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
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
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
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
and redeemed from your sins and from your beloved lusts that war against your souls The works of the flesh are manifest by the Light and as you come to love the Light you will have power over every deed of darkness and to a daily cross to be crucified with Christ from sin and from the beggarly rudiments of the world to live to God God is holy as it is written Be ye holy for I am holy saith the Lord. Holiness becomes the House of the Lord for ever What know you not that your bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost to dwell in The Spirit of the living God cannot dwell with any defiled thing but alwayes bears witness against it If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy for the Temple of God is holy Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean No not one Can a Fountain bring forth sweet water and bitter You say you are Christians Do you walk like Christ Paul said Be ye followers of me as I am a follower of Christ And Christ saith Love your enemies bless them that curse you and despitefully use you that you may be the Children of your heavenly Father Christ died for his Enemies He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might become the Righteousness of God in him What greater Love can there be O turn in your minds and examine your own hearts every one in particular Do you keep Christ's Commandments Christ saith If you love me you will keep my Commandments Christ's Command is Love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and thy neighbour as thy self and do to all as thou wouldst have all do unto thee Owe nothing to any but love Love is the fulfilling of the pure Law of God which is holy just and good Not one jot or tittle shall pass till all is fulfilled All that come to the Light and obey it come to the fulfilling of the Law for the Law is the Light I had not known sin but by the Law for the Law saith Thou shalt not covet and Christ saith He that breaks one of these least Commandments is guilty if the whole It is not enough to talk of a Christ that suffered at Jerusalem once for all and to make him a cloak to cover your sins be not deceived but let such know he is in every one to condemn for sin and to make every evil deed manifest and to bear testimony against it and to leave all without excuse for all must be tryed by the Light of Christ that lighteth every one that cometh into the world and all that love the Light will bring their deeds to the Light to be approved O but those that hate it it will be their condemnation My endeared Salutation and Greeting to the Seed Immortal in all throughout the whole World Farewel Sarah Cheevers An additional Account of GEORGE ROBINSON'S shewing his Call to go to Jerusalem And how God in his Journey thither was present with and did preserve him from the hands of those who sought to take his Life c. FRIENDS EVen as the Lord in many Ages and Generations past hath called his Servants abroad into many Countries and Regions of the World to bear forth a Testimony unto his glorious and ever blessed Name that people might be gathered to him and be blessed by him even in like manner he hath done in this our day blessed be his Name for evermore And so my dear Friends I being sensible in some measure of the Lord 's great Love in this particular do in dear love both to the Lord and his People shew forth the same In the year 1657 about the beginning of the seventh month thereof as I was waiting upon the Lord in singleness of heart his blessed Presence filled me and by the power of his Spirit did command me to go unto Jerusalem And further said unto me Thy sufferings shall be great but I will bear thee over them all Accordingly about the middle of the aforesaid month I began my Voyage towards Jerusalem and imbarqued with four Friends more in a Ship called The Joshua of London bound for Legorn in Italy where in ahout six weeks time we arrived and soon after we were sent for by the Governour of that place who after examination of us whither we were going and the like said we must not stay ashore but go aboard a Ship there to abide until we could get passage whither we were bound Nevertheless we â—eturned to our Lodgings again where we â—aid some dayes in which time both Engâ—â—sh and others daily visited us to whom we â—pake the things belonging to God's Kingâ—om and then left that place and went â—board a Ship to wait for a passage whither we were bound And in about two weeks â—ime after I left the rest of Friends and â—mbarqued in a French Ship bound for St. John de Acra formerly called Ptolomais and after a few dayes sail we passed by the Island of Malta where Paul suffered shipwrack where we made little stay but hoisted sail and in about two or three weeks time we came to the ruinated City Tirus having met with a contrary wind we were stayed three or four dayes the Inhabitants being Turks and Greeks were moderate towards me and from thence in about one day we came to Ptolomais or St. John de Acra where I remained about eight dayes being much opposed by the Friars in a French Merchants house and â—hen imbarqued in a Vessel amongst Greeks and Turks bound for Joppa but the Wind rising against us we came to an Anchor at Tourtons and on the next morning divers Turks came aboard and demanded Tribute of those called Christians in the Vessel which they paid for fear of sufferings but very unwillingly their demands being very unreasonable and in like manner demanded of me but I refusing to pay according to their demands they threatned to beat the soals of my feet with a stick and one of them would have put his hand into my pocket but the chiefest of them rebuked him Soon after they began to take me out of the Vessel to effect their work but one of the Turks belonging to the Vessel speaking to them as they were taking me ashore they let me alone wherein I saw the good hand of God preserving me and also there being an Armenian present and seeing I rather chose to suffer than to grant them their unreasonable demands he cryed out I was a good Christian I was a good Christian and became very loving unto me whilst he remained with me After this about three or four dayes we came to Joppa and from thence the same day we came to Ramlah or Ramoth in Gilead which as it did appear the Friars at Jerusalem hearing of my coming gave order unto some there to stay me which accordingly was done for I was taken and carried into a house and locked up into a
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
Saint Then as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer because of our long-suffering and our strong travel and labour and no fruit as did appear the Lord said unto me Be not grieved though Israel be not gathered the seed of Malta shall be as the stars of the sky for multitude That which ye have sown shall not dye but live Glory be to the Name of the Lord for ever A Copy of a Writing from their hands sent in pursuit after the Friar MALACHY THou saidst thou wouldst try whether we had the true Spirit yea or nay and thou hast tryed day and night but thou never tryedst the right way the Seed of God is not tried with deceit lying hypocrisie nor cruelty But if thou hadst turned in with thy mind to the Light of God in thy Conscience thou wouldst soon have known us or had the Love of Christ been shed abroad in thy heart thou mightst have comprehended us or hadst thou found the Ballance of the Sanctuary of the true Tabernacle which God hath pitched and not man thou mightst have weighed us or hadst thou laid Judgement to the Line and Righteousness to the Plummet thou mightst have fathomed us or couldst thou have opened the Book of Life thou mightst have read us 〈◊〉 hadst thou gone into the House of Israel thou mightest have had fellowship with us c. Contrary to our wills were we cast in amongst you and have given our Testimony for the Lord and called you all to Repentance and have forewarned you of the evil the Lord â—s bringing upon you but you have slighted the day of your Visitation and have done despite to the Spirit of Grace and have cast many hard speeches and false aspersions upon the Truth and the Messengers thereof and the Lord will visit for these things and you have blinded your eyes that you will not see and stopped your ears that you might not hear and hardened your hearts that you might not understand lest you should see with your eyes and hear with your ears and understand with your hearts and turn to the Lord and be converted and he should heal you Oh that you had known in this your day what had belonged to your peace but now it is hid from your eyes The desire of our souls is That every one may repent that can find a place and what ever you have done to us we desire it may