action before life thereby to attain life and so we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them and this is ordained of God to be the fruit of our life and faith and in these good works we walk to his glory and depends upon him alone for the renewing of our strength to continue in them unto the end Q. But how do you manifest your good works which you say are ordained of God for you to walk in A. By our faith we manifest them and the manifestation doth clearly demonstrate the nature and root to be of God in which they are created and the nature and root in which they are created being of God they must needs be good and so they are good works as being of God and of God ordained that we should walk in them and that of God in every conscience bears witness to the same so that we know all our works to be wrought by him in us and for us and we do walk in them who are born of him and he alone hath the glory though the natural man perceiveth not from whence they are nor whither they goe Q. And is it your faith and love towards God that makes you such a willing people to serve God and to do his will A. Yes it is so for the day of his power hath overcome us and therein he hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and in him our faith and love is encreased and strengthened to run without weariness for in his life we have motion and action whereby we are willingly disposed to serve him and to do his will Q. But how do you know all these things you act and do are the commands of God and according to his will A. By the word of his power in us through which we are made sensible of all his commands unto us for as we are born of him so we know his voice and by his word we are instructed in his commands and thereby put upon motion to act and do them and in our duty he gives us his peace by which we know that all those things which we act and do are his commands unto us and according to his will Q. But are you so constrained through your faith and love towards God as to answer him in all things that he commands you A. Yes for if we should say we love him and do not keep his commands we should be lyars but we do so love him and our faith is so stedfast in him as that we are thereby constrained to keep his commands in all things for it is natural unto his own birth to delight to do his will and to do whatsoever he commandeth and hereby we know that his love is perfected in us and our faith and love is single unto him and as his good will is manifested unto ns even so is our hearts disposed in good will towards all men Q. What good will have you to such as you judge and condemn because they are not like-minded with you A. Much every way for that which we judge and condemn in any is only that spirit which wrongs them by which our good will is manifested unto that which suffers wrong and this is our judgment according to truth and knowing that the judgment of the Lord is according to truth and having felt it so in our selves through the condemnation of sin in the flesh we judg sin in the flesh in whomsoever it reigns that sin in the flesh may be condemned and they in the spirit may be justified and herein we manifest the universal love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts in which our good will extendeth unto all men Q. And is that the love with which you love your enemies A. Yes for as God had pity upon us in the day of our alienation from him and followed us with many tender visitations and also many righteous judgments even so we know that he would not have a sinner to perish and in this love we labour for the good of all people and it is the greatest manifestation of love to an enemy when his destruction is not sought but rather a condescending to recover him out of the state of his enmity into a state of reconciliation and peace and we know that there is none that are enemies unto us but they are enemies unto God and crucifies his life in themselves and therefore our love is in pity towards them though they be enemies unto us knowing that they cannot have peace with God whilst in that state they remain Q. And are you so disposed towards your enemies as that you cannot seek rerevenge when they do you wrong A. Yes that is the disposition of our nature not to seek revenge though we do suffer wrong for the revenging nature is in the fall in which people are enemies unto God and one to another but it is not so with us whom God hath redeemed for though we may have many enemies yet we are not enemies unto any though in the power of God by which we are redeemed we do bear testimony against the evil and the sin and that spirit in us doth not seek after revenge but in all long-suffering and patience we bear the enmity of our enemies and waits to see their conversion out of the enmity whereby our good will is manifested in love to their souls Q. But are you not the cause of the sufferings that comes upon you as being contrary minded unto all other people and so are enemies to your selves A. Nay the cause of our sufferings are not from our selves but from that spirit which cannot bear our testimony which God hath given us which testimony being contrary unto the actings and workings of the spirit of darkness it provokes the minds of such in whom it ruleth to enmity against us and that is the ground why sufferings comes upon us and we are clear for being enemies unto our selves in it as having our faith and love towards God in those things for which we suffer Q. But why can you not be conformable unto those things which other people observe and practice outwardly and yet keep your Faith and love towards God inwardly and so have your Faith to your selves A. Because we dare not deny or own that outwardly which God doth manifest to us inwardly either to be truth or out of the truth for so we should deny our Faith and love towards him every way and it is not possible that any should keep Faith and love to God inwardly and conforme to any practice outwardly which is contrary to their inward principle for as the body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also and they that have Faith to themselves in the power of God they also have Faith in him to serve him in works of truth and righteousness and so we shew
