A1r 81 numeralobscured

This is a short
Relation
Of some of the
Cruel Sufferings
(For the Ttruths sake) of
Katharine Evans & Sarah Chevers,
In the Inquisition in the
Isle of Malta,

Who have suffered there above three years, by the Pope’s
Authority, there to be deteined till they dye. Which Relation
of their sufferings is come from their own hands and
mouths, as doth appear by the following Treatise.

These two Daughters of Abraham were passing to Alexandria,
and to Cilicia; And thus may that part of Christendom
see their fruits, together with the Pope’s, and of what birth
they are; and that those that are called Christians are worse
than Heathens: For they falling into their hands, should have
been refreshed by them with necessary things; but the provision
which the Inhabitants and Knights of Malta, (called
“Christians”) provided for them, is the Inquisition. Now it was
not so when Paul suffered shipwrack there among the barbarous
people; which is a manifest token they are not in the love of
God, whose fruits shew they are not in the true Spirit.

And this is to all fellow-brethren that are partakers with them in the Power of God
and have a feeling and fellowship with them in their sufferings, that they might see
and know how it is with them, and what unkindness they find abroad among them
that profess themselves Christians.

London, Printed for Robert Wilson 16621662.

A1v 2-3 numeralsobscured A2r 81 numeralobscured5

An Epistle to the Readers.

Many there be among the Nations in the world,
that in their haste have unjustly condemned
the innocent, guiltless and harmless people of
the Lord of Hosts (scornfully called “Quakers)”
viz. That they are Papists, Jesuits, and
what else, adhering to the Whorish false Church of Rome; I
say to such on this wise, which is my advice as a man to his friend,
to whom this may come, Be not hasty to judge before the time, as
many do to their own hurt, guilt and condemnation, before they
have a clear and right understanding of the things that differ from
equity and truth, and so the nobility of the mind which should weigh
and pass true sentence of sound and perfect judgment, the same
being vailed with a hasty dark spirit of prejudice, or evil surmising,
which gets up into the seat of enmity, and therein passeth sentence
of the pure way and things of God as evil, heresie, and what
else; and thus it comes to pass, and indeed it cannot be otherwise
with such that have not their minds staied and fixed in that which
is perfect and true, and clear, and single, as is the clear manifestation
of the grace of life, which is the Light of the Lord Jesus shining
in the heart and conscience of the Sons and Daughters of men;
and the same Light of the Lord which lightneth the poor and deceitful
man’s eyes, is the true measure and equal ballance, which
all is to trie, and prove, and weigh words, thoughts, intents, ways,
and actions, whether they be justifiable or condemnable; and hereby
with the same measure of the true Spirit of God who is Light,
is true sentence to be passed accordingly: For if that which is perfectly
true be measured with a false measure, or with an unequal
Ballance, it doth appear so to all that behold the same with an evil
eye, or measure that with the same measure; save onely to
them that discern the measure, weight, or ballance; as for instance
as to the thing natural, if a deceitful man with a false measure, A2 being A2v 806
being guided by a deceivable Spirit (al-be-it his eyes are inlightned
with the Light of the Lord, which is true) if he
Prov. 29. measure a piece of cloth to his Customer, with his deceitful
measure, though the cloth be good, yet he not
giving it its true measure, the simple hearted is thereby deceived,
and knoweth it not till it be brought to a true measure, which doth
answer the true principle, or Light of God in the conscience to justification,
as doth not the false, but contrariwise; wherefore its
needful, and of absolute concernment, for the mind of every man
male and female, to be guided and exercised in the true manifestation
of the Light of Jesus in the conscience; and so blessed is the
man, the people, the family that brings their deeds to the Light,
that they may be manifest that they are wrought in God who is
Light, who is Truth; and so what is here following written and
published is to be tried, and proved by the Witness of God in every
Conscience which is true, and will answer to the same things or
words that springs forth from its own clear nature.

Therefore, when thou hast honestly read this throughout with a
meek spirit of sobriety and moderation that’s single and pure, then
with the same spirit of singleness, and of true discerning judge honestly,
and cease from hastiness in such matters of Eternity, least a
place of Repentance become finally hid from thine eies, not to salvation,
but contrariwise, which I desire not, neither doth the
Lord, whose servant a living and true Witness I am, for Him, his
Truth and People, of these things and much more.

Wherefore let the Reader see hereby, how that the Lord hath
chosen the foolish things of this life to confound the wise, and that
the living God Eternal hath chosen the weak things, to confound
and bring to nought the things that are mighty, subtil, and potent;
yea, base things which are so deemed despisable, and contemptible,
yet behold God hath chosen them, and things that are not approvable
in the sight of the prudent of this world, even to bring to nought
things that are: But may some say, “Wherefore, or why doth
the most High, Wise, Invisible, Immortal God do thus?”

my answer is one and the same as the Apostle saith, viz. “That no
flesh should glory in his presence,”
who of God is made in us
Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption: And
why should it be accounted such a foolish thing in the eyes of the wise men A3r 807
men of this world, to see the wisdom of God dispensed through a
weak Vessel? as is a free-born woman from above, a weaker Vessel
than that of the man.

Now tell me, oh man of understanding, What must not the Spirit
of Christ, or the same that is begotten of God in the female, as
well as in the male, what must not (I say) the same spirit of life
from God speak, but be limited in the weaker Vessel, in the foolish
Vessel, in the Vessel which is not esteemed, but base, contemptible
and despised in the eyes of lofty man that must be laid low, who excels
in that wisdom and knowledge which is not from above, but
otherwise, brutish, and puffeth up the fleshly mind that’s enmity to
God, and is therefore to be confounded and moved backward, and
slain upon the Cross, which is the Power of God that crucifieth the
lusts and inordinate affections of the flesh, which thereby come to be
silent before the Lord, who is that one and self-same spirit that is
quick and powerful; so that not any other spirit governs or rules
over the members of the body, but that which created the body; and
every Member, which is to have the supream authority and preheminence,
as well in the female as in the male; and so he the Spirit
of Truth that’s to guide into all truth; he, the man, is not he to
speak, viz. Christ in the male, the same in the female, where he
is risen and manifest as King, Priest and Prophet, a Guide, Leader
and Commander in all equitable and just things which are truly honorable.

But the woman was in the transgression against the Spirit; “Flesh
lusteth against the Spirit,”
saith the Apostle; and the Woman
(that’s in the transgression) is to be under obedience, and to be in
silence, to learn in silence, and to ask her Husband at home; but
what if she have a disorderly, drunken Husband (and not Christ
the man, the true Husband, the true Lord) how can he teach her,
seeing the woman is to learn of her Husband in silence, and to be
under obedience (and not to usurp Authority over the man) as also
saith the Law, which hath dominion over all that are under it
in the transgression; but the Spirit of Grace and Truth that’s poured
upon sons and daughters, teacheth us to deny the sin, and guideth
from the same, and so maketh free from its condemnation, and
from under the Law, to be under the Grace and Truth that is in
the one Seed Christ, in the Male Christ, in the Female, the quick808ning A3v
ning spirit, the Lord from Heaven; and so who are lead and guided
by this, are not under the Law, which saith, the woman is not to
usurp Authority over the man, as also saith the able Minister of
the Mysterie of the glory and riches of Eternity, which is Christ
the fulness in his Saints, their hope of life and glory; but the woman
is to be under obedience, as also saith the Law; yea, but they
that are led by the Spirit, are not under the Law, so are the sons of
God manifest; yet under the Grace covered; the same Grace with
which the Man-Child, the holy Child Jesus was covered and filled
with; the same, and no other but that which did and doth save
the Saints from sin, and so from under the Law, and its
condemnation; and not onely so, but also the same Grace which
bringeth salvation, and appeareth to all men, it teacheth them not
onely to deny ungodliness and worldy lusts, but also to live soberly
and righteously in this present world; and verily this Grace is in
them which saves and justifieth them; and it’s not of themselves,
it is the gift of God.

And such are the servants of the living and true God, that have
their fruits, (and possess the same) unto holiness; and not onely so,
but the end of the same, which is the pure manifestation of the Eternal
substance, to wit, everlasting life, pure, clean power, which
is the excellent Treasure in the Earthen Vessels, as saith the holy
Scripture, 2 Cor. 4.

But Oh ye Congregations of the dead! ye gathered Churches of
so many Names and Heads, to you sounds my voice, saying, What
have ye done? Oh! how guilty do ye appear before mine eye that’s
single (in the Lord’s Light) of despising prophesying, and quenching
the tender Spirit of glory, which resteth at this day in, and upon
many sons and daughters; and behold if ye can see how they do, and
have prophesied in the Name of the Lord, and have fore-warned
you of that which is justly come to pass upon you, while many of you
despised and wondered, in the days of haughtiness, and its prosperity
among you. But oh my soul, how hast thou been wounded in me,
whilst I have travelled and mourned over you! And so you have
been found despising that, and quenching that Spirit of Grace
which teacheth the Saints in Light, and reproves for sin, and testifieth
against the World, and its deeds, because they are evil.

And A4r 809

And this same Spirit strived long with you, and in you, and would
have arisen up in its Authority, Power and great glory from on
high, had ye not preferred and exalted the Spirit of this World in
it’s proper place in you, above the just and long suffering, which is
but one and the same in male, and in female.

Oh! what have you done? Can any of you yet smite upon your
thigh, and say so yet? if ye can, enquire, enquire ye, the Watchman’s
voice is the same it was, and not otherwise, viz. Return,
come; yea, return and come to the tender Spirit of holiness, and of
the gentleness of Christ, and his yoke of self-denial, and the daily
Cross, they are the two great Ordinances which ye have left behind,
and so the vail and the Darkness has covered you, but the true Israelites
have Light in their dwellings, and their habitations is in
the best of the Land of the living.

Wherefore my spirit saith, Return, come and hearken to the
Lamb’s voice, and now see whether ye can follow him (or a stranger)
wheresoever he goeth; that’s the true Prophet raised up like unto
Moses, and obey his voice which savoureth not of this world; for
so his Kingdom and servants are not. Therefore beware, lest your
souls be cut off from the Land of the living, and ye perish in the
outward observations, (by which the Kingdom cometh not) among
the Congregations of the dead, where ye are yet seeking the living;
but I as a Brother (even Joseph) tell you yet again, He is not
there, but is arisen from the dead, from death to life, who is the
quickening Spirit, the Lord from Heaven, over the Earth, over
all the Land of Ægypt, over the Land of darkness, the same
Lord, the same Spirit which hath done excellent things, is exalted
in the new Heaven, and in the new Earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;
and let the Virgin-Daughter of Sion publish the same,
even from henceforth to all generations, yea and my spirit it’s ready to
say, “Amen”.

There was one that saw a little Stone cut out of the Mountain
without hands, and he well retained his sight so long until (in
the Light of the living) he saw the same which was so little, wax
so great, that it became an exceeding great Mountain.

Verily, the beloved City is manifest, set upon a holy Hill; it
cannot be hid from them that see, the glory of God doth enlighten it, A4v 810
it, and the Lamb is the Light thereof, and his Light is like unto
a stone most precious, clear as Chrystal.

The Fountain is opened free; come down from on high, and thou
shalt see if thou dost thirst for springs of Life. To the Light submit
thy mind, and cease from strife, in the same to behold the Bride, the
Lamb’s Wife, from the false Church.

Dan. Baker.

So B1r 821 1

A Salutation to the whole Body of the Elect of God, whether
gathered or scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth. And
tender Greeting, with Information from the same suffering and
long suffering Seed, whose Earthen Vessels are held in the Bonds of
strait Captivity, under the Pope’s dark and cruel Authority, in
his Inquisition in the Island of Malta, for the Word of Life,
which is the living Testimony of Jesus, and the truth of his
Innocency which they hold and stand fast to, and in the same; having
already suffered more then three years in the said Confinement, to the
present 1661-1212th month of the year accounted 1661 of the same I bear
Record also, and affirm to the Truth, of which I am a Servant, and
living Witness,

Daniel Baker.

O Yee Eternal and Blessed ones, whose dwelling is on
high, in the fulness of all Beauty and Brightness, Glory
and everlasting Joy, Happiness and Peace for evermore;
We who are poor sufferers for the Seed of God, in
the Covenant of Light, Life, and Truth, do dearly salute
and imbrace you all, according to our measures, Blessing and
honour and Glory be given to our Lord God for ever, of all
who know him, who hath counted us worthy, and hath
chosen us among his faithfull ones, to bear his name and to
witness forth his truth, before the high and mighty men of
the earth, and to fight the Lords battle with his spirituall
weapons, to the breaking down of strong holds, high lofty
looks and vain imaginations, and spirituall wickedness in
high places.

The Lord did give us a prosperous journey hither, and
when we came to Legorne, we were refreshed with friends
[who were there before us] and they did get a passage for
us (and lodging) but as soon as we heard of the Vessel, we
did feel our service. So we went into the City in the living B power B1v 812 2
power of the Lord, and there were many tender hearts did
visit us, to their comfort, and our joy: The little time we
staid there we gave some of our Books, and one Paper: so
journying towards Alexandria, the Captain told us that Malta
was in the way, and he must put in there a small time. But
before we came there, our burthen was so heavy, that I was
made to cry out (saying,) “Oh we have a dreadfull cup to
drink at that place! Oh how am I straitned till it be
Accomplished!”

And when we came there, the walls of the City were full
of people; some stood on the top of the walls, as if something
had troubled them: before we came there we stood upon the
deck of the ship, and I looked upon them, & said in my heart,
“Shall yee destroy us? If we give up to the Lord, then he is sufficient to
deliver us out of their hands; but if we disobey our God, all those
could not deliver us out of his hand:”
So all fear of man was taken
from us. The English Consul came abord the ship (as the
Captain said) but we did not see him, and invited us to his
House, it was the seventh or last day of the week: The next
morning being moved of the Lord we went a-shore, and the
Consul met us, and we gave him a paper, who sent us to
his House, with his Servant; and when we came there at the
present we well were entertained (like Princes) their Neighbours
and Kinsfolk came in, and some Jesuits, and we gave them
Books, they read a little, and laid them down, they were too
hot; we declared our message to them in the Name of the
Lord, and we gave some Books in the Street, so they were all
set on work: Away went the Friers to the King (or Supreme
in the Island) and he would not meddle with us, but said, we
were honest women, we might go about our business, and that
night we went a-bord the Ship again, the Consul was troubled,
for their snare was laid, and we felt it; being moved of the
Lord we went in again the next day, and the Consul having
a sister in the Nunnery, desired us to go there, that she might
see us; and we went to them, and gave them a book, then to
the Consuls we returned again, and sitting to wait to know
the mind of the Lord, what he would have us to do, he said
we must give in the great Paper; and if we would go to save
our life, we should lose it.

Here B2r 813 3


Here followeth a Copy of some more words which they had written before
the former was given forth.

A True Declaration concerning the Lord’s love to us in all our
Voyage: We were at Sea, betwen London and Plymouth,
many Weeks, and one day we had some trials; and between
Plymouth and Legorn we were 31. days, and we had many trials
and storms within and without; but the Lord did deliver us out
of all: And when we came to Legorn, with the rest of our friends,
we went into the Town after we had product, and staid there
many dayes, where we had service every day; for all sorts of people
came unto us, but no man did offer to hurt us, yet we gave
them Books and having got passage in a Dutch ship we sayled towards
Cyprus, intending to goe to Alexandria, but the Lord had
appointed somthing for us to do by the way, as he did make it
manifest to us, as I did speak, for the Master of the ship had no
business in the place; but being in company with another ship
which had some business at the City of Malta, (in the Island of
Malta where Paul suffered shipwrack) and being in the Harbour,
on the first day of the Week, we being moved of the Lord, went
into the Town, and the English Consul met us on the shore, and
asked us concerning our coming, and we told him truth, and
gave him some Books, and a Paper, and he told us there was an
Inquisition, and he kindly entreated us to go to his house, and
said all that he had was at our service while we were there. And
in the fear and dread of the Lord we went, and there came many
to see us, and we call’d them to repentance, and many of
them were tender; but the whole City is given to Idolatry. And
we went a ship-board that night; and the next day we being moved
to go into the City again, dared not to flie the cross, but in
obedience went, desiring the will of God to be done. And when
we came to the Governor, he told us that he had a Sister in the
Nunnary did desire to see us if we were free; and in the fear of
God we went, and talked with them, and gave them a Book, and
one of their Priests was with us (at the Nunnery) and had us into
their place of Worship, and some would have us bow to the
high Altar, which we did deny; and having a great burthen, we B2 went B2v 814 4
went to the Consul again, and were waiting upon the Lord what
to do, that we might know.

