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

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

O the ſorrows, the mournings, the tears! but thoſe that ſow in tears, ſhall reap in joy. A true ſorrow begets a true joy, and a true Croſs, a true Crown: For when our ſorrows did abound, the Love of God did abound much more; the deeper the ſorrows, the greater the joyes; 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 Ways, 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 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 among them, nor a habitation nigh them; becauſe that his Light will diſcover their darkneſs, and his brightneſs will burn up all their abominations, and mar 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 Graſs upon the houſe-top. Oh! the Belly of Hell, the Jaws of Satan, the whole Myſtery 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 carried us forth to declare againſt it daily. Oh! the blind guides, the ſeducing ſpirits, that do cauſe the people to erre, and compel them to worſhip the Beaſt and his Image, and 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, obſerva • ions 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 wayes 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 briars, 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 mildews of his wrathfull 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 Friar 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, Whether I did not think it meet for every one to bow at the Name of Jeſus. I ſaid, Yea. He ſaid, Ieſus, 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 to morrow, 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.

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 Friar 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 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 Friar 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 ſaid, We were good Women, but yet there was no redemption for us, except we would be Cathlicks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEns perſons I cannot admire; they that do admire and reſpect any man's perſon, do it becauſe of advantage; and ſuch are tranſgreſſors, the Apoſtles (James and Jude) ſay.

In obedience to the Lord, in love to your ſouls, from the Fountain of Love, and Springs of Life that ſtream forth to the refreſhment of the whole City of God, am I conſtrained to viſit you with theſe few Lines; and I beſeech you to reade it with the Spirit of Moderation and Meekneſs, and ſee that nothing ariſe in you againſt it, for it is God's Truth.

Chriſt Jeſus who is the Light of the world, that hath enl ghtned every one that comes into the world, ſaith, This is Life eternal, to know thee the only true God, & Jeſus Chriſt whom thou haſt ſent. Now the knowledge of God is Life eternal; and there is no other way to come to this knowledge, but to have the mind turned from darkneſs to the Light; out of the viſible, to that which is inviſible, viz. the Light in the Conſcience, which convinceth of ſin and iniquity, when no mortal eye can ſee you: And as 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.

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 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 Fathers Glory (or Subſtance) which is Light and Life.

THe Friar 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 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 did knit, that is three half-pence. I told him, if we could have that priviledge amongſt them, that Paul had at Rome under Caeſar, which was a Heatheniſh King, we would have wrought, and not have been chargeable to any. 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 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 Stockens, 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 Friar's will, nor any mans elſe, but as we had freedom in the Lord.

As I was weak in my bed, the Friar 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 denied the Scriptures, and 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 Worlds 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 wroth, 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 dayes, 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, Paul did call it beggarly Elements and Rudiments of the World, to obſerve days, times, months and years; and their mouthes would be ſtopt for a time. Then came the Friar 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.

Then, as I was crying to the Lord in Prayer becauſe of our long-ſuffering, and our ſtrong travel and labour, and no fruit, as did appear; the Lord ſaid unto me, Be not grieved, though Iſrael be not gathered; the ſeed of Malta ſhall be as the ſtars of the sky for multitude: That which ye have ſown, ſhall not dye, but live: Glory be to the Name of the Lord for ever.

THeſe Writings following, are Copies of divers Letters which they had written to their Friends and near Relations in the time of my viſitation of them: But it came ſo to paſs, that as they were handing the ſame through the Grate of the Priſon, by the hand of another man, to be communicated to my hand, being then preſent in the Room alſo, that the ſaid Letters were intercepted, and in the firſt place communicated to the Pope's Lord Inquiſitor, and he forthwith ſent for the Conſul, and charged him to get the ſame truly copied forth: Then the Conſul was wrath with me that he ſhould be exerciſed with ſo much trouble: But in the Light and Counſel of my God, I ſeeing and knowing that there was nothing in them but what came from a good ground of Innocency and Truth, and pure natural Affection, I was moved in bowels of tender Love, leſt the ſaid Letters ſhould be finally miſcarried, or ſhut up in obſcurity, therefore I propounded to the Conſul, If that were ſuch a trouble to him, if he would let me have the Letters, I ſhould copy them out truly. And after ſome time he conſented, and gave them into my hand, and laid it upon my Conſcience to perform as I had ſaid, which I did with gladneſs of heart, not in ſubmiſſion to his Will, but in obedience to the God of Love and Peace, which guided me in the ſame; and ſo after I had finiſhed them, I gave the fair Copies into the Conſul's hands for his Lord Inquiſitor.

