with his Blessings So the Lord God of Power be with you all my dear Hearts I am with you in the Spirit and in the Love of your God your Father and mine The Lord God prosper guide and protect you and bring you all into his Kingdom of Glory you who are Elected Called Chosen and Faithful who are the Lambs God Almighty bless you and keep you all my dear Hearts The Love of God passeth Knowledge The Love of God is Love past Knowledge which bears all things endures all things hopes all things envieth not thinketh no Evil. And the Love of God is the Ground of all true Love in your Hearts which casts out the Love of the World and the Enmity which was gotten betwixt you and God He that believes is born of God and he that is born of God overcomes the World So Fare ye all well and God Almighty bless and prosper you G. F. And all ye Friends that wait in that which is pure in it self which cannot lie which doth not change Wait upon God for God doth not change and let all Flesh be silent before the Lord that the Life may speak in all then the Mouth of the Lord is known Let Life speak and God is Exalted and Glorified with his own Work which he brings forth And Meet together therein every where and mind that which gathers you and wait on that which is pure which gathers you out of the Worlds Nature Disposition Conversation Churches Forms and Customs which will knit your Hearts together up to God That which gathers you out of all these is the Spirit of the Lord which will gather you up to him who is the Father of Spirits that ye may be able to Judge and Discern and Confound all the Deceit in the World and grow up to be as Kings and suffer nothing to reign in you but what is in the Life Eternal And beware of speaking in the Presence of the Lord except your Words be from the Eternal Life Words spoken from the Word the Eternal Word of God else it doth not profit nor build up nor edifie So God Almighty be with you all in your Meetings that ye may see him to be your Head King and Lord over all To you all who are enlightned with the Light of the Spirit that is the Light which shews you Sin and Evil and your evil Deeds and Actings and the Deceit and False-heartedness The Light teaches Holiness which will Teach you Holiness walking in it and bring you into Unity and it will draw your Minds up to God and in it ye will see more Light But hating the Light there is your Condemnation G. F. ALL Friends Epist 44. wait upon the Unlimited Power and Spirit of the Lord which baptises into one Body where ye will have all Unity in that which crucifies the Flesh and mortifies all evil Desires and puts off the Body of Sin the Old Man with his Deeds and Circumcises without hands and joyns together your Hearts up to God from whence the living Mercies come from the Living God alone who is God over all blessed for ever To that in every one of your Consciences do I appeal and speak to the Measure that God hath given the Light The Light is the Eye loving it and taking heed to it and waiting in it for Power from God it will guide you to the Father of Light in which ye will have all Unity and hating the Light it will be your Condemnation Oh Wait wait upon the Living God to nourish the tender Plant in you that ye may bring forth Fruits of Righteousness unto God for he accepts such and none else Therefore wait upon God he hath a pure Seed among you Let your waiting be in the Light and mind that he is a Wise Man whose Eye is in his Head which is Christ the End of all Priests the End of the outward Temple and the Fool 's Eye is abroad after many Priests and they are led away with Conceivings Temptations and divers Temptations Therefore in the Light wait where ye will see all Deceits within and without For it is a Sin to enter into Temptations but it is no Sin to be tempted Christ was tempted but he entred not into the Temptation Therefore in the Fear of the Lord wait and watch The Light is that which lets thee see Sin and Evil and Temptations which if thou enter into the Light will be thy Condemnation then thy Heart will not be right towards God But in the Light of God all wait Wisdom's Gate which will bring you to see where Wisdom's Gate is the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of it Pure Wisdom is let out of the Treasury into the pure Heart which sees God and fearing the Living God it keeps the Heart pure and clean to receive the Wisdom from the Treasury freely who doth not upbraid And as ye depart from Evil and Iniquity he breaks the Bonds by shewing Mercy and then the Understanding grows pure and clear So in the Power of the Lord God Fare ye well And the Lord God of Power keep you all in his Measure up to himself from and above all the World 's evil Ways Baits Customs and Teachings to trample upon them in his Power that Wisdom may be Justified of you all and ye may be preserved and God glorified To whom be all Glory Honour and Thanks over all God blessed for ever Read these among all my Brethren and Friends and send it abroad to Friends that ye may all know the Power of the Living God in one another not in Words but in Power So Farewell G. F. Concerning the Heirs of the Kingdom of God and how Christ was and his Saints are Tempted THey are the Heirs of the Kingdom of God Epist 45. and of the Generation of God that live out of the Kingdom of the Wicked World up to God in the Seed which all the Promises of God are to following after Christ who was in Egypt and passed out of Egypt the House of Darkness And he was in the Wilderness Christ was Tempted and there he was tempted to Lust after the Creature he was tempted to make himself away he was tempted to Worship the Devil to bow down and worship him He is the Captain of our Salvation he 's gone before he endured the Cross he despised the Shame he suffered the Contradiction of Sinners for the Glory that was set before him he hath won the Crown He hath overcome Egypt and he hath fulfilled the Law he hath overcome the World he hath overcome the Temptations he is able to succour all who are tempted It is no Sin to be tempted but to enter into the Temptation that is Sin He is the Head of the Body he is the Head of the Church Christ the Head of the Church who hath blotted out the Ordinances and Traditions of Men who is the End of the daily
God is sufficient in all Temptations to lead out of them and to keep over them G. F. FRiends Wait in the Light Epist 108. that with the Light every one of you may come to see Christ to be your Wisdom and your Righteousness and so come to see the Body his Church About 1656. of which he is the Head and in the Measure of Life waiting on the Father of Life ye may come to reign in the Life All that are here kept are in pure Joy and Love And in the Light wait Harlots and Idolaters seen that ye may see the Harlots and Idolaters c. which are to be fed with Judgment Spare not that which is for the Sword and for the Fire let all Fleshly-mindedness be troden under your Feet And standing in the Power ye will see the Seed slaying the Fat and chaining and binding the Vnruly The Fat and Vnruly and succouring all the Lambs and Babes This is the Word of the Lord to you G. F. FRiends Keep to Patience this is the Counsel of the Lord to you Epist 109. Do not Judge one another behind one anothers backs Concerning Judging nor speak Evil one of another for that is that which soweth the Enmity among Brethren Nor do not Judge one another before the World for that is that which is in the Extremes Passion and Hastiness and there ye do let in the World's Spirit to rejoyce over you and that is out of the Patience and Love and Wisdom and Fear of God and his Truth And every one dwell in the Seed and Life of God and in that know one another and Meeting together in that ye may see the Lord Jesus in the midst of you And Friends The Aggravating Part. go not into the Aggravating Part to strive with it lest ye do hurt to your Souls and run into the same Nature for Patience must get the Victory and answers to that of God in every one which will bring every one from the contrary So let your Moderation and Temperance and Patience be known to all for that which joins to the Aggravating Part sets up the Aggravating Part and breeds Confusion and reaches not to the Witness of God in every one And Friends keep out of the Worldly-Wise Part The Wise Part. for that will never let People joyn and unite together in Truth which enters into the Earth and the Apprehensions of Words but let Innocency be the Garment and Truth and Simplicity the Covering Then in the Innocency ye will have Vnity where there is no evil Thought but Love that thinks no Evil. Therefore Cover one anothers Nakedness let all things be done in Love and that will Edifie And let the Weight and Preciousness of Truth be in your Eye and esteemed above all things by you For here is my Grief when I hear any thing amongst Friends that hinders their Vnity and makes a Breach whereby the Wrong gets Ground who should live in the Seed which breaks the Bond of Iniquity Breaches and makes up all Breaches in which Seed shine answering the Witness of God in every one which bruises the Earthly Part under that brings forth Briars and Thorns and spreads over the World and all the contrary Therefore all ye which have known the Power of the Lord God and have tasted of the Seed of God Live in that in which ye come to have Vnity that that Part may be kept down And the Wrong Eye that looks out at one anothers Weaknesses that must be kept under even that where the Heat and the Burnings and the Enmity is the Seed of God a-top of all that must be set Cover Nakedness in which is the Vnity Therefore if there be any Nakedness in any or among any cover that and come all to the Seed of God in your own selves for in that is the Vertue to heal yea all Nations Slaughterings Wounds and Cuttings are the other Weapons in the other Part which is out of the Seed of God whose End is Peace in which is the Vnity which is the Top-stone over all the Enmity and a-top of it is laid and bruiseth it all down I am a Lover of your Souls Eternal Good Peace and Vnity in the Kingdom that stands in the Power which hath no End G. F. To the Prisoners at Exon. FRiends Epist 110. Mind that which keepeth you all Meek and Low to be guided with it Keep Meek and Low And all consider that which keepeth you in the Way of Peace that none of you may be pudling in your own carnal Wisdom which is to be confounded which is shut out of the Kingdom of God All wait to have Dominion over that that ye may know Peace and Unity and the Love of God that doth not change And do not strive one with another lest ye do hurt one another for it is not the hasty Spirit that doth get the Victory but the Lamb who must reign over the World and was before it was And the Mind which is forward The forward Mind Judge Judge and dwell in the peaceable Way and that ye may be Patterns in your Imprisonments to them which be out of the Image of the Son of God To the Prisoners in Exon Written whilst J. N. was there with many more in Prison G. F. A Warning from the Lord for Plainness of Speech to be used To go among Friends FRiends of God and Brethren Epist 111. This is a Warning to you all from the Lord God and Jesus Christ that all that ye speak it may be in Plainness of Speech Plainness of Speech according to that of God in all Consciences and that it may proceed from that of God in you the Light of Christ that all your Words be Words of Life to the Life and Death to the Death where it reigns above the Light And that all Words which are spoken be in Plainness of Speech that the Light of Christ in all Consciences which he hath enlightned every one withal may witness your Words to be the Words of Life So that dwelling in the Light to that of God ye may be made manifest in all Consciences which shall be their Condemnation that hate it Ye that dwell in the Light and walk in the Light use Plainness of Speech and plain Words single Words in the single Life pure Words from the pure Life seasoned Words seasoned with Grace which teacheth to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts They who live in Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts turn from the Grace of God into Wantonness who are light and vain whose Words are unsavoury not seasoned with Grace whose Words edifie not upon whom God will render Vengeance in Flames of Fire who shall be separated from his Presence and his Angels Therefore Friends in Plainness of Speech all dwell for dwelling in the Light it will bring you to Plainness and few Words to live in the Life The Life of the Scriptures which
over all And let nothing be wanting amongst you and then all is and will be well And encourage one another to seek out the Poor and Sick and Fatherless and Widow and Imprisoned and make up their Necessities and Wants Necessities and Wants then there will be nothing lacking And keep in Discerning that ye may not be ensnared nor made a Prey upon but that in the Power and Wisdom of God ye may be kept over all such and to feel through all States and Conditions That the Lord God may be honoured in and by you all and ye all may be preserved in his Power and Life to his Glory For your bestowing of outward things to such as stand in need is the least Love and things of little Value in Comparison to the things that are above and Immortal And so keep over all in that in which ye have the Blessing poured upon you from the Lord God to cloath and cover you This is for the Mens Meetings G. F. FRiends Epist 176. That Minister up and down among Friends be Examples in Wisdom Life Patience Righteousness Holiness and in Godliness and Soberness An Exhortation to Friends that Minister to be good Examples that your Lives and Conversations may preach And keep out and over all vain youthful Ways and Childishness and over all those fallen Spirits that quarrel jangle and contend about outward things and have a Life in them through which they are eaten out from the Life and Truth of God and such become as the Dross and they come to be as the untimely Figs and as the Corn and Grass on the House-top And so ye all that minister abroad to others first see that ye be in the Truth that will never change and in the Word and Life that will abide and in the Gospel the Power of God Meats Drinks Apparel which was before Meats and Drinks and outward Apparel were that ye may abide in that which never changes that ye may not be confounded For when they that are Ministers change and alter from that which they went forth first in and brought the People into it doth shew that they are either gone out of the Truth or else they were never in the Truth and this confounds People They had better never have gone out at all Therefore ye that Minister abroad see that ye be in that which will never change and is over all them that do jangle about changable things for that being Ministred to People that never changes and they that Minister being in that An established State which never changes this begets People into an Established State For they are all fallen Spirits and not Ministers of the Word nor the Gospel nor of Christ that never fell which destroys the Devil and his Works