all have Life in him live And so Farewell that you may have the Blessings of the Lord come upon you And Dear Friends keep your Hands Tongues Feet Bodies and Hearts clean and open out of all Polutions and Vncleanness for blessed are all you whose Feet are guided in the Way of Peace which is in the Way of Righteousness through which the Immortal Life is lived in And light Words and Jesting all avoid and Fables and foolish Talk but live in the Power of the Lord that 's over all through which you follow Godliness and Holiness without which none shall see the Lord God And blessed be God the Father who hath set Christ over all who is the First and the Last the Beginning and the End God's faithful and true Witness the Amen in him have you the Book opened and in him you see all things unsealed in him manifest in you who is your Life who was with the Father before the World began the Amen For in this Night of Apostacy from the Spirit and Power that the Apostles were in hath all things been Sealed up and no Man could open but now is the Lamb come again that opens the Sealed Book And all Friends keep out of all the vain Fashions of the World and over that unchast Spirit that invents new Fashions daily both in Apparel and Diet. Therefore keep Chast in the Power of God over them all that your Lives and Conversations may Judge them in such things who devour those things upon their Lusts which God hath given to the service of Man G. F. The Second EPISTLE FRiends this is the Day of the Trial of your Faith Epist 233. and therefore be faithful for the Faith is it by which you have Victory and Access to God by Faith all the Fiery Darts of Satan are quenched and by Faith the Mountains are subdued and removed and in this Faith all your Sacrifices are accepted of God and that gives you Victory and Access to God and in this Faith you please God and that gives you Victory over that which displeased him and in this Faith you have all Vnity which is the Faith of God's Elect the One Faith which keeps you in the Oneness and all the Sacrificers and Worshippers and Religions that is not in this Faith they are not One their Sacrifices nor Offerings God hath no respect to but it is like Cain's that went from the Presence of God and Persecuted about his Religion who built a City in the Land of Nod which signifies Wandering to and fro and unsettled and tossings to and fro up and down And this is the City that all that Persecute about Religion lives in the Land of Nod tossings wanderings to and fro let them be of what Profession or Religion soever Heathen Jew or Christian if they be Persecutors about Religion with carnal Weapons they are in Cain's Land of Nod wandering out of the Faith of Abel of the Elect in which Faith God accepts the Sacrifice and these be in the Land of the Living but the Cain's Land of Nod where the envious Ones are Persecuting others about Religion in that Land God has no respect to none of their Sacrifices nor Religions The outward Jew had outward Weapons to hold up their outward Services for which they had a Command from God but the Heathens had no Command from God to hold up their Inventions and Christ Jesus came to end the Jews Law and Commandents that held up their outward Services together with their outward Weapons and all outward things And he who is the Substance reigns for all the Types and Figures and Shadows was given to Man after Man fell which Christ that comes to redeem Man out of the Fall to the State that he was in before he fell ends them all and in him there is no Shadow So he sets up a Spiritual Mininstry and Spiritual Worship and a Spiritual Fellowship and a Church that 's without spot or wrinkle and a Religion that 's pure from above and this Religion is ruled with Spiritual Weapons And now Friends here you may discern what is set up by Christ and his Spirit and what is set up by Man For Christ who ended the Jews Law and Commandments who preached and taught his Disciples who was to go into all Nations to Preach the Gospel to gather People unto him and to Establish Churches he gave forth no Command nor Order that them that would not hear them nor receive them his Law his Commandment his Doctrine that they should be Persecuted Imprisoned or Banished though he suffered and was Blasphemed and Persecuted and his Apostles for publishing forth the Truth and he rebuked them that would have had Mens Lives destroyed and said that He came to save Mens Lives And the Apostles and the the true Church in the Primitive Times before the Apostacy that were in the Spirit of Christ Jesus walked in the Doctrine of Christ and his Commands and did not Persecute any about Religion nor Imprison among themselves nor others about Religion tho' they had Ordinances and Commands amongst them for the utmost and if they did reject the Churches Counsel they was to be left as Heathen which was the utmost Penalty And so here you may see the Spirit of Christ did not Persecute any for not observing that which it gave forth and set up which it received from God Now here 's a distinction betwixt the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of fallen Men for that which Man 's fallen Spirit sets up which he hath invented and if others will not fall down to it and worship it they Persecute them This is the Practice of the Heathen and the Jews that transgressed the Law of God and followed their Inventions who persecuted the Prophets and killed the just One. And this is the Practice of the Spirit of all the Apostatized Christians from the Primitive Spirit which was among the Christians which was the Spirit of Christ So that Spirit that does set up Ordinances Commandments Ways Religions Worships and Persecute others because they will not observe them this is the Spirit of the World that lusts to Envy and not the Spirit of Christ And also those are the Works of Men which they Persecute about and not the Works of Christ which neither he nor his Apostles persecuted about And so here 's a clear distinction to you that you may know what leads to the Spirit of Christ and what lusts to the Spirit of Envy for the Spirit of Christ does not Persecute any that does not receive that which he sets up but the Spirit of the World doth persecute them that will not receive that which it sets up And in this you may try both Fruits and Spirits as the Rod of Moses devoured up all the Magicians Serpents of the Lying Signs and Wonders so shall the Rod of Christ who has all the Power in Heaven and Earth given unto him who will rule all Nations with his Rod
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
and to enter into his Glory c Now here you may see it was Mary and Joanna and Mary the Mother of James and the other Women that were with them that declared the Resurrection of Christ unto the Eleven which seemed but as idle Tales to the Apostles And here was a joyful Woman's Meeting indeed Women spoke in the Church by Comission from Christ the Head of the Church of Messengers and Preachers of Christ's Resurrection which is Recorded to Posterity to their Renown that all should believe though their Message and Speech were as idle Tales to the Disciples but they were owned by Christ the Head of the Church as aforesaid though their Preaching was slighted by the Apostles and counted as idle Tales but they came to believe afterwards as in Luke 24. And the Woman of Samaria that Christ Jesus convinced and taught her how God was to be worshipped to wit in the Spirit and Truth you may see what a large discourse Christ had with her as in John 4. from the 7th to the 27th and suffered her to speak before the Head of the Church And Christ's Disciples marvelled that he talked with a Woman and the Woman left her Pitcher of Water The Woman a Preacher of Samaria and went away into a City of Samaria and said unto the Men of the City mark unto the Men Come and see a Man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ And many of the Samaritans believed because of the Sayings of the Woman which testified He told me all that ever I did And when they heard Christ they said unto the Woman Now we believe not because of thy saying only but we have heard him our selves and know that he is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World So here you may see there was a Woman Preacher that Christ the Head of the Church suffered and through her means many were converted unto Christ And when they had crucified Jesus Christ there were many Women that beheld him afar off which followed him from Galilee ministring unto him amongst which were Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of James and Joses the Mother of Zebedee's Children And here you may see there was a Woman's Meeting with Christ in his Sufferings which when he was risen some of them preached his Resurrection as you may see in Matth. 27.61 and Chap. 28.5 6 7. where you may read the Message Christ gave to the Women to declare to the Apostles as aforesaid which is recorded and set forth that others might believe their Message And when Christ spoke in Reproof to the Jews he said I tell you of a Truth many Widows were in Israel in the days of Elisha c. but to none of them was Elisha sent save to Zarephath a City of Sidon unto a Woman that was a Widow The Widow of Zarephath c. And the Jews arose up and thrust Christ out of their City being filled with Wrath against him for this Saying and his Reproving of them And you may read at large the Acts Doing and Sayings of this faithful Woman in 1 Kings 17.9 and Luke 4. And in Luke 7. Christ turned him to the Woman and said unto Simon Seest thou this Woman A Reproof upon Covetousness I entred into thy House but thou gavest me no Water for my Feet but she hath washed my Feet with Tears and wiped them with the Hair of her Head And thou gavest me no kiss but this Woman since the time I came into the House hath not ceased to kiss my Feet My Head with Oil thou didst not anoint but this Woman hath anointed my Feet with Ointment Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loved little And they that sate at Meat with him began to say Who is this that forgiveth Sins and he said unto the Woman Thy Faith hath saved thee go in Peace So here you may see how Christ justified the Woman's Actions above Simon whose Faith saved her which is chronicled to her Renown and the Honour of God And in Matth. 