And the Inquisitors sent for us, and when we came before
them, they asked our Names, and the Names of our Husbands,
and the Names of our Fathers and Mothers, and how many children
we had; and they asked us, “Wherefore we came into that Countrey?”
And we told them, We were the Servants of the living
God, and were moved to come and call them to repentance; and
many other questions, and they went away, but commanded that
we should be staid there. And the next day they came again,
and called for us, and we came; but they would examine us apart,
and called Sarah, and they asked, “Whether she was a true Catholick?”
She said, that she was a true Christian that worshippeth God
in spirit and in truth; and they proffered her the Crucifix, and
would have had her sware that she would speak the truth; and
she said, she should speak the truth,” but she would not swear, for
Christ commanded her “not to swear,” saying, “Swear not at all”: And
the English Consul perswaded her with much entreating to
swear, saying, “None should do her any harm”: But she denied; and
they took some Books from her, and would have had her swear
by them, but she would not: And they asked, “Wherefore she
brought the Books?”
And she said, Because we could not speak their
Language, and they might know wherefore we came; and they
asked of her, “what George Fox was;” and she said, he was a Minister.
And they asked, “wherefore she came thither”? She said, To do
the Will of God, as she was moved of the Lord. And they asked,
“how the Lord did appear unto her?” And she said, by his Spirit.
And they asked, “where she was when the Lord appeared unto her?” and
she said, upon the way. And they asked, “whether she did see his Presence,
and hear his Voice?”
And she said, she did hear his Voice,
and saw his Presence; and they asked, “What he said to her?” and she
said, the Lord told her, she must go over the Seas to do his Will;
and then they asked, “how she knew it was the Lord?” and she said,
he bid her go, and his living presence should go with her, and he
was faithful that had promised, for she did feel his living presence;
and so they went away.

Two dayes after they came again, and called for me, and offered
me the Crucifix, and told me “the Magistrate commanded me to swear B3r 815 5
swear that I would speak the truth.”
And I told them that I should
speak the truth, for I was a Witness for God; but I should not
swear; for a greater than the Magistrate, saith, “Swear not at all,
but let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, for whatsoever is more,
cometh of evil.”
But said they, “You must obey the Justice, and he commands
you to swear.”
I said, “I should obey Justice,” but if I should
swear, I should do an unjust thing; for (the just) Christ said, “Swear
not at all.”
And they asked me, “Whether I did own that Christ which
dyed at Jerusalem?”
I answered, We owned the same Christ, and
no other, he is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever.

And they asked me; “What I would do at Jerusalem?” I said I did not
know that I should go there, but I should go to Alexandria; and
they said, “What to do?” and I said, to do the Will of God; and if
the Lord did open my mouth, I should call them to repentance,
and declare to them the day of the Lord, and direct their minds
from darkness to Light. Then they asked me, “Whether I did tremble
when I did preach?”
and I told them, I did tremble when the
power of the Lord was upon me. And they asked, “Whether I did
see the Lord with my eyes?”
I said, God was a Spirit, and he was spiritually
discerned.

That day that we were had from the English Consuls to the
Inquisition, the Consul’s Wife brought us meat to eat, and as she
past by me, I was smote with an Arrow to the heart, and I heard
a voice, saying, “It is finished, she hath obtained her purpose.” I did not
taste of her meat, but went aside, and wept bitterly. The Consul
did affirm to us the night before, that there was no such thing (as
to ensnare us) intended; but it was in us as fire, and our souls
were heavy even unto death; for many dayes before we saw in a
Vision of our going there, (to prison) and we said Pilate would
do the Jews a pleasure, and wash his hands in innocency. He required
“a sign of me if we were the Messengers of God;” and the Lord
gave me a sign for him, that stuck by him while he lived. The same
day it was, he called me, and told me the Inquisition had sent for
us, and they had Papers from Rome, and he did hope we should
be set free; which was a lye: For he knew there was a room prepared
for us. And there came a man with a black Rod, and the
Chancellor, and the Consul, and had us before their Lord Inquisitor,
and he asked us, “Whether we had changed our minds yet?” We said B3v 816 6
said, Nay, we should not change from the truth. He asked, “What
new Light we talkt of?”
We said, no new Light, but the same the
Prophets and Apostles bare testimony to. Then he said “How came
this Light to be lost ever since the primitive times?”
We said, it was
not lost, men had it still (in them) but they did not know it, by
reason that the night of Apostacy had, and hath overspread the
Nations, Then he said, “If we would change our minds, and do as they
would have us to do, we should say so, or else they would use us as they
pleased.”
We said, The Will of the Lord be done. And he arose
up, and went his way with the Consul, and left us there. And the
man with the black Rod, and the Keeper, took us, and put us into
an inner Room in the Inquisition, which had but two little
holes in it for light or air; but the glory of the Lord did shine
round about us.

After the Consul came with tears in his eyes, and said he was as
sorry as for his own flesh; but there was some hopes in time;” and so he
went away but never had peace while he lived. He would have
given up the thirty pieces of silver again, but it would not be received;
the Witness was risen much in him, but slavish fear possest
him. This was upon the sixt day of the Week, and our stomacks
were taken away from all meat.

The next second day came a Magistrate, two Fryars, and the
man with the black Rod, and a Scribe, and the Keeper, to the Inquisition,
to sit upon Judgement, and examined us apart concerning
our faith in Christ. The Magistrate would have had us to swear,
and we answered, No; Christ said, “Swear not at all;” and so said
James the Apostle. He asked, “if we would speak truth?” We said, yea.
He asked, “Whether we did believe the Creed?” We said, We did believe
in God, and in Jesus Christ, which was born of the Virgin
Mary
, and suffered at Jerusalem under Pilate, and arose again from
the dead the third day, and ascended to his Father, and shal come
to judgement, to judge both quick and dead. He asked, “How we
did believe the Resurrection?”
We answered, We did believe that
the just and the unjust should arise, according to the Scriptures.
He said, “Do you believe in the Saints, and pray to them?” We said, We
did believe the Communion of Saints; but we did not pray to
them, but to God onely, in the Name of Jesus Christ. He asked,
“Whether we did believe in the Catholick Church?” We said, We did believe B4r 817 7
believe the true Church of Christ; but the Word “Catholick” we
have not read in Scripture. He asked, “if we believed a Purgatory?”
We said, No; but a Heaven and a Hell. The Fryar said, “We were
commanded to pray for the dead; for those that were in Heaven had
no need; and they that were in Hell there is no redemption; therefore
there must be a Purgatory.”
He asked, “if we believed their holy Sacrament?”
We said, We never read (the Word) “Sacrament” in Scripture.
The Fryar replied, “Where we did read in our Bibles ‘Sanctification,’
it was ‘Sacrament’ in theirs.”
He said, “Their holy Sacrament was
Bread and Wine, which they converted into the Flesh and Blood of Christ
by the virtue of Christ.”
We said, they did work Miracles then, for
Christ’s virtue is the same as it was when he turned Water into
Wine at the Marriage in Canaan. He said, “If we did not eat the flesh,
and drink the blood of the Son of God, we had no life in us.”
We said,
the Flesh and Blood of Christ is spiritual, and we do feed upon it
daily; for that which is begotten of God in us, can no more live
without spiritual food, than our temporal bodies can without
temporal food. He said, that “we did never hear Masse.” We said,
We did hear the voice of Christ, he onely had the words of eternal
life, and that was sufficent for us. He said, “We were Hereticks
and Heathens.”
We said, they were Hereticks that lived in sin and
wickedness, and such were Heathens that knew not God. He asked
“about our Meetings in England?” And we told them the truth to
their amazement. And they asked, “Who was the Head of our Church?”
We said, Christ. And they asked, “What George Fox is.” And we
said, He is a Minister of Christ. They asked, “Whether he sont us?”
We said, No, the Lord did move us to come. The Fryar said “We
were deceived, and had not the faith; but we had all virtues.”
We said,
that faith was the ground from whence virtues do proceed. They
said, “If we would take their holy Sacrament, we might have our liberty,
or else the Pope would not leave us for millions of Gold, but we should
lose our souls and our bodies too.”
We said, the Lord had provided for
our souls, and our bodies were freely given up to serve the Lord.
They askt us, “if we did not believe Marriage was a Sacrament?” We
said, it was an Ordinance of God. They ask’t us, “if we did believe
men could forgive sins?”
We said None could forgive sins but God
onely. They brought us that Scripture, “Whose sins ye remit in earth,
shall be remitted in heaven.”
We said, All Power was God’s, and he could B4v 818 8
could givre it to whom he would (that were born of the Eternal
Spirit, and guided by the same; such have power to do the Fathers
Will, as I answered a Fryar also in the City of Naples) and they
were silent, the Power greatly working. We asked them wherein
we had wronged them, that we should be kept Prisoners all dayes
of our lives, and said, Our innocent blood would be required at
their hands.

The Fryar said, “He would take our blood upon him, and our Journey
into Turky too.”
We told him, the time would come he would find he
had enough upon him without it. They said, “The Popes was Christ’s
Vicar, and we were of his Church, and what he did, was for the good of our
souls.”
We answered, The Lord had not committed the charge of
our souls to the Pope, nor to them; for he had taken them into his
own possession, glory was to his Name for ever. They said, “We
must be obedient.”
We said, We were (obedient) to the Government
of Christ’s Spirit. The Fryar said, “None had the true Light
but the Catholicks; the Light that we had, was the Spirit of the Devil.”

We said, Wo to him that calleth Jesus accursed: Can the Devil
give power over sin and iniquity? then he would destroy his own
Kingdom. He said, “We were laught at, and mockt at of every one.”
We said, What did become of the mockers? It was no matter.
He said, “We did run about to preach, and had not the true Faith.” We
said, the true Faith is held in a pure Conscience void of offence
towards God and man; and we had the true Faith. And he said,
“There was but one Faith, either theirs or ours;” and askt us “which it
was?”
We said, Every one had the true Faith, that did believe in
God, and in Jesus whom he had sent but they that say they do believe,
and do not keep his commandments, are lyars, and the
truth is not in them. He said “it was true;” but he did thirst daily for
our blood, because we would not turn, and urged us much about
our Faith and Sacrament, to bring us under their Law; but the
Lord preserved us.

They said, “It was impossible we could live long in that hot room.” So
the next Week-day they sate in Council; but oh how the swelling
Sea did rage, and the proud waves did foam even unto the clouds
of Heaven, and Proclamation was made at the Prison-Gate, we
did not know the words, but the fire of the Lord flamed against
it, K. my life was smitten, and I was in a very great agony, so that C1r 819 9
sweat was as drops of blood, and the righteous one was laid into
a Sepulcher, and a great stone was roll’d to the door; but the
Prophesie was, that he should arise again the third day, which
was fulfilled. But the next day they came to sit upon Judgement
again, but I say, in the true Judgement they sate not, but upon
it they got up unjustly above the righteous, and upon the same
they sate; a child of Wisdom may understand
and they brought
many Propositions written in a paper, but the Fryar would suffer
the Magistrate to propound but few to us, for fear the Light
would break forth; but they askt “how many friends of ours were gone
forth in the Ministry, and into what parts.”
We told them what we
did know. They said, “all that came where the Pope had any thing to do,
should never go back again.”
We said, the Lord was as sufficient for
us, as he was for the children in the fiery Furnace, and our trust
was in God. They said, “we were but few, and had been but a little
while, and they were many Countreys, and had stood many hundred years,
and wrought many Miracles, and we had none.”
We said, we had thousands
at our Meetings, but none (of us) dare speak a word, but
as they are eternally moved of the Lord; and we had Miracles, the
Blind receive their sight, the Deaf do hear, and the Dumb do
speak, the Poor do receive the Gospel, the Lame do walk, and
the Dead are raised. He asked, “Why I lookt so, whether my Spirit was
weak?”
I said, Nay my body was weak, because I eat no meat, it
was in their Lent
He offered me a License to eat flesh. I said, I could
not eat any thing at all. The terrors of death were strongly upon
me; but three nights after, the Lord said unto me, about the 11th.
hour, “Arise, and put on your Clothes”; I said, “When wilt thou come
Lord?”
He said, “Whether at midnight; or at Cock-crow, do thou
watch.”
My Friend and I arose, and the Lord said, “Go stand at
the Door.”
And we stood at the door in the power of the Lord, I
did scarce know whether I was in the body, or out of the body;
and about the 12th. hour there came many to the Prison-Gate;
We heard the Keys, and looked when they would come in: They
ran to and fro till the 4th. hour; the Lord said, he had smote
them with blindness, they could not find the way. And we
went to bed, there I lay night and day for 12. days together, fasting
and sweating, that my bed was wet, and great was our affliction.

C The C1v 820 10

The tenth day of my fast there came two Fryars, the Chancellor,
the man with the black Rod, and a Physician, and the Keeper;
and the Fryar commanded my dear Friend to go out of the room,
and he came and pull’d my hand out of the bed, and
said, “Is the Devil so great in you, that you cannot speak?” I said, “Depart
from me thou worker of iniquity, I know thee not; the Power
of the Lord is upon me, and thou call’st him Devil.”
He took
his Crucifix to strike me in the mouth; and I said, “Look here!” and
I asked him, Whether it were that Cross which crucified Paul to
the World, and the World unto him? And he said, “it was.” I denied
him, and said, the Lord had made me a Witness for himself
against all workers of iniquity. “He bid me be obedient,” and went to
strike me: I said, “Wilt thou strike me?” He said, “he would.” I said,
“Thou art out of the Apostles Doctrine, they were no strikers; I
deny thee to be any of them who went in the Name of the Lord.”

He said, “he had brought me a Physician in charity.” I said, the Lord
was my Physician, and my saving-health. He said “I should be whipt,
and quartered, and burnt that night in Malta, and my Mate too: wherefore
did we come to teach them?”
I told him I did not fear, the Lord
was on our side, and he had no power but what he had received;
and if he did not use it to the same end the Lord gave it him, the
Lord would judge him. And they were all smitten as dead men,
and went away.

And as soon as they were gone, the Lord said unto me, “The
last Enemy that shall be destroyed, is Death;”
and the Life arose
over Death, and I glorified God. The Fryar went to my friend,
and told her, “I called him worker of iniquity.” “Did she,” said Sarah?
“Art thou without sin?” He said “he was;” “Then she hath wronged thee.”
But I say, the wise Reader may judge: For between the eighth
and ninth hour in the evening, he sent a Drum to proclaim at
the Prison-Gate; We know not what it was, but the fire of the
Lord consumed it. And about the fourth hour in the morning
they were coming with a Drum and Guns; and the Lord said unto
me, “Arise out of thy Grave-Clothes:” And we arose; and they
came up to the Gate to devour us in a moment. But the Lord
lifted up his Standard with his own Spirit (of Might) and made
them to retreat, and they fled as dust before the Wind praises
and honour be given to our God for ever. I went to bed again, and C2r 821 11
and the Lord said unto me, “Herod will seek the yong childes life
to destroy it yet again;”
and great was my affliction; so that my
dear fellow and labourer in the Work of God, did look every
hour when I should depart the body for many days together,
and we did look every hour when we should be brought
to the stake day and night, for several weeks, and Isaac was
freely offered up. But the Lord said, he had provided a Ram
in the Bush. Afterwards the Fryer came again with his Physician;
I told him, that I could not take any thing, unless I
was moved of the Lord. He said, “we must never come forth of that
Room while we lived, and we might thank God and him it was no worse,
for it was like to be worse.”
We said, if we had died, we had died
as innocent as ever did servants of the Lord. He said, it was
well we were innoent. They did (also) look still when I
would dye.

The Fryer bid my friend “take notice what torment I would be in
at the houre of Death, thousands of Devils”
(he said) “would fetch my
soule to Hell.”
She said, she did not fear any such thing.

And he asked “if I did not think it expedient for the Elders of the
Church to pray over the sick?”
I said, yea, such as were eternally
moved of the Spirit of the Lord. He fell down of his knees and
did howle, and wish bitter wishes upon himself if he had not
the true faith; but we denied him. The Physitian was in a
great rage at Sarah, because she could not bow to him, but to
God onely.

The last day of my fast I began to be a hungry, but was
afraid to eat, the enemy was so strong; but the Lord said unto
me, “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.
in so doing thou shalt heap coales of fire upon his head; he not
overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
I did eat, and
was refreshed, and glorified God; and in the midst of our extremity
the Lord sent his holy Angels to comfort us, so that
we rejoiced and magnified God; and in the time of our great
trial, the Sun and Earth did mourn visibly three dayes, and
the horror of death and pains of Hell was upon me: the Sun
was darkned, the Moon was turned into Blood, and the Stars
did fall from heaven, and there was great tribulation ten
dayes, such as never was from the beginning of the world; C2 and C2v 822 12
and then did I see the Son of man coming in the Clouds,
with power and great glory, triumphing over his enemies;
the Heavens were on fire, and the Elements did melt with
fervent heat, and the Trumpet sounded out of Sion, and an
Allarum was struck up in Jerusalem, and all the Enemies of
God were called to the great day of Battle of the Lord,
And I saw a great wonder in Heaven, the Woman cloathed
with the Sun, and had the Moon under her feet, and a Crown
of 12. Stars upon her head, and she travelled in pain ready
to be delivered of a Man-child, and there was a great Dragon
stood ready to devour the Man-child as soon as it was
born; and there was given to the Woman two Wings of a
great Eagle to carry her into the desert, where she should be
nourished for a time, times, and half a time; and the Dragon
cast a Flood out of his mouth, &c. And I saw War in Heaven,
Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his Angels,
and the Lamb and his army did overcome them; and there was
a Trumpet sounded in Heaven, and I heard a voice saying to
me, “The City is divided into three parts”; and I heard another
Trumpet sounding, and I looked and saw an Angel go down
into a great pool of water, and I heard a voice saying unto me,
“Whosoever goeth down next after the troubling of the Waters,
shall be healed of whatsoever Disease he hath.”
And I heard
another Trumpet sounding, and I heard a voice, saying, “Babylon
is fallen, is fallen, Babylon the great is fallen.”
And I looked,
and saw the smoke of her torment, how it did ascend; and
I heard another Trumpet sounding, and I heard a voice saying,
“Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in
heaven; for he that is mighty hath magnified you, and holy is his
Name, and from henceforth all generations shall call you blessed:”

And I heard another trumpet sounding in Heaven, and I
heard a voice saying unto me, “Behold”! and I looked, and I saw
Pharoah and his Host pursuing the Children of Israel, and he
and his Host were drowned in the Sea.

