is our only Mediator and Advocate and as he was and is God over all blessed for ever whom he so dearly loved and honoured that he often offered up his Life and deeply suffered for him and that in dear and constant Love to his Seed that a holy Generation might be raised strengthned and increased in the Earth among the Children of Men. And his knowledge and Ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ being after the Spirit in Life and Power did no ways imply any lessening of the Dignity or Glory of Christ nor any defect of Faith or Love to Christ as he came and suffered in the Flesh for Mankind as some Adversaries have injuriously misrepresented and aspersed him for he highly esteemed Christ's Sufferings Death Resurrection and Glory and powerfully testified of the Vertue Power blessed and spirtual Design Fruit and Effects thereof as revealed and witnessed by his Holy Spirit And as we have no cause to question but as with this innocent and good Man to live was Christ so to die was Gain in both which he glorified God Christ Jesus being our Spiritual Rock Foundation and Head he is truly precious to us and all true Believers in all States and Conditions both of his Humiliation Glory and Dominion his great Grace and Goodness appearing in those precious Ministerial Gifts given by him when he ascended up on high for his Ministry and Church And 't is very observable that though to express Christ's Lowly Condition and Appearance in the World He is sometimes in Holy Scripture termed the Seed His Name is also called Wonderful Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Upon whose Shoulders the Government is laid And of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end Isaiah 9. And 't is most suitable to Christ's low humble and suffering Condition to make use of such Instruments as are most like himself in Humility and Lowliness of Mind although they be but low and mean in the World's Eye and Esteem God is pleased to make choice of low mean and weak things and of Instruments contemptible in the Eyes of the high and lofty ones of this World to confound the Wisdom of the World according to 1 Cor 1. He chose poor Shepherds to divulge that great Evangelical Truth of Christ's Birth and certain Women to preach that Gospel-Truth of his Resurrection Luke 2. 24. And both from Angelical Testimony as well as from their sight of Christ himself Truth must not be rejected because of such Instruments which God in his Wisdom is pleased to employ in his Work nor the Day of small things despised From small Beginnings of good Matters great Things glorious Attainments and Perfections do spring Glory Honour and Dominion to our most Gracious God and to the Lamb on his Throne for ever and ever Now dear and well-beloved Friends all live in Love and Peace following the true Faith peaceable and good Example of the Faithful in Christ and the God of Love and Peace will be with you Your true Friend and Brother In CHRIST JESUS George Whitehead London 1698. A COLLECTION Of many Select Epistles to Friends OF THAT Ancient Eminent and Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ GEORGE FOX A Testimony how the Lord sent G.F. forth at first in the Year 1643. WHEN the Lord first sent me forth in the Year 1643. The Year when the Lord first sent G.F. forth to declare his Truth I was sent as an Innocent Lamb and Young in Years amongst Men in the Nature of Wolves Dogs Bears Lions and Tigres into the World which the Devil had made like a Wilderness no right Way then found out of it And I was sent To Turn People from Darkness to the Light which Christ the Second Adam did Enlighten them withal that so they might see Christ their Way to God with the Spirit of God which he doth pour upon all Flesh that with it they might have an Understanding to know the Things of God and to know him and his Son Jesus Christ which is Eternal Life and so might worship and serve the Living God their Maker and Creator who takes Care for all who is Lord of all and with the Light and Spirit of God they might know the Scriptures which were given forth from the Spirit of God in the Saints and Holy Men and Women of God And when many began to be turned to the Light which is the Life in Christ and the Spirit of God which gave them an Understanding and had found the Path of the Just the Shining Light then did the Wolves Dogs Dragons Bears Lions Tigres Wild Beasts and Birds of Prey make a Roaring and a Screeching Noise against the Lambs Sheep Doves and Children of Christ and were ready to devour them and me and to tear us to pieces But the Lord's Arm and Power did preserve me though many times I was in Danger of my Life and very often cast into Dungeons and Prisons and haled before Magistrates But all things did work together for good And the more I was cast into outward Prisons the more People came out of their Spiritual and Inward Prison through the Preaching of the Gospel But the Priests and Professors were in such a great Rage and made the Rude and Profane People in such a Fury that I could hardly walk in the Streets or go in the High-ways but they were ready oft-times to do me a Mischief But Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and in the Earth did so restrain and limit them with his Power that my Life was preserved though many times I was near killed Oh! the Burdens and Travels that I went under Often my Life prest down under the Spirits of Professors and Teachers without Life and the Profane And besides the Troubles afterwards with Backsliders Apostates and false Brethren which were like so many Judas's in betraying the Truth and God's Faithful and Chosen Seed and causing the Way of Truth to be evil spoken of But the Lord blasted wasted and confounded them so that none did stand long for the Lord did either destroy them or bring them to nought and his Truth did flourish and his People in it to the Praise of God who is the Revenger of his Chosen G. F. Concerning the first Spreading of the Truth and how that many were Imprisoned c. AND the Truth sprang up first to us as to be a People to the Lord in Leicestershire in 1644. and in Warwickshire in 1645. and in Nottinghamshire in 1646. and in Darbyshire in 1647. and in the adjacent Countries in 1648. 1649. and 1650. and in Yorkshire in 1651. and in Lancashire and Westmorland in 1652. and in Cumberland and Bishoprick and Northumberland in 1653. and in London and most parts of the Nation of England and Scotland and Ireland in 1654. c. And in 1655. many went beyond Seas where Truth also sprang up And in 1656. Truth brake forth in America and many other places And
People Glory to his Name for ever Amen Great Persecutions are in most Counties in England and may are imprisoned in many Places and their Goods spoiled and we had a very large Yearly Meeting here and very Peaceable and Quiet And the Lord's Power and Presence was richly manifest in our Meetings and the Lord wonderfully supports Friends in all their Trials and Sufferings and Friends generally are in much Love and Vnity one with another Now Friends we desire that at your Quarterly Meeting you may write over an Epistle to the Yearly Meeting in London of the Affairs of the Church of Christ and the Prosperity and the spreading of his Truth there for we had a large Epistle from the Half Year Meeting in Ireland which declares that Friends were all in Vnity there and likewise and Account was given from Scotland that Friends were in Vnity there Account from divers parts of Friends Love c. and likewise an Epistle was read in our Yearly Meeting here from the Yearly Meeting in Holland which gives an Account that Friends are in Love and Vnity there and in Freezland Germany and other places but at Embden and Dantzick they are under great Persecution and we have lately a new Meeting set up beyond Holland who have been under much Suffexings and Persecutions but they stand faithful so the Lord. And at Algier in the Turks Country Friends there have set up a Meeting amongst themselves which are Captives about Twenty Friends A Meeting of Captive Friends at Algier and some other of the Captives have been Convinced at that Meeting And one Thomas Tilby a Captive Friend hath a Testimony for God and speaks there among them and their Patroons or Masters lets them meet and one of their Masters spoke to a Friend as he was going to a Meeting and thought he had been going to a publick Tipling House and he stop'd him and ask'd him whether he was going and he told him to Worship the Great God and he said it was well and let him go and some of the Turks said They had some among them of their People that would not buy Stolen Goods I have written a large Epistle to them to incourage them and that they might Preach the Gospel abroad in those Parts both in their Words Lives and Conversations and this Meeting there among the Turds may be of great service And now Friends all be careful of God's Glory and seek the good one of another and strive all to be of one Mind and Heart and that the Peace and gentle Wisdom of God may order you all And be curteous and kind and tender-hearted one to another and so the Lord God Almighty in his Holy Spirit preserve you all in Vnity and Fellowship one with another Amen And Friends you may send a Copy of this to the Caribbe Islands to be read in their Quarterly Meetings and you may read it in your own G. F. DEar Friends Epist 316. All that feels the Life and Power and Spirit of the Living God who are made alive by Christ Jesus the living heavenly and spiritual Man and sp are come to feed upon the Heavenly and Spiritual Things which Christ your Shepherd directs you to according to your Capacity Age and Growth and so to know him that God has sent to Feed you above all the Feeders that Men have sent To look to Jesus Therefore look unto him who with his Net which is his Power hath gathered you out of this great Sea the World And now do not build like the Fools upon the Sand of the Sea-shore but upon the Rock and Foundation which is Christ the Life that will stand over Death Tempests Winds and Storms and so looking unto Jesus that is your Saviour that has saved you out of the Flood you may walk upon the World's Sea looking unto him that will finish it and so in truth you can say Faith is your Victory this is your Victory even your Faith that Jesus has been the Author of the heavenly and spiritual Man And Faith comes by hearing of the Word by which all things was made and created and by which all things are upheld which lives and abides and indures for ever which Word was in the beginning with God and God was the Word which Word became Flesh and dwelt among us who beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only begotten Son of God who is risen whom you come now to hear and see and not only so but come to be made partakers of his Glory and of his Resurrection from the Dead So blessed are they They are blessed who have a part in the first Resurrection and you that comes to have part in the first Resurrection that on you the second Death may have no power and such as doth they know a dying to Sin here and putting off the Body of Sin and Death and a crucifying the Old Man with his Affections and Lusts and a putting him off and to be dead from the Rudiments of the World And so they that die with Christ shall live with him and they that are risen with Christ can never touch taste nor handle the Doctrines Commandments and dead Rudiments of Men of the World but let such put on the New Man which after the Image of God is created in Righteousness and Holiness and such comes to live in Christ and walk in him and have their part or lott in the first Resurrection in Christ Jesus and the second Death hath no power over them but they live in him that hath Power over Death Hell and the Grave and over the Devil and the Power of Death Christ Jesus who was before he was the First and Last but they that will not believe in Christ the Resurrection and the Life are for Condemnation with the Devil Hell and Death which is to be cast into the Lake of Fire and over such the second Death hath Power And therefore all that comes out of Death and partake of the first Resurrection and know that they have been Dead in Sins and Trespasses and are quickned by Christ Jesus and know a living here in Christ and a dying here with Christ while upon the Earth for John spake it whilst he was upon the Earth the second Death shall have no power over them and they that does not the second Death hath power over them which as I said before must be cast into the Lake of Fire that burns with Brimstone and such has not the Blessing as they in the first Resurrection but the Curse Wo and Misery And therefore all you who are the first Fruits to God in the Resurrection by Jesus Christ and who know him the Resurrection and the Life and are translated from Darkness to Light and into the Kingdom of his dear Son that stands in Righteousness and Holiness and Joy in the Holy Ghost that you may shew forth righteous and holy Fruits so that you may glorifie God the Father of our
5. Now all Women may here consider what is to be the Practice of such Women that profess Godliness and trust in God their Adorning is the hidden Man of the Heart which is Incorruptible and their Ornament is to of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price but those Women whose outward Adorning is with broidered and plaited Heir and Gold and Pearls and Costly Array these have not the modest Apparrel which become Modest Sober Shamefaced Women that profess Godliness with good Works but such as are Unsober and Immodest such as look upon such things to become them are cloathed with corruptible and unquiet Spirits that do not possest Godliness with good Works and these outward Ornaments as plaiting and broidering the Hair and wearing of Gold and Pearls and Costly Array the Apostle saith Do not become Women professing Godliness with good Works but them that do not profess Godliness that are Shameless and Unsober they may become such Women that do not trust in God their proud Spirit may lead them to adorn themselves with such things as is said before which the Apostle forbids but the holy Women of God which professed Godliness with good Works and trusted in God adorned themselves not with plaiting the Hair or wearing of Gold or Pearls or Costly Array but with the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price And now consider also you Women that profess Godliness and go under the name of Holy Women who trust in God see that your selves and your Children and all your young Women are Adorned and Arrayed and have on this Ornament as the Apostle wills the Church of Christ to put on as the holy Women did of old and be not of an unmeek and unquiet Spirit and unsober and immodest when you are admonished and exhorted nor act contrary to the holy Women of old that trusted in God and such as professed Godliness according to the Apostles Doctrine And here you may see what care the Apostles had to keep the Saints the Church of Christ their Eyes Minds and Spirits above the wearing of Gold plaiting their Hair and Pearls and Costly Apparrel which is the Glory of this World which the holy Women that trusted in God and professed Godliness with good Works these things were not to be their Adorning nor Ornaments but as is said before the hidden Man of the Heart which was not Corrupt even the meek and quiet Spirit which is with the Lord of great price And this ought to be and is the Adorning and Ornament of all the holy Women that profess Godliness with good Works and trust in God And all you that have been Convinced of the Lord's Truth by his Spirit To refuse the Glory of the World take heed of Satan taking you up into a Mountain and of his shewing you the Glory of the World and of your Minds and Eyes going after it and receiving of it and so in that you fall from the Spirit and Truth of God that did Convince you and then to worship the Devil the King of Pride the God of the World that abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth and he to lead your Minds and Eyes after every new vain Fashion of the World that passeth away and that lieth in wickedness and so draweth you to the Love of the World which is Enmity to God and into the Wisdom of the World by which ye do not know God and then to such the Gospel of Life and Salvation is hid in whom the God of this World hath blinded their Minds and in such disobedient Ones the Prince of the Air rules and gets into them by disobeying the Truth and in such Christ doth not rule in their Hearts by Faith And it is not like when they make Shipwreck of it and a good Conscience And therefore walk in the Light of Christ and grow in his Grace and the Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that bruises the Serpent's Head and destroys the Devil and his Works that you may all be established upon Christ the Rock and Foundation And if ye do believe in the Covenant of Light Life and Grace then why do not you all train up your Children in the same To Train up our Children n the Coveant of Grace Did not the Lord command the Jews to train up their Children in the Old Covenant and teach them to walk in it And were not all the Males to be Circumcised And they that were not Circumcised were to be cut off from the Congregation of the Lord So are not all you that profess the New Covenant of Grace Light and Life and the Gospel of Salvation preached to every Creature and the Grace of God which brings Salvation that hath appeared unto all Men to teach them to live Godly and to deny Ungodliness c. I say are not you all to train up your Children and Families in this Light of the Gospel and Grace of Christ which brings Salvation and brings them into favour with God that you may have the Comfort of your Children in this World and in that which is Everlasting And that they may be Circumcised with the Spirit of God which he poureth out upon all Flesh that with his Spiritual Circumcision the Body of Death and Sins of the Flesh may be cut off which are come into Man and Woman by Transgression that neither you nor they might dye in the Body of Death and in the Sins of the Flesh and such do not dye in the Lord for they that are not Circumcised with the Spiritual Circumcision are cut off from the heavenly Jerusalem and the Kingdom of God and Christ and from the Church of the Living God written in Heaven And therefore if you will have the Comfort of your Children in this World and that which is to come train them up in the Fear of God and in his Covenant of Light and Grace which Grace brings their Salvation and brings them into Favour with God and into the Spiritual Baptism and Circumcision so that they may serve and worship the Living God in his Spirit and Truth Amen And if Children and young People must be left and let alone to themselves and not be Admonished Exhorted and Restrained from the Evil and Vanities of the World then why did Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles which were sent of God exhort the People to train up their Children in the Fear of the Lord and to teach them his Law while they were young that they might not depart from it when they were old And if that they did the Lord did judge them as ye may read in the Scriptures of Truth and if that they must be left to themselves and not restrained from Evil then how came it to pass that old Ely lost his Life and his Priesthood Ely
I say unto you the Hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live John 5.25 Christ saying The Hour cometh and now is that the Dead should hear his Voice So that they past from the Death that came by Adam into Everlasting Life in Christ Jesus See Ephes 2.1 2. And so they thanked God through Jesus Christ who gave them the Victory over Death and Sin Death's Sting so as it is written Death is swallowed up in Victory For Christ as I said before makes an End of Sin that is the Sting of Death and through Death destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death So thanks be to God through and by Christ Jesus we have the Victory unto Everlasting Life over the Grave Death and its Sting And the Apostle saith Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption And Christ saith Except a Man be born of the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God neither can he enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15.50 John 3.3 5. And Christ saith He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but is past from Death to Life John 5.24 And he that believeth not is condemned already And he that believeth on the Son of God shall not perish but have eternal Life And again God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3.15 16 18. Now this Death which Adam fell into was a spiritual Death for by one Man's Disobedience or Offence namely Adam Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation So all Men are under this Judgment and Condemnation in Adam in the Fall Even so by the Righteousness of one namely Christ the free Gift came upon all Men unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 19. So they that do not believe in Christ They who believe not in Christ abide in Death c. the Light as he Commands John 12.36 they abide in spiritual Death and Darkness and under the Judgment and Condemnation in Adam in the Fall in the perishing state But he that believeth on the Son of God hath Everlasting Life and passeth from Death to Life and shall not perish in Darkness and is not condemned but comes out of Condemnation c. But he that believeth not in the Son of God is condemned and shall not see Life and the Wrath of God abideth on him Such abide in the perishing state in the Death and Darkness in Adam in the Fall under Judgment and Condemnation But they that believe in Christ the Light do come out of Darkness and passes from Death to Life and come from under Judgment and Condemnation that came upon all Men by the Offence of one Man Adam and come from under the Wrath of God and from under Judgment and Condemnation into Favour with God and into Eternal and Everlasting Life in Christ Jesus and so have Victory over Death Darkness and Sin its Sting and the perishing State and the Grave of Adam in the Fall from Life Eternal and so are blessed that have part in the first Resurrection in Christ Jesus On such the second Death shall have no Power for they are in Christ Jesus the Resurrection and Eternal Everlasting Life and their Names are written in the Book of Life who destroys Death and Hell and the Devil the Power of Death Revel 20.10 14 15. And casts the Devil Death and Hell into the Lake of Fire that burns with Brimstone which is the second Death And The last Enemy that shall b destroyed is Death as the Apostle saith The last Enemy that shall be destroyed is Death But as it is written in Hos 13.14 Death is swallowed up into Victory For by Man namely Adam came Death and by Man namely Christ came also the Resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all died even so in Christ shall all be made alive So as by the one Man Adam Sin and Death came over all and by the Man Christ Life cometh over all And by Nature we are born of Adam and in Christ we are made the Children of God by Grace in Christ and quickened and made alive and restored to Life Everlasting by him And Christ who puts all things under his Feet he subdues Death under him who through Death destroys Death the last Enemy and the Devil the Power of Death and so makes an End of Sin the Sting of Death and brings in Everlasting Righteousness And in the way of Righteousness is Life and in the Path-way there is no Death The Law of the wise is a Fountain of Life to depart from the Snares of Death Prov. 12.28 13.14 The Lord saith Behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind But be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create For behold I create Jerusalem a Rejoycing and her People a Joy And I will Rejoyce in Jerusalem and Joy in my People and the Voice of Weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the Voice of Crying Isa 65.17 18. And Peter saith in his General Epistle to the Church We according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Pet. 3.13 And John saith I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth Of New Heavens and the New Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more a Sea And I John saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband And I heard a great Voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his People and God shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death mark no more Death in new Jerusalem neither Sorrow nor Crying neither shall there be any more Pain For the former things are passed away And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new And he said unto me Write for these things are true and faithful And he said unto me It is done I am Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son Rev. 21.1 to the 8th Jerusalem which is below is in Bondage with her Children but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all which believe in the Light in Christ And in this New and Heavenly Jerusalem there