28. there you may see this Mary Magdalen which was a Preacher of Christ it was she The Charity of divers Women out of whom Christ had cast seven Devils and with her Joanna the Wife of Chusa Herod's Steward and Susanna which ministred unto Christ of their Substance Now would not some Niggards be ready to say These Women pickt their Husbands Pockets and others with Judas who carry the Bag may say We must have but one Purse and is not our Gift and Benevolence sufficient as in Matth. 28. Luke 24. But his Woman loved Christ and Christ said My mother and my Brethren are these which hear the Word of God and do it Luke 8.21 And Martha received Christ into her Honse and she had a Sister called Mary that sate at Jesus 's Feet and beard his Words The excellency of Mary's Choice but Martha was cumbred about much serving and Jesus said unto her Martha thou art careing and troubled about many things but one things is needful and Mary hath chosen that good things which shall not be taken away from her Which is the Duty of every good Man and Woman to do if they will be kept out of the many things And you may see how Mary talked with Christ and Christ with her So this is chronicled that all might chuse the Good Part and the One Thing which cannot be taken away from them and to be kept out of the many things that cumber as you may see in Luke 10. And doth not Christ say The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto Leven which a Woman took and hid in three Measures of Meal till all the Lump is levened So must not every Man and Woman know this Leven in their Hearts if they will know the Kingdom of Christ Luke 13. And the Parable of Christ concerning the Woman that lost her Piece of Silver who lighted a Candle and swept her own House and found it in her own House and when she had found it she rejoyced and told her Neighbours And must not every Woman light her own Candle at the Light of Christ Jesus and sweep her own House with the Power of God before she finds God's Treasure And then for Joy that they have found it The Woman who found her lost piece of Silver go and declare it unto their Friends and Neighbours And do not all those Women that have found this preach Christ to their Friends and Neighbours and call them together For may they not be suffered after they have lost an outward Treasure and found it again to call their Neighbours together to rejoyce with them which they may find by lighting an outward Candle But their Spirits being the Candle of the Lord this must be lighted at the Heavenly Light and Fire by which their Everlasting Treasure is found and must
up when they forbad all Oaths and Swearing And therefore every one 's Yea should be Yea and every one 's Nay should be Nay and so to stand And therefore all are to consider afore-hand before they speak their yea yea and before they speak their Nay Nay in the New Covenant of Grace Light and Life that with the Light they may see safely when they speak their yea yea and their Nay Nay which is the Practice of the Children of Light in the New Covenant of Light by and in which Light they see and consider what they are albe to perform what they speak at Yea Yea and what they are able to stand to at Nay Nay So if you walk in the Light it will preserve you out of all rash and hasty Words and Promises which many runs into that do neither perform either their Yea Yea or their Nay Nay Therefor in the New Covenant of Grace Light and Life all are to speak Yea Yea to what they can do and perform and what they say Nay Nay to thatin the Light and Life and Grace of God they may likewise stand to their Nay what they say Nay to So that none make any Promise or speak Yea Yea or Nay Nay rashly To keep Promises which they cannot perform For such kind of inconsiderate and rash Speaking is not in the Everlasting Covenant of Light Life and Grace Take heed lest you be numbred among the Covenant-breakers spoken of Rom. 1.31 and such Truce-breakers which the Apostle speaks of 2 Tim. 3. Which have a form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away saith the Apostle And therefore they that deny the Power of Godliness will not be faithful to God nor Man and such cannot exercise a good Conscience to God in Obedience to him nor to Man to perform that which is just righteous and honest Therefore the Apostle exhorts the Christians in the New Testament to speak the Truth in Love and to put away Lying and to speak every Man the Truth to his Neighbour Eph. 4.15 25. And David saith Who shall abide in thy Tabernacle and who shall dwell in thy holy Hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh Righteousness and speaketh the Truth in his Heart But they that speak Vanity every one to his Neighbour with flattering Lips and a double Heart the Lord shall cut off And Solomon speaking of Wisdom say My Mouth shall speak Truth and Wickedness is an Abomination to my Lips And James says in his General Epistle So speak ye and so do c. So see here how certain and stedfast the holy Men of God would have God's People to be in their words and doings And also James was careful that the Saints in their very outward Dealings were to be just and reproved such for saying To day or to morrow we wil go into such a City and continne there a Year and buy and sell and get gain To have regard to God in our Purposes Whereas they did not know what should be on the morrow But they ought to say If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that Therefore you may see how careful the Apostle was to keep all true Christians in the Fear of the Lord and in the Sense of his Will God is true and faithful to his People in all Generations and so he would have his People to be true and faithful to him and to one another and to all Men in his Spirit and Truth And Christ saith He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much and be that is unjust in the least is unjist also in much And further he faith If ye have not been faithful in the Vnrighteous Mammon or Riches who will commit unto you the true Riches Therefore there must be a Justness and Faithfulness in the outward Riches between Man and Man if you will have a place in your Hearts for the true heavenly Riches The inword Faithfulness to God bringeth forth Faithfulness to Men in outword Things And as the Apostle said to the Saints Finally Brethrean whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure Follow whatsoever is pure and of good Report whatsoever thing 's are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things Which are very good things to be minded thought upon and practised by the Church of Christ The Lord faith by Zachary These are the things that ye shall do speak ye every Man the Truth to his Neighbour execuse the Judgment of Truth and Peace in the Gates Again Therefore faith the Lord I am returned unto Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and Jerusalem shall be called a City of Truth and the Mountain of the Lord of Host an holy Mountain And if outward Jerusalem was called so in the Days of the Old Testament surely much more is heavenly Jerusalem in the New Covenant and Testament called The City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem into which nothing that is unclean can enter but all the Believers in the Light and the Children of the Light enter into it whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and are to walk in Truth and Righteousness and speak the Truth every Man to his Neighbour according to the Apostle's Doctrine And so as every one hath received Christ Jesus who is the Truth walk in him the Truth and speak the Truth as it is in Jesus For you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Bodies and in your Spirits which are his And the Lord in Mercy grant that all his People who profess his Name may do s to his Praise to his Glory and to his Honour over all for ever Amen And do not slight the form of sound Words in Truth You who have bought the Truth do not sell it And He that orders his Conversation aright shall see the Salvation of God And the Apostle says to the Philippians Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ For the Apostle says Our Conversation is in Heaven where must be the Conversation of all the true Followers of Christ that are built upon him the Rock and Foundation who is from above And the Lord GOD establish all his People upon this Rock and Foundation which standeth sure that upon him they may stand fast with the Grace and Truth that comes from him Amen Edmonton in the County of Middlesex the 23d of the 11th Morth 1682. G.F. A way to prevent the Indignation and Judgments of God from coming on a Kingdom Nation or Family commended to the Consciences of all concerned First Epist 381. All you Vintners that sell Wine that keep Taverns or such like Houses and all you Inn-keepers and you that keep Victualling-Houses Ale-Houses Not to suffer Men to abuse the Creation Strong-Water-Shops c. see
