which liveth and abideth for ever and fadeth not away In the same I commend thy dear tender Lambs to be preserved according to the 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 inasmuch as thou hast so far fulfilled thy living Word of Prophesie and not only 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 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 only 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 on your behalf which is my reasonable service and so I leave the same to the liviâ—g 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 everlasting praise to whom only 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 yearned 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 Month 1661. So farewel and feel the Well-spring of Life When my face you do not see Wait in the Eternal Life and then remember me 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 give forth 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 Country 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 and Daughters that were and are as dear and precious to me as my own life may bear me record on the Lord's behalf unto the truth of what I write on this wise and surely in the Counsel everlasting the thing was hid from me then whether ever I should return to my Native Country 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 Jesus 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 sends forth as among Wolves in his Dove-like Innocency harmlesness and wisdom which are 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 dayes 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 Country in the Will Love and Spirit of our God in the same day from Gravesend we set forth and at the end of forty four dayes 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
A TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE Great Tryals and Cruel Sufferings undergone by those two faithful Servants of God KATHERINE EVANS And SARAH CHEEVERS In the time of their above three years and a halfs Confinement in the Island MALTA Also How God at last by his Almighty Power effected their Deliverance and brought them back into the Land of their Nativity To which is added A short RELATION from George Robinson of the Sufferings that befel him in his Journey to Jerusalem and how God saved him from the hands of Cruelty when the Sentence of Death was passed against him London Printed for R. Wilson 1663. 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 Jesuites and what not adhering 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 passe true Sentence of sound and perfect Judgement 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 not And thus it comes to passe and indeed it cannot be otherwise with such that have not their minds stayed 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 enlightneth the poor and deceitful man's eyes is the true measure and equal ballance which all are to try and prove and weigh words thoughts intents wayes 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 albeit his eyes be enlightned with the Light of the Lord Prov. 29. 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 it is 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 bring their deeds to the Light that they may be manifest they are wrought in God who is Light who is Truth and so what is here following written and published is to be tryed and proved by the Witness of God in every Conscience which is true and will answer to the same things or words that spring 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 lest a place of Repentance become finally hid from thine eyes 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 â—f 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 O 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 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 honourable 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
for any The Fryars went to Sarah and told her if she would she should go forth of the Prison and say nothing nor do nothing She said she would upon that account He said they would come in the morning and so they did but the Lord saw their deceit and fore-warned Sarah and bid her mind Esau who sold his Birth-right for a morsel of meat and Judas that betrayed his Master for thirty pieces of Silver That when they came she was strengthned against them and said she stood in the Counsel of God and could take up nothing in her own will they had not power to have her forth They said the Inquisitor said If we did want Linnen Woollen Stockens Shooes or Money we should have it But there was a poor English Man heard that Sarah was in a Room with a window next the Street it was high he got up and spake a few words to her and they came violently and hall'd him down and cast him into Prison upon Life and Death And the Friars came to know of us whether he had brought any Letters We said No I did not see him They said they did think he would be hang'd for it He was one that they had taken from the Turks and made a Catholick of him Sarah wrote a few lines to me of it and said She did think the English Friars were the chief actors of it we had a private way to send to each other I wrote to her again and after my Salutation I said Whereas she said the Friars were the chief actors she might be sure of that for they did hasten to fill up their measures but I believe the Lord will preserve the poor man for his love I am made to seek the Lord for him with tears and I desired she would send him something once a day if the Keeper would carry it and I told her of the glorious Manifestations of God to my Soul for her comfort so that I was ravished with Love and my Beloved was the chiefest of ten thousands and how I did not fear the face of any man though I did feel their arrows for my Physician is nigh me and how I was waiting upon the Lord and saw our safe return into England and I was talking with G. F. to my great refreshment The Name of G. F. did prick them to the heart I said it was much they did not tempt