Sacrifice who is the End of the Levitical Priesthood he is the End of all outward Temples who is the Substance of the Prophets for they all witnessed of him He is Ascended above all Principalities and Powers Now to all Dear Ones the same Seed which is Christ the same Spirit is now manifest as ever was the same World is now as ever was the same Temptations and the same Devil and the same vain Worship of the World twining into another Form and Colour And Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life the Door that all must pass through and he it is that opens it the same Door that ever was the same Christ yesterday to day and for ever And all who follow Christ the Seed and are of his Generation and are brought out of Egypt the House of Darkness and from under the Law the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in them who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit as the Apostle saith which we do witness And the Seed's Generation hath passed thro' the Wilderness Temptations in the Wilderness where they have been tempted to Lust after the Creature Ye that have been in the Wilderness can witness this with me and the same Temptations even to Despair and to make themselves away The Devil before he would go out of his Kingdom he would destroy all But look at the Captain Jesus Christ who hath passed before who was tempted the Captain of our Salvation with the same Temptations to worship the Devil and that if thou wouldest worship the Devil thou shouldest have the Glory of the World if not be called a Devil as Christ was The Glory of the World and be called a Mad-man as he was and that none followed him but a Cursed People as they said And they that worship the Devil gave those Titles to him And thou shalt lose thy good Name and be a Laughing-stock to them that worship the Devil and as a Derision among them and a Mark for every one of them to shoot at and the Drunkards to make Songs of This is the Portion of them who deny the Worship of the World and the Glory and the Favour and the evil Fashions thereof and cannot Fashion themselves to it who are tempted to all these things But it is no Sin to be tempted but standing in the Power of the Almighty God ye will be enabled to stand against and above all the Wiles of Satan So dwell in the Power of Almighty God which carries through the Wilderness and through Temptations to the End and gets the Victory over all the Carnal Ordinances and Commands and Traditions of Men and he that overcomes ascends above them all And he that overcomes shall sit down with Christ in his Throne So every one must witness Christ born in them passing through Death to him through the World through the Law through Temptations through the Wilderness and out of the World and the Son of God ye will witness to arise who doth overcome who was born of God And the same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ the same Spirit raiseth you up and quickeneth your Mortal Bodies and he that hath not the same is none of his So Fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings Examin your selves and see if ye have Fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings and be brought to be Conformable to him in his Death and to have Fellowship with him in his Temptations and Reproaches and Buffetings and Scornings and the Contradiction of Sinners and to be spit upon as he was and he that hath Fellowship with him in his Sufferings shall have Fellowship with him in his Glory And he that doth Confess him in this dark World him will he Confess before his Father and his Angels and he that doth deny him in this World him he will deny before his Father and his Angels in the World to come Now to all you who are Convinced and have your Understandings Enlightned and the Worship of the World doth appear to you to be Contrary to the Worship of God and Christ in Spirit and all the Prophets and Apostles who Worshipped the Living God in Newness of Life Lust not after the Creature in the Second Birth Beware ye enter not into the Temptation to lust after the Creature and give not way to the Lazy Dreaming Mind for it enters into the Temptations So there thou wilt be polluted with the Pollutions of the World then thou wilt be tempted to Despair and the Devil there gets Power upon thee if thou enter into Temptations and follow thy Imaginations in going from the Light of Christ within thee And then thou judgest with evil Thoughts and he will come with his Instruments his evil Angels to tempt thee from God's Worship to the false Worship Temptations to the false Worship or else thou wilt lose thy Credit or good Name or thy Place or thy Authority where thou art except thou wilt bow to him And every one will stare at thee and thou wilt be gazed at and wondered at So if thy Mind go from the Light and out of the Fear of the Lord then thou wilt Consult with Flesh and Blood which must never enter into the Kingdom of God and that Carnal Reason must never enter And then thou wilt take Counsel of the Harlot and so the Eye of thy Mind will be turned out from God and so thou goest under the Power of the Prince of the Air which rules and reigns in the Children of Disobedience and so under the Dominion of Satan And then though thou hast the Praise of the World and the Glory of the World yet disobeying that which should have led thee into the Kingdom of God and from under the Dominion of Satan thy latter End will be worse than thy Beginning The World's Honour And in the World there thou may'st have thy Honour and the fleshly Man is nourished and thy Glory and Renown may grow again among the Fleshly ones who are gone out from God and have disobeyed the Light in them which should have led them from under the Dominion of Satan under whose Dominion they are now up to God where there is Joy Eternal where there are Riches and Glory Eternal and where there is Comfort Eternal whose Kingdom is for ever whose Dominion is an Everlasting Dominion But thou who forsakest the right Way goest into Eternal Destruction Wo Wo is to thee For the love of the World is an Enemy to God and he that loveth the World the love of the Father is not in him And thou who settest thy Hand to the Plough and lookest back art not fit for the Kingdom of God And all who can Witness the Second Birth and are born again The Second Birth know the Promises of God in and to the Seed are Yea and Amen and ye coming out of that which was in Time ye come up to God who was before Time was This is a Mystery
false Ways and Seducers and Deceivers and false Worshippers are out of And Jerusalem's Worshippers Jerusalem's Worshippers c. and Samaria's Worshippers and the Worship that is at the Mountain and the Idolatrous Worfhippers and the Worship of Devils all these are out of the Truth and out of the Spirit that changeth not But who are in the Truth and in the Spirit they are a-top of the World and a-top of him that abode not in the Truth their Feet are shod with it Therefore every one of you that are come into the World coming all to the Light ye come to your Armour ye come to that which lets you see Sin it is the Armour against it it is the Eye The Arment against Sia with which ye see that which must be cut down and judged to Death In which Truth which is the Light we have Fellowship one with another And this is the Counsel of the Lord God to you dwell all in the Power of God which is the Gospel of Peace And the Power of God is the Cross of Christ and ye that feel the Power of God ye feel Christ for Christ is the Power of God The Power of God is but one and the Light is but one and the Cross of Christ is but one which is the Power of God and the Gospel of Truth is but one which is the Power of God and there 's no other Ye that come to know these look for no other And Christ is that One in the Male and in the Female which is the Seed which the Promise of God is to and there all wait to find him and receive him Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except ye are Reprobates said the Apostle so now Reprobates if ye are Reprobates ye are Wonderers and Gazers in Adam in Transgression out of the Light out of the Life out of the Power out of the Truth out of the Way which is Christ But being in the Life ye are in the Way in the Truth in the Power of God in Christ out of Transgression in the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven out of the Transgression of the First Adam And if Christ Jesus be in you the Body of Sin is dead and ye are brought to God Emanuel and the Emanuel being known God with us is witnessed by every one of you that are redeemed by him out of the Transgression who are in the Second Adam So if Christ Jesus be in you and ye in him the Body is dead and ye are alive to Righteousness and Death is brought into Death Friends dwell all in the Light and then ye will dwell in Covenant with God and with God ye will have Peace And Friends all dwell in the Light that ye may receive the Wisdom of God of God The Wisdom of God by which all things were created with which Wisdom ye may come to order all the Creatures And be Low as Babes and Little Children for the Little Children receive the Kingdom And so all know the Promise which is to the Seed and know the Seed of God in one another that there be no Master but Christ who bruiseth the Serpent's Head where Debate and Enmity is No Master but Christ which is the cause of Strife So let the Seed be Master in the Male and in the Female that the Ground of Strife which would be Master may be kept under and the Seed which the Grave could not hold under be the Ruler so that ye may witness the Rock that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against nor the Temptations of the Devil G. F. FRiends every where Epist 131. Dwell in the Power of the Lord God which is without End Striving about Earthly things in which ye may all have Unity And take heed of striving about Earthly things which is the unredeemed Part that is out of the Paradise and the Garden of God but that with the Wisdom of God ye may come to be ordered and order the Creatures by that by which they were made and created that by it ye may know your selves to be grverned And after that Riches do increase take heed of setting your Hearts upon them lest they become a Curse and a Plague to you For when ye were Faithful at the first the World would refrain from you and not have Commerce with you but after when they saw Trading and Dealing ye were Faithful and Just in things and Righteous and Honest in your Tradings and Dealings then they came to have Commerce and Trade with you the more because they know ye will not Cozen them nor Cheat them Then ye came to have greater Trading double than ever ye had and more than the World But there is the Danger and Temptation to you of drawing your Minds into your Business and clogging them with it so that ye can hardly do any thing to the Service of God but there will be crying My Business my Business and your Minds will go into the things and not over the things and so therein ye do not come into the Image of God in which is Dominion And so Riches when your Minds are got into the Riches and cumbred therewith ye go back into that ye were in before And then if the Lord God cross you and stop you by Sea and Land and take your Goods and Customers from you that your Minds should not be cumbred then that Mind that is cumbred it will fret being out of the Power of God And all Friends take heed of Jars and Strife for that is it which will Eat out the Seed in you Jars and Strife therefore let not that harbour in your Bosoms lest it eat out the Good in you and ye come to suffer in your own Particulars Therefore dwell in Love and Life and in the Power and Seed of God which is the Honourable Royal State And all that Speak or Preach abroad see that ye be in the Life and Power and Seed of God which will Edifie the Body and not in a brittle peevisb hasty fretful Mind but dwell in that which keeps down the contrary that that may speak which edifies the Body in Love And all take heed of vain Words Vain Words and Tatling idle Words but every where shop such that Love may continue in the Body and that the Seed may spread over all that Vnity may be kept And all Friends every where if Friends be Poor Poor Friends and Prisoners and in Want or in Prison that ye may in Wisdom relieve and cherish shch And all Friends every where Stop the Deceit that would devour and destroy which is out of the Truth and true Wisdom which must be limited that transgresseth the Spirit of God For since the Days of the Apostles the true Church hath been in the Wilderness and the Beast false Prophet Anti-Christ and false Church have ruled and reigned The false Church amongst whom have been the many
Earth and World and need none of your Church-made-Faith The Church-made-Faith which ye have framed and made in Eleven Days time and your other Three Days set apart For Christ is the Author of our Faith which is the Gift of God which is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience And we say that all the Priests in Scotland London and New-England cannot make the Gift of God the Mystery which is the Faith which remains and by which Men are justified and saved neither have they Power over it which brings us to have Access to God and giveth us Victory over that which separated us from God And so we need none of their Faith to lead us for the Faith Christ is the Author of we live in Magistrates which they cannot make nor frame And though they may cry to the Magistrates to help them to uphold their Made-Faith which Idol they cannot hold up themselves which they have Invented and say They are not in the Life and Power as they were in that gave forth the Scriptures and say Revelation is ceased from People and There is no Victory while they be upon the Earth These are the Fruits of their Framed-Faith which we need not For the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures teacheth us to know who is the Author of our Faith and the Fruits of it which giveth Victory And the Spirit teacheth us how to pray sing give thanks praise rejoyce fast worship God and in what and how to walk to God and Man and leadeth us into all Truth the Reprover of the World for Sin which is our Comforter Guide and Leader and Director in which we have Vnity and Fellowship that is without End and a pure Religion that doth never change And a great deal of stuff there is in their Books which is not worth mentioning which it and that Nature will Rot that gave it forth Church-Faith changeth but the Seed and Life and Power will stand Church-Faith changeth Directory changeth Common-Prayer changeth and Mass changeth And here are the four Religions which are got up since the Apostles Days which they have fought for and killed one another about But the Pure Religion doth not change which we are of and own in which is the Spiritual Weapons which were amongst the Apostles The True Faith changeth not for it abideth and remaineth which is the Gift of God Rom. 13. and a Mystery held in a pure Conscience of which we are and which is our Faith Mass for the Papists Common-Prayer for the Episcopal-Men and the Directory for the Presbyterians Church-made and framed Faith for the Independents and mixt Baptists and others And those have had their Fellowships in these for which they fought and about which Carnal Weapons got up since the Days of the Apostles Carnal Weapons But the Fellowship in the Spirit remains and doth not change which hath Spiritual Weapons and these are known and used to fight withal about Religion in which the Seed of God is known which bruiseth the Serpent's Head which led Man from God and made a Separation betwixt Man and God And the Election is known in him who was before the World began who is the Head of our Church and not they that be Head of the Mass The various Heads of them Head of your Directory Head of the Common-Prayer and Head of the Church-made-Faith which we see all change and come to nought and God confounds And Men stand in Doubts and Questions and have not Assurance in their Religion but that of God stands in them all bound They that followed the Pope were called Papists Papists and Protestants and they that protested against the Pope were called Protestants And thus they gave Names one to another And so Common-Prayer-Men and Directory-Men and Independents and Baptists And thus in the Envy out of the Love out of the Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures gave they Names once to another all which we judge Our Faith our Church our Vnity is in the Spirit The Quakers Faith and our Word at which we Tremble was in the Beginning before the Papists Mass and your Episcopals Common-Prayer and the Presbyterians Directory and Independents Baptists and other Church-made framed Faiths were and our Vnity Church and Fellowship will stand when they are all ended By which Spirit we judge them all and deny their works in which is our Vnity with God with the Scriptures and one with another For they have been to People like so many Changable Coverings but now the Spirit is taking them off by which we are Covered and is our Weapons in this Day of great Battel with them The Scriptures which ye do speak The Scriptures owned and shew forth in your Books are owned but your Imaginations of them we deny but they are all owned in themselves and places So they are all Ours which end in Christ who is Ours and in him we are that remaineth The Mass is the Papists Sacrifice that they kill about The various Sacrifices of them The Common-Prayer is the Episcopals Sacrifice that they persecute and kill about And The Directory is the Presbyterians Sacrifice they persecute and kill about The Made and framed Church-Faith is the Independents and and Baptists Sacrifice which they kill and persecute about Which Sacrifices the Lord doth not accept neither hath he Respect to which are of them who have erred from the Spirit which the Apostles were in with which they offered Spiritual Sacrifice to God the Father of Spirits which we are in And all my Dear Hearts Fellowship in Suffering and know the Fellowship of the Seed in its sufferings and to be made Conformable to his Death that ye in the suffering through it may know the Power of the Resurrection of the Just Seed And this is it which kills all bad Spirits that will talk but not do such may crucifie Christ in themselves afresh Therefore mind the daily suffering which the Seed had and have Unity with that so ye may rise with that which destroyeth that which causeth it to suffer The Papists cry Higher Powers Help Higher Powers Help help or else my Mass will go down and all my Ceremonies The Episcopal-Men cry Help help Higher Powers or else my Common-Prayer goes down The Presbyterians cry Help help Higher Powers or else my Directory will down The Independents and Anabaptists and others cry Help help Higher Powers or else my Framed Faith which is my Eleven Days Work will down and we shall not stand Are not ye ashamed all And shew ye are Naked out of the Power and Life the Apostles were in and from their Weapons Naked The Outward Power neither uphelp nor separated them from the Love of God which they had in Christ the End of the Law I am not one of them that call themselves Papists Common-Prayer-Men nor Presbyterians Independents nor Anabaptists Puritans nor Heathens which are out of the Life of God but that
which the Devil is out of and the Dragon's Worship and the Beast's Worship and the Will-Worship are out of who worship in the Truth and in the Spirit are over all these Worships For Truth is before they all were and the Spirit and will stand when they are all gone 5thly To pray in the Spirit this was publick the publick Prayer set up among the Christians the Temple was the publick Place of Prayer among the Jews but to pray in the Spirit which is the Publick Prayer set up by the Apostles Every Man every Woman then must come to the Spirit of God in their own selves for it will give them Vnderstanding and Knowledge and give them Instruction it will help their Infirmities it will let them see their wants So in that must every Son and Daughter of Adam pray in the Spirit to God who is a Spirit And this is Publick the Spirit of God in every Man and Woman to pray with unto God who is a Spirit then in this Spirit have they Fellowship and Vnity and a Bond of Peace and this moderates all People and mortifies circumciseth and baptizeth Now who grieves and quenches and vexes and rebels against the Spirit of God within in which they should pray they are like the Jews Bablers and go into the particular Forms and go from the Publick which is V niversal whereby all Men and Women must pray to God who is a Spirit in the Spirit and keep out of the particular One hath one Set-Form another another that is particular as I said before but the praying in the Spirit is general by which every Man and Woman might see their Necessities and Wants and turn to God who is a Spirit for his help For Christ the quickning Spirit and the Spirit of the Lord within is that which brings People to life up their Eyes to the Lord in Spirit and Truth and to watch and pray by which they know Temptations and the Spirit giveth them Vnderstanding and Wisdom and Power to withstand them 6thly Singing in the Spirit is Publick every Man and every Woman in the whole World Sing in the Spirit they must not grieve it nor vex it if they sing in it and this is Publick But they that go from the Spirit of God within they go into the particular singing inventing this thing and that thing and then one will do it and another will not do it and so there is no true Felloship because it is not done in the Spirit and there is no true Fellowship in their Worshipping nor in their Praying because it is not done in the Spirit for the true Fellowship in Singing in Praying in Worshipping of God is in the Spirit of God which the Devil is out of for in that is the Bond of Peace 7thly The Teachers of the World told us who call'd themselves Ministers of Christ That they had receved a Gift from Christ who did ascend on high and led Captivity captive and this Gift was for the work of the Ministry and for the perfecting of the Saints and how that they were to bring People to the Knowledge of the Son of God from whence they had received this Gift and to the Unity of the Faith which Faith gives the Victory and brings to have access to God and also to a perfect Man's State and to the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ And thus People followed them and were glad that they would bring them to a perfect Man's State that is to the State of Adam and Eve before they fell for they were perfect then and when we had followed them some twenty some thirty some more some less Years then they told us again that they hoped we would not look for Perfection while we are upon the Earth on this side the Grace for we must carry a Body of Sin about us and they hoped we would not look for Perfection and would not hold the Erronious Doctrine of Perfection and yet told us as before That they would bring us to a perfect Man's State Perfection and so we looked they would have fulfilled their Words for we have given our Money and have spent out Labour in following after them and hoped they would have fulfilled their Words and brought us to the Knowledge of the Son God and so to he Vnity of the Faith and to a perfect Man's state to our Father Adam's and Eve's state before they fell and now they have gotten our Money they hope we will not look for Perfection here Oh Deceivers We will never set foot more after them who will neither fulfil their Words nor give us our Money back again for we gave our Money that they should bring us to the Knowledge of the Son of God and to the Vnity of the Faith and bring us to a perfect Man's state and to a Measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ And now the Scriptures that speak of Sin and Imperfection they bring to prove that we should not be Perfect against their own Promises and Words and all the Scriptures that speak of Perfection or overcoming they tell us there must be a meaning put to them And thus they deceived us instead of bringing us to the Measure of the Stature of Christ who never fell the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven who said they would bring us to his Stature and now they cannot bring us to the Measure of the Stature of the Righteousness and Holiness of our Father Adam and Mother Eve that they were in before they fell for they had no Body of Sin before they fell nor Spot nor Wrinkle nor Blemish So the Deceivers hath got our Money and now calls that an Error which they said they would bring us unto a perfect man's state and so will not fulfil their Words nor give us our Money back again neither Thereforenow mark which of these Theree States the Shepherds and Teachers and Leaders kept their Flock in and do keep them in Whether is it in the State of Adam and Eve in the Fall where the Body of Death the Curse Wrath and Woe is Imperfection Spots Wrinkles and Blemishes and tell them they must be there for term of Life Or whether or no can they keep them in the blessed and good State of Righteousness and Holiness as Adam and Eve was in before they fell Or whether or no can they keep them in the Measure of the Stature of Christ who never fell Now consider which of these Three States do they Shepherds pretend to keep their Flocks in that deny Perfection and say their Sheep must carry a Body of Death on their Backs while on Earth for as the Tree falls it lies and htere is no Repentance in the Grave Whether it be not in Adam and Eve in the Fall with his Sons and Daughters Or in that State before they fell which was a good State in Righteousness and Holiness Or whether it be in Christ that never fell