not be laid to your charge for we count our selves happy that we were found worthy to suffer for tâ—â— Name of the Lord. Written in the Inquisition-Prison in the Isle of Malta Katherine Evans Sarah Cheevers Behold victorious Hymns and Songs and Praises all in Verse The same sprung from the Seed of life its perfect Righteousness OH Lord my Life is given up thy Truth for to declare O Lord keep thou me in thine Arms and guide me in thy Fear Thy Bow is bent thy Sword is drawn thine enemies to deface Thy fire 's kindled against all those that will not Truth imbrace Thine Arrows which are sharp and keen upon their heads shall fall Thy double-edged Sword also to cut them down withal So plague the Heathen and correct the People in thy Wrath That they may fear and dread thy Name and come to know thy Truth Throughout the World so large and wide thy Truth thou dost declare Thy saving health for to enjoy by thy Light doth appear Thou dost send forth thy Messengers glad-tydings to proclaim To call the hungry forth to feed on thy Lamb being slain Feasts of fat things thou dost prepare the hungry for to feed And cloath the nak'd with garments fair that want and stand in need Heaven's Glory is appearing its Brightness shineth forth Over all Nations it's clearing the Lord's Eternal Truth Every one that 's in darkness under its shadow lye May come forth into the Brightness out of obscurity O Lord teach me thy perfect Wayes that I may walk therein And lead me in the Path of Life and cleanse me from all sin How gracious is the Lord our God and kind to Israel With us he doth make his abode his Presence doth us fill So that we are not desolate nor yet distrest with woes Because the Lord doth take our part and doth confound our foes Every one that is opprest and cast in danger deep If that in God they put their trust he will them safely keep Right dear and precious to the Lord are all his little ones That suffer for his holy Name he will avenge their wrongs And in his Wrath he will destroy his Enemies so stout And suddenly will make a way and lead his Servants out And he himself will them restore to Joy and Comfort both And will preserve them evermore because they do him love But as for men of corrupt minds whose wayes defiled are The Lord will visit with all kinds of Judgments and not spare He will pursue them with his Sword and cut them to the ground That do reject his holy Word his Plagues shall them confound Because that they do not obey his Mercies and his Grace Which he so free to them doth give if they would them imbrace But as their Fathers did so they requite the Lord with wrong And persecute thy Messengers and make them suffer long Because that they the Truth declare as Scripture telleth plain That Christ himself the Lord 's own Heir is come and he will reign Both Lord and Prince and King also throughout the World that 's wide And Antichrist will overthrow and Babel in her pride It 's not their golden Candlesticks nor Lamps that be so many That can shine through the Clouds so thick to give a Light to any To lead to a true resting-place where they may still behold The Beauty of God's glorious Face more bright than fined Gold Thou seest O Lord what man hath done for to exalt himself Against the Lord thy blessed Son who is our saving health They have changed his glorious Form and Image that 's so bright And fashion'd it like sinful man corrupted in thy sight Arise O Lord arise in haste and punish for these things These men that have sought thy disgrace that they might reign as Kings Over thine own Inheritance contrary to thy Will To keep them still in ignorance without knowledge or skill But now the God of Pow'r is come to raise up Sion bright And to build up Jerusalem in all the Heathens sight The Gates of Hell shall not prevail though they be wide and strong Against the gathering in of all that to the Lord belong All Glory Honour Laud and Praise be to the Lord of Might Who hath made known in these our days his Way his Truth his Light Concerning the Cross of Christ which is not a visible sign or a piece of Wood but the invisible and immortal Power of the Lord God and his Wisdom unto Salvation to and in all them that believe is the same Christ the Power of God and the
Wisdom of God But the same Cross is to the outward Jew or Christian a stumbling-block and to the wise Greek that 's exalted and puft up in the knowledge above and over the Meek Life foolishness as saith the Scripture 1 Cor. 1.18 19. THe Cross of Christ I do imbrace Which gives an entrance into Grace Both Sin and Death it doth deface And makes me run a glorious race A Crown of Life I do obtain And Sin and Death is daily slain And Christ himself alone to reign Thorow the Cross I do obtain The Cross of Christ is more to me Than all the treasures I can see It brings me to my resting-place For to behold God's lovely Face The Cross of Christ is Power indeed Against the Serpent and his seed And Salvation it doth bring To all that do believe therein The Cross of Christ is my delight It doth uphold me day and night It keeps me from the power of sin Through Christ who is my heav'nly King Without the Cross I cannot be From Sin and Death at all set free The Cross alone doth crucifie Transgression Sin Iniquity It doth break down the Middle-wall And slayes the Enmity withal And makes of twain one perfect man So renews Christ for me again The Cross of Christ it doth destroy That nature that doth disobey In those that do themselves deny And take it up most willingly And daily bear it after him Who is our Lord our Prince and King And not at all to let it down Till they come to enjoy the Crown The Cross of Christ is Power and Life It doth destroy all mortal strife It keepeth from the power of Sin All those that love to walk therein All that do own Christ Jesus Cross Through self-denial they must pass For to be purged from their sin And no longer live therein The Cross of Christ doth operate Through every vein and vital part The heart and reins to cleanse from sin Of them that 's exercis'd therein All they that live in wickedness Are enemies to Christ Jesus Cross For ev'ry sin and uncleanness Doth pierce the Life of Christ Jesus Perfect Love and breathings of undefiled Life to the Seed of God greeting THe streams of Beauty pure bright That springeth up both day and night My love to Truth doth me constrain In Prison ever to remain If it in truth be so that I Cannot be set at liberty My dear Redeemers face so bright Doth shine upon me day and night His Countenance doth exceed all Captivity and Bondage thrall My pure and undefiled Love Which cometh from a harmless Dove Within whose brests doth still remain God's perfect praises to maintain I have not time nor place to show The Love which from my heart doth flow The blessing of th' Almighty be On Jacobs Seed eternally And let it make its sure abode Upon the Heritage of God Amen K. E. THese Writings following are Copies of divers Letters which they had written to their Friends and near Relations in the time of my visitation of them But it came so to pass that as they were handing the same through the Grate of the Prison by the hand of another man to be communicated to my hand being then present in the Room also that the said Letters were intercepted and in the first place communicated to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor and he forthwith sent for the Consul and charged him to get the same truly copied forth Then the Consul was wrath with me that he should be exercised with so much trouble But in the Light and Counsel of my God I seeing and knowing that there was nothing in them but what came from a good ground of Innocency and Truth and pure natural Affection I was moved in bowels of tender Love lest the said Letters should be finally miscarried or shut up in obscurity therefore I propounded to the Consul If that were such a trouble to him if he would let me have the Letters I should copy them out truly And after some time he consented and gave them into my hand and laid it upon my Conscience to perform as I had said which I did with gladness of heart not in submission to his Will but in obedience to the God of Love and Peace which guided me in the same and so after I had finished them I gave the fair Copies into the Consul's hands for his Lord Inquisitor And so in the wisdom of the Lord which is wiser than the Serpents I obtained the very desire of my heart for his Truth and Peoples sake and retained the Original Copies and in the endless Love and Power of the Lord Almighty which was and is with me and accompanied me blessed and magnified be the Power of his excellent Majesty and Glory Amen over the heads of the lofty Mountains and barren Hills I brought the Treasures of a blessed and good ground away with this body in which I am so that they were not only in my hands but also the precious substance and vertue of the same that accomâ—anied them even in my heart within my