us with Money I bid her take heed the Light would discover it and many more things let it come under what cover it would And this Paper came to the Friars hands by what means we could never tell but as the Light did shew us the Lord would have it so it smote the Friar that he was tormented many dayes and he translated it into Italian and laid it before their Lord Inquisitor and got the Inquisitor's Lieutenant and came to me with both the Papers in his hand and askt me If I could read it I said yea I writ it O! did you indeed said he And what is it you say of me here That which is truth said I. Then he said Where is the Paper Sarah sent bring it or else I will search the Trunk and every where else I bid him search where he would He said I must tell what man it was that brought me the Ink or else I should be tyed with Chains presently I told him I had done nothing but what was just and right in the sight of God and what I did suffer would be for Truth 's sake and I did not care I would not meddle nor make with â—he poor Workmen He said For God's sake tell me what Sarah did write I told him a few words and said it was truth Said he You say it is much we do not tempt you with Money And in a few hours they came and tempted us with Money often So the Lieutenant took my Ink and threw it away and they were smitten as if they would have fallen to the ground and went their way I saw them no more in three Weeks but the poor man was set free the next morning They went to Sarah and told her that I had honestly confest all and that she was best to confess too and threatned her with a Halter and to take away a Bed and Trunk and her Money to have half of it for me She answered she might not fend to me any more She askt him Whether he was a Minister of Christ or a Magistrate if he were a Magistrate he might take her money but she would not give it him And they that were with him said No he should not meddle with any thing He was a bitter wicked man He told her She was possest She answered and said She was with the power of an endless Life The Lord was not wanting to us at any time for Power nor Words to stop the mouths of gain-sayers of his Truth neither in Revelations nor Visions Praises be to his Name for ever He kept us in our weakest condition bold for his Truth declaring against all sin and wickedness so that many were convinced but did not dare to own it for fear of Faggot and Fire There were none that had any thing to say against what we spake but the Friars but would have us to joyn with them There were none did come into the Inquisition but the Judgments of the Lord would be upon them so that they would cry and foam and send for a Physitian many of them The unclean spirits would cry out as much as ever they did against Jesus and would gnash vvith their teeth vvhen we vvere at prayer there vvas a Friar and other great Men the Friar vvould run as if he had been at his wits end and call to the Keeper and he vvould run for the English Frier and he vvould go to the Inquisitor for counsel and sometimes they vvould send him word they should have a remedy I should be sent to Rome and sometimes the Friars would come but had not power to say any thing to me of it The Lord did say unto us Lift up your Voice like the noise of a Trumpet and sound forth my Truth like the shout of a King There vvas one that Life was risen in him but they vvere upon him as Eagles till they had destroyed him he did undergo terrible Judgments all the time he vvas in the Inquisition Our Money served us a year and seven weeks and vvhen it vvas almost gone the Friars brought the Inquisitors Chamberlain to buy our Hats We said vve came not there to sel our clothes nor any thing vve had Then the Friar did commend us for that and told us we might have kept our money to serve us otherwise We said no we could not keep any money and be chargeable to any vve could trust God He said He did see we could but they should have maintained us vvhile they kept us Prisoners And then the Lord did take away our Stomacks vve did eat but
gain-say they were so tormented that they did run to the Hills and to the Mountains to cover them from the Presence of the Lord and from the Wrath of the Lamb which sits upon the Throne to judge them righteously and to condemn them for all their wicked deeds which they so ungodlily had committed against him Oh! the goodness of the Lord and his long-suffering and forbearance vvhich would lead them to Repentance but they would not hearken to his Counsel but turned his Laws behind their backs and hated to be instructed by them therefore the Lord did laugh at their destruction and did mock when their fear came Their wickedness was so great and my burthen so heavy to bear it that I cryed to the Lord and said It is better for me to die than to live and would gladly have given up my life in testimony against them all I was as 't were compelled to declare against all their Wayes Works and Worships insomuch that they ran to the Inquisitor to have me chained or punish'd some other way but the Power of the Lord chained them that they could not diminish a hair of my head the Lord was my safety praises be to his Name for ever Now some as they passed to their Worship-houses would sigh and some pray and some did throw stones at my Window they did work night and day about the Prison as though they would have broke through to slay me but the Lord was with me and did fight for me and did scatter his Enemies as the dust before the Wind Glory be to his Name for evermore I cannot express the large Love of our God how he did preserve us from so many Deaths and Threatnings as they did come to me with falling down upon their knees saying Mass and would have me to say after them but in the Name of the Lord I denyed them They would howl like Dogs because they could not beguile the Innocent and slay my righteous life but praises be to the Lord our God who did preserve me from the Wolf and the Devourers denying them their Sacrifices And when they saw they could not prevail to betray us from the