I never met with a better Friend in all my Life then the Spirit of God for it never crosseth that which is according to God's Will but if God's Will be not done this Spirit brings Pain and Trouble upon the Soul if it be minded So I would desire any ingenuous sober Reader without Prejudice to judge if it had been their own Case whether they would not have left off this Employment of Periwig-making rather then to have went on with so much Condemnation in themselves and these be the Reasons and Occasions why I left them off And now you my loving Neighbours and Acquaintance I would not have you think that how I have denyed my self and took up this Cross as to come among his poor scorned People and left off my Musick which was a great Delight to me and likewise this Employment of Periwig-making which I have told you was so hard for me to part with that now I think my self safe enough No God is my witness this day from whom I have my Breath Being I have as much need of keeping my Mind staid upon God as ever I had in all my dayes And whatever I have done it is no more but my Duty to God to answer his Requirings in my Conscience and here I lie still upon the Free Mercies of God through his Grace in his Son Christ Jesus my Saviour to be saved and I care not what I go through for Christ's sake And here I find a Pressing forward to the Mark of the Price of the high Calling which is in Christ Jesus And at the end I do not question as I keep faithful to God I shall obtain the Salvation of my Soul and that is enough And whereas there is most dreadful speeches cast against this poor scorned and scoffed People of God who are called Quakers as if they had their very Principle from the darkest Hell and some have told me They come from the Jesuits and Papists and very haâ—dly people have spoken concering them But truly Neighbours and Acquaintance I would intreat you to let me speak in this matter and I hope I have not behaved my self so badly amongst you for almost this twenty years but I may have a little Câ—edit for what I say So long as I have come amongst them which I think is 13 or 14 years I never understood any such thing but the very main Aim that they have and do drive at is to have People be faithful to God in what they know in themselves and this is that plain down right way they have drove at and do and God hath prospered them and will do let all those that are Opposers of this Principle of God do what they can They can as well stop the Sun from shining the Rain from falling as hinder this spiritual work from prospering in the Hearts of his People for it is beyond the strength of man to hinder it They were not set up by man nor can man pull them down And as for the Jesuits and Papists I know not what they are as to their Principles neither indeed do I desire to know but those that are not as they should be I desire the Lord may make them so But as to my own part I will tell you what my Faith is and what I do believe call me what you please nor I never desired to believe otherwise That is I do believe in God who is the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven Earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary and that he did suffer under Pontius Pilate and the third day he rose again from the dead and sits at the Right Hand of God his Father who shall judge both the quick and the dead and I do believe that God hath a Church where there is the Communion of Saints in his Spirit and Power and I do believe The Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and Everlasting Life according to the Testimony recorded in the holy Scriptures but indeed I do not believe thar at your publick Places of Worship that this is the Church of God nor your Assemblies are the Communion of Saints for it is not the Saints Life to live in Cursing and Swearing in Pride and Drunkenness in Envy and Malice Hatred and Covetousness c. but in the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth But alas what of all these Evils is there not committed in this age amongst those that do assemble themselves together in your Publick Assemblies where there is so many Prayers of Good Lord deliver us from them which I say I am a witness for God he stands ready to deliver you if you will come to him But you will not come to him that you may have Life John 5.39 And again the Saints do not believe that Christ Jesus the Son of the living God did pray to his Father to put his poor Creatures upon those things which were impossible to be done for when he wished his Disciples to pray he said to them Pray thus Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name thy Kingdom com thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven and so forth Now some among you say God's Will cannot be done here we must live in sin so long as we live There is no Freedom from sin on this side the Grave no Peace with God to be known here Oh! what a damnable Doctrine is this if men would but plead for God's Kingdom as they do for the Devil 's and would but believe that God was as able through the Light and Life of his Son Christ Jesus Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life To save them from their sins as the Devil was to keep them in their sins we should have brave living and yet all will say God is above the Devil For the Lord sake Neighbours and Acquaintance consider these things for God is my witness this day I plead not with you for your silver nor your gold nor for any thing that you have in this world but beseech you to be reconciled to the Principle of God in your Conscience And how many Scriptures is there to perswade you to a Holy Life as Without Holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.10 For they verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own Pleasure but he for our Profit that we might be Partakers of his Holiness Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3.3 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that Wicked one toucheth him not Be ye therefore Perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect Mat 5.18 And many more Places to this purpose and yet you say the Scripture must be