whom it cost his Blood and his Life to fetch Adam and Eve and his Sons and Daughters out of that State in the Fall out of the unjust State to set them in the State before they fell and not only there but to bing them into himself that never fell Now what Value and Price and Worth have they made of the Blood of Christ that cleanseth from Sin and Death and yet told People that they would bring them to the Knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect Man and now tell them they must not be perfect on the Earth but carry a Body of Sin about them to the Grave As much as to say They must be in the State of their Father Adam and their Mother Eve in the Fall under the Wrath Curse and Woe and must not come to the State they were in before they fell to the Image of God in Righteousness and True Holiness And thus the Deceivers are not worth the setting Foot after and yet ask them for what End Christ came They will say To destroy the Devil and his Works And then ask them if the Body of Sin and Death be not the Devil's Works and Imperfection They will say Yes and so are in Confusion Christ came to destroy the Devil and his Works they say and yet they must carry them to the Grave and yet People are saved by Christ they will say but while you are upon Earth you must not be made free from Sin This is as much as if one should be in Turkey a Slave chained to a Boat and one should come to redeem him to go into his own Country but say the Turks Thou art redeemed but while thou art upon the Earth thou must not go out of Turkey nor have the Chain off thee So saith Satan's Messengers you are redeemed but must carry a Body of Death about you and cannot go to your Father Adam's House before he fell but you must live in your Father Adam's House in the Fall while ye be upon Earth Redemption to by the Blood of Christ But I say you are redeemed by Christ it cost him his Blood to purchase Man out of this State he is in in the Fall and bring him up to the State Man was in before he fell so Christ became a Curse to bring Man out of the Curse and bore the Wrath to bring Man to the Peace of God that he might come to the Blessed State and to Adam's State he was in before he sell and not only thither but to a State in Christ that shall never fall And this is my Testimony to you and to all People upon the Earth And so the Teachers of the World cried Men are redeemed but while on the Earth they must have Original Sin in them and that is the Devil for he is the Original or Sin and of the Body of Death and that they are redeemed but they must never come to the State of their Father Adam before he fell while on the Earth This is sad Tidings Are these Messenges of God or Messengers of Satan So you may see by this where the Shepherds have brought their Flocks and in what they sit in Adam and Eve in the Fall not in Adam and Eve before they fell a good blessed State but in Adam and Eve in the Fall a bad cursed State and not in Christ that never fell Now mark the Apostle said He hath quickned us who were dead in Sins and Trespasses and hath made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the Ages to come he might shew forth his exceeding Riches and Kindness towards us Now the Ages are come Glory to the Lord God over all in the Highest for ever that this Kindness and this Riches is seen that the Apostle's Preaching is fulfilled who said He had quickned us and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus So mark in Christ Jesus Vs the Church Vs the Saints Vs the Believers and True Christians made us to sit together Here was their meeting here was their sitting in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven him that was glorified with the Father before the World began him that never fell but fetch'd Man and Woman out of the Fall to the State that Man and Woman was in before they fell and they not to sit there in Adam in the Fall nor in Adam before he fell but in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus before Adam fell And there is the safe sitting in Christ the New and Living Way the Word of God the Power of God the Light the Life and Truth in the First and in the Last in the Beginning and in the Ending in him in whom is no Shadow of turnings nor variableness in him the Saints sit the Church in Christ the Head and there is the exceeding Riches and the Kindness known again For is not here Kindness and Riches for Man and Woman to be brought out of that State in the Fall to the State of Adam and Eve before they fell Christ his Blood the Prince of our Redemption And he that doth bring them thither is Christ and it is by his Blood it cost him his Blood his Life and he doth not leave them in the State as Adam and Eve was in before they fell but he sets them down in himself who never fell a safer State than Adam was in the before he fell Now who sits hee in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus the First and the Last the Beginning and Ending State of Innocency the safe Place in the Wisdom of God 1. They see where Adam and Eve sate before before they fell blessed and in a good State in the Image of God in Righteousness and Holiness 2. They see where Adam and Eve sate in the Fall with their Sons and Daughters fallen from Righteousness and Holiness and the Image of God where they have no Peace neither do they see God State under the Law nor have Dominion over the Creation 3. They see where the Jews sate in the Types Figures and Shadows and Temples and Oaths in the Offerings and Sacrifices and there were to sit till Christ the Substance came to end them all which Christ the Substance was before they was 4. They see where the Apostles sate in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus the Substance of all the Types Figures and Shadows who ended them all and was before them all and will be when they are all gone 5. States since the Law They see where the Gentiles sit in the Traditions Inventions Idols Temple which God never commanded 6. They see where all the Apostate Christians have sate since the Apostles Days in the Rudiments Inventions Handy-works and Traditions and cannot sit long in them therefore turn one against another 7. Now the Age is come that the Kindness and Riches of the Lord is seen which was manifest among the
you that suffer in the Truth and by the contrary for the Truth 's sake the Spirit of Glory will rest upon you and if you be evil spoken of for its sake being faithful on your parts Christ is Glorified AND Friends your House being built upon the Rock Christ Jesus by whom the World was made the Storms the Floods Rock Christ the Tempests you fear not but all whose House is built on the Sands the Floods the Storms beats down and washes away as you may see before your Eyes So Friends that are come to the beginning see over Storms and Tempests and Floods and live on the Rock which was before they were on that you may rest safe and in peace And Friends Fear not him that can kill the Body I say fear him not that can spoil thy Goods be not afraid of them for when they have done that they can do more for the Life is over them all they cannot touch that So mind that which is over them all G. F. DEar Friends whom Death Epist 224. Bonds nor the outward Creatures can separate from the Love of God in Christ Jesus Live in Peace and Love one with another and keep above that Sraightned Spirit of Strife which is below and out of the Power and Truth and Life of God Dwell in Dominion in Love in Life and in Vnity one with another in the Power of God which was before the Power of Darkness was and in the Seed of God which was before Enmity was and that you may all know Christ's Reign And feed in the Pastures of Life and none stain your Virginity nor Holiness where lieth your Beauty And all that Minister abroad walk as Examples to them you Minister to And keep in Peace that you may not destroy them that you do minister to So in the Fear of God live and spread the Truth abroad and set the Truth over all and in it live in which you will have Unity So my Love is in the Seed of God which is Immortal to you all G. F. FRiends keep in the Power of the Lord Epist 225. which will bring you over all to the Fine Linnen the Righteousness of the Saints and your Bread of Life and the same Power of the Lord will bring all your Persecuters to Rags and Poverty When they have done their Work they will have their Wages when the Righteous and Wicked have done their Work each shall have their Wages and so do not think the Time long For each must have their Day to do their Work in when the Wicked's Sun is gone down their Day is ended and then they are Reconed withal and payed and then the People of God's Day approches wherein according to their Works they shall have the Rewards of Life Eternal THE Power of God is over all P. S. and they that keep in it it will carry them over all G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 226. in the Everlasting Seed and Covenant of Life be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth and dwell in the Power of the Lord God and never heed that which makes to Suffer but the Power of the Lord which was before it was and all live in that and spread the Truth abroad and every one improve your Lord and Master's Money your Talent to the advantage of your Lord. And be of good Faith and Valiant for the Truth you who are gathered in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings in his Name over all the Meetings which are gathered by the Sons of Adam in the Fall and look over all Prisons and out ward Boads which are in time and will have an end at the Power of God look which hath no end in which your Life is and Peace Crown and Dominion and think not the time long that the Rod of the Wicked should lie on your Backs but rejoyce in Tribulations and Persecutions which is for the Trial of your Faith that it may be found more precious than Gold that perisheth For remember that Christ the Word was Tried and Christ is the Tried Stone and all the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs were Tried for their Testimony to the precious Pearl Seed and Truth and what Sufferings they had in all Ages were for the same by the dark World which was not worthy of them who were as Pilgrims and Strangers in the Earth and many of them forsook their Native Land and Country And so live in that which glorifieth the Lord you who know the Kindness Love and Mercies of God and are made partakes of the Heavenly Riches and of the Inheritance that never fadeth away and are Heirs of the Kingdom that never hath an end and are partakers of the Promises and Blessings that was before the Curse was and know the New Covenant made manifest in your Hearts and the Law of God there written and the Anointing within you to teach you and then you need no Man to teach you but as it doth teach you So abide in him and learn of him in whom God is well pleased and none turn to them which God is not well pleased with For you who are Children of God are not to look for Salvation from the Hills neither to look at the Arm of Flesh nor to put Confidence in Man who are redeemed from under the Curse and the Fear of Man and are bought with a Price the Blood of Jesus Christ and so are not your own and cannot do your own Wills nor other Mens but are to glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And so dwell in the Love of God together and in Peace and Unity and Fellowship in the Seed and Life For there is your growth and therein ye grow in Grace and Faith together The Lord God Almighty preserve you all in his Everlasting Arm and Hand which is his Power over all to his Glory bearing one with another in the gentle Wisdom which is peaceable and from above For how Joyful a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity and hereby it is known that you are the Desciples of Christ if you love one another and a Mark that you are passed from Death to Life if you Love one another And so the Lord God preserve your Minds and Souls and Hearts all Holy and Pure to his Glory and all live and sit down in Christ the Seed who is the Faithful Witness the Amen the First and Last the beginning and ending No more but my Love is to you all in the Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus that never fell And Dear Friends keep low for there is no danger G. F. SIng and Rejoyce ye Children of the Day and of the Light Epist 227. for the Lord is at work in this thick Night of Darkness that may felt And Truth doth flourish as the Rose and the Lilies do grow among the Thorns and the Plants a-top of the Hills and upon them the Lambs doth skip and play And never heed the Tempests nor the Storms
that the Thorns choak it and the Cares of the World they are such Stony Hearts that the Seed hath not much Earth that when Tryals and Persecutions comes with its heats it is scorched by the heat of the Sun And therefore be ye all warned of these Natures both of the Stony and of the Thorny and of the High-way Ground and of the Fowles and of the Air. And Friends keep down feigned Flattery Keep in the Truth that brings to plain-heartedness that all may be the good Ground that you may abound in Goodness and Righteousness and Holiness for Peace is sown to the Righteous and Gladness to the upright in Heart and see that you walk in the Light and the Life that it may be your Life that you may have Treasure in your Vessels that you may enter in with the Bridegroom having the Oil in your own Lamps that you may inherit the Life that is above all the foolish Talkers which be out of the Peace the Second Adam in whom the Peace is and the Life for they that be in Strife about the Body of Christ are in Adam in the Fall and they are neither at Peace in themselves with God nor Christ nor them that be in Christ so whatever Men or People profess their End manifests them and crowns them with Death or Life So live in the Word which all ends in the Seed this keeps over all Pretences in the Substance and over the Airy Spirits that be out of the Life running up and down sowing Dissention Tatling and Back-biting and Whispering and setting one against another The Seed Christ is over that Spirit and he hath little room in their Hearts for they are abroad in the Fields Above the World lifting up themselves higher than the World but are worse to deceive the Simple but Truth and the Light and the Life is over all that in which all keep your Habitation for Adam lost his Habitation and so his Sons and Daughters who are in the Disobedience are in the Fall and the Jews lost their Habitation from the Love of God and so they lost their Authority and were mingled among the Heathen And the Apostate-Christians lost their Habitation from the Life and Power that the Apostles were in And so have brought all Christendom into Heaps and Sects about outward things being out of the Life and Word which was in the Beginning before the Apostacy and the Fall was So live in the Word in that you have Life and Dominion and Authority over all that which Adam and Eve's Sons and Daughters invented and also over all in the Fall In which Word you have Wisdom as I said before and there is a faithful Witness Christ whose Name is called the Word and he is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending the Amen And Friends keep over all the Bustlings and Wars and Strife and the Talkers of such things among the Sons of Adam in the Fall you that be in Christ Jesus that never fell in whom is the Peace who makes the First Adam's Sons and Daughters to break their Swords into Plough-Shares and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks that they shall not learn War any more for they that be there are in the foolish State but they that are in Christ are in the wise State and have Spiritual Weapons though accounted by the World foolish yea the Wisdom of God is so to the Wisdom of the World which is Foolishness And so you that the Lord hath blessed in outward things for his Truth keep over them and out of them serving the Lord who hath blessed you lest you be intangled So keep above them in the Righteous Life and Conversation that Righteousness may flow to all Men in all things Honesty and Truth and that which doth Justice and doing justly that may flourish for whose Conversation is ordered aright they shall see the Salvation of God keep out of all Heats and Passions and over the tempestuous Spirits the ground of which is Vncleanness all which are up and down and sudden which makes a Mountain of Wickedness and Vnholiness and keeps out of the Holy Mountain which they that walk in the Light of the Lord goes to and they are taught his Ways Take heed of a false Liberty in any thing to the Flesh but keep your first Love and Habitation in the Power and Truth of God for the lowly Mind the humble and meek and broken and contrite Spirit and Heart the Lord doth not despise but exalt Keep out of the many Words of the World and take heed of a liberty of going into them but keep in the Power of the Lord God over all which was before all and is over all that your Lives and Conversations may preach to all Men and adorn the Truth of God and speak in the Hearts of all Men. Forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some was in the beginning of the Apostacy which entred into the reasoning Part and so went from the Exhorting daily and the Building and the Fellowship and the Communion of the Saints in the Spirit and from the Flocks and the Garden of God which he waters with his Water of Life and feeds with his Bread of Life and sets open his broad Rivers of Living Water to drink And such as forsake the Assemblies of the Righteous some for fear of the Earth and Sufferings become quarrelling Spirits and so go out of the Path of the Flocks Footsteps and sits not down with the Flock at Noon-day in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus for there the Flocks meet and there they have all a Fountain through which they are all of one Soul and Mind and Judgment and Heart and Spirit and comes to be gathered out of all the Separations and Sects and Fellowships and Gatherings and Meetings of Adam and Eve in the Fall and sits down in Christ Jesus that never fell where the Fulness is and the Life in whom there is no Shadow no Variableness nor Turning in him that is the Way But Oh the Poverty the Shadows the Variableness the Turnings the Worships and Traditions and the Sects that be in the World among the Sons of Adam in the Fall Oh the Riches that is in him that never fell the Peace and the Life that was with the Father before the World began the Amen And Friends take heed of the vain Inventions and Arts of the World keep out of their Rhimes and their Verses for they are the Arts of Men and stirs up the light part and lifts up that that pertains to it self that is stirred up that will turn in the end to the Strife or the Earth But you that lives in the Word of God that never fell changes nor alters do not but as you are moved by it and that will stand and remain in whom you may know a Dwelling Life over Death and before it was for the Serpent that got into Adam and Eve by Disobedience they