Truth then they said they would give us to the Devil to be tormented and deliver us over to their bad Catholicks to do by us as they pleased for they would use us badly and so they did seek to do Oh the cursed noises and cryes the Sodomites did make crying Quake quake running about the Prison raging and some singing and crouding round the Prison night and day as if they would have broke through to slay me and the sons of Belial did run to bear false witness so that I looked every hour when they would fetch me out and slay me The Enemy did so work to perswade that they had prest my dear yoke fellow with stones which was a great trouble to me because I I could not suffer death with her I did yeeld she had been slain And afrerwards this great tribulation being ended then they said my dear and faithful yoke-fellow should be sent to Rome and I should tarry at Malta which did so encrease my sorrow and wrought upon my spirit to try and examine wherefore the Lord should deal so hardly with me as to leave me behind or whether he did not count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony with her to Rome and offer up my Life for the Testimony of Jesus than to have my liberty to return to England with her and I cryed day and night to the Lord and would not give my soul rest nor my eyes sleep till the Lord did answer me glory and praises be to his Name for ever But we saw Jacob must part with all Benjamin must go too So we were willing to give up in obedience to the Lord our tryals were unspeakable Oh the unclean spirits they would speak to us at noon-day but the Lord did give us power over them that we did not fear the wild Boars out of the Wood nor the wild Beasts out of the Field Then there was one came and said that Katherine and I must be both sent to Rome Which did rejoyce my soul and renewed my strength because the Lord did count me worthy to go and give in my Testimony for his Truth the Word of his Prophesie before the great and mighty ones of the Earth The Lord said I should not be afraid and he shewed me in the Light how he had bowed them down before us and I saw them in the Light of Christ how the Pope the Friars and Sorcerers stood in ranks bowing down before us So we saw our Dominion in Spirit They did work to send us to Rome but the Lord did blast it and fought against them that they could not send us Now our Testimony was as largely given in at Rome as at Malta The Friars came to me and shewed me Mary and her Babe pictured against a Wall and would have me look upon it I stampt with my foot and said Cursed be all Images and Image-makers and all that fall down to worship them Christ Jesus is the express Image of his Fathers Brightness which is Light and Life who doth reveal the Mystery of Iniquity the cunning working of Satan to draw out the mind to follow him from the pure Life and to vail over the Just One from beholding the Presence of the Lord. But glory be to the Lord who hath made him manifest in thousands of his in this Day of his Power When we were separated we spake one and the same thing being guided by one Spirit They would go from me to Katherine and they would bid her speak as Sarah did and so she did to their condemnation Praises to the Lord Amen A PAPER sent from them to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor in Malta For the Lord Inquisitor and his Council c. MEns persons I cannot admire they that do admire and respect any man's person do it because of advantage and such are transgressors the Apostles James and Jude say In obedience to the Lord in love to your souls from the Fountain of Love and Springs of Life that stream forth to the refreshment of the whole City of God am I constrained to visit you with these few Lines and I beseech you to reade it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekness and see that nothing arise in you against it for it is God's Truth Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world that hath enl ghtned every one that comes into the world saith This is Life eternal to know thee the only true God Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Now the knowledge of God is Life eternal and there is no other way to come to this knowledge but to have the mind turned from darkness to the Light out of the visible to that which is invisible viz. the Light in the Conscience which convinceth of sin and iniquity when no mortal eye can see you And as
can separate In which Light and Life do I salute thee my dear Husband with my Children wishing you to embrace Gods love in making his Truth so clearly manifest amongst you whereof I am a Witness even of the everlasting Fountain that hath been opened by the Messengers of Christ who preach to you the Word of God in season and out of season directing you where you may find your â—aviour to purge and cleanse you from your sins and to reconcile you to his Father and to have unity with him and all the Saints in the Light that ye may be fellow Citizens in the Kingdom of Glory Rest and Peace which Christ hath purchased for them that love him and obey him What profit is there for to gain the whole World and lose your own Souls Seek first the Kingdom of God the Righteousness thereof and all other things shall be added to you Godliness is great gain having the promise of this life that now is and that which is to come which is fulfilled to me who have tasted of the Lord 's endless Love and Mercies to my soul and from a moving of the same love and life do I breath to thee my dear Husband with my Children my dear Love salutes you all my Prayers to my God are for you all that your minds may be joyned to the Lighâ— wherewith you are lightned that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal and have community with you in the Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit one heart one mind one soul to serve the Lord with one consent I cannot by Pen or Paper set forth the large Love of God in fulfilling his gracious Promises to me in the Wilderness being put into Prison for God's Truth there to remain