darkness hath muttered some words over it which they call Consecration and after I had stood a season viewing this Idolatry with the indignation of the eternal God set up within my heart against the same I turned my back-part upon the Priest and his dead god and dumb Idols at the high Altar and in the holy Commandment of Life eternal my face was set towards the people and I beheld them a certain season in the power of God in which I stood I saw the multitude of ignorant People upon their knees also worshipping the dark inventions and Imaginations of their sottish Leaders and blind Guides and they know not what and in the Lord's time which mine eye had a circumspect heed unto I then spread forth mine arms and stript off my Vesture and rent the same from top to bottom in divers pieces and cast them from me with indignation and then I took my Hat off my head which was the uppermost covering of the outside of a man and cast the same under my feet and stamped upon these things and the nakedness appeared with the sack-cloath covering to their astonishment and then with a clear voice I sounded Repentance three times gave testimony as the sound of a Trumpet among them that the Life of Christ and his Saints was arisen from the dead and so passed away sounding the same words of the Lord's Message with Repentance through the streets as it were flying from the Idols temple and from Idolatry and Idolaters until I came to the Sea side and there was I moved to kneel down and pray and give thanks to the living Lord who had so wonderfully preserved me in doing his pleasure and good will on earth and he suffered no man to touch or do me harm And the next day following the Lord God gave opportunity accordingly as I had let the Ship-master know I believed would come to pass and it was so and all the Fleet did partake of the blessing but how many of them rewarded me men of my own Nation to whom I also continued a sign which they spake bitter things against the Lord my God saw the same and smote them with rebuke and astonishment in his displeasure who in his wise determinate Counsel ordained me for many dayes nights to be tryed on this wise and to fall among divers temptations afterwards the which as a mighty Host surrounded and beset me on every hand immediately after I had done his good will in his all-sufficient power and strength Thus the Enemy with his subtilty in a mystery was suffered to compass me about to steal away my peace and reward with my God in whom the same is hid and then I was in a blessed condition though sometime vailed for a little season and then the Fathers Countenance was hid from mine eye and therefore was I troubled Yet blessed are ye when you fall among divers Temptations saith one and verily they were even as thorns in my flesh yea as Messengers of Satan suffered to buffet me for a season even as the Servant of God witnessed who was wrapt up into the third Heaven What if I should somewhat testifie so was it with me lest I should be exalted above measure so that I was made to bow and fall upon my face and cry day and night to the Lord of Eternal Life that had respect to the tears of the Innocent and bowed the strength of his Arm to support the Lowly And so his Almightiness gave ear to the sighs and groans of my distressed state and had respect unto the voice of my mourning as a Dove or Pelican in the Wilderness and verily his Grace I found sufficient to save and preserve my Innocency in its sweet life of holiness to the Lord through all this and that which letted Salvation to his Name Amen So his strength is made perfect in weakness even so it is in truth in which I set to my seal of my right-hand that God is true in which Life I give thanks to his Name of Power and Defence the which over all Nations is to be exalted in the hearts of his Saints as in the ancient dayes yea and much more abundantly in the Light of his bright-shining Countenance in which his eternal and excellent Glory and pure dreadful Majesty for ever hath his holy habitation to whom be endless Dominion with Praises living and everlasting over all Amen Written in Newgate this 5th Month the 18th day 1662. where he suffereth Bonds together with many Brethren of Truth for one and the same Testimony of the Lord Jesus not for evil doing or speaking but against the same For we suffer because we cannot otherwise but meet together in the Name and Fear of God neither swear at all neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath Mat. 5. Jam. 5.12 D. B. A Copy of a Paper which was written in the Spanish Tongue and delivered the same day that I was upon the service directed as followeth viz. For the Governor and Inhabitants of Gibletore in the Kingdom of Spain BEhold behold the great day of God is come and of his wrath and of the wrath of his Lamb is come and the hour of his Judgements is come Wherefore Oh Inhabitants of the earth Repent Repent Repent and fear God and give Glory and Honor to him that made Heaven and Earth and the Fountains of Waters Wo wo wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth And I heard another Voice from Heaven saying Come out of her my People that ye partake not of her sins that ye receive not of her plagues These are the words of the Power of Christ that is contrary to the false Church Behold behold Plagues Plagues Plagues are coming upon the Church of Rome and upon her Heads in England and in all parts of the World And the Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth and he saith unto me the waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are Peoples Nations Multitudes and Tongues c. These Words with a Paper in Latine with honest Words of Truth was delivered with many more Scriptures in their own Language that they may read understand repent and cease from Idolatry and from all Ungodliness that the Blessings of Eternal Life might arise through Judgements and have room among the Nations to the eternal glory and renown of the Lord God over all who is blessed for ever Amen A brief Account of their further Tryals and how God at last by his Almighty Power effected their Deliverance and brought them again into the Land of their Nativity THe second month the year 1662. at the time of their Feast called the Resurrection of Christ on the first day we spake to the Keeper to buy us some meat not knowing but we might have eaten it in the time of their Feast yet it had been laid upon us to fast most times when they did feast which did torment
to ask her Husband at home But what if she have a disorderly drunken husband and not Christ the Man the true Husband the true Lord how can he teach her seeing the Woman is to learn of her Husband in silence and to be under obedience and not to usurp Authority over the Man as also saith the Law which hath dominion over all that are under it in the transgression but the Spirit of Grace and Truth that 's poured upon Sons and Daughters teacheth us to deny the sin and guideth from the same and so maketh free from its Condemnation and from under the Law to be under the Grace and Truth that is in the one Seed Christ in the Male Christ in the Female the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven And those who are led and guided by this are not under the Law which saith the woman is not to usurp authority over the man as also saith the able Minister of the Mystery of the glory and riches of Eternity which is Christ the fulness in his Saints their hope of Life and Glory But the Woman is to be under obedience as also saith the Law yea but they that are led by the Spirit are not under the Law so are the Sons of God manifest yet under the Grace covered the same Grace with which the Man-Child the holy Child Jesus was covered and filled with the same and no other but that which did and doth save the Saints from sin and so from under the Law and its condemnation and not only so but also the same Grace which bringeth Salvation and appeareth to all men it teacheth them not onely to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts but also to live soberly and righteously in this present world And verily this Grace is in them which saves and justifieth them and it 's not of themselves it is the gift of God And such are the Servants of the living and true God that have their fruits and possess the same unto Holiness and not only so but the end of the same which is the pure manifestation of the Eternal Substance to wit Everlasting Life pâ—re clean Power which is the excellent Treasure in the Earthen Vessels as saith the holy Scripture 2 Cor. 4. But O ye Congregations of the dead ye gathered Churches of so many Names and Heads to you sounds my Voice saying What have ye done Oh! how guilty do ye appear before mine eye that 's single in the Lord's Light of despising Prophecying and quenching the tender Spirit of Glory which resteth at this day in and upon many Sons and Daughters and behold if ye can see how they â—o and have prophesied in the Name of the Lord and have fore-warned you of that which is justly come to pass upon you whilst many of you despised and wondred in the dayes of haughtiness and its prosperity among you But O my soul how hast thou been wounded in me whilst I have travelled and mourned over you And so you have been found despising that and quenching that Spirit of Grace which teacheth the Saints in Light and reproves for sin and testifieth against the World and its deeds because they are evil And this same Spirit strived long with you and in you and would have arisen up in its Authority Power and great Glory from on high had ye not preferred and exalted the spirit of this World in its proper place in you above the Just and Long-suffering which is but one and the same in male and female Oh! what have you done Can any of you yet smite upon your thigh and say so yet if ye can enquire enquire ye the Watchman's voice is the same it was and not otherwise viz. Return come yea return and come to the tender Spirit of holiness and of the gentleness of Christ and his yoke of Self-denial and the daily Cross they are the two great Ordinances which ye have left behind and so the Vail and the Darkness hath covered you but the true Israelites have Light in their dwellings and their habitations are in the best of the Land of the living Wherefore my spirit saith Return come and hearken to the Lamb's Voice and now see whether ye can follow Him or a stranger wheresoever he goeth that 's the true Prophet raised up like unto Moses and obey his Voice which savoureth not of this World for so his Kingdom and Servants are not Therefore beware lest your souls be cut off from the Land of the Living and ye perish in the outward observations by which the Kingdom cometh not among the Congregations of the dead where ye are yet seeking the living But I as a Brother even Joseph tel you yet again He is not there but is arisen from the dead from death to life