preached amongst you but this principle to have People mind God in their Conscience and to be faithful to what they know of God and what hard measure have they met with how have they been stocked and stoned and whipped and imprisoned their Goods rended from them and for nothing but for God's sake to keep their Conscience clear in his sight And how have some sealed it with their Blood and still are ready though patient Suffering in his Power God be magnified for it with their Lives given up and if God should suffer them to be brought to the stake for the Testimony of Jesus And let the Rain fall and the Wind blow and the Storms beat they are anchored upon that Rock Christ Jesus which the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against And do not think that this Pearl of great price which they have sold all for they will part with for nothing or for the Glory of this World which perisheth and this I say of them that are faithful to God in what they know they are the People of God and there is no more required of any of us but to be faithful to what we know be it much or little So this is my Testimony for this people if I should write no more for I wait for my Dissolution nor I know not how few my dayes may be amongst you And now you my loving Neighbours and Acqaintance since it hath been the Good Pleasure of the God of Heaven to send this Affliction of Lameness upon me so that in the prime of my age my strength is taken from me I Care not charge God with Injustice nor murmure against him he is Just and Righteous in all his wayes and if he had not sent this Affliction upon me I know not whether I should have been conformable to his Heavenly Will but in Love and Tenderness to my soul hath he suffered this Exercise to come upon me and I have for ever Cause to bless his Name that ever he hath dealt with me after this manner if he never restore me to my former strength again his Will be done though to look at it it is very hard and I know I am an Object of Pity to many of you but why should I murmur at it Shall the Pot say to the Potter why hast thou made me thus No I shall not but bless his Name that ever he hath spared me to this day that I should answer what he required of this poor weak Body of mine and this is the greatest Joy and Comfort of my Soul that as I have found my strength go from me outwardly my Faith and Hope and Strength hath renewed in God inwardly And here I have great Cause of Joy and Comfort and to God let the Honour and Praise be who is worthy overall blessed for ever and for evermore faith my soul And one thing more I would desire of you to have a Care of speaking slightingly of the Spirit of God and Christ and making a Mock thereat as some have done as saying What the Spirit will not let you do this or that Let me prevail with you to have a Care what you say as to this thing lest you sin the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost I have wondered when some men have spoke to me after this manner who profess to be VVise and Religious should offer to speak so slightingly of this Spiritual Appearance of Christ for if ever you know God you must know him Spiritually For God is a Spirit and they that worshlp him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth And do you not read how The Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit And to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace but to be carnally minded is Death And again Quench not the Spirit Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions Joel 2.28 And several more Scriptures there are that we may read concerning their spiritual Conditions but this spiritual Appearance of Christ is so mocked and scorned at that when any of God's People are brought before some you are ready to say what you are troubled with he Spirit you cannot swear you cannot give us Respect you must come with theeing thouing in your mouths and be brought before whom you will all is one to you Blessed be God that it is so that there is a People have more regard to please God then to please any man living as to these things Some time I have had concerns wi h some of you that rather then I would have come before you with my hat on if I could have been clear in God's sight I had rather have lain at your Feet but at any time if I did not stand faithful to this small thing as you count of what Pain and Sorrow have I had quickly after it in my Conscience that I knew I had not done well in it and it hath caused me to cry sometimes to God surely I shall take more care next time Now if you would but keep to your rule the Scriptures as you reckon them methinks you need not be so much offended whenas the Scriptures speak against having men's Persons in Admiration because of Advantage He that respects mens Persons commits sin Christ saith Learn of me I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest to your souls Who learns Lowliness of him will not take Offence at those who in Obedience to him speak his Language Thee and Thou to a single Person and who wear their Hats upon their Heads for which they were made If men would but truly come to serve the Lord their God in their Hearts it would teach them better manners one to another then a few dissembling Titles of Honour and worshipful with the Cap and Knee I pray you what do they all signifie but to make men proud amd there is too much of that already But this let them do Do-justly love Mercy and walk humbly with their God and then there will be no Offence taken And why should you take Occasion at Thee or Thou in the Scripture you may plentifully see that when the Servants of God went to declare his VVord to the Kings they went and said Thou O King hear the Word of the L rd and in your very Prayers when you pray to God do you not say Thou Lord or Thou God And what do you expect better Language then you give to the God of Heaven which if you should say You it would be Nonsense and People would think such were not in their wits as should say You Lord or You God Then again this Rule saith that formerly it was said in the time of the Law Thou shalt not forswear thy self but Christ Who is the