all dayes of my life being searched tryed examined upon pain of death among the Enemies of God and his Truth standing in jeopardy for my life until the Lord had subdued and brought them under by his mighty Power and made them to feed us and would have given us money or clothes but the Lord did deck our Table richly in the Wilderness The Day of the Lord is appeariâ—â— wherein he will discover every Deed of darkness let it be done never so secret the Ligâ—â— of Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience the Lord will rip up all coveringâ— that is not of his own Spirit The God â—f Peace be with you all Amen Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand of Sarah Cheevers for the hand of Henry Cheevers my dear Husband give this fail not I do not well remember that this was one of the surprized Letters A Letter to a Kinswoman of S. C. S. P. MY dear Kinswoman I dearly salute thee with thy Husband and thy tender Babes I am not unmindful of thee nor of thy Love that thou shewed'st to me I know thou shalt not lose thy reward thou hast found refreshment in it for it was of the Lord My Burthen was weighty for the Lord I â—ould have fled the Cross but praises be to â—he Lord that kept me to it that I might â—ot lose the Crown I was straitned in it till I gave up to it Praised be the Name of our God for ever Amen Stand fast in the Lord â—et none take thy Crown The God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear pressing forward to the price of an interruptible Crown of Glory Peace and Rest â—ut of all strife Keep to the pure Life watch the Enemy keep thy mind staid in the measure of God's Grace that is able to make thee wise unto salvation and to give thee an inheâ—itance with the rest of the Children of Light My tender lamb fear and dread the living God keep in his presence go not out to let in the Enemy to break thy peace and to darken thy understanding and to vail over the pure from beholding thy Saviour Incline thine ear to him give up to a daily Cross to thy own will Stand single empty wait upon the Lord to be fill'd with his Fulness let him be all thy treasure ask of him he giveth liberally Believe and thou shalt receive his Promise is large I have found it so Having nothing yet enjoying all things I have â—asted handled and felt of his everlasting Love and indurable Riches my life is rapt up in it I have found Him whom my sâ—â—â— loveth Oh! what might I do to set hiâ— forth He is the choicest of ten thousands therefore doth my soul love him My life is given up for him his Truth for to declare Lord guide me in thy path and keep me in thy fear Amen My dear Aunt My dear love and life is with thee and I do embrace thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Fathers love with thy dear Husband and little Ones Another in the same Paper to Friends MY dearly beloved Sisters Friends of Truth I dearly salute you in the Light Life and Love of our God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost wherein I do rejoyce and have union with you My Life is given up to serve the Lord. Oh how my soul travels for the Seed of God's Kingdom to be sown throughout all Nations for the gathering in of Christ's scattered Flock and for the destruction of sin and Satan For our God is weighing the Mountains in Scales and the Dust in an equal Ballance He is pulling down the mighty and raising the meek humble lowly he is feeding the poor and hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away My dear Babes and Lambs feed of the sincere Milk of the Word of Life that you may grow up in it and wax strong in spirit to praise the Lord and to glorifie him who is worthy Be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might seek him earnestly call upon him continually let your whole Meditations be staid in him alway Seek him earnestly deny your own thoughts and words give heed to the Light bring all your deeds to it give up all that is contrary to be slain stand single empty naked before the Lord that you may be filled with the Streams of his everlasting Love Oh my dear hearts our God is full of love stand not back press forward let nothing hinder you the Lord calls for you My Son give me thy heart The Promise of our God is as large to you as to any if you can believe your straitness is in your selves For God is a full Fountain abundance of love runs forth to them that can trust him I can witness it in the barren Wilderness he caused streams of living Water to break forth I cannot express it it is so large therefore doth my soul thirst after you my dear Ones the love of God is to you My dear Sisters I have you in my remembrance and do pray to my God and your God that you may be enlarged in your measures
never changeth My dear and faithful Friends I am often refreshed in you when the Light brings you to my remembrance then do I feel the springs of Love and Life which ariseth from the pure Fountain of Eternal refreshments to my joy and comfort wherein I am made to praise and glorifie my God and your God who hath redeemed us out of the Chains of darkness and Kingdom of blackness into the everlasting brightness glory joy and perfect blessedness for ever to dwell in the enjoyment of his living presence as we abide faithful to Eternity in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right â—and is pleasure for evermore My prayers are night and day without ceasing to our Heavenly Father that not one of his begetting may ever turn or slide back but that every one may press forward towards the Mark of the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus who is our Life and Glory and so all may come to wear the Crown of Life and Immortality triumphing in the everlasting Blessedness of the Heavenly Riches and Eternal Joy and Happiness that 's perfect for ever Amen Oh! my dear Brother and Sister we are all Children of our Father begotten in the everlasting Seed of the Promise of Eternal Life and Salvation Oh my precious Friends wait patiently with me alwayes in the pure Fear of the perfect and pure God who hath an