in the Fall that are quarrelling and siding and disputing and contending and striving about outward things For that Mind that goes into them is in the Heats and Tempests up and down and is in the wrong Judgment and cries against others as being Lords and being esteemed and looked upon and looking at Men when the Wrong Lords in themselves and that is it which should not be esteemed The outward Part being gotten up in themselves who have gotten a Life in outward things in the outward Knowledge and the outward Reason and outward Wisdom that outward Part and Reason Wisdom and Knowledge must all perish and the Life they have in them also The Life of God before the Life of God can come to rule in them in which is the Everlasting Vnity and Fellowship And so Friends all that minister abroad in the Everlasting Word which never changes and the Gospel in it abide he First and Last For the Word keeps down the Pride of Life the Lust of the Flesh and the Lust of the Eye which is of the World and not of the Father And so let your Liberty be in the Word and Spirit and the Power of God which keeps you out of the Liberty of the World and its vain Fashions and be not fashioned after them And so take heed of light Words unseasoned Talk Vnseasoned Talk and of taking Liberty to the Flesh but walk in that which is pure and keep in that in which ye may have the Wisdom which is the Beauty the of gray Hairs that to the Lord God ye may be a good Savour and in the hearts of all walking in all Comliness and Decency The Word of Truth makes you to be seasoned and savoury and this is Comely keeping in the Beauty of Holiness in which Holiness the Lord is seen over the Beauty of the World that is vain G. F. ALL Friends every where who are dead to all carnal Weapons Epist 177. and have beaten them to pieces stand in that Carnal Weapons which takes away the Occasion of Wars in the Power which saves Mens Lives and destroys none nor would have others And as for the Rulers that are to keep Peace for Peace's sake and the Advantage of Truth Give Tribute give them their Tribute But to bear and carry carnal Weapons to Fight with the Men of Peace which live in that which takes away the Occasion of Wars they cannot act in such things under the several Powers but have paid their Tribute Which they may do still for Peace sake and not hold back the Earth but go over it and in so doing Friends may better claim their Liberty G. F. For Friends in Barbadoes Virginia New-England and all the Islands about FRiends and Brethren Epist 178. who are made Partakers of the Power of the World that is without End and are Partakers of the heavenly Gift and feel the Power in which is the Vnity Peace and Kingdom that hath no end in that feel one another and know one another and in the Life in which ye will have Peace and Unity one with another that the Top-Stone may be laid over all and ye all in the Wisdom Life and Seed in your measures may be preserved spreading the Truth abroad confounding the Deceit answering the Witness of God in all To which they must be brought before their Minds can be turned to God and be acquainted with his Couemnt of Promise and his Life and to know God Christendom on heaps the Father of Spirits For all Christendom which hath gotten the Words of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles that are not in the Spirit and Power as they were in that gave them forth are all on heaps about them and not in Unity being out of the Spirit in which is the Vnity and true Fellowship For there are the Heaps amongst them that are out of the Spirit and Power of God having the Words in the Transgression in the Fall in the Earth and in the many Bodies Names and Heads Churches Religions and Worships which are in the first Birth born of the Flesh which will persecute him that is born of the Spirit Baptism which
they that separate themselves such as have not the Spirit But Beloved build up your selves in the most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost and keep your selves in the Love of God Jude Now I praise you Brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them unto you and the rest will I set in order when I come 1 Cor. 2.11 34. Paul in his Second Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. 3.4 And we have Confidence in the Lord touching you that ye both do and will do the things which we command you Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly and not after the Tradition which he received of us Now we exhort you Brethren to warn them that are unruly and comfort the feeble-minded and support the weak and be patient towards all Men for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and that ye study to be quiet and walk honestly to them that are without and that ye may have lack of nothing 1 Thess 5.14 And in 2 Thess 2.15 Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which you have been taught whether by Word or our Epistle G. F. DEar Friends Epist 348. To whom is my Love in the heavenly Seed Christ Jesus Abraham and all the Faithful blessed in Christ without the Deeds of the Law in whom all Nations are blessed O therefore keep all in this Seed in which ye are blessed and in which Abraham and all the faithful were blessed without the Deeds of the Law and so the Promise was and is to the Seed and not to the Law of the first Covenant and in this Seed all Nations and ye are blessed which bruiseth the Head of the Seed which brought the Curse and separated between Man and God This is the Seed which reconciles you to God and this is the Seed in which ye are blessed both in Temporals and Spirituals through which you have an Inheritance that cannot be defiled among the sanctified neither can any defiled thing enter into its Possession for all Defilements are out of this Seed this is that which Leavens up into a New Lump and bruiseth the Head of the wicked Seed that Leavens into the Old Lump upon whom the Sun of Righteousness goes down and sets but never goes down nor sets to them that walk in the Seed in which all Nations are blessed by which Seed they are brought up to God which puts down that Seed which separated betwixt them and God so that there comes to be nothing betwixt them and God And so now all my Dear Friends my Desires are To be valiant for Truth and to spread it abroad That you may all be valiant in this heavenly Seed for God and his Truth upon the Earth and spread it abroad answering that of God in all that with it the Minds of People may be turned towards the Lord that he may come to be known and served and worshipped and that ye may all be the Salt of the Earth to make the unseasoned Savoury And in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings who are gathered into it in whose Name ye have Salvation and he in the midst of you whose Name is above every Name under the whole Heaven And so you have a Prophet and Bishop Shepherd Priest and Counsellor above all the Counsellors Priests Bishops Prophets and Shepherds under the whole Heaven to exercise his Offices among you in your Meetings that are gathered in his Name And so Christ's Meeting and Gathering is above all the Meetings and Gatherings under the whole Heaven And so his Body his Church and He the Head of it is above all the Bodies and Churches and Heads under the whole Heaven And so the Faith that Christ is the Author of and the Worship that he hath set up and his Fellowship in his Gospel is above all Historical Faiths and the Faith 's that Men have made together with their Worships and Fellowships under the whole Heaven And now Dear Friends Light and Immortality brought to Light keep your Men and Womens Meetings in the Power of God the Gospel the Authority of them which brings Life and Immortality to light in you And this Gospel the Power of God will preserve you in Life and in Immortality which hath brought it to light in you that ye may see over him that hath darkned you and so from the Knowledge of the things of God And so it is he and his Iustruments that would darken you from Life and Immortality and that would throw down your Men and Womens Meetings which are established in the Power of God the Gospel and would darken you again from this Life and Immortality which the Gospel hath brought to light and will preserve you in Life and in Immortality as your Faith stands in the Power of God the Gospel in which every one sees your Work and Service for God and every Heir of the Power of God the Gospel hath Right to this Authority which is not of Man nor by Man which Gospel the Power of God is Everlasting and leads you into an everlasting Fellowship and in the Gospel is everlasting Joy Comfort and Peace which will-out-last all those Joys Comforts and Peace that will have an End and also that Spirit that opposes its Order and the glorious Fellowship Peace and Comfort that is in it And now my Dear Friends my Desire is By the Spirit are we all baptized into one Body That ye may keep in the Unity of the Spirit that Baptises you all into one Body which Christ is the Heavenly and Spiritual Head of so that you may see and witness to your Heavenly and Spiritual Head and all drink into that one Spirit which all People upon the Earth is not like to drink into while they grieve quench and rebel against it nor be baptised into one Body nor keep the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace Yea the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Peace which is the Duty of all true Christians to keep who are inwardly united to Christ So with my Love in the Everlasting Seed Swarthmore the 26th of the 7th Month 1678. G. F. To Friends in the County of Oxford DEar Friends Epist 349. Keep in the Lord's Power that his Kingdom stands in In what the Kingdom of God stands and in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost which the Devil and all his Instruments of Strife and Debate and Sowers of Discord among Brethren are out of and keep that Spirit out with the Power of God which was before it was in which Gospel the Power of God is your Holy and Heavenly Order in the Possession of the same Labour walking in the New and Living Way over all the dead Ways in Adam let them be what Sect they will and in this New and Living Way you
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
for the Old Covenant of Circumcision was held in the Flesh and then they did feed upon the Natural Sacrifices but the New Covenant is held in the Grace Light and Spirit by which they are Circumcised and so do feed on their Heavenly Sacrifice For in the Old Covenant they were not to eat the Blood of Beasts or any Blood but in the New Covenant Christ tells you Except ye do eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no part in me For as by Adam and Eve their eating that which God forbad came Death so if Adam and Eve's Sons and Daughters have Life again it is by eating of that which Christ commands and as by eating came Death so by eating gometh Life and not by talking no not by talking of the Son of God for all Reprobates may do so for the Apostle saith If Christ be not in you ye are Reprobates and he that hath not the Son of God hath not Life and he that hath the Son of God hath Life and the Saints did confess the Son of God was come and had given them an Understanding and they were in him and they were to walk as he walked and not only to talk as he talked For there are too many Talkers and few Walkers in Christ my desire is there may be more And the Lord God Almighty strengthen you in your inward Man and over all give you Dominion in the Seed of Life which bruiseth the Head of the Serpent tht brought Death and a Curse and this Seed bringeth the Blessings in which all Nations are blessed and out of this Seed they are not blessed though they may profess all the words of this good Seed and if they are not in it they have not the Blessing in it and they that be in this their Blessings and Peace flow as a River from the Rock and Foundation of Life that standeth sure which all the Prophets Apostles and sanctisied Ones did and do build upon who is their Life and Salvation So feel the Stone that is cut out of the Mountain without Hands which must become a great Mountain and foll the whole Earth which hath a Kingdom that is everlasting which except a Man be born again he neither can see it nor enter into his Kingdom And my Desire is that you in your Measures may be preserved to the Lord Love Mercy and do Justly and know what he doth require of you to love Mercy to do Justice and to walk Humbly with God for the more he giveth the more he requires and the less that he gives the less he requires who will judge the World in Righteousness according to the Gospel preached in every Creature shewing that there is something of God in every Creature that shall answer his Judgment And therefore my desire is that all may be faithful to what the Lord hath made known unto them by his Grace and Truth Light Power and Spirit and then the Lord will supply them with more to whom be Glory and Praise who is the Creator of all through Jesus Christ by whom all things were made Amen G. F. AND Dear Friends Epist 354 My Love to you all in the Seed of Life and Peace which floweth as a River and bruiseth the Head of the Serpent that hath brought Death and Darkness Woe Elected in Christ the Seed Misery and Imperfection upon and in Man and in this Seed Christ is all Nations blessed and elected and out of it is the Curse and Reprobation And out of this Seed are all the false Religions false Ways false Worships and false Churches or Bodies without Heads like so many Monsters which the Seed of the Serpent hath brought forth since the Apostles days and then they have made them Heads out of their Bodies or Churches and when one Head is fallen off then another they make and set it upon their Body or Church having lost and gone from the true Head Christ And sometimes the Members do fall out about making a Head for their Body so that the Members do destroy one another about it Going from Christ their Head they make to themselves Heads Now this monstrous Body is brought in by this ovil Seed in such as are gone from the Light Grace Truth Power and Spirit that cometh from Christ the heavenly Head in whom dwelleth the fulness of Divinity And they are never like to come to the true Head Christ but by coming to the Light Grace Truth Power Faith and Spirit of Jesus which cometh from him and turneth to him again the Head and so to hold him their Head by which all the Members are coupled together by Joints and Bands which do receive their Nourishment from him their Head who doth supply every Member with Life Everlasting from him that is alive and liveth for evermore And since such have gone from the Light Grace Truth spirit and Power of Jesus in this Night of Apostacy they have gone from that which cometh from the Head Christ which should join to him And therefore in this night of Apostacy there have been many Bodies without the true Head which have made so many Heads and set them upon their Bodies and when they are gone they do make more and the Beast Dragon Wolves and flse Worships or Bodies of People without the true Head Christ being out of the Grace Truth Light Power Faith and Spirit which the Apostles were in they have brought forth so many monstrous Bodies without Heads till they have made Heads for them and when one is gone they do make another And therefore all must come to the Grace Truth Power Spirit and Faith that cometh from Jesus if that they do come to him from whence it cometh and so hold him their Head Christ which Head all things were made by who is First and Last the Beginning and Ending Halelujah And my desires are That all may be in their Services for Christ Men and Women in his Grace Truth Light Power and Spirit that from him they may all have their Penny Dilligence rewarded who doth reward every Man and Woman according to their Works and not stand idle chaffering in the Market-place So with my Love in the Lord the Creator of all and in the Lord Jesus Christ by whom was all who is over all the First and Last a living Rock and Foundation for all the Living to build upon that are quickned by him and do believe in his Light which is the Life in Christ the Word by whom all things were made and so are grafted into Christ Grafted in Christ the living Tree that never withereth and so from him the green Tree every Graft doth receive its Nourishment that is grafted into him and so the living Root doth bear every living Branch and nourishes it that it may bring forth Fruit to the Praise of God over all blessed for ever And this is the Tree whose Leaf never fadeth nor Fruit faileth but its Fruit feedeth all the
