The Captives Return OR The Testimonies of JOHN DANKS, of Colchester, and ELIZABETH DANKS, his wife, to the mercy and goodness of God, in calling them back to his Everlasting truth, after their out-running and separation from the same.  
Also Being warnings to those that still Continue in Enmity and separation from the precious truth and from the people of God, that they may Return while the Lord Calls and while the day of their visitation continues.  
With a short testimony to the truth by way of Preface written by JOHN FURLY, Junior.  
Printed in the Year. 1680.   

The PREFACE To the READER.  
Friendly READER,  
SInce the dawning and breaking forth of God's glorious day, and revelation of his blessed truth, after a long night of darkness, many have been the devices of the enemy of mankind, through his subtle and divers workings, to hinder the knowledge of the glory of it from the Sons of men; and the adversaries of it have been of divers sorts: But it being against the Truth, they have been confounded in their work; so that we have seen it fulfilled, that no weapon form against the truth hath prospered. And though some from among us (by going from the power of truth which once reached to them) have come to suffer loss, and, in that lost estate, have accused us of falling away from what we first were, and, in the Spirit of enmity, have rose up and wrote against us; yet the Lord sometimes bathe reached to such again; and made them bear testimony to the truth, & against their own out-running, that where they have been an occasion of stumbling, by any thing acted or brought forth by them in that state of separation from God and his people, they might, as much as in them lies, remove the same by bearing witness against the fruits of that Spirit which then acted them while they stood up pretendedly for the truth in a Spirit that was out of it. Now this having been the state of this person john Dankes, he found it as a necessity upon him to bear testimony against that book of his, published under the name of Christodulus Ecclestone (long since answered by W. G.) that if it hath or may come to the hands of any who may thereby have let in, or may be strengthened in prejudice against the truth and the friends or it that have abode faithful to it, the prejudice may, as far as in him lies, be removed, and this his testimony be as public as his aforesaid book, which is the reason of the printing of it, and also that it might be a warning to others that either have or hereafter may run into the same Spirit of prejudice and enmity against the truth and those that live in it, not to appear so openly, and so rashly to accuse us of apostasy, while themselves are the apostates: For let such know assuredly, that though their pretences may be specious in their own eyes (as his were) they must come to judgement, and it will one day prove as a load too heavy for them to bear.  
And now thou to whom this may come, who hast had, or still mayst have desires to be satisfied in our principles and dost incline to the path in when we walk, its worthy thy consideration (tender Reader) how many ways truths and our adversaries have appeared and that not only through open, but private enemies; and how their Charges against us have been directly contrary one to the other. One sort of them upbraiding us with holding doctrines not consistant with the Scriptures of truth; while other of them, being better informed of our principles, say they are good, but that we are not now the same in principle as at the beginning (where as that is only their ignorance of our principles then.) Others, that have risen up against us from amongst us bearing testimony to our being the same in principle, allege that we are not so in life and conversation. Thus I say, it's worthy the honest readers serious consideration, how our opposers accusations have been divers, as also, how that those latter that have gone out from us, being, as the apostle said, not truly of us, do yet generally bear testimony to the truth of our principles, in particular to that divine Spirit, Grace or Light of Christ Jesus that discovers sin and iniquity and the sufficiency of it so salvation to all that obey it. And therefore, my advice, in these few lines, to those that are enquiring after the Lord, is, Let not these Contradictions and aspersions, that we have met with all, either from without, or from such as for a season have walked among us (but through not keeping judgement to the Line, have started a side like a broken bow) deter thee in thy sincere desires after the Lord; but incline thy mind to the divine principle of life in thyself, which will cleanse thee from that which hath made thee destitute of God's presence, as thou keeps to it, and removing that which hath hindered good things from thy soul, will give thee a sense of the divine being, and keep thee a clean and holy habitation for himself through thy pilgrimage in this Earthly tabernacle, until thou finish thy course, and thy race here be run, and thou enter into thy rest and haven of Everlasting blessedness, not heeding the occasions which, through the wiles of the enemy either in thyself or from others without, may be offered thee to return, nor regarding those that may fall on the right hand or on the left, for offences will come, but woe to them by whom they come, but blessed are they (saith Christ Jesus) who are not offended in me: that this may be the portion of all whom the Lord hath or may yet visit by his power (that is now going forth for the visiting of the nations) is my soul's desire, who, though I have here reprehended that spirit that watches for advantages, and therefrom takes occasion to Cast stumbling blocks in the way of the simple, am far from justifying those that give the occasion of stumbling, but do advise all to walk as becomes the Gospel professed by them.  