â—osome and the Words of wisdoms Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about my neck as Bracelets and Ornaments of a comely and delicate chaste Bride about my hands and loins and behold the Almighty Lord and King of Eternal Life that had so mightly preserved me in the shadow of his haâ—â— of Almightiness which stopt the moutâ— of devouring Lyons and chained and limitted the ravening and devouring wiâ—â— Beasts of the Forrest even he the King 〈◊〉 blessedness and endless Glory filled mâ— heart with his spotless and unexpressiblâ— Love And as I lay upon the deck of thâ— Vessel in which I was a Passenger and 〈◊〉 stranger among Men of many and diveâ—â— Nations in the morning of the day I feâ—â— and beheld the exceeding Glory of thâ— Lord under the secret shadow of his Almightiness in a Vision of God and in thâ— same I beheld the Bride the Lamb's Wife prepared for the Bridegroom 's coming and why should not I declare somewhat oâ— the felicity that mine eye in the Eternaâ— Life of blessedness saw albeit the Reâ—â— is unutterable which I felt and know how to be silent in the Father's Presence where every Babe knoweth my voice which iâ— to give a sound in their ears to whom I write and not to spread Pearls before Swine that will defile and trample oâ— them That mine eye mine eye hath seen and perfectly beheld the Free-born from above coming out of the Wilderness covered with goodly and comely Raiment white and clean as the light of the Sun or as a Stone most precious clear as Chrystal and mine eye beheld a Crown which was embraced in the Arms of the Bridegroom and the Crown was well adorned with many Stars which did excel each other in Glory and mine eye beheld the Sun as a Bridegroom rejoycing over the Virgin-Bride of his Espousal so that I was even sick with
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
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
the Truth In a few dayes after we were there in a Vision in the night the Lord appeared to me and shewed me that round about us and above and beneath us there were many Magicians of Aegypt and the Lord smote me and said unto me The Devil hath desired to winnow you as Wheat but pray that your Faith fail not And the sight was very dreadful and terrible and the Voice of the Lord did awake me with much trembling and amazement and a great War for the space of twelve hours before I could get the victory and we did witness but little ease to the flesh night nor day We went in obedience to the Lord to one of their Tower-Houses in time of their Worship and stood trembling in the midst of them and I was made to turn my back to the high Altar and kneel down and lift up my voice in prayer unto the Lord and he that was saying Service drew off his Surplice and kneeled a little beside us till I had done and he reacht forth his hand to us to come to him and offered me a token and the Lord shewed me it was the Mark of the Beast and I refused it and he put it into Sarah's hand and she gave it him again and shewed him her Purse that she had to give if any had need And he asked if we were Calvinists or Lutherans And we said Nay And he asked if we would go to Rome to the Pope But we denied And he asked if we were Catholicks And we told him We were true Chirstians the Servants of the living God And many of them were amazed and came round about us we having but little of their Tongue gave our Testimony for the Lord in words and signs as well as we could and they were made subject to the Power at that present praises be given to our God and we departed in peace And since that the Lord laid such a heavy burthen upon us that we did question what he would do with us before we knew the mind of God in it And upon a set-day they had a great Meeting to take their holy Sacrament as they call it in a high place but we knew nothing of it nor where it was but what the Lord revealed to us And we were made to go in and stand in the midst and there were many lights in divers places many Christs as they call them and much costliness and abominations of the Earth they had so many sorts of holy Garments as they call them of so many colours that it would make one wonder how the Devil did invent it And there we were made to stand in the midst for the space of three parts of an hour as near as I can judge in great power trembling and quaking and bitter mourning so that they were all amazed and some removed further for fear but knew not what to do for I never did witness such an Earthquake In the end one came soberly and spake to us to go forth and we went in the Lord's time and sate at the door trembling and mourning to the astonishment of them and being so overcome with their Abominations we went along the street reeling to and fro and staggering like drunken men so that we were a wound to all that saw us It was the wonderful Power of God that made way for us to go forth to them and kept us They have used all the Craft they have day and night to inchant us as the Lord hath made it known unto us Glory and praises be to his everlasting Name for evermore We know that there is no Inchantment against Jacob nor divination against Israel Dearly beloved Friends We dearly salute you all in the invisible Life of our God who is our life our peace our stay and strength under whose Shadow we are refreshed praises glory and honor be given unto his powerful Name of all his for ever Truly Friends we are not able to declare the large Mercies of our God vouchsafed unto us from time to time his Horn is our Strength and his Name our strong Tower in all our troubles temptations tryals and sufferings he is a God at hand and not afar off and doth make us sensible before-hand by Visions and Revelations what is coming upon us and doth arm us with his own Armour and makes us as bold as Lyons for we fear not the face of man because we know we shall not suffer any thing but what shall make for the glory of our God But truly we had fainted long ago had not the Lord upheld us by his free Spirit but we know the Lord taketh care of the least of them that trust him Praises be unto him for ever Dear Friends though we be absent in body yet we are present in spirit and do feel you in that which cannot be separated as we abide faithful and are much refreshed in you and the remembrance of you is precious unto us Oh that all our Friends could prize the company and the sight of each others faces We do not want the company of Friars Jesuites and Magistrates nor great women Here are some that have breathings after Life but they dare not shew it for the same thing that was is they will not enter in themselves nor suffer them that would The Lord Inquisitor sent to us That if we would being we are good women we should go into the Nunnery amongst the holy women and be maintained as long as we live in regard we have denied the world and all that we have And the Friar told us if we would come to their Masse-house and receive their holy Sacrament we should be the most eminent Catholicks in all Malta But we denied them in the Name of the Lord and all their dead foppery which they have invented Here we are kept under the Inquisition as they say till they have Orders from the Pope of Rome what they should do with us We beseech you all faithful Friends pray for us for great are our tryals Did you but know the Abominations that the Devil hath invented here you would think it were tryal enough But here we have cruel mockings and the same contradictions tryals and temptations that ever the Servants of the Lord had and Christ himself It is the wonderful Power of God that we are preserved till this time for all the whole Island are Papists and given up to Idolatry We are despised of all People and abhorred of all Nations and because they cannot have any just thing against us they do invent lies against us but the Lord is on our side for else the Enemy would soon destroy us for great is their rage and we have continual war with them night and day we feel behold their threatnings and cruelty is more than our tongues can express Great is the love of our God for he doth refresh us with the sweet drops of his mercy and doth water us every moment with the everlasting springs
