all And the English Consul persvvaded her vvith much entreating to svvear saying None should do her any harm But she denied and they took some Books from her and vvould have had her swear by them but she vvould not And they asked Wherefore she brought the Books And she said Because we could not speak their Language and they might know vvherefore vve came and they asked of her what George Fox was and she said he vvas a Minister And they asked wherefore she came thither She said To do the Will of God as she vvas moved of the Lord. And they asked how the Lord did appear unto her And she said by his Spirit And they asked where she was when the Lord appeared unto her and she said upon the way And they asked whether she did see his Presence and hear his Voice And she said she did hear his Voice and saw his Presence and they asked What he said to her and she said the Lord told her she must go over the Seas to do his Will and then they asked how she knew it was the Lord and she said he bid her go and his living presence should go vvith her and he was faithful that had promised for she did feel his living presence and so they vvent away Two dayes after they came again and called for me and offered me the Crucifix and told me the Magistrate commanded me to swear that I would speak the truth And I told them that I should speak the truth for I was a Witness for God but I should not swear for a greater than the Magistrate saith Swear not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay be nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evil But said they You must obey the Justice and he commands you to swear I said I should obey Justice but if I should swear I should do an unjust thing for the just Christ said Swear not at all And they asked me Whether I did own that Christ which dyed at Jerusalem I answered We owned the same Christ and no other he is the same yesterday to day and for ever And they asked me What I would do at Jerusalem said I did not knovv that I should go there but I should go to Alexandria and they said What to do and I said to do the Will of God and if the Lord did open my mouth I should call them to repentance and declare to them the day of the Lord and direct their miâ—ds from darkness to Light Then they asked me Whether I did tremble when I did preach and I told them I did tremble when the povver of the Lord vvas upon me And they asked Whether I did see the Lord with my eyes I said God was a Spirit and he was spiritually discerned That day that vve vvere had from the English Consuls to the Inquisition the Consul's Wife brought us meat to eat and as she past by me I was smote with an Arrovv to the heart and I heard a voice saying It is finished she hath obtained her purpose I did not taste of her meat but went aside and wept bitterly The Consul did affirm to us the night before that there was no such thing as to ensnare us intended but it was in us as fire and our souls were heavy even unto death for many dayes before we saw in a Vision of our going there to prison and we said Pilate would do the Jews a pleasure and wash his hands in innocency He required a sign of me if we were the Messengers of God and the Lord gave me a sign for him that stuck by him while he lived The same day it was he called me and told me the Inquisition had sent for us and they had Papers from Rome and he did hope we should be set free which was a lye For he knew there was a room prepared for us And there came a man with a black Rod and the Chancellor and the Consul and had us before their Lord Inquisitor and he asked us Whether we had changed our minds yet We said Nay we should not change from the truth He asked What new Light we talkt of We said no new Light but the same the Prophets and Apostles bare testimony to Then he said How came this Light to be lost ever since the primitive times We said it was not lost men had it still in them but they did not know it by reason that the night of Apostacy had and hath overspread the Nations Then he said If we would change our minds and do as they would have us to do we should say so or else they would use us as they pleased We said The Will of the Lord be done And he arose up and went his way with the Consul and left us there And the man with the black Rod and the Keeper took us and put us into an inner Room in the Inquisition which had but two little holes in it for light or air but the glory of the Lord did shine round about us After the Consul came with tears in his eyes and said he was as sorry as for his own flesh but there was some hopes in time and so he vvent avvay but never had peace vvhile he lived He would have given up the thirty pieces of silver again but it would not be received the Witness was risen much in him but slavish fear possest him This was upon the sixt day of the Week and our stomacks were taken away from all meat The next second day came a Magistrate two Fryars and the man with the black Rod and a Scribe and the Keeper to the Inquisition to sit upon Judgement and examined us apart concerning our faith in Christ. The Magistrate would have had us to swear and we answered No Christ said Swear not at all and so said James the Apostle He asked if we would speak truth We said yea He asked Whether we did believe the Creed We said We did believe in God and in Jesus Christ which was born of the Virgin Mary and suffered at Jerusalem under Pilate and arose again from the dead the third day and ascended to his Father and shal come to judgement to judge both quick and dead He asked How we did believe the Resurrection We answered We did believe that the just and the unjust should arise according to the Scriptures He
should be nourished for a time times and half a time and the Dragon cast a Flood out of his mouth c. And I saw War in Heaven Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels and the Lamb and his army did overcome them and there was a Trumpet sounded in Heaven and I heard a voice saying to 〈◊〉 The City is divided into three parts and I heard another Trumpet sounding and I looked and saw an Angel go down into a great pool of water and I heard a voice saying unto me Whosoever goeth down next after the troubling of the Waters shall be healed of whatsoever Disease he hath And I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a voice saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Babylon the great is fallen And I looked and saw the smoke of her torment how it did ascend and I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a voice saying Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for he that is mighty hath magnified you and holy is his Name and from henceforth all generations shall call you blessed And I heard another trumpet sounding in Heaven and J heard a voice saying unto me Beholdâ— and J looked and J saw Pharoah and his Host pursuing the Children of Israel and he and his Host were drowned in the Sea Dear Friends and People whatsoever J have written it 's not because it is recorded in the Scripture or that J have heard of such things but in obedience to the Lord J have written the things which I did hear see tasted