ye are of God Oh Friends see that your Lamps be trimmed and that ye have Oyl in your Vessels for the Day of the Lord is near when he will pour out his Wrath upon the Heathen that know him not nor call not upon his Name in Righteousness and therefore Friends do we write unto you in a living Sense and in the Tenderness of our Spirits that ye may be exercised in the Gift of God every one in your several places and none to hide the Lord's Money in the Earth nor to account him a hard Master for indeed he is exceeding good unto all that in the Simplicity of their Spirits seek after him blessed be his Name forever and evermore And if it be your Freedom let Friends at New-York and at Flushen as ye see convenient see and read this Epistle in their Meeting for our dear and unfeigned Love is unto you all more than we can here declare And we cannot but return Praise and Thanksgiving unto the Lord who raised his own Witness in you to receive our Testimony though we be the least of many of the Lord's People and truly the Remembrance thereof is exceeding precious blessed be the Name of our God forever and for evermore We are here waiting for our Passage to Barbadoes and we desire you if you have a convenient Oportunity to let us hear from you and to write to Barbadoes for it is our Joy and the Joy of all that truly Fear the Lord to hear from one another and not only to hear but to feel one another in the Life and Power of God's eternal Truth So in the true Sense of the Love of our God wherein our true Comfort and Consolation stands we remain in the eternal Spirit of Truth which hath made us free from the Law of Sin and Death eternal Praises Praises forever and for evermore be rendred and returned unto the Lord God of our Life who is worthy forever and for evermore Amen in which we remain Your Friends in the Vnchangeable Truth of our God THOMAS ALICE CURWEN From Newport in Road-Island the 9th of the 5th Moneth 1676. To Friends at New-York in New-England FRIENDS IN that Love of our God which caused us to leave our Native Country and all that was dear and near unto us and come and visit you and in Obedience we came and we are well satisfied in the Lord and refreshed one in another as you your selves very well know and we wrote to you from Road-Island and earnestly desired to hear from you to Barbadoes which made us greatly to wonder that we did not receive one Line from you we did expect to hear from you in writing by Lewes Morris but indeed we can truly say That if our Exercise be great yet the Lord is with us who will not suffer us to be tryed but he also brings us through by the Arm of his holy Power and so the Righteous can Rejoyce Everlasting Holy Praises be unto the Lord our God forever and for evermore So that which is chiefly in our hearts at this time is That we may all serve the Lord in Fear and Rejoyce in Trembling and with the Holy Man of God we can sing of the Judgments of the Lord and also of his Mercies and so shall we all dwell together in the holy Fear low in our measures where we offer up unto God a living Sacrifice well-pleasing in his sight So mind our dear Love to Friends at the Gravesend and Long-Island and Oyster-Bay and let them know that the Love of our God which is shed abroad in our Hearts reaches to the Seed and breathes for the Preservation of its Off-spring that we may be comforted in our Travails concerning you for we are very certain that our Testimony is true for the Lord for he rewards us an hundred fold into our Bosom for we have had great Service in this Island and the Lord hath given unto our two Talents two more for which our Souls bless the Lord Let all that feel his holy Power rejoyce with us for the Work of the Lord goes on and Prospers in this Island since our coming hither he is turning back the Wisdom of the Wise though they laid many Baits and Snares for the Innocent yet the Snares are broken and we are delivered and Truth prospers over the Heads of them that do oppose Everlasting holy Praises be unto the Lord our God who carries his Lambs in his Arms and prospers his own Work Here is a great openness in this Island and the Lord is working secretly in Peoples Hearts though they little know it who it is that smites them So dear Friends when you have read this Epistle which is a Salutation of our Unfeigned Love you may read it in your Meeting and let Friends at Gravesend Long-Island and Oyster-Bay see it for you are all as one to us whose Hearts are Upright to God Our dear Love to Matthew Pryer and his Family to Mary Willis and her Family and Alice Crabe and her Family and to John Dickson and his Family and to Friends about Flushen and Jamaco to Hugh Couperwhete and his Wife and though we cannot remember their Names yet in that Unchangeable Love that can never be forgotten in which the Lord refresht our Immortal Souls when we were together do