of amongst his faithful Flock and endued with so much power to come into such a place as this not the like in all Europe by their own report and all others and to stop the mouths of Lyons and to trample upon the heads of Serpents Scorpions and Vipers of the Earth and they could not hurt thee their stings are taken out of their heads and out of their tails Glory Honour and everlasting Praises be given to our God for evermore of all that know him for he is worthy And the Lord bless thee and thine for ever Amen and encrease thy strength and multiply thee abundantly in every good Gift and Grace and prosper all thy undertakings that thou mayest be approved for ever before the King of Saints in the General Assembly of the Most High and stand before the Throne of his Majesty with joy unspeakable and full of glory Amen Amen saith our spirits Dearly beloved pray for us that we fall not nor fail whereby our Enemies may have any advantage to rejoyce and say We served a God that could not save us and called upon a God that could not deliver us as if we were like them to call upon stocks stones pictures and painted walls and dead things that cannot see hear nor speak through their throats We do beseech thee to tell all our dear Friends Fathers and Elders the Pillars of the spiritual Building with all the rest of our Christian Brethren that we do desire their Prayers for we have need of them HOw strong and pow'rful is our KING To all that do believe in him He doth preserve them from the Snare And Teeth of those that would them tear We that are sufferers for the Seed Our hearts are wounded and do bleed To see th' Oppression Cruelty Of men that do thy Truth deny In Prisons strong and Dungeons deep To God alone we cry and weep Our sorrows none can learn nor reade But those that in our path do tread But He whose Beauty shineth bright Who turneth darkness into Light Makes Cedars bow and Oaks to bend To him that 's sent to the same end He is a Fountain pure and clear His Chrystal Streams run far and near To cleanse all those that come to him For to be healed of their sin All them that patiently abide And never swerve nor go aside The Lord will free them out of all Captivity Bondage and Thrall LEt E. C. know that his Exhortations I do dearly imbrace and do witness it to be an eternal Truth I have had large experience of it the Lord hath carried me on in much difficult service so that many times the way hath been stopt up that to the eye of Reason I could not have a way made either by Sea or Land Oh! if thou didst but know what experience I had of the mighty hand of the Lord in making a way thou wouldst wonder Once my way was stopt and my persecution was so hot that I sate in a Field all night to wait upon the Lord to make way for me to do the work he laid upon me I could not get lodging for money in the Town nor City it was at Salisbury where I was whipt in the Market And the next morning I went through the City by the Watchmen and they took no notice of me Wheresoever the Lord did send me into what Land or City or place soever if they did put me out never so oft he would make me go till I got victory save in the Isle of Man there was a Souldier came to my Bed side with a naked Sword and took me by the Arm and hall'd me out of the Bed at the tenth hour of the night and carried me on Ship-board When I put on my clothes I did not dare to rise That place lies upon me yet and I have motions to Edinburgh in Scotland I was never there The Lord did make me to do him service to almost all the mighty men in England and Ireland insomuch that I cryed oft to my God saying Lord what wilt thou do with me that am so foolish to go to such wise men If I were wise I did not care if thou didst carry me to the end of the Earth The Lord said The foolish things must confound the wise and he would carry me before the mightiest men in all the earth to bear his Name before them and I should have victory wheresoever I went And I do believe the Lord and we both are made willing to wait the Lord's time which is a time of peace and joy safety and happiness And we do bless laud praise and magnifie his holy Name that he sent so heavenly a Messenger to relieve strengthen comfort and refresh us in our great necessity which is a mercy beyond expression all Friends that do understand it will say so Glory and everlasting praises honour power and dominion be given to our eternal Lord God for evermore of us and all that know him Amen Amen saith our Spirit Oh true and Faithful Brother into the Arms of everlasting Power and Holiness Strength and Mightiness Purity Righteousness do we commit thee to be kept and preserved and prosperously carried on in thy Journey The powerful blessing peace joy and happiness of the Majesty of the Most High God go along with thee to preserve and protect thee for ever Amen Amen Pray for us dear Heart that we may recive strength to overcome that we may sing the Song of Moses and the Lamb and the Redeemed of the Lord Amen Dear Heart it is hard for us to part with thee thou wilt feel it The Will of our eternal Father be done In the pure Unity of the blessed Spirit of Light Life Joy Peace and everlasting Glory do we here take our leave of thee at this time hoping to see thy face again with joy in our Lord's time O dear Heart our hearts souls spirits and our whole lives go along with thee The pure Peace of our God rest upon thee Amen Dearly salute us to all Friends for they are dear and precious to us indeed Farewel farewel dear Heart farewel Dear Heart THou hast cleared thy Conscience towards us in the sight of God and man if here had been many Friends what could have been done more concerning us than thou hast done Thou hast stood in great jeopardy ever since and thy life hath been sought for much We have felt it and cryed night and day to our heavenly Father to preserve thee and safely deliver thee Whatsoever we do suffer we desire the Will of our heavenly Father to be done in all things If the Lord doth stir up the Earth to help the Woman it is his own free love and upon that account we shall receive it and not upon any other This they spake concerning the Money I left with them and for their necessities And the Lord did appear unto me in a Vision of the night and smote me on the arm and said Look there is
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
the men of our own Nation the Jews and others we gave a sound and the blessing of the God of Heaven and his Presence was with us whether the Nations of men did hear or forbear but the Witness of God in sundry was reached and the same answered in us And herein we are so far well satisfied whilst others were hardened who defied us and our Testimony as their uncircumcised Fathers always did resist and gain-say the Truth that saves from sin and so finally from its condemnation And it came to pass after that we had waited upon the Lord to understand his good will and pleasure he answered us in the joy of our hearts and we received his Counsel and communicated of the same to each others satisfaction in the love of God â—n which we were wel confirmed to obey the same until the death as the Lord our God might have permitted for his Names sake who then further ordained us to be separated viz. John Stubs and Henry Fell to pass on towards Alexandria and my dear brother and companion Richard Scostrop with me to pass Eastward to Constantinople and Smyrna in Asia and after a little season we parted in the goodness of God And when twenty four dayes were finished having in the mean time touched a little season at the Island Zant we arrived at Smyrna But behold it came to pass immediately at our coming there was not a little stir together with the evil surmizings and what else arising up as a flood with threatnings breathed forth from the Apostate Christians especially men of no small degree of our own Nation against us when Turks Jews Greeks Heathens and others were not altogether so evil affectâ—d as to let us from the exercise of our Conscience void of offence towards God and man and so to hold forth the example of the harmless Life and unblameable Conversation in all equitableness in Doctrine Life and Practice of what we professed in the midst of them But oh how the Christians by name in Asia who should first have received the Word of saving-health how did they defie and reproach not only us but our living Testimony and Message of Blessedness which day by day was sounded in their ears notwithstanding The Lord God lay not what they did against us to their charge when they have most need of mercy and peace with God if happily repentance unto life be witnessed by them who know not what they did yea and my Spirit is ready to say Amen for their sakes that hated us without a cause as the same unbelieving nature did our Lord and Master whom we love serve and honour in the same and therefore keep his Sayings which are not grievous to us in that one and the selfe-same Spirit which reproves the World for sin in which we worship him as the Father the which guideth into all Truth from all Evil concerning which we well admonished their minds to subject to the One and to avoid and turn from the other each having their proper effects attending them as anguish woes judgements disquietments upon the soul and conscience that doth evil and contrariwise blessings peace glory honor and the goodness of God attending the soul of man which worketh good in the Light of the same excellent Spirit of God which exerciseth the Conscience in temperance and sobriety meeekness and gentleness of Christ And on this wise we besought the men of our own Nation together with many more in those parts that they might become a sweet