eternal Treasure full of everlasting Riches and ready to distribute them to all his dutiful Children Glory and Praises be given to his blessed Name for ever Oh my Beloved ones your love to me is written in the Records that cannot be lost Dear hearts glorifie our God in my behalf that ever he counted me worthy to suffer for his Name I hope to see youâ— faces again yet once more with joy and gladness with my dear yoke-fellow in the Lord's Work before we go hence and be no more seen So in the tender bowels of pure Love do I take my leave of you at this time The everlasting peace and blessedness be upon you and upon the whole Israel of God Amen Dearly salute us to all Friends This was written in the Inquisition at Malta in the 11th month of the year 1661. Katherine Evans There was another Letter and Paper which was intercepted but I have it not here with me it being sent home from Legorn Yet here followeth more of their Writings to Friends and to my own particular which at several times I received from them unknown to their Oppressors A Copy of a Letter that I was moved to write the next day after I came to the Island and City and communicated to their hands DEar Lambs Peace be unto you Amen Now seeing that the Everlasting God and Father of all Truth hath in his tender love fatherly mercy and bowels of compassion through the tryals of manifold sufferings and temptations hitherto even to this day upheld and preserved you in the Innocency and its Testimony against the contrary although sometimes I know that you have tasted the sentence of death in your selves and even as it were ready to despair of life yet in the living Testimony of Innocency in the answer of a good Conscience I Daniel bear you Record in the Covenant of Life the same remaineth with you and you are in it a good sweet savour to the Lord and his Eternal Truth and People Oh! blessed for ever be his Name yea and my very heart and life blesseth and magnifieth the Lord on your behalf Wherefore my dear Friends be faithful full of Faith and the living invisible God of Peace is with you and will not forsake you seeing it is so and much more you know which might be declared Oh! I am moved in the Bowels of my Father's Love as one with you in tryals and the exercise of manifold temptations to stir up your pure and innocent minds by way of remembrance and also to beseech you to take heed to the Testimony of Life that 's undefiled and manifest in you and to dwell in the same which retains the Joy and Comfort of the Lord and his Peace which you know is not of the World and so to watch and beware of the Enemy that is near to tempt to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and to dispair and so to betray not only your own innocent long-sufferings but also the Testimony of the Lord God of our Life for which you have so long suffered and by the pure Divine Vertue of the same have you been to this day preserved so that the Lord who is and will be your reward hath not been wanting to you on his part Oh faint not but lift up your heads and be faithful still as I am not otherwise perswaded concerning you and I am well perswaded that in his own Covenant and Way Deliverance will come to the Seed and ye know if the same come not in his own Covenant of Truth in the Light of his Countenance it cannot be well but your nay you know is to be nay and so to stand in the Truth against the contrary whatsoever our God permits unreasonable men to inflict upon the outward or visible body and the same also will work for his Glory and also for the Good and Eternal Peace of his innocent suffering Lambs notwithstanding Your tender Brother D. B. ANd when this with other Papers I had through not a little difficulty communicated to their hands over the heads of our Enemies I was moved to speak my Message as from the Lord of Life to them after I had offered up my body and to lay down my Life for these poor Innocents my dear Friends and so with my voice I saluted them in the Lord's Truth as they stood at the Prison-Grates with these words in the behalf of the general Assembly of the Saints in light to wit The whole Body of God's Elect right dearly owneth your Testimony and you are a sweet savour unto the Lord and his people And forasmuch as one of these poor afflicted Lambs replied and said on this wise as if it was a trouble to them that they could not be more serviceable Then my heart being melted and my bowels of pity mercy and compassion being moved I said That it was a wonderful mercy of the Lord in as much as they were preserved in their own measure of Truth and pure Innocency for which my heart praised the Lord for what mine eye saw which right dearly affected my heart and we were well refreshed at that season in the sweet presence of our living God albeit our bodies were at a distance but so as we could behold each others face through the Prison bars of Iron in the Inquisition Now for so much as in the Wisdom of God it is seen meet that the fore-mentioned and following Writings which came from their hands might appear to publick view that thereby every Member of the one Body may have a right understanding and not only