end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 saith Swear not at all but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay Mat. 5.34 And James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not Jam. 5.12 And now you can make some by your Law pay for swearing and others have got money by swearing and others you would force contrary to the Command of Christ and their Conscience to swear and because they would not swear they have been imprisoned some until death and I pray you do but see what Confusion here is amongst you Much more might be said from several Places of the holy Sc iptures as to the pressing of you to a holy godly living but many o you will not but even Hate to be reformed I verily think there may be some that are tender hearted that have a Love for God but yet to leave all the Glory and Vanities of the world and deny themselves to Follow him appears to them very hard but this you must do fever you know Peace with God And as sure as ever the Scriptures declare of it for as Christ said He that loveth any thing more then me is not worthy of me For verily I do look upon it to be man's greatest Happiness and Felicity to be a true Servant of Gold and the most Honourablest Title in the VVorld to be a true Christian for their Name is had in everlasting Remembrance when the Name of the wicked shall not and therefore let them mock and scorn if they will the day will come that God will clear the Innocency of his people and think not that it is impossible to know God as his People did formerly when it was said that they Did taste and see how good the Lord was and they Tasted and Handled of the Good Word of Life And do not think it is enough to believe as Your Church believes and because your Ancesto s went in this way you may and what should you trouble your selves any further and truly if I could have been satisfied here my self I would willingly have went along with you but I could not though many times with Tears I have cryed to God and said why cannot I be satisfied to do as such who are esteemed wise understanding men that I must separate from them and become a Scoff and a Scorn to them but blessed be God he hath made known himself spiritually to a little Remnant who have followed him through the great Tribulations and blessed be his Name for ever he hath confirmed the Truth of it to this poor People under his hand and seal as it were by his eternal Spirit so that they do taste and handle of this good VVord of Life as they keep faithful to him in what they know for no more God requires of me nor you for if it but one Talent if we keep faithful and improve it it was said Well done faithful Servant thou hast been faithful in a little I will make thee Ruler over much enter thou into the Joy of the Lâ—rd So it is Unfaithfulness to God as is cursed in the inward parts The Lord give you an Understanding of these things is my earnest Desire for God is my witness I have no ill will to any of you but my earnest Desire is for you as for my own self to pray and beseech you to be reconciled to God and not to grieve and quench his Holy Spirit in your Consciences by living in known sin and transgression for who ever they be that will not accept of Mercy they must expect Judgment for God is Just and Righteous in all his wayes and he will and hath been clear of the Blood of all People in aâ—l Ages and Generations that are gone And therefore for the Lord's sake and our own souls sake let us not slight Christ's spiritual Appearance in our Conscience but be perswaded to let him have the whole Heart for it is an inside work And whoever he be if he hath never so eloquent a Declaration at preaching let him profess what he will if it be the Truth it self let him preach and pray sing Psalms and Hymns if they be not spirtual they are as if they cut of a Dog's Neck and as sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbal in the sight of God and no Profit in them at all So this is my Testimony for God that he doth appear as he is Spiritualy and doâ—h more and more appear by the Light of his Son Christ Jesus in the Heâ—rts of this poor scorned People called Quakers as sure as ever Christ did appear Personally upon the Earth to his Disciples according to the Holy Scriptures of Truth And therefore slighâ— not this spiritual Appearance of Christ I beseech you that which condemns you for sin in your Consciences as you tenâ—eâ— the welfare of your immortal souls and though this come from a simple Instrument yet I would intreat you to bear with me for it is in Love to you all And before ever I set Pen to paper to write this I have in the very secret of my soul desired that I might have lain in a Cave in the ground and have cried out these few dayes I have here upon the Earth to the Lord rather then I would have appeared so openly amongst you but I could not be clear till I had signified my mind to you and so I do appeal to the Principle of God in all your Consciences I being one that have had my being amongst you almost all my dayes what damnable Practice or Principle have any of you seen by me that makes you talk at this rate Except you call this damnable which checks and reproves you when you do not well and which of you all dare to say he hath it not in him which is the great Love of God unto Mankind which doth either excuse or accuse if they do good or evil and this is that Witness that God hath not left himself without in the hearts of all Mankind And certainly if there had been any thing in your Teachers Doctrines Reasons Uses and Applications if Crying and Tears Sighs and Groans would afforded me any Comfort in them the Lord would have satisfied me in them but I could not get Peace in them though the Lord knows it was my daily Prayers from a Child to be satisfied And therefore having dealt plainly wtih you and having told you how it was with me from my Childhood do you think that I am deluded and do you think that I with many more that have known this spiritual Travel will be scoffed and scorned out of this experienced Principle of God in our Consciences my God be blessed we know better things And though you may Goliah like come in defiance against this Host of the Living God yet be it known to you You are but men and not Gods and though we are but poor Striplings and simple Mecanick poor Tradesmen and some coming from their flocks and