Vanity and have never so many flattering fair Words and good Speeches and trimmed and decked with the Sheeps cloathing yet they are in the Wolfs Nature and Whored from the Lamb and his Nature and so from the Seed Christ in whom all the Children of the Kingdom and the Elect are to walk that are of his Heavenly and Spiritual Generation and grow up in him as Trees of Righteousness whose Fruits are unto Holiness and whose End will be Everlasting Life And the End of that Spirit and Fruits before mentioned that are out of Christ and his peaceable Truth will be Destruction in the Lake of Fire And that is the Word of the Lord to you all therefore be warned what you join to and what you lay hands on suddenly For I remember before we were called Quakers as I was sitting in an House in Nottinghamshire about the Year 1648 the Word of the Lord came to me and said Some of those that should come to be convinced with the Light and Spirit of God and should come so far as Cain to hear God's Voice and as far as Balaam to hear God's Voice and to have some Openings and to come so far as Corah Dathan and Abiram these should be the Deceivers and the Troublers of the Church of Christ and seek to destroy the Faithful and to betray them Who formerly had some Experience to talk of but did not live in the Truth Which I and many others have seen come to pass and fulfilled For Christ said to his Disciples False Prophets and Anti-Christs That the false Prophets and the Anti-Christs which were inwardly the ravened Wolves which the Apostles and Believers should beware of should come to them to try them they had the Sheeps-cloathing and Outward Profession of Christianity but were Inwardly ravening Wolves to devour them Now these were Inwardly ravening from something And the Apostle John speaks of such as went out from us It seems they were one among them But saith he they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out from the true Church that they might be manifest that they were not of it And these were the Anti-christs and false Prophets that Christ said should come which John and the Apostles saw were come and exhorted the Church to beware of and to keep to the Vnction which they had from the Holy One. And this Vnction and Anointing as it abides within the Saints the true Church and they in it it will teach them all things and is Truth and by it they shall continue in the Son and the Father and so in the Holy Seed Rock and Foundation that cannot be shaken And the Apostle saith There was to be a falling away first before the Man of Sin was revealed the Son of Perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself c. And when the Apostle saw the Mystery of Iniquity already working and his coming is after the working of Satan with all Deceiveableness of Unrighteousness in them that perish because they receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved And such go into strong Delusions that they should believe a Lye and not the Truth And here you may see there is a falling away before the Son of Perdition or Judas be revealed and they that fall away receive not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved but believe Lyes that they shall be damned And the Lord will consume him with the Spirit of his Mouth and will destroy him with the Brightness of his coming the wicked One and Son of Perdition that is against the Righteous and is the Opposer and Betrayer of them Therefore all the Church of Christ are to stand stedfast To stand stedfast in Christ and be establish'd in Him in every good Word and Work who are from the beginning chosen for Salvation through Jesus Christ through the Sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the Truth and are called by the Gospel the Power of God to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom the glorious Rest and Peace is And you may see how the Church of Christ was troubled by such as went out from them and fell away from Truth and Inwardly ravened some went like unto the Swine into the Mire and some like the Doggs to the Vomit and some like Wolves that Inwardly ravened and yet kept the Sheeps-cloathing Some went in the Nature of Cain Sacrificers and yet were Destroyers of the Righteous and some went in the Nature or Spirit of Jannes and Jambres that withstood Moses and others in the Nature of Judas to Betray and others in the Nature of Corah Dathan and Abiram to Gain-say and Resist the Truth and others in the Nature of Jezabel And this Spirit and Nature troubled the Church in the Old Testament Troublers of the Church and troubled the Church in the New Testament and are troubling the Church of Christ in this Gospel-Day that is come and coming out of the Apostacy But God's Trumpet Spirit and Power was and is always sounded against it that all People may beware of this Evil Spirit and Nature and keep in the Seed Christ Jesus that bruises the Head of it in whom you have Love Rest Salvation Quietness and Peace Hallelujah And all dwell in Love then you dwell in God who is Love All dwell in God who is Love let that be all your Habitations which Love edifies the Body of Christ and builds you up in him and all strive to excel one another in Vertue in Patience Courteousness Kindness Tenderness Meekness and Humility in Temperance Modesty and Chastity and whatsoever things are Decent and Comely and of good Report Honest and Lovely that follow For these are the good Fruits of the Spirit of God and his Heavenly Seed which Fruits are acceptable to God and will make you all lovely and comely to him and unto one another in his Heavenly Seed in which as I said before you are blest and all Nations are blest which Seed Christ is your Sanctuary who destroys the Devil the Destroyer and so is over him and was before he was in whom the true Believers live and have Peace who Cloaths them with Salvation and with his Righteousness the sanctified One's fine Linnen So all walk worthy of the Mercies of God and his Blessings from Above and from Below to the Glory and Praise of God And they that dwell not in Love and Charity are like the sounding Brass and tinkling Cimbals as you may read 1 Cor. 13.1 8. This you may read amongst the Children of the Light and of the Day Dolston the 13th of the 10th Month 1683. G. F. To the Meeting of Friends in Truth that are Captives in Algiers NOw Epist 391. Dear Friends The Lord having drawn you by his Spirit to his Son Christ Jesus in whose Name ye come to be Gathered in whose Name ye have
all to his Everlasting Glory and Praise For God's Power which was before the Devil 's was hath been our Hedge our Wall and our Keeper and the Preserver of his Plants and Vineyard who have not had the Magistrates Sword and Staff to help them nor never trusted in the Arm of Flesh And have gone without Judas his Bag or the Magistrates Sword and Staff to preach the Word of Life which was in the Begining before they were which Word reconciles to God And Thousands have received the Word of Reconciliation and are born again of the Immortal Seed by the Word of God and are feeding upon the Milk of the Word which lives and abides and endures for ever And many have suffered to Death for their Testimony both in England and beyond the Seas both before and since the King came in which ye may see as followeth This was given to the King and both Houses of Parliament being A brief and plain and true Relation of the late and sad Sufferings of the People of God in scorn called Quakers for worshipping and exercising a good Conscience towards God and Man By reason whereof Eighty nine have suffered till Death Thirty two of which died before the King came into England and Fifty seven since by hard Imprisonment and cruel Usage Forty three have died in the City of London and Southwark since the Act was made against Meetings c. about 1661. They have thus suffered of which a more particular Account was given with their Names that did suffer to the King and Parliament about 1663. And tho' divers Laws were designed against us How Friends suffered and of their Faithfulness and concerning the Acts that have been made since the King came in yet never could any of them justly touch us neither did they truly concern us tho' they did execute them unjustly upon us and they knew we were not the People justly chargeable and some have been made to confess it And all those Laws that were already made and the Oath which they imprison'd us for because we could not Swear at all in Obedience to the Command of Christ Jesus were never originally intended against us And yet we suffered by the several Powers and their Laws tho' they did not concern us both spoiling of Goods and Imprisonments even to Death it self And the Governor of Dover Castle when the King asked him If he had dispersed all the Sectaries Meetings He said That he had but the Quakers the Devil himself could not For if that he did Imprison them and break them up they would Meet again and if he should beat them and knock them down or kill some of them all was one they would meet and not resist again And thus the Lord's Power did support them and keep them over their Persecutors and made them to Justify our Patience and Lamb-like Nature This was about 1671. And since the King came in Three Acts have been made against us by the King and Parliament besides the Proclamations by which many have suffered Imprisonment and Banishment and many to Death And yet for all these Acts and Proclamations and Banishment and Persecutions and Sufferings Faithful Friends are as fresh as ever in the Lord's Power and Valiant for his Name and Truth And some Weak Ones there were when the King came in that did Swear and take the Oaths but after when they had so done they were sore troubled for disobeying the Command of Christ and the Apostle that they went to the Magistrates and condemned themselves and offered themselves to go to Prison And thus the Lord in his Everlasting Power hath been the Support and Stay of his People And when the Glorious Gospel and Truth was spread over the Nation and they had received the Word of Life Quarterly and Monthly Meetings set up then first the Quarterly and some Monthly Meetings were settled throughout the Nation and then after as Truth more and more spread the Monthly Mens-Meetings in 1667 and 1668. And then also some Womens-Meetings were set up and after the Womens-Meetings throughout the Nation and other Nations were exhorted unto and set up and established throughout the Nations For I was sent for to many sick People Womens Meetings set up and the occasion of it And at one time I was sent for to White-Chappel about the third Hour in the Morning to a Woman that was dying and her Child and the People was weeping about her And after a while I was moved in the Name and Power of Christ Jesus to speak to the Woman and she and her Child was raised up And she got up to the Astonishment of the People when they came in in the Morning and her Child also was healed And when I came to G. Roberts's House about Eight in the Morning there came in Sarah Blackberry to complain to me of the Poor and how many poor Friends were in Want and the Lord had shewed me what I should do in his Eternal Power and Wisdom How G.F. ordered Friends to Visit the Sick c. So I spake to her to bid about Sixty Women to meet me about the first Hour in the Afternoon at the Sign of the Helmet at a Friends House And they did so accordingly such as were sensible Women of the Lord's Truth and fearing God And what the Lord had opened unto me I declared unto them concerning their having a Meeting once a Week every Second Day that they might see and inquire into the Necessity of all poor Friends The Service of Womens-Meetings who were Sick and Weak and were in Wants or Widows and Fatherless in the City and Suburbs And so they blest the Lord for the Wisdom of God that had settled such a Meeting in his Power amongst them For they saw that all that were Heirs of the Power of God were to take their possession of the Power of God the Gospel and its Order which was before the Devil was And this brought them into the Practice of the pure Religion and to Visit the Sick and for the Relief of the Fatherless and the Widow and to see that nothing was lacking amongst them and that they in visiting the Sick in the Lord's Power and Word through it they would have the Wisdom of the Lord and of his Creation and how to administer his Creatures and by the same Power to heal and strengthen with the outward things and without them Which they have felt prosperous to this day and great things have been done in their Meetings by the Lord's Power and very honourable it hath been in the Eyes of all the Faithful yea and commendable in the World also And afterwards the same Womens-Meetings were settled up and down the Nation and beyond the Seas in the Power of the Lord which was before the Devil was into which Power of the Lord no Sect nor Apostasy can come but Peace and Unity And the Power of the Lord the Gospel is the Authority of all