this is to be observed that where there is no testimony there is no persecution for if the birth of the flesh can be answered in its way and not testified against it will not persecute because it is answered by its own nature and it is against its nature to persecute its self and so it is that the world loves its own and hates such as are not of it and persecutes them Q. And doth not God answer all such as are faithful in their testimony with peace and joy A. Yes he is their strength and exceeding great reward and they have much peace in him and fulness of joy in his presence Q. Why do not such as are born of the seed of God revenge themselves upon their adversaries when they may have opportunities A. Because revenge is contrary to their nature for they are born of the peaceable nature of Christ in which they love their enemies and bears good will to all men and so they lye down in the will of God and gives their back to the smiters and cannot resist nor revenge but are ready to do good to those that hates them and persecutes them not rendring evil for evil but overcoms the evil with good and herein it is manifest that they are born of God and knoweth God and so commits their cause unto him as unto a faithful creator Q. But are not such people in great bondage through outward sufferings and afflictions and is not their suffering grievous unto them A. As to their bodies they are in much bondage and sufferings but they have inward liberty in God and are the freest of all people and they count their outward afflictions but light in comparison of their inward joy and glory for they are the living babes out of whose mouths God perfects his praise and this is the change wrought in man by the mighty power of God in which power the everlasting kingdome is known and the riches of it inherited in which the babes sits down rejoycing in the midst of outward tribulations and they learn the new songs and sings them with new tongues with which they magnifie the Lamb that lives for ever and ever Even so Amen Glory be to the most high over all Something concerning the Foundation and Principle of the poor afflicted people of God called QUAKERS Quest VVHat is the ground and foundation which you that are called Quakers do lay to your selves as the principle of your Religion A. sw Our ground and foundation is Jesus Christ who is the only begotten of the Father and God hath layed it for us and not we to our selves and it is a sure foundation in it self and also sure unto us as being layd of God for us and this is the foundation and principle of our Religion Q. Where do you hold forth this foundation to be laid which you say is laid God for you A. It is laid of God within us and the rock of our safety and so we hold forth to be a sure foundation as knowing the strength and power of it which defends it self that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it nor against us that stand stedfast upon it Q. How do you manifest this inward foundation which you say is Christ to be the true and only foundation which God hath laid A. From the feeling that we have of it by which we know that it is sure in us and from that sure and certain knowledge which we have of it in the feeling we manifest it from its own nature and being unto its own nature and being in others Q. What is the nature and being of it A. It is unchangeable in light life power wisdom and glory full of all goodness virtue and mercy and in its nature and being is unmoveable Q. How do you manifest it to be the only foundation and that there is not another A. From the unchangeableness of its own nature and being for wee know that God doth not lay any visible or changable things for a foundation but that which is of himselfe within and is invinsible to the natural eye and unchangable in its own nature that is the foundation which God layeth and wee know no man can lay another Q. And is that which is within you the only foundation upon which you stand and the principle of your Religion A. That of God within us is so for we know it is Christ and being Christ it must needs be onely and principal for that which is onely admits not of another and that which is principal is greatest in being and thus we know Christ in us to be unto us the onely and principal who was before all things and in whom all things consist Q. But doe you hold that this foundation and principle within you is sufficient to give eternal life A. Yes we doe so for as we know that it is Christ in us so we also know the eternal life which is in him and that he is sufficient to give eternal life from his own fulness unto as many as receives him in the gift of his grace manifest within them Q. How came you to the knowledge of that foundation and principle which you say is within you A. By the light which is manifest from it that in our hearts gives us the light of the knowledge of it Q. How doe you know that it is a true light which gives you such a knowledg A. By the operation and effects of it Q. How doth it operate unto such a knowledge A. By the strength of its power in us whereby that knowledge which was gained through comprehending comes to decay and dye and a loss comes upon all that which hath any way been fetched in by the motion of the earthly wisdome Q. And doth it effect such a thing in you by its operation A. Yes it worketh effectually in us to the crucifying of that nature which hath rebelled against God Q. Doth it operate unto such effects in you without Faith A. Nay for it is the foundation and principle of our faith and as our Faith stands in it we know the operation and effects of it by our Fath and in this Faith we please God because we believe that by his power in us he is able to subdue all things to himself Q. How come you to receive this Faith A. By yeilding our selves to the manifestation of the light whereby we come to be drawn and gathered into the nature of it and so receives Faith in it as the gift of God Q. But have you not some Faith in it before you yeild your selves unto it A. We have a perswasion wrought in us that it is of God and so yeilds our selves unto it as being perswaded that it is truth and by yeilding our selves unto it and receiving of it in its manifestation we thereby come into union with it and knowes it to be the author and finisher of our Faith Q. And doth that Faith give you assurance of eternal life
