God we might The Captain spake to us with tears in his eyes and told us what they had done for us but could not prevail It is this Inquisitor said he the rest were made free you have preached among these people he said We told him we were called upon the Testimony of our Conscience and the Truth that we have witnessed forth among them we should stand to maintain with our blood He said If they could get us off he would freely give us our passage and provide for us and the Vessel was his own We told him his love was as well accepted of the Lord as if he did carry us He offered us money he saw the Lord would not suffer us to take any He took our Names We told them they took us out of our way and put us into the Inquisition and bid us change our minds and we could not the Lord had changed us into that which changed not if they would burn us to ashes or chop us as Herbs to the Pot. The Friar said We did not work which was false we had Work of our own and did work as we were able We told him our Work and Maintenance was in England And they said It was true He said We would not accept of the Inquisitors Diet. We did not know who did prepare for us we did receive our meat as we had freedom in the Lord. Then he said We had suffered long enough and too long but we should have our freedom in few days and that they would send to the Pope for an Order And there were many English Ships that way but the Captain saw it was a very hard thing so that it grieved him to the heart He prayed God to comfort us and he went away and we do beseech God to bless and preserve him unto everlasting Life and never to let him nor his go without a blessing from him for his love he did venture himself exceedingly in that place But after he was gone they arose up against us with one accord The Inquisitor came up into a Tower and lookt down upon us as if he would have eaten us and they did try us for our lives again and did shut up our doors many Weeks we could not tell for what at length the Inquisitor came into the Tower again and Sarah was moved to call to him to have the door opened for us to go down into the Court to wash our clothes Then he gave command for the door to be opened once a week and in a little while 't was open ever day But great was our affliction indeed and she told him if we were the Popes Prisoners we would appeal to the Pope and he should send us to him But them in the Prison with us especially the Friar were mortal Enemies to us but yet they would have fed us with the choicest of their meat and would gladly give us whole Bottels of wine if we would receive it and were greatly troubled because we did refuse to eat and drink with them and did persecute us exceedingly but the Lord did visit them with his dreadful Judgements the Friar was tormented night and day his body did perish the Doctors and Chyrurgeons did follow him a long time And there were two or three English Ships there came into harbour and Sarah saw the coming of them in a Vision of the night and there was great pleading for us that we saw but she heard a Voice saying We could not go now So we were mad willing to wait the Lords time Then they sent for us forth when the Ships were gone and askt us If we would be Catholicks And we said we were true Christians and had received the Spirit of Christ and he that had not the Spirit of Christ was none of his The English Consul told us of the Ships and said They would not let us go unless we would be Catholicks and that we must suffer more imprisonment yet and said he did what he could for us One of the Magistrates shewed us the Cross We told them and said We did take up the Cross of Christ daily which is the great Power of God to crucifie sin and iniquity so we told them that one of their Fathers did promise us our liberty We did think that Friar was too tender-hearted to stay among them he did take a great deal of pains for us the Captain said We told him he would never have cause to repent it the blessing of God would be upon him for any thing he should do for us for we were the Servants of the living God and he promised us our freedoms in a little time This following I D. B. received from them in other Papers to Friends O Dearly beloved Friends Fathers and Elders and Pillars of Gods Spirituall House and Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ in the measure of Love and Life of our God do we salute you all and do embrace you in that which is Eternal and we do greatly rejoyce and glorify the Name of our Heavenly Father that he hath counted us worthy to be partakers of the death and sufferings of his blessed Son with you though we be the least of God's Flock yet we are of the true Fold whereof Christ Jesus is shepherd and he hath had as tender a care over us as he hath had of any of his Lambs which he hath called forth in this the day of his Power and hath carried us through and over as great afflictions as most of our Brethren and sufferers for his Name both in mockings scoffings scornings reproaches stripes contradictions perils at Land and perils at Sea fiery tryals cruel threatnings grief of heart sorrow of soul heats and colds fastings and watchings fears within and frightings without terrible temptations and persecutions and dreadful imprisonments and buffettings of Satan yet in all these our tryals the Lord was very gracious unto us and not absent himself from us neither suffered his faithfulness to fail us but did bear us up and keep us from fainting in the midst of our extremity we had not another to make our moan to but the Lord alone neither could we expect a drop of mercy favour or refreshment but what he did distil from his living Presence and work by his own strength for we sat one in one room and the other in the another near a year as Owls in deserts and as People forsaken in solitary places then did we enjoy the presence of the Lord and did behold the brightness of his glory and we did see you our dear Friends in the Light of Jesus and did behold your order and stedfastness of your Faith and Love to all Saints and were refreshed in all the faithful hearted and felt the issues of Love and Life which did stream from the hearts of those that were wholly joyned to the Fountain and were made sensible of the benefit of your Prayers O the sorrows the mournings the tears but those that
