was wonderfully with them in this Dispensation that very many came off from the barren Mountains and out of the sandy Deserts and were here refreshed without Money without Price and the Bread was broken freely to the Hungry and Water given freely to the Thirsty And not only so but likewise our Vessels were filled with the same whereby our Hearts were made glad and caused the Springs of Life to break forth out of our Bellies and the Bread of Life to dwell within us that we needed not to go forth out of our own Houses having an Holy Anointing within us to supply the wants of our Souls and lead us into aâ—â— Truth And the Lord did daily add unto the Church and raised up many to go forth in the Power to Preach the Everlasting Gospel whereby the Church multiply'd and encreased to the astonishment of the Nations How low and humble were they in their Spiritâ— how few were they in Words Their yea was yea and their nay nay Ah! let me take up a Lamentation How are the Mighty fallen How have the Stars ceased to give their Light How are the Poor distressed and the Young Ones bruised by the High Mountains and Lofty Cedars whose Habitations were once in Heaven but now upon the High Places of the Earth to impose upon the Conscience and to Establish an Arbitrary Power by a Law these are the armed Beasts and the many Antichrists which break the Unity in Spirit and the Bond of Peace This brings in Divisions causeth Differences contentions and Emulations It roots up the good and eats as doth a Canker whereby the Unity is divided and the Peace broken But the Unity that the Lord approves of is for every one to act acâ—ording to his measure and growth in the Truth All are not strong therefore all cannot be in the â—â—me Exercise no more than a Child can be found 〈◊〉 the Exercise of a Man So that the disuniting-Spiâ—it doth not barely lie in being of another Mind â—nd Judgment but in the imposing of its Judgâ—ent and Practice which appears plainly by Paul â—â—o clearly judged that the ground of the Diffeâ—â—nces in the Church lay very much in the judging â—â—e another in Meats and Drinks c. It 's the great Promise of the Father in these latter â—ays That he will write his Laws in our Hearts â—â—d put his Spirit into our inward Parts to lead us â—â—to all Truth and out of all appearances which â—â—s Spirit manifests in us to be in the Imitation â—nd after the Traditions of Men. Is it then reasonable for the Spiritual Man to be â—ound in the practice of doing before a Law writâ—en but rather wait at the Feet of Jesus till God â—eveals And he that walks according to this Rule 〈◊〉 all know his Doctrine and be led to behold his â—lory and Witness an Unity in Spirit with his â—rother though in a different Exercise How doth this differ from the World's and the â—â—xoman-Unity which is to yield subjection to 〈◊〉 Order of the Body so called though no â—anifestation within And this Unity they glory 〈◊〉 by this is their Kingdom upheld from this they â—â—e able to boast Who is able to make War with 〈◊〉 Who can stand before us Do not all fall that â—â—ve risen up against us Are not these the high â—elling Words of proud Babel whose towring thoughts must be abased Whose practice hath been to Crush the Tender Ones in their Bodies Souls and Spirits This Language hath minâ— Ears heard this practice hath mine Eyes seen to the grief and wounding of my Soul This combined Unity I have no pleasure in its Nature is known by its Image its Birth by the exercise of its Power My Friend Observe What difference is there in these things between George Fox and the Papists The one saith No Liberty out of the Church The other No Liberty out of the Power Saith the Papist What Liberty to the Sectary No What Liberty to the Heretick No. And George Fox saith What Liberty to the Presbyter No What Liberty to the Independant No What Liberty to the Baptist No. Liberty saith he is in the Truth The difference lies only here The one hath greater Power to compel than the other The Papists say Believe as the Church Believes So likewise saith G. Fox But I say Nay I am not to believe a thing barely because the Church believes it but because it 's manifested in me else 〈◊〉 am to wait till God Reveals it I was told the abovesaid by two there present The Church of Rome claims a Power of Excommunication of them that will not submit to their decent and comely Order though in it self the thing be meerly Circumstantial Ceremonial or as they term it indifferent and their reason is It Judgeth the Power and smites at the Authority and say they it 's an Inlet to Division and thereby is Unity violated Behold a resemblance thereof it hath been often said unto me The Hat is nothing but it is out of the comely Order it judgeth Friends who are in the Power who testifie against it and it breaks the Unity and therefore we cannot suffer such to Marry or Bury nor to partake of any Priviledge as a Member of the Body and this is in the substance Excommunication For