who is the quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven over the Earth over all the Land Aegypt over the Land of Darkness the same Lord the same Spirit which hath done excellent things is exalted in the new Heaven and in the new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and let the Virgin-Daughter of Sion publish the same even from hence forth to all generations yea and my spirit is ready to say Amen There was one that saw a little Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and he well retained his sight so long until in the Light of the living he saw the same which was so little wax so great that it became an exceeding great Mountain Verily the beloved City is manifest set upon a holy Hill it cannot be bid from them that see the Glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the Light thereof and his Light is like unto a Stone most precious clear as Chrystal The Fountain is opened free come down from on high and thou shalt see if thou dost thirst for Springs of Life To the Light submit thy mind and cease from strife in the same to behold the Bride the Lamb's Wife from the false Church Dan. Baker A SALUTATION and INFORMATION to the whole Body of the Elect of God whether gathered or scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth O Ye Eternal and blessed Ones whose dwelling is on high in the fulness of all Beauty and Brightness Glory and everlasting Joy Happiness and Peace for evermore We who are poor Sufferers for the Seed of God in the Covenant of Light Life and Truth do dearly salute and imbrace you all according to our measures Blessing and Honour and Glory be given to our Lord God for ever of all who know him who hath counted us worthy and hath chosen us among his faithful Ones to bear his Name and to witness forth his Truth before the High and Mighty men of the Earth and to fight the Lord's Battel with his spiritual Weapons to the breaking down of strong holds high lofty looks and vain imaginations and spiritual wickedness in high places The Lord did give us a prosperous Journey hither and when we came to Legorn we were refreshed with
live without spiritual food than our temporal bodies can without temporal food He said That we did never hear Mass We said we did hear the voice of Christ he only had the words of eternal Life and that was sufficient for us He said We were Hereticks and Heathens We said they were Hereticks that lived in sin and wickedness and such were Heathenâ— that knew not God He asked about our Meetings in England And we told them the truth to their amazement And they asked Who was the Head of our Church We said Christ And they asked What George Fox is And we said He is a Minister of Christ They asked Whether he sent us We said No The Lord did move us to come The Friar said We were deceived and had not the faith but we have all virtues We said that faith was the ground from whence virtues do proceed They said If we would take their holy Sacrament we might have our liberty or else the Pope would not leave us for millions of Gold but we should lose our souls and our bodies too We said the Lord had provided for our souls and our bodies were freely given up to serve the Lord. They askt us If we did not believe Marriage was a Sacrament We said it was an Ordinance of God They askt us If we did believe men could forgive sins We said none could forgive sins but God onely They brought us that Scripture Whose sins ye remit in earth shall be remitted in heaven We said all Power was Gods he could give it to whom he would that were born of the eternal Spirit and guided by the same such have power to do the Fathers Will as I answered a Friar also in the City of Naples and they were silent the Power greatly working We asked them wherein we had wronged them that we should be kept Prisoners all days of our lives and said Our innocent blood would be required at their hands The Friar said He would take our blood upon him and our journey into Turky too We told him the time would come he would find he had enough upon him without it They said The Pope was Christ's Vicar and we were of his Church and what he did was for the good of our Souls We answered The Lord had not committed the charge of our souls to the Pope nor to them for he had taken them into his own possession glory was to his Name for ever They said We must be obedient We said we were obedient to the government of Christs Spirit The Friar said None had the true Light but the Catholicks the Light that we had was the spirit of the Devil We said Wo to him that calleth Jesus accursed Can the Devil give power over sin and iniquity then he would destroy his own kingdom He said We were laught at and mockt at â—f every one We said What did become of the mockers It was no matter He said We did run about to preach and had not the true Faith We said the true Faith is held in a pure Conscience void of offence towards God and man and we had the true Faith And he said There was but one Faith either theirs or ours and ask'd us which it was We said Every one had the true Faith that did believe in God and in Jesus whom he had sent but they that say they do believe and do not keep his Commandments are lyars and the truth is not in them He said it was true but he did thirst daily for our blood because we would not turn and urged us much about our Faith and Sacrament to bring us under their Law but the Lord preserved us They said It was impossible we could