of his Love or else we had fainted long ago Oh! let all who know the Lord praise and glorifie his holy Name for ever and ever Amen Dear Friends farewel in the Lord. From us who are in outward bonds in the City of Malta for the Testimony of JESUS Glory be to his Name for ever who hath counted us worthy We are in health at present blessed be God Ka. Evans Sa. Chevers Several other Writings to D. B. whilst he was in MALTA OH thou tender-hearted one whom our God and our eternal Father hath sent to relieve us his poor innocent Lambs in hard bondage and deep captivity which thou art an eye-witness of none can receive or discern it but those that do see it But our heavenly Father who hath respect to the rest of them that believe in his Name hath sent thee to be an eye-witness in some measure of what we have undergone Oh my dear precious and endeared one thou meek Lamb thou innocent Dove who dost bear the likeness beauty and brightness of that unspotted One that is come in the Volumn of the Book to do the Will of God We can give in our Testimony for thee that thou camest here in the Power Authority of the Most High to which the tall Cedars were made to bow and the strong Oaks to bend praises praises be given to our everlasting God for evermore Oh my dearly beloved Brother thy beauty shineth indeed thou art all glorious within and without thy Garments are perfumed with all delightsom scents We smell the sweet Odours thereof and do feel the fulness of Love and Life which runs from thy tender heart day and night to us and in the same Unity of Love do our hearts stream forth to thee as thou knowest full well Oh how have our hearts and bowels been melted for thee our heads and eyes have run with tears and our souls have been poured forth to our heavenly Father for thy preservation and we did truly labour to see thy face before thou camest Glory and praises be given to our Eternal Lord God Amen saith our spirits that he doth vouchsafe us so great a mercy as to behold the face of so precious a Friend We do beseech God to moderate us with his Eternal Spirit that we may alwayes be mindful of his mercies and never to let his benefits slip out of our minds We have been near death many times when we had none to come near us but those that preached death and destruction to us I have lain twelve dayes or more in a fast in strong travel night and day that my dearly beloved Yoke-mate would have been glad if the Lord would have taken me out of the body because of my great affliction Then the English Friar which was here came up and down to us and would say to my Friend She is ready to depart send for me and take notice what tormentt she will be in a thousand Devils will be about her to fetch her soul to Hell because she will not be a Catholick And after we were parted we were called to fast so that my Friend was so weak that she put on such linnen upon her head as she thought to lie in in her Grave We did eat but little in a month together when our money was almost done till we did know the mind of the Lord what to do Then thy did run to and fro like mad men and the Friars did come and say The Inquisitor sent them to tell us we might have any thing we would eat and they did say it was not possible that ever creatures could live with so little meat for so long a time together They did bring us meat and say the English Consul did send it It was a glorious Fast indeed the Lord did appear wonderfully in it praises be given to him for ever Amen We were very weak because the power did work so strongly I had no manner of food in my body five or six days together We did lie in our clothes because we had no strength to put them off nor one to make our bed Then we did speak to the Friar that we might come together but he said they had no such order if we would have a Physician we might And there we lay none knowing from morning to morning whether we were dead or alive We were kept quiet and still till the Lord's time was come they brought many things for us to eat Then the Lord said Thou mayest take as freely as if thou hadst laboured for it with thy hands I will sanctifie it to thee through the Cross And he said unto Sarah she should eat of the fruit of her hands and be blessed And we did eat and were refreshed and glorified the Lord We did cry mightily unto the Lord night and day that we might not eat nor drink to offend him we would rather dye The Lord was well pleased with our Sacrifice and did increase our strength and administred comfort to us honor and glory be to his blessed Name for ever In the lowest of all our conditions we were kept a top of all the mountains so that they could not make us shrink or bow one jot or tittle to any of their Precepts or Commands Yet the Friars have commanded us in the name of their god to kneel with them in prayer The time is too little for me to disclose the twentieth part of the terrible tryals but whensoever we were brought upon any tryal the Lord did take away all 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 mouthes of the gainsayers that they would be made to say We spake Truth they could never say otherwise But they would say We had not the true Faith but we had all Virtues Oh dear heart if it be our Eternal Fathers good pleasure to carry thee away without us we do beseech our heavenly Father to bless and give thee a prosperous return and to feed thee with the fulness of the blessing of the powerful Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen And we do believe we shall not want 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 rejoyced and we may receive our Reward with the rest of the Lord's Lambs Our Life is with the for oh thou art full of Love thou tender-hearted one who hast offered up thy sanctified body and purified life in obedience to the Lord for us poor afflicted Lambs with 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 will arise in thee in thy Journey Oh thou happy one indeed whom the Lord our God hath made choice
to the ends of the Earth to the astonishment of the Heathen and the amazement of the Ungodly to the preparation of all Nations to appear before the dreadful Presence of our Lord God Almighty to be stript of all false coverings and to be left without excuse Glory and Praises be to our God for ever Amen who hath made us eye-witnesses of his mighty Work and helpers together with you according to our measures to the chaining down of the Powers of darkness and to the defacing of that painted Harlot Mystery Babylon with all her Lovers to the utter overthrow of Antichrist with all his wicked Kingdom Amen The day is dawning the Sun of Righteousness is arising over all Nations for to make a clear separation to gather in his own Flock and to scatter the proud in the imaginations of their own hearts to feed the hungry to heal the sick and to bind up the broken hearted to cloath the naked to visit the spirits in prison and comfort the Mourners in Sion to cause