JOHN FURLY. Junior. Colchester this 6th Month. 1680.   

The TESTIMONY OF ELIZABETH DANKS. etc.  
A True and faithful warning to all those who have had a Convincement of God's truth upon their hearts, and have received of his blessed refresh to their souls, in often meeting together with the people of the Lord. But the way that leadeth to the kingdom of heaven, being a straight and narrow way, Oh! there be many that cannot enter through it: it is too strait and too narrow for them that rather choose the broad way, that leadeth to everlasting destruction, for a little mirth, merriment and vain glory, which will stand them in no stead when death seizes upon them, but will rise up in judgement against them for their disobedience unto the Lord. Therefore all ye who have backslidden from God's Eternal truth, which once ye were made partakers of, in some measure, Oh! be awakened, be awakened unto righteousness, Oh! haste, hast, with true repentance, to meet the Lord, before his wrath be kindled against you, for your disobedience unto him, whom ye have pierced time after time and day after day. Oh! all ye who are still turning your backs upon the truth, and returning as a dog to the vomit again: Oh! be forewarned what ye are going about to do. If ye forsake the Lord and his truth woe and misery will be your portion, no peace will ye have, wheresoever ye flee the judgements of the righteous God will pursue you. These things can I declare unto them to be true, for this was my Condition once, after I for sooke the Lord and cast Truth behind my back as a thing of nought. Oh! than I could have no peace, no true rest could I have wheresoever I became: The Lord pursued me night and day, which even broke my heart, and there was an earnest cry entered my heart The spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man and woman: Oh! than I began to Consider how often the Lord, in his everlasting loving kindness, had striven with me, and I said in my heart surely this is the last striving the Lord will have with me: Therefore if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts, but incline your ear, harken diligently and be truly obedient to the Lord and your souls shall live and not die: Oh righteous God Thy loving kindness hath been large unto me, thy tender bowels of Love and Compassion were towards and over me, in that long night of darkness, where I wandered long as one weary and heavy laden, and where to get rest I knew not, until the Lord God in his own due time visited me with a sore visitation of sickness, in which he brought me even to the brink of the grave, and, to the Eye of reason, not like to live. Oh when death was set in order before me, and my slighting of God's truth, which I once witnessed and lived in, came over me, Oh! then was my heart broken unto the Lord, and these were my Cries unto him. Oh righteous God if it be thy will, mix thy judgements with mercy, and spare me, if it be thy will, that I may live to thy glory and praise forever and evermore; that this my sore visitation may work my everlasting salvation and tend to thy glory and everlasting praises forever and evermore.  
Oh thou righteous god! who in thy everlasting loving kindness hast plucked me as a brand out of the fire, and hast set my face Zion wards again, Oh! living praises be unto thee thou righteous one. O●… thy Love and tenderness there is no end. I have great cause to declare it amongst you, for I have received it in a large measure. He hath brought me unto a dying daily unto enmity, and a living unto righteousness where I find a quiet habitation through true obedience unto the Lor● in whatsoever he maketh known unto me, and herein have I peace with the Lord. Oh! all ye that are backslidden from God's Eternal truth consider what ye are doing. If ye go on in rebellion and cast reproof behind your backs, woe and misery will be your end, i● ye repent not with speed, Remember, the spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man and woman, therefore if ye love and render the good of your own souls, and your everlasting welfare with the Lord return, return unto him, whom ye have forsaken, with your heart continually bowed before him.  
Friends, these things opened unto me in the time of my affliction that (if he raised me again,) I should be faithful in what he had made known unto me, and now the Lord hath laid it upon me to hast it forth that all may be fore warned of their backsliding from the L●●d, before the day of their Everlasting destruction overtake them, for than it will be too late.  