we dearly salute you all and do bid you all Farewel And if it be in any of your Hearts to write a few Lines to us ye may write to London for we should be glad to hear from Friends at so great a distance and how things are but we do not know at present when we shall go Home but in the Will of the Lord we stand who hath given us good Success Holy Praises be to his Name forever and evermore saith your Friends From Oliver Hutton's at Barbadoes the 12th of the 12th Mon. 1676. Thomas Alice Curwen There was a Widdow-Woman in Barbadoes that had Negro's to her Servants who were convinced of God's Eternal Truth and I hearing of them was moved to go to speak to the Woman for their coming to our Meetings and when I did speak to her she did deny me and then I did write to her as followeth Martha Tavernor I Cannot pass by but in Love write to thee for in Love we came to visit thee and to invite thee and thy Family to the Meeting but thou for thy part art like him that was invited to work in the Vineyard and went not And as for thy Servants whom thou callst thy Slaves I tell thee plainly thou hast no right to reign over their Conscience in Matters of Worship of the Living God for thou thy self confessedst that they had Souls to save as well as we Therefore for time to come let them have Liberty lest thou be called to give an Account to God for them as well as for thy self So in thy old Age chuse rather as a good Man did that both thou and thy whole Family may serve
with the Lamb as the Scripture declares That the Beast and the False Prophet shall make War with the Lamb but the Lamb shall get the Victory wherein the Redeemed of the Lord sing Praises Praises to the Lord God and the Lamb forever in the Land of the Living for it is the Lamb of God that takes away the Sins of the World and blotteth out the Hand-writing and come to know their Names written in the Book of Life And I am a Witness that the Promise of the Lord is fulfilled where the Lord hath written his Law in our Hearts and put his Spirit into our inward parts wherein we can read in the Book of Life in the great Mystery of Godsiness which is manifest in the Flesh in this our Day Praises to the Lord God and the Lamb forevermore The Priest's Name was Theophilus Ames who continued in Persecuting the Innocent but the Lord shortned his dayes in a little time he was so very Cruel he sent his Bailiffs to take away my Goods who took sixteen Beasts at one time which were worth 50 l. or there-about in the year 1665 about the 29th day of the 8th Moneth and about the 〈◊〉 of the 5th moneth in the year 1667. my self my Wife my Son were taken to Prison for not coming to their worship nor receiving the Sacrament and carryed me to Prison in a Cart who was so ill that I could neither go nor ride on Horse-back who did carry me about twenty Miles and did purpose to keep us in Prison for term of Life but the Lord did deliver us who is a present Help in time of need to the Faithful and Upright in Heart who are kept in his Fear blessed for evermore be his holy and blessed Name which is a strong Tower for the Righteous to flee unto in time of Storm when the Heathen rages and the People imagin vain things and after Priest Ames had cast us into Prison in the year 1667. about the 29th of the 5th moneth the Priest caused to be taken from me eleaven Beasts and one Horse which were worth about 40 l. and when he had taken these Beasts he fell on to plunder the House and took all the Goods that he could get away he took so near that he took Garden-Mittans and the Cole-Rake and when he had done this then the measure of his Wickedness and Iniquity was filled up and then the Lord shortly after shortned his dayes who dyed a Woful and Miserable Death for the Lord laid his Judgments upon him who wa both Blind and Mad before he dyed to the great Admiration and astonishment of all that did see his Death And then another Beast with his Horns began to push and to make War with the Lamb as the Scripture declares and blessed are they who are called to make War in Righteousness and if we put not into the false Prophets Mouthes they will make War against us and he that stands in the Gap makes himself a Prey The Priest's Name is Michael Stanford who is driving on Pharaoh's Charriots as fast as he can until the Lord shorten his dayes for Pharaoh's Heart was hardened when he did persecute the Children of Israel in the dayes of old and this Priest said That his Heart was hardened against us And what became of Pharaoh when his Heart was hardened that he would not let Israel go So all read that can for the Lord God will shorten the dayes of the Wicked for the Elect Seed's sake for it was the full Intent and Purpose of my Heart to continue in this Warfare about Tythes and Contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints and to stand a faithful Witness for the Lord's