daily coming in from the Lord and then ye will come to Walk with the Lord forsaking all Father Mother A forsaking all Wife and Children Lands Livings and all Here is Joining to the Lord as one Spirit and he that doth not forsake all is not worthy of him All who are in the first Birth and all who reason with Flesh and Blood stand here and are for Persecuting them who are born of the Spirit that are passing out of this City towards the City whose Foundation and Builder is God For in that City the Righteous Ones are slain by them who are of Cain's Generation All ye who are got up into his steps professing Christ and to be Ministers of Christ who stand in the Envy and have the Chiefest place in the Assemblies and are called of Men Master which Christ forbids Lye down all for shame who are in Pride and Oppression Professors Pride and Oppression and in the steps and places of the Pharisees and have got a Form of the Words which the Apostles said and which Christ said and have got it in Three or Four Languages the Lord hath discovered you now the Lord God Almighty hath discovered you by his Prophets and Servants All Honour and Glory and Thanks be to him for ever who now is come to rule alone in his Saints Rejoyce O all ye Prophets and Righteous ones The Beast which made War with the Lamb and the Saints the Lamb hath got the Victory over the Beast and the Ten Horns which pushed at him Powerful Father and Eternal God to thee alone be all Glory Honour and Thanks for ever Now all ye Teachers The World's Teachers and Hearers described and Hearers that hold you up I witness against you that ye may be Witnesses against your selves and that ye may witness your selves to be in Cain's Generation and in the Generation of the false Prophets and Anti-Christs and Seducers who have the Form of Godliness but deny the Power and in the Generation of them that ever slew the righteous Seed as it will appear Now All People take notice who are they that bear Rule by their Means Who are the Hirelings now that the Scriptures speak of Who seek for their Gain from their Quarters now Who feed themselves with the Fat now Who seek for the Fleece and cloath themselves with the Wooll now and so make a Prey of the People Where are the Hirelings now The Priests preach for Hire and the Prophets prophesie for Money Who sues Men at the Law now which Christ spake against which the Apostle speaks against who was a Minister of the living Truth which testifies against all such Practices Who goes in the Way of Balaam now for Gifts and Rewards Where are the Covetous Teachers now Who are called of Men Master now Who love the Chiefest Places of the Assemblies now Who goes in Long Robes now Who stand praying in the Synagogues now and speak a Divination of their own Brain which the Wo was pronounced against by Christ Jesus the Substance of all the Prophecies who cried Wo against all such Pharisees and false Prophets Who hale out of the Synagogues now Who stone and stock prison and beat now and hale before Magistrates This was the Jews Practice and Religion ye may say the Jews did so The Prophets of God they testified against these things and the Apostles they testified against all these Practices And Jesus Christ testified against all the evil Works of the World and all these Practices were held up in Cain's Generation So be ye Witnesses that ye are here in the Generation of the false Prophets False Prophets Generation and in the Chair of them that spake a Divination of their own Brain that are called of Men Masters love the Chiefest places in the Assemblies lay heavy burthens upon the people of them that seek their Gain from their Quarters and of them that go in the Way of Balaam Cain's Sacrifice and in the Generation of Cain Where any Prophet comes to Cry against any of you ye seek to Imprison him or to destroy him which Abel did not as ye may read but Cain who was the first Birth whose Sacrifice God had no respect to no more hath God to your Customary Will-worships Praying and Prayers than to Cain's Cain's Generation For Cain's Generation was and is the same that ever it was and is not of the Generation of the Righteous And except ye all be born again ye cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God So here be ye Witnesses against your selves that ye are in the Generation of Cain which ever slew the Righteous Seed and in the Generation of all the false Prophets Put it not far from you as they did which put Christ to Death If thou hadst lived at that day thou may'st say thou would'st not have put Christ to Death But thou shalt see the same Nature in thee now as was then For now is the Son of God come and ye are of the same Generation that they were seeking to put him to Death where he is manifest But the Eternal Glorious God of Heaven and Earth the same as ever he was is manifesting himself in his Sons and Daughters who are called out of that Generation and Worship For he said Come out from among them be ye separate touch no Vnclean thing Be ye Separate and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters and this we witness and this is fulfilled The Generation of the Wicked we know and the Generation of the Faithful we know here is a Separation between the Precious and the Vile between the Holy and the Profane So all People weigh and see in what Generation ye are The Generation of the Righteous shall shine The Generation of the Righteous and Wicked distinguished the Generation of the Wicked are for the Fire prepared and to be turned into Hell Ye are the Stubble ye that are Proud are for the Fire ye that are Wicked ye are Chaff that the Wind drives to and fro ye that are Scorners are turned from God ye that are Heathenish know not God and all that are Heathen know not God the Lord will render Vengeance in Flames of Fire upon you The mighty Day of the Lord is coming that shall burn as an Oven The Fire is kindling in the Earth which shall burn up all Root and Branch Head and Tail the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it The Lord God of Power will reign O happy Day Praises Praises Praise ye the Lord ye Righteous Ones sing Praises to the Lord God Almighty for ever All ye Liars and Dissemblers must never inherit the Holy City in that State And all ye Liars and Dissemblers state which commit Sin and live in Sin know not God and who are disobedient and hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness the Wrath of God abides upon you All ye that work Iniquiquity and live and die in that
Lord to you And live in the Seed The Ministry of the Life and Spirit and there ye will feel the Ministry of the Life and Spirit in your own particulars in which ye may be serviceable to others that are without and amongst your selves And let the Heathen know that the Plagues and Curses and Wrath and Wo is unto them that live out of the Truth for Wrath Wo to the Heathen Envy and Strife is out of the Truth and the Vengeance of God is due to them that do not Obey it where is the burning flaming Fire And let them know that the Glory of the Lord is risen AND walk in the Power of the Lord and in his Wisdom that in Places where ye do come ye may season them and be all of a good Savour in the Hearts of all and to the Lord a Blessing in your Generation G. F. FRiends Meet together waiting upon the Lord Epist 88. that nothing but the Life may among you reign and that in Life Life to reign Love and Wisdom ye may grow up And in the Measure of the Grace of God all wait to guide your Minds up to God And all Friends Meetings in Order kept I do lay it upon you for to see that in Order all your Meetings be kept So the Lord God Almighty keep you all to his Glory in his Wisdom to himself Amen To be read among all Friends at their Meetings G. F. For Plimouth FRiends keep your Meetings that in the Truth ye may reign Epist 89. and in the Power spread it abroad And keep in the Truth that Be Valiant for the Truth on Earth ye may see and feel the Lord's Presence amongst you and for it be Valiant upon the Earth and know one another in the Power of it So the Lord God Almighty preserve you in his Power to his Glory Amen G. F. FRiends All ye Epist 90. whose Minds are turned with the Light towards Jesus Christ from whence it comes in it wait Something of the Work of the Light manifest that with it ye may all see Jesus and all that Condemned which is Contrary to it that so by that ye may be kept from all Extremes Passions Passions and Hastiness Agonies and Hastiness Presumption and Desperation For dwelling in the Light which doth never change this keeps your Minds out of all those things before-mentioned which lead Nature out of its true Course The true Course of Nature and with the Light all that is seen and condemned which is contrary to it And