N00939:57
The glory of goodness. The goodness of God celebrated; in remarkable instances and improvements thereof: and more particularly in the redemption remarkably obtained for the English captives, which have been languishing under the tragical, and the terrible and the most barbarous cruelties of barbary. : [Six lines from Psalms]
printed by T. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1703
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These our Brethren, are delivered through the Goodness of God, from the most horrible Captivity in the world; and, we may observe several Remarkables in their Deliverance: 'Twill be an agreeable and an acceptable Revenue of Glory unto our Lord-Redeemer, for us to observe such Remarkables.
I. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God That the Lives of these our Friend, have b•en prolonged and preserved under a bit•e• Servituae, that was enough to have made them, even weary of their •aves.
I. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God That the Lives of these our Friend, have b•en prolonged and preserved under a bit•e• Servituae, that was enough to have made them, even wea•y of their •aves.
Their Way of Living, (or, shall I not rather say, their way of Dying) 'twas full of astonishing Hardships. Many, many ⟨p. 32⟩Dyed under the Hardships: But these are this Day declaring, Having obtained Help from God, we continue to this Day.
Their Way of Living, (or, shall I not rather say, their way of Dying) 'twas full of astoni•hing Hardships. Many, many ⟨p. 32⟩Dyed under the Hardships: But these are this Day declaring, Having obtained Help from God, we continue to this Day.
Their Condition cannot perhaps, be more livelily in a few words painted out, than in the words, of the Brief, which their late Majesties, K. WILLIAM and Q. MARY, granted on their behalf.
A Great Number of Our Good Subjects peaceably following their Employments at Sea, have been taken by the Turkish Pirates of Algiers, Sally, Barbary, and other places on the Coast of Africa, nnd now remain Slaves, in Cruel and Inhumane Bondage, without any Days of Rest, either on the Turkish Sabbath or Ours, except Four Days in a Year; being kept to Extreme Labour; from which, some endeavouring a little Rest, several of them were barbarously Murdered. Neither is their Diet any more tolerable than their Labour; Great Numbers being allowed no other Food, than decayed Barley, which stinketh so, that the Beasts refuse to eat it. And often they are not permitted to go from their Labour, to fetch Water, which is their only Drink; and sometimes driven about by Black-a-moors, who are set over them as Task-masters; and some of ⟨p. 33⟩them have been so severely Whipped, that they have dropped down Dead.
A Great Number of Our Good Subjects peaceably following their Employments at Sea, have been taken by the Turkish Pirates of Algiers, Salley, Barbary, and other places on the Coast of A•rica, nnd now remain Slaves, in Cruel and Inhumane Bondage, without any Dayes of Rest, either on the Turkish Sabbath or Ours, except Four Dayes in a Year; being kept to Extream Labour; from which, some endeavouring a little Rest, several of them were barbarously Murdered. Neither is their Diet any more tolerable than their Lab•ur; Great Numbers being allow'd no other Food, than decay'd Barley, which stinketh so, that the Beasts refuse to eat it. And often they are not permitted to go from their Labour, to fetch Water, which is their only Drink; and sometimes driven about by Black-a-moors, who are set over them as Task-masters; and some of ⟨p. 33⟩them have been so severely Whipp'd, that they have dropp'd down Dead.
One that was a Sufferer, has given us this further Account, of the Barbarian Cruelty undergone by his Fellow-sufferers.
The poor Christian Captives, that are taken by any of those Hellish Pirates, belonging to the Emperor of Morocco, are brought up to Macqueness; being kept at Hard work, from Day-light in the Morning till Night: carrying Earth on their Heads in great Baskets, driven to and fro, with barbarous Negroes by the Emperors Order; and when they are drove home by the Negroes at Night, to their Lodging, which is on the cold Ground, in a Vault or hollow place in the Earth, laid over with great Beams athwart, and Iron Bars over them; they are told in there, like Sheep, and out in the Morning; and if any be wanting, he quickly secures the Negroes, and sends out a parcel of his Guard, to look for them. Their Food is Bread, made of old rotten Barley; and their Drink, Water, when they can get it: Many times, when they are hurried unto their work in a Morning, not knowing, whether they shall be able to ⟨p. 34⟩undergo their Afflictions till Night and when they are drove Home, expecting Rest, the Tyrant sends some of his Negroes, to hurry them again to work, either to hale down Walls, cut Gates, or the like; keeping them both Day and Night, many times without either Bread or Water, which is all their Sustenance. When they have done That, the Negroes dare not drive them home, before he gives Order, lest they be killed for their so doing. When they have his Order, they drive them home, tell them over, and so lock them up until Day-light in the Morning. There are Three Hundred and Forty Englishmen (says he) in this sore Captivity.