And ſo in the wiſdom of the Lord, which is wiſer than the Serpents, I obtained the very deſire of my heart for his Truth and Peoples ſake, and retained the Original Copies; and in the endleſs Love and Power of the Lord Almighty, which was, and is with me, and accompanied me (bleſſed and magnified be the Power of his excellent Majeſty and Glory, Amen) over the heads of the lofty Mountains, and barren Hills, I brought the Treaſures of a bleſſed and good ground away with this body in which I am, ſo that they were not only in my hands, but alſo the precious ſubſtance and vertue of the ſame that accom • anied them, even in my heart, within my • oſome; and the Words of wiſdoms Life did I wear as a Chain of precious Stones and Diamonds about my neck, & as Bracelets and Ornaments of a comely and delicate chaſte Bride, about my hands and loins; and behold the Almighty Lord and King of Eternal Life, that had ſo mightly preſerved me in the ſhadow of his ha •• of Almightineſs, which ſtopt the mout • of devouring Lyons, and chained and limitted the ravening and devouring wi •• Beaſts of the Forreſt, even he the King 〈◊〉 bleſſedneſs and endleſs Glory, filled m • heart with his ſpotleſs and unexpreſſibl • Love: And as I lay upon the deck of th • Veſſel in which I was a Paſſenger, and 〈◊〉 ſtranger among Men of many and dive •• Nations, in the morning of the day I fe •• and beheld the exceeding Glory of th • Lord under the ſecret ſhadow of his Almightineſs, in a Viſion of God; and in th • ſame I beheld the Bride, the Lamb's Wife prepared for the Bridegroom's coming and why ſhould not I declare ſomewhat o • the felicity that mine eye in the Eterna • Life of bleſſedneſs ſaw; albeit, the Re •• is unutterable which I felt, and know how to be ſilent in the Father's Preſence, where every Babe knoweth my voice, which i • to give a ſound in their ears to whom I write, and not to ſpread Pearls before Swine, that will defile and trample o • them: That mine eye, mine eye hath ſeen, and perfectly beheld the Free-born from above, coming out of the Wilderneſs, covered with goodly and comely Raiment, white and clean, as the light of the Sun, or as a Stone moſt precious, clear as Chryſtal; and mine eye beheld a Crown which was embraced in the Arms of the Bridegroom, and the Crown was well adorned with many Stars, which did excel each other in Glory; and mine eye beheld the Sun as a Bridegroom rejoycing over the Virgin-Bride of his Eſpouſal, ſo that I was even ſick with pure and undefiled Love. Mine eye, mine eye did ſo affect my heart, ſo that I awaked in the ſame, in the morning of a clear day, and I looked, and behold the Sun was ariſen above the Horizon of the Earth and Waters, and my Life abundantly bleſſed and magnified the living Lord, my King and my God, the Rock of my ſtrength, and ſaving-health of his Anointed. And behold I had ſeen a Viſion of God in the morning-light, and the ſweet Solution of the ſame was given me to treaſure up within my very heart, till an appointed time and ſeaſon: The Children of the Morning-light may right-well read the ſame as they ſit together in their ſeveral places, that's over and above the earth, and be comforted and refreſhed at the joyful Sound of the ſame Voice that brings the glad-tyding of the good things, yea, and my Spirit with you the bleſſed of the Lord, ſhall bleſs his Name, who is the mighty God in the midſt of us: Even ſo Amen, Ha-le-lu-jah.

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, to vail the pure, and darken the underſtanding, and ſo hinder you of the pure enjoyment of beholding the Glory of God in the face of Jeſus Chriſt.

Take no more upon you than you are able to perform in the Spirit of moderation and meekneſs, for that is in the ſight of God of great price: See the Lord going before you in all your occaſions, that you may be proſperous in all your undertakings; wait diligently upon the Lord, to be ſeaſoned with his Grace, that you may come to a pure underſtanding of the m •• ons of his Eternal Spirit, and a true kno • ledge of the operation of his hands; you will be able with all Saints, to comprehend what is the heigth, and dept • and length, and breadth of the riches • his Grace and Love towards mankind • Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, Amen, ſaith my ſpirit▪ This is the Counſel of the Lord unto yo • .

I do often remember M. H. I do deſire ſhe may be brought up in the fear o • 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 rejoyce together; a true ſorrow begets a true joy; a true Croſs, a true Crown. We do beleive 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 ſoal of the foot, and came in great power and ſtrength indeed, armed with the whol • Armour of Light, and dreſt in the Majeſty of the Moſt High, and being commiſſione • of the Higher Power, went to the Lor • Inquiſitor to demand our lawful liberty which would not be granted, except we could get ſome Engliſh Merchants of Legorn or Meſſaena, to engage 4000 Doller • that we ſhould never come into thoſe parts again. The Lord (who alone is ou • 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 preciou • life for our liberty: Greater love can n • man have, than to lay down his life for hi • 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, a 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.

DEar Lambs, Peace be unto you, Amen. Now ſeeing that the Everlaſting God and Father of all Truth, hath in his tender love, fatherly mercy, and bowels of compaſſion (through the tryals of manifold ſufferings and temptations) hitherto, even to this day, upheld and preſerved you in the Innocency, and its Teſtimony againſt the contrary; although ſometimes (I know that) you have taſted the ſentence of death in your ſelves, and even (as it were) ready to deſpair of life; yet in the living Teſtimony of Innocency, in the anſwer of a good Conſcience, I Daniel, bear you Record in the Covenant of Life, the ſame remaineth with you, and you are in it a good ſweet ſavour to the Lord, and his Eternal Truth and People. Oh! bleſſed for ever be his Name, yea, and my very heart and life bleſſeth and magnifieth the Lord on your behalf.

RIght dear, precious and Heavenly Ones, whoſe Beauty ſhineth bright, and at whoſe Name the hearts of the Heathen do tremble: We, who through the everlaſting Mercies of our God, are Members of the ſame Body, and are held in ſtrait Captivity, and hard Bondage, for witneſſing forth the ſame Teſtimony and Covenant of pure Light, Life and Truth of our God, with you dear and faithful Ones indeed; We here in the ſame Covenant of pure Love, and bowels of tenderneſs, do dearly ſalute and imbrace you all, glorifying and praiſing our eternal Father for you all, who hath counted us worthy to partake of the fellowſhip and ſufferings for the Bodies ſake, with you in tribulations, fiery tryals, manifold temptations, faſtings, watchings, heats and colds, and cruel threatning and perſecutions, perils by Sea, and perils by Land, ſtanding in jeopardy of our lives year after year, and looking every hour, day and night, for many Weeks together, when we ſhould be brought out to Execution; but though Proclamation was made, and they came up to the very Gate with a Drum and Muſquets, to fetch us out to deſtroy us, yet the Lord God of everlaſting ſtrength, who in the deepeſt of all dangers, and greateſt extremity, when all hopes were paſt, did but blow upon them with the breath of his noſtrils, and they did fly as duſt before the Wind; for which we do intreat all Friends to glorifie our God on our behalf; for never did the Lord our God work greater Deliverance for any, than he hath done for us from time to time, who are the leaſt and weakeſt, for what we know, that ever the Lord our God ſent forth in ſo great and weighty a work: but all things are poſſible with him, who made and created all things; It is he alone which carrieth on his own Work by his own mighty Power, and the glory ſhall be his own for evermore, Amen.