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
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
Long-suffering dwels in such and verily their sacrifice is acceptable in his bosom that liveth for ever and I am a living Witneâ—s that the sweet Testimony 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 it 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 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 is not only 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 afterward is to be revealed in the same that suffered in all generations even from righteous Abel unto this day of our God to whom be Wisdom Glory Salvation and everlasting Thansgivings aâ—d 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 Malta to divers places in Italy till I came to the Straits 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 thirty dayes 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 often 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 Nineveh 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 divers Nations attempted to pass through but the God of heaven whom the wind and sea obeyeth 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 seven or eight times in about twenty one dayes and could not pass but about two or three Leagues and on this wise it happened it would either prove calm and then the currant would drive them back into the Straits again sometimes and otherwhile Storms and Tempests would scatter them as a figure of Pharoah and his Hoste of Egyptian darkness so that the Chariot-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 willing 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 judgements he had prepared to perform the good pleasure of his Almightiness for his Truth and Names sake Now the heavenly Voice was often sounded within my heart on this wise saying O Jerusalem cut off thine hair and furthermore to gird sackcloth on my loins as to the Prophet Jer. 7.29 and so I became obedient in the singleness and innocency of my heart unto the God of Heaven and of my Life as a dreadful Sign against the whorish Church of Rome and against all her Heads Horns throughout the world And I then signified to the Master of the Ship in which I was a passenger how that I did believe that God would soon give opportunity for the Fleet of Ships to pass away after this service of God was performed and after I had used many perswasions to the end that he might suffer my body on that wise to be cast among the wicked idolaters lyars and murtherers Isa 57.20 which are like the troubled Sea So the Ship-master let my Body be on this wise cast over board from the Ship God having provided a Whale to swallow up that which fled from his presence so often and so it happened that it was upon one of their called Holy-dayes or Saints dayes namely the day called Holy-Thursday So I being cast on dry land passed through their streets directly until I came into the Mass-House or Idolaters Temple among the Idolaters where I found the Frier or Priest at the High Altar down upon his knees in his white Surplice adoring of the Host which is a Chalice or a piece of Bread which they called the real Substance of the body of Christ after their unclean spirit of
part according to our measures and we do press forward towards that which is perfect He then said We were good Women but yet there was no redemption for us except we would be Cathlicks Now the Lord said Fear not Daughters of Sion I will carry you forth as Gold tryed in the fire And many precious Promiâ—es did the Lord refresh us with in our greatest extremity and would appear in his Glory that our souls would be ravished in his presence I had the Spirit of Prayer upon me but was afraid to speak to the Lord for fear I should speak one word that would not please him And the Lord said Fear not Daughter of Sion ask what thou wilt and I will grant it thée whatsoever thy heart can with I desired nothing of the Lord but what would make for his Glory whether it were my liberty or bondage life or death wherein I was highly accepted of the Lord. The Room wherein I was separated was near the Chancery where all the Bishops Courtiers did resort and would come into the Inquisition Courts and I had work amongst them daily they would come on purpose to their condemnation some would be smitten and run as if they hunted and some would be set on fire and cry Caldere caldere and fuoco fuoco and many would pitty us because we were not Catholicks the Friars would say We might be Catholicks and keep our own Religion too and we should not be known we were Catholicks except we were brought before a Justice of Peace We askt if we should profess a Christ we should be asham'd of But as for the poor Workmen they were willing to do any thing for us and were diligent to hear us the Witness of God in