savour of the pure Life of Christ and Christianity indeed and in truth which tends to answer the Witness of the Eternal God manifest in Turks Greeks Jews Heathens and Apostate Christians among the dark Nations where they have their conversation Yet I am constrained to express somewhat of their manner of dealing with us to our good Wherefore Men of reasonable and honourable understanding may bear with me to the end that the honest-hearted may be informed to beware of a persecuting Spirit which is not of God neither ever was it born of him Their Threatnings encreased daily and they burdened themselves exceedingly with us whose Deportment and Behaviour they were made to confess to as did the Consul and divers others which in truth they could not say otherwise but that it was temperate innocent harmless and unblameable in our Conversation Magnified be the Lord and blessed be his Grace of Life by which we in submission to the same were guided herein But because our Testimony was not for but against whatsoever might be said in truth to be evil unjust or unequitable which is dishonourable therefore were we hated of the High and Lofty to the disquieting of their own rest day and night because they burthened themselves so with the truth and innocency of the Lord's Testimony which our Life held forth among them who received not the same in his love that they might be saved not only from sin but also from the wrath to come So they forthwith sent a Message from Smyrna to the great City Constantinople to the King's Embassador of England and besought him to expel us out from among them of Asia that we might not have a Being in the extent of their Authority in visiting them on this wise as by the annexed Warrant thou that reads the same may understand A Coppy of the Warrant which they produc'd and prosecuted VVHereas we are informed that there is lately arrived with the Zant Frigot one Daniel Baker with his Companion commonly called Quakers with intention to come up to this Port and because we sufficiently have had experience that the Carriage of that sort of People is ridiculous and is capable to bring dishonour to our Nation besides other ill conveniences that may redound to them in particular and to the English in general We therefore will and require you to give a stop to the said Quakers from proceeding any further in their Journey either to Constantinople or the present Court of the Grand Signior viz. the great Emperor of the Turks or to any other place where our Authority extends shipping them away either directly for England or any other Part which they shall chuse to imbarque And we do hereby require all Officers and Members of the Factory and Masters and Officers of Ships to be aiding and assisting to you herein And for so doing this shall be your Warrant For our loving Friend Anthony Isaacson Esquire Consul for the English Nation at Smyrna By his Excellency's Command Paul Ricoat Secretary Given under our Hand and Seal at our Court at Pare of Constantinople the 19th day of July it should be August for we were not in Asia in the Month called July 1661. Winchels 4. And forthwith this Warrant was dispatcht with a Messenger from the Embassador's Court at Constantinople to Smyrna and behold the Merchants of the Earth and others that could not endure to hear of the sound of Truth received the same not with little gladness
that I was to pass onward in the tender Love of our God he did the more constrain me I finding some unwillingness to leave him in that condition which was not a little cross unto me But in the heavenly Will and Peace of our God and joy of the Lord out of all visibles we parted asunder and it came to pass that he laid down his Body there in about two dayes after There being a Ship of Venice ready I embarqued on the same and had a good Passage through the Gulf of Venice After three Weeks were finished was I admitted together with the Ships company to receive Product or Admission to come into the City as their manner is and there I continued about eight dayes as a sign and wonder among many and gave somewhat of a sound of the Lord's Day in truth among them and from thence I travelled to Legorn and my face was as if it were set towards England I being alone as a Mourning-Dove in a desolate Wilderness Yet it came so to pass when I arrived at the same Port or City that the everlasting Love of my God did fill and overcome my heart and mine eye right dearly affected the same and verily the living Word and Commandment of my God sounded in mine ear and mine understanding was quickened in the Spirit of Life from God so that I was made willing and not to rebel against the Heavenly Voice And what if I testifie that mine eye saw the Angel of his presence which was expresly for me to give up and pass away from thence to visit his long-suffering Seed of Innocency shut up in the Inquisition in the Isle of Malta under the Popes Authority and to communicate to their necessities and verily the sweet Promise of the Lord entered and possessed my heart and my God made my way prosperous for in the Light of his Countenance he had often set these poor afflicted long-suffering Innocents before my face Wherefore my body and mind was freely offered up as my reasonable service to serve his Truth the least Member of it and so to the death of the Cross whereto I became obedient in uprightness of heart as if I should never see the face of my Kindred or Native Country more a Vessel of France being ready to depart from thence East-ward I embarqued thereon for the Isle of Cicilia to Masena and from thence to the Isle of Malta in a Vessel of the said Island and in my passage the Vessel did bear in to Syracuse where Paul abode three dayes in his passage to Rome after he had suffered shipwrack on Malta and at Syracuse I abode five dayes where I gave a sound of the Lord's Truth and Life And so we immediately sailed from thence and within twenty four hours we arrived at the Island of Malta and within some hours after I came upon the said Island I had admittance to the Pope's Lord Inquisitor to whom I delivered my Message in the Italian Tongue on this wise I am come to demand the just Liberty of my innocent Friends the two English Women in Prison in the Inquisition And he asked If I were related to them as a Husband or Kinsman and whether I came out of England on purpose with that Message And I answered I came from Legorn for that same end and he replied at last They should abide in Prison till they dye except some English Merchants or others that were able would engage or give obligation for the value of three or four thousand Dollers conditionally that they should never return again into those Parts On this wise was his reply divers times with the Consul and many others together and asunder but in the Name and Fear of the Lord God I withstood the same unchristian-like Demand and Cruelty in the Word Power and Travel of the Lord in his innocent suffering Lambs behalf albeit they daily threatned me with their Cruelty and Inquisition of darkness and followed me to and fro with their Officer and Black-rod and the Pope's Deputy would have bound me that I should neither speak good nor evil to any one while I was on the Island as the Consul said save to him neither to come to the Prison alone except the Consul came also with me or some of his Family at least But their Snares Bonds and Covenants in the Name of my God I defied because the Spirit of Life from the Lord gave me dominion through sufferings in spirit first over their unjust dark Impositions yea and in the same good Authority in the innocency and uprightness of my heart I travelled through and over the darkness over its works and ceased not to publish the end of my coming which they would not have known abroad and the sound of Truth and its dread and fame struck terror in their hearts that both high and wise great Men together with the popish Priests and Jesuites Knights them called of the Nobility of the Pope's Dominion of Spain and France and of many Nations they did not burthen themselves a little with my bodily presence my clear Testimony and Friends in general all which they defied and withstood as it doth appear by the words of Truth in this Treatse And thus it comes to pass among the Nations because we are not of this world as our Life and Testimony also is not for but against the same therefore we marvel not if the World hate us knowing its birth which is from beneath earthly and sensual persecuteth that which is from above heavenly and spiritual and so the Lord hath made me as a burthensome stone among them My heart blesseth his Name that wonderfully preserved me Yet some of them came to see somewhat of my Innocency About twenty four dayes I abode upon the said Island they daily continuing their Threatnings against me as aforesaid and many times attempted me to take my Passage to Cicillia or to some parts of Italy to produce the unreasonable and unchristian-like Obligation demanded by them but in the fear of God I with my dear Friends withstood them and they were freely given up rather to suffer than to hurt Gods Truth and People thus to gratifie them who as it doth appear the Spirit of the Lord God of Truth rules neither in Pope nor in any of his Lords Priests or Jesuites that exercise such Lordship over the Innocent long-suffering Heritage of the everlasting God The time hasteneth and behold it cometh to pass that the weight of eternal Vengeance is coming over them which the Man of Sin and his Sons of Perdition will not be able to bear For the doleful Cry of the Innocent that sighs and groans with tears hath long uttered its voice which hath ascended into the ears of the Most High who is higher than the Highest yet hath he respect unto the needy to uphold them yea and to such as are of an upright contrite lowly and trembling heart What if I should say the God of Love and