Oh our dearly beloved Friends, did you know but the third part of the Afflictions the Lord our God hath carried us through, you would ſay, The Lord hath wrought as great a Miracle in our preſervation, as ever he did in raiſing Lazarus out of the Grave: And in the greateſt of our afflictions, we could not ſay in our hearts, Father, would thou hadſt not brought us hither, but cryed mightily to our God for Power to carry us through whatſoever ſhould be inflicted upon us, that the Truth of our God might not ſuffer through our weakneſs: And the Lord did hear us, and anſwered us in righteouſneſs, and carried us on with all boldneſs, and made our fore-heads as Flint, & our brows as Braſs, in the faces of our Enemies, that whenſoever we were brought forth upon tryal, all fear was taken away, that we ſtood as Iron-Gates, and Caſtle-Walls in the faces of our Enemies, ſo that they ſaid, we would fain be burned; but we anſwered, No, we would not willingly be burned; but if our heavenly Father doth call us to ſuffer in that kind for his Name ſake, he will give us power to go through it: and we have great cauſe to believe it; for our Lord God never called us to do any ſervice for him, but he gave us power, and made way for his own Work; glory and praiſe be to his holy Name for ever.

Dearly beloved Friends, marvel not why Iſrael is not gathered in all this time; it is not for want of labour, nor travel, nor grief, nor pain, faſting nor mourning, nor weeping, nor love to their ſouls; but it is becauſe of the great Oppreſſion: For here are a willing people, but they dare not until the Lord make way for them. Truly Friends, we have not been idle ſince we ſaw your faces, nor have we had much eaſe to the fleſh, but do travel night and day for Sion's proſperity and perfect joy, and for the reparation of Jeruſalem, and her pure praiſe; though our ſorrows are deep, and our afflictions grievous, yet we do wait with patience to reap the peaceable fruits of righteouſneſs, and enjoy the benefit of our uprightneſs; Praiſes be to our God for ever, he hath kept us by his power and holineſs, that our Enemies have not one jot or tittle againſt us, but for the Truth of our God, and that we could not joyn with them; ſo they would not ſuffer us to have one line of refreſhment, but ſtript us out of all, ſo that we could not expect one drop of mercy, favour nor affection, but what our heavenly Father did diſtil upon us from his living preſence, and work for us by the operation of his own Arm of ſtrength and power.

But dear Friends, though a long Winter, and many ſharp and terrible Storms have paſt over our heads, ſo that we cannot expreſs our Sorrows; ſo likewiſe we cannot declare our Joys. Oh! in the midſt of all our afflictions, our God did draw nigh unto us, and did ſpeak comfortably unto us with many ſweet and precious Promiſes, and did never ſuffer his faithfulneſs to fail us, nor was he wanting unto us in Viſions and Revelations. Oh! how doth he appear in his Glory, Beauty and Brightneſs, ſo that our ſouls are raviſhed and wrapped up with his living preſence and glory many times, ſo that we do not dare to look out at our long-ſufferings nor tryals, but do preſs forwards towards the fulneſs of Joy and Bleſſedneſs, which our eternal Father hath prepared for all them that love him, and walk in obedience to him; and we know, the deeper our ſorrow is, the greater our Joy ſhall be; and the heavier our Croſs, the weightier our Crown, as we abide faithful: And we do believe, that neither principalities, nor powers, nor ſufferings, nor impriſonment, nor perſecution, nor life nor death, ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the Love of God in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord and Saviour, Amen:

Dearly beloved Friends, though our bodies are bolted up in the Rocks & Caves of the Earth, yet our ſpirits (you know) none can limit nor confine to any place. And we do behold your order and ſtedfaſtneſs of your Faith, and Labour of love, and are daily refreſhed in all the faithful-hearted. Oh dear hearts! the remembrance of the leaſt of you is precious. Oh! the Rivers of tears that have diſtilled from our eyes, whilſt we do think upon you, for joy, becauſe of your growth and flouriſhing in the Truth. Oh! you are Virgins indeed, who have Oyl in your Veſſels, and your Lamps burning, and are clothed with the long white Robes of Righteouſneſs, and are adorned with the Ornaments of pure beauty and glorious brightneſs (abundance of you) to our joy and comfort; and we do pray night and day, That every Babe of our Heavenly Father's begetting may proſper, even as we deſire our own ſouls ſhould proſper; and that every one may be kept out of incumbrances, and uſe the World as if they uſed it not; but every one's mind, ſpirit, heart and ſoul, may be exerciſed in the Eternal, by the Power of God, out of the earthly, and out of the viſible, out of the carnal and periſhing things of this life (ſo as to truſt in it) into the heavenly, into the ſpiritual, into the inviſible, into that which never changeth, fadeth, nor waxeth old, where every one may dwell in the enjoyment of the preſence of the Lord; for in the preſence of the Lord is fulneſs of joy, and at his right hand is pleaſure for evermore. Oh, that every one may be emptied of your ſelves, and unbottomed of your ſelves, that you may build wholly upon the ſure foundation, and anchored ſo faſt upon the Rock of Ages, that neither the ſwelling Seas, nor the foaming Waves, nor ſtormy Winds, though they beat vehemently, may ever be able to remove you. Oh dear Brethren, in the life and power you may feel the iſſues of Love and Life, which ſtream as a River to every ſoul of you, from the hearts of us that are wholly joyned to the Fountain; Glory and everlaſting Praiſes be given to his holy Name. Our whole ſouls, ſpirits, hearts and minds, are given up to ſerve the Lord in whatſoever he requireth of us, as he ſhall make it manifeſt unto us: And we do bleſſe his Name for ever, that he hath found us worthy of ſo high a calling, as to bind Kings in chains, and Nobles in fetters of Iron. Our prayers are continually for the advancement of the Goſpel of the Lord Jeſus throughout the whole Earth, for the gathering of the Seed of the Elect of God, and for the raiſing of it up over the Seed of the Serpent, in power and great glory, to bear rule, and to have dominion over the whole World, that the Kingdoms of this World, may become the Kingdoms of our Lord Jeſus, that he may rule in his Princely Power, and reign in his Kingly Majeſty, whoſe Right it is; that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the Earth, as the Water covereth the Sea; that all the Children of the Lord may be taught of the Lord, and be eſtabliſhed in Righteouſneſs; that ſo the Mourners in Sion may rejoyce, and the heavy-hearted in Jeruſalem may be right glad: The Lord God of Power haſten it for his own Name's ſake, and for his Elects ſake, that lye in captivity under the hands of the dark powers of the Earth, either ſpiritual or temporal; Amen, Amen, ſaith our ſpirits.