that which doth Condemn keeps you in Peace and Order and leads to the Door of Mercy and Nature into its right Course and into the Vertue of that Word by which the Creatures were made and with it to use them all to his Gloy Which Light is the Condemnation of the Carnal Wisdom and Knowledge of the wicked World and the Condemnation of the Disobedient and the Condemnation of them whose Deeds are Evill who hate the Light Which brings to witness the Word to be as a Fire to burn up that which is to be condemned and to the purging of the Floor and burning the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and to the Gathering of the Wheat into the Garner Therefore in this Light dwell and wait True Words from which the true Words did proceed that with it all those Words may be opened again and all they condemned with the Light which have the Words and act contrary to it such must go empty away And to you this is the Word of the Lord Have Salt in your selves That ye may come to have Savour and Salt in your selves For dwelling in the Light ye will be manifest to the Light in their Consciences though they hate it who have the Words declared from the Light such go empty away from God who is Light And all they who abide in the Light of the Lord see all such to be out of the true Course of Nature who act contrary to the Light which defiles the Flesh and they are such who were of old ordained to Condemnation with the Light G. F. A General Epistle for Friends Concerning the Priests ALL Friends Epist 91. in the Spirit of the Living God wait upon God to learn of The Blasphemy known and who they are and with the Light they are seen and discovered and to be taught by him For now doth the Beast open his Mouth in Blasphemy speaking great swelling Words And now is the Cage of Vnclean Birds and the Vnclean Spirits which are gone forth into the Earth seen And now are the Locusts see and the Caterpillars known And now are the Seven Thunders uttering their Voices And now are the Hail-stones falling and the Vials of the Wrath of God pouring out upon the Beast and the false Prophet And now are the whited Walls seen Whited Walls and the painted Sepulchres who garnish the Sepulcres of the Righteous and build the Tombs of the Prophets full of dead Mens Bones Ravening Wolves Now are the Inwardly-ravening Wolves seen which have gotten the Sheeps-Cloathing And now are the false Prophets seen which through Covetousness make Merchandize of the People Briars and Thorns And now are the Thistles and Briars and Thorns where the Figs do not grow seen And now are they seen which make Merchandize of the Words of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and through Pretence make long Prayers who devour Widows Houses And now are such known who lead silly Women Captive who are always learning and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth some Thirty Forty some Sixty Years And now are such known and seen Beating in the Synagogues and mainfest with the Light that Christ spake of that should beat his Followers in the Synagogues and hale them before Magistrates for his Names sake yea if they kill'd them should think they did God good Service And now are such Teachers seen and known that sport themselves in the Day-time and walk after their own Ungodly Lusts And now such are seen that go in Cain's Way Cain's Way who would murder and do murder in their Hearts who are in Envy who are the Vagabonds and the Fugitives who have not an Habitation in God who is Love And now are such seen and known that go in Balaam's Way that love the Wages of Unrighteousness Balaam's Way Gifts and Rewards And now are such seen and known that bear Rule by their Means and the pople love to have it so holding up the horrible and filthy thing committed in the Land as in Jeremy Jerem. 5. And now are such Shepherds seen and known Isaiah 56. as seek for their Gain from their Quarters Now are such seen and known Hirelings as seek for the Fleece and the Wooll and make a Prey upon the people and such as re Hirelings which the Lord sent Ezekiel and Micah to cry against Ezek.
false Ways and Seducers and Deceivers and false Worshippers are out of And Jerusalem's Worshippers Jerusalem's Worshippers c. and Samaria's Worshippers and the Worship that is at the Mountain and the Idolatrous Worfhippers and the Worship of Devils all these are out of the Truth and out of the Spirit that changeth not But who are in the Truth and in the Spirit they are a-top of the World and a-top of him that abode not in the Truth their Feet are shod with it Therefore every one of you that are come into the World coming all to the Light ye come to your Armour ye come to that which lets you see Sin it is the Armour against it it is the Eye The Arment against Sia with which ye see that which must be cut down and judged to Death In which Truth which is the Light we have Fellowship one with another And this is the Counsel of the Lord God to you dwell all in the Power of God which is the Gospel of Peace And the Power of God is the Cross of Christ and ye that feel the Power of God ye feel Christ for Christ is the Power of God The Power of God is but one and the Light is but one and the Cross of Christ is but one which is the Power of God and the Gospel of Truth is but one which is the Power of God and there 's no other Ye that come to know these look for no other And Christ is that One in the Male and in the Female which is the Seed which the Promise of God is to and there all wait to find him and receive him Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except ye are Reprobates said the Apostle so now Reprobates if ye are Reprobates ye are Wonderers and Gazers in Adam in Transgression out of the Light out of the Life out of the Power out of the Truth out of the Way which is Christ But being in the Life ye are in the Way in the Truth in the Power of God in Christ out of Transgression in the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven out of the Transgression of the First Adam And if Christ Jesus be in you the Body of Sin is dead and ye are brought to God Emanuel and the Emanuel being known God with us is witnessed by every one of you that are redeemed by him out of the Transgression who are in the Second Adam So if Christ Jesus be in you and ye in him the Body is dead and ye are alive to Righteousness and Death is brought into Death Friends dwell all in the Light and then ye will dwell in Covenant with God and with God ye will have Peace And Friends all dwell in the Light that ye may receive the Wisdom of God of God The Wisdom of God by which all things were created with which Wisdom ye may come to order all the Creatures And be Low as Babes and Little Children for the Little Children receive the Kingdom And so all know the Promise which is to the Seed and know the Seed of God in one another that there be no Master but Christ who bruiseth the Serpent's Head where Debate and Enmity is No Master but Christ which is the cause of Strife So let the Seed be Master in the Male and in the Female that the Ground of Strife which would be Master may be kept under and the Seed which the Grave could not hold under be the Ruler so that ye may witness the Rock that the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against nor the Temptations of the Devil G. F. FRiends every where Epist 131. Dwell in the Power of the Lord God which is without End Striving about Earthly things in which ye may all have Unity And take heed of striving about Earthly things which is the unredeemed Part that is out of the Paradise and the Garden of God but that with the Wisdom of God ye may come to be ordered and order the Creatures by that by which they were made and created that by it ye may know your selves to be grverned And after that Riches do increase take heed of setting your Hearts upon them lest they become a Curse and a Plague to you For when ye were Faithful at the first the World would refrain from you and not have Commerce with you but after when they saw Trading and Dealing ye were Faithful and Just in things and Righteous and Honest in your Tradings and Dealings then they came to have Commerce and Trade with you the more because they know ye will not Cozen them nor Cheat them Then ye came to have greater Trading double than ever ye had and more than the World But there is the Danger and Temptation to you of drawing your Minds into your Business and clogging them with it so that ye can hardly do any thing to the Service of God but there will be crying My Business my Business and your Minds will go into the things and not over the things and so therein ye do not come into the Image of God in which is Dominion And so Riches when your Minds are got into the Riches and cumbred therewith ye go back into that ye were in before And then if the Lord God cross you and stop you by Sea and Land and take your Goods and Customers from you that your Minds should not be cumbred then that Mind that is cumbred it will fret being out of the Power of God And all Friends take heed of Jars and Strife for that is it which will Eat out the Seed in you Jars and Strife therefore let not that harbour in your Bosoms lest it eat out the Good in you and ye come to suffer in your own Particulars Therefore dwell in Love and Life and in the Power and Seed of God which is the Honourable Royal State And all that Speak or Preach abroad see that ye be in the Life and Power and Seed of God which will Edifie the Body and not in a brittle peevisb hasty fretful Mind but dwell in that which keeps down the contrary that that may speak which edifies the Body in Love And all take heed of vain Words Vain Words and Tatling idle Words but every where shop such that Love may continue in the Body and that the Seed may spread over all that Vnity may be kept And all Friends every where if Friends be Poor Poor Friends and Prisoners and in Want or in Prison that ye may in Wisdom relieve and cherish shch And all Friends every where Stop the Deceit that would devour and destroy which is out of the Truth and true Wisdom which must be limited that transgresseth the Spirit of God For since the Days of the Apostles the true Church hath been in the Wilderness and the Beast false Prophet Anti-Christ and false Church have ruled and reigned The false Church amongst whom have been the many