Dear Friends and People, whatsoever I have written, it’s not
because it is recorded in the Scripture, or that I have heard of
such things; but in obedience to the Lord I have written the
things which I did hear, see, tasted and handled of the good Word C3r 823 13
Word of God, to the praise of his Name for ever.

And all this time my dear Sister in Christ Jesus was in as great
affliction as I (in a manner) to see my strong travel night and day;
yet she was kept in the patience, and would willingly have given
me up to death, that I might have been at rest; yet she would have
been left in as great danger, wo and misery, as ever was any poor
captive for the Lord’s truth; for they did work night and day
with their divinations, inchantments and temptations, thinking
thereby to bring us under their power; but the Lord prevented
them every way, so that great was their rage, and they came often
with their Physician, and said it was in charity; I askt them
whether they did keep us in that hot room to kill us, and bring us
a Physician to make us alive.

The Fryar said, “the Inquisitor would lose his head if he should take
us thence; and it was better to keep us there, than to kill us.”

The Room was so hot and so close, that we were fain to rise
often out of our bed, and lie down at a chink of their door for
air to fetch breath; and with the fire within, and the heat without,
our skin was like sheeps Leather, and the hair did fall
off our heads, and we did fail often; our afflictions and burthens
were so great, that when it was day we wished for night; and
when it was night we wished for day; we sought death, but could
not find it; We desired to die, but death fled from us; We did eat
our bread weeping, and mingled our drink with our tears. We did
write to the Inquisitor, and laid before him our innocency, and
our faithfulness, in giving our testimony for the Lord amongst
them; and I told him, if it were our blood they did thirst after,
they might take it any other way, as well as to smother us up in
that hot room. So he sent the Fryar, and he took away our Inkhorns,
(they had our Bibles before) We asked why they took away
our goods? They said, “it was all theirs, and our lives too, if they
would.”
We asked, how we had forfeited our lives unto them; they
said, “For bringing Books and Papers.” We said, if there were any
thing in them that was not true, they might write against it. They
said, “they did scorn to write to fools and asses that did not know true Latine.”
And they told us, “the Inquisitor wou’d have us separated, because
I was weak, and I should go into a cooler room;”
but Sarah should abide
there. I took her by the arm, and said, “The Lord hath joined us to824gether C3v 14
gether, and wo be to them that should part us.”
I said, I rather chose to
dye there with my friend, than to part from her. He was smitten,
and went away, and came no more in five weeks, and the
door was not opened in that time. Then they came again to part
us; but I was sick, and broken out from head to foot. They sent
for a Doctor, and he said, “We must have air, or else we must dye.” So
the Lord compelled them to go to the Inquisitor, & he gave order
“for the door to be set open six hours in a day;” they did not part us till
ten Weeks after: But oh the dark clouds and the sharp showers
the Lord did carry us through! Death it self had been better
than to have parted in that place. They said, “we corrupted each
other, and that they thought when we were parted, we would have bowed
to them.”
But they found we were more stronger afterwards than
we were before; the Lord our God did fit us for every condition.
They came and brought a Scourge of small Hemp, and asked us,
“if we would have any of it.” They said, “they did whip themselves till
the blood did come.”
We said, that could not reach the Devil, he sate
upon the heart. They said, “All the men and women of Malta were
for us, if we would be Catholicks, for there would be none like unto us.”

We said, the Lord had changed us into that which changed not.
They said “all their holy women did pray for us, and we should be honored
of all the world if we would turn.”
We said, we were of God,
and the whole world did lye in wickedness; and we denied the honor
of the World, and the glory too. They said, “We should be honored
of God too, but now we were hated of all.”
We said, it is an
evident token whose servants we are; the servant is not greater
than the Lord, and that Scripture was fulfilled which saith, “All
this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

Upon a first day of the Week, we were fasting and waiting upon
the Lord till the second hour (after mid-day) and the Fryars
came and commanded us “in the Name of the Lord to kneel down
with them to prayer.”
We said, we could not pray but as we were
moved of the Lord. They commanded us the second time. Then
they kneeled down by our bedside, and prayed, and when they
had done, they said, “they had tryed our spirits, now they knew what spirit
we were of.”
We told told them, they could not know our spirit,
unless their minds were turned to the Light of the Lord Jesus
in their Consciences. The English Fryar was wrath, and shew825ed C4r 15
ed us his Crucifix, and bid us loooklook there .” We said, the Lord saith,
“Thou shalt not make to thy self the likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or in the earth beneath, nor in the water under the earth;
thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them, but I the Lord thy God only.”
He was so mad, he called for the irons to chain Sarah, because
she spake so boldly to him: She bowed her head, and said to him,
“Not onely my feet, but my hands and neck also for the Testimony of
Jesus.”
His wrath was soon appeased, and he said, “He would do us
any good he cou’d; he did see what we did was not in malice,”
the power
had broken him down for that present; they came to us often,
saying, “If you would do but a little, you should be set at liberty; but you
will do nothing at all, but are against every thing.”
We said, We are
against nothing that is of God, but would do any thing that
might make for God’s glory.

Many did think we should not have been heard nor seen after
we were in the Inquisition, but the Lord did work wonderfully
for us and his Truth: For they new built the Inquisition,, and there
were many Labourers for a year and a half, and the great men
came to see the building; and we were carried forth with great
power to declare in the Name of the Lord Jesus, not fearing the
face of man; the Lord was our strength. But behold they threatned
us with Irons and Halters, for preaching the Light so boldly,
and they said, “None ought to preach but Prelates to a Bishop,” (as they
use to say in England.) Now their “Lord Inquisitor” (so called) and
the Magistrates were kept moderate towards us, and gave order,
“we should have Ink and Paper to write to England.” But we were hindered
still; and we do believe they would have set us at liberty,
had it not been for the Fryars; it was they that wrought against
us still to the Pope and to the Inquisitor; and we told them so. They
sought three quarters of a year to part us, before they could
bring it to pass; and when they did part us, they prepared a bed
for Sarah, and their own Catholicks lay upon the boards, that had
not beds of their own. When we were parted, the Lord would
not suffer me to keep any money, I knew not the mind of God
in it. Their Fryars came and said, “We should never see one anothers
faces again, but the Inquisitor should send me my food.”
But the
Lord would not suffer him to send it. Sarah did send
me such as she could get neare three Weeks: then the
Fryar came and askt me, “what did I want?” I said, one to wash my Linnen C4v 826 16
Linnen, and something hot to eat; I was weak. He sent to Sarah
to know “if she would do it for me.” She said she would. And by that
means we did hear of each other every day. The Fryar said. “You
may free your self of misery when you will; you may make your self a
Catholick, and have your freedom to go where you will.”
I told him
I might make my self a Catholick, and have a name that I did
live, when I was dead, and said, he had Catholicks enough already;
he should bring some of them to the Light in their Consciences,
that they might stand in awe, and sin not. He said, “He would
lose one of his fingers if we would be Catholicks.”
I said, it was Babylon
that was built with blood, Sion was redeemed through Judgment.
They would have had me to a Picture set at my beds head
for a representation. I askt them if they did think I did lack a
Calf to worship? And whether they did not walk by the Rule
of Scripture? The Fryar said, “They did, but they had traditions too”
I said, if their traditions did derogate or discent from the fundamentals
of Christ’s Doctrine, the Prophets and Apostles, I denied
them in the Name of the Lord. He said, “they did not.” I askt
him where they had their Rule to burn them that could not join
with them for Consence? He said, “St. Paul did worse, he gave
them to the Devil, and that they did judge all damned that were not of
their Faith.”
And he askt whether we did judge them so? I said
No, We had otherwise learned Christ. I askt him why they did
bind that which the Lord did not bind? and set tyes; chains and
limits, where the Lord did not? as in meats and drinks, or in respect
of dayes or times, which the Apostle called “beggarly Elements”, and
“rudiments of the w orld”, and “forbidding to marry”, (a Doctrine of Devils
said I.) He could not tell what to say, but told me, “That Saint
Peter was the Pope of Rome, and did build an Altar there; and the
Pope was his Successor, and he could do what he would.”
I denied that,
and said, We never read any such thing in Scripture; for Peter
Christ’s Apostle had not money to build Altars; he himself did
offer Sacrifice upon the Altars made without hands. And he
said, “We were but a few, and risen up but late, and they were many, and
had stood fourteen hundred years, and God was a lyar if they had not the
true faith; for he had confirmed it to them by a thousand miracles.”
I
said, the few number, and the little Flock is Christ’s Flock. He
askt if we were? then all the World, said he. I said, our faith vvas D1r 827 17
was from the beginning. Abel was of our Church, and “the world
by wisdom did not know God.”
He went to Sarah with the same
temptation, and she told him also, that Abel was of our Church.
He said “Abel was a Catholick, and Cain and Judas were so.” She said,
Then the Devil was a Catholick, and she would not be one. He
threatened her, and told her “how many they were.”

She said, Daniel was but one; and if there were no more but she
her self, she would not turn; but took her fingers and shewed
them, if they would tear her joint-meal, she did believe the Lord
would enable her to endure it for the Truth.

So they went from one to another thinking to entangle us in
our talk; but we were guided by one Spirit, and spake one and
the same thing in effect, so that they had not a jot nor tittle
against us, but for righteousness sake: Our God did keep us by
his own Power and Holiness out of their hands; honor and praises
be given to his powerful Name for ever

He (the said Fryar) came to me another time like a Bear robbed
of her Whelps, and told me, “if I would be a Catholick, I should
say so; otherwise they would use me badly, and I should never see the
face of Sarah again, but should dye by my self, and a thousand Devils
should carry my soul to Hell.”
I asked him if he were the Messenger
of God to me. He said he was. I said, What is my sin? or wherein
have I provoked the Lord, that he doth send me such a strait
Message? He said, “Because I would not be a Catholick.” I said, I deny
thee and thy Message too, and the Spirit which spake in thee,
the Lord never spake it. He said, that “he would lay me in a whole
Pile of Chains, where I should see neither Sun nor Moon.”
I said, he
could not separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus, lay
me where he would. He said, “He would give me to the Devil.” I said,
I did not fear all the Devils in Hell, the Lord was my Keeper;
Though he had the Inquisition, with all the Countreys round
about, on his side, and was alone by my self, I did not fear them;
if there were thousands more, the Lord was on my right hand,
and the worst they could do, was but to kill the body, they could
not touch my life no more than the Devil could Job’s. He said,
that “I should never go out of that Room alive.” I said, the Lord was
sufficient to deliver me: But whether he would or would not, I
would not forsake a living Fountain to drink at a broken Ci828D stern D1v 18
stern: And they had no Law to keep us there, but such a Law as
Ahab had for Naboth’s Vinyard. He curst himself, and call’d upon
his gods and went forth; and as he was making fast the door, he
put in his hand at the hole of the door, and said, “Abide there Member
of the Devil.”
I said, The Devil’s Members did the Devil’s Work;
the Woes and Plagues of the Lord would be upon them for it.
He went and told the Inquisitor of it, and he laught at him: saw
it, and felt it in that which is Eternal. I was moved out of that
Room before he came aga in; and when he came, he brought one
of the Inquisitors men with him, and two very good Hens, and
said, “the Lord Inquisitor has sent them in love to me.” I said, his love I
did receive, but I could not take his Hens, for it was not the practice
of the servants of the Lord to be chargeable to any while
they have of their own. He said, “We must not count anything our
own; for in the primitive times they did sell their possessions, and laid
them down at the Apostles feet.”
He said; “We should not want any thing
if they did spend a thousand Crowns.”
I believe he would have had us lay
down our money at his feet. He said, “I was proud, because I would
not take the Inquisitors Hens when he sent them me in Charity.”
I asked
whether he kept me in Prison, and sent me his Charity. He said,
“it was for the good of our souls he kept us in prison.” I told him, Our
souls were out of the Inquisitors reach, or his either; he told me
before, “if we had not been going to preach, we might have gone where
we would.”
I askt him, What should our souls have done then? and
why their love should extend more to us, than to their own
family? They could not charge us with sin and they did commit
all manner of sin; they might put them into the inquisition and
bid turn. He said again “We had not the true Faith”, and shew’d me
his Crucifix, and askt me “if I thought he did worship that?” I askt
him what he did do with it? he said “it was a Representation.” I said,
it did not represent Christ, for he was the express image of his
Father’s glory, which is Light and Life. I said, if he could put
any life in any of his images, he might bring them to me. And I
askt him what Representation Daniel had in the Lyons Den; or Jonah
in the Whales belly, they cryed unto the Lord, and he delivered
them. He said, “I talkt like a mad woman, I talkt so much against
their idols.”
He was in a rage; and said, “He would give me to the Devil.”
I bid him give his own, I am the Lords. He stood up, and said D2r 829 19
said “He would do by me as the Apostles did by Ananias and Saphira.”
He stood up and opened his mouth; and I stood up to him and denied
him in the Name of the Lord, the living God, and said he
had no power over me. And away he went to Sarah with the
Hens, and told her “that I was sick, and the Lord Inquisitor had sent
two Hens, and I would be glad to eat a piece of one if she should dress one
of them presently and the other tomorrow.”
Mark, this Deceiver!
this Lyar!
But she standing in the Counsel of the Lord, answered
him accordingly as I did; and he carried them away again. We
did not dare to take them, the Lord did forbid us. He said, “You
would fain be burned, because you would make the World believe you did
love God so well as to suffer in that kind.”
I said, I did not desire to be
burnt but if the Lord did call me to it. I did believe he would
give me power to undergo it for his truth; and if every hair of
my head was a body, I could offer them up all for the Testimony
of Jesus. He came twice “to know whether I had not been inspired
of the Holy Ghost to be a Catholick since I came into the Inquisition.”
I
said, No; he said, “we were;” he said, “We called the Spirit of the Holy
Ghost the Sipirit of the Devil.”
We said, the Spirit of the Holy Ghost
in us will resist the Devil. We told him the inspiration of the
Holy Ghost was never wrought in the Will of man, nor in man’s
time, but in the Will of God, and in God’s time. He asked, “How
we did know a clean from an unclean Spirit?”
We said, an unclean spirit
did burden the Seed of God, and dam up the Springs of Life;
and a clean spirit would open the Springs of Life, and refresh the
Seed; it was a Riddle to him, but he said it was true: He would assent
to pure truth sometimes

We asked him Whether every man and woman did not stand
guilty before God of all the sins they ever committed before Regeneration?
He said, “Yea.” And he did confess all their Learning
and Languages (in their places) was but to serve the Lord. We
told him, all their Praying, Preaching and Crouding, was no more
accepted than Cain’s Sacrifice, unless they were moved of the Eternal
Spirit of the Lord. We askt him, if he that was in them,
was greater than he that was in us; and why they had not overcome
us all that time? We were very sensible of their workings
day and night. He said, “Because we resisted still.” We askt him for
our Bibles? He said, “We should never see them again, they were false.” D2 We D2v 830 20
We said, if they were conjuring Books, they had no warrant
from the Lord to take them from us.

They always came two Fryars at a time, and they would fall
down and howl, and wish bitter wishes upon themselves if they
were not in the truth. We would deny them, and preach truth
to them, the Light of the Lord Jesus in the Consciences of every
one, to lead them to a pure life, and did ask them where the pure
and holy life was, and what all of them did do, that the people
did live in sin and all manner of wickedness? And whether words
and forms would serve without life and power? He was as bloody
a fiery Serpent, as ever was born of a Woman, and did strike as
hard at our lives, & would hold up his hand often to strike us, but
had never the power, he would quickly be cut down, that he would
say, “we were good women, and he would do us any good.” He was compell’d
to work for us sometimes, and would say it was for God’s
sake, and would have us thank him for it. We would tell him,
those that did any thing for God, did not look for a reward from
man. He said, “We were the worst of all creatures, and we should be used
worse than any; the Turks, Arminians, Protestants and Lutherans
should be used better than we.”
We said, the pure Life was ever counted
the worst, and we must suffer; we were the Lords, and could
trust him; let him do what he would with us, we did not fear any
evil tydings; we were setled and grounded in the truth; and the
more they did presecute us, the stronger we did grow; We
were bold and valiant for God’s Truth, that whatsoever we did
suffer, we could not fear. We were separated two years; I had
neither fire nor candle in that time above two hours, none did
bring me any, nor I had not freedom to call 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 forewarned
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, Wool831len, D3r 21
len, Stockins, 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 & hall’d him down,
and cast him into prison upon life and death: And the Fryars
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 the 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 Fryars 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
Fryars were the chief actors. she might be sure of that, for they
did hasten to fill up their measures; but I believe the Lord wil 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 Fryar’s hands, by what means we
could never tell, but as the Light did shew us; the Lord would
have it so; it smote the Fryar, that he was tormented many days,
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 D3v 832 22
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 the 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 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 send 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 t he
Fryers, but would have us to join with them. There were none
did come into the inquisition but the judgements of the Lord
would be upon them, so that they would cry and foam, and send
for a Physician many of them. The unclean spirits would cry out
as much as ever they did against Jesus, and would gnash with their
teeth when we were at prayer; there was a Fryer and other great
men, the Fryer would run as if he had been at his Wits end, and
call to the Keeper, and he would run for the English Fryer, and
he would go the Inquisitor for counsel, and sometime they would
send them word they should have a remedy, I should be sent to Rome; D4r 833 23
Rome; and sometimes the Fryers would come, but had not power
to say any thing to me of it) The Lord did say to us, “Lift up your
Voice like the noise of a Trumpet, and sound forth my Truth
like the shout of a King.”
There was one that life was arisen in
him but they were upon him as Eagles til they had destroy’d him;
he did undergo terrible Judgements all the time he was in the Inquisition.