Dear and precious Friends and Brethren, pray for us, that we may finiſh our Teſtimony to the glory of God, and to the praiſe of his holy Name, and to the comfort of all that love his appearing, and to our own eternal ſalvation, and to the ſhame and confuſion of all that hate the Lord Jeſus, and perſecute his Truth. So in the pure Unity of the Covenant of Light, Life, Peace, Love, and everlaſting Righteouſneſs, do we take our leaves of you all at this time, hoping and believing we ſhall ſee your faces once again, before we go hence, and be no more ſeen. Dear Friends, pray for us.

Though we were in many ſtraits and hardſhips by reaſon of the oppreſſion; yet whilſt our minds were ſtaid upon the Fountain, we ſaw no want; but our tender Father, whoſe heavenly eye was ever over us, ſaw our neceſſities, ſent his right dear and precious Servant, and juſt and faithful Steward, Daniel Baker, to adminiſter to our Neceſſities both ſpiritual and temporal; he came not in his own time, will nor ſtrength, but in the Will and Time, Strength and Power of the Almighty God; at whoſe preſence the Mountains were removed, the tall Cedars were made to bow, the ſtrong Oaks to ſtoop. Oh wonderful! He went to the Lord Inquiſitor (the Popes Deputy) to demand our lawful Liberty, which would not be granted, unleſs he and we would write to Meſſaena, or Legorn, to ſome Engliſh Merchant, to be engaged for four thouſand Dollers: Which Propoſition being out of the Covenant of Light, we durſt not ſtoop to it; but our dear Brother in Chriſt Jeſus offered his body for our Liberty, but it would not be granted; nothing would ſerve but one to engage for four thouſand Dollers to be paid, if ever we come into theſe parts again. Then in obedience to the Lord he offered up his Life for our Freedom, but all would not ſerve; the Will of our God be done.

Oh dear Friends! greater Love was never heard of, than for a man to lay down his Life for his Friend: Oh! it is worthy to be recorded in remembrance of him for ever; here he came up and down to adminiſter to us with his Life in his hand, time after time. So the Lord God of Power reward him double into his boſome for ever. Oh! how did he refreſh our ſouls, ſpirits, minds and bodies through great trials, which is never to be forgotten.

OH thou tender-hearted one, whom our God and our eternal Father hath ſent to relieve us his poor innocent Lambs, in hard bondage, and deep captivity, which thou art an eye-witneſs of; none can receive or diſcern it, but thoſe that do ſee it: But our heavenly Father, who hath reſpect to the reſt of them that believe in his Name, hath ſent thee to be an eye-witneſs in ſome meaſure, of what we have undergone.

Oh my dear, precious and endeared one! thou meek Lamb, thou innocent Dove, who doſt bear the likeneſs, beauty and brightneſs of that unſpotted One that is come in the Volumn of the Book to do the Will of God: We can give in our Teſtimony for thee, that thou cameſt here in the Power & Authority of the Moſt High, to which the tall Cedars were made to bow, and the ſtrong Oaks to bend; praiſes, praiſes be given to our everlaſting God for evermore.

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 ſleights that he hath: Praiſes be to our God for ever, who hath perſerved us, and prevented him.

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, O 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! how are our ſouls refreſhed, and our ſpirits ſupported, and our hearts comforted, our minds rejoyced, and our bodies ſtrengthned; thou canſt never do greater ſervice to the Lord our God, than to come into ſuch a place as this is, 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. Farewel in the Lord. By us,