the other into Captivty where the Apostates are and so are become like untimely Figs or like unto the Corn upon the House-top Now this is the Word of the Lord God unto you all Keep your Habitations in the Light Life and Power which ye first received and felt in your selves that ye may be cloathed with the Blessing of the Lord which was before the Curse was And live in the Unity in the Light which was before Darkness was or the Power of it and in the Life which was before Death was and in the Truth which was before the Devil was and in the Power of God which was before the Power of Satan was All live in this that ye may be cloathed with that which is Immortal and attain to the Crown of Life and to know the Election before the World began He that is the First and the Last that is the Beginning and the Ending sit down in him not in Adam in the Fall but sit down in Christ that never fell and there that Life ye will come to know Sit down in Christ which was with the Father before the World began And so live in the Substance which is the Seed Christ who ends the Prophets first Conveant first Priesthood and all the Types and Figures and Shadows given after the Fall G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 167. Be not carried away by good Words and fair Speeches Good Words and fair Speeches nor the Affectinate Part which is taken with them but every one have hold of the Truth in your selves and the Life and Light and Power of the Most-High by which ye may be staied upon Christ Bread the Staff of Life your Bread of Life he is the Staff of your Heavenly and Eternal Life Bread is the Staff of Life Now Friends who have denied the World Songs and Singing Songs and Singing sing ye in the Spirit and with Grace making Melody in your Hearts to the Lord. And ye having denied the World's formal Praying Praying pray ye always in the Spirit and watchy in it And ye that have denied the World's giving of Thanks and their saying of Grace and living out of it do ye in every thing give Thanks to the Lord through Jesus Christ And ye Giving Thanks that have denied the World's Praising God with their Lips whilst their Hearts are afar off do ye always praise the Lord night and day Saying Grace and from the Rising of the Sun to the Going down of the same praise ye the Lord. And ye that have denied the World's Fastings Praising Fastings and of their hanging down their Heads like a Bulrush for a day who smite with the Fist of Wickedness Keep ye the Fast of the Lord that breaks the Bond of Iniquity and lets the Oppressed go free that your Health may grow and your Light may shine as the Morning G. F. FRiends all every where who have tasted of the Love Epist 168. Mercy and Kindness of God and his Power ye are called to Holiness and Chastity Therefore keep out of inordinate Affections Inordinate Affections and inordinate fleshly Love and feigned Flattery and Desires which is below the Truth which will bring you to Infirmness And keep out of fond Affections and fond Love that draws out the fleshly Part the fleshly Eye and brings into Pride and Loosness and false Liberty and to abuse the Power of God Oh keep out of all Vncleanness whatever may be pretended and fleshly Desires for the Lust of the Eye the Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life are not of the Father but of the World And therefore keep down that which is not of the Father but of the World And take heed of dishonouring your Bodies and defiling your Minds but keep your Bodies clean from all Fornication Fornication and Adultery Adultery and Vncleanness for that which pretends otherwise and doth so defiles it and is out of the Truth and is contrary to the Law of God and contrary to Christ's Doctrine And therefore defile not your selves but live pure chast and holy as becometh the Saints for no Adulterer nor Fornicator hath any part in the Kingdome of God Such go from that of God in themselves and quench the Spirit of God and abuse his Power and go into fleshly Love and fained Desires and flattering Pretences covering it with a false Liberty and so are in the Bondage to the beggarly fleshly Lusts and whom they overcome they bring into the same Bondage and through their fained Flattery and dissembling Carriage rob and beguile and spoil Flattery to fulfil their insatiable ungodly Desires Wills and Lusts Therefore live in the Truth for all such things are out of the Truth and such as do the same whatsoever they be therefore all that go into Vncleanness under what fair Pretence soever are to be Judged G. F. TO all the Elect Chosen and Faithful Epist 165. who are of the Royal Seed of God living Stones Elect and Precious knit and built up together and united the Family and House-hold of God London the 11th of the 3d Month. and come to his Mountain that is established upon the top of all Mountains that walk in the Light of the Lord in Unity and Covenant with God in the Covenant of Life and Peace with him Who in this the Lamb's Day are the Gold tried in the Fire Who have been tried by Goods spoiling As Gold tried in the Fire by Bonds by Whippings by Mockings and Reproaches in the Day of the Lamb's Power and some have been tried unto Death and ye have proved to be the pure Gold that hath come out brighter and brighter Who have not feared the Waves of the Sea nor the Winds who fears not the storms nor the Weather whose Anchor holds which is the Hope the Mystery which Anchors the Soul which is Immortal to the Immortal God Among whom the Star or Jacob is seen and the Morning-Star is risen and the Sun of Righteousness shines and the Lamb's Voice is known the Charch in the Glory and Beauty is appeared and appearing The Mirriage of the Lamb. the Marriage of the Lamb and the Bride and the Wedding-day is known in which there is Unity and the Vigins sing Praises and follow the Lamb because of his sweet Ointment and the Virgins are upon Mount Zion And the Gospel is going forth unto all Nations Kindreds and Tongues and Life and Immortality is coming to Light thuough the Gospel which is the Power of God and the Mystery of the Fellowship is known The Mrstery of the Fellowship which is in the Power And for want of the Power the Gospel in which is the Fellowship hath Christendom been on Heaps and the Heathen Ignorant And now ye who know the Power of God ye know the Gospel and ye who are in the Power of God ye are in the Mystery of the Fellowship So Mark the Fellowship is a Mystery
the Lord God with you And if the World's Works lie like a Wilderness care not for it and matter it not but do the Work of the Lord faithfully and ye will feel it prosper answering that of God in every one And so God Almighty preserve you in his Power G. F. FRiends Epist 183. Dwell in Patience and in the Power Life and Wisdom of God and in Peace and Love and Unity one with another And be subject in the Power and Life and Wisdom of God to God and to one another that in it ye may be as a pleasant Field to the Lord God As Libies and Flowers and as the Lillies and the Flowers and the Buds feeling the pleasant Showers and the Streams of Life from the Living God flowing upon you and coming into you whereby the Presence and Blessing of the Lord God Almighty amongst you all may be felt And in that the Lord God Almighty preserve and keep you that to him ye may be a good Savour And live in Peace And the God of all Peace keep you that nothing may reign and rule amongst you but the Life and Power and Seed and Wisdom of God that in him ye may be preserved by which all things were made and created That ye may be all ordered to his Glory and be a good Savour in the Hearts of all People in which ye do refresh others and are refreshed So dwell in the Fear of the Lord which brings a Dread and Terror upon all his Enemies Esau's Mount that are in Esau's Mount but your Peace comes from the Mountain of God And let your Joy and Peace be in the Lord. G. F. OH my Dear Friends and Brethren every where The Power of the Lord God that is over all live in Epist 184. that in that ye may feel Vnity and Fellowship that in the Power of the Lord God ye may all come to be Heirs of the Power of an Endless Life through which ye may inherit Eternity and so to feel Life Eternal abiding in you Now The Man-slayer and Persecutor the Man-slayer hath not Eternal Life abiding in him that is he that envies his Brother so all the Persecutors that envy their Brethren have not Eternal Life abiding in them Under this all the Persecutors about their Church and vain Religion false Worship Faith and Ministry are Therefore all of you feel this Eternal Life abiding in you for he that hath the Son of God hath Life Eternal and so in this Eternal Life ye have Fellowship with God and his Son and with one another and in this the Law of Life that is in Jesus Christ The Law of Life passeth Sentence on the Law of Sin and Death in every Man and Woman and brings it to the Execution Through which Law of Life Righteousness flows and runs down and also Justice and Truth and by this Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Mark in Christ Jesus ye come to know the Lamb's Throne and the Throne of Iniquity thrown down and all blasphemous Mouths stopped and the Chambers of Imagery thrown down and the Houshold of God raised up and the Fruit less Trees thrown down and the Plant of God raised up The Plant of God which is of his own Planting the Tree of Righteousness whose Fruit is unto Holiness whose End is Everlasting Life So mark here 's the Fruit of this Tree and the End of this Tree and by this Spirit ye do distinguish Names and Plantings and Pluckings up and God's Building ye will distinguish from Man's Building and Man's Plucking down and man's Gathering together Ye that are gathered together in the Name of Jesus can distinguish Mens Gathering and their Scattering Oh! The Knowledge of Truth Therefore be Valiant for the Truth which ye are come to the Knowledge of and worship God in that Truth which the Devils is our of and abode not in this makes you free from the Devil and his Works that are out of the Truth Here in this Worship in the Truth and in the Spirit the living God who is a Spirit the God of all Truth he hath his Glory and his Honour