live long in that hot room So the next week-day they sate in Council but Oh how the swelling Sea did rage and the proud waves did foam even unto the clouds of Heaven and Proclamation was made at the Prison-Gate we did not know the words but the fire of the Lord flamed against it K. my life was smitten and I was in a very great agony so that sweat was as drops of blood and the Righteous One was laid into a Sepulcher and a great stone was roll'd to the door but the Prophecy was that he should rise again the third day which was fulfilled But the next day they came to sit upon Judgement again but I say in the true Judgment they sate not but upon it they got up unjustly above the Righteous and upon the same they sate a Child of Wisdom may understand and they brought many Propositions written in a Paper but the Friar would suffer the Magistrate to propound but few to us for fear the Light would break forth But they ask'd how many Friends of ours were gone forth in the Ministry and into what parts We told them what we did know They said All that came where the Pope had any thing to do should never go back again We said the Lord was as sufficient for us as he was for the Children in the fiery Furnace and our trust was in God They said we were but few and had been but a little while but they were many Countries and had stood many hundred years and wrought many Miracles and we had none We said we had thousands at our Meetings but none of us dare speak a word but as they are eternally moved of the Lord and we had Miracles The Blind receive their sight the Deaf do hear and the Dumb dâ— speak the Poor do receive the Gospel the Lame do walk and the Dead are raised He asked Why I look'd so whether my Spirit was weak I said Nay my body was weak because I eat no meat it was in their Lent He offered me a Licence to eat flesh I said I could not eat any thing at all the terrors of death were strongly upon me But three nights after the Lord said unto me about the eleventh hour Arise and put on your clothes I said When wilt thou come Lord He said VVhether at midnight or at Cock-crow do thou watch My Friend and I arose and the Lord said Go stand at the Door And we stood at the door in the Power of the Lord I did scarce know whether I was in the body or out of the body And about the twelfth hour there came many to the Prison-Gate We heard the Keyes and looked when they would come in They ran to and fro till the fourth hour and the Lord said he had smote them with blindness they could not find the way And we went to bed where I lay night and day for twelve dayes together fasting and sweating that my bed was wet and great was our affliction The tenth day of my fast there came two Fryars the Chancellor the man with the black Rod and a Physician and the Keeper and the Friar commanded my dear Friend to go out of the room and he came and pull'd my hand out of the bed and said Is the Devil so
great in you that you cannot speak I said Depart from me thou worker of iniquity I know thee not the Power of the Lord is upon me and thou callest him Devil He took his Crucifix to strike me in the mouth and I said Look here and I asked him Whether it were that Cross which crucified Paul to the World and the World unto him And he said it was I denied him and said the Lord had made me a Witness for himself against all workers of iniquity He bid me be obedient and went to strike me I said Wilt thou strike me He said he would I said Thou art out of the Apostles Doctrine they were no strikers I deny thee to be any of them who went in the Name of the Lord. He said he had brought me a Physician in charity I said the Lord was my Physician and my saving-health He said I should be whipt and quartered and burnt that night in Malta and my Mate too wherefore did we come to teach them I told him I did not fear the Lord was on our side and he had no power but what he had received and if â—e did not use it to the same end the Lord gave it him the Lord would judge him And they were all smitten as dead men and went away And as soon as they were gone the Lord said unto me The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death and the Life arose over Death and I glorified God The Friar went to my Friend and told her I called him worker of iniquity Did she said Sarah Art thou without sin He said he was Then she hath wronged thee But I say the wise Reader may judge For between the eighth and ninth hour in the evening he sent a Drum to proclaim at the Prison-Gate We know not what it was but the Fire of the Lord consumed it And about the fourth hour in the morning they were coming with a Drum and Guns and the Lord said unto me Arise out of thy Grave-clothes And we arose and they came up to the Gate to devour us in a moment But the Lord lifted up his Standard with his own Spirit of Might and made them to retreat and they fled as dust before the wind praises and honour be given to our God for ever I went to bed again and the Lord said unto me Herod will seek the young Child's life to destroy it yet again and great was my affliction so that my dear Fellow-Labourer in the Work of God did look every hour when I should depart the body for many dayes together and we did look every hour when we should be brought to the stake day and night for several weeks and Isaac was freely offered up but the Lord said he had provided a Ram in the bush Afterwards the Friar came again with his Physician I told him that I could