NOw after I had received theſe Papers, though not through little ſtraits and difficulty, with jeopardy of my precious Life, which my God ſweetly through all preſerved, Glory to his Name: my heart was, as it were, overcome with the loving-kindneſs and ſalvation of the living Lord, and in his ſavory Life my mouth was filled with thankſgiving and praiſes to my God; and I ſaid in my heart on this wiſe, Who am I, O Lord, or what was my Father's Houſe, or what is the Land of my Nativity, that I (a poor: afflicted and deſpiſed Worm) ſhould be raiſed up to ſee and perceive what mine eye, mine eye in thy Eternal Power and pure Life beholds! Oh my God! thou haſt known the innocent travel of my Soul, which I right-well know the ſame is not hid from thee, even from the day of my birth, unto this moment, through no ſmall trials and tribulations, and through the exerciſe of manifold temptations; yet behold, my Life is preſerved at this time: And Oh, my heart, my mind, my ſoul, my ſpirit, in thy pure undefiled Life and Vertue, bleſſeth thy Name, thy pure Name, which thy Virgins love and live in, and in the ſame they glorifie thy Beloved, and the Wings of thy Majeſty overſhadoweth them; and their delight is under the ſecret ſhadow of thy Almightineſs, bleſſed be thy Glory, bleſſed be thy undefiled Power, bleſſed and magnified be thy pure Wiſdom, and let the ſame be ſo even in the Tabernacles of the Juſt for ever. Thou Lamb of Immortality, the Thrones, the Kingdoms, and Eternal Dominions are thine, and over all thy Throne is, and ſhall be exalted, and thy Lambs behold thy Glory and thy Majeſty, in this the day of thy terrible and glorious • ppearance: Wiſdom, Riches, Glory, Power, Might and Dominion everlaſting (with Eternal Salvation) over all, to thy Name, Amen, ſaith my ſpirit, in the Life which is, was, and for ever ſhall be, the ſame which liveth and abideth for ever, and fadeth not away: In the ſame I commend thy dear tender Lambs, to be preſerved according to the unſearchable Wiſdom and Counſel of thine own heart, to thy everlaſting Renown and Glory, and their Eternal comfort and joy, and felicity, with thy Saints and Angels in the Light of thy Countenance, and in everlaſting remembrance in the powerful and Eternal Kingdom of Immortality, if I be no more in this World, when this body is gone to its place, according to thy Eternal Purpoſe and Decree, in thy Eternal Counſel; ſo be it, ſaith my ſpirit, yea and Amen ſaith my ſoul, which bleſſeth and magnifieth thy Eternal Name, inaſmuch as thou haſt ſo far fulfilled thy (living) Word of Propheſie, and not only ſo, but much more alſo in the deſire of my heart, in the behalf of thy dear, tender, ſuffering, and long-ſuffering Seed of thine own Bowels; for which be innumerable Praiſes, Wiſdom, Salvation, Glory and Dominion to thy holy Name, Amen, Amen.

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.

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 men! 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 & 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 Barnabus 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 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 at our departure we prayed for them that hated us without a cauſe, 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, & 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 worried 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, Heathens, 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 knowledge of thy Wayes; Job 21. 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 Light, and ſaid, They are of thoſe that rebel againſt the Light, they know not the Wayes thereof, Job 24.13. neither abide in the Paths thereof.

And ſo with conſent they joyned together to baniſh Truth, its Meſſage and Meſſengers of Peace, which provoked them to jealouſie that believed not, who ſcorned us as fools, and what not elſe, not honeſtly conſidering, how that God is provoking the Nations to jealouſie and wrath with a fooliſh People, as in the ancient dayes, 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 Gadarens 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 only ſo, but in the Kingdom & 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; I finding ſome unwillingneſs to leave him in that condition, which was not a little croſs unto me: But in the heavenly Will and Peace of our God, and joy of the Lord, out of all viſibles we parted aſunder; and it came to paſs, that he laid down his Body there in about two dayes after.

There being a Ship of Venice ready, I embarqued on the ſame, and had a good Paſſage through the Gulf of Venice. After three Weeks were finiſhed, was I admitted (together with the Ships company) to receive Product or Admiſſion to come into the City, as their manner is; and there I continued about eight dayes as a ſign and wonder among many, and gave ſomewhat of a ſound of the Lord's Day (in truth) among them; and from thence I travelled to Legorn, and my face was as if it were ſet towards England, I being alone, as a Mourning-Dove in a deſolate Wilderneſs: Yet it came ſo to paſs when I arrived at the ſame Port or City, that the everlaſting Love of my God did fill and overcome my heart, and mine eye right dearly affected the ſame; and verily the living Word and Commandment of my God ſounded in mine ear, and mine underſtanding was quickened in the Spirit of Life from God, ſo that I was made willing, and not to rebel againſt the Heavenly Voice; [And what if I teſtifie, that mine eye ſaw the Angel of his preſence?] which was expreſly for me to give up, and paſs away from thence, to viſit his long-ſuffering Seed of Innocency, ſhut up in the Inquiſition, in the Iſle of Malta, under the Popes Authority, and to communicate to their neceſſities; and verily the ſweet Promiſe of the Lord entered and poſſeſſed my heart, and my God made my way proſperous; for in the Light of his Countenance he had often ſet theſe poor afflicted long-ſuffering Innocents before my face: Wherefore my body and mind was freely offered up as my reaſonable ſervice, to ſerve his Truth, & the leaſt Member of it; and ſo to the death of the Croſs, whereto I became obedient in uprightneſs of heart, as if I ſhould never ſee the face of my Kindred or Native Country more. (a Veſſel of France being ready to depart from thence Eaſt-ward) I embarqued thereon for the Iſle of Cicilia to Maſena, and from thence to the Iſle of Malta in a Veſſel of the ſaid Iſland; and in my paſſage the Veſſel did bear in to Syracuſe, where Paul abode three dayes in his paſſage to Rome (after he had ſuffered ſhipwrack on Malta) and at Syracuſe I abode five dayes, where I gave a ſound of the Lord's Truth and Life: And ſo we immediately ſailed from thence, and within twenty four hours we arrived at the Iſland of Malta; and within ſome hours after I came upon the ſaid Iſland, I had admittance to the Pope's Lord Inquiſitor, to whom I delivered my Meſſage in the Italian Tongue, on this wiſe, I am come to demand the juſt Liberty of my innocent Friends; the two Engliſh Women in Priſon in the Inquiſition: And he asked, If I were related to them as a Husband or Kinſman, and whether I came out of England on purpoſe with that Meſſage. And I anſwered, I came from Legorn for that ſame end; and he replied at laſt, They ſhould abide in Priſon till they dye, except ſome Engliſh Merchants or others that were able, would engage or give obligation for the value of three or four thouſand Dollers, conditionally, that they ſhould never return again into thoſe Parts.