Excommunication chiefly lies in a Man's being deprived of the Benefits and put out of the Protection of the Law as also from being a Member of the Church The Severity is the same with us for where â—ould I Marry or Bury if we were an intire Nation Or how can I take a Wife without a Witness Or how can I have a Witness if to be one is lyable to the same Misery Selected Bodies ought to be found in the Exercise of Moderation Tenderness and Mercy as if they were a Nation I always find when once such put forth their Hands to afflict for Conscience sake as their Power groweth strong so doth their Oppression But perhaps they would say We do not eject for Conscience sake but because of an obstinate Will which opposeth Friends The Papists justifie themselves by saying of the same I remember a Judge likewise made the same reply when a Friend mentioned Conscience Certainly it cannot be an Evil in one and Right in the other no more than it is Cruelty in the Papists Persecutions and Just in the Protestants It will be a noble Example in those that stand upon the Advantage-ground to Act in Moderation Tenderness and Mercy And although it is the Policy of the World's Churches c. under a pretence for Unity not to hear the tender Conscience yet the Church of Truth will and where they are found will account them as Brethren and not to think it a sufficient ground to refuse them after Admonition if they persist but to wait till God perswades them And this is the Royal Law of Liberty the other is the Yoke of Bondage from which we are not to be entangled after the
Traditions of Men. This great Charter of Liberty is violated and greatly broken in many particulars If I have a Cause before the Elders but especially if I am a Dissenter it 's frequently urg'd give it to Friends if I do not a farther Snare is offered namely Dost thou believe Vs to be in the Power of God If I say Yea then What wilt thou not leave it to the Power of God in Friends Thou art in confusion to believe Vs to be in the Power and yet durst not trust to the Judgment of the Power To my knowledge this is a capital Crime accounted What greater Usurpation can there be than this to claim my Right from me into their Breasts For though the Elders may be preserved in the Power this Year or Season they may apostatize from the Truth and yet claim the same Prerogative over my Propriety hereby a Tyranny may be entail'd upon my self by laying of such a Foundation A most incomparable Instance is the Church of Rome who was in the Power and Glory of God howbeit through Pride she lost it yet gain'd through Subtilty the Prerogative before mentioned to give up unto her Judgment and to believe as she believes to the Destruction of many thousands So that it clearly appears the Spirit that claims such a Power under pretence of being in the Power is the Spirit of Exaltation and I know that those Persons that have been most confident in the claim under the same pretence have committed great mistakes and thereby Truth hath been depressed and Error cherished I suppose I may affirm that in all Ages Truth hath not been persecuted as Truth but as Error I could instance that many in the great Assemblies in London have not only been dissatisfied with the rest of their Brethrens Actings though they made use of the Name of the Lord. Both these cannot be right yet both claim the same Power in Judgment Otherwhiles submit through fear unto the Judgment of the more eminent though it doth not at all correspond with their understandings If one part of the Body be liable to mistakes why not the other And if the Spirit as they are a Body is to be Judge and Determiner of Things by what Spirit shall I know which is in the right How needful is it therefore to be joyned to our own in the particular considering how lyable man is to err â—â—a in petty Matters And I know an Oppressive â—ct done by a Select Body having Power is by cry few clearly discerned but when done by a â—rivate Person every weak-sighted Man can then â—iscover it to be an Oppressive Act And so the evil â—ctions of Great Ones are judged less Criminal and the Persons less Faulty than in Justice they â—â—ght to be The Churches of Men are still setting up themâ—â—lves one above another but the Assemblies of the â—â—e Church are all equal having Christ the Light â—â—ally present with and in them and therefore Friends of one place cannot say they have Power over Friends in another place seeing all may be â—â—able to have Christ the Light alike in and among them else Christ his Spirit in several place should be above and under themselves But Chriâ—â— in each Assembly of the Faithful is their Heaâ— and this Head they do not leave to set up a flesh Head to themselves whether it consists of one many of them seeing Antichrist doth as stronâ— invade Christ's Headship in many as in one Maâ—â— in a Councel as in a Pope in George Fox and 〈◊〉 Body as either This Spirit of Antichrist in G. Fox c. would wrest from me what I am not