not take any thing unless I was moved of the Lord. He said we must never come forth of that Room while we lived and we might thank God and him it was no worse for it was like to be worse We said if we had died we had died as innocent as ever did Servants of the Lord. He said it was well we were innocent They did also look still when I would die The Friar bid my Friend take notice what torment I would be in at the hour of death thousands of Devils he said would fetch my soul to Hell She said she did not fear any such thing And he asked if I did not think it expedient for the Elders of the Church to pray over the sick I said Yea such as were eternally moved of the Spirit of â—â—e Lord. He fell down on his knees and did howl and wish bitter wishes upon himself if he had not the true Faith but we denyed him The Physician was in a great rage at Sarah because she could not bow to him but to God only The last day of my Fast I began to be an hungry but was afraid to eat the Enemy was so strong but the Lord said unto me If thine Enemy hunger féed him if he thirst give him drink in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good I did eat and was refreshed and glorified God and in the midst of our extremity the Lord sent his holy Angels to comfort us so that we rejoyced and magnified God and in the time of our great tryal the Sun and Earth did mourn visibly three dayes and the horror of Death and pains of Hell was upon me the Sun was darkned the Moon was turned into blood and the Stars did fall from Heaven and there was great tribulation ten dayes such as never was from the beginning of the world and then I did see the Son of man coming in the Clouds with Power and great Glory triumphing over his Enemies the Heavens were on fire and the Elements did melt with fervent heat and the Trumpet sounded out of Sion and an Allarm was struck up in Jerusalem and all the Enemies of God were called to the great Day of Battel of the Lord. And I saw a great Wonder in Heaven the Woman cloathed with the Sun and had the Moon under her feet and a Crown of twelve Stars upon her head and she travelled in pain ready to be delivered of a Man-child and there was a great Dragon stood ready to devour the Man-child as soon as it was born and there was given to the Woman two wings of a great Eagle to carry her into the Desert where she should be nourished for a time times and half a time and the Dragon cast a Flood out of his mouth c. And I saw War in Heaven Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels and the Lamb and his Army did overcome them And there was a Trumpet sounded in Heaven and I heard a Voice saying to me The City is divided into thrée parts And I heard another Trumpet sounding and I looked and saw an Angel go down into a great Pool of water and I heard a Voice saying unto me VVhosoever goeth down next after the troubling of the waters shall be healed of whatsoever Disease he hath And I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a Voice saying Babylon is fallen is fallen Babylon the great is fallen And I looked and saw the smoak of her torment how it did ascend and I heard another Trumpet sounding and I heard a Voice saying Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven for he that is mighty hath magnified you and Holy is his Name And from henceforth all generations shall call you blessed And I heard another Trumpet sounding in Heaven and I heard a Voice saying unto me Behold and I looked and I saw Pharaoh and his Host pursuing the Children of Israel and he and his Host were drowned in the Sea Dear Friends and People whatsoever I have written it is not because
pure and undefiled Love Mine eye mine eye did so affect my heart so that I awaked in the same in the morning of a clear day and I looked and behold the Sun was arisen above the Horizon of the Earth and Waters and my Life abundantly blessed and magnified the living Lord my King and my God the Rock of my strength and saving-health of his Anointed And behold I had seen a Vision of God in the morning-light and the sweet Solution of the same was given me to treasure up within my very heart till an appointed time and season The Children of the Morning-light may right-well read the same as they sit together in their several places that 's over and above the earth and be comforted and refreshed at the joyful Sound of the same Voice that brings the glad-tyding of the good things yea and my Spirit with you the blessed of the Lord shall bless his Name who is the mighty God in the midst of us Even so Amen Ha-le-lu-jah PRaise ye the Lord Salvation to his Name Ye Saints in Life Free from all strife Your voice sound forth the same My Life shall sing To Sion's King His Love in peace and glory Who hath so free Begotten me Into his Life that 's holy Among his Saints and Messengers his Fame my heart shall sound Because their life Is free from strife In Love that doth abound My prayers in the Life that 's clean shall from the same ascend Unto the God of Love and Peace that he may you defend To perfect Love and Unity that it may more abound For so your fame In his pure Name Doth give a certain sound Unto the Nations round about your Fame aloud shall sing To call them all Both great and small To bow to Sion's King Your Gates alwayes Of perfect praise Full wide shall open stand That all may come I' th free-born Son Th' Light to dwell in your Land Of rest and peace In righteousness I' th living Way