the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem to rejoyce Oh my dear Friends who are precious in the sight of our Heavenly Father partakers of his Divine Nature living Stones and holy Assemblies wherein dwelleth the fulness of God Almightie's Power and Strength Riches Glory Wisdom Counsel Knowledge and Understanding he is the Rock of Ages the sure Foundation the Ark of the Covenant of the Promise of everlasting Blessedness Amen My dear and precious Ones whom my soul loveth my heart delighteth in you and my spirit rejoyceth greatly because of the excellency of God's Almightiness amongst you so that you are a dread to the Nations Kings Princes and mighty Men of the Earth shall bow before the Power of Almighty God by whom we stand and all shall be brought under the Foot-stool of Christ his Government and he alone shall reign in Righteousness and rule the Nations in Judgement then shall the cry of the Poor be heard and the sighing of the Needy be eased and the yoke of Wickedness be broken and the Oppressed shall be set free the Image of Christ restored and the Image of that subtile Serpent defaced destroyed and utterly cast down for ever Amen so saith my spirit Glory honour laud and praise be given to our Lord God Almighty for ever Amen A sweet Salutation is this from the breathing forth of my pure Life to the same Life in my Spirit joyning in my measure a sufferer for the Seeds sake Glory to the Lord who hath counted me worthy Farewel farewel my dear hearts My dear Yoke-mate K. E. dearly salutes all Friends Oh ye holy Assemblies whose hearts are wholly joyned to the Lord I with you in the Life and Power of the Almighty God do travel for the raising of the Seed and the gathering in of the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Oh! blessed be the Day wherein the Lord called me and counted me worthy to suffer for the Seeds sake Praise praise the Lord for me ye blessed of the Lord in whom the living Praises are found in the living Fountain of God Almighty the Fulness that filleth every empty soul in the Streams of Love Life Light Strength Riches Immortality and Eternal Glory So Truth Joy Peace and everlasting Blessedness remain with you all for ever Amen My Life is given up for the Service of the Lord Bonds Chains Bolts Irons Double-doors Death it self is too little for the Testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God so the Seed be gathered it is but a reasonable Sacrifice Bonds and Afflictions betide the Gospel of Christ He that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution it is an evident token My dear Friends my Light my Life my Love hath perfect Union in the Eternal Spirit of the living God and remains with you all for ever Fathers Elders Pillars Nursing-Mothers in Israel true Israelites indeed in whom is no guile My dear Salutation and breathing forth of my Eternal Father's Love is to all the breathing Seed begotten of the Heavenly Father Peace Mercy and Truth be multiplied among you all for ever Amen Pray for us that we may have boldness over our Enemies to fulfil the righteous Will of our heavenly Father and be kept faithful in his Will for ever Amen Streams of Love and Life flow from a living Fountain to you all my dear Friends Our Love remaineth ever with you all Amen Present this to the hand of L. C. L C. Thou Nursing-Mother in Israel peace be to thee for ever Amen Thy dear Brother Daniel Baker in the Covenant of Life in obedience to the Lord hath visited us to the amazement of our Enemies Glory be to the Lord for ever Amen He hath been a faithful Steward indeed worthy to be had in remembrance in the Book of Israel for ever Amen Whatsoever for the Truth we suffer our Reward is with us and our innocent Life will clear us Amen Written by me Sarah Cheevers a Prisoner in the Inquisition for the clear Testimony of the Lord Jesus This 11th Month of the year 1661. NOw after I had received these Papers though not through little straits and difficulty with jeopardy of my precious Life which my God sweetly through all preserved Glory to his Name my heart was as it were overcome with the loving-kindness and salvation of the living Lord and in his savory Life my mouth was filled with thanksgiving and praises to my God and I said in my heart on this wise Who am I O Lord or what was my Father's House or what is the Land of my Nativity that I a poor afflicted and despised Worm should be raised up to see and perceive what mine eye mine eye in thy Eternal Power and pure Life beholds Oh my God! thou hast known the innocent travel of my Soul which I right-well know the same is not hid from thee even from the day of my birth unto this moment through no small trials and tribulations and through the exercise of manifold temptations yet behold my Life is preserved at this time And Oh my heart my mind my soul my spirit in thy pure undefiled Life and Vertue blesseth thy Name thy pure Name which thy Virgins love and live in and in the same they glorifie thy Beloved and the Wings of thy Majesty overshadoweth them and their delight is under the secret shadow of thy Almightiness blessed be thy Glory blessed be thy undefiled Power blessed and magnified be thy pure Wisdom and let the same be so even in the Tabernacles of the Just for ever Thou Lamb of Immortality the Thrones the Kingdoms and Eternal Dominions are thine and over all thy Throne is and shall be exalted and thy Lambs behold thy Glory and thy Majesty in this the day of thy terrible and glorious â—ppearance Wisdom Riches Glory Power Might and Dominion everlasting with Eternal Salvation over all to thy Name Amen saith my spirit in the Life which is was and for ever shall be the same