Hire and the Prophets prophesied falsly And for reproving them for their Superstition and Idolatry they struck him and put him in the Stocks and Prison and persecuted him in the Dungeon till his Persecutors were carried into Captivity And by the Word Jeremiah saw the number of Seventy Years of his Persecutors being in Babylon's Captivity Elijah by this Word was made a Prophet and by the Word reproved Ahab and Jezebel for their Idolatry and Worshipping of Images For which Word 's sake they persecuted him and the rest of the Prophets and was not he fed of the Ravens by the River And did they not seek to take away his Life And did not he think all the Lord's Prophets had been killed and he left alone yet did not the Lord say to him He had reserved Seven Thousand that had not bowed the Knee to Baal And Elisha the Plow-man by this Word was made a Prophet and forsook his Plough and by the Word reproved the Idolatry in his Age of Priests and People And by this Word was Ezekiel made a Prophet by which Word he reproved the Shepherds of Israel that made a Prey upon the People and Taught them for the Fleece And by the Word he saw that God would bring the People from under them that they should be made a Prey upon no longer and would gather them from their Mouths and set one Shepherd over them even Christ who is witnessed and by the Word he reproved the false Prophets that taught for handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread and daubed with Vntempered Morter and sewed Pillows under the Arm-holes And by the Word he saw the Patern of the Temple and the return of the Jews And by this Word Daniel was made a Prophet and saw Christ and his Kingdom and how the Saints should take his Kingdom And by the Word he saw such that should rise up against the People of God And by the Word he numbred the Years of Christ to his time Four Hundred Ninety Nine Years and of his Death and how he should end the Sacrifices and how that Christ should bring up Everlasting Righteousness and put an end to Sin and end their Prophets and seal up their Visions And by the Word was Micah made a Prophet by which he cried against the Priests that preached for Hire and the Prophets that prophesied for Money and the Judges that judged for Rewards and such as preached Peace to the People that put in their Mouths like the Priests in these times and when they did not they prepared War against them and chop'd their Flesh and broke their Bones But Micah saw by the Word that the Sun was gone down upon such Prophets and Priests and they should have no Vision nor Answer from God Therefore such are against Revelations and Visions on them the Sun is fet and gone down upon and the Night comes upon them And by the Word was Amos the Herdsman made a Prophet who was a gatherer of Fruits and likewise all the rest of the Prophets who spoke forth Divine Things and reproved the Superstition and Idolatry in their time and day And by the Word did the Prophets speak forth Divine Things which Word brought them into the Divine Nature and Mind which Word hammered and cut down that which corrupted their Natures And this was the Word that made so many Fisher-men Preachers of the Gospel which is the Power of God And this was the Word which made Matthew the Toll-gatherer Luke the Physitian and Paul the Tent-maker Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel and Power of God And this was the Word which made Peter to see Joel's Prophesie how that God would pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh and Sons and Daughters should Prophesie and young Men should see Visions and old Men dream Dreams and the pouring forth of the Spirit upon Servants and Hand-maids that every one should have something to speak to the Glory of God And now Priests and proud Prelates and Bishops and Popes though you have made a Trade of the Saints Words and the Apostles and Prophets Words and gotten a great deal of Money by them which were Fisher-men and Shepherds Words from the Word Yet nevertheless if a company of Shepherds Herdsmen Fisher-men Tent makers and Toll-gatherers should come amongst you to Preach you would say Away with these Mechannick Fellows they have not served Seven Years Apprentiship at the Coledges which were set up to make Ministers therefore they are not to set up because they have not served their Apprentiship What say the Shepherds Herdsmen Fisher-men Tent-makers Physitians and Toll-gatherers Do you make a Trade of our Friends Words who were of our Occupation that never served Apprentiships in Colledges before they spake forth the Words you make a Trade of What will you make a Trade of our Friends Words who were of our Occupation Away with you to Work and away with your Colledges for our Brother Paul the Tent-maker said He that will not Work must not Eat For would you own Christ if he had come in your Day who was called A Carpenter's Son You Popes with your Triple Crowns and you Lord Bishops with your Coaches and pampered Horses and gorgeous Apparel with your Black Coats and White Coats and Silk Girdles Are you like to entertain him who was called A Carpenter's Son Or to cast him and his Mother into the Manger in your Stables This was the Word by which John the Evangelist saw Christ who doth Enlighten every Man that cometh into the World and saw how he became Flesh and came to his own and that his own did not receive him but to as many as received Christ the Light that to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God which all they that are Ministers of the Letter made by their Seven Years learning in their Colleges and not by the Word hating the Light cannot know And by this Word the Minister of the Word preaches Christ's Word Life Death and Resurrection And therefore as John saith in his Epistle That which our Eyes have seen our Hands have handled and our Ears have heard of the Word of Life do we preach unto you that which was from the Beginning In the Beginning was the Word Scriptures the Words of God and Christ tho' since the Beginning were the Words and Letters for the Scriptures of Truth are the Words of God and the Words of Christ and he that adds to these Words faith John in the Revelations God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book c. So the Word was in the Beginning and Christ's Name is called The Word of God but Christ is neither called Scriptures nor Writings for Scriptures signifie Writings So In the Beginning was the Word since the Beginning were all false Ways false Churches false Teachers and in the Word ye comprehend them all The Priests say That Hebrew Greek and Latin are the Original and the many Languages began
you know that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is the Holy Spirit And can any Worship God who is a Spirit in the Truth but they must come to the Spirit and the Truth of God in their own Hearts Here we set up the Publick and Temple Worship which Christ set up which every Man and Woman in the World must come to Truth in the inward parts and the Spirit of God within them and Worship in the Spirit they must be in it and in the Truth to Worship the God of all Truth who is a Spirit And this is the Publick and Universal Worship and this brings every Man and Woman in the World to Truth and the Spirit of God in their own Hearts And so this brings all to know their Bodies to be the Temples of the Holy Spirit in which they worship as the Jew outward worshipped in his outward Temple But the Temple since the Apostles days has been so filled with Smoak out of the Bottomless Pit and so filled with Darkness that no Man could enter into the Temple to Worship God and there the Spirit of God hath been vexed and grieved And so their Prophesie Revelation and Vision hath been denied by the Authors of this Smoak but the Seventh Angel has poured out his Viol that Men begin to enter into the Temple to Worship God in the Spirit and Truth and the Glory of the Lord shall fill the Temple And Christ and his Apostles never altered this Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth though the Beast and the Whore the false Church have set up another Worship since the Apostles days But all must come to Worship God in Spirit which was before their Worship was set up which was set up in the Apostles days And so all must come to Worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth which was before Mass-Book was which got up many Hundred Years after Christ but that is and was the Publick and Universal Worship set up by Christ the Second Adam to the Sons of Adam in the Fall which brings every Man and Woman to Truth and the Spirit of God in their own Hearts in that Spirit and Truth they must Worship God But cries the World Did not they Pray in the Temple the Jew outward and must not you Pray in the Temple Yes the Jews in the Spirit prays in his Temple and sings and rejoyces in his Temple for what Do you not know that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost And so if you Pray you must Pray in the Holy Ghost and rejoyce in the Holy Ghost and sing in the Spirit And how can you sing and rejoyce and pray in the Spirit but you must go into the Temple your Bodies being the Temples of the Holy Ghost For the outward Jew his Temple was thrown down And He is not a Jew that is one outward but he is a Jew that is one inward in the Spirit Stephen was Stoned to Death for denying the Jews outward Temple and witnessing Christ and Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost so he was the Temple of the Holy Ghost And so they whose Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost are the Temples made without Hands which are set above all Temples made with Mens Hands But if you say Did not the Jews Priests dwell in the Temple and there they were to offer in the Temple I answer Yes there was but one Temple in the whole World commanded of God and it was set up at Jerusalem and never commanded to be set up in England Ireland Scotland France Spain and Rome but the Jews were to go either to worship at Jerusalem and there to keep the Feast of Tabernacles or else their Eyes were to rot in their Heads and their Tongues in their Mouths and their Camels were to die of such and such Plagues as in Zachary you may read And they were to come out of all Nations under Heaven to worship and keep the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem and the Apostles did there wait at the time of Pentecost to be endued with Power from on High And so that Temple was thrown down about Forty Years after Christ For you that cry up outward Temple-worship made with Mens Hands in your own Nations are worse than the Jews for they were to have but one Temple and one People and that Temple is down and the Worship and he is not a Jew that is one outward but he is a Jew that is one inward in the Spirit And so Christ's Worship in the Spirit and Truth is set above the Jews outward Worship at Jerusalem and the Mountain Worship near Samaria and the Jew inward is set above the Jew outward and above the Jews outward Offering in his outward Temple and the Priest having Chambers in the Temple that was the Place of their Offering the Jew inward he offers in his Temple the Spiritual Sacrifices and no where else doth he offer but in his Temple for by the Spirit doth he offer to God who is a Spirit And they that offered in the Jews Temple were to wear the holy Garments so are you to do that are the true Christians and are called a Royal Priesthood What are all true Christians Priests Yes What are Women Priests Yes Women Priests And can Men and Women offer Sacrifices without they wear the holy Garments No What are the holy Garments Men and Women must wear The fine Linnen and they must go in White What is this the Priest's Surplice Nay the Surplice got up when the fine Linnen the Righteousness of Saints and going in White was lost What is the fine Linnen and going in White that this Royal Priesthood must wear which are the Royal Garments It is the Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of the Saints this is the Royal Garment of the Royal Priesthood which every one must put on Men and Women so every one put of your Robes put on your Garments the Righteousness of Christ as a Cloak that you may offer to the Lord an Offering in Righteousness You that be sensible of the Lord's Mercies offer to him his Praise his Glory and Honour his Spiritual Sacrifice in your Temple as the sweet Odours Myhre and Frankincense And when the Jews Temple was cleansed and the Rubbish cast out of it the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple And when your Temples are cleansed and the Rubbish cast out of your Temples by your High Priest Jesus Christ in the Male and the Female who destroys the Devil and his Works you will witness renewing up into the Image of God into Righteousness and Holiness as Man was in before the Serpent got the Rubbish into him So Christ who destroys the Devil and his Works brings them to the State as Man and Woman was in before he got into him that is into Righteousness and Holiness and up into himself to the Measure of the fulness of Christ who was glorified with the Father
Enmity or Adversary was And all such as cry Away with your Laws we will have none of your Laws To such as come to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which makes free from the Law of Sin and Death and puts down that Authority which Life was before Death and Sin was and remains when it is gone and in the Life in Christ Jesus is the Saints Fellowship and Vnity and Bond of Peace All such as cry against Laws so much are the Sons of Belial and would be without the Yoke of the Law of the Son of God Such always were the stirrers up of Mischief and Schism from the Body and they took Liberty to say any thing as ye may read in the Book of Kings in the Days of Jezebel and in the Days of Stephen and yet these that cry so much against Laws yet they live themselve in the Law of Sin and Death which they obey when they do Evil who are without the Understanding of the Righteous Law which the Righteous live in and sees Therefore such must be exhorted and reproved if they go under the Name of Quakers and are not in the Life That Justice Judgment and Righteousness may flow as a River and as a Stream and drive away all the Filth from among us that nothing but the Power of God and the Life of Truth may amongst us rule that the Living God which hath blessed you with his heavenly Riches and Mercies and largely manifested them among you may be in all things honoured magnified and exalted To whom all belongs God over all blessed for ever So that every one may adorn the Truth and the Gospel and mind the Lord's Business above their own And every one be tender of the Glory of God and be careful that in no ways his Name and Truth be dishonoured So let this be read in all your Men and Womens Meetings who are to take notice of all such things So no more but my Love in the Vniversal Seed of God which never sinned which is First and Last the Top and Corner-Stone G. F. For Friends in the Ministry scattered abroad in Virginia Maryland New-England Barbadoes and other Plantatations beyond the Sea TO all you that minister abroad in those Parts Epist 252. this is the Word of the Lord to you all Live in Lowliness of Mind and Meekness of Spirit and Pureness of Heart and be Examples in your Lives and Chaste in your Conversations in Holiness of Mind that you may be a good Savour amongst the People where you come Let all ungracious light unseasoned Expressions be kept out of your Minds and Mouths which edifies not the New Life and keep single unto God and single-hearted to Man and plain in all things and low For it is the Word of the Lord and the Light of God that Prophesieth and Revealeth the Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ unto People Be ye faithful in it Epist 252. and walk answerable to it and to that holy Gift or Manifestation of Prophesie And let none be lifted up with it for Life brings low and down as you are kept in the Holiness of it and the Wisdom of God through which you answer that of God in all This doth not hinder the effect of that which you have to minister but the Life is opened to receive it in walking and answering that which you have to minister tho' the contrary part may rise up against you Be at Vnity amongst your selves that you may not make Sects nor Schisms or stumble the Weak For you know that cursed Spirit that made Rents and got into the Affections and uppermost Part of People hath buried the Witness of God in many and made open Rents which may break also into other Ages against Truth and them that live in it which in time will wither and fade away as Grass upon the House top and their Arrows will turn into their own Bowels that are shot against the Righteous both of the Professor and Prophane And so be Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth abhorring all Vncleanness and Vnrighteousness flying all youthful Ways and fond Affections below being kept above them shewing the new Life to them that be in the Old and a New Conversation to them that be in the Vain and Gentleness to all the Perverse and Straightness to all the Crooked and Plainness to all the Rough and Lowliness to all the Mountains of Ungodliness and Unrighteousness for the Lamb must have the Victory And so you may be one another's Crown Joy and Rejoycing in the Lord and not one another's Sorrow and Grief And so that all may be brought to the Witness of God which first convinced them who have run out and to the Life to answer it through which you may come to have Vnity with God and with them in the Eternal and Everlasting Life And some of you should take some of the eminent true good and upright Friends and go and discourse with some of the Heathen Kings desiring them to gather their Council and People together that you may declare God's Everlasting Truth and his Everlasting Way of Life and Salvation to them knowing that Christ is the Promise of God to them a Covenant of Light to the Gentiles which is the Heathen who is also the New Covenant to the Jews for you have been amongst the old rotten-hearted Professors and seen the Power of the Lord come over them So now turn to the Gentiles to whom Christ is given for a Covenant of Light and of Salvation to the Ends of the Earth So that the Light must be preached and sounded throughout all the Heathen Kings and Princes Countries and therefore as you feel and are moved about Six or more Persons living in those Parts near unto them to go with you as I said and desire the King to gather his Council and Subjects together that they may hear that which hath been promised to them God's Everlasting Covenant of Light and Life and Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And so be faithful in his Power which was before the Devil was who hath darkned People and set them one against another You having on the Armour of Light which was before the Power of Darkness and which must stand against them and having on the Breast-Plate of Righteousness that you may stand against all Vnrighteousness and the Shield of Faith the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God which was before the World was through which you may savour and discern in Wisdom and in Vnderstanding you may judge and feel by the Word of Reconciliation committed to God's Servants his Sons and his Daughters which Word of Faith is now preached even the same which was amongst the Apostles which all must obey and do which reconciles to God and to just Mens Spirits and to one another So no more but my Love to you all in the Everlasting Seed of God that
be executed For you know after a Thief or a Murderer is Condemned and Judged and have Sentence past upon him yet he is not executed that Day the Execution comes afterwards And therefore after Condemnation or Judgment is past upon any inward Evil or any outward Action of Evil let Execution be speedily done with the Living Hammer and the Living Sword and the Living Stone that the Living Fire may burn it up and consume it No Man after he hath beaten his Child hateth him ever afterwards but loveth him if he repent and amends so doth the Eternal Father and if the Child be fallen down into the Dirt he doth not go and tumble him more into the Dirt or into the Ditch and there let him lie in the Dirt and Ditch but takes him out and washes him and so doth the heavenly Father which leads his Children by his Hand and dandles them upon his Knee And so all that be called Fathers in the Truth or Mothers their Tenderness should be the same to all little Children in the Truth that can hardly go without leading that sometimes may fall into the Dirt and Ditch and ship aside and then be troubled and cry To such there should be Tenderness shewn and to wash them and help them and Love to such should be manifest for there is difference betwixt a stubborn rebellious and wilful Child and one that is Penitent for those must have great Chastisements that knows the will of their Father and doth it not they must have greater Stripes and sorer Stripes they must look for be sure to expect it than the other For Christ is manifest in the Flesh to condemn Sin in the Flesh all that witness Christ in them Male and Female I say Christ manifest in their Flesh he doth condemn the Sin that is in their Flesh yea and makes an end of Sin and finishes the Transgression and brings in Everlasting Righteousness into them But first he condemns the Sin that is in their Flesh the Unrighteousness in their Flesh and Ungodliness in their Flesh the Lyar the Swearer that is in their Flesh the Adulterer the Fornicator the Idolater and all Sin whatsoever it is he condemns in the Flesh So Christ is manifest in the Flesh to condemn the Sin that is in the Flesh that every one that witnesses Christ condemning Sin in the Flesh that they through Christ that condemns Sin in the Flesh might become God's Righteousness so they become anothers But the Sin being uncondemned in the Flesh they are of the Serpent of the Unrighteous One of the Ungodly One who adulterated from Truth they are his But the Sin being condemned in the Flesh Christ is manifest in the Flesh so that they become Christ's they are God's and are in Christ who destroys the Devil and his Works that are out of Truth And these know the New Life which God is served in and these know the New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness and these knows the Old Earth wherein dwells Vnrighteousness And these can bring forth things New and Old For they that are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God they that are led by the Spirit of the Devil are the Children of the Devil and his Works they do the Works of their Father as they that are led by the Spirit of God his Works they do the Works of their Father and all they that quench the Spirit of God and vexes the Spirit of God and grieves the Spirit of God and hate the Light of Christ and walks despitefully against the Spirit of Grace and turns it into wantonness and disobeys the Word of God in their Hearts and Mouths Sure you all may see such are not the Sons of God and do not the Works of God though they may profess the Scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelations Neither doth that Birth know the Scriptures for they are known by the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost which led the holy Men of God to speak them forth by the same Spirit are they known again And Christ who was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin he is known by the Holy Ghost again which led the holy Men of God to give forth Scriptures which now leads into all Truth And all them now who despise Revelations Inspirations Prophecies Gifts and Talents they despise the Spirit of God and his Gifts Such are neither Ministers of God or Christ nor his Sons but are the Sons of him that is out of the true Spirit that is of God in the Darkness Babel and Confusion who think they can do great matters with their Languages and with them make a Trade of the Scriptures who cannot endure any People should come to the Spirit that gave them forth for none can walk in the Spirit that quenches it and vexes and grieves it And none comes into the Church Fellowship that grieves and vexes and quenches the Spirit of God For the Fellowship is in the Spirit that is the Bond of Peace and none is led into all Truth but by the same Holy Ghost that was in the holy Men of God that gave forth the Scriptures of Truth And all that are led by this Spirit of Truth are led from the Spirit of the Devil that is out of Truth And all that are led by the Spirit that is out of Truth are the First-Birth of the Flesh and of that Murderer which will persecute him that is born of the Holy Spirit of God which leads into all Truth Which they that are led by the Spirit that is out of Truth are out of both the Father and Son And they that are led by the Spirit of Truth are the Sons of God and here are both in the Father and in the Son and in the Truth which abides for ever And here the Heir the Son inherits his Possession his Inheritance in the Kingdom that never hath an end The true Hope the true Cross the true Faith the true Worship the true Religion the true Way true Image and true Fellowship have been lost since the Apostles-Days amongst those called Christians which are out of the Life And they that have lost the Cross of Christ which is the Power of God in which is the true Fellowship they have set up a wooden or a stone Cross c. so false Crosses false Christians They that have lost the true Hope which purifies as He is Pure they have set up a Purgatory to cleanse them when they are dead And others cry up a Body of Sin and Death on this side of the Grave with their Hypocrites Hope and they have lost the true Ministry and set up a false One to preach up Imperfection And People were imperfect in old Adam before Christ came for the Law made nothing Perfect but the true Minister Christ in you the hope of Glory doth make Perfect both in the Apostles Days and now Christ in you the hope of Glory said the Apostle