we in it and so be put out of all doubts and questions in the reasonings concerning us and receive satisfaction in all things that pertaine unto us in life and godliness in which our Religion is pure holy and undefiled and was before unholiness or unrighteousness was and will remaine in iâ—s purity vvhen years shall pass avvay and be no more and this is the meaning of our doctrin to bring people to the everlasting word of God in themselves that they may come into rest and peace in the pure Religion where God is known in his loves grace and riches of mercy Q. If your Faith give you such assurance of your principle and Religion to be true and right then why cannot you defend it by force and so free your selves from that outward bondage which you suffer for your Religion A. Our Faith doth give us such an assurance but yet we cannot strive with our opposers and oppressours nor any way by force of carnal weapons seek to defend it for we know that it is sufficient to defend it self also to defend us that live in it and our weapons are Spiritual and not carnal we fight the good fight of Faith in the power of the Prince of peace and so we war against sin but followes peace with all men and can be ready in every office of love to doe good to our greatest enemies and herein we have been sufficiently proved to be a peacable people under every power by which we have or doe suffer and we have never resisted nor sought revenge upon any but in all things commits our cause unto God in whose sight we stand approved and he knows that as we are in words or appearance even so we are the same in heart and unto his judgement and tryall we appeale in our innocency and the principle of his life in every one doth bear witness for us and all that hearken unto it will receive a true evidence in themselves concerning our innocent and peaceable life Q. And doe you refer your tryal in all things to your own principle in others which you say is Christ the light and life and witness of God A. Yes We doe so for as we know that all judgement in heaven and earth is committed unto Christ so we know that there is not another that can truly try or judge of us besides him and therefore we have boldness to refer our tryal in all things unto him alone as knowing that his tryal and judgement is according to truth in every man and as our Faith is in him and our love unto him so we know that he will not condemne the works of his own hands but justifie the fruit of his own life power and virtue and his tryal and judgement will clearly evidence for us that we are his and not our own Confession It may now be perceived that you do not hold or maintain the things that you do to be from your selves or in your own wills but from Christ the foundation and principle A. Yes it is plainly so for of our selves we can do nothing but through Christ in whom vve have our strength vve are able to do all things so that our sufficiency is in him alone and by his power in us all our good works are wrought for us and unto him they all return that he in all things may have the preheminence and the glory for ever Resolved It being so there is no good ground why you should be called in question or any way suffer for your Faith and Religion seeing that what you do is from the power of Christ and his works are not to be denyed by any nor you to suffer in any case for the faith you have in him and the love you have to him and seeing that you deny your selves in what you do which many hitherto have thought you did not and that you are willing to be tryed and Judged according to the Judgment of truth in Christ you ought not in any wise to suffer by any other Tryal or Judgment whatsoever and all sober moderate people may be well satisfied with this Demonstration that your principle is of God and that your faith and love is unto God and your good will unto all men and none need not any farther stand in doubt of the truth of it but may be fully perswaded that you have Salvation and Eternal life by Jesus Christ which may overcome all that are yet contrary minded unto you to joyne with your principle that they may be of your Faith and Religion who are a people that loves God so singly and lives amongst men so peaceably which indeed doth clearly manifest your principle and Religion to be of God W. S. THE END A manifestation of Prayer in Formality and Prayer in the Spirit of God IT hath been a common Observation through Ages and Generations to perform something as a duty unto God by way of Prayer this common observation hath descended from one generation to another ever since the Apostacy entred in a customary and formal way still observing the practice in words and continuing the same as a duty unto God in the same manner and form not at all regarding or considering the present want or necessity of the present Age or Generation nor the present states and conditions of particular people but praying in the same Words and in the same Form from time to time and from generation to generation and so it flows as a natural stream in a common and customary practice from one generation to another and hence it is that people continue asking but do not receive because they ask amiss not feeling the Spirit that makes intercession And so the Pharisees made long prayers but received the greater damnation because they prayed not in the Spirit but in the customary formality which by the Spirit was condemned And it is very sad that people should all their life-time be complaining and asking and never come to receive satisfaction And this is the common way of Prayer in this present generation who have many prayers in formed words and with their mouths do often repeat them and in the formality make a practice of them and so at set-times and in set-prayers spend away their dayes but feel not the Lord nor his goodness And this common way of Prayer now used in the common Worship never brings people to obtain but keeps them alwayes asking where in answer to the Commandments they pray no this wise Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law and write all these thy Laws in our hearts we beseech thee Now if they would encline their hearts to the Spirit of God in themselves and obey it then the Spirit would encline their hearts to keep God's Law and the Spirit would write his Law in their hearts and put it into their inward parts and it would keep them that they should not depart from it and there they would feel