scattered from all the rest of the Ships and could never see them again And so the Name of the Lord be magnified for ever over all whose Name is a strong Tower to all that can trust in him It is laid upon me to manifest the large love of God to us in our greatest extremity when we knew nothing but that we should be burnt for many dayes together Then in a Vision of the night I saw a large Room and a great Wood-fire in the Chimney and I saw the eternal Son of God sitting in a Chair by the fire in the form of a servant And likewise I saw a very amiable well-favoured Man-Child sitting in a hollow Chair over the fire it had no clothes on but a little fine linen about the upper parts it did not appear to be above three quarters old the fire did flame on every side of it yet the Child did play and was merry I would have took it up for fear it should have been burnt but he that sate in the Chair bade me let it alone I turned me about and I saw another heavenly Angel of God's presence standing a little wayes off it was not Gabriel and then he that sate in the Chair bade me take up the Child and it had no harm Let him that readeth understand And then I did awake and I called to my Friend Sarah and bid her she should not fear for the heavenly Host of God's Presence did follow us and as we do believe who can harm us though they did bind us to a stake yet shall they never have power to kindle fire upon us And Sarah answered she did know without our heavenly Father they cannot touch a hair of our heads And the Lord said However it be it shall go well with you And so we magnifie the Name of the Lord night and day and he is worthy to be praised for evermore Amen Ka. Evans There came to Malta whilst we were in the Inquisition twenty sail of Ships out of France and Spain to joyn with the Caveliers in Malta to fight against the Turks as the Keeper told us and the fear and dread of the Lord fell upon me and the Lord commanded me to prophesie against them and I cryed out daily saying God is angry God is angry and they cannot prosper go not forth to murther nor to kill one another Christ came not to destroy life but to save it This I told many as they were in hearing yet there was great triumphing and glorying in blood and in the strength of Pharoah all the time they were there And the night before they went forth I saw in a Vision a broad Tub of blood and it did run over on each side into the water and defiled it that I could have none to drink and I was exceedingly troubled in spirit And this did signifie their great slaughter and fight upon the Sea with the Turks and they returned with great loss and their joy was turned into sorrow and their mirth into mourning because they would not be forewarned Sa. Cheevers To the English Fryar Malachi THou art a bloody Persecutor of God and his eternal Truth and the Messengers thereof go whither thou wilt the righteous God will follow thee and find thee out dig never so deep thou canst not hide thy self from the Light Cruelty hard-heartedness vain-glory hypocrisie lying blasphemy pride unbelief all manner of wickedness lodgeth within thee thou in thy measure art the sinck of Hell thy mouth uttereth perverse things the poyson of Asps is under thy tongue thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity thou art for eternal burnings Thou saidst thou madest thy self a holy man having wit and learning so thou becamest a Prelate or a Bishop and studied Divinity fifteen years and by it thou camest by thy Ordination to be a Father of Learning a Saviour of Souls thou saidst thou hadst received vertue to remit sins and thou didst offer to take our blood upon thee and to save our souls and bodies and wouldst have us to pray in the name of such a holy Father as thou who art a Catholick and didst kneel down often and speak many bitter wishes that you were in the true Faith But glory be to the Name of our God for ever the Light did discover thee when thou camest under many false covers and colours thy lyes and blasphemies were manifested to us by the Light and by the Light judged and condemned and we preserved and justified O thou perverter of the pure way of Righteousness thou child of the Devil thou deceiver of souls the Lord will require the souls of the simple at thy hands thou hast caused them to err from the living God thou Lucifer thou shalt be cast down from thy seat with all thy whoredoms into the bottomless pit there to remain for ever Amen And the Lord Jesus Christ alone shall reign over all the powers of darkness unto the ends of the Earth and the powers of darkness discovered defaced and utterly destroyed with the brightness of his coming then shalt thou and thy kingdom with all your carnal weapons that you have formed to uphold you be thrown down and overturned and thou and all such deceivers as thou art shall be cast into utter darkness with the lyers unbelievers Sorcerers fearful blasphemers blood-thirsty there to receive your reward weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever then shall you know with Dives one drop of cold Water from us whom you have afflicted for the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God will not stand you in stead to cool your tormented tongues for your Blasphemies Thou hast slighted the day of thy Visitation thou hast had line upon line and precept upon precept declared to thee of the good Word of God but thou hast made a mock and said it was a foolish thing thou didst want men of learning and wit thou hast learning and tongues Oh! dost thou not see thy folly Hath not God chosen the foolish things to confound the wisdom of the wise and to bring to nought the counsel of the prudent In the Light thou art known by the Light thou art judged and condemned Thy Gospel is carnal that doth uphold thy Kingdom Iniquity double-doors Chains Bolts Iron Whips Racks Halters Quarterings Cruelties Blood-thirstiness what wickedness is there that is not in your Kingdom you will cheat and cozen one another and will tolerate all manner of vice and say it is pardonable and will remit their sins if they will believe in you and pray in your name Thou wouldst have us pray by thy spirit after thee and say Mass and Pater noster and pray to Saints departed and thy Jesus and Mary with Beads and Crucifixes and cross our foreheads and chins Oh thou Antichrist wouldst thou have us turn from the Spirit of the living God which is pure and holy to pray to stocks and stones thy dead gods which cannot see nor hear nor
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
room for one night and a part of the day following and then had liberty to go into the yard but as a Prisoner in which time the Turks shewed friendship unto me one Antient man especially of great reputation who desired that I might come unto his house which thing being granted he courteously entertained me And further it came to pass about four or five dayes after my confinement there came an Irish Friar with a Guard accompanying him from Jerusalem unto me it being twenty miles distant and discoursed with me concerning the things of God's Kingdom At first he seemed in words as though he would have shewed friendship unto me but the poyson of Asps was under his tongue for when he could not prevail over me nor others with him in way of discourse about the things of God he then said that was not the business he was sent about but he had divers things to propound unto me from his brethren the Friars at Jerusalem as followeth which he would do 1. Whether I would promise when I come to Jerusalem that I would visit the Holy Places as he called them as other Pilgrims did 2. And give such sums of money as is the usual manner of Pilgrims 3. Wear such a sort of habit as is the manner of Pilgrims 4. Speak nothing against the Turks Laws 5. And when I came to Jerusalem not to speak any thing about Religion And thus they strove to make their hold strong to keep me from Jerusalem but all was in vain for I not conforming unto them but