whom we preach warning every Man that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus So the Perfection is in Christ Jesus the Imperfection is in old Adam So this is the true Hope that purifies which every one that hath it purifies himself even as he is Pure And every one that hath not a Possession of this Hope pleads for Impurity and Imperfection and a Body of Sin and a Body of Death unto their Grave and a Purgatory when they are dead Such have a Profession of the Scriptures like the Pharisees and the Hypocrites Hope which shall perish And the true Faith hath been lost since the Apostles Days the true Faith which purifies the Heart which is the Faith of God's Elect which Faith gives Victory over that which separates from God in which Faith ye all please God which Faith is the Gift of God and Christ is the Author of it every one look unto him for it for the finishing of it who is the Author of it In this Faith have all the Saints Vnity in that which gives Victory over the Devil for by the Faith which is the Shield do they resist him and quench his fiery Darts and they resist him that would defile them and make them imperfect and lead them into those things which would displease God And all that be out of this Faith they cry No Victory while we be upon the Earth but they must have a Body of Sin unto the Grave and a Purgatory to cleanse them in these be all in the Error concerning the Faith these have made Shipwreck of Faith and a good Conscience these are all in the dead Faith and so cannot preach the true and Living Faith of God's Elect These are all out of Vnity for the Vnity is in the Faith which gives Victory over the Devil These be out of the just Life which Just lives by his Faith The Life that I now live is by the Faith of the Son of God yet it is not I but Christ that lives in me said the Apostle And all that walks in the Faith of God's Elect which is the Victory over the Devil they walk in Vnity over the Enmity And the true Worship hath been lost smce the Apostles Days yea the Worship that Christ set up above Sixteen hundred Years since in the Spirit and in the Truth yea in the Spirit of God which was before the Spirit of the Devil was who is out of Truth and in the Truth which the Devil is out of In this Spirit and in this Truth God who is a Spirit and the God of Truth seeks that Men should worship him in the Truth and so every Man and Woman must come to Truth in the inward Parts and to the Spirit of God within themselves if they be Worshippers of God in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil abode not in And this is the standing and perfect Worship in which there is Vnity in the Truth for the Enmity is out of it and he cannot get into it Glory be to God for ever And Men that are erred from the Worship that Christ set up above Sixteen hundred Years since they are from the Truth within and the Spirit of God And by that unclean Spirit they have worshipped Images they have worshipped the Works of their own Hands they have worshipped the Dragon they have worshipped the Beast they have worshipped the Creature they have worshipped Angels persecuted one another about their Worships and they have persecuted the true Worshippers These are in the Blind Zeal who have hated the Light And so none can worship God who is a Spirit but they must come to the Truth in their inward Parts and to the Spirit of God in themselves by which Spirit they must know God to be a Spirit and to worship him in the Spirit They must know God to be the God of Truth and then worship him in the Truth which the Devil is out of in the Enmity an Adversary And this is the standing perfect infallible Worship that Christ Jesus the perfect infallible Man set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since And the true Way is lost since the Apostles Days which Christ set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since who said I am the Way to the Father and no Man cometh to the Father but by me So no one comes out of Old Adam but by Christ the Second Adam No one comes out of Darkness but by Christ the Light no one comes out of Death and from under the Prince of Death the Power of it but by Christ the Life So he is the Way to God No one comes out of Vnrighteousness but by Christ the Righteousness no one comes out of the Wisdom below but by Christ who is the Wisdom of God which is from above And no one comes out of Error and Evil but by Christ the Truth So he is the Door and the Way to God Almighty And no Man comes to the Father but by him No one comes out of Captivity or Prison but by Christ the heavenly Man And so they having erred from Christ the Way they have set up so many Ways in Christendom among them and fall out about their Ways one with another Enmity being among them Now Christ is the Way which the Unclean cannot walk in who was before the unclean Way was for he is over all the unclean and he is over all the perverse and crooked Ways and Mountainous Ways and evil and unrighteous and ungodly Ways he is over them all And none comes to this New and Living Way Christ Jesus but who come to the Grace of God in their Hearts the Spirit of God in their Hearts So he is the New and the Living Way who is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending set up from Everlasting to Everlasting And all that be out of this New and Living Way though they have all the Scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the Revelations yet they are dead and under the Power of Death which Christ the Way destroys through Death yea the Power of Death the Devil and was before Death and his Power was Here is the New and the Living Way And the true Religion hath been lost and erred from since the Apostles days The Religion that is pure from above and undefiled before God which keeps from the spots of the World which is to visit the Widows and the Fatherless Now they that are out of this Religion have made many Religions but they are spotted and defiled and they cry up a Body of Death and Sin and Imperfection to the Grave and a Purgatory when they are Dead And their Widows and their Fatherless and Strangers go begging up and down their Streets and High-ways so their Steets and High-ways are Judges against them and their Bodies of Death and their Purgatories manifests their Errors and Ignorance from this pure Religion that comes down from above which is not of Man's making but comes down from God which
is Pure before God and undefiled in his Sight that keeps from the Spots of the World Mark the Spots And these do not cry up a Body of Death nor a Purgatory when they are dead they are kept from the Spots of this World So they are far degenerated from this pure Religion from above which is undefiled before God which keeps from the Spots of this World and leads to visit the Fatherless Widows and Strangers whose Religion is that they must have a Body of Sin and Death unto the Grave and a Purgatory when they are dead And their Fatherless and Widows and Strangers must go a begging in the Streets All these Religions are from below and of their own making and not from above but of him that is out of Truth And all they that come to this pure Religion that is from above and comes to receive it it must be by the Spirit of God within and the Light of Christ within and his Grace within and his Faith within And the Image of God in them hath been lost since the Apostles days that Man and Woman was renewed into by Christ and therefore they have set up so many Inventions of their own Brain and outward Images and Likenesses and worship them for Man and Woman was in the Image of God before they fell And when they fell from the Image of God they set up many Images of God and Man and other Creatures of things in Heaven and things in Earth And when Christ came he renewed Man into the Image of God again and into his Likeness but since the Apostles days have they lost this Image of God and this Likeness and made a profession of Christ and the Apostles words as the Jews did of the Law and worshipped the Works of their own Hands and Images But now is Christ renewing Man again into the Image of God as they were in the Apostles days yea also I say as Adam and Eve were in before they fell Yea and in this Image of God they will reign over all Images and Image-makers either with hand or brain for they have made those Images and Likenesses by the Evil Spirit that is out of Truth which the Spirit of Truth leads out of and above them and from their works Glory to God for ever for his Image and his Likeness is led into by Christ Jesus and into Adam and Eve's State before they fell and not only into that State but into Christ Jesus that never fell And the true Praying hath been lost since the Apostles days for none can pray truly but by the Spirit of God unto God who is a Spirit or unto Christ who is a Quickning Spirit And all they that have erred from the Spirit cannot abide to hear talk of it and yet may have the Scripture from Genesis to the Revelations and make Prayers and say them over and give them to others to say over and so Pray by the Book and that must help his Infirmity and so have erred from the Spirit and from the true Doctrine of the Apostles who said The Spirit must help their Infirmities and they must pray in the Spirit So all that grieves and vexes and quenches the Spirit of God cannot pray in it to God who is a Spirit But they think to be heard by their much Babbling and asks and prays but do not receive and every one must come to the Spirit of God in themselves and to the Light and to the Faith that purifies his Heart and to the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and by this his Mind is to be turned towards Christ who prays to God and asks in the Name of Jesus and in the Power and Light and Spirit of Christ And the true Fellowship hath been lost and Sanctification and Belief and the Righteousness since the Apostles days For many have had the letter but lost the Life the Notion but lost the Possession the Profession but lost the Substance Christ Jesus but the true Fellowship is in the Gospel the Power of God which was before the Devil was and since Men lost this Power of God they have not known the Scriptures aright but they have set up Fellowships by that Spirit which is of him that is out of the Truth that have destroyed one another and persecuted them which are in the Power of God which is the Gospel which was before the Devil and all the Fellowships in old Adam was and will be when they are all gone Now the Gospel-Fellowship is a perfect Fellowship a pure and an holy Fellowship it is an everlasting Fellowship for the Power of God is everlasting it is over the Jews Fellowship in the outward things and the Gentiles invented Fellowships and the Fellowships of Bread Water and Wine for these are no Mysteries the World's Fellowship is no Mystery the Fellowship of Bread Water and Wine is no Mystery but the Gospel-Fellowship is a Mystery and none sees it but who comes to the Light of Christ and to the Truth in the inward parts For this is a standing Fellowship the Gospel the Power of God and all Fellowships out of it are imperfect and corrupt where the Body of Death and Sin and their Purgatory is pleaded for which Fellowships below Men make and are of Men and from Men but the Gospel is not of Men nor by Men but of God and from Christ So this Fellowship is the Church-Fellowship that is in God and it is a pure Fellowship the Gospel-Fellowship is which Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light and expels away all that which darkens and burdens and loads the Soul Mind Spirit and Heart So this is Glad-Tidings to the Immortal Soul which comes by the Immortal Power up to the Immortal God where Life and Immortality comes to Light and to shine over him that hath darkened it Here is liberty to the Immortal Soul Mind and Spirit in the Gospel the Power of God which is the Gospel-Fellowship which is a Mystery but Bondage and Darkness to the other so Life and Immortality is hid from all them that makes Fellowships below and have their Fellowships by Men and of Men who are out of the Power of God the Gospel and makes Fellowships of old Authors and makes Fellowships of the Scriptures But being erred from the Spirit they know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God and there they are in Strife and Enmity in their Fellowships and falling-out about their Bread and Wine some taking it one way some another and falling-out about their handy Works and plucking People from one another to themselves and not to Christ nor his Gospel-Fellowship that came not by Men neither was it of Man So they that deny Revelation cannot preach Christ until he be revealed nor cannot preach the Gospel until it be revealed And they that say Revelations are ceased they may as well say there is no Gospel and so have no Christ to preach and are only Ministers of the Letter neither have
they the Secrets of God to preach which are revealed to them that fear him And that is the Spirit of Darkness from the Prince of Darkness that is out of the Fellowship of the Gospel where is Enmity which speaks it self sufficiently abroad among all their Fellowships and into this Fellowship of the Gospel the Power of God which was before the Devil was he cannot get And the Righteousness hath been lost since the Apostles days therefore People have been found in their own Self-Righteousness and Vnrighteousness and therefore they are all found out of Peace with God and with Christ and one with another for where there is Righteousness there is Peace And Sanctification hath been lost since the Apostles days therefore both Teachers and Hearers are found in Vncleanness and preach up the Body of Death and Sin and a Purgatory and so have forsaken him that should sanctifie them and make them clean And the Sanctifying Belief hath been lost since the Apostles days for he that Believes is born of God and he that Believes in the Light may become a Child of the Light every one that cometh into the World are enlightned by Christ that they should believe in the Light as he commands them and so become Children of the Light and he that believes overcomes the World And if there be no overcoming on this side of the Grave as the World's Preachers made of Men say then there is no true Believing on this side of the Grave and therefore the World is not overcome in them and he that is their God is of the World also For he that believes overcomes the World for greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World So this greater overcomes the less and he that Believes passes from Death and Sin that brings Death and the Devil the Power of Death So becomes a Child of Light and of the Day and of the Light which was before Darkness was or the Prince of it for this is the Belief that overcomes the World that sanctifies the Unbelieving Husband and the Unbelieving Wife else their Childeen were unholy but now they are clean 1 Cor. 7.14 For this Belief is greater than he that is of the World which overcomes him that would defile for this Belief in Christ which passes from Death to Life it takes away the root of Sin and Iniquity which is complained of in the Scriptures which they were born in though they had the Law which made nothing perfect which took hold of their outward Actions or Branches but this Belief makes the Root holy and if the Root be holy the Branches that springs from the Root will be holy also And all you that preach up a Body of Sin and Iniquity and that you must have a Body of Sin and Death unto the Grave and a Purgatory when you are Dead Neither Man nor Woman of you do believe aright for the Believing Wife sanctifies the Unbelieving Husband and the Believing Husband sanctifies the Unbelieving Wife else their Children were unclean but now they are holy So from this Sanctifying Belief you are all erred since the Apostles days But have made Beliefs and Creeds of your own and then say there is no overcoming on this side of the Grave you may as well say there is no true Belief G. F. An Exhortation to keep to the Ancient Principles of Truth FRiends Epist 263. Keep at a word in all your Dealings without Oppression And keep to the sound Language Thou to every one And keep your Testimony against the World's vain Fashions And keep your Testimony against the Hireling Priests and their Tithes and Maintenance And against the old Mass-houses and the repairing of them And against the Priests and the World 's joyning in Marriages And your Testimony against Swearing and the World 's corrupt Manners And against all Loosness Pleasures and Prophaness whatsoever And against all the World 's evil Ways vain Worships and Religions and to stand up for God's And to see that restiution be made by every one that hath done wrong to any And that all Differences be made up speedily that they do not fly abroad to corrupt Peoples Minds And that all Reports be stop'd that tend to the defaming one another And Friends Live all in the Power of the Lord God and in his Truth Light and Life that with it you may all with one Heart Soul and Mind keep Dominion and in the Light Life Truth and Power of God do true judgment Justice and Truth Righteousness and Equity in all your Men and Women's Meetings without favour or affection to Relations Kingdreds and Acquaintance or any Respect of Persons for if you do not so Judgment will come upon you from God to put you down from your Places For the Power of God Light Life and Truth respects not any but Justice Truth Righteousness and Equity c. Let Mercy overshadow the judgment Seat and let Mercy be mixt with Judgment Take heed of Foolish Pity and if you be not diligent against all Prophaness Sin Iniquity and Vncleanness Loosness and Debauchery and that which dishonoureth God then you let those things come up upon you which you should be a-top of and subdue and keep down with Righteousness and the Truth and the Power of God And in all your Men and Women's Meetings let all things be done in Love which doth edifie the Body and let nothing be done in Strife and vain Glory but keep in the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace And let all things be done in the Wisdom of God which is pure and gentle from above above the Earthly which is below sensual and devilish And take heed of hurting any concerning Marriages if the thing be right through any earthly Reasoning lest they do worse And so all be diligent for the Lord God and his Truth upon the Earth and the Inheritance of a Life that hath no end that you may live in that Seed that is blessed for evermore And be diligent in all your Meetings and see to the setting forth of Apprentices all Fatherless and poor Friends Children and that all the poor Widows be carefully look'd after that nothing may be lacking among you then all will be well And keep your Testimony against all the filthy Raggs of the old World and for your fine Linnen the Righteousness of Christ Jesus And keep your Testimony for your Liberty in Christ Jesus and stand fast in it against all the false Liberties in old Adam and your Liberty in the Spirit of God and in the Gospel of Christ Jesus against all the false and loose Liberties in the Flesh And train up all your Children in the Fear of the Lord and in his New Covenant Christ Jesus as the Jews did their Children and Servants in the old Covenant and so do you admonish your Children and Servants And let no Man or any live to themselves but in that Love that seeks not her own And
Christ and not in the Devil who is out of Truth nor in old Adam yea Christ is able to deliever out of the Six Troubles and the Seventh Trouble the perfection of Trouble he who is the Perfection it self so he is the Deliverer and Mediator Who is our Deliverer Mediator and Intercessor and the Intercessor that makes Peace betwixt you and God So in Christ who is the Deliverer is the Peace and the Rest yea an everlasting Rest he was set up over all Troubles and Persecutions and Persecutors who was before they were glorified with the Father before the World began and he will be when they are all gone as I said before all that have drank his Blood and are made alive by him have Life yea a Possession that will never have an end but them that are Dead in old Adam are against Christ who is the Life till he make them alive by Believing in the Light and then they become the Congregation of the Living And these are them that are gathered together by the Lord and them that are not gathered together by the Lord but by Men to themselves they come to be scattered Now the Congregation of the Living they have drank the Blood of Jesus that are alive by him and so are gathered together by him the heavenly Man and he is in the midst of them to preserve them and exercife his Offices among them as a Shepherd and a Bishop and a Prophet c. And these are the living Members who have a living Head Christ Jesus and that saying comes to be fulfilled Thy dead Men shall live together with my dead Body shall they arise so come to live with Christ Jesus And they are the Congregation of the Dead that believes not in the Light nor drinks the Blood of Jesus but Death and Destruction talks of him and of God and his Prophets and Apostles words and they come to set their House upon the Sand To build upon the Rock Christ Jesus and so are the Fools and then a Storm arises upon the Sea and their House is presently in the Sea again and there they are drowned the House sits so nigh the Sea that in a little Storm they are drowned they are so nigh the World But the Wise Men sets their House upon the Rock and the Rock is Christ the Life who was before the World was and will stand over all and they that are built upon it the Storms and and Tempests cannot move their Rock nor their House So here is the Wisdom of the Wise who build their House upon him by whom all things was created who is the Rock of Ages So in all Storms they keep to their House and they meet in Him and are gathered in Him and He is their Head and Counsellor to order them and in Him they all please God and in Christ Jesus are one anothers Crown and Life and so through him they have all a Crown of Life who was with the Father before the World began So in him sit down over all the windy Doctrines that tosses the Chaff abroad in the World I say in Christ sit down in him who was before the World was for out of him is all wearisomeness but in him ye have rest G. F. ALL Dear Friends every where who have no Helper but the Lord Epist 280. who is your Strength and your Life Let your Cries and Prayers be to him from whom all your help and strength comes God is the only Help of his People who with his Eternal Power hath kept up your Heads above all Waves and Storms let none go out of their Habitations in the stormy Time of the Night and stand in his Lot the Seed Christ Jesus to the end of the Day There is the Lot of your Inheritance and in this Seed you will see the Bright and Morning Star appear which will expel the Night of Darkness that hath been in your Hearts by which Morning Star you will come to the Everlasting Day which was before Night was So every one feel this Bright Morning Star in your Hearts there to expel the Darkness G. F. DEar Friends The Truth of God mind and his pure holy Power Epist 281. which the Lord hath made you partakers of by his good Spirit Grieve not the Spirit O let not his Spirit be grieved by you Let that be mortified that would get up to grieve or quench the Spirit for that will corrupt your Reason Understanding and Knowledge and that which gives you to know God and Christ that 's Life Eternal And all have a care that you do not abuse the Power Nor abuse the Power nor crucifie to your selves the Seed a-fresh but let that be crucified by the Seed in which Seed you have Life Eternal And therefore prize the Truth above all things Now you have Liberty to spread it abroad for you are called to Righteousness and Holiness without which none shall see God Therefore mind your High Calling in God out of lod Adam into Christ Jesus the second Adam and keep your Meetings in the Name of Jesus and feel him in the midst of you who is your Life and Salvation and that all occasions and stumbling-blocks may be taken away so that the precious Truth may be minded by you all wherein all are to live in Vnity and walk in Peace Live in Vnity Peace c. with the God of Peace and one with another that all your Springs may be kept open and all your Fountains may run with living Water and all your Candles may burn and every one may have Bread on his own Table in his Temple and his Rod budding there that he may be known to be a Priest of the Royal Priesthood So that all may have Salt in your selves that you may be good for something for if you be not the good Salt you cannot make the Earth savoury Therefore all keep in the Sense of Truth and be digging for the Pearl in your own Field and to find the Silver in your own House that was lost and the Leaven in your own Hearts that where it works and is joyned to will leaven into its own Nature So in all your Meetings be faithful in the Power and Life that you may be watered by the Spring of Life that you may grow And so whatever Strife or whatever runs out Shun all occasion of Offence or whatever occasion of Offence has been let the Seed of God rise and put all that down in All that all you in the everlasting Seed the second Adam may have your Peace Familiarness and Kindness and Affableness and Courteousness and Gentleness and Love one with and towards another for the Power of the Lord God is over all and his Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus reigns over all in whom is Eternal Fellowship Peace and Vnity and not in old Adam for old Adam's Sons and Daughters may get the words of Christ and of the Prophets