and handled of the good Word of God to the praise of his Name for ever And all this time my dear Sister in Christ Jesus was in as great affliction as I in a manner to see my strong travel night and day yet she was kept in the patience and would willingly have given me up to death that I might have been at rest yet she would have been left in as great danger wo and misery as ever was any poor captive for the Lord's truth for they did work night and day with their divinations inchantments and temptations thinking thereby to bring us under their power but the Lord prevented them every way so that great was their rage and they came of ten with their Physician and said it was in charity I askt them whether they did keep us in that hot room to kâ—ll us and bring us a Physician to make us alive The Fryar said the Inquisitor would lose his head if he should take us thence and it was better to keep us there than to kill us The Room was so hot and so close that we were fain to rise often out of our bed and lie down at a chink of their door for air to fetch breath and with the fire within and the heat without our skin was like sheeps Leather and the hair did fall off our heads and we did fail often our afflictions and burthens were so great that when it was day we wished for night and when it was night we wished for day we sought death but could not find it We desired to die but death fled from us We did eat our bread weeping and mingled our drink with our tears We did write to the Inquisitor and laid before him our innocency and our faithfulness in giving our testimony for the Lord amongst them and I told him if it were our blood they did thirst after they might take it any other way as well as to smother us up in that hot room So he sent the Fryar and he took away our Ink-horns they had our Bibles before We asked why they took away our goods They said it was all theirs and our lives too if they would We asked how we had forfeited our lives unto them they said For bringing Books and Papers We said if there were any thing in them that was not true they might write against it They said they did scorn to write to fools and asses that did not know true Latine And they told us the Inquisitor would have us separated because I was weak and I should go into a cooler room but Sarah should abide there I took her by the arm and said The Lord hath joined us together and wo be to them that should part us I said I rather chuse to dye there with my friend than to part from her He was smitten and went away and came no more in five weeks and the door was not opened in that time Then they came again to part us but I was sick and broken out from head to foot They sent for a Doctor and he said We must have air or else we must dye So the Lord compelled them to go to the Inquisitor he gave order for the door to be set open six hours in a day they did not part us till ten Weeks after But oh the dark clouds and the sharp showers the Lord did carry us through Death it self had been better than to have parted in that place They said we corrupted each other and that they thought when we were parted we would have bowed to them But they found we were more stronger afterwards than we were before the Lord our God did fit us for every condition They came and brought a Scourge of small Hemp and asked us if we would have any of it They said they did whip themselves till the blood did come We said that could not reach the Devil he sate upon the heart They said All the men and women of Malta were for us if we would be Catholicks for there would be none like unto us We said the Lord had changed us into that which changed not They said all their holy women did pray for us and we should be honored of all the world if we would turn VVe said we were of God and the whole world did lye in wickedness and we denied the honor of the World and the glory too They said We should be honored of God too but now we were hated of all We said it is an evident token whose servants we are the servant is not greater than the Lord and that Scripture was fulfilled which saith All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Upon a first day of the Week we were fasting and waiting upon the Lord till the second hour after mid-day and the Fryars came and commanded us in the Name of the Lord to kneel down with them to prayer We said we could not pray but as we were moved of the Lord. They commanded us the second time Then they kneeled down by our bed side and prayed and when they had done they said they had tryed our spirits now they knew what spirit we were of We told told them they could not know our spirit unless their minds were turned to the Light of the Lord Jesus in their Consciences The English Fryar was wrath and shewed us his Crucifix and bid us loook there We said
it and defie it which I did do in the Name of the Lord and it did wither vvith all the rest After it vvas 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 Countrey man's Love but could not receive his Money He askt me What I wouâ—d 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 and thou didst know that Room vvas 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 fore-warned you in love to your souls of the evil the Lord is bringing upon you if you do not repent He said However it be it will go well with you Mark that I told him he required a sign of me when vve vvere at his house if we were the servants of the Lord God I gave him a sign from the living God and my friend gave him another from the Lord to his shame and destruction for ever I askt him Whether it were not true we spake to him he said it was but how should he help it I said Thou art a condemned person and stands guilty before God yet nevertheless repent if thou canst find a place He smil'd upon the Scribe in deceit but his lips did quiver and his belly trembled and he could scarce stand upon his legs He was as proper a man as most was in the City and full and in his prime age O! he was consumed as a Snail in a shell which was a sufficient sign for the whole City if their hearts were not harder than Adamants He said How should he help it He might have helpt it but he was as willing to prove us as any of them all He was sworn upon his Oath to protect the English and their Ruler bid him let us go about our business and said He were honest women and then he might have let us go before we were under the black Rod. Then he went to Sarah with the Doller she told him she could not take the Money but if he had a Letter for us she should be free to receive that He said he had not any He askt her what she did want She said the Lord was her Shepherd she could not want any good thing but she did long for her Freedom He said That you may have in time He told us we should have ink and paper to write But when he was gone they vvould not let us The next time we heard of him he was dead We could have rejoiced if he had dyed for righteousness sake for the Lord delighteth not in the death of a sinner The Fryar was gone to Rome and they said he must stay there till we came There was great working to send us there but the Lord did prevent them