willing to part withal to wit my Conscience under no less Penaâ—â— than Excommunication which is as far as them lies the loss both of Heaven and Eartâ— of Heaven by Excommunication of Earth 〈◊〉 Deprivation and this without Redemptioâ— unless complying with his or their Will aâ— Pleasure and for no other cause than for 〈◊〉 omittance of a very small Ceremony which 〈◊〉 hold necessary to Salvation like the Circumcisâ—â— of old who Preached Vnless they were Circumeâ—â—â— they could not be Saved But perhaps they will 〈◊〉 We do not Excommunicate thee yet we canâ—â—â— own thee in thy Error I answer It 's one thâ—â—â— not to own a Man in a particular and anotâ—â—â— thing so to disown him as wholly to exclude 〈◊〉 from Protection For if I am once accepted of a Member and after cast off as not being a Membeâ— I shall leave it to the Sober what to call it Perhapâ— they will say This casting off was not for the thing as indeed it hath been said unto me but for tâ—â— Contempt I may rather say Sure the greater the â—ruelty to lay an Injunction upon so small a matter â—â—at draweth after it so deep a Censure as to cast 〈◊〉 man out of the Church Suppose a Magistrate â—â—d command a trivial matter some Ceremony or â—â—her under pain of Treason and should proceed â—gainst the Infringers of this Command as Traiâ—ors it were much to be doubted whether the â—ommand did not partake more of Cruelty than â—â—e Disobedience of Contempt For where Auâ—â—ority shall so far lose it self as to lay so great a â—eight upon so small a matter it rendreth it self â—ontemptible and then it 's no marvel if it be conâ—â—mned having made it self contemptible What â—ill our Lord do unto these that shall be found beatâ—â—g their Fellow-servants and driving them from â—â—eir Dwellings Again whosoever squares his Actions in things â—â—gious by the Spirit 's requirings he is a bad â—â—â—rit c. Whosoever would be governed by the â—â—at Law To do as he would be done unto he is 〈◊〉 of the Truth He that will not do what others â—ould have him to do he is wilful stubborn and â—â—stinate If the Body saith It is to be so or not so tho' two thirds of them are otherwise minded 〈◊〉 are silent and if it shall happen for one to â—â—ose the thing with much moderation and the 〈◊〉 two thirds shall in their spirits unite with him 〈◊〉 notwithstanding a few of the combined Elders 〈◊〉 bring him to the Bar and unless he will own â—ondemnation Judgment shall pass against him â—â—th such an imperious Authority that the others â—re not open their mouths so that their arbitrary Commands they can impose upon their Fellow-Members They proceed further saying He that will not submit to the Body opposeth God and 〈◊〉 Truth And they make the Body the Touch-stonâ— saying This is according or not according 〈◊〉 Truth as the Body hath Unity or not Unity with it and so by this practice the Spirit of the Lord is to be tryed and judged by the Body This 〈◊〉 two parts to deprive us of the Law of the Spirâ—â— and to bring in a tyrannical Government it woâ—â—â— lead us from the Rule within to subject us 〈◊〉 Rule without It is asserted in Print that if I believe the Light within me directs me to a
practices of others and the more effectually to discourage persons from discovering these wanton and unclean Ministers to some they would say Let it fall had Spirits will get it and reflect upon good Friends to others Thâ—â— art an unclean Spirit raking in Mire and Dirt 〈◊〉 lay open the Miscarriages of others By which means the Adulterer goes free only perhaps private reproof passeth upon him Consider O Friends Is it right to cover the Whoredoms of the wanton Ministry c. and unclean Strumpets and judge so openly the mistake of a person when the Actions were true and in the same House Is not this apparently to discourage persons from discovering these things and encouraging of the other in their filthy and defiled â—onversations whom God will judge He that â—â—stifieth the wicked and condemneth the Innocent is in abomination to the Lord. Again those that forbore the custom of their Hats in Prayer could not partake of their Rights is a Member until a Renunciation thereof and for 〈◊〉 other cause when Zealots for that form tho' guilty of uncleanness and other vile abominations and the persons accused for the same yet allow'd to minister as a Teacher and employed in the Service for the Body Such was the rigidness That persons only suspected to favour the forbearers of the Hat must â—â—ar a publick Testimony against them and their â—â—irit or else be liable to be disown'd If they were not drunk with an Arbitrary Power they might sure find out a medium for the omittance of â—o small a Ceremony between an Ejection and an â—pprobation between owning a person and not giving him a liberty to exercise his Conscience If this kind of Judicature had been set up in the â—postles days what Confusions what Disorders that Divisions what Rents and Breaches had â—here been in the Church there