Heart and Mouth to obey it and do it by which Word I am born again of the Immortal Seed which lives and abides and endures for ever by which Word I have Milk to give freely to Babes and Sucklings So the Possessors have Breasts and the Possessors Breasts are not dry Glory to the Lord for ever So no more but Love and God Almighty preserve you in his Wisdom that is pure and gentle from above by which you may be all ordered and order all that you have under your Hands to his Glory And keep in the Unity of the Holy Spirit which is the Bond of Peace of the Prince of Princes Peace which is every one of your Duty to keep this heavenly Peace of the Prince of Princes which none can take away from you for you are bound with the Spirit to keep it so that your Praise may be in the Gospel that you may admonish and exhort all that does profess the Truth of the Gospel that they may walk in the Truth and as becomes the Gospel and that every one that does profess Christ Jesus and has received him may walk in him in the new and living Way out of the old Way G. F. TO all Friends that live in the Truth Epist 302. and by it are become God's Free-men and Women and by the Truth and Power of God are brought out of the Worlds vain Fashions and Customs in their Feastings and Revelings and Banquetings and Wakes and other vain Feastings where they spoil the Creatures and dishonour the Lord God more those Times and Days which they call Holy Days and Feast Days than any other Times and Days and therefore you that are brought out of such things and do see the Vanity and Folly of them and likewise you that are brought out of all the extravagant Feastings of Compannies in Corporations and of making of Feasts when the Masters of Companies are Chose and Cunstables and Head-Burroughs you see their Vanity and their Folly and Madness in their destroying of the Creatures to the Reproach of Christianity and the Dishonour of God and the Blaspheming of his Name and many times through the abusing of themselves by excess are more like Beasts than Men in these things and doings and therefore as you do see the Folly and Vanity of all such Doings in their voluptuous and vain Feastings and cannot observe their evil Customs then that vain Spirit is in a great Rage and Fury because you have and do break off Fellowship with them in all this their vain Customs And therefore you that are redeemed from these things by Christ and from the Feasting of the Rich and all other their Vanities and voluptuous Dishonouring of God therein I say to you mind and practise Christ's words as you may read in Lake 13.14 Christ saith When thou makest a Dinner call not thy Friends nor thy Brethren neither Kinfolks nor thy Rich Neighbours lest they also bid thee again and a Recompence be made thee but when thou doest make a Feast call the Poor the Maimed the Lame and the Blind and thou shalt be blessed for they cannot recompence thee again but thou shalt be recompenced at the Resurrection of the Just So here you may see how Christ ordereth thee to make a Feast or a Dinner and to whom contrary to the World and tho' it be a cross to them yet it is to be obeyed and observed and practised for it is the heavenly Man's Doctrine and Command and Will and he that doth it shall know his Doctrine and this will judge the World in their vain Feasts Dinners and Suppers which they make for the Rich for which they have selfe Reward but Christ's command being obeyed denieth self and hath the Lord's Recompence and all that call him Lord should do as the Lord commandeth and they that are his Disciples and do love him will keep his Commands for saith Christ If you love them that love you what thank have you For Sinners also loves those that love them And if you do good to them that do good to you what thank have you For Sinners also do even the same So give and it shall be given unto you Good Measure pressed down shaken together and running over into your Bosoms and the Lord is kind to the unthankful and therefore be ye Merciful as your heavenly Father is Merciful Luke 6. And therefore as you have forsaken all the World 's vain Feastings and Dinners and Suppers if so give the Blind the Lame the Maimed the Widow the Fatherless and the Poor a Feast or a Dinner and obey Christ the heavenly Man's Doctrine tho' it do cross old earthly Adam's Will and Practices and though he be angry never heed him but obey the Lord. G. F. DEar Friends Epist 303. all be Faithful in the Eternal Power of God that is over all I say keep in this Power of God that you may answer that of God in all and not that which is contrary for the Kingdom standeth in Power and in Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost So that which doth not live in the Power and Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost cometh not into the Kingdom So this Kingdom and Power and Righteousness and Holy Ghost in which is the Joy is over all and this Kingdom standeth not in Word but in Power So know one another in the Power and in the Spirit of God who is a Spirit know and confess Christ in his Death and Sufferings and in his Resurrection So no more but my Love in him Worcester Prison the 21st of the â—th Month 1673. G. F. To Friends in Virginia DEar Friends to whom is my Love Epist 304. I am glad to hear of the Increase of Truth amongst you and the Lord prosper his Work and increase People in his Knowledge who will fulfil his Promise That the Knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the Waters covers the Sea in the New Covenant though in the Old Covenant the Word was to Jacob and the Statutes to Israel the like was not to other Nations but the New Covenant is to all Nations Jews and Gentiles For I will give him for a Covenant of Light to the Gentiles and he shall be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth therefore he saith Look unto me all ye ends of the Earth and be ye saved And there is no Salvation by any other Name under Heaven but by the Name of Jesus which signifies a Saviour And in his Name keep your Mens and Womens and all your other Meetings that you may feel Him in the midst of you exercising his Offices as he is a Prophet which God has raised up to open to you and as he is a Shepherd who has laid down his Life for you to feed you so hear his Voice and as he is a Councellor and a Commander follow Him and his Counsel and as he is a Bishop to oversee you with his heavenly Power and Spirit
and as he is a Priest who offered up himself for you who is made Higher than the Heavens and that is Higher than all the Priests that are made upon the Earth who Sanctifies his People his Church and presents them to God without blemish spot or wrinkle So I say know him in all his Offices exercising them amongst you and in you I am glad to hear of some of your diligence in taking that great Journey to Carolina through the Woods for if you visit them sometimes it would do well And there is a People at that place you call New-Country as you go to Carclina which had a great desire to see me amongst whom I had a Meeting I received Letters giving me an account of the Service some of you had with and amongst the Indian King and his Councel and if you go over again to Carolina you may enquire of Capt. Batts the Old Governor with whom I left a Paper to be read to the Emperor and his Thirty Kings under him of the Tusrowres who were to come to Treat for Peace with the People of Carolina Whether he did read it to them or no remember me to Major General Benett and Col. Dew and the rest of the Justices that were Friendly and Curteous to me when I was there and came to Meetings and tell them that I cannot but remember their Civility and Moderation when I was amongst them And so the Lord redouble it into your Hearts and theirs the Love and Kindness which they and you shewed unto me I have been a Prisoner here about these Eight Months and now I am Premunired because I cannot take an Oath but the Lord's Seed and Power is over all blessed be his Name for ever and Glory and Honour to Him who is over all and is worthy of all Read this amongst Friends in their Meetings G. F. Worcester 1673. MY Dear Friends Epist 305. Live in the Seed that bruiseth the Serpents Head who is the Head of all false Teachers and Ways and false Worships and Religions But Christ is the Head of all the true Worshippers and in his Name keep your Meetings in whom you have Salvation and not by any other Name under Heaven And fit under your Teacher Christ Jesus that doth bring your Salvation the Grace of God that you may all witness that you have a Teacher from God that doth bring your Salvation and in your Hearts you have received him and believed in him and with your Mouths confession is made to Salvation that your Teacher hath brought you that you all may witness his Salvation to be your Walls and Bulwarks that doth surround your Camps and Tabernacles London 1673. G. F. To Friends in Holland FRiends Do not grow barren but in the Root abiding Epist 306. ye will spring upward and bring forth much Fruit in this Life To grow in the Root and in the Life to come inherit Life Eternal and so your Lives being hid with Christ in God you will be made conformable to his Image and know the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship with him in his Sufferings and the Fellowship with him in his Death that you may have Fellowship with him in his Resurrection and Life And as you have born the Image of the Earthly so also you may bear the Image of the Heavenly And as your Vessels hath been full of Wrath and Dishonour so your Vessels may be full of his Mercies and Praises to God and as in your Old Earth hath dwelt Unrighteousness so you may see and know the New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness There is a Belief that God is not the Author of for such have not the Witness in themselves of what they do believe and a Belief may be of God and Christ and of the Scriptures and yet such may be in Death Faith for they are not in Christ the Light and so are not Children of the Light and there is a Faith which Christ is not the Author of and that Faith giveth not the Victory nor purifieth the Heart neither do they in it please God nor have they access to God and that is the dead Faith which hath no Works And there is a Hope that doth not purifie and that Hope is that which is not of Christ who saves and purifieth as he is pure but that Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrites Hope And there is a Way that may be defiled where all the Wolves Dogs and Beasts and the Vnclean passeth and hath many turning Ways in it and many crooked and rough and mountanious Ways in it and there is the broad Way that leadeth to Destruction and these are not the Way of Christ that leadeth to Life which is the narrow and strait Way And there arem any Names in the World by which there is no Salvation the Beast hath many Names which all the World wondereth after and receive the Beast's Mark that he marketh them with his Beastly Spirit and Power which he hath from the Dragon but there is but one Name under the whole Heaven by which People shall be saved and that is the Name of Jesus Salvation in the Name of Jesus only and they gathering in his Name by whom the World was made and receiving their Father the Lord God Almighty's Name and Mark in their Foreheads Christ is in the midst of them and they will not receive the Beast's Mark nor will not be marked by him And there are many Religions in the World all which are spotted and defiled with the World's Spirit with which they do destroy one another but there is but one pure Religion from above that is undefiled in the sight of God and that keeps from the Spots of the World Pure Religion and leads to visit the Widow and Fatherless in their distress and they that receive this pure Religion from God who is above it is by God's Spirit the fruits of which is Love and this pure undefiled Religion from God hath the Glory in all the Hearts of them that do receive it who is the Author of it and it is above all those Religions that are below that are made by Men's earthly sensual and devilish Wisdom who with it compel People to conform to them and such are not gentle pure nor peaceable as the Wisdom which is from above is And there is but one true Worship which the Devil is out of and his unclean Spirit and he cannot get into it The true Worship in the Spirit which Worship is in the Spirit and in the Truth which Christ the heavenly Man hath set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since and every one that cometh into the Spirit and into the Truth are the true Worshippers of the God of Truth who is a Spirit and all that are not in the Spirit and Truth are in the Beast's Worship out of the Spirit of God and in his Wrath under the Dragon's Power and there are many Instructors that
Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies are over all his works Psalm 145.8 9. The Righteous considereth the Cause of the Poor but the wicked regardeth not to know it to wit the Cause of the Poor what Condition they are in And consider the Poor Prov. 29.7 And if thy Brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee then shalt thou relieve him yea though he be a Stranger or a Sojourner that he may live with thee Lev. 25.35 The Poor is hated even of his Neighbour but the Rich hath many Friends but he that is merciful to the Poor happy is he Prov. 14. 20 21. He that oppresseth the Poor reproaches his Maker but he that honoureth him to wit his Maker hath Mercy on the Poor Prov. 14.31 Whoso mocks the Poor reproaches his Maker Prov. 17.5 Whoso stops his Ears at the Cry of the Poor he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard Prov. 21.13 The Lord maketh Poor and maketh Rich he bringeth low and lifteth up I Sam. 2.7 Therefore I command thee thou shalt open thy Hand wide unto thy Brother to thy Poor and to thy Needy in the Land saith the Lord Deut. 15.11 The Poor useth Entreaties but the Rich answereth roughly Prov. 18.23 Here you may see what Care the Lord lays upon his People to look after the Poor Widows and Fatherless both in the time of the Law and in the time of the Gospel and how that they should obey him in his Commands the Lord God who created all and gives the encrease of all and gives Man and Woman good things both Temporal and Spiritual to do good withal So the Lord is to be obeyed and his Truth is to be practised and the pure Religion that in undefiled before God and the Father is above all Religions in the World And this Religion is To visit the Widows and Fatherless in their Affliction Of the pure unspotted Religion and to keep himself unspotted from the World mark unspotted from the World And this Religion is above the Papists that must have a Purgatory to wash off their Spots of the World and above those Potestants that plead they must have a Body of Death and Sin to the Grave with which they are spotted like Leopards And these are the Religions of the World and are not the pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father and their Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions are not visited as they ought to be And therefore you who are come to be of this Pure Religion that is undefiled before God and the Father and do visit the Widows and Fatherless in their Afflictions and do keep your selves unspotted from the World you are of the Religion that was not set up by Man but by Christ and his Apostles above Sixteen Hundred Years since by which you see over all the Religions set up since and see therefore that you practise it And Job said If I did despise the Cause of my Man-Servant Not to despise the Cause of the Poor or of my Maid-Servant when they contended with me what then shall I do when God shall arise and when he visiteth what shall I answer him See the Care of this patient Man Is not this for all the true Christians to practise Job 31. ver 13 14 15. And saith Job Did not he that made me in the Womb make him and did not one fashion us in the Womb Verse 15. And if I have with-held the Poor from their Desire or have caused the Eyes of the Widow to fail or have eaten my Morsel my self alone and the Fatherless have not eaten thereof for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a Father and I have guided her to wit the Widow from my Mother's Womb If I have seen any perish for want of Clothing or any poor without Covering if his Loins have not blessed me But to relieve the oppressed and the stranger and if he were not warmed with the Fleece of my Sheep if I have lift up my Hand against the Fatherless when I saw my Help in the Gate then let mine Arm fall from my Shoulder-blade and mine Arm be broken from the Bone The Stranger did not lodge in the Street but I opened my Doors for the Traveller Job 31. Did not I weep for him that was in Trouble was not my Soul grieved for the Poor Now here ye may all see the Actions and Practice of this Man by his practising the pure Religion So it is not a Talk but a walking in it as you may see in Job 30 31 Chapters And blessd is he that considereth the Poor the Lord will deliver him in time of Trouble Psalm 41.1 Now all you that profess God and Christ see how you walk in the Steps of these good Men and Women and not only to talk as they did but do and practise as they did for it is not every one that saith Lord Lord enters the Kingdom but be that doth what he commands And Christ saith Ye call me Lord and Master and ye say well for so I am and if I then your Lord and Master have washed your Feet Of Self-denial ye also ought to wash one another's Feet For I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done unto you And if ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them John 13.17 And Christ saith Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.21 So all People may see by Christ's own Words that their Saying and Speaking of God and Christ and his Prophets and Apostles signifies nothing except they Do his Will that is Practise it and be obedient to what be commands and requires G. F. To Friends in Cumberland DEar Friends Epist 332. Who are gathered in the Name of Jesus by whom all things were made and created who upholds all things by his Word and Power To be faithful in Sufferings and gives the increase of all things the Earth is his and the fulness thereof And therefore let your Minds and Hearts be with the Lord and your Care cast upon him And though the Lord is pleased now to try you and to exercise you in Sufferings and permits your Persecutors to spoil your Goods or cast you into Prison to try whether your Minds be in him or in the outward things he gives you Yet let not visible things separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus nor no Persecutions amaze you nor separate your Minds from the Love of God For all things shall work together for Good to them that love God for the Love of God bears all things and suffer all things and they that spoil the Goods of the Innocent and cast them into Prison for serving and worshipping of God the Lord fees it and beholds it and so leave them to
and Transgression taken off Men that believe in the Seed Christ Jesus who bruises the Head of the Serpent that has brought Man and Woman into his Image and his Works which Christ destroys both him and his works and renews Man and Woman up into the Image of God as they were in before they fell and into the Power to have Dominion to work in his Garden to subdue the Earth c. So that all are now to labour in the Garden of God that are in the Power and Image of God being brought into it by Christ Jesus that bruises the Serpent's Head that has been Head in them all So that Christ Jesus may be Head in all Men and Women and every Man and Woman may act from him their Holy Head their Life and Salvation and keep his heavenly Peace in his Church and every living Member believing in the Light which is the Life in Christ may be grafted into him the Fountain of Life and receive from him the Water of Life that they may feel the living Springs and the Rivers springing up in them to Eternal Life These are living Stones the spiritual Houshold of which Christ is both Head Rock and Foundation And Christ is called the Green Tree Christ the green Tree from whom all the Branches receive their Nourishment which Green Tree never withers into whom they are grafted by Belief in the Light which is the Life in him from whom they all receive their heavenly living nourishment through which every Graft is nourished then it comes to bud and bring forth Fruit to the Praise of the Eternal God Now every one of these living Believers are Members of the living Church in God which Christ is the Head of and every Member in the Church hath an Office and so every Member is serviceable in the Body in his Office in the Light which is over Darkness and was before it was and in the Life which is over Death and was before it was and in the Power of God which was before the Power of the Serpent was and so they are in this Light Life and Power to execute their Offices I say in this Divine Light Life Power and Spirit of God for God's Glory in Truth Purity Vertue Holiness and Righteousness they are to stand up for and the Honour of his Son and receive him who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him and all that receive him he gives them Power to become the Sons and Daughters of God then in his Power all are to act and walk and to serve God in their Generation and in it to serve him in the New Creation in Righteousness and Holiness and to stand up in his Power for his Glory in his Power Righteousness and Holiness that Christ brings into them and renews them in and so into the Restoration that they may Labour in the Church and Garden of God in his Power to his Everlasting Praise and Glory Amen And all Friends To stand fast in the Liberty of Christ stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and in the Liberty in the Faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of which Faith purifies the Hearts and gives Victory in which you have access to God the Mystery of which is held in a pure Conscience in which Faith it hath its true Liberty And keep in the Liberty of the Everlasting Glorious Gospel of Peace which is not of Man nor by Man but from Heaven which Gospel bringeth and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light and will preserve you in Life and Immortality over him that hath darkned you and in this Gospel you have Everlasting Liberty and Peace and in the Truth which maketh you free from him that is out of the Truth This free State all are to keep in and also in the pure holy Spirit of God and Christ that doth Mortifie all that is to be mortified and crucified and doth Baptize you into one Body In this Holy Spirit you are to walk which leadeth you into all Truth in which is your Vnity and Fellowship and giveth Liberty from that which hath grieved it and quenched and vexed it And so in the Liberty and Fellowship and Vnity of the holy pure and peaceable Spirit you are all to dwell and walk which is the Bond of the Prince of Princes Peace which the World cannot take away London the 13th of the 9th Month 1677. G. F. MY Dear Friends To whom is my Love in the Everlasting Seed Epist 345. that reigns over all and will overcome all your Persecutors and the Devil that is the cause thereof who fighteth against the Light which is the Life in Christ as they did against him in the Flesh above Sixteen Hundred Years ago And now my Friends Suffer as Lambs in the time of your Sufferings To suffer as Lambs in the Patience of the Lamb. let all your Wills be subjected with the Patience that hath the Victory and run the Race and obtain the Crown of Life and be willing to go to Suffer for Christ's sake for the Apostle said It is not only given you to Believe but also to Suffer for his Name sake in whom you have Salvation for They that suffer for Righteousness sake are Blessed and theirs is the Kingdom of God and by Faith the holy Men of God had Victory as you may see at large in Heb. 11. So nothing is overcome by any Man's Will but by Faith that giveth access to God in which they do Please God And I do believe that all your Sufferings will be for good for your Establishing upon the holy Rock of Life which was the Rock of all the Sufferers the Prophets and the Apostles who is the anointed Saviour to the answering that of God in all People for the Lord hath a great Work and Seed in that place So live in the Spirit that Mortifieth all and Circumciseth all and Baptiseth all so that with the Spirit you may sow to the Spirit and of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting And my desire is All to live in the Vnity of the Spirit and in the Bond of Peace that you may all be kept alive to God and live in the living Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of the heavenly Peace that passeth the Knowledge of the World which Peace brings such Joys which transcend all your Sufferings and will carry you above them And so in love to God and in love to your Persecutors you can pray for them who persecute you and this Suffering is above all the Sufferings in the World which are without Love and Charity who maketh one another to suffer when they get the upper hand but such are not the Sufferers for the true Lord Jesus who suffered though he was above all yet he made none to suffer and when he was Reviled he reviled not again but said Father forgive them and committed himself to him that judged Righteously So let the