from his Spirit in every Heart And so keep in the Spirit and Truth and the Power of the Everlasting God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting that ye may know him Lord of the Earth and of the Heaven and of the Heaven of Heavens ruling and reigning whose Eye is over all his Works that ye may glorifie him in his Power and Spirit and serve him in the New Life which will keep you over all Mens Fables and Devices Fables and Devices Whimsies and Imaginations out of all Janglings and vain Dispates of Men of corrupt Minds And so all to live in that which is the same to day as was yesterday Christ Jesus the Power of God and the Seed of Life and Word that was in the Beginning so no new thing but that which was and is to all Eternity Let your Fellowship be in that and your Vnity and Communion be in that for by the Spiritual Eye the Eternal Vnity with the Eternal God is seen So The Voice of God soakes the Earth and the Heavens Hear his Voice every where that speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes the Earth and not the Earth only but Heaven also The Heaven signifies Joy so all the false Joys the lifted-up Joys or exalted Joy and Joy in vain Glory and Joy in the world or any outward thing or Creature or Men or Women his Voice that speaks from Heaven shakes the Earth and the Heavens and this must be shaken and removed both the Heaven and the Earth before that doth appear that can never be shaken the Noble Royal Seed Elect and Precious which was before the World began being Heirs of him come to inherit him in him ye shall know that which cannot be shaken and there is the true JOy the standing Joy in that which is from Everlasting to Everlasting who is the Beginning and Ending here is not any lifted up nor cast down So I say Hear his Voice and hearden not your Hearts for through not hearing his Voice ye harden your Hearts then ye provoke God to Wrath and sore Displeasure Let him have your Ear that speaks from Heaven that ye may come to observe his Counsel Teachings Instructions and Directions For all the Prophets the holy Men of God and the Apostles were Attentive and Obedient to this heavenly Voice who witnessed to the Truth who had a Witness in Heaven also and such declared forth the glorious Truth which they had from the Instruction of the Almighty As ye may read throughout the Scriptures what glorious Expressions and weighty Truths they declared whose Ears were Attentive to him that spake from Heaven and how they declared against them that stopped their Ears and closed their Eyes and hardened their Hearts For such whose Ears are not Attentive to the heavenly Voice are Earthly so
Habitation They will say They must not Meet together such as are gathered in the Name of Christ Jesus that never fell who is above Adam that sell And thus the Devil would lay all wast and make the World like a Wilderness and break down the Bounds of the righteous Gardens and Plantations and would break them down into his Wilderness and lay them barren and wast And so when they are gone fromt he Truth themselves the Devil is got into them and would keep them from Meetings Meetings to draw others into the same who are gathered into the Name of Jesnes and are come to sit down in the heavenly Plate in Christ Jesus and are found with the Flock that lie down at Noon-day And so that fallen Spirit would bring the Saints to for sake their Assemblies and wouldmake them like a Wilderness if he cannot he will throw Dirt upon them and back-bite them and prejudice them and slander them and speak Evil of them and strive to sow discord amongst them and preach up some outward things amongst them to bring them into an outward Fellowship from the Immotal Power and Gospel-Fellowship and fill them with Earthly Wisdom and Knowledge Carnal Policy and Vnderstanding and carnal Policy with Quirks Tricks Turnings and Windings to over-word and ensnare the simple and to bring them into Questioning And so this Spirit is to destroy ruin and lay wast and to rob and beguile and would destroy if it were in its Power the Saints Fellowship and Worship and if it were possible to deceive the Elect. For sometimes it will come in the shew of Worship and fained Humility and other times with Esau's Tears but all the strength of it is set to lead the Innocent out of his Habitation and to destroy and devour him And so being adulterated from the true Spirit the true Light and the Fellowship in it Secret Evills it runs into all the secret Evils inward Adultery and outward Adultery Vncleanness and Fornication and being in the Evil Darkness and Vncleanness judges all like unto it self with its evil Thoughts and casts out its Flood of Evil-Speaking and Wickedness upon the righteous and just the Saints of the Most-High whose Garments are clean and pure And so this Spirit will cry down the Saints Fellowship in Spirit and Worship in Spirit and Truth and their Fellowship in the Power which was before their Forms were or the Devil either and when it cannot get them down and break their Fellowship to forsake their Assembling together which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and the Churches in the Primitive Times before the Apostasy and when they see they can neither break their Fellowship nor Worship Forms of Worship then they say Away with your Forms and cry down Forms to such as be in the Power of Godliness and that Spirit 's Work that doth so is to bring into such Forms in Time which are out of the Spirit and Truth and Power of God in which the Saints have Fellowship and Refreshment in which God is worshipped in that which is above and was before Time And that contrary Spirit its Work is to bring into the many Invented Forms in the Fall and sometimes runs out of all right Form into Confusion and out of all Orde of Life in which the Saints of the Most-high that walk in the Spirit are in the Fellowship and Power of Life having the Order of Life amongst them Keep your Habitation And therefore all Friends Keep your Habitation every where in the Truth of God and let your Lights be shining and your Lamps burning and have Oil in your Lamps and Salt in your selves to savour withal that ye may grow up into Christ Jesus by whom all things were made that wer made that through him ye may know all things And so Live in him that destroys the Enmity and in him sit in Christ Jesus in whom ye have Vnity Life Peace and Salvation The Honour was given to him that never changed nor never fell True Honour who is Christ Jesus and ye in him are partakers of this Honour and they that change and fall do not know this Honour but are a Dishonour to him G. F. FRiends live in the Seed of God that destroys the Devil Epist 188. who is the Author and Cause of Wars and Strife and brining of Men and People into the Earth where the War Strife and Pride is The Author of Wars here the outward Sword-men have not learned yet to beat their Swords and Spears into Plough-shares and Pruning-hooks Yet ye that are in that Seed see that ye Accuse no Man falsly that hath the Sword of Justice The Sword of Justice which is to keep the Peace and is a Terror to the Evil-doers and to keep down the Transgressors and for the praise of them that do well this is owned in its place But he that killeth with the Sword must perish with the Sword So there was a Time the Jews were to fight with outward Weapons with Sword and Spear Outward Weapons but there is a Time when Nations shall not learn War any more but shall come to that which shall take away the Occasion of Wars which was in the beginning before Wars were And Friends take heed of blending your selves with the outward Powers of the Earth ALL Friends dwell in the Life and Power and Seed of God 2. To Friends to dwell in the seed in which is their Safery in which ye may be kept in the Son of God's Kingdom and preserved in his Dominion out of all changable things in that God's Blessing will be with you In the Seed of God is the stayed State and in that is the Life and Peace with God and the Offering that satisfieth God and that perfecteth for ever them that are sanctified The stayed State And the Seed bruises and destroys the Serpent's head who is the Prince of the Air the Prince of Darkness the Tempter and the Troubler in which Seed is Peace and Life enjoyed and by the Wisdom of it to be ordered to God's Glory And there the Reign of Christ is known who is come to reign and to rule G. F. To Friends in New-England and Virginia MY Dear Friends Robert Hodson William Robinson Marmaduke Stevenson Peter Pearson William Brend William Leara and the rest of Friends in New-England and Virginia Epist 189. Concerning Judging Be faithful to the Lord in the Truth of the Lord God 8. Month 15. nd in his Power and Wisdom be valiant for it upon the Earth and spread it abroad and confound Deceit And dwell in the Power of God and stand in it which comprehends the whole World that through it ye may answer the Witness of God in every one and be a Dread to Nations And go on in Peace and Love and Vnity one with another and keep in the Wisdom of the Lord God that ye may be answerable to the