Our money served us a year and seven Weeks; and when it
was almost gone, the Fryars brought the Inquisitor’s Chamberlain
to buy our Hats. We said, we came not there to sel our clothes,
nor any thing we had. Then the Fryar 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; We could trust God. He said, “He did see we could;” but they
should have maintained us while they kept us Prisoners.

And then the Lord did take away our stomacks; we did eat but
little for three or four Weeks; and then the Lord called us to fasting
for eleven dayes together, but it was so little, that the Fryars
came and said, that “it was impossible that Creatures could live with
so little meat,”
as they did see we did for so long time together; and
asked “what we would do?” And said their “Lord Inquisitor said, We might
have anything we would.”
We said, We must wait to know the mind
of God, what he would have us to do. We did not fast in our
own Wills but in obedience to the Lord. They were much troubled,
and sent us meat, and said “the English Consul sent it.” We could
not take any thing till the Lord’s time was come. We were weak,
so that Sarah did dress her head as she would lye in her Grave.
(poor Lamb) I lay looking for the Lord to put an end to the sad
trial which way it seemed good in his sight. Then I heard a voice,
saying, “Ye shall not dye.” I believed the Lord, and his glory did
appear much in our fast; he was very gracious to us, and did refresh
us with his living presence continually, and we did behold
his beauty to our great joy and comfort, and he was large to us
in his promises, so that we were kept quiet and still, (the sting of
Death being taken away,) our souls, hearts and minds were at
peace with the Lord, so that they could not tell whether we were
dead or alive but as they did call to us once a day, till the time
the Lord had appointed we should eat; and they were made to bring D4v 834 24
bring many good things, and laid them down by us; so that Scripture
we witnessed fulfilled, “Our Enemies treated us kindly in a strange
Land, said I.”
But we were afraid to eat, and cryed to the Lord,
and said, We had rather dye, than eat any thing that is polluted
and unclean. The Lord said unto me, “Thou mayest as freely eat, as
if thou hadst wrought for it with thy hands; I will sanctifie it to thee
through the Cross.”
And he said to Sarah, “Thou shalt eat the fruit of
thy hands, and be blessed.”
We did eat and were refreshed, to the
praise and glory of our God for ever. We did eat but little in two
Months; and they did bring us what ever we did speak for, for 8,
or 10 dayes; and afterward we were so straitned for want of
food, it did us more hurt than our Fast. Yet the Lord did work
as great a Miracle by our preservation, as he did by raising Lazarus
out of the Grave. The Fryars did say, “the Lord did keep us alive
by his mighty power, because we should be Catholicks.”
We said, the
Lord would make it manifest to us then; they should know the
Lord had another end in it one day.

But still they said, “There was no Redemption for us.” We said, with
the Lord there was mercy and plenteous Redemption. We bid
them, take heed ye be not found fighters against God. They said,
“We were foolish women.” We said we were the Lord’s fools, and the
Lord’s Fools were right dear, and precious in his sight, and wo to
them that do offend them. He said, “they were the Lord’s fools,” and
shewed us their deceitful Gowns, and their shaven Crowns, and
said “they did wear it for God’s sake, to be laught at of the world”, We
said, they did not wear it for God’s sake, unless they were moved
of the holy Spirit of God to wear it. He said, “it was no matter,
they did wear it because of their Superiors.”
[mark, and before it was
for God’s sake, as he said] He thought to bring us under him for
our food, and did make us suffer a while, though the Inquisitor
and the Magistrates had taken a course we should want for nothing.
But the Lord did torment him and all the rest, till they
did bring us such things as were fitting. Then he did work all that
he could to send me to Rome, and was coming two or three times
(for what I know) to fetch me forth, but the Lord would not
suffer them; and when they saw they could not prevaile that
way, they said we should go both; but the Fryar should go first,
because he was not well; he got leave to go, he was so weary of E1r 835 25
of coming to us, that he did beseech the Lord Inquisitor he might
come no more to us. He told Sarah “I was a Witch”, and “that I knew
what was done at London,”
and he would come to me no more, he
said, Because when he did tell me a company of lyes, I said, “I had
a witness for God in me, which was faithful and true, and I did believe
God’s witness.”

The Diviners did wax mad, and did run as at their wits end,
from Mountain to Hill, and from Hill to Mountain, to cover
them: They ran to the Inquisitor, and writ to the Pope, and
went to him; their King did not hide them at all; some of them
did gnash with their teeth, and even gnaw their tongues for pain:
Yet the rest would not repent of their blasphemy, sorcery, nor
inchantments, but do post on to fill up their measures; Oh! the
Lord reward them according to their works. A little before the
Fryar went to Rome, he came to the Inquisition Chamber with
a Scribe, to write concerning us, to carry it with him; I saw
him, as God would have it; the Lord said, “There is thy deadly foe.”
They were writing part of three dayes; and when they had ended
it, the Lord would not let me eat till the Scribe did come
where I was, that I might pronounce wo against it, and defie it,
which I did do in the Name of the Lord, and it did wither with
all the rest: After it was gone the English Consul came to us with
a Scribe, and he brought us a doller from a Mailer of a Ship that
came from Plymouth; I told him, I did receive my Countrey man’s
Love, but could not receive his Money. He askt me, “What I wou’d
do if I would take no money?”
I said, the Lord was my portion, and
I could not lack any good thing. I said to him, We were in thy
House near 15. Weeks, didst thou see any cause of Death or bonds
in us? He said, “No.” I askt him, how he would dispence with his
Conscience for telling us, “He would have us before the Inquisitor,” and
thon didst know that Room was provided for us; and had not we
been kept alive by the mighty Power of God, we might have been
dead long since. He said, “How could I help it!” I said We are the
Servants of the living God, and were brought here by permission,
and in the Spirit of Meekness gave in our Testimony for the
Lord in faithfulness, and told you the truth as it is in Jesus, and called
you all to repentance, and fore-warned you in love to your
souls, of the evil the Lord is bringing upon you, if you do not E repent E1v 836 26
repent. He said, “However it be, it will go well with you.” [Mark that,]
I told him, he required a sign of me when we were at his house,
if we were the servants of the Lord God; I gave him a sign from
the living God, and my friend gave him another from the Lord,
to his shame and destruction for ever. I askt him Whether it were
not true we spake to him, he said it was, “but how should he help it?”
I said, Thou art a condemned person, and stands guilty before
God; yet nevertheless repent, if thou canst find a place. He
smil’d upon the Scribe in deceit, but his lips did quiver, and his
belly trembled, and he could scarce stand upon his legs. He was
as proper a man as most was in the City, and full, and in his prime
age. O! he was consumed as a Snail in a shell, which was a sufficient
sign for the whole City, if their hearts were not harder than
Adamants, He said, “How should he help it?” He might have helpt
it, but he was as willing to prove us, as any of them all. He was
sworn upon his Oath to protect the English; and their Ruler bid
him let us go about our business, and said, “We were honest women;”
and then he might have let us go before we were under the black
Rod.

Then he went to Sarah with the Doller; she told him she could
not take the Money; but if he had a Letter for us, she should be
free to receive that. He said, “he had not any.” He askt her “what she
did want?”
She said, the Lord was her Shepherd, she could not
want any good thing; but she did long for her Freedom. He said,
“That you may have in time.” He told us, “we should have ink and paper
to write:”
But when he was gone, they would not let us. The next
time we heard of him, he was dead; We could have rejoiced if he
had dyed for righteousness sake; for the Lord delighteth not in
the death of a sinner.

The Fryar was gone to Rome, and they said, “he must stay there
till we came.”
There was great working to send us there, but the
Lord did prevent them, that they could not send us there. Then
the Lord did work to bring us together again after so long time
we had been parted. There were five doors between us with
Locks and Bolts, but the Keeper had not power to make them
fast, but as Sarah could undo them to come where I could see her,
but could not speak to her, for there were them that did watch
us night and day; yet she being moved of the Lord, did come to my E2r 837 27
my door by night; she must come by the Fryars door, he and the
Doctor of Law were together, and they did set a trap to take her
in, and many did watch about the Prison, and would complain.
Then she was lockt up again; but they had no peace in that, till
the doors were open again; then we did sit in the sight of each
other, to wait upon the Lord, so that our voices were heard far;
the Magistrates would hear and bow to it sometime; then the
complainers were weary, and did work to have us brought together;
and we did wait and pray, and the Magistrates would come
in and look upon us many times, but would say nothing to us:
There were of divers Nations brought into the Inquisition Prisoners,
and the Fryars, and the rest that were great, would go in
their way to make Christians of them; and we were made to stand
up against them and their ways, and deny them in the Name of
the Lord, and declare the truth to the simple-hearted continually,
if we did suffer death for it; We could not endure to hear
the Name of the Lord blasphemed, nor his pure Way of Truth
perverted, nor the ignorant deceived. They did write all they
understood of what we spake, and sent it to the Court Chamber
before the Inquisitor and Magistrates, but the Lord did blast it
with the Mildews of his wrathful indignation, and burnt it up
with the brightness of his Son, and we rejoiced in our God; but
still our burdens continued very heavy, and our righteous souls
were vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked, and the
pure Seed of God was prest from the day to day, that our spirits
did mourn, and our hearts were grieved because of the hardness
of their hearts, and their Rebellion against their Maker, who
was so gracious to them, to suffer them so long in all their abominations,
and waited to be gracious to them, and knock at the
Door of their hearts, calling for Justice, Mercy and Humility; but
behold Oppression, Cruelty, and Self-Exaltation, notwithstanding
the Lord did strive so much with them, and sent so many undeniable
truths, and infallible testimonies of the coming of his Son
to Judgement, and so clear a manifestation of the way to eternal
Salvation given forth of his own mouth, by his eternal Spirit,
and having us for an example who were kept by his Power and
Holiness; they had not a jot nor tittle against us, but for righteousness
sake, though they had winnowed and fanned us so long: E2 Glory E2v 838 28
Glory, honor and praises be given to our God for ever. O they
would not let us know of any English Ship that came into the
Harbour, as near as they could, but the Lord would make it manifest
to us; We had a great working and striving in our bodies,
but we knew not what it meant; the arrows of the Wicked did
flye, so that my soul was plunged and overwhelmed from head to
feet, and the terrors of the unrighteous had taken hold of us, and
the flames of Hell compassed us about; then the Lord appeared
unto me in a dream, and said “There were two English Friends in the
City which did plead for our liberty in our behalf, and he had taken all
fear away from them, and made them bold.”
And in a little while after
the Magistrates sent for us forth and askt us, “whether we were
sick,”
or “whether we did want any thing;” and were very tender to us,
and said “we should write to England,” and bid the Scribe “give us Ink
and Paper;”
he said he would; but he was so wicked he did not. They
did not tell us of any English that were there; but there was one
Francis Steward of London, a Captain of a Ship, and a Fryar of
Ireland, which came to the City together (for what we know) and
they did take great pains for us, and went to their Ruler, and the
Inquisitor, and to several Magistrates and Fryars, and the new
English Consul with them, and wrought much amongst them that
all were willing to let us go, save the Inquisitor; they said; and he
said, “He could not free us without an Order from the Pope.” But we had
many heavy Enemies besides, which would not be seen; but they
obtained the favour to come and speak with us, which was a great
thing in such a place.

They sent for us to the Court-Chamber, and the English Consul
askt us, “if we were willing to go back to England?” We said, if it
were the Will of God we might. The Captain spake to us with
tears in his eyes, and told us what they had done for us, but could
not prevail; It is this Inquisitor (said he) the rest were made free;
you have preached among these people he said. We told him we
were called upon the Testimony of our Conscience, and the truth
that we have witnessed forth among them, we should stand to
maintain with our blood. He said, “if they could get us off, he would
freely give us our passage, and provide for us,”
and the Vessel was his
own. We told him, his love was as well accepted of the Lord, as
if he did carry us. He offered us money; he saw the Lord would not E3r 839 2n9
not suffer us to take any. He took our Names. We told them
they took us out of our way, and put us into the Inquisition, and
bid us change our minds; and we could not, the Lord had changed
us into that which changed not, if they would burn us to ashes,
or chop us as Herbs to the Pot. The Fryar said, “We did not work;”
which was false; we had Work of our own, and did work as we
were able. We told him, our Work and Maintenance was in England.
And they said, “it was true.” He said, “We would not accept of the
Inquisitor’s Dyet.”
We did not know who did prepare for us; we did
receive our meat as we had freedom in the Lord. Then he said,
“We had suffered long enough, and too long, but we should have our freedom
in flawed-reproductionone word days, and that they would send to the Pope for an Order.”
And
there were many English ships that way; but the Captain saw it
was a very hard thing; so that it grieved him to the heart: He
prayed God to comfort us, and he went away; and we do beseech
God to bless and preserve him unto everlasting life, and never to
let him nor his go without a blessing from him, for his love: he
did venture himself exceedingly in that place. But after he was
gone, they arose up against us with one accord; the Inquisitor
came up into a Tower, and lookt down upon us as if he would
have eaten us, and they did try us for our lives again, and did shut
up our doors many Weeks; we could not tell for what; at length
the Inquisitor came into the Tower again, and Sarah was moved
to call to him, to have the door opened for us to go down into
the Court to wash our clothes. Then he gave command for the
door to be opened once a Week; and in a little while ’twas open
every day. But great was our affliction indeed; and she told him,
if we were the Popes Prisoners, we would appeal to the Pope, and
he should send us to him. But them in the prison with us, especially
the Fryar, were mortal Enemies to us, but yet they would have
fed us with the choicest of their meat, and would gladly give us
whole Bottles of Wine, if we would receive it, and were greatly
troubled because we did refuse to eat and drink with them, and
did persecute us exceedingly; but the Lord did visit them with his
dreadful Judgements, the Fryar was tormented night and day, his
body did perish, the Doctors and Chyrurgions did follow him a
long time.

And E3v 840 30

And there were two or three English Ships there, came into
harbour, and Sarah saw the coming of them in a Vision of the
night, and there was great pleading for us, that we saw; but she
heard a Voice, saying, “We could not go now.” So we were made willing
to wait the Lords time.

Then they sent for us forth when the Ships were gone, and askt
us “if we would be Catholicks”: And we said, we were true Christians,
and had received the Spirit of Christ, and he that had not the
Spirit of Christ, was none of his. The English Consul told us of
the Ships, and said, “they would not let us go unless we would be Catholicks;
and that we must suffer more imprisonment yet;”
and said, “he did
what he could for us”
One of the Magistrates shewed us the Cross;
We told them, and said, We did take up the Cross of Christ daily,
which is the great Power of God to crucifie sin and iniquity.
So we told them that one of their Fathers did promise us our liberty.
We did think that Fryar was too tender hearted to stay
among them; he did take a great deal of pains for us (the Captain
said) we told him, he would never have cause to repent it;
the blessing of God would be upon him for any thing he should
do for us; for we were the Servants of the living God, and he
promised us our freedoms in a little time.


This following I received from them in other Papers
to Friends. D.B.,

O Dearly beloved Friends, Fathers and Elders, and Pillars of Gods
Spiritual House, and Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus
Christ
in the measure of Love and Life of our God do we salute you
all, and do embrace you in that which is Eternal, and we do greatly rejoice
and glorifie the Name of our Heavenly Father, that he hath counted
us worthy to be partakers of the death and sufferings of his blessd
Son, with you; though we be the least of Gods Flock, yet we are of the
true Fold, whereof Christ Jesus is Shepherd; and he hath had as tender
a care over us, as he hath had of any of his Lambs which he hath called
forth in this the day of his Power, and hath carryed us through, and
over as great afflictions as most of our Brethren and sufferers for his Name E4r 841 31
Name, both in mockings, scoffings, scornings, reproaches, stripes, contradictions,
perils at Land, and perils at Sea, fiery tryals, cruel threatnings,
grief of heart, sorrow of soul, heats and colds, fastings and watchings,
fears within, and frightings without, terrible temptations and
persecutions, and dreadful imprisonments and buffetings of Satan; yet
in all these our tryals the Lord was very gracious unto us, and not absent
himself from us, neither suffered his faithfulness to fail us, but did
bear us up, and keep us from fainting in the midst of our extremity; we
had not another to make our moan to, but the Lord alone, neither could
we expect a drop of mercy, favour or refreshment, but what he did distil
from his living Presence, and work by his own strength; for we sate one
in one room, and the other in another, near a year, as Owls in Deserts,
and as people forsaken in solitary places; then did we enjoy the presence
of the Lord, and did behold the brightness of his Glory, and we did see
you our dear Friends, in the Light of Jesus, and did behold your order,
and stedfastness of your Faith and Love to all Saints, and were refreshed
in all the faithful hearted, and felt the issues of Love and Life which
did stream from the hearts of those that were wholly joined to the Fountain,
and were made sensible of the benefit of your prayers.