On this wiſe was his reply divers times with the Conſul and many others, together and aſunder; but in the Name and Fear of the Lord God I withſtood the ſame unchriſtian-like Demand and Cruelty, in the Word, Power and Travel of the Lord in his innocent ſuffering Lambs behalf; albeit, they daily threatned me with their Cruelty and Inquiſition of darkneſs, and followed me to and fro with their Officer and Black-rod, and the Pope's Deputy would have bound me, that I ſhould neither ſpeak good nor evil to any one while I was on the Iſland, as the Conſul ſaid, ſave to him; neither to come to the Priſon alone, except the Conſul came alſo with me, or ſome of his Family at leaſt: But their Snares, Bonds and Covenants, in the Name of my God I defied, becauſe the Spirit of Life from the Lord gave me dominion through ſufferings in ſpirit, firſt, over their unjuſt dark Impoſitions; yea, and in the ſame good Authority, in the innocency and uprightneſs of my heart, I travelled through, and over the darkneſs, over its works, and ceaſed not to publiſh the end of my coming, which they would not have known abroad, and the ſound of Truth; and its dread and fame ſtruck terror in their hearts, that both high and wiſe, great Men, together with the popiſh Prieſts and Jeſuites, Knights, them called of the Nobility, of the Pope's Dominion of Spain, and France, and of many Nations; they did not burthen themſelves a little with my bodily preſence, my clear Teſtimony and Friends in general, all which they defied and withſtood, as it doth appear by the words of Truth in this Treatſe.

And thus it comes to paſs among the Nations, becauſe we are not of this world, as our Life and Teſtimony alſo is not for, but againſt the ſame; therefore we marvel not if the World hate us, knowing its birth which is from beneath, earthly and ſenſual, perſecuteth that which is from above, heavenly and ſpiritual; and ſo the Lord hath made me as a burthenſome ſtone among them. My heart bleſſeth his Name that wonderfully preſerved me: Yet ſome of them came to ſee ſomewhat of my Innocency.

About twenty four dayes I abode upon the ſaid Iſland, they daily continuing their Threatnings againſt me as aforeſaid, and many times attempted me to take my Paſſage to Cicillia, or to ſome parts of Italy, to produce the unreaſonable and unchriſtian-like Obligation demanded by them; but in the fear of God I, with my dear Friends, withſtood them, and they were freely given up, rather to ſuffer, than to hurt Gods Truth and People thus to gratifie them; who (as it doth appear) the Spirit of the Lord God of Truth, rules neither in Pope, nor in any of his Lords, Prieſts or Jeſuites, that exerciſe ſuch Lordſhip over the Innocent, long-ſuffering Heritage of the everlaſting God. The time haſteneth, and behold it cometh to paſs, that the weight of eternal Vengeance is coming over them, which the Man of Sin, and his Sons of Perdition will not be able to bear: For the doleful Cry of the Innocent, that ſighs and groans with tears, hath long uttered its voice, which hath aſcended into the ears of the Moſt High, who is higher than the Higheſt, yet hath he reſpect unto the needy, to uphold them, yea, and to ſuch as are of an upright, contrite, lowly, and trembling heart: What if I ſhould ſay, the God of Love and Long-ſuffering dwels in ſuch? and verily their ſacrifice is acceptable in his boſom that liveth for ever; and I am a living Witne • s, that the ſweet Teſtimony & innocent Sufferings of theſe his long-ſuffering Lambs, is right dear and precious in his eye, which is the Light of his Countenance; and ſo it is not otherwiſe, but the ſame in oneneſs with his people concerning them.

And ſo in the endleſs mercy, bleſſing and peace of our God, we parted, and I came away with the love and peace of my God within my heart, having the anſwer and living teſtimony of a good Conſcience; and in the wiſdom of God brought away theſe their Words and Writings, which teſtifieth ſomewhat of their Sufferings and Faithfulneſs unto the Lord, his Truth & People, which I right-well know, cannot be ſhut out of the Record of Life eternal, unto which I bear Record again, that they have been, and are a ſweet ſavour unto the Lord God of Faithfulneſs, and ſo their Reward, which attends the ſame, is not only with them, but with all the Sons and Daughters of truth and innocency, that are ſo travelling in their Long-ſufferings, which are but light and momentary in competition to the eternal weight of Glory, which afterward is to be revealed in the ſame that ſuffered in all generations, even from righteous Abel, unto this day of our God; to whom be Wiſdom, Glory, Salvation, and everlaſting Thanſgivings a • d Dominion, for ever, Amen, ſaith my ſoul and ſpirit; even ſo, Amen.