that they could not send us there Then the Lord did work to bring us together again after so long time we had been parted There vvere five doors between us with Locks and Bolts but the Keeper had not power to make them fast but as Sarah could undo them to come where I could see her but could not speak to her for there were them that did watch us night and day yet she being moved of the Lord did come to my door by night she must come by the Fryars door he and the Doctor of Law were together and they did set a trap to take her in and many did watch about the Prison and would complain Then she was lockt up again but they had no peace in that till the doors were open again then we did sit in the sight of each other to wait upon the Lord so that our voices were heard far the Magistrates vvould hear and bow to it sometime then the complainers were weary and did work to have us brought together and we did wait and pray and the Magistrates would come in and look upon us many times but would say nothing to us There were of divers Nations brought into the Inquisition Prisoners and the Fryars and the rest that were great would go in their way to make Christians of them and we were made to stand up against them and their vvays and deny them in the Name of the Lord and declare the truth to the simple-hearted continually if vve did suffer death for it We could not endure to hear the Name of the Lord blasphemed nor his pure Way of Truth perverted nor the ignorant deceived They did vvrite all they understood of vvhat vve spake and sent it to the Court-Chamber before the Inquisitor and Magistrates but the Lord did blast it vvith the Mildevvs of his vvrathful indignation and burnt it up vvith the brightness of his Son and vve rejoiced in our God but still our burdens continued very heavy and our righteous souls vvere vexed vvith the filthy Conversation of the Wicked and the pure Seed of God vvas prest from day to day that our spirits did mourn and our hearts vvere grieved because of the hardness of their hearts and their Rebellion against their Maker vvho vvas so gracious to them to suffer them so long in all their abominations and vvaited to be gracious to them and knock at the Door of their hearts calling for Justice Mercy and Humility but behold Oppression Cruelty and Self-Exaltation notvvithstanding the Lord did strive so much vvith them and sent so many undeniable truths and inâ—allible testimonies of the coming of his Son to Judgement and so clear a manifestation of the vvay to eternal Salvation given forth of his ovvn mouth by his eternal Spirit and having us for an example vvho vvere kept by his Povver and Holiness they had not a jot nor tittle against us but for righteousness sake though they had vvinnovved and fanned us so long Glory honor and praises be given to our God for ever O they would not let us know of any English Ship that came into the Harbour as near as they could but the Lord would make it manifest to us We had a great working and striving in our bodies but we knew not what it meant the arrows of the Wicked did flye so that my soul was plunged and overwhelmed from head to feet and the terrors of the unrighteous had taken hold of us and the flames of Hell compassed us about then the Lord appeared
little rest day or night sometimes but the Lord vvas vvith us and did work mightily by his power and kept us over them in the life of the Son of God My Prison was nigh to the Pallace 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 vvherevvith they vvere enlightned vvhich would lead them out of all their wicked Ways 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 â—o 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 hallâ—d down violently and put him in prison but the Lord delivered him for his love And we were parted near a 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 and Wisdom according to our Work So that Scripture was fulfilled which saith on this wise 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 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 judg 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 which vvould 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 burthens so heavy to bear it that I cryed to the Lord and said It is better for me to dye than to live and would gladly have given up my life in testimony against them all I vvas as ' t vvere compell'd to declare against all their vvays vvorks and vvorships insomuch that they ran to the Inquisitor to have me chained or punished some other vvay but the Povver of the Lord chained them that they could not diminish a hair of my head the Lord vvas my safety praises be to his Name for ever Novv some as they passed to their Worship Houses vvould sigh and some pray and some did throvv stones at my Windovv they did vvork night and day about the Prison as though they vvould have broke through to slay me but the Lord vvas vvith 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 expresse the large love of our God hovv he did preserve us from so many deaths and threatnings as they did come to me vvith falling dovvn upon their knees saying Mass and vvould have me to say after them but in the Name oâ— the Lord I denied them They vvould hovvâ—e like Dogs beause 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 VVoolf and the Devourers denying them and their Sacrifices And vvhen they savv they could not prevail to betray us from the truth eâ—en 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 Belâ—al 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 vvhich vvas a great trouble to me because I could not suffer death with her I did yeild she had been slain And afterwards 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 vvith her to Rome and offer up my life for the Testimony of Jesus than to have my liberty to return to England vvith her and I cryed day and night to the Lord and vvould not give my soul rest nor my eyes sleep till the Lord did ansvver me glory and praises be to his Name for ever But vve savv Jacob must part vvith all Benâ—amin must go too So vve vvere vvilling to give up in obedience to the Lord our trials were unspeakable Oh the unclean spirits they vvould speak to us at noon-day but the Lord did give us power over them that we did not fear the wild Bores out of the Wood nor the vvild Beasts out of the Field Then there vvas one came and said that Catherine and I must be sent both to Rome Which did rejoice my soul and renevved 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 shevved me in the Light how he had bowed them down before us and saw them in the Light of Christ how the Pope the Fryars 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 Fryars came to me and shewed me Mary and her Babe pictured against the 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 mysterie of iniquity the cunning working of Satan to draw out the mind to follow him from the pure life and to veil 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