O the sorrows, the mournings, the tears! but those that sow in tears,
shall reap in joy. A true sorrow begets a true joy; and a true Crosse, a
true Crown: For when our sorrows did abound, the Love of God did
abound much more; the deeper the sorrows, the greater the joys; the
greater the Cross, the weightier the Crown.

Dear Friends and Brethren, marvel not that Israel is not gathered,
our Judgement remains with the Lord, and so do our Labours; for it was
not for want of travel, nor pain, nor love to their souls; for we could
have been contented to have fed upon the Grass on the ground, so we
might have had our freedom amongst them: For had it not been for the
great opposition, they would have followed after us as Chickens after a
Hen, both great and small: But oh the swelling seas, the raging and
foaming Waves, Stormy Winds and Floods, and deep Waters, and high
Mountains and Hills, hard Rocks, rough wayes, and crooked paths, tall
Cedars, strong Oaks, fruitless Trees, and corrupted ones, that cumber
the ground, and hinder the righteous Seed to be sown, and the noble
Plants from being planted: Oh! they shut up the Kingdom against the
simple-hearted, and hide the key of knowledge from the innocent ones,
and will not enter into the Kingdom themselves, nor suffer them that would E4v 842 32
would enter, but stir up the Magistrates to form carnal Weapons, thinking
to prevent the Lord of taking to him his Inheritance, and to dispossess
his Son who is heir of all, that he might not have a dwelling-place
amongst them, nor a habitation nigh them; because that his Light will
discover their darkness, and his brightness will burn up all their abominations,
and marr their beauty, and stain their glory, their pomp and
their pride, that it may perish as the untimely Figs, and fall as the Flower
of the Field, and wither as the Grasse upon the house-top. Oh the
Belly of Hell, the Jaws of Satan, the whole Mysterie of iniquity is at
the height, and all manner of abominations that make desolate, stands
where it ought not, and is upholden by a Law, That upon pain of
death none must speak against it, nor walk contrary to it. But praises to
our God, he carryed us forth to declare against it daily. Oh the blind
Guides, the seducing spirits that do cause the people to err, and compel
them to worship the Beast and his Image, and to have his mark in their
fore-heads, and in their hands, and to bow to Pictures and painted Walls,
and to worship the things of their own hands, and to fall down to that
which their own fingers have fashioned, and will not suffer them to look
towards Sion upon pain of death, nor to walk towards Jerusalem upon
pain of Faggot and Fire, but must abide in Babel, and believe whatsoever
they speak or do, to be truth. But oh the wayes, the worships, the
fashions, forms, customs, traditions observations and imaginations which
they have drawn in by their dark Divinations, to keep the poor people in
blindness and ignorance, so that they perish for want of knowledge, and
are corrupted, because the way of truth is not made known among them;
they are all in the many wayes, out of the one true and living way, and
their ways be so many and so monstrous, that they are unrehearsible; but
the Lord our God hath kindled a fire in the midst of them, that will consume
all forms, fashions, customs and traditions of men, and will burn
up the bryars, thorns and tares, stubble and fruitless Trees, and corrupted
ones, and will blast all the fruits, works and labours of wicked and
ungodly men with the Mill-dews of his wrathful indignation, and will
scatter all his Enemies with the Whirl-winds of his displeasure. They
do not know the Scriptures. Their Bibles would grieve any honest heart
to behold them, because of the corruption: They said, “our Bibles were
false:”
I asked wherein? The Fryar said, “Maccabees was not in them.”
I said, if any were taken from them, yet the rest might be pure; but if
any were added to them, then they were corrupted. He askt me, Whe843ther F1r 33
ther I did not think it meet for every one to bow at the Name of Jesus.
I said, Yea. He said, “Jesus”, and bid me fall down, or bow my body. I
told him, My heart and whole body was bowed under the Name of Jesus;
but I should not stoop to his will, nor any man’s else: He that departeth
from iniquity, boweth to the Name of Jesus; but those that live
in sin and wickedness, do not stoop to the Son of God. And he told me,
they stood in the same Power the Apostles did, and were guided by the
same Spirit as they were. I asked why they did abuse their Power then,
and make use of Carnal Weapons. He said they did not,
they were all spiritual, their Inquisition, & their Chains
and Irons, and all is spiritual. The wise
may judge
And he asked, Whether
we judged them all damn’d that were not of our Judgement.
I said, Nay, we had otherwise learned Christ; those that were
in a Reprobate condition to day, the Lord may call them out of it tomorrow,
for what I know. He said, They did judge us damn’d, and all that
were not of their Faith. I told him, Man’s Judgement we did not
matter.

A Vision.

In a Vision of the night I saw in the Firmament six Suns, one
at a distance from the rest, that did appear to be but half an
hour high; the other five stood four-square, one in the middle; and
they did cross over each other; the highest did not seem to be
above an hour high. And when I did awake, I was troubled in my
spirit to know the Vision; and I waited upon the Lord, and he
signified to me in the Light, The six Suns were six Nations, whose
Lights were near out; and the five which crossed each other, signified
to me some rising amongst them.

And the Fryar came to me, and said, “It was God’s will we should
be kept there, or else they could not keep us.”
I told him the Lord did
suffer wicked men to do wickedly, but did not will them to do it.
He did suffer Herod to take off John Baptist’s head, but he did not
will him to do it; and did suffer Stephen to be stoned, and Judas to F betray F1v 844 34
betray Christ, but he did not will them to do it; for if he had,
he would not have condemned them for it. He said, “Then we are
wicked men:”
I said, They are wicked men that work wickedness.
The Fryar would say still, “We had not the true Faith.” We said, By
Faith we stand, and by the Power of God we are upholden; dost
thou think it is by our own power and holiness we are kept from
a vain conversation, from sin and wickedness? He said, “That was
our pride.”
We said. No, We could glory in the Lord, we were
children of wrath once as well as others; But the Lord hath
quickned us that were dead, by the living Word of his Grace, and
hath washed, cleansed and sanctified us through soul and spirit, in
part, according to our measures, and we do press forward towards
that which is perfect. He then did say, “We were good Women, but
yet there was no redemption for us except we would be Catholicks.”

Now the Lord said, “Fear not Daughters of Sion, I will carry you
forth as Gold tryed out of the fire.”
And many precious promises did
the Lord refresh us with, in our greatest extremity, and would appear
in this glory, that our souls would be ravished in his presence;
I had the Spirit of Prayer upon me, and I was afraid to speak to
the Lord, for fear I should speak one word that would not please
him. And the Lord said “Fear not Daughter of Sion, ask what thou
wilt, and I will grant it thee, whatsoever thy heart can wish.”
I desired
nothing of the Lord but what would make for his glory, whether
it were my liberty or bondage, life or death, wherein I was highly
accepted of the Lord.

The Room wherein I was separated, was near the Chancery,
where all the Bishops Courtiers did resort, and would come into
the Inquisition Courts, and I had Work amongst them daily; they
would come on purpose to their condemnation; some would be
smitten, and run as if they hunted; and some would be set on fire,
and cry, Caldere, caldere, and fuoco, fuoco, and many would pitty
us because we were not Catholicks; the Fryars would say, “We
might be Catholicks, and keep our own Religion too: and we should not
be known we were Catholicks, except we were brought before a Justice
of Peace.”
We askt if we should profess a Christ we should be asham’d
of?

But as for the poor Workmen, they were willing to do any
thing for us, and were diligent to hear us, the Witness of God in them F2r 845 35
them did answer to the truth; there were many eyes over them;
had it not been for the great opposition, there were hundreds
would have flown to the truth.

And because I said I did talk with G.F. he (the Fryar) asked,
“Whether G.F. did bring me money to maintain me in prison.” I said, no,
but though I was absent in body, yet I was present in spirit, and
was refreshed in him, and in hundreds more besides. They said,
“I had seen Revelations, and had talkt with G.F. and he was God’s Revelation.”
Sarah said, Christ was God’s Revelation; he said, she
came under the Halter for saying Christ was God’s Revelation.”
She answered,
St. Paul said, “As soon as it pleased God to reveal his Son in me,
I did not consult with flesh and blood, but immediately I went and preacht
him;”
and is not Christ God’s Revelation then? He said, “Who denied
that?”

What they would have done to Sarah if they had taken her
forth, we know not; but the Lord did work so wonderfully that
night for the preservation of her poor soul out of their net, that
he is worthy to be glorified for ever.

The next time he came to me, he came in sheeps clothing, but
he had a Woolf under his Gown; he gave me words as soft as Butter,
and as smooth as Oyl, when he had a Sword in his heart, and
a Spear in his hand, when they speak most fairest, then beware of
them.

He desired us “we would not think so hardly of him, as if he were the
Author of all our wrongs and troubles; he was not”
(he said) “but would
do any good he could for us, were it with his blood.”
But we thought he
had been the chiefest that cast the poor man in prison, but he was
the man that hope him out without any punishment at all, though
the Inquisitor did say he should be severely punished. I told him
he did well, he would have peace in it, and would never have cause
to repent it. He did entreat us, “he might not bear all the burthen.”
We told him of many wicked things he did act against us, and of
his lying and cruel words. He bid us, “take no notice what he did speak.”
But we did feel his spirit, that what he spake, he would do, if he had
not been chained. I did use to tell him, My Conscience was not
feared with a hot iron, I was not past feeling. At last he was so
weary of coming to us, he did entreat the Inquisitor he might
not come to us any more; the Judgement of the Lord did F2 fol- F2v 846 36
follow him so, it was like to kill him.

When we were parted, the Lord did work mightily for us, and
we were kept by the Power of the Lord over our Enemies, and
were bold for God’s Truth, and did make war with them in
righteousness, so that they could not gain-say us in the truth: So
that Scripture was fulfilled, “The wicked mouths must be stopped;” and
they were put to silence, praises be to our God, and were made
to confess or say, “Of a truth God was in us;” our God was a consuming
fire to them, they were not able to stand in his presence, but
they would howl and make a noise like Dogs, and cry, “Jesu, Maria,”
and flye as people driven by a mighty rushing Wind; the Power
of the Lord did pursue after them like a Sword; that Scripture
was fullfilled, which saith, “Christ came not to send peace on earth,
but a sword,”
to cut down his Enemies; the Lord was on our side,
and did take our part, and did fight for us, and did tread down
our Enemies under our feet, that they could not hurt us. Mighty
was the Work of God daily, our tongues cannot express it; they
did work day and night with their Inchantments and Divinations,
Sorceries, unclean Spirits crying and foaming; insomuch we
could take little rest day or night sometimes; but the Lord was
with us, and did work mightily by his power, and kept us over
them in the life of the Son of God. My Prison was nigh to the
Pallace, and to their Worship, that I could be heard of both; and
it was laid upon me of the Lord; to call them to repentance, and
to turn to the Light wherewith they were enlightned, which
would lead them out of all their wicked Ways, Works and Worships
to serve the true and living God in spirit and in truth; the
Power did raise the Witness in many, and troubled them; they
did sigh and groan; and some did stay to hear me, so long as they
durst; for there were many did watch; and it was upon pain of
death, or at least to be imprisoned: As was the poor English man
that did come and speak to me, whom they hall’d down violently,
and put him in prison; but the Lord delivered him for his love.

And we were parted near a year, but great was the Work of
the Lord, and great was the Power to carry it on. He was not
wanting to us, glory be to his Name; but did give us Words and
Wisdom according to our Work: So that Scripture was fulfilled
which saith on wise, “Ye need not premeditate afore-hand what to F3r 847 37
to speak, or what to say; for it shall be given you of my Heavenly
Father what ye ought to speak,”
that the Enemies shall not 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 judg
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
which 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 burthens so heavy to bear it that
I cryed to the Lord, and said, It is better for me to dye, than to
live; and would gladly have given up my life in testimony against
them all; I was (as ’twere) compell’d to declare against all their
ways, works and worships, insomuch that they ran to the Inquisitor
to have me chained, or punished 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 expresse 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
denied them. They would howle like Dogs, beause 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 Woolf
and the Devourers, denying them and 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 F3v 848 38
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 could not suffer death
with her; I did yeild she had been slain: And afterwards 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
trials 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 Bores out of the Wood, nor
the wild Beasts out of the Field.

Then there was one came and said, that “Catherine and I must
be sent both to Rome;”
Which did rejoice 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 saw them in the Light of Christ, how the Pope,
the Fryars 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 F4r 849 39

Now our Testimony was as largely given in at Rome, as at Malta:
The Fryars came to me, and shewed me Mary and her Babe
pictured against the Wall, and would have me look upon it. I
stampt with my foot and said, Cursed be all Images and Imagemakers,
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 mysterie of iniquity, the cunning working
of Satan, to draw out of the mind to follow him, from the pure life,
and to veil 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 Catharine, 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 (St. 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 read it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekness,
and see that nothing in you arise up against it, for it is God’s
Truth.

Christ Jesus who is the Light of the world, which hath enlightned
every one that cometh into the world, saith, “This is Life eternal, To
know thee the onely true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. F4v 850 40
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 you come to love it, and to have your minds
staid upon it, you will feel the incomes of God’s Power to administer condemnation
upon the transgressor, that keeps the pure Seed in bondage in
you; “For Sion is redeemed through Judgement, and her Converts
with Righteousness.”

Saint Paul saith, If thou believest in thy heart the Lord Jesus, and
confessest with thy mouth that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved; for with the heart man believeth unto salvation; and
we do believe, and see, and taste, and handle of the good Word of Life,
and have received the Spirit of Truth, to lead us into all truth, and
doth bring all things to our remembrance, without any visible thing. And
Saint Paul wrote to the Galatians, saying, “My little Children, of
whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you.”
Where Christ
is formed within, there needs no form without; the outward form is called
an Earthen Vessel, or an Earthen Tabernacle, or an Earthen House;
but Christ Jesus is the express Image of his Father’s Glory (or Substance)
which is Light and Life.

Now the Image of Christ is a pure and holy Image, a meek and a
Dove like Image, an innocent and Lamb-like Image, a righteous and
a glorious Image, Christ in you the hope of glory, saith the Apostle to
the Saints.

The Lord our God hath given to every man a measure of the manifestation
of his own Spirit ot profit withall, which is the Light in the
Conscience, the true Teacher of his People; it is the Grace of God that
bringeth salvation, that appeareth to all men, and it teacheth all that
come, to believe in it, and to love, and to be guided by it, to deny all
ungodliness and worldy lusts, and to walk soberly, righteously, holy and
godly in this present world; and it will deal plainly with every one; none
need to fear being deceived by that in them which doth condemn them
for sin and evil: But they that live in pride, are deceived already; they
that live in covetousness, are deceived already; and they that live in
Lusts or Drunkenness, are deceived already; or in Lying, Swearing,
Adultery or Idolatry, are deceived; or in Hypocrisie and Deceit,
hard heartedness or Cruelty, they are deceived already; for those you G1r 851 41
you know, are fruits which do proceed from a deceived heart, being corrupted
for want of knowledge: My people perish for want of knowledge
(saith God) He that hath not the spirit of Christ, is none of his,
and he that hath the Spirit of Christ, ought himself to walk as Christ
walked: Now Christ was no persecutor, he never imprisoned any, nor
ever put any to suffer, but he and the holy Prophets and Apostles were
made to suffer as evil-doers, this we know.

The Day of the Lord is hot and terrible against all sin and iniquity,
and that nature from whence it doth proceed; and we are a Wo for all
them that are laying up of a Fuel for it: This is God’s Truth, whether
you can receive it, yea or nay, I am ready to seal it with my blood, if the
Lord shall call me to it.

Whosoever shall interpret this Paper before the Lord Inquisitor, (so
called) I charge thee in the Name of the living God, as thou
wilt answer before his dreadful presence, to interpret it word
by word, as it is written, without adding or diminishing.

Katharine Evans.

The Fryar then came to me, and askt me, “why I did not work?” I
said unto him, What Work dost thou do? he said “he did write.”
I told him I would write too, if he would bring me a Pen, Ink
and Paper; and I would write truth. He said, “He would not that we
should write; for St. Paul did work at Rome, and we might get nine or
ten grains a day, if we would knit, that is three half pence.”
I told
him, if we could have that priviledge amongst them, that St. Paul
had at Rome under sar, which was a Heathenish King, we would
have wrought, and not have been chargeable to any. St. Paul lived
in his own hired House two years, with a Souldier to look to
him and had friends of the same Occupation to work with him,
and could send where he would, and whosoever would come to
him, might, and he taught them in the Name of the Lord Jesus,
and no man forbad him. So I askt him, Whether he knew the holy
War of God, yea or nay? if he did, I told him he then did know
we could not be without exercise day nor night. Then his mouth G was G1v 852 42
was stopped, and he spake no more to me of work: But though
our affliction of body was very great, and our travel of soul was
greater, yet we did knit Stockins, and gave to them that were
made serviceable to us, and did make Garments for the poor prisoners,
and mended their Clothes which had need, and were made
helpful to them all, to their condemnation, that did persecute
us. But we could not work at the Fryar’s Will, nor any man’s
else, but as we had freedom in the Lord.