standing in the Will of the Lord to do as he might order me they then the next morning took me and set me upon a horse and with a Guard both of Horsemen and Footmen with the aforesaid Irish Friar I was brought from thence back to Joppa and was imbarqued the same day in a Vessel with one Popish Father as a Guard bound for St. John de Acra or Ptolomais but in our Voyage a very strong Wind arose upon us wherby the Vessel was near to sink and then the Popish Father in a distressed condition cryed out and beat his face with his hands and would have me to pray for them the poor Seamen threw their Goods over into the Sea to lighten the Vessel and they lost their Helm great was their dammage yet through the mercy of the Lord our lives were preserved and came safe to the place whither we were bound yet great was the enmity that arose in the Friars in that place whereby their children would hardly receive me though I was willing to give to the utmost for what necessaries I had occasion for which I had done before as they also knew yet by reason of the Fryars and Jesuites enmity at the present many of their party feared to receive me neither did I know a place outwardly where to lay my head with safety nay not so much as upon a stone unless the Lord did wonderfully preserve me which in my heart I did believe he would do whereby I remained content in my spirit without any murmuring and began to walk out of the City it raining to lie down in the field for what I knew but there came a French Merchant called Sur-Rubie whom the Lord after my exercise had prepared to receive me a man that I had never seen before that I knew of who friendly took me unto his house as I was passing along where I remained above twenty dayes and he would often speak unto me saying Surely it was the Lord's doing his receiving of me for said he my own Country-men when they come to me they are little to me but thee I can willingly receive The old man would admire the Lord's doing in this thing and did believe I was sent of the Lord and he did love me exceeding much but the Friars had so far prevailed with the Consul that in 20. dayes time I could not be received into a Vessel for to go towards Jerusalem so that I knew not but to have gone by Land yet it was several dayes Journey and I knew not the way no not so much as out of the City besides the much difficulty there is in going through the Country beyond my expression yet I not looking at the hardships but at the heavenly Will of our Lord I was made to cry in my heart Lord thy Will be done and not mine and so being preparing to go and taking leave of the tender old man he cryed I should be destroyed if I went by Land and would not let me go but the next morning he went unto the Consul and spake unto him earnestly that I might have liberty to go by Sea to Joppa for before the Consul had given order to the contrary the Friars also did speak to the Consul very much to hinder me being I could not conform to joyn with them and said I would turn Turk and be a Devil yet the friendly old man appeared and in my behalf opposed them and through the Lord 's great goodness liberty was obtained for my return back to Joppa by Sea contrary to the wills of the Friars who thought to have sent me back again out of those parts for within about three or four dayes a Vessel being bound for Joppa I entred therein and in about a dayes time arrived there where some Friars also who went along in the same Vessel sought to hinder me from going to Jerusalem but I going ashoar before them payed for my passage and so went on my Journey alone where having met with many people in the way peaceably passed by me untill I came about six miles and then I met with three men two of them riding upon Asses and the other going on foot they asked me for money one of them holding his Gun to my breast and another of them put his hand into my pockets took some things out I not resisting them but stood in the fear of the Lord who preserved me for they passed away and he that took my things forth of my pockets put them up again taking nothing from me nor did me the least harm but one of them took me by the hand and led me a little on my way in a friendly manner and so left me So I passing through the like dangers through the great love of God which caused me to glorifie his blessed Name I came though in much weakness of body unto Ramlah or Ramoth Gilead and going through the Town I was known having been there before two men of the said Town Adherents to the Friars which before had opposed me arose and laid hold on me and hurried me in a violent manner towards the place in the Town in which before I had been kept prisoner but as they were abusing me there came two Turks and threw them violently from me and took me from them one leading me by one arm the other by the other arm and in that manner brought me to one of their Houses of
so but also a sensible feeling not only of the tryals sufferings in part of these innocent Lambs but also of the Consolations of each other as fellow-Members of the infinite Body of which Christ Jesus the Lord is both King and Head in whom be endless dominion and pure glory and eternal salvation Amen And so I being as it were constrained to publish the acceptable Words that sound and savor of pure innocency and clear truth for the Elect's sake in the same Love and Life I am the more free hereunto even as a Child that differs but little from a servant as I am in the Fathers Love Power and Grace of Life fitted to serve the undefiled Life of the least in the Kingdom of Blessedness and to administer comfort or what else I have received from the Eternal Fountain or Fulness for the use or service of either body mind soul or spirit of my own flesh or family seeing no man ever hated his own Flesh and he is worse than an Infidel that provideth not for his own Family especially them of his own House This is a sweet Salutation to Gods Elect Church in England and Ireland RIght dear precious and Heavenly Ones whose Beauty shineth bright and at whose Name the hearts of the Heathen do tremble We who through the everlasting Mercies of our God are Members of the same Body and are held in strait Captivity and hard Bondage for witnessing forth the same Testimony and Covenant of pure Light Life and Truth of our God with you dear and faithful Ones indeed We here in the same Covenant of pure Love and bowels of tenderness do dearly salute and imbrace you all glorifying and praising our eternal Father for you all who hath counted us worthy to partake of the fellowship and sufferings for the Bodies sake with you in tribulations fiery tryals manifold temptations fastings watchings heats and colds and cruel threatning and persecutions perils by Sea and perils by Land standing in jeopardy of our lives year after year and looking every hour day and night for many Weeks together when we should be brought out to Execution but though Proclamation was made and they came up to the very Gate with a Drum and Musquets to fetch us out to destroy us yet the Lord God of everlasting strength who in the deepest of all dangers and greatest extremity when all hopes were past did but blow upon them with the breath of his nostrils and they did fly as dust before the Wind for which we do intreat all Friends to glorifie our God on our behalf for never did the Lord our God work greater Deliverance for any than he hath done for us from time to time who are the least and weakest for what we know that ever the Lord our God sent forth in so great and weighty a work but all things are possible with him who made and created all things It is he alone which carrieth on his own Work by his own mighty Power and the glory shall be his own for evermore Amen Oh our dearly beloved Friends did you know but the third part of the Afflictions the Lord our God hath carried us through you would say The Lord hath wrought as great a Miracle in our preservation as ever he did in raising Lazarus out of the Grave And in the greatest of our afflictions we could not say in our hearts Father would thou hadst not brought us hither but cryed mightily to our God for Power to carry us through whatsoever should be inflicted upon us that the Truth of our God might not suffer through our weakness And the Lord did hear us and answered us in righteousness and carried us on with all boldness and made our fore-heads as Flint our brows as Brass in the faces of our Enemies that whensoever we were brought forth upon tryal all fear was taken away that we stood as Iron-Gates and Castle-Walls in the faces of our Enemies so that they said we would fain be burned but we answered No we would not willingly be burned but if our heavenly Father doth call us to suffer in that kind for his Name sake he will give us power to go through it and we have great cause to believe it for our Lord God never called us to do any service for him but he gave us power and made way for his own Work