is the World's condemnation that do not believe in it Then he said He would lay me in Chains where I should neither see Sun nor Moon They say The Father hath almost killed you said he but I will kill you quite before I have done He had a Book in his hand and he did study in it I told him he did comprehend the Words in his carnal mind and he vvas vvrath and said he would give me to the Devils to be tormented I said I deny the Devil and all his Works and Workers Some would come unto the Prison upon their Saints days and ask us what day it was We did answer We did not know neither did we observe dayes nor times months nor years Then answer would be made It was St. Joseph ' s day or some other Saint and St Joseph should punish us that night because we did not observe his day We answered We did know the Saints to be at peace with us and we did not fear them We further said St. Paul did call it beggarly Elements and Rudiments of the World to observe days times months and years and their mouths vvould be stopt for a time Then came the Fryar another time and told me it was seventeen dayes to their Christmas and said the Virgin Mary conceived with child that day being the same day he spake to me on as if she did go with Child but seventeen dayes And he said the next day was Lady Ann's day the Virgin Mary ' s Mother a Saint Then as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer because of oâ—r long-suffering our strong travel labour 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 skie 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 Fryar 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 triedst the right way the Seed of God is not tryed 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 might'st 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 might'st have fathomed us or could'st thou have opened the Book of Life thou might'st have read us or hadst thou went into the House of Israel thou might's 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 is bringing upon you but you have slighted the day of your visitation aud 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 least 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 whatever 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 the Name of the Lord. Written in the Inquisition-Prison in the Isle of Malta Katharine Evans Sarah Chevers Behold victorions Hymns Songs 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 Lord keep me in thy Arms and guide me in thy fear Thy Bow is bent thy Sword is drawn thy enemies to deface Thy fire 's kindl'd 'gainst all those that Truth wil not embrace Thine Arrows sharp and keen upon their heads shall fall Thy double-edged Sword also to cut them down withall So plague the Heathen correct Name the people in thy wrath That they may fear dread thy and come to know thy truth Throughout the World so 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 is clearing the Lords Eternal Truth Every one that 's in darkness and under its shadow lye May come forth into the brightness out of obscurity Oh Lord teach me thy wayes that I may walk therein And lead me in thy Path of life and cleanse me from all sin How gracious is 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 embrace 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
the 11th Month of the year 1661. Sarah Chevers to her Husband and Children MY Dear Husband my love my life is given up to serve the living God and to obey his pure Call in the measure of the manifestation of his Love Light Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus his onely begotten Son whom he hath manifested in me and thousands by the brightness of his appearing to put an end to sin and Satan and bring to light Immortality through the preaching of the everlasting Gospel by the Spirit of Prophesie which is poured out upon the sons and daughters of the living God according to his purpose whereof he hath chosen me who am the least of all but God who is rich in mercy for his own Name sake hath passed by mine offences and hath counted me worthy to bear testimony to his holy Name before the mighty men of the Earth Oh the love of the Lord to my soul my tongue cannot express neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of the things that God hath laid up for them that fear him Therefore doth my soul breath to my God for thee and my Children night and day that your minds may be joined to the Light of the Lord Jesus to lead you out of Satans Kingdom into the Kingdom of God where we may enjoy one another in the Life Eternal where neither Sea nor Land can separate in which Light and Life do I salute thee my dear Husband with my Children wishing you to embrace Gods love in making his Truth so clearly manifest amongst you whereof I am a Witness even of the everlasting Fountain that hath been opened by the Messengers of Christ who preach to you the Word of God in season and out of season directing you where you may find your Saviour to purge and cleanse you from your sins and to reconcile you to his Father and to have unity with him and all the Saints in the Light that ye may be fellow-Citizens in the Kingdom of Glory Rest and Peace which Christ hath purchased for them that love him and obey him What profit is there for to gain the whole world and lose your own souls Seek first the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Godliness is great gain having the promise of this life that now is and that which is to come which is fulfilled to me who have tasted of the Lords endlesse love and mercies to my soul from a moving of the same love and life do I breath to thee my dear Husband with my Children my dear love salutes you all my Prayers to my God are for you all that your minds may be joined to the Light wherewith you are lightened that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal and have community with you in the Spirit He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit one heart one mind one soul to serve the Lord with one consent I cannot by Pen or Paper set forth the large love of God in fulfilling his gracious promises to me in the Wilderness being put into prison for God's Truth there to remain all days of my life being searched tryed examined upon pain of death among the Enemies of God and his Truth standing in jeopardy for my life until the Lord had subdued and brought them under by his mighty Power and made them to feed us and would have given us money or clothes but the Lord did deck our Table richly in the Wilderness the day of the Lord is appearing wherein he will discover every deed of darkness let it be done never so secret the light of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience the Lord will rip up all coverings that is not of his own Spirit The God of Peace be with you all Amen Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand of Sarah Chevers for the hand of Henry Chevers my dear Husband give this fail not I do not well remember that this was one of the surprized Letters A Letter to a Kinswoman of S. C. S. P. MY dear Kinswoman I dearly salute thee with thy Husband and thy tender Babes I am not unmindful of thee nor of thy love that thou shewedst to me I know thou shalt not lose thy reward thou hast found refreshment in it for it was of the