As I was weak in my bed, the Fryar came to me, and said, “We
did deny the Scriptures:”
I told him, they did deny them, we did
own them, and hold them forth, thou dost know it: He was in a
rage because I said, they denyed the Scriptures, bid me “eat my
words again, and threatned death upon me.”
I said, Christ Jesus was
the Light of the World, and had lighted every one that cometh
into the World, which Light is our salvation that do receive it,
and the same Light is the World’s condemnation that do not believe
in it. Then he said, “He would lay me in Chains, where I should
neither see Sun nor Moon.”
They say “The Father hath almost killed you,”
said he, “but I will kill you quite, before I have done.” He had a Book in
his hand, and he did study in it; I told him he did comprehend the
Words in his carnal mind; and he was wrath, and said “he would
give me to the Devils to be tormented.”
I said, I deny the Devil and
all his Works and Workers.

Some would come unto the Prison upon their Saints days, and
ask us “what day it was”? We did answer, We did not know, neither
did we observe dayes nor times, months nor years. Then answer
would be made, “It was St. Joseph’s day,” or some other Saint; “and
St. Joseph should punish us that night, because we did not observe his
day.”
We answered, We did know the Saints to be at peace with
us, and we did not fear them. We further said, St. Paul did call it
beggarly Elements and Rudiments of the World, to observe days,
times, months and years; and their mouths would be stopt for a
time. Then came the Fryar another time, and told me, “it was seventeen
dayes to their Christmas;”
and said, “the Virgin Mary conceived
with child that day,”
being the same day he spake to me on; as if she
did go with Child but seventeen dayes. And he said, “the next day
was Lady Ann’s day, the Virgin Mary’s Mother, a Saint.”

I was G2r 853 43

Then as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer because of our longsuffering,
& our strong travel & labour & 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 skie 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 Fryar.

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 triedst the
right way; the Seed of God is not tryed 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 might’st have
comprehended us; or hadst thou found the Ballance of the Sanctuary of
the true Tabernacle, which God hath pitched, and not man, thou might’st
have weighed us; or hadst thou laid Judgement to the Line, and Righteousness
to the Plummet, thou might’st have fathomed us; or could’st
thou have opened the Book of Life, thou might’st have read us; or hadst
thou went into the House of Israel, thou might’st 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 is 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; least 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 G2 every G2v 854 44
every one may repent that can find a place; and whatever 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 the Name of the Lord.


Written in the Inquisition-Prison
in the Isle of Malta.

Katharine Evans.
Sarah Chevers.


Behold victorious Hymns, Songs, 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;

Lord keep me in thy Arms,

and guide me in thy fear.

Thy Bow is bent, thy Sword is
drawn

thy enemies to deface,

Thy fire’s kindl’d ’gainst all those

that Truth wil not embrace.

Thine Arrows sharp and keen,

upon their heads shall fall,

Thy double-edged Sword also,

to cut them down withall.

So plague the Heathen, & correct

the people in thy wrath,

That they may fear & dread thy
Name

and come to know thy truth.

Throughout the World so 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 is clearing,

the Lords Eternal Truth.

Every one that’s in darkness,

and under its shadow lye,

May come forth into the brightness.

out of obscurity.

Oh Lord teach me thy wayes,

that I may walk therein,

And lead me in thy Path of life,

and cleanse me from all sin,

How gracious is our God,

and kind to Israel,

With us he doth make his Abode.

his presence doth us fill.

So G3r 855 45

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

they would them embrace.


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 oh 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 G3v 856 46

Arise oh 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 Power 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 & strong,

Against the gathering in of all

that to the Lord belong.

All glory, honor, laud and praise

be to the Lord of Might,

Who hath made known in these
our dayes,

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 Crosse 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,
I Cor. I. 18, 19.

Christ’s Cross I do embrace,

Which gives me an entrance
into Grace;

Sin and Death it doth deface,

And makes me run a glorious
race,

A Crown of Life and Grace I do
obtain,

And sin and death is daily slain;

And Christ himself alone to reign

Through 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 G4r 857 47

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 Heavenly
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 slays the enmity withall:

And makes of twain one perefect
man,

And 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, and 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.

They that live in sin and wicedness,

are enemies to Christ Jesus
Cross;

For all sin and uncleanness

doth pierce the Life of Christ
Jesus
.

Per- G4v 858 48


Perfect Love, and breathings of undefiled
Life, to the Seed of God, greeting.

The streams of beauty, pure
and bright,

That springeth up both day and
night.

My love to truth doth me constrain

In Prison ever to remain;

If it be so that even I

Cannot in truth be set at liberty.

My deare Redeemer’s face so

bright,

Doth shine upon me day & night:

His count’nance doth exceed all

Captivity and bodage, thrall,


Amen. K.E.


My Love,

It cometh from a harmless Dove,

Within whose breasts doth still
remain

God’s perfect praises to maintain.

I have not time nor place to
show

The love which from my soul
doth flow.

The blessing of the Almighty be
upon thee,

And upon the whole Israel of

God, Amen.

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 pro- H1r 859 49
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 onely in my hands, but also the precious
substance and virtue of the same that accompanied them,
even in my heart, within my bosom; and the Words of Wisdoms
Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about
my neck, and as Bracelets and Ornaments of a comely and delicate
chaste Bride, about my hands and loins; and behold the Almighty
Lord and King of Eterenal Life, that had so mightily preserved
me in the shadow of his hand of Almightiness, which stopt
the mouths of devouring Lyons, and chained and limited the ravening
and devouring wild Beasts of the Forrest, even he the
King of blessedness and endless glory, filled my heart with his
spotless and unexpressible Love: And as I lay upon the deck of the
Vessel in which I was a passenger, and a stranger among men of
many and divers Nations, in the morning of the day I felt and
beheld the exceeding glory of the Lord under the secret shadow
of his Almightiness, in a Vision of God; and in the same I beheld
the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife, prepared for the Bridegroom’s coming;
and why should not I declare somewhat of the felicity that
mine eye in the Eternal Life of Blessedness saw, albeit the rest is
unutterable which I felt, and know how to be silent in the Father’s
presence, where every Babe knoweth my voice, which is to
give a sound in their ears to whom I write; and not to spread H Pearls H1v 860 50
Pearls before Swine, that will defile and trample on 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 Son as a Bride
groom rejoicing 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 Annointed,
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 tydings 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 & 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 H2r 861 51

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 dwel in your Land

Of rest and peace

in righteousness,

I’th living way thats 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 shal make you afraid.

Within the perfect love here is
no fear,

So in the Father’s sight you 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 friend.

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 happened so, that the Copies of the Letters
of the Lords Prisoners, were left in the hands of their Enemies,
in a strange Land, it is seen meet to insert them among the rest of
their Writings, for the good of many of their own Nation of
England, who may right well favour the tender love and virtue of
true and pure natural affection, not onely to their kindred and
Fathers House, but also to their own Countrey; all of which they
were truly called to forsake, as was good old Abraham our Father, H2 who H2v 862 52
who in obedience to the good Word and Commandment of the
Almighty God, went forth, not knowing whither he went, even
as these poor, and many more, who are deemed by the wise of
this would, 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 outstretched arm of
Dignity and excellent Power, is defacing and staining the pride
of all glory, and bringing into contempt all the honorable
of the Earth that’s out of order, and bringing
down the haughtiness and 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 Husband-mans right hand; for
which the God of Heaven is visiting the Nations as in the ancient
days: Albeit he hath long time held his peace in the habitation
of his Holiness, where his Honor dwelleth; but behold, behold,
he is arising in the greatness of his strength, 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 & hearts of the Hypocrites, & 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, E
ven so the Lord hasten it (Amen) for his Elects sake.

Katha- H3r 863 53


Katharine 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 Blessednesse, 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 joined 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 which I beseech you (dear hearts) in the fear of
the Lord to abide in your measures, according to the mainifestation 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 Children, how often have I
poured out my soul to our everlasting Father for you, with Rivers of tears,
night and day, that you might be kept pure and single in the sight of our
God, improving your Talents as wise Virgins, having Oyl in your Vessels,
and your Lamps burning, and cloathed with the long white Robes of
Righteousness, ready to enter the Bed-Chamber, and to sup with the Lamb H3v 864 54
Lamb, and to feed at the Feast of fat things, where your souls may be
nourished, refreshed, comforted, and satisfied, never to hunger
again.

My dear hearts, you do not want teaching, you are in a Land of Blessedness,
which floweth with Milk and Honey, among the faithful Stewards,
whose mouths are opened wide in righteousness, to declare the Eternal
Mysteries of the everlasting Kingdom, of the endless joys and eternal
glory, whereinto all the willing and obedient shall enter, and be blessed
for ever.

My dear hearts, the promises of the Lord are large, and are all Yea
and Amen to those that fear his Name; he will comfort the Mourners in
Sion, and will cause the heavy-hearted in Jerusalem to rejoice, because
of the glad tydings; they that do bear the Cross with patience, shall
wear the Crown with joy; for it is through the long-suffering and patient
waitings, the Crown of Life and Immortality comes to be obtained;
the Lord hath exercised my patience, and tryed me to the uttermost, to
his praise and my eternal comfort, who hath not been wanting to in
any thing in his own due time; We are Witnesses he can provide a Table
in the Wilderness both spiritual and temporal. Oh the endless love of
our God, who is an everlasting Fountain of all living refreshment; whose
Chrystal streams never cease running to every thirsty soul, that breatheth
after the springs of Life and Salvation.

In our deepest affliction, when I looked for every breath to be the last,
I could not wish I had not come over Seas, because I knew it was my Eternal
Father’s Will to prove me, with my dear and faithful Friend; in
all afflictions and miseries, the Lord remembered mercy, and did not leave
nor forsake us, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail us, but caused the sweet
drops of his mercy to distil upon us, and the brightness of his glorious
countenance to shine into our hearts, and was never wanting to us in Revelations
nor Visions. Oh how may I do to set forth the fulness of God’s
Love to our souls! No tongue can express it, no heart can conceive it;
nor mind can comprehend it. Oh the ravishments, the raptures, the glorious
bright-shining countenance of our Lord God, who is our fulness in
emptiness, our strength in weakness, our health in sickness, our life in death,
our joy in sorrow, our peace in disquietness, our praise in heaviness, our
power in all needs or necessities; He alone is a full God unto us, and to all
that can trust him; he hath emptied us of our selves, and hath unbottomed
us of our selves, and hath wholly built us upon the sure Founda865tion, H4r 55
tion, the Rock of Ages, Christ Jesus the Light of the world, where the
swelling Seas, nor raging, foaming Waves, nor stormy winds, though they
beat vehemently, cannot be able to remove us; Glory, honor and praises
is to our God for ever, who out of his everlasting Treasures doth fill us
with his Eternal Riches day by day; he did nourish our souls with the
choicest of his mercies, and doth feed our bodies with his good Creatures,
and relieve all our necessities in a full measure, praises, praises be to
him alone, who is our everlasting portion, our confidence, and our rejoicing,
whom we serve acceptably with reverence and God-like fear; for
our God is a consuming fire.

Oh my dear Husband and precious Children, you may feel the issues
of Love and Life which stream forth as a River to every soul of you,
from a heart that is wholly joined to the Fountain; my prayers are for you
day and night without ceasing, beseeching the Lord God of Power to pour
down his tender mercies upon you, and to keep you in his pure fear, and to
encrease your faith, to confirm you in all righteousness, and strengthen
you in believing in the Name of the Lord God Almighty, that you may
be established as Mount Sion, that can never be moved. Keep your souls
unspotted of the world, and love one another with a pure heart, fervently
serve one another in love; build up another in the Eternal,
and bear one anothers burdens for the Seeds sake, and so fulfil the Law
of God. This is the Word of the Lord unto you, my dearly beloved.

Dear hearts, I do commit you into the hands of the Almighty, who
dwelleth on high, and to the Word of his Grace in you, who is able to
build you up to everlasting life, and eternal salvation. By me who am
thy dear and precious Wife, and Spouse, in the Marriage of the Lamb,
in the bed unndefiled,

K.E.

My dearly beloved Yoak-mate in the Work of our God, doth dearly
salute you; Salute us dearly to our precious Friends in all places. I do
believe we shall see your faces again with joy. Dearly salute us to T.H.
K.S. and his sister, S.B. and his daughter, N.M. and his dear Wife, with
all the rest of our dear Friends in Bristol. T.C. and his dear Wife and
Daughter, and all Friends in Bristol or else-where. J.G. and his precious
Wife, Children and Servants, with all Friends. Our dear love to
E.H. with her Husband and Children at Alderberry.


The original of this was written in the Inquisition in Malta,
in 1661-11the 11th Month of the year 1661.

Sarah H4v 866 56


Sarah Chevers to her Husband and
Children.

My Dear Husband, my love, my life is given up to serve the living
God, and to obey his pure Call in the measure of the manifestation
of his Love, Light, Life and Spirit of Christ Jesus, his onely
begotten Son, whom he hath manifested in me and thousands, by
the brightness of his appearing, to put an end to sin and Satan, and bring
to light Immortality through the preaching of the everlasting Gospel by
the Spirit of Prophesie, which is poured out upon the sons and daughters
of the living God, according to his purpose, whereof he hath chosen me,
who am the least of all; but God who is rich in mercy, for his own Name
sake hath passed by mine offences, and hath counted me worthy to bear
testimony to his holy Name before the mighty men of the Earth. Oh the
love of the Lord to my soul! my tongue cannot express, neither hath it
entered into the heart of man to conceive of the things that God hath
laid up for them that fear him.

Therefore doth my soul breath to my God for thee and my Children,
night and day, that your minds may be joined to the Light of the Lord
Jesus
, to lead you out of Satans Kingdom, into the Kingdom of God,
where we may enjoy one another in the Life Eternal, where neither Sea
nor Land 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 Saviour 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 King867dom I1r 57
dom of God, and 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 Lords endlesse love and mercies to my soul, & 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 joined to the Light wherewith you are
lightened, that I may enjoy you in that which is Eternal, and have community
with you in the Spirit: He that is joined 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 days 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 appearing, wherein he will discover
every deed of darkness, let it be done never so secret; the light of
Christ Jesus will make it manifest in every Conscience; the Lord will
rip up all coverings that is not of his own Spirit. The God of Peace be
with you all. Amen.


Written in the Inquisition-Prison by the hand
of Sarah Chevers, for the hand of Henry Chevers
my dear Husband; give this, fail not.


I do not well remember that this was one of
the surprized Letters.

I
A I1v 868 58


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 shewedst 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 would have fled the Cross; but praises
be to the Lord that kept me to it, that I might not 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; let none take thy Crown. The
God of Power preserve and keep thee low and single in his fear, pressing
forward to the prize of an incorruptible Crown of Glory, Peace and Rest,
out 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 inheritance 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 tasted, handled and felt of his everlasting
love, and indurable Riches; my life is wrapt up in it; I have found
him whom my soul loveth; Oh what might I do to set him 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.

Thy dear Aunt: My dear love and life is with thee, and I do embrase
thee in the Arms and Bosom of my Eternal Father’s love, with
thy dear Husband and little ones.

Another I2r 869 59


Another in the same Paper to Friends.

My dearly beloved Sisters and 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 rejoice, and have union with you. My Life is given up to
serve the Lord. O 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 Skales, and
the Dust in an equal anINTERNAL ERROR. Please report to wwp@northeastern.edu that substJoin is unmatched. Ballance: He is pulling down the mighty, and
raising the meek, humble, lowly; he is a 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 fill’d 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 is so large; therefore doth my soul thirst after you, my dear
ones; the love of God is to you. My dear Sisters, I have you in
my remembrance, and do pray to my God and your God, that
you may be enlarged in your measures to praise the Lord, and to
be kept in a sensible feeling of his power daily; and that you may I2 encrease I2v 870 60
encrease in Wisdom, Strength and Power over Gods Enemies.
The Blessing of the Lord God Almighty be with you, and preserve
you by his Mighty Power, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, Amen.

Salute me to my Sister S.R. there is a tender Plant in her; I do
feel it to my comfort, praises be to the Lord. I am in health I praise
the Lord, and do want nothing; the Lord is my portion, I cannot
want; he hath deck’t my Table richly, he hath annointed
my head with Balm, it runneth down the skirts of my cloathing.


Written in the Inquisition-Prison
at the Isle
of Malta, a sufferer
for the Seeds sake. Farewel
at this time. Amen.

Your dear Sister in the Lord,
Sarah Cheevers.

Another from K.E. to her Husband and Children, with
somewhat from both the Lords Prisoners, to Friends,
the which was taken with the rest of the Letters, in
the Inquisition, and copied out for their Lord Inquisitor.