ELIZABETH DANKS. Written in the 6 Month. 1680.   

The Testimony of JOHN DANKS.  
Here is a weary wanderer in the wilderness, who, by hearing the voice of him that Cries behind, this is the way walk in it, is returned home into his tent; where, by still and quiet waiting upon his God, the Lord has shown, and set in order before him the by-paths and mis-steps, which he has trodden ever since the day he returned his Captivity, and brought him out of the house of bondage, and set his face towards the Land of rest.  
OH my friends! I am constrained to declare of the great loving kindness and longsufferance, of the forbearance and patience of my God towards me, ever since the day that I was convinced of the Eternal truth of God, which he has manifested in this our age and generation, who, by his faithful servant and messenger james Parnell, turned my mind from darkness to Light; which Light discovered unto me the woeful state and condition that I was in, as to God-wards: which when I saw it, I was filled with horror and anguish, and the righteous God set up his just judgements in me, which took such sure hold, that I could neither drink, nor eat, nor talk, nor sleep, nor walk in quiet: but all was for judgement, that ever I did. Sorrow compassed me round, in sorrow I laid down at night and in the morning I risen up in sorrow; and this never ceased until it had broke my will to pieces, and subdued and brought under my evil affections: and so brought me to wait upon God in the measure of Light made manifest in me, in the true silence of my spirit. And thus the Lord, by his judgements, wrought a good reformation in me, and redeemed me from my vain conversation, and then a secret hope of Eternal life was begotten in me, and a love towards the Lord and his people sprang up in my heart, with a great pity towards those which were without, which were strangers in their minds to God: And when any of the servants of the Lord declared the truth of God, Oh! what earnest desires would arise in me, that some such might be reached, and be brought to a sense of their Conditions, and it was my joy to see the prosperity of the truth both within and without; and thus the Lord by his judgements brought me near to himself, though once afar off; and here my afflicted soul found some joy and comfort, and here was some reconciliation with God. Oh happy and blessed day! Oh Lord, let the remembrance thereof never more departed from me till the day of my death. But through disobedience I soon lost my condition; For my evil inclinations sprang up again, and, I being careless and from off my watch, my will broke out, and my old adversary the devil soon catched hold on me, and led me into by-paths and into dark holes and Corners of the earth, and upon the hills and mountains of imagination until I was bewildered, and I went I knew not whither stumbling and falling, sometimes on the right hand and sometimes on the left, and sometimes, as it were, going quite back again into the bondage of Corruptions, to wit the open pollutions of the world, out of which the Lord had redeemed me; yet in all my backslidings the Lord would not leave me, but followed me with his judgements and often filled my soul with terror and anguish: but my will, being got out into liberty, would not be bridled, but hardened my heart, and went on in stifneckedness and rebellion against the Lord, and would have none of his reproofs: where upon in process of time the people of the Lord, with whom I had walked and had union and comunion with, disowned me, and publicly declared against me: which was such a heavy stroke, that it struck me almost to death: for several days and nights together I was as once benumbed in his senses or as one past feeling: for I was neither sensible of joy nor Sorrow. But when I recovered myself, I considered their proceed against me, and, judging them to be unjust, I gathered up all the strong proofs and arguments that I could get against them, and away I went to the men's meetings to Vindicate myself, and to prove them transgressors, and so to acquit myself: thus I went time after time from one meeting to another; and from one particular friend to another, and spoke and wrote, but all would not do; no satisfaction could I have; which increased my trouble and filled my heart with a multitude of thoughts; and how to get ease I knew not. In this turmoil of spirit I fell to writing and wrote that book signed Christodulus Eccleston, which book I now disown and testify against; and the spirit that gave it forth, Let the matter contained in it be what it will, as given forth by that Spirit that is out of the faith, which works by love, which is the bond of peace; and therefore, in the faith which works by Love, it is judged and condemned to be good for nothing, but for to stir up envy and discord, and to beget prejudice, and to nourish and strengthen the same. And therefore I desire all friends and people, who have any of them in their Custody, or afterward shall come into their hands to make them null and void. And when this book was made public still I had no satisfaction, but remained in great trouble, and was tumbled and tossed up and down, and sometimes ran into extravagancy