that 's holy So you shall sing And fruit shall spring Within the City holy The Vine that 's true Shall compass you That sit under his shade With great delight In his clear sight None shall make you afraid Within the perfect Love there is no fear So in the Father's sight ye are right dear My bowels and my soul my very heart To you ye living Saints extends Much could I write In the true Light But ye can read my Friends Without a Book of words Which finally may end My mind that 's clean Come read the same Behold I am your Eriend In Jacob's Land Where he did stand I' th place that 's blest Where he did rest Who like a Prince prevail'd with the true Lord of Might Who also blessed him even in the Morning-light Selah And seeing that it hapned so that the Copies of the Letters of the Lord's Prisoners were left in the hands of their Enemies in a strange Land it is seen meet to insert them among thâ— rest of their Writings for the good of many of their own Nation of England who may right-well savour the tender love and vertue of true and pure natural Affection not only to their Kindred and Fathers House but also to their own Country all of which they were truly called to forsake as was good old Abraham our Father who in obedience to the good Word Commandment of the Almighty God went forth not knowing whither he went even as these poor Women and many more who are deemed by the Wise of this world foolish things not well considering how that the Lord hath chosen the Poor of this world and made them Rich in Faith and also chuseth base things and weak things and foolish things to confound the things that are mighty and to bring to nought things that are to the end that no Flesh should glory in his presence who with his mighty hand and out-stretched arm of Dignity and excellent Power is defacing and staining the Pride of all Glory and bringing into contempt all the Honourable of the earth that 's out of order and bringing down the haughtiness loftiness of Man who shall know that it is the everlasting and terrible God of Eternity when he ariseth to shake terribly the Earth that presseth down and oppresseth the Seed of his Bowels and trampleth on the principal Wheat that came out of the good Husbandmans right hand for which the God of Heaven is visiting the Nations as in the ancient dayes Albâ—it he hath long time held his peace in the habitation of his Holiness where his Honour dwelleth but behold behold he is arising in the Greatness of his strengâ—h even as a Lyon over his Prey or as a Lyonness bereaved of her Young for out of Sion hath he uttered his Voice and thundered forth the Majesty of his powerful Word of Salvation through the Gate of his beloved City Jerusalem from on high free-born which hath ecchoed into the ears and hearts of the Hypocrites and surprized the double-minded with fear on every hand for he hath cryed and yet will in the Spirit of his Prophesie through his Sons and Daughters in whom He which is holy dwelleth to make waste Mountains and Hills and to devour at once as in the ancient dayes And my Spirit saith Even so the Lord hasten it Amen for his Elects sake Katherine Evans to her Husband and Children For the hand of JOHN EVANS my right dear and precious Husband with my tender-hearted Children who are more dear and precious unto me than the Apple of mine eye MOst dear and faithful Husband Friend and Brother begotten of my Eternal Father of the immortal Seed of the Covenant of Light Life and Blessedness I have unity and fellowship with thee day and night to my great Refreshment and continual Comfort Praises Praises be given to our God for evermore who hath joyned us together in that which neither Sea nor Land can separate or divide My dear heart my Soul doth dearly salute thee with my dear and precious Children which are dear and precious in the Light of the Lord to thy endless joy and my everlasting comfort glory be to our Lord God eternally who hath called you with a holy Calling and hath caused his Beauty to shine upon you in this the day of his Power wherein he is making up of his Jewels and binding up of his faithful Ones in the Bond of everlasting Love and Salvation among whom he hath numbred you of his own free Grace in whâ—ch I beseech you dear hearts in the fear of the Lord to abide in your measures according to the manifestation of the Revelation of the Son of God in you keep a diligent watch over every Thought Word and Action and let your minds be staid continually in the Light where you will find out the snares and baits of Satan and be preserved out of his Traps Nets and Pits that you may not be captivated by him at his will Oh my dear Husband and
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