Salvation who Redeems out of the Curse and Fear of Men or that makes the Arm of Flesh his strength and not the Arm of God and therefore the Arm of the Lord being your Strength Christ your Rock and Salvation then you need not fear what Man can do unto you for all God's Children are dear and tender to him whom he hath begotten again by the Word of God to be Heirs of his Kingdom he feeds them with Life Eternal and the Milk of his Word which Word lives and abides and endures for ever and is always full and plentious of Milk to nurse and nourish all God's Children unto Eternal Life and to inherit his Kingdom and the World which is Everlasting which Christ is the Ruler of the heavenly and spiritual Man and therefore they that are in him must be New Creatures for all the Old Creatures are in old Adam And therefore my Desires are that you may all be settled in Christ Jesus who was dead and is alive again and lives for evermore a Prophet Counsellor Priest Bishop and Shepherd a Circumciser and Baptiser a living Rock and Foundation for evermore the Beginning and Ending the First and Last the Amen sit down in him and he in you in whom you have Peace with God Amen Swarthmore the 6th of the 12th Month 1678. G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 353. Whose Faces are set towards Zion from this Dung-hill World of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit the Glory Comfort and Pleasures of which pass away they that have more or less of it and that enter into it enter into Trouble and when they are in it it is a great Trouble to come out of it and to be a Fool for Christ's sake Be a fool for Christ's sake who is not of this World but of the World that hath no end And therefore you must believe in the Light Grace and Truth that cometh from him in the Inward Parts or Heart which directeth your Minds to Christ from whence this comes and to unite to him that is Heavenly who saith Seek the Kingdom of God first and the Righteousness of his Kingdom then all outward things will be added to them that have found the Kingdom of God that stands in Righteousness over Unrighteousness and it stands in the Power of God over the Power of the Devil and was before he was and it standeth in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost over all the Unclean Ghosts or Unholy Spirits and the good Seed are the Children of this Kingdom which is Everlasting And take heed of your Wills and give not way to them but give way to the Power and Spirit of God which crucifieth it Submit your Wills to God and keeps it under the Cross of Christ so that your Inward Man may be renewed and the Old Adam put off so that the Day Light of Jesus Christ may be seen which Abraham rejoyced to see and so do they that be of the Faith of Abraham which Faith is the Gift of God that see the Son of Righteousness shine in their Hearts to nourish that which God hath there planted who watereth it with the living Water of the Word his living Plant And here is Water in your own Wells that you may drink out of your own Wells or Cisterns and to have Grapas off their own Vines from which they may have the new Wine in their new Bottles to glad and chear their Hearts with the Wine from the heavenly Branch of the heavenly Vine of which the Lord is the Husband-Man and this must every one of God's People feel What is the matter that all the World is of so many Ways since the Apostles days Because they are out of Christ the Way Out of Christ the one Way the new and living Way which is over all the dead Ways which was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago And why have they so many Religions Because that they are out of the pure and undefiled Religion before God which was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago which Religion keeps from the spots of the World and then this Religion must be above the World that keepeth from the spots of it and they that are gone from this Religion into them of their own making and tell People They must not be Perfect here and must carry a Body of Death with them to the Grave and others say That they must have a Purgatory when they are Dead this Doctrine is contrary to the Apostles who said Cleansed by the Blood of Jesus that They were cleansed by the Blood of Jesus and washed by the Water of the Word and this Blood and Water God's People must feel the effects of within to wash and cleanse their Hearts Souls Minds and Consciences Their Hearts and Consciences being sprinkled as the Apostle saith with the Blood of Jesus from their dead Works to serve the Living God For many may talk of the Blood of Jesus without them in their dead Works not serving the Living God their Hearts and Consciences being not sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus and they must feel it within as well as without And if they have Life they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood if they do live by him that is Heavenly and Spiritual the second Adam the Lord from Heaven For they have drank long enough into old Adam's unclean Spirit which is the cause that there are so many Bodies that they do vex and quench the good Spirit and resist the Holy Ghost which should Baptize them all into one Body that is to plunge down all Sin and Evil that is got up by Transgression and burn that up which is Chaff or Corruption and so to drink into one Spirit as the Apostles and Churches did in the Primitive Times and so to have the same Fellowship and Vnity in the holy spirit of Christ as they had to wit in Christ Jesus who was and is the holy Head of his Church his Elect in him And Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of all such and such do worship God as Christ taught above Sixteen Hundred Years ago in Spirit and in Truth So all must come to the Spirit and the Truth in their Hearts and Souls if they do know the God of Truth who is a Spirit and must worship him in Spirit and in the Truth into which holy Spirit and Truth the unclean Spirit and him that is out of Truth cannot come So all Will-worshippers and the Dragon and Beast and False Worshippers are out of this Holy spirit and Truth in which the Pure and Holy God is worshipped and as all that did eat of the Passover in the Old Covenant were to be Circumcised in the Flesh so are all in the New Covenant to be Circumcised with the Spirit by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh that came upon Man by Transgression if they will feed on Christ their Heavenly Sacrifice All feed on Christ your beavenly Sacrifice
Living and the Leaves thereof heal the Nations And this Tree stands in the midst of God's Garden who saith In the midst of thy Church will I sing Praise The Eyes of People are upen it which are living Stones a spiritual Houshold of Faith Elect and Precious the Church of the living God written in Heaven so Holiness becomes the House of the Lord. And therefore the Lord doth require more from Friends than all other People because he hath given more to them and so all People do expect more from Friends than all other People in answering that of God in them all in truth and in Righteousness Holiness and Godliness for ye are the Lights of the World and the Salt of the Earth to season it So all must glorifie the Lord God in their Lives and Conversations with their Bodies Spirits and Souls which are Christ's who has bought them and cleansed them with his Blood and the pure Water of his Word who makes them sanctified Vessels of his Mercy for his Glory therefore none must dishonour the Lord. And therefore my Desires are that you may all be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth and keep up all your Men and Womens Meetings in the Lord's Power the Gospel which hath brought Life and Immortality to Light and it will preserve you in Life and Immortality over hom that hath darkned you and in this all will see their Works and Services for the Lord God and his Son Christ Jesus in that which hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in which Gospel is an Everlasting Perfect Fellowship and Order which will stand when all others are gone all the Saints that do enjoy this cannot but Praise the Lord and sing Praises to him for ever and ever Amen The Apostle saith If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 So they that are in Christ are new Creatures and they that are in old Adam are old Creatures and are in their old Things old Ways old Worships Old things done away and old Religions and have the old Garments and the old Bottles that hold the old Wine and cannot endure the new and have the old rusty moth-eaten Treasure And they that are in Christ the heavenly and spiritnal Second Adam who maketh all things new are new Creatures and spiritual Men and are heavenly-minded and are new Bottles that hold the new Wine and the new heavenly Treasure and have the new Cloathing the fine Linnen the Righteousness of Christ and are in the New and Living Way over all the dead Ways and they are in the New Worship which Christ set up above Sixteen hundred Years ago which is in the Spirit and in the Truth in which Holy Spirit and Holy Truth the Holy God is worshipped And this was new to both Jews and Gentiles and is new to all the Apostate Christians who are not in the Holy Spirit and Truth that the Apostles were in And this new Creature in Christ hath a new Religion which is pure and undefiled The new Creature bath the pure Religion and keepeth from the spots of the World And this Religion is new to the Jews and Gentiles and all the apostatized Christians that plead for a Body of Death and Sin to the Grave and a Purgatory when they are dead And they that be in Christ are new Creatures and they have a new Head who is the Head of all things the First born of every Creature and the Frist-begotten from the dead who is alive and liveth for evermore who bruiseth the Serpent's Head who hath made things old but Christ maketh all things new and they tht be in him are new Creatures and they that be out of Christ are the old Creatures in Old Adam and these old Creatures are doting about their old things and their old Bottles old Wine old Garments and are doting about their old Ways old Religions and old worships and persecuting one another with their old Carnal Weapons these old Creatures which dote about their old Worships Religions and Ways so that one old Creature falleth out with another old Creature so that these old doting Creatures in Old Adam out of Christ the Second Adam do wrestle with Flesh and Blood about their old Ways Religions and Worships And these old doting Creatures which be out of Christ the Saviour do destroy one another about their old Ways Worships Religions and Churches And these old Creatures that be out of Christ the Head are monstrous Bodies without a Head till that they have made one and then the old Creatures set it upon their Body which Head as they do think doth pardon their Sins and when this their Head is fallen off their Body then they do make another and set it on their old Creature 's Body But they that are in Christ are new Creatures And Christ is their Redeemer c. and Christ is their Head who is their Redeemer Sanctisier and Saviour who is alive and liveth for evermore and walk in Christ the Second Adam who is Heavenly and spiritual And the old Creatures out of Christ their Walk is in old Adam who are Natural and Carnal and so are their Weapons and Armour that they defend their old Ways Church Religion and worship with they are Carnal and not Spiritual by which they kill one another and the old Creatures do study or dote which way they may destroy or imprison persecute or banish spoil or torture the Righteous or new Creatures in Christ And they that be in Christ are new Creatures their Weapons and Armour are Spiritual and they do not wrestle with Flesh and Blood but Spiritual Wickedness and Rulers of Darkness in high Places and bring down Imaginations and high Thoughts as Christ whom those new Creatures are in teacheth them who saith that He came not to destroy Mens lives but to save them and rebuked such as would have had Mens Lives destroyed and told them that they did not know what Spirit they were of So it is clear that the old Creatures that be out of Christ which destroy Mens Lives about their old Ways Churches Religions and their old Worships do not know what Spirit they are of and although they do not know what Spirit they are of whether it be a good spirit or a bad one yet People must conform to that Way Religion Worship and Church that this old Creature that is out of Christ hath set up or else he will persecute them or destroy their Lives They that do Persecute for Rcligion are ignorant what Spirit they are of though Christ saith They do not know what Spirit they are of And is not this hard to conform to that which the old Creatures have made and set up which do not know their own Spirits nor what Spirit they bd of And therefore were not those Doctrines Ordinances Traditions and Rudiments of the World the old Creatures who
are in old Adam which they did and do dote after which the new Creatures in Christ Jesus the second Adam were not to taste touch nor handle for they did perish with the using And are not all the Will-worships and the Beasts and the Dragon's Worships of the old Creatures that be out of Christ bearing the Mark of the Beast in their Hand or Forehead And they that be in Christ which be new Creatures have their Father's Mark or Name in their Fore heads and worship the Holy Pure and Living God in Spirit and in Truth And it was the old Creatures that made Images and Idols and such make them now and worship them But they that are in Christ are new Creatures and are renewed up into the Image of God and worship him in his Holy Spirit and Truth that liveth for ever Amen And these cannot touch taste nor handle the old Creatures Images Idols Not to touch with the Rudiments of the World Doctrines Ordinances Traditions or Rudiments of the World which are the old Creatures in Old Adam which doth touth taste and handle them But the new Creature cannot who is in Christ the express Image of the Father and he maketh his new Creatures like himself Moses appointed Servants for God in the Law or Old Testament but Christ made Sons in the New Testament for as many as received Christ he gave them Power to become the Sons of God Swarthmore in Lancashire the 30th of the 11th Month 1678. G. F. To Friends in America concerning their Negroes and Indians ALL Friends Epist 335. every where that have Indians or Blacks You are to preach the Gospel to them The Gespel to be preacked to the Blacks Indians c. and other Servants if you be true Christians for the Gospel of Salvation was to be preached to every Creature under Heaven Christ commands it to his Disciples Go and teach all Nations baptizing them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And this is the one Baptism with the Spirit into one Body which plunges down Sin and Corruption which hath gotten up by Disobedience and Transgression For all hath been plunged into Sin and Death from the Life for all died in Adam then they have been all subjected by the Evil Spirit which hath led them out of the Truth into the Evil and therefore they must all be baptized into the Death of Christ and put on Christ if they have Life And also you must preach the Grace of God to all Blacks and Indians which Grace brings Salvation that hath appeared unto all Men to teach and instruct them to live Godly Righteously and Soberly Which Grace of God is sufficient to teach and establish all true Christians that they may appear before the Throne of Grace And also you must teach and instruct Blacks and Indians and other Indians and Negroes directed to God's Spirit how that God doth pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh in these days of the New Covenant and New Testament and that none of them must quench the Motions of his Spirit nor grieve it nor vex it nor rebel against it nor err from it nor resist it but be led by his good Spirit to instruct them and with which they may profit in the things of God neither must they turn from his Grace into Wantonness nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace for it will teach them to live Soberly Godly and Righteously and season their Words And also you must instruct and teach your Indians and Negroes and all others how that Christ by the Grace of God Christ tasted Death for every Man and is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World tasted Death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all Men to be testified in due time and is the Propitiation not for the Sins of Christians only but for the Sins of the whole World And how that he doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World with his true Light which is the Life in Christ by whom the World was made And Christ who is the Light of the World saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light And they that do Evil and hate the Light which is the Life in Christ will not come to the Light because it will reprove them and love the Darkness more than the Light this Light is their Condemnation And so all must be turned from Darkness to Light to believe in the Light and from the Power of Satan to God and if they do not believe they will be reproved condemned and judged by Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him who will judge both the Quick and the Dead and reward every Man according to his Works whether they be good or evil And therefore you are to open the Promises of God to the Ignorant and how God would give Christ a Covenant a Light to the Gentiles Christ a Light to the Gentiles the Heathen and a New Covenant to the House of Israel and the House of Judah and that he is God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth and how that the Earth shall be covered with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters covers the Sea so that the glorious Knowledge of the Lord should cover the Earth And the Lord said The Example of Abraham for the Instruction of Families He knew that Abraham would teach and instruct his Family that they should learn to keep his Laws and Statutes after he was gone and Abraham did Circumcise all his Males yea them that he had bought with his Money of any Stranger Now who are of Faith and walks in the steps of faithful Abraham doth preach up and instruct all their Families in the Circumcision of the Spirit that they might be Circumcised with the Spirit which puts off the Body of Death and the Sins of the Flesh that is come up in Man and Woman by Transgression so that in the Spirit they may serve and worship the true and living God and so that ye all may come to enjoy the Presence of the Lord in your Families and improve your Talents that Christ hath given unto you for David saith that saw Christ in his New Covenant Let all Nations Praise the Lord and again All that have Breath Praise the Lord again Let the Poor and Needy praise thy Name And let all People praise thee O God And O ye Servants of the Lord praise the Lord for the Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies is over all his Works And all thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of thy Glory and of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power For the Lord saith From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles And in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering
Author and Finisher of So in this holy divine pure and precious Faith they have a holy divine pure and precious Vnity and Liberty which is the Victory over the Enmity and the Adversary the Destroyer and all this Instruments and they cannot come within this holy divine pure and precious Vnity and Liberty which is in the Faith for it is a Mysteryj and gives Victory over him and the access to the pure God and to Christ the Author of it which all are too stand fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free who is the heavenly and spiritual Man the Second Adam For the Bondaged Captivity and Thraldom false Freedom and false Liberty was and is in Old Adam in Transgression and the true Liberty is that which Christ the pure and holy One makes free in and this is a pure holy Liberty which Christ makes and sets his People free in in which they are all to stand fast over all the false Liberties and Freedoms which are Bondage Also the true Libertyis in the Truth which if the Truth hath made you free then are you free indeed from him that abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth So then there is no true Freedom nor Liberty in him and he in whom there is no Truth cannot come into this Freedom and Liberty which is in the Truth but remains in the False For the Jews in the days of Christ boasted of their liberty and Freedom though they were in Bondange both inwardly and outwardly and that they were of Abraham their Father but Christ told them The Devil was their Father and his lusts ye will do And also in the Days of the Apostles many of the false Christians boasted of their Liberty but who was overcome by them was brought into Bondage And the Apostle was so careful of his Liberty in Christ Jesus To be careful of our I iberty in Christ that such as came to spie it out and were somewhat in Conferrence but they added nothing to him and unto such he would not give place by Subjection but rather reproved them and directed every one to walk according to the measure of the Rule which God hath distributed to them And also true Liberty is inthe Light and Grace and the Spirit which comes by Jesus which by believig in te Light they are grafted into Christ and so into true Liberty and Freedom and so are entred into the Rest out of the Toil of old Adam for they are grafted into him who was befor old Adam For Unbelievers in the Light are grafted into old Adam in Transgression And the Believers in the Light which is the Life in Christ are grafted into Christ the Word by which all things were made and created So here is perfect true Freedom and Liberty And likewise the true Liberty and Freedom is in the Grace which brings Salvation and not Destruction and teaches to live Godly not Ungodly and Soberly not Unsoberly and Righteously not Unrighteously and teaches to deny the World and not to cleave to it and follow it This Grace establishes the Heart and seasons the Words the Fruits of its Liberty and Freedom will manifest it self And also the true Liberty in the pure Holy Spirit of God and Christ doth Baptize and Plunge down that which is gotten up by Transgression in Man and Woman and circumcises and cuts off the Body of Death and Sin in the Flesh that is gotten up in Man and Woman by Transgression and mortifies and kills that which would grieve vex or quench the Motions of the pure Spirit of God so that in this holy pure Spirit of this pure God and Christ is the holy pure Freedom and Liberty over all Bondage and false Liberties and Freedoms And the Fruits of this pure Spirit is pure Love Righteousness and Godliness Fruits of the Spirit Patience Temperance and Humility by which Spirit all are made to drink into one Spirit so that all are the living Wells that have their living Water from God and Christ their true and living Fountain and in which Spirit they have a holy and spiritual Fellowship in this Baptizing Mortifying Circumcisig Spirit yea one wit another and with the Son and the Father also through which the Love of God warms every one's Heart But when the Love of many waxes cold as Christ saith then they go from this Grace Ligth Truth Power and Spirit and the Anointing and the Word of God in their own Hearts then such turn to be Betrayers and not Saviours upon Mount Zion And against such God's swift Judgment turns and suddenly falls though they may cry for a time Liberty Freedom and Peace Peace but a Day of trouble will overtake them ere they are aware And therefore all ye Friends of Christ Jesus stand fast in that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free by his Light Grace Truth Spirit Faith and Everlasting Gospel the Everlasting Power of God which is an Everlasting Freedom and Liberty above all Bondage and false fallen Liberties and Freedoms in this glorious Gospel and glorious joyful Libert where all may exercise God and Christ's Holy Gifts in his Holy Supernatural Light Grace Truth Spirit and Divine Faith and Word of Life and the Gospel which Word cannot be bound with all the World's Cords or Chains For it is a Fire to burn and a Hammer to break and a Sword to cut in pieces and therefore love the Word and keep the Word of Patience and the Lord will keep you for it is a tried Word and it will keep you in all trials which shall come upon all the World to try them For the Word was before the World was and will be when the World is gone which all the new-born Babes of the Incorruptible Seed who partake of the Milk of the Word grow by it up into an Immortal Life and Kingdom that is without End Glory and Praises to the Lord God for ever And now ye Babes of Christ If the World do hate you it hated Christ your Lord and Master also if they do mock and reproach and defame and buffet you they did so to your Lord ad Master also who was and is the Green Tree that gives nourishment to all his Branches his Followers Now if the World do Persecute you and take away your Goods or Cloaths was not your Lord and Master so served Christ was persecuted mocked and crucified for us Did not they cast Lots for his Garments Was not he haled from the Priests to Herod and before Pontius pilate and spit upon And if they hate thee and spit upon thee he was hated and spit upon for thee Did he not go to Prison for thee And was he not mocked and scourged for thee Did not he bow to the Cross and Grave for thee he who had no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth And did he not bear they Sins in his own Body upon the Tree And was he not scourged for thee by whose
Stripes we are healed Did not he suffer the Contradictio of Sinners who died for Sinners and went into the Grave for Sinners and died for the Ungodly yea tasted Death for every Man who through Death destroyed Death and the Devil the Power of Death and is risen For Death and the Grave could not hold him nor the Powers and Principalities Death could not hold Christ in the Grave with all their Guards and Watches could not hold him within the Grave but he is risen and is ascended far above all Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions and is set down at the Right Hand of God and remaineth in the Heavens till all things be restored And he is restorign with his Light Grace Truth Power Spirit Faith Gospel and Word of Life so that you read of some that came to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus And therefore all must bow at the Name of Jesus their Saviou in his Light Grace Truth Power Spirit and Gospel for he hath bowed for you if you rise with him and you must suffer with him if you will reign with him and die with him if you will live with him And all that are dead and buried with Christ and are risen with him they will seek those things that come down from above where Christ sits at the Right Hand of God and there you will seek those things which come down from above and not things which are below For those which seek those things that are below are the Talkers of God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles words but they are not dead with Christ nor risen with him and therefore they do not seek those things that come down from Heaven where Christ sits at the Right Hand of God But they are them that seek the things that are above To seck those things which are above that are dead with Christ and risen with him they I say do seek those things which come down from Heaven where Christ sits at the Right Hand of God and they have not only sought them but have found them and received them and come to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus a safe established and heavenly sitting in the heavenly Rest and Habitation in Christ Jesus who is the First and Last and over all from Everlasting to Everlasting Blessings and Praises over all be to the Lord God through him for ever Amen God is a God of Order The Eternal Living God of Truth he is a God of Order and is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace in all the Chruches of the Saints Now the Author of Confusion and not of Peace is the God of the World who abode not in the Truth because there is no Truth in him and when he speaks a Lie he speaks of his own for he is a Liar and the Father of it Now the Jews which did the God of the World's Lusts and them called Christians that do were in Strife Confusion and Disorder For the Jews they went out of the Order of Aaron and oses going from the Spirit of God poured out upon the House of Israel and so went from the Lord and his Law into Confusion and Disorder which the living God of Truth was not the Author of Also the Christians who go from te Light Grace Truth Power Spirit Gospel and Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author of they go from Christ and his Order who was not madee a Priest after the Order of Aaron but after the Order of Melchizedeck who was without beginning of Days or end of Life an Everlasting Order And such go into Strife and Confusion that go from Christ which Christ and God is not the Author of but the World's God who got into Man and Woman by Transgression and Disobedience of the Command of God who is the Author of Confusion Strife and Disorder in whom there is no Truth For what Order can there be in the World's God and amongst his Subjects in whom there is no Truth For in whom there is no Truth there is no true Order and they that abide not in the Truth Grace Light Spirit Gospel Faith and Word of Life they abide not in the Order of God and Christ And such will cry against the Order of the Truth Light Grace Spirit Gospel Faith and Word of Life which bring into the Order of Christ and the Order of the Living Eternal God of Truth who is a God of Order and delights in Order having Pleasure in them that live in his Sprit and Law of Life and the Gospel and its Order For Blessed is the Man that delights in the Law or Order of God it was so under the Old Covenant Much more Blessed is the Man or Woman that delights in the Law and Order of Love and the Law and Order of Faith and the Law and Order of Life and of the Gospel the Power of God And none keep the Law of Faith but who keep in the Faith which Christ is the Author of which wourks by Love And none keep the Law of Life but who keep in the Law of the Spirit and walk in it which is in Christ Jesus the heavenly and spiritual Second Andam who was before old Adam who under the World's God out of Truth in whom there is no Truth nor true Order but Confusion and Disorder And therefore all who come to God who is a God of Order must come bythe Grace Truth Light Power Gospel Faith and Anoitnting the Word of Life within and such come to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to delight in God and Christ's Order So you may see that God is a God of Order who called Aaron and Moses and they had an Order from God And Melchizedeck had an Order and Christ is after his Everlasting Order Christ'r Kingdom is Everlasting And Christ the Truth hath an Everlasting Kingdom that stands in Everlasing Righteousness and Power and Joy in the Holy Ghost yea an estableshed Kingdom that will never have an end and cannot be broken and no imperfect defiled nor corruptible thind enters into is And all Christ Jesus's Subjects of his Everlasting Kingdom that see it and enter into it are born again not of the Will of Man but of an Incorruptible Seed by the Word of God and have the Incorruptible Milk of the Word of God by which the grow from Babes to Men of God and have the Fine Linnen the Incorruptible Cloathing the Righteousness of Christ which is the Linnen which they do wear in Christs Kingdom So all Christ's Subjects of his Kingdom are known by their Birth and Cloathing and live in the Order of hiw Gospel of Love Lifew Light Grace and Truth and no Man comes into his Kingdom and Order but by the Light Grace Truth Faith Power and Spirit and Anointing and Word of Life within through which they know Christ and his Everlasting Kingdom that stands in Power and Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost
World And that which keeps you from the Spots of the World will keep you from the Body of Death and Sins of the World which you are made free from by the Circumcision of Christ by his Spirit and by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus are made free from the Law of Sin and Death And now Friends you that do profess this pure and undefiled Religion before God the Father to keep unspotted from the World or from the Spots of the World take heed you that profess this pure and undefiled Regilion tha tye keep your selves from the World or that you do not get the World's Spots upon you And take heed of Grediness and Earthly-mindedness and Covetousness which the Apostle called Idolatry for it is a great Spot and Blot of the World that lieth in Wickedness And take heed of Unrighteousness in your Trades Commerces or Dealings For Unrighteousness is a Spot To be Just in Trade c. And take heed of Over-reaching or using any Deceitsulness or Defraud in your Trade or Commerce For Over-reaching and using Deceit of any Unjust thing will Blot you an Spot you and is contrary to the pure and undefiled Religion And take heed of Unrighteousness Ungodliness Unholiness Prophaness Loosness Filthiness Naughtiness and Evil Words which corrupt good Manners These things will Blot you and Spot you and are contrary to the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father And also take heed of Drunkenness Theft Murder Whordom Fornication Adultery and all manner of Uncleanness For they which act such things are void of the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father and they are blotted and spotted with the Actions of the World that lieth in Wickedness and their Religion is vain And take heed of Lying Swearing and Cursing which are Spots of the World and forbid by Christ and the Apostle And all such that follow the Lust of the Eye the Pride of Life and the Lust of the Flesh which is not of the Father but of the God of the World that abode not in the Truth such are spotted with the Spots of the World and are Proud Vain Lofty Scornful High Spots of the World and Spotted with the World's Spots and are void of the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father And take heed of Malice Hatred Envy Wrath Rage and Fury these are the Spots of the World who bear such Fruits contrary to the Spirit of Meekness Gentleness Kindness Tenderness Sobriety Love and Mercifulness which are the Fruits of the pure Spirit of God which leadeth to the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father which is To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and to keep unspotted from the World this pure undefiled Religion keepeth in the Purity of Life and Conversation and this is above all and keeps from all the vain Religions in the World which pure and undefiled Religion it is the Duty of all true Christians to walk in by which they may be kept from the Spots of the World and this is the Religion that was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago in the Church of Christ and happy had all Christendom been if they had kept to this pure undefiled Religion to this day and then they would not have made so many Religions as they have done but to this pure undefiled Religion they must come again if ever they come to the true Religion The pure Religion and undefiled is the hest Religion for none can make a better than the pure undefiled Religion which was set up in the Church in the Apostles days above Sixteen Hundred Years ago unto which all that profess Christianity should be conformable even to this pure undefiled Religion which will keep them from the Spots of the World and then their Religion will not be of the World And this is the one pure undefiled Religion that all Christians should be of which is from one God the Creator of all So there is one God the Creator of all and one Lord Jesus christ by whom all things were made and created who is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man christ Jesus there in one Body and one Spirit even as you are called to one Hope of your Calling and one God and Father of all who is above you all and in you all and through you all and there is one Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher of and there is one Baptism and by one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free must all drink into this one Spirit of Christ and so to keep the Unity in the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace for the Apostle saith If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 for Christ saith in his Prayer to his Father That they may be all one meaning the true Christians as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that they may be one ever as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one to wit the Believers and Followers of Christ John 17.21 22 23. Here you may see God and Christ are one in them so he Prayeth that his People may be one in whom they have Rest Life Peace and Salvation with God through Jesus Christ Amen Let your Conversation or Practice be without Covetousness c. Hebr. 13.5 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Philip. 1.17 The 4th of the 2d Month 1685. G. F. To Friends at York DEar Friends Epist 400. To you is my Love in the Seed of Life that bruises the Head of Enmity and in this Seed you all have Life and Peace that is Everlasting And my Desires are That you may all dwell in the Love that can bear all things To keep the Word of Wisdont and of Patience And keep the Word of Patience which will never be worn out for the Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever and over all Trials keeps for the Word was in the Beginning and all things are upheld by the Word of his Power in it abide And so live and walk in the Wisdom that is from above that is heavenly pure peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated And keep in the Lamb-like Nature for the Suffering Lamb must have the Victory And so the Man of God must not strive but be gentle and yet valiant for God's Truth and not to fell it for they that do go into Bondage and Captivity for the Truth maketh all God's People free and the peaceale Truth is a peaceable Habitation And so in it God Almighty preserve you and all the Lord's People every where that they may Glorifie the Lord God of all their Comforts Lives and Mercies Amen Kingston the 13th of the 10th Month 1685. G. F. DEar Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus
an Example to Parents and the Arke of God for not restraining his Children from Evil And again if that they must be left to themselves why did the Prophets and the Apostles say That they must not quench nor vex nor grieve nor rebel against the Spirit of God nor turn the Grace of God into Wantonness nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace but walk in the Spirit and in the Truth and in the Light and to love it and not to hate it for they that do not love the Light but hate it are condemned by it and so grow in the Condemnation and are not in the Justification of Life The Lord God commanded Abraham to Circumcise himself and his Children and Servants that were bought with Money and were born in his House He was to bring all his Males into this Covenant of outward Circumcision and the Lord said That Soul shall be cut off that is not Circumcised he hath broken my Covenant of outward Circumcision as you may see Gen. 17. Here you may see Abraham was to teach and instruct his Family and Servants and he was not to keep any Man or Servant that was Uncircumcised in his Family Now you that profess the New Covenant True Circumcision are not you and all your Children and Servants to be Circumcised with the Spirit of Circumcision And do not they that have not the Body of Death and the Sins of the Flesh cut off by Circumcision go down into the Pit and not into Paradise and the kingdom of God And therefore may not such Uncircumcised by the Spirit hurt the Families of true Christians in the Light Therefore consider Abraham was not to suffer and of his Children and Servants that were bought with his Money or born in his House to be Uncircumcised in the Old Covenant This care the Lord laid upon him in his Family in the Old Covenant Therefore consider you that profess the New Covenant of the Spirit of Circumcision what Care lies upon you in your Families of Teaching and Instructing your Servants and Children and to bring them to the Spirit of Circumcision And now do not say but you are all warned in your Life-time and therefore prise your time while you have it that you spend it to the Honour and Glory of God The 9th of the 5th Month 1686. G. F. An Epistle for them that are learned in Christ to read and understand THe Lord saith Epist 410. In this Mountain shall the Lord of Host make unto all People a feast of fat things c. And he will destroy in this Mountain the Face of the Covering cast over all People and the Veil that is spread over all Nations And he will swallow up Death into Victory and the Lord God will wipe away Tears from off all Faces Isai 5.26 27. 1 Cor. 15.54 Rev. 21.4 Is not this Mountain Christ Christ filleth the whole Earth that filleth the whole Earth where this Feast of fat things is And doth not Christ through Death destroy Death and the Devil the Power of Death and so takes away the Veil and Covering that is spread over all Nations that they may be covered with the Spirit that he pours upon all Flesh And the Apostle saith Moses put a Veil over his Face that the Children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is to be abolished for their Minds were blinded For until this Day remains the same Veil untaken away in the reading of Moses and the Old Testament the Veil is upon their Hearts which Veil is done away in Christ and when they shall turn to the Lord the Veil shall be done away as in 2 Cor. 3. So here you may see the Veil that was spread over the Hearts of People The Veil over Peoples Hearts done away by Christ is done away by Christ and all they that are turned to the Lord with open Face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even by the Spirit of the Lord. And the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed his People and dwell amongst them who hath made their Robes white in the Blood of the Lamb And this is the Days of Christ whom God gives for a Covenant of the People to establish the Earth Sing O Heavens and rejoyce O Earth and break forth into Singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his People and hath Mercy upon his afflicted And Christ saith to the Prisoners Go forth unto them that are in Darkness shew your selves and they shall feed in Pastures For he that hath Mercy on them shall lead them and by the Springs of Water shall he guide them Isai 49. For God gave Christ for a Covenant to the People for a Light to the Gentiles to open the blind Eyes to bring out the Prisioners out of Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-Houses Isai 42.2 6 7. Rev. 7.15 16 17. So we that do witness this do praise the Lord God through Jesus Christ Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his People Rev. 21.3 This is the Day of the New Covenant which People enjoy in Christ Jesus The Lord saith I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos 13.14 And the Apostle saith O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which gives us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. So here you may see the Grave had its Victory Christ gives Victory over Death and the Grave and Death hath its Sting which is Sin But the Strength of Sin is the Law But Christ gives us the Victory who makes an end of Sin the Sting of Death as in Dan. 9.24 And who through Death destroys Death and the Power of Death and is the End of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes and so are dead to the Law by the Body of Christ Rom. 7.4 And Christ saith unto the Jews Verily verily he that hears my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life Mark Everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but hath past from Death unto Life Then they have past from the Sting of Death which is Sin And as John saith we know that we are past from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren for he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death John 5.24 1 John 2.44 So if they were past from Death to Life then they were past from Death and his Sting which is Sin through Jesus Christ who destroys Death and makes and End of Sin And again Christ saith to the Jews Verily verily