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
do receive Christ in his Grace and Truth which comes from him they know his Government in the Truth They who receive Christ in his Grace know his Government in the Truth and in the Covenant of Grace yea in their Hearts and knows their gracious and true Liberty in the Grace and Truth and in Christ from whence it comes and his holy and heavenly Order in his Grace and his Reign in their Hearts And all such that walks despitefully against the Spirit of Grace and turns the Grace into Wantonness though such may profess God and Christ their Profession will come to nothing and all their Liberty is false and in the Flesh in Old Adam in Transgression For true Liberty is in the Grace and Truth that is come by Jesus which leads up unto Jesus from whence it comes in whom the everlasting true Liberty is For Christ who is the Truth Holy and Pure he reigns in the Truth and in his Grace And therefore every Man and Woman must with this Grace and Truth in their Hearts which they have from Christ feel and see Christ's Reign and Rule in their Hearts and him in his heavenly Eternal everlasting Government The Lord spoke by his Prophet Joel That it shall come to pass in the last Days tht God will pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh c. Joel 2.28 And Peter said This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel It shall come to pass in the last Days saith God that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie Your young Men shall see Visions and your old Men shall dream Dreams and on my Servants and on my Hand-maids I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall Prophesie Acts 2.17 18. Now it is God that pours out of his Spirit upon all Flesh by which Sons God pours out his Spirit upon all Flesh Daughters young Men old Men Servants and Handmaids have their Visions and Prophesies and Dreams And these last Days are the Days of Christ in his Gospel and New Covenant It is said in the Old Covenant That God did pour out of his Spirit upon the House of Israel and the House of Judah But in the Days of the New Covenant of Light and Grace God poured out of hes Spirit upon all Flesh both Jews and Gentiles Now all Flesh must come to the Spirit of God and be led and guided by it if they will see Christ's heavenly spiritual Government and Order and with this Spirit to know Christ the spiritual Man to rule and govern in their Hearts And all that by this Spirit are circumcised they eat of the heavenly Passover or their Bread from Heaven And all that are baptized with the Spirit are baptized into one Body and do all drink into one Spirit So here they are one in this spiritual Fellowship which is the true Church-Fellowship even that Church which is in God the Pillar and Ground of Truth which Church Christ is the heavenly and spiritual Head of and well he may for he is the Author of their Faith and the Author of their Light and Life Grace and Truth and Spirit and Gospel of Peace and Salvation by which he Rules in the Hearts of his living Members the Church And all they that grieve vex quench and rebel against the Spirit comes to be blind as the Jews and will not see with their Eyes nor hear with their Ears nor perceive with their Hearts and such may profess Christ in the New Testament and the Apostles Words and the Government and Order of Christ as the Jews did profess the Old Testament and Christ to come but they would not receive him then when he was come No more do they now that profess he is come who vexes and quenches his Spirit and grieves it and rebels against it and errs from it And such are not like to receive Christ into their Hearts nor come into his heavenly Order and established peaceable Government as those that are led by the Spirit of God which are the Sons of God and keeps the Vnity of the Spirit which Holy Spirit is the Bond of Peace amongst all Christ's Subjects Lambs and Sheep thet feed together in his Pasture of Life For it is God that gives the heavenly Understanding of Christ's established Government and Order And they that quench and vex and rebel against the Spirit of God will rebel against Christ's established Government and Order and his People that are in it that are led by the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and a sound Mind And such as will not hear the Spirit of God in themselves will neither hear God nor Christ nor his Sheep nor such as he sends but rebel against them Now the Gospel being preached to or in every Creature under Heaven which Gospel is the power of God to Salvation to every one that Believes So that all that receives this Gospel the Power of God unto Salvation in their Hearts receives Christ the Power of God and his Government and Order in the Power And Christ reigns in their Hearts in his Power and such comes into the Gospel-Order and they that come to be Heirs of the Gospel the Power of God to Salvation are Heirs of Christ's peaceable established Government and are true Subjects to Christ's Power and established peaceable Government and so this Gospel the Power of God to Salvation is peaceable joyful and comfortable which is the Gospel of Christ the Second Adam Christ the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven the Lord from Heaven and is not called the Gospel of old Adam in Transgression and this Gospel which is the Power of God unto Saluation it keeps all that believes in it in the Everlasting Joy Peace and Comfort and in Order for it is the Everlasting Gospel which brings Life and Immortality to Light by which they see over the Devil and before he was that hath blinded them and darkned them from Life and Immortality So in this Gospel that hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in God's People both Men and Women they are established in the Order of it in which they do serve the Eternal Everlasting God of Truth Now all they that do not receive the Gospel of Christ the Power of God to Salvation which is preached to every or in every Creature under Heaven Life and Immortality is not brought to Light in them and such the God of the World hath blinded and so they remain Blind under the God of the World and such are Blind concerning the Order of the Gospel and are ignorant of their Salvation and of that Joy and Comfort and Peace of the Gospel neither can they serve God in the Gospel though they may profess Christ and his Gospel in words yet such hath no Comfort of it And therefore such as disobeys the Gospel of Christ the Power of God to Salvation and will not receive it nor
it condemn Let this go to all them that dwell in the Light whose Minds are turned towards Jesus the Way to the Father Let that be burnt up which the Light doth discover to be evil and condemns it And to you this is the Word of the Lord. G. F. Concerning Tithes ALL Friends who are in the Eternal Light ye see the Figures Epist 73. the Shadows and the Types the Beginning and Ending of them and with the Light ye come to see the Substance of the things shadowed and figured forth So all in the Light dwell Christ the Substance of the Types that with it ye may come to know the Ministry of Life and the Ministry of Condemnation that with the Light ye may come to witness the Substance Christ Jesus And with the Light ye will see what the Apostle meant when he spake of Tithes and Offerings and of the Changable Priesthood and when he spake of the Substance of those things he had before spoken of who with the Light denied the First Priesthood the Tithes and Offerings that were Changable And now with the Light the Changable Priests are denied and the Vnchangable Ministry of Life witnessed and the Law that gave Tithes and the Commands about them with the Light ye see are ended And with the Light God is seen who was before those things were and the End of those things ye come to see Christ Jesus the Sum and the Substance of them So all ye Summons by Writs to Answer that are Summoned with Writs which come from the Courts ahove to Answer because ye connot pay Tithes Keep to the Light in you which comes from Jesus Christ that with the Light ye may all come to see Jesus the Sum and Substance and the End of all the before mentioned Tithes and Offerings And so according to the Light of Christ in them all speak that to it their Minds may be guided and declare the Truth to them which is agreeable to that of God in every one's Conscience And bear Witness to the Sum and Substance The Sum and Substance Christ Jesus Christ Jesus and shew forth that to them all And declare it to the Highest Judicature in the Nation when that ye suffer for the Testimony of Jesus that ye witness to the Substance Christ Jesus who is ascended far above all the Principalities and Powers and that ye witness to the Ministry of Life And shew forth the Substance to them if ye have an Opportunity shewing to them that ye suffer for Conscience sake And so over the World stand and over all their evil Works and bring all Mens Works to the Light And being guided by the Light it will let you joyn to none of their vain Inventions that are acted and made in that Nature that is contrary to the Light it will bring you to witness the Sum and Substance Christ Jesus over all the World And so if the Spoilers take your Goods let them go and let them take the Coat also And keeping to the Light which comes from Jesus to that of God in every one's Conscience ye will be manifest and keeping clear your Consciences with it all that which is contrary will be condemned And so every one to the Light keeping it will let you pay no Tithes to the Hirelings nor Join with them therein but it will bring you to witness the Sum and Substance Tithes and Offerings in the first Priesthood Christ Jesus For the Tithes and Offerings were ministred in the First Priesthood's time and it was glorious in its place but with the Light it was and is seen the Beginning their Time and the End of them and with the Light the Sum and Substance Christ Jesus is witnessed And all in the Light dwell to guide you that to that of God in all Consciences ye may be made manifest that they that Imprison you for Tithes and resist the Light of Christ in their own particulars that over them all ye may stand being guided by that which is pure that it may lead you to act that no Condemnation upon your Actions may come For who Contrary to the Light doth act upon his Actions Condemnation doth come That so over all the World ye may stand in the Light which doth it comprehend and condemn and with it ye may witness the End of the Shadows And unto you this is the Word of the Lord God And none to act any thing in your own Wills But who act Contrary to the Light and pay Tithes go to the Changable and with the Unchangable are cast out from the Children of Light And so the Children of Light are one in the Light and with the Light see the Body and Christ Jesus the Head and are all one in him Where did any Sue one another for Tithes under the first Priesthood Suing for Tithes But with the Light the Primitive Christians witnessed Christ Jesus the Substance of the things typified in the first Priesthood's time To the Light of Christ Jesus in all your Consciences which comes from Christ I speak that ye may see what ye act and that such as are Sued for Tithes may look to the Sum and Substance the Unchangable Priest Christ Jesus G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 74. Live in the Immortal Seed and Power of the LORD GOD that ye may Meet in that and in that feel one another The Spiritual Weapons And live in the Spirit in which ye will have Vnity and Peace and the Spiritual Weapons to cut down the Spiritual Enemies of your Peace And dwell in the Life and Power of God that ye may have Dominion and come to witness that ye are the Heirs of the Power of an Endless Life and of a World whereof there is no End and so in this keep your Meetings And dwell in the Peaceable Seed which destroyeth that which causeth Troubles Wars and Fightings in that dwell which was before that was in that will ye have Life and Peace Everlasting AND living in the Seed ye will see the Everlasting Commander that saith Swear not at all Swear not as all and the Witnesses of the true Seed say the same And this is the Command of the Royal Seed which is the Everlasting Commander among the Believers and to all others and they that believe not in the Light it condemns them being in the Evil. The Oath did bind to God in the time of the Law and the Prophets but Christ the Oath of God the Everlasting Covenant ends the Law and Prophets who bringeth up to God and destroyeth the Devil and endeth Strife and Oaths and fulfils the Law and the Prophets And the Everlasting Command of the Royal Seed is Love Enemies To love Enemies which the Jews were allowed to destroy for ye are all Brethren not ruling in Lordship like Jews and Gentiles but the Greatest shall be as the Least amongst you for the Seed is one in all and that is the Master who