when my dayes were at an End Then as to my Employment of Periwig making it is more then twelve years since I began to make them much might be said for the making of them by some yet much questioning reasoning have I had within my self for some years so that at some times I have been troubled when I have been making of them and I could not tell what was the Reason of my Trouble except that was and sometimes when I have seen some of my Friends come in I have been ready to put them out of my sight and could not go on with any Content but Trouble so long as they were looking on me and some have spoke to me and told me They thought I did not do well in making of them to this purpose they have spoken and many times I have reasoned with my self after this manner what need I make such ado and be so much concerned there is hardly any man but is desirous of a good Head of Hair and if Nature doth not afford it if there be an Art to make a Decent Wig or Border what harm is that Object But are there not several of thy Friends who wear Borders and are accounted honest men Answ As for those whose Hair is wasted fallen and gone off their Heads through infirmity of Body and for want of it do find that their health is impaired or lessened if such do wear short Borders so their health sake and for no other End or Cause whatsoever I judge them not but let none make a pretence that they wear Borders or Wigs for their Health when in Reallity another thing is the Cause for God the Righteous Judge sees in Secret and he hates Pride Hypocrisie the spirit of which is judged for ever to be judg'd with all its fruits by the Lord and his People And let all those who have Hair growing upon their heads sufficient to serve them I mean what is really needful or useful be content therewith and not find fault with their own Hair and cut it off and lust after and put on others Hair And further thus I reasoned is there not some of thy Friends who make them sell Hair for the making of them and drive a great Trade and what do J not think that they have not as much Care to go to Heaven as J have and what need J make such ado and be so concerned But all this would not do but here lay that which was very near me that was if God should call me to account at this very time while J am reasoning after this manner whether or no J could stand clear in his sight and make them for if J stood condemned in God's sight it was not this man's making of them nor the other man's wearing of them that would justifie me in God's sight for if God condemns me in my Conscience J know no man living who can justifie or take away that Guilt And here J stood in this Condition for some time and the Lord knew the travel of my soul in these things and J knew not what J should do to be cleared of them so that J have been almost out of Hopes sometime and said within my self and cried J am afraid J shall dye with this upon my Conscience and then what will become of me hereafter and how can J stand clear in the sight of God that am condemned for it in my Conscience But my Prayers and Cryes were for God to deliver me for J could not deliver my self out of it but here J lay one day after another crying to God to be delivered So suddenly after our dreadful fire in which J was wi h the rest of my Neighbours a Partaker of that Judgment then J was more concerned then before so that J knew not what to do to get over it it lay so hard upon me to bear But still this cursed Enemy of my Soul this SELF-END Spirit began to work with me again and reason with me after this manner what am I resolved to ruin my self and turn away all if J do leave this J must expect to lose a great deal of my Trimming Trade and J had better leave off that then leave off this Periwig-making it fits so well with me in the Condition J am in by Reason of my Lameness J had a considerable Trade in it with several of my Acquaintance in Town and Country and some of them are Persons of Quality and wish me very well and if J leave that J shall disoblige them much and what will J do then am J minded to undo my self But still there was an inward Cry in me Lord save my soul for that lies at stake and it is that J plead for and J care not what J go through so my soul may have Peace with thee when my dayes are at an End for my soul is for Everlasting but this Trouble cannot last long These things stuck very hard with me that made me cry out night and day Lord deliver me and help me over this Weight and Pain that is upon my Spirit and J care not what J do so J may be clear of them So through much TROUBLE OF SPIRIT J was willing to leave them But this would not clear me but as I had been a publick Professor of this Employment for some time I must bear my Testimony against them and that was I should send for my two men as I had instructed in that way and tell them how I was troubled and take a Wig and burn it before them as a Testimony for God against them But this was very hard but no Peace could I have before I did it and much Pain and Sorrow I had before I did it and no Comfort but Torment of mind I had till I had given up to do it so according to the Pain and Sorrow that lay hard upon me I gave up to do it and I thank God I have much Ease Comfort of Mind since I have done it for the Lord hath not put me upon any thing but what he hath given me strength to go through and he is not a hard Master and I have great Peace and Comfort in what I have done which is more to me then all the Perishing Fading things in this world And whoever he be that doth expect Peace with God in himself he must know a Cross to his own Will to cross his sinful thoughts Words and Actions and whatever he knows God requires of him he must do it though it be a great Cross to him though it is very hard to Flesh and Blood Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven but a man must be born again And as truly it is witnessed as ever it was writ in the Scripture God's People this day do know this spiritual Birth Blessed be God for ever and they travel in Spirit till God gives Encrease and delivers them And I am sure and can speak by Experience