A message from God, by a dumb woman to his Highness the Lord Protector.: together with a word of advice to the Commons of England and Wales, for the electing of a Parliament. By Elinor Channel. Published according to her desire, by Arise Evans.

To his Highness the Lord PROTECTOR OLIVER CRUMWEL.

The humble Petition of Elenor Channel

MAy it please your Highness to understand, That your Petitioner is an inhabitant at Cranley in Surrey, who upon a Sab∣bath-day about two Months agone, at night, as she was in bed in a slum∣ber, had a Blow given her upon her heart, which blow awaked her. And immediately with that, the thoughts of her heart were changed, and all the corruption thereof taken away, that from that day to this, she could think of no evil. And then she heard an au∣dibble voice, which said unto her,

Come away, I will send thee on my mes∣sage to London, fear not to go, for I thy Lord am with thee. And the thoughts of your Petitioners heart was so directed, that she was given to understand, how that the Spirit of the Lord had called her; to the end that she should be sent to your Highness: and by the same Holy Spirit, inwardly though she be but a weak woman in expression, she was taught in brief how to express her message from God to your Highness. And your Petitioner being three times hinder∣ed by her Husband, who is a very poor man, and hath many small chil∣dren, three of them very young ones, her mind was sore troubled that her sleep went from her; and at some∣times she was speechless: whereupon your Petitioners Husband seeing her restless condition, consented to let her come to London, that she might ex∣press her mind to your Highness and have rest in her spirit. The premises

being considered, and further to give your Highness to understand the Pe∣titioners message to you, which she hopes will not onely be accepted of you, but will be also effected by you.

The words of her Message are these that follow.

1. She is to say upon her Coming to you.

Peace be to this house, and peace be to the whole Kingdom, and the peace of God be with us for evermore. Amen.

2. She is to say to you,

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath opened the mouth of the Dumb to speak for peace.* 2.1 The sword must be stayed. The world draweth to∣ward an end, and the knots of peace & love must be made in all Christian lands.

3. She is to say to you,

Sir, you have taken upon you to be a Protector of your Lords Vine-yard,* 2.2 but he requireth that you should make the Hedges and

the Walls of it;* 2.3 which is Peace & Love, and the true Gospel.And that you should protect the Steward to plant his vine-yard.

4. She is to say unto you,

If a man fall into the hands of a Creditor, if his Creditor be one of Gods servants, he will not take Bodie and Goods; if his Bodie pays the Debt, his Heir shall have the Inheritance.

Be it known to your Highness, that your Petitioner is a true Member of the Catholick and Apostolic Faith, as it was Reformed and Established in the Church of England, by King Edwa••d the 6. & continued by Queen Elisabeth, King James, and King Charles. And though the Petitioner can say or dispute but little for it, yet she believeth that to be the true and onely way of salvation, which in due time shall prevall over all the earth. Amen.

Elenor Channel.

April 19. 1654.

This poor woman came to the Court upon the 17. day of last April, and thought immediately to have spoken with his Highness the Lord Protector, and to return again the same day: but alas she found it other ways. And some of the Gaurd about the Court told her, if she had but five pounds to give them, they would help her to the presence of the Lord Protector. Whereupon, after two days waiting in vain at Court, being much troubled that she could not come before his Highness, to dis∣charge her conscience, she came to the Citie of London,) and wandered up & down to see if she could get any body to take it from her mouth, and pub∣lish it in Print, that she might get some ease that way: but of a long while, she being a stranger, she could get none to hear or regard her. At last she met with some compassionate bodie that talked with her, and sent her with a note to me, who took all

the Report from her mouth, as you have it above, and then sent her away, promising to get it Printed, if she could not get the Copie delivered to his Highness, which she had to give him, and have seen her no more since.

But hearing now that such a like woman is about the Citie, and that she is Dumb, & that she was in Fleet-street on Sunday June 18. where she stood mute for a long while, and as it is said, the cruel Bedles dragged her to Bridewel, and wounded the poor soul for nothing, but because she stood harmlesly in the street: and that they refused her at Bridewel, and turned her our again among the wanton mad crew, who flocked about her and a∣bused her; when indeed, if there had been any charitie in them at Bridewel (as some pretend the house is for that use) there was for them a fair object to shew their charitie upon: but she stayed thereabouts until night; & what is become of her since, God

knows, we hear nothing more of her.

Now this woman was very sensible & profound in what she spake to me, but as she said, when she is Dumb, all her sences are taken up, and then the matter which troubles her mind, is dictated and made plain to her by the Spirit of God; so that when she comes to her self, she has it by heart. And though it be but short, yet you shall find more truth and substance in it, than in all Hana Trampenels songs or sayings, whom some account of as the Diana of the English, Acts 19.34. as may appear by this that was writ∣ten for her.

Notes

• * 2.1

  By the Dumb she meaneth her self, cause she had been dumb.
• * 2.2

  By the Vine-yard she mean∣eth the Church & Kingdom.
• * 2.3

  By the True Go∣spel she meaneth that wor∣ship we had once. By the Steward she means the King. By the Bodie that paid the debt, she means the late King that died. By the Heir his Son.