Lord My Burthen was weighty for the Lord I would have fled the Cross but praises be to the Lord that kept me to it that I might not lose the Crown I was straitned in it till I gave up to it praised be the Name of our God for ever Amen Stand fast in the Lord let none take thy Crown The God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear pressing forward to the prize of an incorruptible Crown of Glory Peace and Rest out of all strife Keep to the pure life watch the Enemy keep thy mind staid in the measure of God's Grace that is able to make thee wise unto salvation and to give thee an inheritance with the rest of the Children of Light My tender lamb fear and dread the living God keep in his presence go not out to let in the Enemy to break thy peace and to darken thy understanding and to vail over the pure from beholding thy Saviour Incline thine ear to him give up to a daily Cross to thy own will Stand single empty wait upon the Lord to be fill'd with his fulness let him be all thy treasure ask of him he giveth liberally Believe and thou shalt receive his promise is large I have found it so Having nothing yet enjoying all things I have tasted handled and felt of his everlasting love and indurable Riches my life is wrapt up in it I have found him whom my soul loveth Oh what might I do to set him forth He is the choicest of ten thousands therefore doth my soul love him My life is given up for him his truth for to declare Lord guide me in thy path and keep me in thy fear Amen Thy dear Aunt My dear love and life is with thee and I do embrase thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Father's love with thy dear Husband and little ones Another in the same Paper to Friends MY dearly beloved Sisters and Friends of Truth I dearly salute you in the Light Life and Love of our God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost wherein I do rejoice and have union with you My Life is given up to serve the Lord. O how my soul travels for the Seed of God's Kingdom to be sown throughout all Nations for the gathering in of Christ's scattered Flock and for the destruction of sin and Satan For our God is weighing the Mountains in Skales and the Dust in equal 〈◊〉 Ballance He is a pulling down the mighty and raising the meek humble lowly he is a feeding the poor and hungry with good things but the rich he sends
empty away My dear Babes and Lambs seed 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 fill'd 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 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 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 Gods 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 deck't my Table richly he hath annointed my head with Balm it runneth down the skirts of my cloathing Written in the Inquisition-Prison at the Isle of Malta a sufferer for the Seeds sake Farewel at this time Amen Your dear Sister in the Lord SARAH CHEVERS Another from K. E. to her Husband and Children with somewhat from both the Lords 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 and to vail the pure and darken the understanding and so hinder you of the pure enâ—oyment of the beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Take no more upon you then you are able to perform in the Spirit of moderation and meekness for that is in the sight of God of of great prâ—ze See the Lord going before you in all your occasions that you may be prosperous in all youâ— undertakings wait diligently upon the Lord to be seasoned with his Grace that you may come to a pure understanding of the motions of his Eternal Spirit and to a true knowledge of the operation of his hands So you will be able with all Saints to comprehend what is the heigth and the depth and the length and the breadeth of the riches of his Grace and Love towards mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen saith my spirit This is the counsel of the Lord unto you I do often remember M. H. I do desire she may be brought up in the fear of 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 bâ—ing our Hâ—â—d we must needs suffer together that we may 〈◊〉 together a true sorrow begets a true â—oy a true Cross a true Crown We do believe 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 Nâ—mâ— 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 â—n spirit in the Will of God with you and do receive the benefit of all your prayers daily and do feel the Springs of Liâ—e 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 bâ—cause 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 â—ace is comely cloathed with a bright shining Garment from the Crown of the head to the sole or the foot and came in great power and strength indeed armed with the whole Armour of Light and drest in the Majesty of the Mostâ—High and being commissioned of the Higher Power went to the Lord Inquisitor to demand our lawful liberty which would not be granted except we could get some English Merchants of Legorn or Messaena to engage four thousands Dollers that we should never come into those parts again the Lord who alone is our 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 precious life for our liberty Greater love can no man have than to lay down his life for his 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
in remembrance of him for ever here he came up and down to administer to us with his Life in his hand time after time So the Lord God of Power reward him double into his bosome for ever Oh how did he refresh our souls spirits minds and bodies through great tryals which is never to be forgotten Written in the Inquisition at Malta in the 11th Month of the year 1661. By us Katharine Evans Sarah Chevers Who have suffered for the living testimony of Jesus and his pure Innocency in Bonds tryals and tribulations more than three years to this day A short Relation of some more of their exceeding great Tryals and Temptations NOw in short time after we were taken Prisoners we were stung with Flyes called Muskatoes in our faces and our heads as we lay in our Beds that were swollen as if we had the small-Pox so that all people were afraid of us save the English Consul they thought we had been unclean persons so that a Fryar told Sarah he saw an evil spirit in her face which was a great trial they could not sleep in their beds in the house they were so tormented we were told that they had seen them that did pray and preach every day were burnt for Witches in a short time and they would keep us to see our lives and conversations and so they have And glory beto our God they cannot lay guilt to our charge but are made to confess the truth In a few days after we were there in a Vision in the night the Lord appeared unto me and shewed me that round about us and above and beneath us there were many Magicians of Aegypt and the Lord smote me and said unto me The Devil hath desired to winnow you as Wheat but pray that your faith faâ— not And the sight was very dreadful and terrible and the voice of the Lord did awaked me with much trembling and amazement and a great War for the space of twelve hours before I could get the victory