amongst extravagant company, and then judgement and terror would lay hold on me, and shame would cover my face, in so much that once above all the rest the terror and wrath of the almighty was so heavy upon me, that I knew not what to do, nor where to wind myself, for no quietness, nor rest I could have night nor day, and death was often presented before me, and what a woeful portion I should have, if the Lord should take me off the earth, in that Condition; which made me Cry within myself, Lord what shall I do? And this was the answer. Do no evil, Commit no sin; And at that time, I made a promise to God, that I would take heed to my ways, and walk more Circumspectly before him, so that this begat an awe in me, so that I durst not run into such customs, but was more watchful over my ways; and here I had some peace and quietness of mind; but still sorrow pursued me, and I walked with a bowed down Spirit, so that I was made very sensible of my great loss; for I felt no such living refreshments and comforts issuing into my soul, as formerly I had, and I was also made sensible, that this my loss came through my disobedience, and my being separated from the Lords people, and my neglect in waiting upon God: Then there arose longing desires in me, that I might once more enjoy the privelidg that I once had, to wit Union with the Lords people, and to wait upon God; But than friends public declaration against me, appeared such a great block in my way, that I could not step over it, but I made a promise to God, that, if ever he would give me another opportunity to make up the breach between us, I would in no case obstruct or hinder it, and a belief was begotten in me that God would work out my way for me: so I waited in my longing desires and hope to see the fulfilling of my belief and in God's due time he did give me another opportunity. For according to his good pleasure George Fox came to town, who, like a tender and loving father who amongst his Children is willing to accept the least submission from a wilful Child, took the stumbling block out of my way, and made my way plain, so that I might go and set down with the Lords people and wait upon God: in which state I now am, waiting upon God for the resurrection of my first Love; Everlasting praises and thanks be unto his name forever, who has once more plucked my feet out of the mire, and set me in the right way, wherein I should walk.  
And now in the sense of the springings up of the love of God in my soul, do I call unto all you males and females, who have been convinced, and have believed the truth as it is in jesus, and have been put to flight, either in the winter season, or on the sabbath day, and have erred and gone astray from the way of the Lord, and are wandering in the dark holes and corners, and by-paths of strife and envy, amongst the hills and mountains of Imaginations, crying out the glory and power of God is lost, but that he will reveal and make it manifest in ages and generations to come: The man Moses is lost, and gone out of your sight, and you have made you Gods of gold and of silver to go before you, which can neither save nor deliver you, but you are Lost up and down by the will of your old adversary the devil. Come, cast away your Idols of gold and of silver, to the moules and to the bats, for of a truth the glory and power of God is risen, but, in the dark holes and corners and by-paths of strife and discord, you cannot see it: therefore is my call unto you, that you would stand still and be quiet, and incline your hearts diligently, and see if you cannot hear the voice of him that Cries behind, this is the way; and if you hear it, though it be never so small and low, turn your faces towards it and follow it, of a certain it will lead you home to your tents where you may set down in quietness and stillness and cease from your toil and travel, which you have while you are among the hills and mountains of your Imaginations, where there is nothing but barrenness and leanness of soul: and so keeping at home in quietness and stillness, you will feel and see the glorious powerful arm of the Lord God reaching forth towards the judging, and subduing your enemies under your feet, and to strengthen and renew a right Spirit in you, and so you will come to live in the sense of the Love of God springing again up in your souls, and so your souls will come to be fed and nourished with bread from heaven, Therefore come away be no longer stragglers and lingrers behind but follow him who is the good shepherd who though he has hundreds of sheep and loses but one, he will go into the mountains to seek him, and if he find him he will lay him on his shoulders and bring him home and fold him among his lambs, but if you will run on and will not stand still to hear his voice, and follow him then will you die and perish forever in your gain sayings, Therefore as you tender the good and welfare of your Immortal souls be quiet, and stand still, and let the power of the Lord God work its effects in you, and bring you home to himself that you may enjoy everlasting rest and peace with him, which is the desire of my soul, who am your friend  
JOHN DANKS. Written in the 4 Month. 1680.   
FINIS.