being some that â—eld a necessity of keeping the Ceremonial Law others not some for keeping of Days others every Day alike some for eating of Meats others of â—erbs some for Circumcision others not And â—ul to preserve the Unity notwithstanding these â—â—fferences writ not to judge one another in Meats c. but to wait till God reveals it to him And if G. F. and the Body had but this moderation what a Harmony what a Unity would there have been amongst us The Papists had a way to try all suspected Persons by namely that they call the Sacrament of the Altar the Protestants the Oath of Allegiance and â—â—premacy as also the Renunciation of the Covenant the Presbyter the Covenant it self And this Body tries suspected Persons by this namely Haft tâ—â— given Testimony against the Spirit of the Hat 〈◊〉 could never get any of them to define what 〈◊〉 Hat-Spirit is And as the Papists to render 〈◊〉 Protestants odious styled them Hereticks the Protestants Phanaticks Puritans and all Sects call as in scorn Quakers and the same Spirit of reproach hath entered this Body in stiling the forbearance of the Hat Hatters Hat-men If any may haâ—â— that Appellation it 's rather due unto you wâ—â—â— keep it off upon a Religious Account than upon those who keep it neither off nor on upon a Religious Account They of the Circumcision were 〈◊〉 called not because they forbore the practice of thâ—â— Act but because they still continued in it and it preposterous to give Nick-names unto persons for not doing of a Thing by the name of the Thing We were called Quakers because we trembled 〈◊〉 his Word not because we did it not We displeased Man because we do not uncover our Heads before him we say and say true true Respect doth not lie in the uncovering of our Heads a pitiful low thing to lay honour and respect in 〈◊〉 Hat we say it 's the honour below which perisheth We say it 's an honour that may be tramplâ—â— upon and laid in the Dust as William Baley and others well said and many of these men that have â—orn this faithful Testimony are so far backslidden that they say there is a Respect and Reverence due â—nto God in it Let the Judicious judge whether â—â—e Honour and Reverence which they give God in â—â—is thing according to their own words be not 〈◊〉 honour below which perisheth They do not deny the giving of this Cap-honour â—â—to Men because there is honour in it but because there is no solidity in it for just and true honour â—â—ey acknowledge is due unto Superiours and alâ—â—o ' G. F. and others have trampled upon this Hat-honour as the most vile Excrement yet he and they 〈◊〉 say unto us You give no more reverence unto God â—an unto a Horse Is it not strange that these men shall lay so much â—â—ess upon a Hat as a Duty due unto God when â—hey have look't upon it as a poor low thing when â—â—an hath required it and to make us more odious 〈◊〉 are called Ranting-Spirits when we do abhor â—â—â—d abominate that monstrous Principle It 's proâ—â—ble many do forbear that practice what then â—â—iust I therefore be a Ranter Nay surely no more â—han they are Papists that are in the same Exercise â—ith them in this outward Observation The Ranâ—â—â— gives no honour at all unto God neither inward â—or outward but makes a derision at the Name of the Lord. We do not forbear the Hat in this disdain or for â—â—â—ant of reverence to the Holy Pure God for if â—â—e required it I believe we could not only offer â—â—at but our lives also in the Service of the Lord â—â—d for his Truth but because he doth not require this of us but rather a more Spiritual Reverenâ—â— It is therefore an abuse to be stiled Ranting-Spirâ—â— It is a true Saying and worthy our Observation That they conspire together to destroy the Châ—â—â—â— Jesus in us These ill Ministers conjoyn together to subyâ—â— our Laws and Liberties given by the Great â—â—â—vah by obstructing or denying of Justice if apprehend it sutes not to their Interest which 〈◊〉 the Life and Blood to the Body and doth gâ—â—â—â— warmth and motion to every Member whiâ—â— nourished and enlivened by it but being once â—â—â—â—ped and seared up as the particular must of necessity faint and languish so must the whole framâ—â— dissolved and assuredly tho' they are lifted as it were unto Heaven in their proud imaginaâ—â—ons the Righteons God will blast all their exalâ—â— expectations and they shall die and perish in 〈◊〉 general dissolution because they have not regaâ—â—â— the Fatherless nor pitied the poor in Spirit 〈◊〉 compassionated the tender Conscience which feâ—â—â—ed to sin against the Lord but crushed spoâ—â—â—â— and oppressed without bowels of mercy the that had little strengh to help themselves invadeâ— their Rights violated their Liberties endeavonre to take the Meat from the Children and give it 〈◊〉 Dogs Heretofore before they were high and mighty they were the Balm of Gilead which healed on Wounds restored our Spirits and shewed us the way of Salvation but of late years like the Figâ—â—