glory and praise be to his holy Name for ever Dearly beloved Friends marvel not why Israel is not gathered in all this time it is not for want of labour nor travel nor grief nor pain fasting nor mourning nor weeping nor love to their souls but it is because of the great Oppression For here are a willing people but they dare not until the Lord make way for them Truly Friends we have not been idle since we saw your faces nor have we had much ease to the flesh but do travel night and day for Sion's prosperity and perfect joy and for the reparation of Jerusalem and her pure praise though our sorrows are deep and our afflictions grievous yet we do wait with patience to reap the peaceable fruits of righteousness and enjoy the benefit of our uprightness Praises be to our God for ever he hath kept us by his power and holiness that our Enemies have not one jot or tittle against us but for the Truth of our God and that we could not joyn with them so they would not suffer us to have one line of refreshment but stript us out of all so that we could not expect one drop of mercy favour nor affection but what our heavenly Father did distil upon us from his living presence and work for us by the operation of his own Arm of strength and power But dear Friends though a long Winter and many sharp and terrible Storms have past over our heads so that we cannot express our Sorrows so likewise we cannot declare our Joys Oh! in the midst of all our afflictions our God did draw nigh unto us and did speak comfortably unto us with many sweet and precious Promises and did never suffer his faithfulness to fail us nor was he wanting unto us in Visions and Revelations Oh! how doth he appear in his Glory Beauty and Brightness so that our souls are ravished and wrapped up with his living presence and glory many times so that we do not dare to look out at our long-sufferings nor tryals but do press forwards towards the fulness of Joy and Blessedness which our eternal Father hath prepared for all them that love him and walk in obedience to him and we know the deeper our sorrow is the greater our Joy shall be and the heavier our Cross the weightier our Crown as we abide faithful And we do believe that neither principalities nor powers nor sufferings nor imprisonment nor persecution nor life nor death shall be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour Amen Dearly beloved Friends though our
bodies are bolted up in the Rocks Caves of the Earth yet our spirits you know none can limit nor confine to any place And we do behold your order and stedfastness of your Faith and Labour of love and are daily refreshed in all the faithful-hearted Oh dear hearts the remembrance of the least of you is precious Oh! the Rivers of tears that have distilled from our eyes whilst we do think upon you for joy because of your growth and flourishing in the Truth Oh! you are Virgins indeed who have Oyl in your Vessels and your Lamps burning and are clothed with the long white Robes of Righteousness and are adorned with the Ornaments of pure beauty and glorious brightness abundance of you to our joy and comfort and we do pray night and day That every Babe of our Heavenly Father's begetting may prosper even as we desire our own souls should prosper and that every one may be kept out of incumbrances and use the World as if they used it not but every one's mind spirit heart and soul may be exercised in the Eternal by the Power of God out of the earthly and out of the visible out of the carnal and perishing things of this life so as to trust in it into the heavenly into the spiritual into the invisible into that which never changeth fadeth nor waxeth old where every one may dwell in the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord for in the presence of the Lord is fulness of joy and at his right hand is pleasure for evermore Oh that every one may be emptied of your selves and unbottomed of your selves that you may build wholly upon the sure foundation and anchored so fast upon the Rock of Ages that neither the swelling Seas nor the foaming Waves nor stormy Winds though they beat vehemently may ever be able to remove you Oh dear Brethren in the life and power you may feel the issues of Love and Life which stream as a River to every soul of you from the hearts of us that are wholly joyned to the Fountain Glory and everlasting Praises be given to his holy Name Our whole souls spirits hearts and minds are given up to serve the Lord in whatsoever he requireth of us as he shall make it manifest unto us And we do blesse his Name for ever that he hath found us worthy of so high a calling as to bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of Iron Our prayers are continually for the advancement of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus throughout the whole Earth for the gathering of the Seed of the Elect of God and for the raising of it up over the Seed of the Serpent in power and great glory to bear rule and to have dominion over the whole World that the Kingdoms of this World may become the Kingdoms of our Lord Jesus that he may rule in his Princely Power and reign in his Kingly Majesty whose Right it is that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the Earth as the Water covereth the Sea that all the Children of the Lord may be taught of the Lord and be established in Righteousness that so the Mourners in Sion may rejoyce and the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem may be right glad The Lord God of Power hasten it for his own Name 's sake and for his Elects sake that lye in captivity under the hands of the dark powers of the Earth either spiritual or temporal Amen Amen saith our spirits Dear and precious Friends and Brethren pray for us that we may finish our Testimony to the glory of God and to the praise of his holy Name and to the comfort of all that love his appearing and to our own eternal salvation and to the shame and confusion of all that hate the Lord Jesus and persecute his Truth So in the pure Unity of the Covenant of Light Life Peace Love and everlasting Righteousness do we take our leaves of you all at this time hoping and believing we shall see your faces once again before we go hence and be no more seen Dear Friends pray for us Though we were in many straits and hardships by reason of the oppression yet whilst our minds were staid upon the Fountain we saw no want but our tender Father whose heavenly eye was ever over us saw our necessities sent his right dear and precious Servant and just and faithful Steward Daniel Baker to administer to our Necessities both spiritual and temporal he came not in his own time will nor strength but in the Will and Time Strength and Power of the Almighty God at whose presence the Mountains were removed the tall Cedars were made to bow the strong Oaks to stoop Oh wonderful He went to the Lord Inquisitor the Popes Deputy to demand our lawful Liberty which would not be granted unless he and we would write to Messaena or Legorn to some English Merchant to be engaged for four thousand Dollers Which Proposition being out of the Covenant of Light we durst not stoop to it but our dear Brother in Christ Jesus offered his body for our Liberty but it would not be granted nothing would serve but one to engage for four thousand Dollers to be paid if ever we come into these parts again Then in obedience to the Lord he offered up his Life for our Freedom but all would not serve the Will of our God be done Oh dear Friends greater Love was never heard of than for a man to lay down his Life for his Friend Oh! it is worthy to be recorded in remembrance of him for ever here he came up and down to administer to us with his Life in his hand time after time So the Lord God of Power reward him double into his bosome for ever Oh! how did he refresh our souls spirits minds and bodies through great trials which is never to be forgotten Written in the Inquisition at Malta in the 11th Month of the year 1661. By us Ka. Evans S. Cheevers Who have suffered for the living Testimony of Jesus and his pure Innocency in Bonds Tryals and Tribulations more than three years to this day A short Relation of some more of their exceeding great Tryals and Temptations NOw in short time after we were taken Prisoners we were stung with Flyes called Muskatoes in our faces our heads as we lay in our Beds that were swollen as if we had the small-Pox so that all people were afraid of us save the English Consul they thought we had been unclean persons so that a Friar told Sarah he saw an evil Spirit in her face which was a great tryal they could not sleep in their beds in the house they were so tormented and we were told that they had seen them that did pray and preach every day were burnt for Witches in a short time and they would keep us to see our lives conversations and so they have And glory be to our God they cannot lay guilt to our charge but are made to confess