RIght dear and precious Friends in the Eternal Truth and Covenant of Life and Immortality, yea Right Honourable indeed, who are ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Peace, Love and Salvation, with whom my ſoul is refreſhed, nouriſhed and cheriſhed day by day; and my ſpirit is ſupported, and my heart is comforted with the well-ſprings of Eternal Life, that ſtream from the Fountain and Rock of Salvation, for which my ſoul doth truly magnifie the God of Life, that giveth Life, with you my Eternal Friends according to my meaſure, in which I dearly ſalute and imbrace you in the heavenly unity of divine vertue; Praiſes, praiſes to our pure, holy, and wiſe God and Father of the Eternal Fulneſs of all Bleſſedneſs, who doth give me of the ſame richly to enjoy, ſo that I do mount up with wings as an Eagle, and do run and am not weary, and walk and am not faint, becauſe I do ſee of the travel of my ſoul and am ſatisfied the Glory is the Lord's, whoſe mighty Power doth the work; yea, everlaſting praiſes, laud, honour and dominion to the Lord of lords, King of kings, over all Scepters, Thrones, Tongues and Languages, for ever to rule and reign, world without end, Amen, and Amen.

O precious and wel-beloved Brethren, Fathers and Elders, the Pillars of God's ſpiritual Building, whom my ſo • l right dearly loveth; yea verily, the Lord our God hath not raiſed, renowned, honoured nor exalted you higher in the heart, mind, ſpirit and ſoul, in any one member in all his whole Body, than he hath in me according to my meaſure; the God of my Life and ſweet Salvation doth know that you have been and are in my thoughts of right dear remembrance, ſo that my life hath not, neither doth it ſeem dear to me to ſave you harmleſs ever ſince I firſt ſaw your faces. God Almighty bleſs and preſerve you out of the hands of unreaſonable men, and encreaſe and multiply his whole Church and People in ſtrength, life and power, and add unto you daily ſuch as ſhall be ſaved, and number in his Iſraelites indeed, in whoſe mouths there is no guile, out of every Kindred, Tongue and Nation, both Jew and Gentile, bond and free, ſo many as are appointed Heirs of Eternal Salvation, Amen, Amen, ſaith my ſpirit. And the Lord keep you all in the Power, Dominion and Authority over the Heathen, and all the dark Powers that do corrupt the Earth for ever, Amen.

Oh dear and worthy Friends, I can do no leſs than put you in remembrance of our gracious Deliverance out of the Inquiſition, in our eternal Father's own time and way, and according to his own will; none wrought it but himſelf, that he alone may have the Glory, Honour and Renown of his own mighty Work, in the hearts of you and all the faithful-hearted, and from Sea to Sea, and from Iſland to Iſland; yea verily the Voice is gone forth to the ends of the Earth, to the praiſe, honour and glory of the ſtrength of our powerful Lord God; and here is our joy, and here is our Glory, and here is our Crown, that our pure, holy, perfect and wiſe God is magnified. And is not our Joy, your Joy, and our Crown your Crown? yea really, I know it cannot be otherwiſe; For if one of the members of the body do faint or fail, or break or ſtart aſide, it cauſeth a breach or defect in the whole body: So likewiſe, if one member do proſper in his meaſure, be it never ſo ſmall, I know the whole body is ſtrengthened, refreſhed and comforted; and we know you all delight in us, and rejoyce over us, even as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the • ride; I do behold it in the Light of Righteouſneſs, and receive the benefit of it in the bright ſhining Countenance of our everlaſting Father's Love: and our ſouls do magnifie the Lord of Life and Glory, and our ſpirits do ſing for joy, that ever we were found worthy of ſo high and honourable a Calling, to bear the Name of our pure, perfect Redeemer before the High and Mighty of the Earth, and to ſuffer ſo long time under them, for our pure living Teſtimony of the pure holy Life of Innocency; Oh! praiſes, praiſes to our God everlaſtingly world without end, Amen, Amen.

In a ſhort time after our gracious Deliverance out of the Inquiſition, the Lord committed great Judgement to me to pronounce againſt the City, ſaying, That I muſt propheſie yet once more in his Name, and give it out in writing. The Croſs ſeemed very heavy, but I did not dare to look at it, but was obedient to the heavenly Voice, and writ the Prophecy.

He ſaid, If we would not be Catholicks, we muſt ſuffer long Impriſonment by the Popes Order. That was not true, I had an Anſwer in my Conſcience againſt it. And in a little time after they told us, if we would kiſs the Croſs we ſhould be freed out of Priſon, and go to the Conſul's till a convenient paſſage did preſent to carry us for England; for the Pope had ſent word they ſhould take it into their conſideration, and ſet us free for England, without doing any violencce, as we heard, and we did believe it, becauſe we had a more ſure word of Prophecy than did uſe to proceed out of their mouthes: we told them we could not kiſs the Croſs to get our liberty, neither did we deſire our freedom on any ſuch terms; but we looked every day when they would call us forth to kiſs the Croſs, and we did pray and cry mightily to our Eternal Father to prevent them in it, and to preſerve us out of it; for the Tempter was very ſtrong within and without, ſo that I took little reſt for many dayes and nights, ſeeing the great danger it would plunge us into; for I ſaw the painted walls, and the Croſſes ſet before me, but the gracious God of power, who did appear in our Afflictions, and revealed his Will to me in a Night-Viſion, ſaying, Touch not, taſte not, handle not, but wait diligently upon me: you have two things yet to work over before you can be ſet at liberty. We knew the Croſs was one, but we knew not what the other was.

The next time the Conſul came, he told us that the Inquiſitor ſaid, If any one would engage for three or four thouſand Dollers to be paid if ever we came thither again, we ſhould be ſet at liberty, but he ſaid no more of the Croſs; but the Obligation was the ſecond thing that we were to work over, but I could never ſee, nor dare deſire any man to be engaged for us, becauſe I do know all Decrees, Laws, Tyes, Bonds and Chains, and Precepts of men muſt be broken through the righteous Decree of our mighty Lord God, and upon the ſame conſideration we were made willing to wait, till the Lord ſhould break this Chain alſo, that no other dear Friend or Lamb of God might ſuffer for the ſame thing; no, God forbid.