Testimony against the Beast and the False Prophet whilst I had a being in this Earthly Tabernacle until the Lord laid an Engagement upon me wherein I durst not disobey to go along with my dear Friend my Wife to be her Companion for the Clearing of her Testimony which the Lord had called her to who did bear a faithful Testimony for the Lord and hath laid down her Head in Peace And as for this Persecuting Priest these are his Actions and the Fruits of his Ministry at this time who about the 2d of the first moneth 1674. did take from me my Brewing-pan and also in the year 1674. his Bailiffs took from me three Beasts worth 8 l. and that which he called his Due was but about 6 s. So all People may see and know wheresoever this may come the Fruits of this Persecuting Priest's Ministry Priest Stanford's Tythe-mongers in the year 1673. took from me as followeth viz. Upon the 4th day of the 7th moneth James Chambers came forcibly and broke into a Field of Corn of mine and broke down the Hedge in several places and took the Corn out of the Field before I took and before one part of the Field was reapt contrary to the Law of the Nation And also James Chambers did break into another Corn-Field of mine upon the 11th day of the 7th moneth who broke down the Hedge in several places and did carry the Corn away before I took any And at another time James Chambers Thomas Chamblay and James Geldert went through a Field of Corn before the most of it was reapt contrary to the Law of the Nation And also on another day James Geldert came and broke into a Corn-Field of mine and did break down the Hedge and carryed away the Corn contrary to the Law of the Nation And upon another day James Geldert came and broke into a Field of Corn and broke down the Hedge and took away the Corn contrary to theLaw of the Nation And also John Hawood who rented the Fines caused a Horse to be taken from me for a Fine of 15 s. which was worth 4 l. which was for Conscience sake towards God in Obedience to his holy Command The Bailiffs Names by whom Priest Shaw cansed my Body to be imprisoned and my Goods to be taken away were these viz. Will. Garner John Garner Tho. Marshall James Postelwhete Tho. Poolton Christopher Garner John Poolton Miles Fell James Garner Richard Fell Will. Fell John Sanford The Constables Names viz. John Garner Christopher Chamblay Timothy Mount Leonard Cooper and Luke Benson Bailiff Priest Ames his Bailiffs Names viz. William Struckland Geo. Askew William Garner Tho. Poope Thomas Poolton James Chambers was Priest Ames his Constable to assist the Bailiffs for the Plundering of my House and let the Priest have a House to put the plundered Goods in and this Constable did provide a Horse and a Cart to carry me to Prison Priest Stanford's Bailiffs Names viz. William Struckland George Askew John Garner Richard Fell Luke Benson and also Roger Woodborn who was the Steward of the Court and also Judge there was a Jury appointed but he did not put the Action to the Jury but passed Judgment on it himself but the Lord shortned his dayes that he never tryed more Actions but dyed shortly Oh! that all People would take Warning and Repent lest they provoke the Lord to anger and they perish in his Wrath for the Indignation of the Lord burns like Fire against the Wicked and Ungodly upon the Earth who is a Consuming Fire to the Wicked THOMAS CURWEN THE END
Curwen the younger Thomas Cobb Thomas Curwen HIS TESTIMONY Which is in behalf of his Wife's Testimony which she did bear faithfully for God and for his Eternal Truth ever since she was Convinced and her Heart and Mind turned from Darkness to the Light of Jesus Christ and from Satan's Power to the Power of God who did serve the Lord in Fear and rejoyced with Trembling whilst Breath and Life remained And Blessed are the Dead that Dye in the Lord they do Rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them AND this I can say to the Praise and Glory of our God That she did Dye in the Lord for she did Praise and magnifie the Name of the Lord and was freely given up to dye and the Lord's Presence was with her which did carry her up above her Weakness in the Flesh and though she be dead and her Body return to the Dust yet her Spirit is alive where Hell Death and the Grave can never seperate us Glory to our God forever who is the God of the Living and not of the Dead and the Living Praise the Lord the Dead in the Grave of Sin cannot For the Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life and blessed are they that know the Gift of God and have their Minds exercised in it or else it had been better for them they had never known it but as their Minds are exercised in the Gift of God they come to witness Redemption from Sin and Death and come to witness Eternal Life where the Redeemed of the Lord do rejoyce who are redeemed out of the Earth and have a