Spirit plungeth down by Baptism and putteth under and bringeth into the One Body and putteth that under which causeth many Heads and answereth to that which is Transgressed against For all must come to the One Baptism with the Spirit into the One Body And all my Dear Friends be faithful and quench not the Spirit but be Obedient to the Truth and spread it abroad The Witness of God in all which must go over all the World to Profossors Jews Christians and Heathen to the answering the Witness of God in them all that they may come to the Truth which answers the Witness in them to be made free by it And Friends In the Wisdom of God dwell which preserveth in Vnity in the Spirit and Power If any thing be spoken in a Meeting which ye cannot bear speak to them concerned betwixt them and you Meetings quiet after the Meeting is ended for if any of the World be there it may give Occasion to them to reproach Truth For Wisdom preserveth in the Peace and maketh Peace and preserveth out of the Contrary and overcomes with the Wisdom and Love and answereth the Witness with the Life and so hath Unity and that hath the Kingdom G. F ALL Friends Ye must come into a Tomperance above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into a Patience above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into a Moderation above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into a Wisdom above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into a Knowledge above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into an Vnderstanding above all the World And all Friends Ye must come into a Sobriety and Gravity and a seasoned State above all the World G. F. MY Dear Friends In the Love Epist 180. and Life and Power of the Lord God dwell in the Power Life and Seed which hath no End To Friends to take beed of getting into the Form without the Power in which ye all may have Vnity And be Faithful and Diligent in the things that are good and keep your Meetings and Meet together in the Power of the Lord which cannot be broken in which is an Everlasting Vnity And live in Peace and Vnity one with another and all keep in the Power of the Lord God and take heed of getting into a Form without the Power any of you for that will bring Deadness and Coldness and Weariness and Faintings and what will it not bring in that Nature therefore keep in the Power of the Lord which will keep all the Contrary down and out and preserve you in Peace and Life Love and Vnity fresh and fruitful and diligent in the Wisdom of the Lord God with which and in which ye may be kept and preserved to his Glory and be a good Savour to him and in the Hearts of all People That to the Lord ye may be a Blessing in your Generation and a peculiar People in Tenderness and full of that Faith which overcomes the World and all things in it through which ye may come all up into the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace AND all Friends Live in the Power of the Lord God and keep down the Wise Part which will judge Truth to be Simple The Wise Part. and come to despise it and cry up their own Words of Wisdom in its place G. F. FRiends Epist 181. Live in the unchangable Power of God which will keep you in Righteousness and Truth and Love and Vnity and Dominion over all the unclean Spirits The Supreme Power and rough Ways and Mountains within and without that the Power of the Lord God may be Supreme amongst you and that ye may in the Wisdom of the Lord be preserved And none abuse it but all patiently in the Power of the Lord wait that in it ye may be all kept Low in Love and Vnity with God and one with another that in the Seed ye may be kept which is Heir of the Power Earthly things And all be diligent in your Places serving the Lord and that your Spirits may not be pluck'd down with Earthly things nor limited by them but that in the Power of the Lord God ye may act over them the Handy-Works of God out of the Intanglements and Thraldom of them and out of the vain Inventions of Men but keep in the Power of the Lord God over them in which Power is the Mystery of the Fellowship and the Dominion and let every one's Eye behold it and mind it For that is it which will keep you out of the Changable things and present your Minds Souls and Spirits to the Lord and there the Seed comes up which is Heir of the Power and of the Wisdom which is pure from above where the City if known that lets no Uncleanness in and the Salt is known that savours all things Therefore feel it in the Heart which is more than in the Head or Tongue which many may strive for but do not obtain the Power nor the Kingdom Therefore all be Wise the Wisdom of God The beginning of Wisdom and let every one's Eye be unto that Wisdom which the departing from Sin and Evil is the Beginning of that with it ye may be ordered and do whatsoever ye have to do with it and by it In that ye will feel his Presence and Blessing that ye may know the Seed Immortal to have the Dominion in you that there ye may come to know Christ to reign And your Growth in the Seed is in the Silence The Growth in Silence where ye may all find a Feeding of the Bread of Life And all Friends keep in the Wisdom of the Lord that is pure and holy from above by which Wisdom ye may be preserved and kept holy and pure above that which is below and out of that which is below the wise part wherein is the Strife that being kept down by the Power of the Lord the Seed comes up which is Heir of the Power And there Innocency and Simplicity and Nakedness of Heart and Spirit is lived in and Life is fed upon G. F. And so if any Friends have Friends or Relations beyond Sea send them Books or Papers Books and be diligent to spread the Truth and send Latin Books or French Books or other Books to Leghorn France Poland Italy Norway Low-Countries c. MY Dear Hearts Epist 182. Do your Business faithfully and fear not the Amazement of Men To Friends beyond the Sear ye Sons and Daughters of Abraham Trample upon all Deceit and keep over all that in the Dominion of God's Power Fear not Man above the World answering that of God in all and spare not any Deceit Be ye faithful and ye will find and feel the Word Cut down Deceit which is sharper than any two-edged Sword to cut down Deceit and ye will feel the Blessing of
Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World pointed his Disciples to him and shewed them Christ and they forsook him and went to Christ For John came for a Witness to bear Witness of him who was the true Light and that He that was to come after him was preferred before him for he was before him Yet when John was cast into Prison he questioned whether Christ was he or whether he should look for another and sends to Christ And Christ answers his Messengers and saith unto them the Blind receive their Sight Christ the Messiah and not another and the Poor receive the Gospel c. And as for these Papists and Protestants and Jews they question whether Christ the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World be the Spiritual Divine Saving and Heavenly Light And further mark Christ's own Words John 12.46 He saith He is the Light of the World that teacheth you how to believe to wit All his Disciples as Christ hath taught them who saith Believe in the Light Now believing in the Light you believe in that which doth make manifest all things for that which doth make manifest is the Light The Light maketh manifest all things and therefore to beleive in the Light is to believe in that which doth make manifest Christ to be their Way their Teacher Priest and Mediator Interceeder Saviour and Redeemer And he that believeth in the Light he believes in that whcih makes manifest all false Ways and false Religions and false Worship and false Teachers and Antichrists For they that believe in the Light it manifests all true Ways and true Religions And so they are no true Believers True Believers believe in Christ as both outwardly and inwardly manifest neither Protestant nor Papists who only believe Christ is come from Scripture as the Jews believed Christ was to come from Scripture But I say they are no true Believers but as they also believe in the Light as Christ the Heavenly Man doth teach For the Jews they may teach their People to believe from the Scripture the Papists and Protestants may teach their Children to believe from the same but not believing in the Light they are no true Believers as Christ hath taught for Christ who is the Saviour he teacheth People how to believe and saith Believe in the Light Which is plain that they are no true Believers that do not believe in the Light neither Jews nor those that have got the name of Christians for Believing in the Light they become Children of the Light And so it is plain they are no Children of Light but who Believe in the Light nor Children of the Day For Children of Darkness may profess Scriptures the Devil may bring Scripture and Protestant and Turk and Papist and Jew may bring Scripture with a dark Spirit and hold them in the Unrighteousness but there is no true Believer in God nor in Christ Jesus but who Believes in the Light which the Scripture testifies of shewing there is no Salvation Redemption Justification Sanctification but to them who Believes in the Light that manifesteth all things nor seeing Christ who died and is risen for them And therefore the heavenly Man the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ teacheth how to believe and saith Believe in the Light The second Adam the Lord Jesus teacheth how to believe while you have it and this Light will manifest him to be their Way their Truth and Life which Light comes from him who enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World that all through the Light might believe And so they that believe not in the Light as Christ hath taught are no true Ministers nor no true Messengers nor true Disciples nor no true Christians nor true Preachers of Christ Jesus who believeth not as he hath taught them but they that lay away Christ's teaching and teach one another to deny the Way that Christ hath taught to Believe in are keepers of People in Darkness out of the Light and call it Natural created and made and conscience and so with their Darkness and Blindness give the Light such names who with their Darkness cannot comprehend it for he that believes in the Light The Light distinguisheth Truth from Error it lets him see the Scriptures the Prophets Christ and the Apostles words and by it they do distinguish the true Prophets words from the false the holy Mens words from the unholy the sanctified from them that are not sanctified Christ's words from Anti-christ's the true Apostles words from the false So Christ the Light teacheth his People to believe in that which manifests all things and they that believe in the Light hath the Witness in themselves of Christ in whom they do believe they have the Witness in themselves that he is their Redeemer and Saviour and their Way their Truth and their Life for with the Light they see him they believing in the Light that doth make manifest and after they believe in the Light become Children of the Light they witness themselves that they are sealed for their Belief in the Light stands in Christ the Light who hath bought and purchased them and after that they are sealed by the Spirit of Promise having God's Mark or Stamp set upon them they can set to their Seal That God is true in all his Promises in all his Prophets concerning Christ Jesus who taught them to believe in the Light With the Light they see and come to know the three that bear Record in Heaven and the three that bear Record on Earth Three that bear Record on Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood first the Spirit that beareth witness in the Earth which mortifies them which circumcises them which leads them into all Truth in which Spirit is their Fellowship and a Bond of Peace that keeps down that which troubles them by which Spirit the Believers are Baptized into one Body brought out of the many Bodies and so by the Spirit they are brought to the one Head The Spirit which is Christ Jesus tho' there are many Heads in the World by which Spirit they are sanctified by which Spirit they are instructed by which Spirit they worship God by which Spirit they are covered by which Spirit they pray and by which Spirit they sing praises to God who is a Spirit by which Spirit they have an understanding the Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge which is to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is Life Eternal 2dly They come to know the Water The Water which is a Witness in the Earth by which Water they are washed their Minds their Souls their Spirits and in their Bodies with this pure Water and this is a Witness in the Earth with the Light they that Believe in it it manifesteth these two Witnesses in the Earth and with the Light they see the Pope's counterfeit Holy Water which he hath set up since
was and in the Truth and Power of God which the Devil is out of that every one of you may have your Penny that precious Penny and heavenly Treasure from God Almighty the great Lord who is the orderer and disposer and governour and ruler in the Vineyard among his Servants who pays them their Wages and gives them their heavenly Penny of Life Mark it is the Labourers in the Life And the Lord will give us the beavenly Penny Truth and Power of God that labours in God's Vineyard that have their heavenly Penny that Everlasting Treasure So see that you have it if you be in the Labour of Life you will have it Friends you see how Men and Women can speak enough for the World for Merchandize for Husbandry the Plow-man for his Plow but when they should come to speak for God they quench the Spirit and say and do not obey God's Will but come let us see what the Wife Merchants can say have they found the Pearl and Field and purchased the Field which yields those glorious glistering Pearls let us see what can you say for God and that heavenly Merchandise 1670 What can the Plow-man say for God with his Spiritual Plow Is the Fallow-Ground Plowed up Has he abundance of the heavenly Seed of Life So what can the heavenly Husband-Man say has he abundance of Spiritual Fruit in store What can the Thresher say his he gotten the Wheat out of the Sheaf the heavenly Wheat with his heavenly Flaile and let us see what can the Spiritual Plowman Husband-man and Thresher say for God And how they have laboured in the Vineyard that they may have their Penny some are breakers of Clods in the Vineyard some are Weeders some are cutting off the Brambles and Bushes and fitting the Ground and cutting up the Roots with the heavenly Ax for the Seed some are Harrowing in some are gathering and laying up the Riches so you may see here are Merchants Plow-men Harrowers Weeders Reapers Many sorts of Labourers in Gods Vineyard Threshers in God's Vineyard yet none are to find fault one with another but every one labouring in their places praising the Lord looking to him for their Wages their heavenly Penny of Life from the Lord of Life So none are to quench the Spirit nor to despise Prophesie lest ye limit the Holy One and every one is to minister as he hath received the Grace which hath appeared to all Men which brings Salvation so that the Lord's Grace his Light and Truth and Spirit and Power may have the passage and the rule in all Men and Women that by it he may have the Glory and from it in all who is blessed for ever and for ever The Lord hath said From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles Now mark Friends this is a large Space wherein God's Name shall be great and the Lord further saith Holy and pure Incense is to be offered to God In every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering for my Name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts Now mark Friends