and we did witness but little ease to the flesh night nor day We went in obedience to the Lord to one of their Tower-Houses in time of their Worship and stood trembling in the midst of them and I was made to turn my back to the high Altar and kneel down and lift up my voice in prayer unto the Lord and he that was saying Service drew off his Surplice and kneeled a little beside us till I had done and he reacht forth his hand to us to come to him and offered me a token and the Lord shewed me it was the Mark of the Beast And I refused it and he put it into Sarah's hand and she gave it him again and shewed him her Purse that she had to give if any had need And he asked if we were Calvinists or Lutherans And we said Nay And he asked if we would go to Rome to the Pope But we denied And he asked if we were Catholicks And we told him We were true Christians the servants of the living God And many of them were amazed and came round about us We having but little of their Tongue gave our Testimony for the Lord in words and signs as well as we could and they were made subject to the Power at that present praises be given to our God and we departed in peace And since that the Lord laid such a heavy burthen upon us that we did question what he would do with us before we knew the mind of God in it And upon a set-day they had a great Meeting to take their holy Sacrament as they call it in a high place but we knew nothing of it nor where it was but what the Lord revealed to us And we were made to go in and stand in the midst and there were many lights in divers places and many Christs as they call them and much costliness and abominations of the Earth they had so many sorts of holy Garments as they call them of so many colours that it would make one wonder how the Devil did invent it And there we were made to stand in the midst for the space of three parts of an hour as near as I can judge in great power trembling and quaking and bitter mourning so that they were all amazed and some removed further for fear but knew not what to do for I never did witnesse such an Earthquake In the end one came soberly and spake to us to go â—orth and we went in the Lord's time and sate at the door trembling and mourning to the astonishment of them and being so overcome with their abominations we went along the street reeling to and fro and staggering like drunken men so that we were a wound to all that saw us It was the wonderful Power of God that made way for us to go forth to them and kept us They have used all the Craft they have day and night to Inchant us as the Lord hath made it known unto us Glory and prayses bee to his everlasting Name for ever more We know that there is no Inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel Dearly beloved friends Wee dearly salute you all in the inuisable life of ouâ— God who is our life our peace our stay and strength under whose shaddow wee are Refreshed praises glory and honour be given unto his powerful name of all his for ever Truly friends we are not able to declare the large mercies of our God vouchsafed unto us from time to time his born is our strength and his Name our strong Tower in all our troubles temptations trials and sufferings he is a God at hand and not afar off and doth make us sensible before-hand by Visions and Revelations what is coming upon us and doth arm us with his own Armouâ—â— and makes us as bold as Lyons for we fear not the face of man because we know we shall not suffer any thing but what shall make for the glory of our God but truly we had fainted long ago had not the Lord upheld us by his free Spirit but we know the Lord taketh care of the least of them that trust him Praises be unto him for ever Dear Friends though we be abâ—ent in body yet we are present in spirit and do feel you in that which cannot be separated as we abide faithful and are much refreshed in you and the remembrance of you is precious unto us Oh! that all our Friends could prise the company and the sight of each others faces We do not want the company of Fryars Jesuits and Magistrates nor great women Here are some that have breathing after life but they dare not shew it for the same thing that was is they will not enter in themselves nor suffer them that would The Lord Inquisitor sent to us that if we would being we are good Women we should go into the Nunnery among the holy Women and be maintained as long as we live in regard we have denied the World
fear from us and multiplied our strength and gave us power and boldness to plead for the truth of the Lord Jesus and Wisdom of Words to stop the mouths of the gain-sayers that they vvould be made to say we spake truth they could never say otherwise But they vvould say We had not the true faith but we had all virtues Oh dear heart if it be our Eternal Father's good pleasure to carry thee away vvithout us vve do beseeh our Heavenly Father to bless and to give thee a prosperous return and to seed thee with the fulness of the blessing of the povverful Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen And vve do believe vve shall not vvant thy prayers nor the prayers of all the faithful that we may keep faithful to the end so that our God may be glorified his Church and People may be refreshed and rejoiced and we may receive our Reward with the rest of the Lord's Lambs Our Life is with thee for oh thou art full of Love thou tender-hearted one vvho hath offered up thy sanctified body and purified life in obedience to the Lord for us poor afflâ—cted lambs vvith thee and companions in tribulations trials and persecutions and in perils at Sea and perils by Land Oh thou precious Lamb of God great is thy Reward in Heaven great will be the Well-spring of joy that vvill arise in thee in thy Journey Oh thou happy one indeed vvhom the Lord our God hath made choice of amongst his faithful Flock and endued with so much povver 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 honor 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 vvith 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 rejoice and say We served a God that could not serve 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 thing that cannot see hear nor speak through their throats We do beseech thee to tel 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 OH How strong and powerful's our KING To all that do believe in him He doth preserve them from the Snare And seeth of those that would them tear We that are sufferers for the Seed Our Hearts are wounded and do bleed To see th' Oppression and Cruâ—lty Of men that do thy Truth deny In Dungeons strong and Dungeons deep To God alone we cry and weep Our sorrows none can read nor learn But those that have past through the same But he whose Beauty shineth bright Turneth darknesse into Light Maketh Câ—dars to bow and Oaks to bend To him that 's sent to the same end He is a Fountain pure and clear His Chrystal Streams runs far and near To cleanse all those which come to him For to be healed of their sin All them that do patiently abide And never swerve nor go aside The Lord will them deliver out of all Captivity Bondage and Thrall