Joy your Joy and our Crown your Crown yea really I know it cannot be otherwise For if one of the members of the body do faint or fail or break or start aside it causeth a breach or defect in the whole body So likewise if one member do prosper in his measure be it never so small I know the whole body is strengthened refreshed and comforted and we know you all delight in us and rejoyce over us even as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the â—ride I do behold it in the Light of Righteousness and receive the benefit of it in the bright shining Countenance of our everlasting Father's Love and our souls do magnifie the Lord of Life and Glory and our spirits do sing for joy that ever we were found worthy of so high and honourable a Calling to bear the Name of our pure perfect Redeemer before the High and Mighty of the Earth and to suffer so long time under them for our pure living Testimony of the pure holy Life of Innocency Oh! praises praises to our God everlastingly world without end Amen Amen In a short time after our gracious Deliverance out of the Inquisition the Lord committed great Judgement to me to pronounce against the City saying That I must prophesie yet once more in his Name and give it out in writing The Cross seemed very heavy but I did not dare to look at it but was obedient to the heavenly Voice and writ the Prophecy O All ye Heads and Rulers Princes and Governours of Malta hearken to the Voice of the Lord. The 25th day of the sixth month called August the year 1662. near the tenth hour of the day the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Thou must prophesie yet once more in my Name to the Heads and Rulers Princes and Governours of Malta the aforesaid City and prophesie saying Thus saith the Lord God of power who made Heaven and Earth the Seas and all things that are therein and is the Preserver of all mankind especially of them that do believe in his Name My wrath is kindled against you and my Judgment is set up amongst you because of your hard-heartedness and unbelief I the Lord God who desire the death of no man but that all should return unto me and live in tenderness and love to your souls I cast in my Servants yet amongst you contrary to their wills and out of their own knowledge to go and forewarn you of the evil that I was bringing upon you with line upon line and precept upon precept of my undenyable Testimonies and unfailable Truths of the glorious and powerful Appearing of my blessed Son the Lord Jesus Christ the Light of the World in thousands of my Saints and People in this the great and mighty Day of my Power for the destruction of Sin and Satan and all the works of darkness all manner of iniquity and uncleanness in this Nation and in all Nations and Counâ—ries throughout the whole Earth for all the Wicked shall be brought to Judgement that that which is pure may arise to rule in the hearts of people and I will overturn overturn in all places till I have restored Judges as at the first and Counsellours as at the beginning men of perfect hearts and upright spirits fearing my Name doing the works of Equity and Justice to every one without respect of persons like unto faithful Moses and righteous Samuel and will establish my beloved Son upon his Throne and he shall rule in his Princely Power and reign in his Kingly Majesty whose right it is over all and his own Spiritual Government shall be set up in all places Righteous Rulership and pure Worship in Spirit and in Truth and there is nothing that can prevent the Lord who saith If ye will not hear my Servant which speakeâ—h my Word whom you have proved almost these four years whose life hath been harmless and spotless in pure Innocency amongst you then will I bring Wo upon Wo and Judgment upon Judgment upon you till the living shall not be able to bury the dead my mouth hath spoken it and my zeal will perform it and every man's hands shall be upon his loins for pain for the day of Recompence is come But if you will hear my Servant which speaketh unto you in my Name and return in your minds to the Light in your Consciences which convinceth of all sin and wait upon me in pure silence holy fear dread and awe and deny all evil thoughts words and actions then will I pour out of my Spirit upon you and will make my wayes known unto you and will soon cure you of your diseases and heal you of your pain This have I written in obedience to the God of all Power whom I truly serve in spirit and in truth according to my measure O dear and noble Prince and People receive it from the Lord and not from me and prove the Prophecy in the Spirit of meekness as you are wise and sober-minded men without rashness or hastiness in the fear of the Lord God that gave you life and see whether I have prophesied in mine own name or in the Name of the Lord if in mine own name the things I have prophesied of will not come to pass but if in the Name of the Lord then they will come to pass daily one after another This have we prophesied ever since the time you call Christ's Resurrection as we have been moved of the Spirit of the Lord and delivered it to the Consul to take it to the Grand Master with the rest of the Heads and Governors The Consul threatened me with the Prison again The Lord said Fear not I am thy God And in a few dayes after the Lord uttered his Voice and manifested his mighty Power in great Thunder and Lightning so that it set on fire one of their Powder-houses being near a mile out of the City It was in the eighth month the eighth day of the month in the night according to their account and the wind of the Powder blew down another Powder-house a quarter of a mile from it but the Powder was preserved and it did great execution in the City as they say it blowed down five Houses and broke most of the Glass Windows of both Palaces and all the Merchants Windows in the City and the Magazine where the Merchants Goods were the Doors were blown out of the hooks and the Walls shaken and torn and the whole City was terribly shaken and the doors of the houses drew up so that great fear fell upon them all and we heard a great shreem in the City it was at midnight and they rung out their Bells and there was a great Glass Window in the Chamber where we lay over right our Beds-feet it was very thick Glass and much of it was broken to pieces and beat in on each side of our bed but the Lord did not suffer any harm to us the glory is his own The