Dear husband, with my dear Children. I beseech you together,
to wait in the patience, having your minds alwayes
staid upon the Lord: Keep out of incumbrances, for that is the
Enemies opportunity to step in, when the mind is gone forth, and
to vail the pure, and darken the understanding, and so hinder you
of the pure enjoyment of the beholding the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ.

Take no more upon you then you are able to perform in the
Spirit of moderation and meekness, for that is in the sight of
God of of great prize: See the Lord going before you in all
your occcasions that you may be prosperous in all you undertakings;
wait diligently upon the Lord, to be seasoned with his
Grace, that you may come to a pure understanding of the moti871ons I3r 61
ons of his Eternal Spirit, and to a true knowledge of the operation
of his hands; So you will be able with all Saints, to comprehend
what is the heigth, and the depth, and the length, and
the breadth of the riches of his Grace and Love towards mankind
in Christ Jesus our Lord; Amen, saith my spirit: This is the
counsel of the Lord unto you.

I do often remember M.H. I do desire she may be brought up
in the fear of God, and want for nothing that is convenient for
her; salute me to her dearly. I have been very sensible, dear
Husband, of thine, and our Children, and many dear friends
more, of your sorrowful souls, mourning hearts, grieved spirits,
troubled minds for us, as being Members of one body, Christ Jesus
being our Head, we must needs suffer together, that we may
rejoice together; a true sorrow begets a true joy, a true Cross a
true Crown. We do believe it is our heavenly Fathers will and
purpose to bring us back as safe to England, as ever he brought us
thence, for his own glory, though we are some of the least of
Christ’s Flock, yet we do belong to the true Fold, and our Shepherd
hath had as great a care of us, as he could have for any of
his Lambs, and hath brought us through great affliction, praises
be given to his glorious Name, of us, and you, and all that know
him, for ever. Though we are absent in body in the Will of God,
from you, yet we are present in spirit in the Will of God, with
you, and do receive the benefit of all your prayers daily, and do
feel the Springs of Life that do stream from all the faithful hearted,
to our great refreshment and strengthening.

After our money was gone, the Lord Inquisitor, with the rest
in Authority, put a great allowance in one of their servants hands
for our maintenance, because we could take no money our selves;
the Lord of Heaven did forbid us to meddle with any; and he did
send to know whether we did want any clothes, he would send it
to the Prison to us: This was the large love of our God to us,
and we were made contented with that we had, till the Lord God
(who is rich in mercy, and full of all Grace, and is never unmindful
of any which trust in his Name) of his everlasting love did send
his faithful Messenger, whose feet are beautiful, and face is comely,
cloathed with a bright shining Garment from the Crown of
the head, to the sole of the foot, and came in great power and strength I4r 872 62
strength indeed, armed with the whole Armour of Light, and
drest in the Majesty of the Most High, and being commissioned
of the Higher Power, went to the Lord Inquisitor to demand our
lawful liberty, which would not be granted, exept we could get
some English Merchants of Legorn or Messæna to engage four
thousands Dollers
that we should never come into those parts
again; the Lord (who alone is our Life and Redeemer) moved
our dear Brother to offer his own body to redeem ours, but it
would not be received; then he offered to lay down his own dear
and precious life for our liberty: Greater love can no man have,
than to lay down his life for his Friend; the Lord will restore it into
his bosom double; his service can never be blotted out; his
Name is called Daniel Baker; his outward being is near London,
right dear and precious heart he is: The blessing, strength, and
power of the Almighty be upon him and his, and overshadow
them for ever, Amen. Greater comfort could never be administred
to us in our conditions; Glory, honor and praise to our God
for evermore, Amen.

This is a dear and sweet Salutation in that which never changeth,
fadeth away, nor waxeth old, from us whom the Lord hath
counted worthy to bear his Name, and to suffer for his sake, to
all our Christian Friends, Fathers and Elders, Pillars of Gods spiritual
House, Brethren and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh my dear Husband, with our dear and precious Children,
Lambs of God, and Babes of Christ, begotten of the Immortal
Seed of Light, Life and Truth, with us, and all the whole Family
of everlasting blessedness.

Pray for us believingly; all things are possible with our God. So
my Dearlings, in the arms of everlasting love do I take my leave
of you; the blessing and peace of the Most High be upon you
ever, Amen, Amen.

Oh my dear Husband! praise the Lord that ever thou hadst a
Wife that was found worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord
Inasmuch as I can understand the moving of the Spirit of God:
My dear and faithful Yoke-fellow, Sister and Friend, is worthy to I4r 873 63
to be embraced of all friends for ever; the deeper the sorrow, the
greater the joy; the heavier the Cross, the weightier the Crown,
This was written in the Inquisition at Malta, of us


Malta the 1661-1111th. Month
of the year 1661

Katharine Evans,
Sarah Chevers.


From K.E. for two Friends:

Dearly beloved Brother in the everlasting Covenant of Light
and Life, do I dearly salute and embrace thee, with thy dear
Wife, my beloved Sister, and thy dear Children, whom I dearly
love in that which 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 hand 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 alwys I4v 874 64
always in the pure fear of the perfect and pure God, who hath
an Eternal Treasure, ful 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 your 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 evelasting 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 1661-11the 11th. Month
of the year 1661
.

Katharine 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 the 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, K1r 875 65
truth, hath in his tender love, and Fatherly mercy, and bowels of
compassion (through the trials 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 favour
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 trials, and in 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 despair, 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 virture 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 insist
upon the outward or visible body; and the same also will K work K1v 876 66
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, ownes 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
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 faces 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 publike view, that thereby every
Member of the one Body may have a right understanding, and
not onely so, but also a sensible feeling not onely of the trials and
sufferings in part of these innocent Lambs, but also of the consolations
of each other, as fellow-Members of the infinite Body of which K2r 877 67
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 Father’s 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 God’s 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 embrace 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 trials, 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 K2 Weeks K2v 878 68
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 flye as dust before the Wind; for which we do entreat 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 & 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 shal 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 here; 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, and our Brows as Brass, in the
faces of our Enemies; that whensoever we were brought forth
upon trial, 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 K3r 879 69
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 grevious, 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 join 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 trials, 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 and Caves of the Earth, yet our spirits (you know) none can K3v 880 70
can limit nor confine to any place. And we do behold your order
and steadfastness 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 cloathed 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;
that every one’s mind, spirit, heart and soul, may be exercised in
the Eternal, by the Power of God, out of the earthly, 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 be 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 joined 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 K4r 881 71
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 rejoice; 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 Elect’s 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 streights 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 Messæna, 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 K4v 882 72
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 tryals,
which is never to be forgotten.


Written in the Inquisiton at
Malta, in the 1661-1111th. Month
of the year 1661
. By us

Katharine Evans,
Sarah Chevers.

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 and 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 Fryar told Sarah he saw an L1r 883 73
an evil spirit in her face, which was a great trial; they could not
sleep in their beds in the house, they were so tormented, & 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 and conversations; and so they have: And glory
be to our God, they cannot lay guilt to our charge, but are made
to confess the truth.

In a few days after we were there, in a Vision, in the night, the
Lord appeared unto me, and shewed me that round about us, and
above and beneath us, there were many Magicians of Ægypt;
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 awaked 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 Christians,
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 L Meet- L1v 884 74
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, and 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 witnesse
such an Earthquake. In the end one came soberly, and spake
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 prayses beo
to his everlasting Name for ever more. We know that there is
no Inchantment against Jacob, nor divination against Israel.

Dearly beloved friends. Wee dearly salute you all in the invisable
life of our God, who is our life, our peace, our stay and strength;
under whose shaddow wee are Refreshed, praises, glory and honour
be given unto his powerfull 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, trials 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: L2r 885 75
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 prise the company and
the sight of each others faces. We do not want the company of
Fryars, Jesuits 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 among the holy
Women; and be maintained as long as we live, in regard we
have denied the World, and all we have. And the Fryar 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 trials: 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, trials
and temptations that ever the servants of the Lord had, & Christ
himself: It is the wonderful Power of God that we are preserved
all 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 lyes 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 his Love, or else we had fainted
long ago.

L2 Oh! L2v 886 76

Oh! let all who know the Lord, praise and glorifie his holy
Name for ever and ever, Amen. Dear Friends 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 forever,
who hath counted us worthy. We are in health at
present, blessed be God.

Katharine Evan.
Sarah Chevers.


Several other Writings to D.B. whilest 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 Volume of the Book to do the Will of
God: We can give in our Testimony for thee, that thou camest
here in the Power and 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
delightsome 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, and thou knowest full well: Oh how hath L3r 887 77
have our hearts and bowels have 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 do truly labor
to see thy face before thou comest: 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 always 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
preacht 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 weak affliction.

Then the English Fryar which was here, came up and down to
us, and down to us, and would say to my Friend, “She is ready to depart;
send for me, and take notice what torment 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 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
they did run to and fro like mad men, and the Fryars 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 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 clothes, because we had no strength to put
them off, nor one to make our bed: Then we did speak to the
Fryar, 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 L3v 888 78
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 encrease 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 Fryars 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 trials; 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 the Words to stop the mouths of
the gain-sayers, 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 Father’s good pleasure to carry thee away without us,
we do beseech our Heavenly Father to bless, and to 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 rejoiced and we may receive our Reward with the rest of
the Lord’s Lambs.

Our Life is with thee; for oh! thou art full of Love, thou tender-hearted
one, who hath 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 L4r 889 79
thou happy one indeed! whom the Lord our God hath made
choice 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,
honor 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 rejoice, and say, We
served a God that could not serve 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
tel 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.

Oh! How strong and powerful’s 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 and Cru’lty

Of men, that do thy Truth deny.

In Dungeons strong, and Dungeons deep,

To God alone we cry and weep:

Our sorrows none can read nor learn,

But those that have past through the same.

But L4v 890 80

But he whose Beauty shineth bright,

Turneth darknesse into Light;

Maketh Cedars to bow, and Oaks to bend

To him that’s sent to the same end.

He is a Fountain pure and clear,

His Chrystal Streams runs far and near,

To cleanse all those which came to him,

For to be healed of their sin.

All them that do patiently abide,

And never swerve nor go aside;

The Lord will them deliver out of all

Captivity, Bondage, and Thrall.

Let E.C. know, That his Exhortations I do dearly embrace,
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 both by Sea and
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 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 hal’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 Edenburgh 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 M1r 891 81
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, honor, power
and dominion be given to our Eternal Lord God for evermore,
of us, and all that know him, Amen, Amen saith our sirit.

Oh true and faithful Brother, into the Arms of everlasting
power and holiness, strength and mightiness, purity and 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 receive 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 goeth
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.

Farewell, farewell dear heart, farewell.
M
Dear M1v 892 82

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 the
Pope, he will not hurt thee;”
Where he stood in the Room, as one
forsaken of God and man; this was at the English Consuls, when
there was some fear upon me concerning him. Now here is a Roman
in the Prison which came hither upon some account, he is a
a Doctor of Law, and differs from them in many things; but they
are all of one spirit: He doth constantly affirm, that the Pope
hath sent an Order to set us free; and he saith, they are lyars and
false blasphemers if they do say the Pope sent any such Order as
they speak of. They do meet every day concerning us, we do feel
them; some would have it one way, and some another, and so
they cannot agree; because they do act contrary to the Will of
God; the Lord sets it all on fire, and hath burned all they have
done these three years concerning us. Now where they will look
a Reward of their charges, we do not know; the wise are taken
in their own craftiness, and the subtile in their own snare. There
have twelve of them sate in Judgement upon us three years, and
some have struck hard at our lives, so that we have been even at
death’s door. I have lain very weak three Weeks at a time. There
are many for us, as far as they do dare. The Lord says, there were
two with the Inquisitor for us, and did plead much with him: I did see M2r 893 83
see it in a Night-Vision. The English Consul which is dead, was with
us two several times after we were in the Inquisition; he said he
would lend us five pounds when we did want; but when our money
was near done, we were made to rejoice greatly, and could
not take any of any one. We did not know the mind of the Lord
in it; but had we had money, we had not known the mighty Power
of God. Now we are able to trust the Lord where-ever he
shall carry us without money. We do question the money in the
Consul’s hand. It will be hard for him to part with it. Our Life
is with thee.


A few Lines to D.B.

Oh our dear and faithful Friend and Brother, begotten of our heavenly
Father, right dear and precious in his sight, and beautiful
before his presence. Dear heart, we do glorifie our God in our hearts,
souls and spirits, who hath called, chosen, and elected thee to come up to
the help of him against the Mighty, and hath carryed thee along in so
weighty a Work, and hath prospered thee therein, praises be given to his
blessed Name for ever, who hath enclosed thee in his Bosom, and Chamber
of his everlasting Love, and hath hid thee in his private Pavillion,
where them that would hurt thee, cannot find thee, because of the shadowing
of his Almightiness, under whose defence thou art kept safe; and
he doth carry thee upon the Wings of his Power, so that the Mountains
do become plain before thee, which we do see clearly in the Light; Eternal
honor and glory be to his name for ever, who is called, Wonderful
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of
Peace, in whom we have fellowship, and unity one with another, and none
can hinder.

Dear heart, we do dearly embrace thy sweet Exhortations, thou being
sensible of the instigations of Satan, who hath winnowed us with every
bait, winding and twining slights that he hath, Praises be to our God
for ever, who hath preserved us, and prevented him.

M2
The M2v 894 84 The Enemies being busie with their Temptations, to have us enter into
their Covenant, thereupon I was moved to write these following
words, which I communicated to their hands with the former
Paper, Viz.

Behold the Word of Life arose in me, saying, (this morning)
Keep to “Yea” and “Nay”, and I will confirm my Covenant unto
thee. These Words were spoken to the true Seed that shall inherit
the Kingdom; the same (you know) is but one in Male and
Female. And so the blessing of my Life rest upon you, and be
with you in the same, even in that which hath no end, neither fadeth
away; yea and my Spirit saith, Amen.

Dear Lambs, read within, and be refreshed, and the God of
Life and Peace encrease the same, and multiply your strength abundantly,
Amen.


Malta, the 1661-11-1010th day of the
11th. Month, 1661.

D.B.


Another Paper from them to my Hand.

Dear and precious heart, in the Eternal Covenant of Light and
Life of our God do we salute thee, and dearly embrace thee. Oh!
what hath the Lord made thee unto us! far more precious than we are able
to express; and great will be thy reward for thy faithfulness to the Lord,
and thy dear and tender love to us, and thy diligent care of us.

Oh! thou art the Messenger we have cried long for, to our Heavenly
Father, saying, How long, Oh Lord! How long will it be before thou
wilt send thy Messenger, whose feet are beautiful, coming upon the
Mountains, bringing glad tydings of great joy to us thy poor Captives.
Now hath the Lord our God answered us at large: Praises, praises be to
his Name for evermore. Oh! M3r 895 85

Oh! how are our souls refreshed, and our spirits supported, and our
hearts comforted, our minds rejoiced, and our bodies strengthened! Thou
canst never do greater service to the Lord our God, than to come into
such a place as this, to offer up thy dear life in ransoming us: Great
was the Power that brought thee, and great is the Power that doth uphold
thee, and Mighty is the Strength which doth preserve thee, and
great will be thy Reward. Thy labour of Love we do bear Testimony
cannot be forgotten, nor thy faith unfeigned put out of remembrance; it
is written in the Book of Life for ever, and it will be registred and read
in the House of Israel Eternally; The mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it, and he will perform it. Farewell in the Lord. By us

Katharine Evans,


Sarah Chevers.

Oh our dearly beloved and precious Friend and Brother, right honorable
indeed for ever: We dare not look out at thy departure,
because we stand in the will of our Maker. The blessing of the
Almighty be upon thee for ever, and make thee flourish in all thy endeavours;
Thou art called by the name of Daniel Baker, in the midst
of thine Enemies thou art in the hand of thy Maker: And this the
Lord hath spoken, Where ever thou dost come, thy Glass shall not be
broken, until thy Sand be run. Oh! this day is this Prophesie fulfilled
in our sight: When they have done dealing treacherously, they shall be
dealt treacherously withall; the Lord doth steal in upon them, Praises
be to his Name.

Dear heart, salute us dearly to thy dear and precious Wife, with all
dear Friends, in the Covenant of Grace and Peace. Dear heart, farewell,
farewell.

K.E. S.C.

Another M3v 896 86


Another Letter from Sarah Chevers, to
friends in Ireland, to be read among the
assemblies of Saints in Light.

Oh! all ye righteous ones, whose dwellings are on high, in the
fulness of beauty, holiness and glory, whose Name and
Fame reacheth 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, Mysterie 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 rejoice.

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 Almighty’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 rejoiceth 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 M4r 897 87
we stand, and all shall be brought under the Foot-stool of Christ
and 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, honor, 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, joining 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.