them did answer to the Truth There were many eyes over them had it not been for the great opposition there were hundreds would have flown to the Truth And because I said I did talk with G.F. he the Friar asked Whether G. F. did bring me money to maintain me in prison I said No but though I was abâ—ent in body yet I was present in spirit and was refreshed in him and in hundreds more besides They said I had seen Revelations and had talk'd with G. F. and he was God's Revelation Sarah said Christ was God's Revelation He said she came under the Haltar for saying Christ was God's Revelation She answered Paul said As soon as it pleased God to reveal his Son in me I did not consult with flesh and blood but immediately I went and preached him and is not Christ God's Revelation then He said Who denied that What they would have done to Sarah if they had taken her forth we know not but the Lord did work so wonderfully that night for the preservation of her poor soul out of their net that he is worthy to be glorified for ever The next time he came to me he came in Sheeps clothing but he had a Wolf under his Gown he gave me words as soft as Butter and as smooth as Oyl when he had a Sword in his heart and a Spear in his hand when they speak most fairest then beware of them He desired us we would not think so hardly of him as if he were the Author of all our wrongs and troubles he was not he said but would do any good he could for us were it with his blood But we thought he had been the chiefest that cast the poor man in Prison but he was the man that hope him out without any punishment at all though the Inquisitor did say he should be severely punished I told him he did well he would have peace in it and would never have cause to repent it He did entreat us he might not bear all the burthen We told him of many wicked things he did act against us and of his lying and cruel words He bid us take no notice what he did speak But we did feel his spirit that what he spake he would do if he had not been chained I did use to tell him My conscience was not seared with a hot iron I was not past feeling At last he was so weary of coming to us he did entreat the Inquisitor he might not come to us any more the Judgment of the Lord did follow him so it was like to kill him When we were partted the Lord did work mightily for us and we were kept by the Power of the Lord over our Enemies and were bold for God's Truth and did make war with them in Righteousness so they could not gain-say us in the Truth So that Scripture was fulfilled The wicked mouthes must be stopped and they were put to silence praises be to our God and were made to confess or say Of a truth God was in us our God was a consuming fire to them they were not able to stand in his presence but they would howl and make a noise like dogs and cry Jesu Maria and flie as people driven by a mighty rushing wind the Power of the Lord did pursue after them like a sword that Scripture was fulfilled which saith Christ came not to send peace on earth but a sword to cut down his Enemies the Lord was on our side and did take our part and did fight for us and did tread down our Enemies under our feet that they could not hurt us Mighty was the Work of God daily our tongues cannot express it they did work day and night with their Inchantments and Divinations Sorceries unclean spirits crying and foaming insomuch that we could take little rest day or night sometimes but the Lord was with us and did work mightily by his Power and kept us over them in the Life of the Son of God My Pâ—ison was nigh to the Palace and to their Worship that I could be heard of both and it was laid upon me of the Lord to call them to Repentance and to turn to the Light wherewith they were enlightned vvhich vvould lead them out of all their wicked Wayes Works and Worships to serve the true and living God in Spirit and in Truth the Power did raise the Witness in many and troubled them they did sigh and groan and some did stay to hear me so long as they durst for there were many did watch and it was upon pain of death or at least to be imprisoned As was the poor English-man that did come and speak to me whom they hall'd down violently and put him in prison but the Lord delivered him for his Love And we were parted One Year but great was the Work of the Lord and great was the Power to carry it on He was not wanting to us glory be to his Name but did give us Words Wisdom according to our Work So that Scripture was fulfilled which saith on this vvise Ye need not premeditate afore-hand what to speak or what to say for it shall be given you of my heavenly Father what ye ought to speak that the Enemies shall not
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
bitter against us for Righteousness sake in-so-much that we stood in great hazard of our lives many a time we did feel their slaying Instruments drawn so that we had even the sentence of death in our selves but the Lord prevented them and preserved us and great was our travel of soul night and day the glory is the Lord's whose mighty Power did the work everlasting praises honour and dominion over all to our pure holy and perfect Lord God world without end Amen Now for the satisfaction of all Friends concerning our deliverance out of â—he Inquisition this is a true and brief Relation Three quarters of a year before Daniel Baker came to Malta the Consul for the English came to us and said the Inquisitor sent him to know if we would be Catholicks yea or nay We answered we were true Christians He said if we would be Catholicks we