LEt E. C. know That his Exhortations I do dearly embrace 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 vvay hath been stopt up that to the eye of Reason I could not have a way made both by Sea and 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 vvay was stopt and my persecution vvas 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 laâ—d upon me I could not get lodging for money in 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 haâ—â—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 Edenburgh in Scotland I was never there the Lord did make me to do him servâ—ce to almost all the mighty men in England and Ireland insomuch that I cryed oft to my God saying Lord What will 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 land 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 honor 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 and righteousness do we commit thee to be kept and preserved and prosperously carried on in thy Journey â—he 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 receive strength to overcome that we may sing the song of Moses and the Lamb and the
spiritual and so the Lord hath made me as a burthensome stone among them My heart blesseth his Name that wonderfully preserved me Yet some of them came to see somewhat of my innocency About 24. dayes I abode upon the said Island they daily continuing their threatnings against me as aforesaid and many times attempted me to take my passage to Cicillia or to some parts of Italy to produce the unreasonable and unchristian-like Obligation demanded by them but in the fear of God I with my dear friends withstood them and they were freely given up rather to suffer then to hurt God's truth and people thus to gratifie them who as it doth appear the Spirit of the Lord God of truth rules neither in Pope nor in any of his Lords Priest or Jesuits that exerciseth such Lordship over the innocent long-suffering Heritage of the everlasting God The time hasteneth and behold it cometh to pass that the weight of eternal Vengeance is coming over them which the man of 〈◊〉 and his sons of perdition will not be able to bear For the doleful cry of the Innocent it sighs and groans with tears hath long uttered its voice which hath ascended into the ears of the most high who is higher hen the highest yet hath he respect unto the needy to uphold them yea and to such as are of an upright contrite lowly and trembling heart What if I should say the God of love and long-suffeering dwels in such and verily their sacrifice is acceprable in his bosome that liveth for ever and I am a living witness that the sweet testimony and innocent sufferings of these his long-suffering Lambs is right dear and precious in his eye which is the light of his countenance and so is is not otherwise but the same in oneness with his people concerning them And so in the endless Mercy Blessing and Peace of our God we parted and I came away with the love and peace of my God within my heart having the answer and living testimony of a good Conscience and in the wisdom of God brought away these their words and writings which testifieth somewhat of their sufferings and faithfulness unto the Lord his truth and people which I right well know cannot be shut out of the Record of life Eternal unto which I bear record again that they have been and are a sweet savour unto the Lord God of faithfulness and so their reward which attends the same in not onely with them but with all the sons and daughters of truth and innocency that are so travelling in their long-sufferings which are but light and momentary in competition to the Eternal weight of glory which afterwards is to be revealed in the same that suffered in all generâ—tions even from righteous Abel unto this day of our God to whom be wisdom glory salvation and everlasting thanksgivings and dominion for ever Amen saith my soul and spirit even so Amen And it came to pass in the third month of the year 1662. also after my God had well preserved me in my passage and in his work and service from Malâ—â— to diverse places in Italy till I came to the Straights Mouth of the Mediterranean Sea at the place called Gibralter it was the pleasure of the Lord God to suffer the wind and weather to continue contrary well nigh about 30 daies in which season I suffered many trials and tribulations in spirit having little or no rest in the same because of the Vision and words of the Everlasting which sounded often up to my understanding even as the roaring of a Lyon which mine eye saw and mine ear heard also in the year 61. when I was a Prisoner for the pure Word and testimony of God and his Truth in Worcester City Jayl before I departed England and the place was the high Mountain of Gibralter that stands within the King of Spains Dominion which was the subject of the Vision and ofen as I cast mine eye upon the scituation of the place the pure life and power of God's Eternal presence did arise up in me in the Word of Life so that I saw clearly that some great exceeding weighty service for his Name and eternal Truths sake was to be done by me which was so terrible and dreadful to me when as I entred into reasoning so that I was brought down even to the jaws of death in dust and ashes and as Jonah turned his back upon Niniveh the same temptation attended me also to my wounding before I could give up for I fled often from the place to escape with my life from among such an unreasonable and bloody generation and the Lord would not be intreated to let such a bitter Cup pass unfulfilled but behold with the sound and stroak of his eternal Word his Spirit of Life became awakened quickned and mightily revived in me in his Wisdom over all fear of the Nations of men and the same brake through the snares and bonds of death and over destruction and the true seed that mourned cried Not my will but thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven and so it was a hard thing to part with little Isaac which is received again in the Covenant of promise of Life and that was offered up which fled so often but at last was caught in a thicket When the ships of diverse Nations attempted to pass through but the God of heaven whom the wind and sea obeieth suffered them not but they knew not what the matter was which was revealed within my heart as the displeasure of God was against them to humble them also as I told them often by words and writings to clear my conscience albeit they strove being perplexed in their minds and attempted often to wit 7 or 8 times in about 21 daies and could not pass but about 2 or 3 leagues and on this wise it happened it would â—ther prove calm and then the currant would drive them back into the Streights again sometimes and otherwhile storms and tempests would scatter them as a figure of Pharaoh and his Hoste of Egyptian darkness so that the Charet-wheels mine eye saw struck off so that they drove but heavily within and without and at last I gave out among them that God had service for me to do at that place and my life was given up to do his will if I never saw my Native Country Kindred or Fathers house at all any more and therefore the pleasure of the Lord in his mighty power had made me wiâ—ling and also gave me dominion through and over the bonds and snares of death and destruction as it were to lay down my precious life that I may take it again together with the body which through his righteous judgments he had prepared to perform the good pleasure of his Almightiness for his Truth and Names sake Now the heavenly voice was often founded within my heart on this wise saying O Jerusalem cut off thine hair and further more to gird