this heavenly Incense and pure Offering is a spiritual Offering which is to be offered by the Spirit to God who is a Spirit then here none quenches the Spirit of God in their own Hearts and all such comes under the Title of the Royal Priesthood offering up Spiritual Sacrifices which Royal Priesthood has a Priest that lives for ever Christ Jesus And Friends do not quench the Spirit nor abuse the Power when it moves and stirs in you be obedient but do not go beyond nor do not add to it nor take from it for if you do you are reproved either for going beyond or taking from it And when any has spoken forth the things of the Lord by his Power and Spirit let them keep in the Power and Spirit and that keeps them in the Humility that when they have spoken forth the things of God they are neither higher nor lower but still keeps in the Power before and after and being obedient to the Spirit and Power of God it keeps them from deadness and alive to God and keeps them in a Sense that they do not go beyond and run out as some you know have done and all that hath come for want of living in the Power of God and in his Spirit which keeps all things in Subjection and in Order and in the true Fear of the Lord always to feel the Presence of the Lord with you Come Fisher-men what have you catched with your Nets What can you say for God Your Brethren Peter and John Fisher-men could say much for God Read in the Acts and you may see it I would not have you degenerate from their Spirit Shepherds and Herds-men where are you What can you say now for God whose abiding is much in the Fields David Jacob and Amos your fellow Shepherds and Heards-men do not you see they could say much for God I would have you to be like them and not to degenerate from their Spirit Come Trades-men Tent-Makers Physitians and Custom-Men what can you say for God Do not you read that your fellow Trades-men in Ages past could say much for God Do not degenerate from their Spirit Do not you remember the Accusations of the wise and learned Grecians when the Apostles preached Christ among them that they were called Poor Trades-men and Fisher-men Therefore be Faithful The Preachers of Jesus Christ now are the same to the Wise of the World as then G. F. DEar Friends Epist 276. live in Peace and Love and Patience one with another for that doth edifie the Body and Strife doth not but doth eat out the Good To live in Peace and Love for the Body doth edifie it self in Love in which there is Nourishment and Vertue and Life from the Head so in that meet and build up one another Dear Hearts be faithful and live in the Life and Power and Seed of God and in Love and Peace one with another And so the God of Peace in it preserve you Peace be among you and live in that which keeps Peace for the Peace-makers are blessed And all strive for that which makes for Peace and they that are Lowest and so keeps receives the most from God G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 277. when you were formerly in a Profession you took your Servants your Apprentices your Children along with you to your Places of Worship Care in training up Friends Children and Servants And now that you are come to Truth and are convinced that the same is the Truth of God through which you come to have a Portion and Inheritance of Life and Salvation and of a Kingdom and World which hath no end and into a Possession of that which formerly you did profess in Words Now therefore Friends you that are come to
through which Christ gives you Rain having purchased the Field wherein the Pearl lies and now is the Spring time that the Lilly and the Rose begins to flourish and the Power of the Lord God who is over all And keep your Testimony for your Religion that you have received from God and for your Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth that Christ Jesus hath set up and for your Gospel-Fellowship which is in the Power of God before the Devil was And see that all live in Peace and in the Love of God for Love edifieth the Body for he who is the Head of it is the beloved of God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting And see that every ones Affections be set on things above To set our Affections upon things above and not upon things below that be Earthly for now is the time to contend for the Faith that gives Victory which was once delivered to the Saints in which you have Vnity And so the God of Power preserve you all and keep you in his blessed Seed to wit Christ Jesus that none of you may be without a Minister without a Priest or without a Prophet or without a Shepherd or without a Bishop but let every one receive him in his Offices Then you all have One who will exercise his Offices in you all whom God hath given for a Leader and a Covenant yea an Everlasting Leader who was the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and is to us this Day And so be Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth in the Seed Christ Jesus that through him who Destroys Death you may have a Crown of Life and through him you may be one another's Crown and Joy in the Lord yea I say through Christ who was glorified with the Father before the World began I am just now upon leaving this Island where I have had very great and blessed Service though I underwent very great Weights and Burthens and Sufferings and Travels But all is well and the blessed Seed and Power is over all to whom be Glory for evermore Amen Amen G. F. DEar Friends This is the Counsel of the Lord to you all who are brought into the Eternal Truth of God Epist 285. whose Minds are guided out of the Earth up to God and have received their Wisdom from God which Wisdom order all the Creatures To receive Wisdom from God that with it you may come to know how to order in the Creation with the Wisdom by which all was made This I charge you and warn you all in the Presence of the Living God That you suffer no Creature to perish for want of the Creatures and that none be lost through Sloathfulness Laziness and Filthiness and let not these things be which are for Condemnation with the Light that leads to the Wisdom To Order the Creation with which the Creation must be ordered And Friends let there be no Sloathfulness among you but all keep in Diligence and Liveliness For he that is Sloathful he is an evil Example and such must be judged with the Light that they may come to know the Servants Place and be Diligent And such as have gone up and down begging which you have received in amongst you with the Light which hath convinced them And to Inccurage Industry see that they be kept in Diligence and not wander but be kept in Obedience to the Light to receive their Wisdom from God how to Labour in the Creation and see that they have things decent and necessary and that their Nakedness may be covered that no Reproach nor Shame may come upon the Truth from such as are without but that with the Light all such may be denied who act contrary to it and in the Light which condemns the evil World ye may walk and receive the Light of the Son of God which the World stumbles at which is their Condemnation and in which the Saints have Vnity And all being kept diligent walking in the Light there will be no Sloathfulness For that is judged with the Light And Condemn that which is Evil. which is one with that in his Conscience which condemns him for Evil. This to go among Friends every where G. F. FRiends When you are met together Epist 286. in the Name of Jesus your Saviour let your Minds be over all to him and out of all things that changeth and perisheth and dieth of it self and will corrupt Our Mind to be over all things which perisheth and is visible up to him that is invisible the Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ that you may see him and feel him among you and in your Meetings in his Life and Light and Power and Spirit and that you may know that God is and that he is the Rewarder of all them that diligently seek him and to know that God is present And that which giveth the knowledge of him is the Light that shineth in the Heart in the Face of Jesus Christ and so see him in all your Troubles and Afflictions and that God is present God is present beholding our most secret Thoughts beholding all your Actions done in your Bodies and your Consenting to your Evil Thoughts Lusts or Motions the Thoughts what you will speak or act or Motions which you have not acted outwardly but if you do consent to do them in your Mind or Heart the Lord seeth them there to be done though they be not done outwardly to the sight of Men and so to God you must give an account of things done in your Bodies and of things done out of the Body for God both heareth and seeth what is done in the Body and what is said and done without the Body and therefore turn from the Evil that leadeth to destruction and judge it and your selves for cleaving to it and turn to the Lord and know him who is mighty to save and to reward all them that diligently seek him who is Almighty in his Power to save and deliver and to help in time of need So know him that was from Everlasting to Everlasting And here thou knowest God in his Power Light Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Life and Righteousness which his Kingdom stands in in that Righteousness and Power and Holy Ghost and Peace that never will have an End and is over all Kingdoms that will have an End and are unclean and any unclean and imperfect thing may enter into them and in them is Troubles Tumults and Sin and not Peace but Sorrow But into the Kingdom of God no imperfect thing entereth nor Sin nor any unclean thing For the Kingdom of God standeth in Righteousneass and Everlasting Peace and in Joy in the Holy Ghost G. F. FRiends Epist 287. Consider you that have known the Mercies of the Lord God To remember the Mercies of the Lord. and of Jesus Christ Look back and see how them that had known much of
Moon that shall be turned into Darkness before the Notable Day of the Lord come and where this Notable Day of the Lord is seen and by whom it is seen they see the Glorious Son of God the Son of Righteousness by whom was all things who is over all things who is the Head of his People and dwells in them who is present with them and who was and will be to all Eternity of whose Kingdom there is no end who is God over all blessed for ever Kinston the 1st of the 7th Month 1674. G. F. MY Dear Friends in England Epist 308. and all parts of the World the Gospel which is the Power of God which you have received from the Beginning Given forth in the time of his Sickness in Worcester Prison 1674. keep in it and the Fellowship of it in which there is neither Sect nor Schism but an Everlasting Fellowship and an Everlasting Order which Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light in every one of your Hearts and lets you see over him that hath darkned you Now every Man and Woman here will have a Testimony in their own Hearts Friends to have their Fellowship in the Truth of this Order and Fellowship being Heirs and Inheritors of it by which you will see over all the Jalse Orders and Fellowships that are or may be fet up or made Therefore it is good for every one to keep their Habitation For those that went in Cain's Way as the Apostles speaks of they envied the Apostles that kept the Fellowship And Corah's Way and Balaam's Way these were them that had been great Professors that envied the Apostles For mark it was the Way of such as were of Cain Corah and Balaam's Spirit to oppose the Power who were against Abel and Moses and the Apostles and so there began the Apostacy and there came up the many Orders amongst them in the Apostacy So that at last the Gospel-Order was lost amongst them And keep the Cospel-Order and the Government of Christ and his Worship and the Beast was then set up And therefore now the Gospel-Order is to be set up again and the Government of Christ Jesus by them that be Heirs of him and of his Government who is First and Last the Beginning and the End of the increase of whose Government there is no End Now I say you that be Heirs of Christ possess him and walk in him and as you have received him so walk all in Peace and Love and live in his Worship in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of And at your General Assemblies of the Ministry at London or elsewhere examine as it was at the first whether all the Ministers that goes forth into the Countries The Ministers to watch over one another do walk as becomes the Gospel For that you know was one End of that Meeting to prevent and take away Scandal And to examine whether all do keep in the Government of Christ Jesus that preach him and in the Order of the Gospel and to exhort them that doth not For the Foundation is already laid which is Christ and his Government is set up of the increase of which there is no end So had all these called Christians kept in his Order and Government they had not troubled themselves and others with so many Disorders if he had been Head of their Church so if you keep in the Gospel-Order and Government of Christ Jesus you will keep out of the Apostacy which they have been in and the many false Orders That more go from Gospel-Order to the Apost acy and Governments that they went into and made one against another when they went from the true as you may see in the Scriptures of Truth that it was some high Cain and Corah-like Spirits that did so for Cain was able to build a City And Corah that opposed the Chief Leader Moses was of the Princes of the People And so these opposed with their many Orders the true Order And Balaam that was able to teach a Nation and Prophesie before a King and made the Children of Israel to stumble by his bad Counsel These were Men of Esteem these are them the World went after these came to ride upon the People and such as these opposed Abel Moses and Christ the Leader and Governor and his Apostles and set up the many Orders and Governments in their Churches and broke all into Sects And therefore Friends if you keep under Christ the Governor who governs his Church in Righteousness and who is a Prophet and Preacher and keep in his Gospel-Order none of these can deceive you let them come with never so fair Pretences For Christ bruises the Serpent's Head who is the Head of all false Teachers and false Orders that are not in his Power and is the First and Last and therefore keep in his Power and in the Vnity of his Spirit which is the Bond of Peace Mark the Pure Holy Eternal invisible Spirit of God is the Bond of Peace Therefore forfeit not your Bond of the Prince of Princes for if you do you lose your Life and go into Death and into an evil Spirit and break the Prince of Princes Peace so that you lose your Peace with him Christ Jesus And therefore it concerns all that profess themselves to be Ministers to be humble else they are no Learners of Christ not to be harsh nor high minded but walk as Examples amongst God's Flock and not to be Lords over God's Inheritance but let him be Lord whose Right it is c. And you have known the manner of my Life G. F's great Labour in the Gospel the best part of Thirty Years since I went forth and forsook all things I sought not my self I sought you and his Glory that sent me and when I turned you to him that is able to save you I left you to him And my Travels hath been great in Hungers and Colds when there was few for the first Six or Seven Years that I often lay in Woods and Commons in the Night that many times it was as a by-word That I would not come into Houses and lie in their Beds and the Prisons have been made my Home a great part of my time and in danger of my Life and in Jeopardy daily And amongst you I have made my self of no Reputation to keep the Truth up in Reputation as you all very well know it that be in the Fear of God With the low I made my self low and with the weak and feeble I was as one with them and condescended to all Conditions for the Lord had fitted me so before he sent me forth and so I passed through great Sufferings in my Body as you have been sensible And few at the first took Care for the establishing Men and Womens Meetings tho' they were generally owned when they understood them but the Everlasting God that sent me forth by his Everlasting