might dwell at Melita or go to England We said we were the Servants of the true and living God One of the Magistrates said we were not Christians neither had we the Cross of Christ We answered we were Christians and had received the Spirit of Christ which made a Christian and he that had not the Spirit of Christ was no Christian and we had the Cross of Christ without the Cross there was no Salvation the Cross of Christ is the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth He said If we would not be Catholicks we must suffer long Imprisonment by the Popes Order That was not true I had an Answer in my Conscience against it And in a little time after they told us if we would kiss the Cross we should be freed out of Prison and go to the Consul 's till a convenient passage did present to carry us for England for the Pope had sent word they should take it into their consideration and set us free for England without doing any violencce as we heard and we did believe it because we had a more sure word of Prophecy than did use to proceed out of their mouthes we told them we could not kiss the Cross to get our liberty neither did we desire our freedom on any such terms but we looked every day when they would call us forth to kiss the Cross and we did pray and cry mightily to our Eternal Father to prevent them in it and to preserve us out of it for the Tempter was very strong within and without so that I took little rest for many dayes and nights seeing the great danger it would plunge us into for I saw the painted walls and the Crosses set before me but the gracious God of power who did appear in our Afflictions and revealed his Will to me in a Night-Vision saying Touch not taste not handle not but wait diligently upon me you have two things yet to work over before you can be set at liberty We knew the Cross was one but we knew not what the other was The next time the Consul came he told us that the Inquisitor said If any one would engage for three or four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we came thither again we should be set at liberty but he said no more of the Cross but the Obligation was the second thing that we were to work over but I could never see nor dare desire any man to be engaged for us because I do know all Decrees Laws Tyes Bonds and Chains and Precepts of men must be broken through the righteous Decree of our mighty Lord God and upon the same consideration we were made willing to wait till the Lord should break this Chain also that no other dear Friend or Lamb of God might suffer for the same thing no God forbid Then it pleased the Lord to send Daniel Baker who in obedience to the God of Heaven did offer up body for body yea life all for our liberty but could not be heard but the Inquisitor said If any would engage for the payment of three or four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we came there again we should have our liberty but otherwise we must die in the Prison for that was the Pope's Law but we knew it was left to his consideration so we told them we could not engage nor desire any to engage for us because it was out of the Covenant of God and our yea was yea and our nay was nay and we did not believe that ever it was the mind of God that we should return thither again So Daniel departed in the Love of God and they sent to England to Friends and to other Islands to the English Merchants for some to engage for us that we might have our liberty but the Merchants sent word they were not willing to answer their unreasonable demands for the payment of so many thousand Dollers if in case we returned thither again There were many that did seek for our liberty that were not of us because they knew our cruel and strait bondage and terrible afflictions and were willing to engage what was reason but because our just and wise God would make his Power known for his own honour he would not suffer any thing to prevail for our Deliverance insomuch as we could understand but what he wrought by his invisible Power in the hearts of our Enemies It was given into my heart half a year after Daniel came thence that if I could speak with the Inquisitor he would grant us our liberty and in a little time he came to the Inquisition-Court-Chamber and we heard of it and desired to speak with him which he granted us and we told him we had wronged none we had defrauded none neither was guile found in our mouthes but we had suffered innocently almost four years for Conscience-sake and we knew they had no peace in our sufferings So the Inquisitor was very courteous to us and promised our liberty in a few dayes and he said he would send for the Consul and get him to engage for five hundred Dollers to be paid for us if ever we came again in case the Consul did deny it he would send to Rome to the Pope for an Order to set us at liberty without an Obligation So we were contented to wait the Lord's time who had often promised us That we should have our liberty in a day when we thought not of and at an hour when we were not aware and good was the Word of the Lord and faithful in all his Promises About two weeks after the Inquisitor came to the Inquisition with his Lieutenant and other of the Magistrates and a Consul for the English and he sent the Proctor of the Court to call us forth before them and when we came he told us the Consul would engage for the payment of five hundred Dollers if ever we returned thither again We not knowing at present whether it was the mind of our heavenly Father that the Earth should help the Woman yea or nay yet waiting