O ye holy Assemblies! whose hearts are wholly joined to the Lord.
I with you, in the Life & Power of the Almighty God do travel for
the raising of the Seed, & 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 Seed’s 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 M4v 898 88

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
floweth 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 Chevers, a Prisoner in the Inquissition,
for the clear Testimony of the Lord Jesus: This
1661-1111th. Month of the year 1661-

Now after I had received these Papers, though not through a
little streights 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, oh 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 behold! Oh my God! thou hast known the
innocent travel of my soul, which 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 exer899cise N1r 89
cise of manifold temptations; yet behold, my Life is preserved a
at this time: And oh! my heart, my mind, my soul my spirit, in
thy pure, undefiled Life and Virtue, 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 appearance; 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 which liveth
and abideth for ever, and fadeth not away: In the same I commend
thy dear, tender Lambs, to be preserved according to thy
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 onely so, but much more also
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.

N
My N1v 900 90

My right dearly and 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
onely 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, and on your behalf, which is my reasonable service; and so I leave
the same to the living 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 onely 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 earned towards and over them, till at last he could no longer for901bear N2r 91
bear crying out with tears, saying, “I am Joseph your Brother;” and little
Benjamin the youngest, he dearly loved you know.

When my face you do not see,

Wait in the Eternal Life, and then remember me.

So farewell, and feel the Well-spring of Life.

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 s atisfaction.

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 Countrey, 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
all laid upon my Conscience, as from any mortal man, but N2 cer- N2v 902 92
certainly it was a pure necessity from the living God of Heaven &
Earth, many of his faithful servants, Messengers, sons & daughters
that were, & are as dear & precious to me as my own life, may beat
me record on the Lords behalf unto the truth of what I write on
this wise; & surely in the counsel everlasting, the thing was hid from
me then whether ever I should return to my Native Countrey 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 Dovelike innocency,
harmlessness & wisdom, which is 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 days. 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 agian to the Nations, Tongues and
Kindreds.

We set forward the --03-1616th. 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 Countrey;
in the Will, Love and Spirit of our God, in the same day
from Gravesend we set forth; and at the end of 44. days, 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 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 Nation- N3r 903 93
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 other’s satisfaction in the love of God, in which
we were wel confirmed to obey the same until the death, as the
Lord our God might have permitted for his Name’s sake, who
then further ordained us to be separated, viz. John Stub’s and Henry
Fell
to pass on towards Alexandria, and my dear brother and
companion, Richard Scostrop, with me, to pass Eastward, to Smyrna
and Constantinople, in Asia; and after a little season we parted
in the goodness of God. And when 24 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, Jew,
Greeks, Heathens, and others, were not altogether so evil affected
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 onely us, but our living Testimony
and Message of Blessedness, which day by day was founded
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 N3v 904 94
whom we love, serve and honor in the same, and therefore keep
his sayings, which are not grievous to us in that one and the selfsame
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 wel 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
and 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, meekness, and gentleness
of Christ.

And on this wise we besought the men of our own Nation, together
with many more in them parts, that they may become a
sweet favour 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 honorable 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 burthened 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 onely from sin, but also from the N4r 905 95
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 Copy of the Warrant which they produc’t and
prosecuted.
Whereas 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 sufficently have had experience, that the carriage of that sort of
people is ridiculous, and is capable to bring dishonor 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,
1661-07-19the 19th day of July,
it should be 1661-08-19August, for we
were not in Asia in the Month
called July
1661 Winchels.4.”

And N4v 906 96

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, (poor me! wo and alas for them!) the end of which
will not be peace, but contrariwise, wo and misery; and they put
the same Warrant in execution, and sent a Turkish Janisary, and
a Drugerman, that were Officers under the Consul of the English
Nation; and they came with Harmols, (viz. called “Porters”) with
Cain’s Weapons, and fetcht us from our Lodging before the
Consul; and the man was courteous and moderate, and had his
ear open then to what we in the reverence and fear of the Lord
then said unto him, which was his honor, who then saw over and
beyond that foolish Ceremony of the Hat, neither did he burthen
himself with the same, as many unwisely do, to the clouding
or veiling of the nobility of a good understanding, which
hath a more noble respect to Equity, Justice and Judgement, without
respect of persons in them, where it is set up in its proper and
peculiar Authority, than to such foolish ceremonies which are below
men of Wisdom; yet he desired that we might not take it ill
as from him (in his place of Authority) in doing as he was obliged
in the prosecution of the Warrant, which summoned all officers
and Members of the Factory, with Masters and Officers of
Ships, to be aiding and assisting to surprize and banish two innocent,
naked, harmless men, that had neither Bow nor Sword, nor
any such like material, or visible Weapon of War to resist evil, as
Paul and Barnabas had not, against whom the hard-hearted Jews
cryed out with the same voice, “Help men of Israel”, &c. and such
like stir there was; and we let the Consul first know at our first coming,
that we owned his place of Authority, and were ready to
submit to any thing that was just or equitable; and at last in this
thing we could not submit without suffering, forasmuch as in the
uprightness of our heart, and in the innocency of the same were
we come so far to do the Will of God, and to suffer for it, as his
hand permitted.

So with many other expressions I cleared my Conscience, as also
by Words, Sufferings, and Writings, to the whole Nation there;
and the Consul seemed to be unwilling to use violence against us that O1r 907 917
that at our departure prayd for them that hated us without a caus,
knowing not what they did, we seeing it could not at that season be
otherwise, but what the Lord had permitted them to bring to
pass, not to their justification, but as a Judgement among them
from the living God, who did not onely dispence the visitation of
his Love and Salvation day by day among them, but he visited
them also with the strokes of his displeasure, even unto death and
destruction: And surely he smote and took away of the chiefest,
and others of them daily. And verily my heart often cryed, and
besought the Lord for them (in secret more especially; though I
was constrained not to cease uttering my voice openly among
them, and for them) while they sought my hurt; as many of them
(I know) by the Witness of God in them may remember. And
so we were sent away as Prisoners, or rather as Lambs driven
from the Dens of Lyons, or from the barren Caves of ravening
Wolves, whose Nature wooried them.

Now we had spoken for a passage by a Dutch ship, to have gone
from thence to Constantinople; but before the ship departed Smyrna,
the Warrant came to the Consul’s hands, which thou mayest
see came not from either them called Turks, Jews, Heathen, Greeks,
or Barbarians, but even from the men of our own Nation. Alas!
alas! yea wo and alas for them.

So the Reader may see what a stir there hath been in the Region
of Asia against the appearance of Truth, and its innocency,
in plainness, to expel and banish it, together with its Message and
Messengers, out of their coasts or borders; and not to have any
entertainment, or at least to come within the extent of their Authority,
whatever becomes of them, let them go where they will,
&c. So as in effect they say, We will not have this man, the Light,
Truth, Temperance Innocency, its Life and Wisdom from above,
to rule, or have its preheminence over us in our Consciences; We
will rather chuse to live in the practice of our own evil hearts
and ways; and therefore thus to their own hurt they
say unto God, “Depart from us, for we desire not the Job. 21.
knowledge of thy ways; and as for the Word of the Lord,
we have no delight in it.”
Lo they have rejected the Word of the
Lord, and what Wisdom is in them? And such the
holy perfect and upright man saw rebel against the Job 24. 13 O Light, O1v 908 98
Light and said, They are of those that rebel against the Light,
they know not the wayes thereof, neither abide in the paths
thereof.

And so with consent they joined together to banish Truth, its
Message, and Messengers of Peace, which provoked them to jealousie
that believe not, who scorned us as fools, and what else, not
honestly considering, how that God is provoking the Nations to
jealousie and wrath with a foolish people, as in the ancient days,
Deut. 22. was prophesied. And such besought our Lord and Master,
even Jesus, to depart out of their Coasts or Borders, who
loved and fed their Swine upon the Mountains, even the Gadarenes
besought him to depart, who saith, “He that loveth Father or
Mother, or what else, more than me, is not worthy of me;”
and Father
and Mother, and such Relations, are of more honourable
esteem than many Swine. And to his Disciples he also saith (that
was dead, and is alive, and liveth for ever) “As they have done unto
me, so will they do unto you; if they have persecuted me, they will also
persecute you.”
These are his faithful and true sayings; “He that receiveth
you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me,
John 13. 20 receiveth him that sent me; mark that: Verily, verily
I say unto you, Whomsoever receiveth whom I shall
send, receiveth me, and him that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent
me, &c. He that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me,
despiseth him that sent me.”
And it’s to be understood, that such like
dealing J.S. and H.F. our Brethren, found at Alexandria, from
whom they also were banished.

And on this wise being rejected, despised, banished out of Asia,
from Smyrna, in about eight dayes we arrived at the Island Zant,
where my dear Brother and Companion in sufferings, and not
onely so, but in the Kingdom and patience of Christ, he was visited
with sickness nigh unto death; but the Word and Commandment
of the Lord ordered me to pass through part of Italy, and
my face was set towards Venice; and we weighed the thing in the
fear and counsel of the Lord, and were both given up in one to
travel; yet it was so that the poor Lamb was not capable in body
to travel with me, by reason of weakness; and he being fully
perswaded and satisfied in his own mind, that I was to pass onward,
in the tender Love of our God he did the more constrain me; O2r 909 99
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 visibly
we parted asunder; and it came to pass, that he laid down his body
there in about two days 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 days 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 expressly 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 Pope’s 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, longsuffering
innocents before my face: Wherefore my body and
mind was freely offered up as my reasonable service, to serve his
Truth, and 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 Kindred or Native Countrey more.

A Vessel of France being ready to depart from thence Eastward,
I embarqued thereon for the isle of Cicilia to Musena, 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 days in his passage to Rome, (after he had suffered ship- O2 O2v 910 90100
abode three days in his passage to Rome (after he had suffered

shipwrack on Malta;) and at Syracuse I abode five days, where I
gave a sound of the Lord’s Truth and Life: And so we immediately
sailed from thence, and within 24 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 Popes 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 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 abraod, & tghe 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 Jesuits, knights them called of the Nobility, or 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 te911stimony O3r 101
stimony, and Friends in general, all which they defied and withstood, as it
doth appear by the words of Truth in this Treatise.

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,
earthy 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 24. dayes I abode upon the said Island, they daily continuing their
threatnings against me as aforesaid, and many times attempted to take my
passge 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, then to hurt God’s 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 Jesuits, that exerciseth 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, it sighs and groans with
tears, hath long uttered its voice, which hath ascended into the ears of the
most high, who is higher hen 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 long-suffeering dwels
in such? and verily their sacrifice is acceptable in his bosome that liveth for
ever; and I am a living witness, that the sweet testimony and 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 is 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 awa y these their words and writings, which testifieth somewhat
of their sufferings and faithfulness unto the Lord, his truth an people, which
right well know, cannot be shut out of the Record of life Eternal, unto
which I bear record agian, that they have been, and are a sweet favour unto
the Lord God of faithfulness, and so their reward, which attends the same,
not onely 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 afterwards 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 widom, glory, salvation, and
everlasting thanksgivings and 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 diverse places in Italy, till I came to the Straights Mouth (of the Mediter- O3v 912 102
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 30
daies, 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
whcih 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 layl, 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 ofen 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 Niniveh, 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 feed 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 diverse Nations attempted to pass
through; but the God of heaven, whom the wind and sea opbeieth, 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, tohumble 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 7 or
8 times in about 21 daies, and could not pass but about 2 or 3 leagues, and
on this wise it happened, it would ether prove calm, and then the currant
would drive them back into the streights again sometimes, and otherwhile
storms and tempests would scatter them, as a figure of Pharaoh and his Hoste
of Egyptian darkness, so that the Chathree charactersflawed-reproduction-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 and 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 judgments 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
Jeremy, Chap. 7. 29.
O4r 913 103
and so I became obedient in the singleness and innocency of my heart, unto
the God of Heaven, of my life, as a dreadful sign against the Whorish Church
of Rome, and against all her Heads and Horns throughout the world: And I
then signified to the Master of the ship in which I was a passenger, how that I
did bewlieve that God would soon give opportunity for the Fleet of ships to
pass away after this service of God was performed, & 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, which
are like the troubled sea. So the ship-Master let my body Isaiah 57.20.
be on this wise cast over board from the ship, [God having
provided a great Waale 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 days, 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 Idolater temple, among the Idolaters, where I
found the Fryer, 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 call the real substance of the body of Christ, after their unclean
spirit of darkness hath muttered some words over it, which they call Consecration:)
and after I had stood a season viewing this Idolatry with the indignation
of the Eternal God set up within my heart against the same, I turned my
back-part upon the Priest, and his dead God, and dumb Idols, at the high
Altar; and in the holy Commandment of life eternal, my face was set towards
the people, and I beheld them a certain season in the power of God in
which I stood; I saw the multitude of ignorant people upon their knees also,
worshipping the dark inventions and imaginations of their sottish leaders, and
blind guides, and they know not what; and in the Lord’s time (which mine
eye had a circumspect heed unto) I then spread forth my arms, and stript off
my Vesture, and rent the same from top to bottom, in divers pieces, and cast
them from me with indignation. And then I took my Hat off my head,
which was the uppermost covering of the outside of a man) and cast the
same under my feet, and stamped upon these things; and the nakedness appeared
with the sack-cloath covering, to their astonishment; and then with a
dear voice I sounded Repentance three times, and gave testimony as the
sound of a trumpet among them, that the life of Christ and his saints was
arisensen from the dead; and so passed away. sounding the same words of the
Lord’s Message, with Repentance, through the streets, as it were, flying from
the Idols temple, and from Idolatry, and Idolaters, until I came to the seaside,
and there was I moved to kneel down and pray, and give thanks to the
living Lord, who had so wonderfully preserved me in doing his pleasure and
good will on earth; and he suffered no man to touch or do me harm,

And on the next day following the Lord God gave opportunity accordingly
as I had let the Ship-master know I believed would come to pass, and it was
so, and all the Fleet did partake of the blessing: But how many of them rewarded
me (men of my own Nation, to whom I also continued a sign, which
they spake bitter things against) the Lord my God saw the same, and smote
them with rebuke and astonishment in his displeasure, who in his wise determinate
Counsel, ordained me for many dayes and nights to be tryed on this
wise, and to fall among divers temptations afterwards, the which as a mighty Host O4v 914 104
Host surrounded and beset me on every hand, immediately after I had done
the good will in his all-sufficient power and strenth; thus the Enemy with his
subtilty in a mysterie was suffered to compass me about, to steale away my
peace and reward with my God, in whom the same is hid; and then I was in a
blessed condition, though sometime veiled for a little season, and then the
Fathers countenance was hid from mine eye, and therefore was I troubled:
Yet blessed are ye when you fall among divers temptations, saith one; and verily
they were even as thorns in my flesh, yea as Messengers of Satan suffered
to buffet me for a season, even as the servant of God witnessed, who was wrapt
up into the third Heaven: What if I should somewhat testifie, so was it with
me, lest I should be exalted above measure, so that i was made to bow and
fall upon my face, and cry day and night to the Lord of Eternal life, that had
respect to the tears of the innocent, and bowed the strength of his arm to support
the lowly: And so his Almightiness gave ear to the sighs and groans of
my distressed state, and had respect unto the voice of my mourning, as a Dove
or Pelican in the Wilderness; and verily his Grace I found sufficient to save
and preserve my innocency, in its sweet life of holiness to the Lord, through
all this, and that which letted, salvation to his Name, Amen. so his strength
is made perfect in weakness, even so it is in truth, in which I set to my seal of
my right hand, that God is true, in which life I give thanks to his Name of
Power and Defence, the which over all Nations is to be exalted in the hearts
of his saints, as in the ancient dayes, yea and much more abundantly in the
Light of his bright shining countenance, in which his Eternal and excellent
glory, and pure dreadful Majesty; for ever hath his holy habitation; to whom
be endless Dominion, with praises living and everlasting, over all, Amen.

Written in Newgate this 1662-05-185th Month, the 18th. day, 1662. where he suffereth
Bonds together with many Brethren of Truth, for one and the same Testimony
of the Lord Jesus, not for evil doing or speaking, but against the same: For
we suffer because we cannot otherwise but meet together in the Name and Fear
of God; neither swear at all, neither by Heaven, nor by Earth, nor by any
other Oath, Matth. 5. James 5.12.
D.B.


A Copy of a Paper which was written in the Spanish Tongue, and delivered the
same day that I was upon the Service, directed as followeth, Viz.


For the Governor and Inhabitants of Gibletore, in the Kingdom of Spain:

Behold, behold, the great day of God is come, and of his wrath, and of the wrath of
his Lamb is come, and the hour of his Judgements is come, Wherefore Oh Inhabitants
of the earth, Repent, Repent, Repent, and fear God, and give glory & honor
to him that made Heaven and Earth, and the Fountains of the Waters: Wo, wo, wo to the
Inhabitants of the earth: And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out
of her my people, that ye parsake not of her sins, & that ye receive not of her plagues.
These are the words of the power of Christ that is contrary to the false Church.

Behold, behold, Plagues, Plagues, Plagues are coming upon the Church of Rome
and upon her Heads in England, & in all parts of the world. And the Woman which
thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the earth; and he saith
unto me, the waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth, are Peoples, Nation,
Multitudes and Tongues, &c.


These words, with a Paper in Latine with the honest words of truth, was delivered
with many more Scriptures in their own Language, that they may read,
understand, repent, & cease from idolatry, & from all nngodliness, that the
blessings of Eternal life might arise through Judgments, & have room among
the Nations, to the eternal glory & renown of the Lord God over all who is
blessed forever Amen

The End.