Habitation in Heaven and the Redeemed do sing Praises and Halelujahs to the Lord God and the Lamb forever and for evermore over Death Hell and the Grave for he is risen whom the Grave could not hold Glory to our God forever to whom all Power is given both in Heaven and in Earth and he will rule all with his Iron Rod everlasting Praises forever be given unto his holy blessed Name the Lamb of God who was slain from the Foundation of the world by whom the world was made who was dead but he is alive whose Name is called The word of God who was in the World and the World knew him not And ye will not come to me saith Christ that ye may have Life who hath given us Life Breath and Being that we may live to his Praise and to his Honour and Glory forever who is worthy who is worthy forever and for evermore saith my Soul And this I can say concerning my dear and loving Wife who was dear and tender over me to serve me in any thing that might do me good either for Soul or Body and the Consideration of her endeared Love to me doth often times come very fresh into my Remembrance which doth break my Heart into much Tenderness which doth cause me to write these few Lines concerning God's Testimony which she did bear for his Eternal Truth And I can truly say She was given me of the Lord who was a Meet Help for me who did live Husband and Wife about Thirty Eight Years who was my true Friend and Companion in Tribulation who did keep the Word of Patience in the Day of Tryal and in the Hour of Temptation and did bear the Burthen in the heat of the Day without Murmuring or looking back to the Flesh-Pots of Egypt but did Rejoyce in Tribulation Know ye not saith the Apostle that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and this Hope maketh not ashamed because we have obtained the End of our Hope which is Salvation to be as Walls and Bulwarks And now we can say to the Praise and Glory of our God That now is Salvation nearer than when we first believed And when a measure of the Spirit of Grace was manifested to her and she did feel the Operation of it working in her Heart and was led and guided by it Oh! how she did improve her Talent for the Lord and for one Talent he gave her more and the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ did teach her to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly and Righteously and Godly in this World and she did grow in the Grace of God from Strength to Strength and from Grace to Grace and her Affections were not on things below but on things above for her Treasure was in Heaven where neither Rust nor Moth could corrupt nor Thieves break through and Steal and the Lord was her Portion who is the Portion of the Righteous And when she was got into the highest Form of Profession she was very Zealous in her Way and Form that when the Truth came she was ready to receive it who did receive it with great Joy and Gladness of Heart and said Now I have found him whom my Soul loves which was my Desire which the blind watch-men could never know in reading of the Scriptures of Truth She had much comfort in reading of David's Psalms which was much Refreshment to her to sound forth Praises to the Lord and she did sing with the Spirit and with Understanding and she was almost alwayes Praising the Lord and magnifying his holy and blessed Name and when she could not speak she put her Hands together and did lift them up unto the Lord and did Praise the Lord in her Heart And when the Lord did send her forth to preach the Everlasting Gospel she did not reason with Flesh and Blood for the Lord's Power and Presence was with her wherein she did sound forth his Praises to the Nations and did declare of the Wonderful Works which the Lord had done for the Sons and Daughters of Men And she was not ashamed to confess the Name of the Lord before men who was brought several times before Magistrates and Rulers and was cast into Prison and was set in the Stocks and brought to the Whipping-Post for her Testimony which she had to bear for the Lord and for his Eternal Truth for she did follow Christ Jesus fully who was the Captain of her Salvation and did make War in Righteousness with the Beast and the False Prophet and her Captain did never fail her in time of Need but did go before her and did tread down her Enemies as Ashes under her Feet and the Lamb did get the Victory Glory to our God forever who did plead the Cause of the Innocent and did put a Word in her Mouth in every needful time and the Lord was with her and his Eternal Arm and Power did cover her Head in the Day of Battel And she did often pray to the Lord and said Lord let me injoy thy Presence and I desire no more and the Lord did hear her Cry and did answer her Desire for the Love of God was so large unto her which is more than I can express Glory and Everlasting Praises be unto the Lord. And she had great