one anothers good preferring one another in the Truth And so let the true Brotherly Love continue and Kindness Affableness and Courteousness and whatsoever is Decent Comely and of a good Report in the Eyes of God and the Hearts of all good Men that to follow after and so that in your Men and Womens Meetings nothing may be seen of the old Leaven of the old Malice nor of the old Man nor hid Deeds nor his old Image nor his old Bottle may not be drank of nor his sowre Grapes eaten of for if you do it will set your Teeth on edge one against another But mind the Royal Seed Christ Jesus that makes all things new that new and Living Way a new Man after God and his Image So Children of the New Covenant having the new Leaven that leavens up onto the Love of God which edifies the Body of which Christ is Head and new Bettles full of new Wine from Christ the Vine the new Wine which makes all your Hearts glad to God and Christ and one in another To serve God with a new Heart So here is the new Heart the new Spirit the new Life in which the Living God is sered And therefore this is the Word of the Lord God to you all Let this new Way new Covenant new Man new Leaven new Wine new Life shew forth its Fruits in the new Life from the new Man So that the Fruits of the Old may not appear and that the Bond of Peace in the Vnity of the Spirit may be kept amongst you So keep in this Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace and none to break their Peace and go into the ill Behaviour for that is out of the Spirit of God and Christ which is meek gentle c. So that the Lord God of your Lives may be Glorified in you all and above all who is over all God blessed for ever and ever London the 15th of the 3d Mouth G. F. ALL Friends that are in the Power of God Epist 312. and in his Spirit through which Spirit you pray unto God and ask in the Name of Christ Jesus which all true Prayers are to be in and the true Singing and Rejoycing is to be in the Spirit All true Worship performed in the Sptrit and the true Preaching and Ministry is to be in the Spirit for the Saints were made able Ministers of the Spirit and not of the letter Now when a Minister in the Spirit of the living God does minister Spiritual and Heavenly Things and they that receives them receives them with joy in the Assembly now he that is a Minister of the Spirit and ministers Spiritual Things and if they that receive them receive them in Sincerity with Joy and Gladness and Rejoice in the receiving of them whilst the other is ministring of them he that is a Minister of the Spirit does not judge such but Rejoyces in them that does receive them and praises God for the same And so likewise they that do Sing in the Spirit does reach to the Spirit in others whereby they have a sense that it proceedeth from the Spirit for at the Hearing of the Speech the true Minister there is Joy to all that seek and thirst after Righteousness for the preaching the Gospel is the Glad-Tidings the Joyful News and is a comfort both to Soul Body and Spirit to all that receive it in Integrily and Sincerity and they cannot but Rejoice at the Cound of the Power where it is received and they that preaches in this cannot judge such as Rejoices in the Spirit and Power and in their Souls praises God when they hear the Sound of it Oh the Everlasting Gospel the Everlasting Power of God which is Liberty where this is heard the Sound of it which is the Liberty to the Spirit to the Soul to the Creature if a Creature should praise God in his Soul in his Spirit in the very hearing of the Sound of this glorious Gospel or make a Joyful Melody the Minister of the Spirit which preaches the Glorious Gospel cannot judge such for that and say it is a confused Noise for that is the Minister of the Letter that so judges who may gather up parcels of the Letter and make a Song of that or Preachment of that to which the Gospel-Ministry of the Spirit is the Savour of Death unto Death and of Life unto Life And concerning Praying in the Spirit which Spirit make Intercession to God with Sighs and Groans that cannot be uttered Of Prayer in the Spirit Now where this Spirit is prayed in which all true Prayer is to be in it makes Intercessino through the Vails through the Clouds and thick Darkness by the Invisible Powere to the Invisible God and this prayer being made in an Assembly to the Throne of Grace and there the Assembly in their Spirits joyns in this Spirit and does make Intercession and does enter through the Vails Clouds and thick Darkness to the Throne of Grace and if some of these should praise God in a Joyful Sound with their Souls and Sprit can he that prays in the Spirit and makes Intercession therein judge them that Groans in the Spirit and feels the Intercession to the Throne of Grace No he cannot for he feels a Unity in the Spirit and set case that some do Groan and Sight when another is Praying in the Spirit that makes the Intercession easie in the Invisible Spirit to the Invisible God and Throne of his Grace which the Spirit of God operating in the Assembly makes some to Sigh and Groan being sensible of their wants and the Power has awakened such therefore can any judge such that prays in the Power and Spirit that has awakened them Nay but hears them and is glad where it stirs and so having the Mind of the Lord and makes Intercession to him by his Spirit who hears the Sighs of the Needy and Groans of the Oppressed he cannot judge such and therefore they that do judge such Sighers Prayers and such who make a joyful Melody from the Word dwelling in their Hearts they who judge such are not in the Spirit that makes Intercession and that which is contrary is to be reproved and admonished in private by them that are in the Spirit of God lest they pluck up the Wheat and Tares together and make a Confusion in the Church for God is not the Author of Confusion God the Author of Peace c. but of Peace and good Order But that Spirit which is High and Lofty and can form a Praise by words and Pray in his own Spirit will judge such Sighing Groaning Praising and Singing as before but that exalted Spirit is to be cut down with the Sword of the Spirit For if any should Sigh or Groan or Rejoyce or make a joyful Sound whe another is Praying in the Spirit of God and Ministring in the Spirit Spiritual Things this the Spirit of Error cannot bear
him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God gieth mark God giveth and not Man or as God hath ministred to him that God in all things may be glorified through jesus Christ to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen 1. Pet. 4. And the Apostle saith to every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ for there is one God and Father of all which is above all and through all and in you all so every one now as then is to mind him that is in them all who is above all and his Gift and the measure of Grace the Gift fo Christ for it will teach them and bring their Salvation and through the measure of the Gift of Grace they grow up to a perfect Man and to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ as may be seen Eph. 4. And as God hath dealt to every Man a Measure Of Faith in the Faith they should walk which gives them Victory and access to God which purifies their Hearts with which they please God And the Apostle said to the Church then which is to be the Practice of the true Church now That according to the Grace that was given whether we Prophesie Every one to keep to the Measure of Grace received let us Prophesie according to the Proportion of Faith or any Office let us wait on the Office or he that Teacheth on Teaching and he that Ministreth on Ministring or he that Exhorteth on Exhortation and he that distributeth let him do it with simplicity c. And be that sheweth Mercy with cheerfulness as you may see Rom. 12. So all this is to be done in the Faith and according to the Measure of the Grace given to every one so that all may be done in the Faith according to the Measure of Grace given to every one so that all may be done in the Faith from one Spirit which the manifestation of is given to every one to profit withal by which Spirit they are all baptized into one Body which Christ the heavenly Spiritual Man is the Head of So all Members from the Eye to the Foot are serviceable in the Body in the Grace of God who are joined together by the Spirit of God and to Christ their Head from whom they receive Nourishment for the Spirit of God does distribute to every one severally as he will and so are all made to drink mark to drink into one Spirit in which they have all Fellowship in the heavenly drinking of the Spiritual Drink and eating of the Spiritual Bread that comes down from Heaven Therefore every Man and Womans Eye must be lifted up to Heaven and Minds and Thirsts and Desires and Hearts and the Soul that hungers and the Needy that sighs and the Poor that groans for this Bread that comes down from Heaven and the Spiritual Drink and so they may have the Spiritual Bread in their own Houses and heavenly Water in their own Cisterns with which they may have to refresh them felves and others So here may all eat and drink to the Praise and the Glory of God for all drinks into one Spirit And as they eat of the Bread that comes down from Heaven then they can say the Scripture is fulfilled all Eyes are Lifted up unto thee thou opens with thy Hand to wit thy Power and thou fillest with thy Blessings and then with their Souls Hearts and Spirits Minds and Lips they will shew forth his Praise in praising God the Creator who is in all over all through all and above all And therefore in the Power and Name of Jesus in whose Name you were gathered keep your Meetings your Mesn and Womens Meetings that in the Power you may be kept in the Holy Vnity and Holy Order in Diligence in the Church of God and in his Business and Affairs Admonishing Exhoring Rebuking such as talk and does not walk accordingly such as professes and does not possess and such as are the Sayers and are not the Doers So that every ones Life and Conversation may be as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the heavenly Man and keep in the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of the Prince of Princes Peace which if you break you fonfeit your Riches in your Estate and Inheritance of Life And some Men may say Man must have the Power and Superiority over the Woman because God says The Man must rule over his Wife and that Man is not of the Woman but the Woman is of the Man Man and Womin to be helps-meet now as in the beginning Indeed after Man fell that Command was but before Man fell there was no such Command for they were both meet helps and they were both to have Dominion over all that God made And as the Apostle saith for as the Woman is of the Man his next Words are so is the Man also by the Woman but all things are of God And so the Aposcle clears his own Words and so as Man and Woman is restored again by Christ up into the Image of God they both have Dominion again in the Righteousness and Holiness and are helps meet as before they fell So then the Man is not without the Woman neither the Woman without the Man in the Lord. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear But there is some dark Spirits that say That for Women to meet together to worship God apart from the Men is monstrous and ridiculous But this dark Spirit has not defined what Worship is for if a Company of Women should meet together and some of these Women should kneel down and lift up their Hands and Eyes to God and pray to God or praise God as John would have fallen down to the Angel this is Worsbip And if the dark Spirit calls this Monstrous and Ridiculous because Men is not with them then it will follow it will be monstrous and ridiculous to pray to God or to worship God except Men be with them Therefore with the Spirit of God all may see what Confusion this dark Spirit is running into that is against Womens-Meetings and that Women must not worship God apart from the Men and calls it monstrous and ridiculous but from their own monstrous Spirit their own ridiculousness is manifest For you may see in the Scripture what Worship was and what Worship is such as was not to worship Idols they were not to lift up their Hands nor Eyes to them nor to fall down to them but to worship God and to bow bown to him and to lift up their Hands and Eyes to him for all Men and Women must lift up their Eyes Hands Hearts and Spirits to the Lord and to bow to him and worship him and ought in all their Meetings that gather in the Name of Jesus to wait upon the Lord for Wisdom Counsel and Vnder