speak The Lord said formerly and doth say now Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath c. Cursed be thy Images and thou that teachest people to fall down to worship them Thou sayest this is Moses Law He that despiseth Moses 's Law dyeth without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that trampleth under foot the blood of the Covenant and counteth it an unholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace Thou art he Malachi the Lord saith thou art a cursed Reprobate Depart from me thou worker of iniquity I know thée not Thou sayest thou wouldst chain our arms because we could not bow at thy commacd We said our necks with our whole bodies for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God which we give forth among you we were ready to seal it with our blood glory be to the Lord God Almighty who called and counted us worthy to suffer for his Name-sake and gave us power over thee thou crooked Scorpion if thou hadst known that Power that did restrain thy hands and thy feet from shedding our blood thou wouldst have known whose Servants we were but thou art in the Reprobation with Cain Judas and bloody Herod thou wouldest have us call thee a holy Father and thou sayest Whosoever sins ye remit on Earth they should be remitted in Heaven and yet thou saidst none could be assured of their Salvation in this life and thou asked us about a Purgatory we knew no such place The Scripture speaks of a Hell and a Heaven in which the souls of the Righteous should enter into when they depart â—he body where is joy and rest for evermore but the souls of the wicked into everlasting torment Thou saidst thou couldst prove a Purgatory in Maccabees we know no such place but we know it speaketh of a woman that had seven sons which because they could not forsake the Law of the living God their tongues were cut out Art not thou a lyer didst not thou say thou wast a Remitter of sins and a saviour of souls and yet they must dye in their sins and go to Purgatory Oh thou blind guide thou art to be denied dost not thou see thy own confusion If any sin against God you then give a Pardon but if any offend you Oh the Rackings Halterings Strapado's Chains Bolts Irons your cruelty doth exceed what we do testifie you have sold your selves to work wicked Abominations you wear defiled garments to deceive the simple-hearted and say there is virtue in them and think it an honour for them to kiss your defiled garments The Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter days there should be seducing spirits teaching lyes in hypocrisie the Doctrine of the Devil to abstain from marriage and meats which God hath created for the preservation of the Creation but if a man commit Adultery with a woman and come and confess to you you will pardon him Oh horrible Blasphemy there is none can forgive sins but God only If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world When Nathan came to David to tell him of his sins the faithful Witness in his own Conscience which did convince him he was a sinner made him cry out I am the man that hath sinned against the Lord. Nathan was a true Prophet of the Lord to convince of sin but not pardon sin If Noah Daniel and Job were in that City they should save but their own souls alive for their own righteousness Oh! how do you dare to pervert the holy Scriptures which by so many infallible Testimonies were given forth by the Spirit of the living God For the Scriptures are of no private interpretation but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and they are profitable for Doctrine Uses and Reproofs that all whose minds are turned to the measure of the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation that hath appeared in all to teach and lead out of sin and to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and godly in this present evil world they come to have the Scriptures fulfilled in them as they were in them which gave them forth for they lived in the life of the Scriptures their lives and what they did declare was Yea and Amen and they were guided by one Spirit and they spake one and the same thing as the Light did lead them for the Light is a perfect guide into all truth and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart of every one and is a discerner of spirits it shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehends it not The Light will discover every deed of darkness it is the faithful and true Witness of God which he hath given to every one a measure to profit to convince to reprove to instruct to condemn to justifie And those that receive the Light in the love thereof to them he doth reveal his everlasting loving-kindness and make known the Mysteries of his Truth and Counsel The willing and obedient shall eat the good of the Land but those that refuse and rebel the Sword of the Lord shall devour The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and his zeal will perform it Every one that loveth the Light will bring their deeds to the Light that they may be approved of the Light that they are wrought in God for to the Light of Christ all must come and whatsoever hath been done in secret shal be made manifest when the Book of every ones Conscience shall be laid open then shall every ones heart be made manifest by the Light and shall receive every one according to their deeds done in the body they that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but they that sow to the Spirit shall reap life everlasting For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord who is the Light of the World that lighteth every one that cometh into the World that all men through him might believe He is the true Light and Life of men God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have life everlasting This Life is in the Son he that hath the Son hath Life O Friends and People of all sorts turn in your minds to the Light within which will shew you your conditions and how you have been seeking a Saviour without in the many wandrings from hills to mountains crying Lo here and Lo there when he is nigh you calling you to return to him that your sins may be pardoned and you reconciled