The poor Christian Captives, that are taken by any of those Hellish Pyrates, belonging to the Emperour of Morocco, are brought up to Macqueness; being kept at Hard work, from Day-light in the Morning till Night: carrying Earth on their Heads in great Baskets, driven to and fro, with barbarous Negroes by the Emperours Order; and when they are drove home by the Negroes at Night, to their Lodging, which is on the cold Ground, in a Vault or hollow place in the Earth, laid over with great Beams athwart, and Iron Bars over them; they are told in there, like Sheep, and out in the Morning; and if any be wanting, he quickly secures the Negroes, and sends out a parcel of his Guard, to look for them. Their Food is Bread, made of old rotten Barley; and their Drink, Water, when they can get it: Many times, when they are hurried unto their work in a Morning, not knowing, whether they shall be able to ⟨p. 34⟩
This is the Captivity, that has been Out-lived, and now Escaped, by these our Brethren.
This is the Captivity, that has been Out-lived, and now Escap'd, by these our Brethren.
It is much, that their horrid Labour did not Kill them, in a Climate, so hot at some Times, and so wet at others. One would have said, Their Strength must have been the Strength of Stones, & their Flesh of Brass. Or their Life could not have been prolonged under such prodigious Fatigues.
It is much, that their forlorn Diet should not rather Kill them, than Feed them. So small, and so vile their Allowance ⟨p. 35⟩of Bread, that it is plain, They ••ved not by Bread alone, but by the Word of God.
It is much, that their forlorn Diet should not rather Kill them, than Feed them. So small, and so vile their Al•owance ⟨p. 35⟩of Bread, that it is plain, They ••ved not by Bread alone, but by the Word of God.
It is much, that they have Out-lived the Sorrows, the Deadly Sorrows, that must seize upon their Spirits, when the •ierce Robbers had seized upon them. By the Sorrows of their Hearts, why were •ot their Spirits broken, and Killed, when •hey saw themselves dragged away from •ll the Comforts of Life, and felt themselves fearfully broken in the place of Dragons, and were Hopeless of ever being recovered out of their doleful Circumstances? Methinks, I see them Crying •rom the Belly of Hell, Lord, The Waters compass me about, even to the Soul, the Depth closes me round about; the Weeds are •rapt about my Head; the Earth, with her •ars, is about me forever. Oh! My Children, How did you do Live, in the midst •f these Agonies? Truly, The Lord has •t last Loosed the Prisoners: 'twas He, who raised up, those that were thus bowed ••wn: Some of them for a whole Prentice-ship of Years, and One here even […] Nineteen Years together. This preservation of our Friends, has been yet •ore signalized, where any of them, endeavoured a Flight out of the Hands of ⟨p. 36⟩their Enemies, but were unhappily Retaken by those bloody Hands. For it was the manner of the Tiger, whom they call the Emperor, when such Retake• Prisoners were brought before him▪ immediately to run a Lance through the Hearts of them. We have some with us at this Hour, who once expected the stroke of the Lance, and can ascribe it unto nothing, but this, T•at the Heart of the King was in the Hand of the Lord.
It is much, that they have Out-lived the Sorrows, the Deadly Sorrows, that must sieze upon their Spirits, when the •ierce Robbers had siez'd upon them. By the Sorrows of their Hearts, why were ot their Spirits broken, and Killed, when hey saw themselves dragg'd away from ll the Comforts of Life, and felt themelves fearfully broken in the place of Draons, and were Hopeless of ever being ecovered out of their doleful Circumances? Methinks, I see them Crying rom the Belly of Hell, Lord, The Waters ompass me about, even to the Soul, the Depth closes me round about; the Weeds are rapt about my Head; the Earth, with her ars, is about me forever. Oh! My Chilren, How did you do Live, in the midst f these Agonies? Truly, The Lord has t last Loosed the Prisoners: 'twas He, who aised up, those that were thus bowed wn: Some of them for a whole Prenice-ship of Years, and One here even Nineteen Years together. This preervation of our Friends, has been yet ore signalized, where any of them, eneavoured a Flight out of the Hands of
Oh! That men would Praise the Lord, for His Goodness, and for these His wonderful Works unto the Children of men.
II. It is a Remarkable Goodness of God, That these our Friends enjoyed so many Supports, which Heaven and Earth afforded unto them, under their Insupportable Calamities.
How, One would wonder How, were their minds kept from Fainting under the Grievous Things▪ that continually befell them, while, for many Years together, their Lives hung in doubt before them, an• they were in fear day and night, and bad m• Assurance of their Life; In the Morning the• said, Would God it were Evening, and a• Evening they said, Would God it were Morning! Doubtless, the Good Spirit of God ⟨p. 37⟩often i• radiated their minds, with such Considerations, as were their Consolations.
How, One would wonder How, were their minds kept from Fainting under the Grievous Things▪ that continually befel them, while, for many Years together, their Lives hung in doubt before them, an• they were in fear day and night, and bad m• Assurance of their Life; In the Morning the• said, Would God it were Evening, and a• Evening they said, Would God it were Morning! Doubtless, the Good Spirit of God ⟨p. 37⟩often i• radiated their minds, with such Considerations, as were their Consolations.
Behold, A Support from the Goodness of God!
If they cannot say, The Barbarous people showed us no little Kindness, yet some happy Things fell out now & then, to shelter them from some Unkindnesses as would else have been offered.
If they cannot say, The Barbarous people show'd us no little Kindness, yet some happy Things fell out now & then, to shelter them from some Ʋnkindnesses as would else have been offered.