the Lord to deal with them For that which they get by spoiling you they will never be the richer for and when they have done spoiling the Lord can spoil them and theirs And all the Goods they take from Friends for serving God will torment them at last and be a greater Plague to them more than keeping on your Hats and saying Thou to them was And you have had Experience how the other Powers spoiled your Goods The Spoil of the Righteous not durable Riches to their Persecutors but were they either the richer or the fatter Nay the more thery did eat destroy and devour the more they look like Pharaoh's lean Cattel And did not the Christians of old suffer joyfully the spoiling of their Goods by Professors and Prophane So they that are born of the Flesh will persecute them that are born of the Spirit and they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and blessed are they that do suffer Persecution for Christ and his Righteousness sake And so never fear the loss of the Fleece for God can make it grow again as he did poor Job's And it is the way of the Enemy and Adversary to set upon the young convinced to think by that means to make them to yield For have you not read it was the way how that the Enemies of Israel of old fell upon the weak and feeble of their Camp and the hindermost of the Flock but they had their Reward at the End And so wait upon the Lord and he will support you though he may try you a while as he doth all his Saints that the Trial of your Faith may come forth more pure than Gold And so never fear Man nor what they are permitted to do unto you but the Lord Though the hungry Lions may lack yet they that wait upon the Lord shall not want any good thing for his Promise is he will never leave them nor forsake them And so the Lord God Almighty give you Power and Courage to stand against all the Wiles of the Enemy and to be Valiant for his Truth upon the Earth And so with my Love in the Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus who is over him that makes to suffer and will be when he is gone Marshgrange the 6th of the 4th Month. 1676. G. F. To Friends in Barbadoes MY Dear Friends in the heavenly Relation and Zion's Children Epist 333 amongst whom the Stone that the Builders rejected is elect and precious and in him Christ you are Elect Christ the Head of God's Church who is the Head of the Corner of God's Building And therefore in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings in whom you all have Salvation and not by any other Name under Heaven and though the Lord may try you where your Minds are and in what by the outward Powers yet be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and if some of you be cast into Prison and your Goods be spoiled the Seed is upon the Head of him that maketh to suffer and will remain when he is gone And the Lord God who giveth the increase of all both Invisible and Visible can make the Fleece to grow again And therefore let your Faith be in the Power and Word of Life And the Authority of your Men and Womens Meetings is the Power of God and all the Heirs of the Gospel are Heirs of Christ the heavenly Man and of his Government the increase of which there is no end And so all walk in Christ So walk in Christ who bruiseth the Serpent's Head that hath gotten between you and God so as you all are in him then nothing can get between you and the Lord God and so in the glorious Order of the Gospel the Power of God dwell which is over the Devil and the World and before he and it was and the Power of God will be when he and it is gone This is the everlafting Gospel which bringeth Life and Immortality to Light and that you all may see over him that hath darkned you to him who was before he was and the Power of God will be when he is gone And therefore walk in the glorious blessed peaceable and comfortable Order of the everlasting Gospel for the Gospel the Power of God is the Gospel of Peace and the Truth is Peaceable The Devil the Destroyer and Adversary abode not in the Peaceable Truth and the Kingdom of God stands in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the Vnity of the Spirit is a Bond of Peace yea the Bond of the heavenly Man the Prince of Princes Peace that Bond must be kept by all Zion's Children the Heirs of Life And all seek the Peace and Good one of another To seek Peace and dwell is Love and dwell in the Love of God thet does edifie the Body of Christ and bears all things and endures all things and build up one another in the most holy Faith which you have from Christ the holy One for Holiness becomes the House of God And therefore all mind that which becomes his House and now is the time for every one to put on the Armour of God and to take his Weapons and Arms that you may stand by God's Ensign in the Truth against him that is out of Truth keeping on your Helmet of Salvation as a token of your Victory and your Breast-Plate of Righteousness which preserves both Mind Heart and Soul and your Loins girded with Truth Keep on the Armor of Righteousness that you may be Valiant for it and your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel the Power of God that your Feet may stand fast over all slippery Places in the Power of God the Gospel that is sure and everlasting Here is your Armor and your Weapon is the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God the Word of Life and Salvation and Wisdom and Reconciliation that is as a Sword and a Hammer to cut down and hammer down that which hath made a separation betwixt you and God and is as Fire to burn it up And the Shield of Faith that is your Shield by which you have victory and access to God by which Faith all the Just lives and are saved and contend for it which is declared to the Saints by Christ who is the Author and Finisher of it And by this Faith you come to Christ the Author and as many as receive him walk in him that you may be always fresh and green in him who bruises the Head of the Serpent that hath made People lean and barren and hath made so many barren Mountains which Christ is gathering and calling his People from that they might walk in the Light of the Lord and come to the Mountain of the House of the Lord that is established above all the Mountains where God teaches all his the Way of Life Truth and Salvation And the Mountain of the House of the Lord is always green with fresh
therein are his and he gives the increase thereof And therefore be not over eager after outward things but keep above them in the Lord's Power and Seed Christ Jesus that is over all in whom you have all Life Election and Salvation And write over Yearly from your Meetings how you are settled and how your Affairs go in the Truth and how your Men and Womens Meetings are settled And my Desires are That we may hear that you are a good Savour to God in those Countries So that the Lord may Crown all your Actions with his Glory So with my Love to all Swarthmore the 4th of the 1st Month 1676. G. F. MY Friends Epist 341. All you that do know God and Christ your Teacher and are come to be the Sons and Daughters of the Lord God and are in his New Covenant in which you all do know the Lord and need not any Man to say unto you Know the Lord And are Heirs of the Gospel of Peace and Salvation that hath brought Life and Immortality to light and that by the Power of God the Gospel you do see over him the Adversary and the Destroyer that hath darkned you And so doth know that the Power of God is the Authority of your Mens and Womens Meetings in it keep them and all other Meetings and all such as be Heirs of Grace and Heirs of Life and Heirs of the Gospel keep your Mens and Womens Meetings in the Power of God the Authority of them and they that crieth against them or you strive not with them for they will in God's time die of themselves and wither away but keep your Testimony of the Life and of Grace and of the Gospel and of the Order of it and your Faith in him your Teacher who bruises the Head of the Serpent the Author of all Disorder and ill Government even Christ the increase of whose Government in his Truth and Power and Righteousness there is no end Glory to the Lord God for evermore And so all strive to be of one Mind and Heart and Soul and Spirit To live in Vnity in the Love of God and Faith living together in Vnity and in the Love of God all drinking into one Spirit by which you are Baptised into one Body having one Head who is Heavenly and Spiritual and in the one Spirit by which you are Circumcised which putteth off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh So as you do keep to the Spirit of Christ it will keep you to be one Body and to him the one Head Christ Jesus the Amen G. F. MY Dear Friends and Brethren Epist 342. That Faith which is the Gift of God which all the Saints lived in and by which they pleased God and had Victory by which they had access to God and by To live in that Faith wherein the Ancients pleased God and in which Faith they did walk And all the Just in all Ages and Generations did live by the same Faith Do you all live and walk now in your Age I say walk in that Faith by which Enoch the Seventh from Adam was translated and by which he had this Testimony that he pleased God And also keep in that Faith by which Noah built his Ark wherein he and his Family were preserved and the old World that grieved God and his good Spirit were drowned And also walk in that Faith by which Abraham forsook his Father's House and Native Country and their Idolatrous Religion And live in that Faith by which Moses forsook Egypt and refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of the World for a season And by this Faith which is the Gift of God he saw God who is Invisible And by this Faith was Rahab the Harlot saved and her Family And by this Faith the Walls of Jerico fell down without any outward Instrument of War And by this Faith Jacob went down into Egypt and his Children and by this Faith he knew they should return again And the Jews that did not keep in this Faith their Carcases fell in the Wilderness but they that kept in this Faith entered into the Land of Promise And by this Faith had all the Valiants of God the Victory and his holy Prophets and Prophetesses as you may read all along in the Scriptures And by this Faith were they kept in the Fire and by it the violence of the Fire was quench'd and by it the Mouths of the Lions were stopped So by this Faith they had the Victory And by this Faith was Elijah taken up to Heaven And so as Christ Jesus saith Faith saves and makes whole To look unto Jesus And all are to look unto Jesus the Heavenly and the Spiritual Man the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven by whom all things was made and created who is the First and the Last to be both the Author and Finisher of their Faith Now Christ said When the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith in the Earth For all both Jews and Gentiles were concluded under Sin and Vnbelief so Sin and Vnbelief was over them and they shut up under it So whosoever hath this true saving and justifying Faith Christ Jesus hath been the Author of it and is the Finisher of this Divine and Precious Faith So all Eyes must look unto him for he is both the Author and Finisher of this Living Precious and Divine Faith And this is the Faith of God's Elect by which Faith they have access to God and know their Election by which Faith they are translated from Death to Life and from the Darkness to the Light and from the Power of Satan unto the Power of God and from the Corruption to the Incorruption and from the Mortal to the Immortal and from the Natural to the Spiritual And by this Faith By Faith the Devil is resisted the Devil the Destroyer is resisted who abode not in the Truth and by this Faith the Fiery Darts is quenched of Satan the Adversary of Man and he thereby is overcome So by this Faith you come to know the Partition Wall broken down that hath been betwixt you and God So in this Faith are all the Houshold of Faith to build upon Christ Jesus who bruises the Serpent's Head who is the Author and Finisher of Faith and this is called the Holy Faith and the One Faith and by this one Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of by whom all things was made and created by it we do understand the Worlds were made by the Word of God and this is the Faith which all the Houshold of Faith are to contend for That Faith which Christ is the Author of this One Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author of which Faith is the Gift of God and is held in a pure Conscience And it is called the Mystery of Faith for no
Faith was and are still denied And all such as preach God and Christ and crucifies Christ to themselves afresh and denies God in their Works were then and are denied And all such as preach the Light and walk in Darkness and preach the Spirit the Fruits of which is Love and Peace and are in Strife and Enmity were never owned by God nor Christ nor good Men though they may be called Christians And all such as preach Liberty and themselves were Servants of Corruption were and are still denied And all such as cries Lord Lord and preaches Christ Christ and does not his Will enters not into his Kingdom themselves And into it they can bring none that do not go into it themselves Which Kingdom stands in Power and in Joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost And all such as preach the Word of God and are not doers of the Word they are Deceivers of their own Souls and they may deceive others with the good Words And such cannot be reconciled to God neither can they bring others to Reconciliation with God So this Spirit is but One which Spirit all along has wrought against the true Spirit of God in all his People and was in Srife and Contention and Disquietness against the Righteous in all Ages but it wrought its own Destruction and the Fall of them that followed it as you may see through all the Scriptures And therefore all are to keep the Vnity of the Spirit All are to keep the Vnity of the Spirit the Bond of the heavenly Man Christ Jesus's Peace who renews Man up into the Image of God as Man was in before he fell and not only into that State but up into himself that never fell where they know both his Gospel-Order and his Heavenly Government and are subject to it He being the Head above all Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions Who is ascended above all that he might fill all things Who is over all the Beginning and Ending and Lives and Reigns from Everlasting to Everlasting the Amen G. F. An Epistle to be read in the Men and Womens Meetings DEar Friends Epist 344. My Love in the Lord Jesus Christ to you all in whom I have laboured and my Desires are the God of all Peace and the Son of Peace may fill all your Hearts with his Love and Peace and Wisdom and Knowledge in all things to do his heavenly glorious Will in that you will know his Son's Doctrine and as you know it obey it And my Desires are in the Lord All to walk worthy of their Holy Vocation that you may all walk worthy of your Vocation and of him that his called you to Holiness and Righteousness and to Peace so that his Peace may flow as a River and Righteousness run down as a Stream to the gladding of the City of God the Walls of which is his Power and Salvation and Light and Life And now My Friends Keep all your Meetings in the Name of Jesus in whom you have all Salvation which is above every Name under the whole Heaven in which there is no Salvation And also all your Men and Womens Meetings every where keep in the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ his Gospel by which he hath brought Life and Immortality to light in you that you may see over him that hath darkned you and before he was which Power will preserve you in Life and Immortality So that you may now all labour in the Gospel the Power of God in his glorious and comfortable Gospel joyfully serving the Lord in his Gospel of Peace through which Gospel you have Peace with God So that in this Gospel All to be stirred up to Labour in the Lord's Service the Power of God there can come nothing between you and God Here is your heavenly Order not of Man nor by Man So that all the faithful Men and Women may in the Lord's Power be stirred up in their Inheritances of the same Gospel and to labour in it helps-meet in the Restoration as Man and Woman was before the Fall in the Garden of God all are to work in his Righteousness and in his Image in his Power in his Garden to subdue the Earth and keep the Dominion in his Power in the