Then it pleaſed the Lord to ſend Daniel Baker, who in obedience to the God of Heaven did offer up body for body, yea life & all for our liberty, but could not be heard; but the Inquiſitor ſaid, If any would engage for the payment of three or four thouſand Dollers, to be paid if ever we came there again, we ſhould have our liberty; but otherwiſe we muſt die in the Priſon, for that was the Pope's Law: but we knew it was left to his conſideration, ſo we told them we could not engage, nor deſire any to engage for us, becauſe it was out of the Covenant of God; and our yea was yea, and our nay was nay, and we did not believe that ever it was the mind of God that we ſhould return thither again. So Daniel departed in the Love of God, and they ſent to England to Friends, and to other Iſlands to the Engliſh Merchants, for ſome to engage for us, that we might have our liberty, but the Merchants ſent word they were not willing to anſwer their unreaſonable demands, for the payment of ſo many thouſand Dollers, if in caſe we returned thither again. There were many that did ſeek for our liberty, that were not of us, becauſe they knew our cruel and ſtrait bondage and terrible afflictions, and were willing to engage what was reaſon; but becauſe our juſt and wiſe God would make his Power known for his own honour, he would not ſuffer any thing to prevail for our Deliverance, inſomuch as we could underſtand, but what he wrought by his inviſible Power in the hearts of our Enemies. It was given into my heart half a year after Daniel came thence, that if I could ſpeak with the Inquiſitor, he would grant us our liberty; and in a little time he came to the Inquiſition-Court-Chamber, and we heard of it, and deſired to ſpeak with him, which he granted us, and we told him we had wronged none, we had defrauded none, neither was guile found in our mouthes; but we had ſuffered innocently almoſt four years, for Conſcience-ſake, and we knew they had no peace in our ſufferings. So the Inquiſitor was very courteous to us, and promiſed our liberty in a few dayes, and he ſaid he would ſend for the Conſul, and get him to engage for five hundred Dollers to be paid for us, if ever we came again; in caſe the Conſul did deny it, he would ſend to Rome to the Pope for an Order to ſet us at liberty without an Obligation. So we were contented to wait the Lord's time; who had often promiſed us, That we ſhould have our liberty in a day when we thought not of, and at an hour when we were not aware; and good was the Word of the Lord, and faithful in all his Promiſes.

Every one that loveth the Light, will bring their deeds to the Light, that they may be approved of the Light that they are wrought in God; for to the Light of Chriſt all muſt come; and whatſoever hath been done in ſecret ſhal be made manifeſt; when the Book of every ones Conſcience ſhall be laid open, then ſhall every ones heart be made manifeſt by the Light, and ſhall receive every one according to their deeds done in the body: they that ſow to the fleſh, ſhall of the fleſh reap corruption; but they that ſow to the Spirit, ſhall reap life everlaſting: For the wages of ſin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Chriſt Jeſus our Lord; who is the Light of the World, that lighteth every one that cometh into the World, that all men through him might believe. He is the true Light and Life of men. God ſo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son into the World, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have life everlaſting. This Life is in the Son; he that hath the Son, hath Life.

O Friends and People of all ſorts, turn in your minds to the Light within, which will ſhew you your conditions, and how you have been ſeeking a Saviour without, in the many wandrings from hills to mountains, crying, Lo here, and Lo there, when he is nigh you, calling you to return to him, that your ſins may be pardoned, and you reconciled and redeemed from your ſins and from your beloved luſts, that war againſt your ſouls. The works of the fleſh are manifeſt by the Light; and as you come to love the Light, you will have power over every deed of darkneſs, and to a daily croſs to be crucified with Chriſt from ſin, and from the beggarly rudiments of the world, to live to God.

God is holy, as it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, ſaith the Lord. Holineſs becomes the Houſe of the Lord for ever. What, know you not that your bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghoſt to dwell in? The Spirit of the living God cannot dwell with any defiled thing, but alwayes bears witneſs againſt it. If any man defile the Temple of God, him will God deſtroy; for the Temple of God is holy. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No, not one. Can a Fountain bring forth ſweet water and bitter? You ſay you are Chriſtians: Do you walk like Chriſt? Paul ſaid, Be ye followers of me, as I am a follower of Chriſt. And Chriſt ſaith, Love your enemies; bleſs them that curſe you, and deſpitefully uſe you, that you may be the Children of your heavenly Father. Chriſt died for his Enemies, He was made ſin for us, that knew no ſin, that we might become the Righteouſneſs of God in him. What greater Love can there be? O turn in your minds, and examine your own hearts, every one in particular; Do you keep Chriſt's Commandments? Chriſt ſaith, If you love me, you will keep my Commandments. Chriſt's Command is Love. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and thy neighbour as thy ſelf; and do to all, as thou wouldſt have all do unto thee. Owe nothing to any but love. Love is the fulfilling of the pure Law of God, which is holy, juſt and good. Not one jot or tittle ſhall paſs, till all is fulfilled.

All that come to the Light, and obey it, come to the fulfilling of the Law: for the Law is the Light. I had not known ſin but by the Law: for the Law ſaith, Thou ſhalt not covet; and Chriſt ſaith, He that breaks one of theſe leaſt Commandments, is guilty if the whole. It is not enough to talk of a Chriſt that ſuffered at Jeruſalem once for all, and to make him a cloak to cover your ſins; be not deceived, but let ſuch know he is in every one to condemn for ſin, and to make every evil deed manifeſt, and to bear teſtimony againſt it, and to leave all without excuſe: for all muſt be tryed by the Light of Chriſt, that lighteth every one that cometh into the world; and all that love the Light, will bring their deeds to the Light to be approved; O but thoſe that hate it, it will be their condemnation.