This is a short RELATION Of some of the Cruel Sufferings For the Truths sake of KATHARINE EVANS SARAH CHEVERS In the Inquisition in the ISLE of MALTA Who have suffered there above three years by the Pope's Authority there to be deteined till they dye Which Relation of their sufferings is come from their own hands and mouths as doth appear by the following Treatise These two Daughters of Abraham were passing to Alexandria and to Cilicia And thus may that part of Christendom see their fruits together with the Pope's and of what birth they are and that those that are called Christians are worse than Heathens For they falling into their hands should have been refreshed by them with necessary things but the provision which the Inhabitants and Knights of Malta called Christians provided for them is the Inquisition Now it was not so when Paul suffered shipwrack there among the barbarous people which is a manifest token they are not in the love of God whose fruits shew they are not in the true Spirit And this is to all fellow-brethren that are partakers with them in the Power of God and have a feeling and fellowship with them in their sufferings that they might see and know how it is with them and what unkindness they find abroad among them that profess themselves Christians LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson 1662. An Epistle to the Readers MAny there be among the Nations in the world that in their haste have unjustly condemned the innocent guiltless and harmless people of the Lord of Hosts scornfully called Quakers viz. That they are Papists Jesuits and what else adhoring to the Whorish false Church of Rome I say to such on this wise which is my advice as a man to his friend to whom this may come Be not hasty to judge before the time as many do to their own hurt guilt and condemnation before they have a clear and right understanding of the things that differ from equity and truth and so the nobility of the mind which should weigh and pass true sentence of sound and perfect judgment the same being vailed with a hasty dark spirit of prejudice or evil surmising which gets up into the seat of enmity and therein passeth sentence of the pure way and things of God as evil heresie and what else and thus it comes to pass and indeed it cannot be otherwise with such that have not their minds staied and fixed in that which is perfect and true and clear and single as is the clear manifestation of the grace of life which is the Light of the Lord Jesus shining in the heart and conscience of the Sons and Daughters of men and the same Light of the Lord which lightneth the poor and deceitful man's eyes is the true measure and equal ballance which all is to trie and prove and weigh words thoughts intents ways and actions whether they be justifiable or condemnable and hereby with the same measure of the true Spirit of God who is Light is true sentence to be passed accordingly For if that which is perfectly true be measured with a false measure or with an unequal Ballance it doth appear so to all that behold the same with an evil eye or measure that with the same measure save onely to them that discern the measure weight or ballance as for instance as to the thing natural if a deceitful man with a false measure being guided by a deceivable Spirit al-be-it his eyes are inlightned with the Light of the Lord which is true if he measure a piece of cloth to his Customer with his deceitful measure though the cloth be good yet he not giving it its true measure the simple hearted is thereby deceived and knoweth it not till it be brought to a true measure which doth answer the true principle or Light of God in the conscience to justification as doth not the false but contrariwise wherefore its needful and of absolute concernment for the mind of every man male and female to be guided and exercised in the true manifestation of the Light of Jesus in the conscience and so blessed is the man the people the family that brings their deeds to the Light that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God who is Light who is Truth and so what is here following written and published is to be tried and proved by the Witness of God in every Conscience which is true and will answer to the same things or words that springs forth from its own clear nature Therefore when thou hast honestly read this throughout with a meek spirit of sobriety and moderation that 's single and pure then with the same spirit of singleness and of true discerning judge honestly and cease from hastiness in such matters of Eternity least a place of Repentance become finally hid from thine eies not to salvation but contrariwise which I desire not neither doth the Lord whose servant a living and true Witness I am for Him his Truth and People of these things and much more Wherefore let the Reader see hereby how that the Lord hath chosen the foolish things of this life to confound the wise and that the living God Eternal hath chosen the weak things to confound and bring to nought the things that are mighty subtil and potent yea base things which are so deemed despisable and contemptible yet behold God hath chosen them and things that are not approvable in the sight of the prudent of this world even to bring to nought things that are But may some say Wherefore or why doth the most High Wise Invisible Immortal God do thus my answer is one and the same as the Apostle saith viz. That no flesh should glory in his presence who of God is made in us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption And why should it be accounted such a foolish thing in the eyes of the wise men of this world to see the wisdom of God dispensed through a weak Vessel as is a free-born woman from above a weaker Vessel than that of the man Now tell me oh man of understanding What must not the Spirit of Christ or the same that is begotten of God in the female as well as in the male what must not I say the same spirit of life from God speak but be limited in the weaker Vessel in the foolish Vessel in the Vessel which is not esteemed but base contemptible and despised in the eyes of lofty man that must be laid low who excels in that wisdom and knowledge which is not from above but otherwise bruitish and puffeth up the fleshly mind that 's enmity to God and is therefore to be confounded and moved backward and slain upon the Cross which is the Power of God that crucifieth the lusts and inordinate affections of the flesh which thereby come to be silent before the Lord who is that one and self-same spirit that is quick and powerful so that not any other spirit governs or rules