Restoration as Man and Woman did in the Image of God before the Fall Whosoever would hinder you in this Work it is the same Serpent's Spirit that led Adam and Eve into the Fall from the Work of God which now would keep you in the Fall to do his Work and Command and not the Lord's and therefore over that keep your Dominion Authority and Inheritance in the Restoration in the Power of God in which every one of you must give an account to God and therefore be diligent in the Lord's Power Light Life and Spirit in which you all see your Services to God so that he may be glorified among you all and in you all and over you all his Glory may shine And you all Men and Women in your Men and Womens Meetings be diligent labouring in the Light Life and the Power of God the Gospel in the Garden and Church of God so that Righteousness and Peace may flow down amongst you and Truth and Godliness Purity Vertue and Holiness over all that is contrary and that the Weight and Care of God's Glory and his Honour and his pure Holy Name and his Truth Religion and Worship you may all stand up for against that which would in any wise cause it to be evil spoken of by ill Walkers and Talkers and let all things you do be done in Love and condescend one to another in the Power of the Lord and in his Truth have esteem one of another and let all things be done among you without any Strife for it's Love that edifies the Body and knits it together and unites it to Christ the heavenly and holy Head The Reproach taken from Woman that was first in Transgression And now you Women though you have been under Reproach because Eve was first in Transgression the Promise was The Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head And this Promise of God is fulfilled A Virgin should have a Child and they should call his Name Emanuel God with us again For Man and Woman was drove from God out of Paradise and the Serpent became their Head and god of the World but Christ is come according to the Promise of God and his Prophets who was born of a Virgin and therefore saith Mary My Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour My Soul doth magnifie the Lord for he hath regard to the low estate of his Hand maid for behold from henceforth all Generations shall call me Blessed Now here comes the Reproach to be taken off from Women which were first in Transgression who are not suffered to speak in the Church but here Mary did speak and believe that which was spoken to her And also the Reproach
saith 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done Decently and in Order And the Heavens and the Earth and all things therein All things ordered by the Lord. are governed and ordered by the Lord in his Power and Wisdom and all God's Holy Angels are governed and ordered by God and all God's Children and People are governed and ordered by God and Christ in his Light and Spirit and Grace and Truth and Power Gospel and Word of Life And the Lord hath set apart him and them that are Godly for himself Psalm 4. And God hath ordained his Arrows against the Persecutors Psalm 7.13 And it ought to be the Practice of all the true Christians now that are in the same Power and Spirit as the Apostles were in to let all thins be done Decently and in Order in the New Covenant of Ligth Life and Grace to the Glory of the Great God who is over all and orders all things to his Glory Amen G. F. AND now 1680 Friends you who are called into this glorious Liberty of the Sons of God Epist 362. stand fast in it And as the Apostle saith Brethren ye have been called unto Liberty Of ture Liberty only use it not for an Occasion to the Flesh but in Love serve one another Gal. 5.13 As free not using your Liberty for a Cloak of Maliciousness but as the Servants of God 1 Pet. 2. For there were some who while they promised themselves Liberty they themselves were Servants of Corruption Such were like the Dog and the Sow biting and renting and vomiting and wallowing in the Mire and as bad as the Synagogue of the Libertines that turned against Stephen 2 Pet. 2. and Acts 6.9 And therefore the Apostle was careful of the Churches Liberty in Christ when he said But take heed lest this libet of yours become a Stumbing-block to them that are Weak c. 1 Cor. 8. For the Apostle was so careful and tender that he would no have his true Liberty judged of another man's Conscience c. as you may see more at large in 1 Cor. 10. And the Apostle said Falss Brethren came unawares privily to spy out their Liberty which they had in Christ Jesus that they might bring them into Bondage to whom we gave place by Subjection no not for an Hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you to wit the Galatians Gal. 2.4 And therefore he exhorts them to stand fast in that Liberty wherewhith Christ Jesus hath made them free To stand fast in the Liberty of Christ c. which is the Duty of all true Christians now for to stand fast in that heavenly glorious Liberty which Christ the heavenly and spiritual Man the Second Adam makes them free in and in this they will have Salt in t hemselves to discern between the true Liberty and Freedom and the false and know how to use their holy and spirtual Liberty and Freedom in Christ Jesus to the Praise and Glory of God So Friends the Lord God Almighty preserve you all in the heavenly Order of Christ Jesus in his holy Seed Life Pfower and Spirit that all may live and walk in it to the Praise and Glory and Honour of God and Christ Amen The 3d of the 9th Month 1679. G.F. DEar Friends and Brethren Epist 3â—3 in the Lord Jesus Christ and blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus and hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World And now that all may walk in him in Love who hath seen the great Deliverances of the Lord and hath been acquainted with his great Mercies that endure for ever Deliverance after Deliverance multitude of Deliverances out of great Trials and Temptations and hath seen how the Lord hath brought to Confusion the Enemies of his Truth both within and without from the Beginning and therefore in the Lord's Spirit and Power all that live in it that know the Lord are incouraged to trust in him God hath raised you up together and quickned you who were dead in Adam and made you to sit together in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus that you might shew forth the Riches of his Grace and Glory and his Kindness towards you through Jesus Christ By one Spirit are we baptised into one Body For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body wherther we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit And therefore endeavour all to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace and live and walk in the Spirit And the Fruits of this Spirit of God is Love Joy and Meekness c. And by this one Spirit you have access to the Father of Spirits and this one Spirit which baptises you into one Body both Male and Female knows your Service to God For the Spirit of God divides severally to every one of you as he wills your Offices and Places yet all in Vnity in the Spirit with which you are baptised into one Body and drink into one Spirit And the Apostle Paul who writ from Rome to the Collosians told them That they were compleat in Christ Jesus and said Though I be absent in the Flesh yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your Order and the steadfastness of your Faith in Christ And now the Lord hath gathered his People by his Power into the same Spirit that the Apostles and Churches were in in the Primitive Times And though they be absent in the Body or Flesh Men in one Room and the Women in another yea as far as the East is from the West or the North is from the South The Spirit present every where yet they are present in the Spirit rejoycing and beholding with the Spirit the Spiritual Order that the Churches and Apostles were in and the stedfastness of their precious holy and divine Faith which Christ the Second Adam is the Author and Finisher of and this is no Separation but they are the Houshold of this holy divine and precious Faith and live and walk in this holy Faith and Spirit of God by which they are baptized into one holy Body of which Christ Jesus the holy and spiritual Man is the Head And this I say again is no Separation thought they be absent in the Body or Flesh yet they are present in the Spirit and with the Spirit behold the Spiritual Order And this is not an imposed outward Form Order or Prescription as some Ignorantly think But they that do say and prescribe that Men and Women must meet all together outwardly in a Bodily Presence in one Room or else it is a Separation I say it is an outward Form an outward Order and Imposition and Prescription and fiercely Press it that know not the Spiritual Order yea I say if all Men and Women in
became a great Mountain and filled the whole Earth verse 35. They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy Mountain For the Earth shall be full ot the Knowledge of the Lord ad the Waters covers the Sea Isa 11.9 The 27th of the 8th Month 1681. G. F. To Friends in Jamaica Dear Friends Epist 373. with my Love in the Lord to you all It hath been often in my mind from a Sense of the Spirit of the Lord which thing I shall lay before you and commend it to the Witness of God in all your Consciences The thing is this Advice to have a Yearly Meeting in Jamaica That if you had once in a Year a Yearly Meeting as they have in Holland Cermany and Freezlan and at Road Island and in England and else where which is and hath been of great Service for Friends to see one another and know how the Affairs of Truth prospers and how Friends doth grow in the Truth of God to the Comfort and Joy of one another in it in which the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted And if there should be any Difference among Friends it may be ended at the Yearly Meeting by some Friends out of the Meeting which could not be ended at other Meetings So that all things by the Truth and Power of God may be kept in Peace and Love all dwelling in the Wisdom of God that 's from above which is pure and peaceable and gentle and easie to be entreated And so for you once in a Year to meet together in the Lord's Power and to wait upon him in his Spirit and Truth one day and then another day you may have a Yearly Men and Womens Meeting in the Lord's Power which in time you may find and feel a great Service in the Lord's Spirit and Power in which you may feel his Presence and Blessing flow among you and as for Place and Time I shall leave it to your best Convenience and the Lord direct you that you may do all things whatever you do to his Glory for you know that in other Countries or Provinces they have either Half-Year Meetings or Yearly Meetings except it be in Jamaica which several times hath been in my Mind for you to have one there for where they are settled they see a great Service in them and the Lord hath owned them and honoured them with his Presence and that keeps all in a Sense of a care of his Glory and a care of one another that they may be kept and preserved in God's Eternal Truth in meekness in gentleness and in tenderness and in love that edifies the Body of Christ the second Adam the Lord from Heaven And so that all of you in Godliness Holiness and Righteousness may spend your Days to the Glory of God that your Conversations may be in Heaven and not below in the Earth among the wicked that the Lord God and his Son Christ Jesus may be glorified in you all who is over all blessed for ever Amen And Friends it would be very well if that you brought on your your Case of not Swearing and taking Oaths which hath been lost through that Spirit which was unfaithful Now the same Governor is come over again in whose time when he was there formerly that Act was obtained Yea and Nay instead of an Oath at the Assembly in which your Yea and Nay was taken instead of an Oath and Swearing Therefore see if you can prevail with this Governor and his Assembly to have the same Act renewed again and to clear your selves from that Spirit which was the cause that the Act was repealed So with my love in the Lord Jesus Christ to you all And my Desires are That you may all be preserved in God's Power to his Glory and that you may grow in the Truth and with the Truth answer the Truth in every one's inward parts so that ye may spread the Truth abroad and that with it your Hearts may be united together And walk in it and in the love of it for Love edifies the Body of Christ And that ye may be good Examples in the Truth and in Righteousness and Holiness and shew forth Christianity in the Possession of it above the outside Professors From Dolston the 24th of the 7th Month 1682. G. F. To Friends in Holland FRriends and Brethren in the Holy Seed of Life Epist 374. that reigneth over all in it walk and in the Power and Spirit To be as the Salt of the Earth c. and Truth of God that you all may be as a City set upon a Hill that cannot be hid and the Salt of the Earth and Light of the World to answer the Light of Christ in all and be a good Savour in them that are saved and in them that perish and all live in Love that beareth all things and doth deifie the Body of Christ and grow up in him your Head and Life and be kind and courteous and tender in Affection to one another and walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ the Power of God And dear Friends this Yearly Meeting the Lord's Power Was over all and his Seed of Life and the Lords living refreshing Presence was among us in all our Meetings And your Epistle from your Yearly Meeting in Holland was read to the refreshing of Friends and another from the half Years Meeting in Ireland and a Testimony from Scotland that Friends are in Love and Vnity there and the Truth prospereth and spreadeth and by Letters from America Friends have set up a Meeting about Twenty that are Captives among themselves and a Friend that is a Captive declareth the Truth there among them and their Masters doth let them meet and it may be of great Service there and the Lord's Power is over all and in it be Valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and spread it abroad and that you may all in Humility exalt the Lord and that the Presence of God and his Son may be among you all and so the Blessing of the Lord be among you all Amen London the 17th of the 4th month 1682. G. F. To Friends in Barbadoes DEar Friends In all your Meetings see that the Lord God be glorified and have an Eye to his Glory Epist 375. and let all things be done without Strife or Reflections but all to mind the Testimony of Life and that which doth preserve your Unity in it and in that you will seek one anothers good and not slight one another but to esteem one another in the Truth and keep low in Humility for such God will exalt and be kind and tender-hearted one to another and dwell in the Love of God To be kind and tender hearted one to another that he doth shed abroad in your Hearts for that Love which cometh from God doth edifie the Body of Christ and therefore you must be of a noble Spirit that are of the noble Birth born of the Spirit and to love