led by the Witness of God up to God And such as go from it upon them the Law of God is to be added and they by it to be stopped and limited The Law of God which Law is a Praise to them that do well who come from under the Occasion of the Law And in this that Eye is opened which beholds God and his Law which answers that of God in every one which when Men go from that of God in themselves the Law takes hold upon them Which when Adam went from he transgressed the Law of God when he went from the Life and Image of God within him and then the Law came upon him which was not made for the Righteous but for Sinners and Transgressors And in this stands the Covenant of Works the Law of Works that brings under and yokes the Man down which Christ the Covenant of God and of Life and of Peace redeems Men from under this Law and the Law of the Spirit of Life makes free from the Law of Sin and Death The Law of Life So Christ the Covenant of God being felt the Law of Life is come and witneffed within Man again and to such they that are in the Wisdom of God will be a Praise and your Moderation will increase your Temperance will increase your Knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ will increase whom to know is Eternal Life and this will not be lacking And so as ye are kept in the Wisdom of God and in his Life and Power ye will see the Law that goes over all Transgressors which was added because of Transgression Which Life lets you see to the Higher Power The Higher Power which was before any Transgression was because of which the Law was added upon Man when he went from that of God in himself Which as I said before every true Christian which is a Christian indeed witnesseth the Law of Life in Christ which sets free from the Law of Sin and Death and such come to see and feel him who was before any Transgression was And so as to the Lord God ye are kept faithful in your Generation and in his Fear are preserved in Humility and Mercy doing good and justly the Jaws of the Wicked will be broken and ye will feel the Lord's Blessing upon you and come to know the Seed in your selves which inherits which is the Heir of the Promise of the World without End And the Power of an endless Life you 'll feel in Christ the Seed in whom the Words of the Prophets and Apostles are fulfilled and therein is Vnity and Love Righteousness and Peace even in him who bruifeth the Serpent's Head that feeds upon Dust Here there is nothing fed upon but Life yea the Life which was with the Father before the World began which is Christ Jesus And who are in this are in the thing the Scripture testifies of Christendom on heaps And this hath been wanting in Christendom They have had the Words of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and been on Heaps about them not being in the Seed Christ who is the End and Substance of them who is the Light and Life Righteousness Wisdom and Truth which makes free from the Adversary who is the Cause of Strife From a Lover of your Souls Eternal Good and of your Establishment in Righteousness and Peace in this Day of the Lamb's Power Glory to the Highest for ever G. F. DEar William Thou hast a fine Compassin Holland and Germany Epist 193. and under the Prince of Palatin's Government To William Ames And there is a Seed in Poland that desires Friends So in the Seed be faithful which is Immortal and is the Heir of the World where there is no End And so in that be faithful and spread the Truth over that part of the World For the Lord hath a Vine and a Mountain to be set up that a-ways and a Standard and Ensign held out to other Nations So in the Power of the Lord God and his Wisdom and Seed the Lord God Almighty preserve thee G. F. DEar Friends who have found the better part Epist 194. and chosen the better thing the one thing which lasteth for ever which is the Ground of all true Rejoycing and Joy in whom ye have all Riches and Life and the Blessings and the Immortal Power to be your Crown and Covering A time of Shearing And it may be there will be a Time of Shearing and Clipping but the Earth is the Lord's and the Fulness thereof So mind him to be your Portion and the Seed Christ your All and your Life and fear not loosing the Fleece for it will grow again And keep your Meetings in the Name of him that never fell which is above all the Meetings of Adam's Sons and Daughters in the Fall The Fellowship in the Gospet And keep in the Fellowship in the Gospel which is the Power of God which was before the Devil was and this Fellowship is above all the National Fellowships in the Fall of Adam And keep in the Worship of the Father in the Spirit and in the Truth which the Devil is out of and in that ye will live in the Truth and Spirit in your selves and walk in Vnity in the same and then ye are over all the Will-worships in the Fall of Adam where they are in the Strife about them And who are come to the Church in God do see above all the Churches of Adam in the Fall drove from God Egyptians and Babylonians And as the outward Jew suffered by the outward Egyptians and Babylonians and they persecuted them and killed their Children so the spiritual Egyptians and Mystery Babylon persecute and would kill the Jews in Spirit that worship God in the Spirit whose Praise is of God and not of Man and such have none from fallen Men but by them are persecuted But all such go as dumb before their Shearers for he that gave his Back and his Cheek to the Smiters overcame and reigns and hath the Victory and the Honour who is Christ the Amen the first and last the Top-and Corner-stone in him sit down in Life and Peace and Rest So no more but my Love in the Everlasting Seed the second Adam that never fell nor changed whose Love is above all the Love in Adam's House in the Fall G. F. FRiends Epist 195. all that are moved of the Lord by his Power Light and Life to go into other Nations as Messengers of his Covenant of Light to preach the Gospel according to that which shews the Secrets of every Man's heart wherein Nations are brought into Covenant with God and redeemed out of Tongues and People and Kindreds Keep your Feet upon the Top of the Mountains and sound deep to the Witness of God in every Man then will your Feet be Beautiful that publish Peace Liberty to Captives and to the Captives proclaim Liberty with your Feet
you that suffer in the Truth and by the contrary for the Truth 's sake the Spirit of Glory will rest upon you and if you be evil spoken of for its sake being faithful on your parts Christ is Glorified AND Friends your House being built upon the Rock Christ Jesus by whom the World was made the Storms the Floods Rock Christ the Tempests you fear not but all whose House is built on the Sands the Floods the Storms beats down and washes away as you may see before your Eyes So Friends that are come to the beginning see over Storms and Tempests and Floods and live on the Rock which was before they were on that you may rest safe and in peace And Friends Fear not him that can kill the Body I say fear him not that can spoil thy Goods be not afraid of them for when they have done that they can do more for the Life is over them all they cannot touch that So mind that which is over them all G. F. DEar Friends whom Death Epist 224. Bonds nor the outward Creatures can separate from the Love of God in Christ Jesus Live in Peace and Love one with another and keep above that Sraightned Spirit of Strife which is below and out of the Power and Truth and Life of God Dwell in Dominion in Love in Life and in Vnity one with another in the Power of God which was before the Power of Darkness was and in the Seed of God which was before Enmity was and that you may all know Christ's Reign And feed in the Pastures of Life and none stain your Virginity nor Holiness where lieth your Beauty And all that Minister abroad walk as Examples to them you Minister to And keep in Peace that you may not destroy them that you do minister to So in the Fear of God live and spread the Truth abroad and set the Truth over all and in it live in which you will have Unity So my Love is in the Seed of God which is Immortal to you all G. F. FRiends keep in the Power of the Lord Epist 225. which will bring you over all to the Fine Linnen the Righteousness of the Saints and your Bread of Life and the same Power of the Lord will bring all your Persecuters to Rags and Poverty When they have done their Work they will have their Wages when the Righteous and Wicked have done their Work each shall have their Wages and so do not think the Time long For each must have their Day to do their Work in when the Wicked's Sun is gone down their Day is ended and then they are Reconed withal and payed and then the People of God's Day approches wherein according to their Works they shall have the Rewards of Life Eternal THE Power of God is over all P. S. and they that keep in it it will carry them over all G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 226. in the Everlasting Seed and Covenant of Life be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth and dwell in the Power of the Lord God and never heed that which makes to Suffer but the Power of the Lord which was before it was and all live in that and spread the Truth abroad and every one improve your Lord and Master's Money your Talent to the advantage of your Lord. And be of good Faith and Valiant for the Truth you who are gathered in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings in his Name over all the Meetings which are gathered by the Sons of Adam in the Fall and look over all Prisons and out ward Boads which are in time and will have an end at the Power of God look which hath no end in which your Life is and Peace Crown and Dominion and think not the time long that the Rod of the Wicked should lie on your Backs but rejoyce in Tribulations and Persecutions which is for the Trial of your Faith that it may be found more precious than Gold that perisheth For remember that Christ the Word was Tried and Christ is the Tried Stone and all the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs were Tried for their Testimony to the precious Pearl Seed and Truth and what Sufferings they had in all Ages were for the same by the dark World which was not worthy of them who were as Pilgrims and Strangers in the Earth and many of them forsook their Native Land and Country And so live in that which glorifieth the Lord you who know the Kindness Love and Mercies of God and are made partakes of the Heavenly Riches and of the Inheritance that never fadeth away and are Heirs of the Kingdom that never hath an end and are partakers of the Promises and Blessings that was before the Curse was and know the New Covenant made manifest in your Hearts and the Law of God there written and the Anointing within you to teach you and then you need no Man to teach you but as it doth teach you So abide in him and learn of him in whom God is well pleased and none turn to them which God is not well pleased with For you who are Children of God are not to look for Salvation from the Hills neither to look at the Arm of Flesh nor to put Confidence in Man who are redeemed from under the Curse and the Fear of Man and are bought with a Price the Blood of Jesus Christ and so are not your own and cannot do your own Wills nor other Mens but are to glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And so dwell in the Love of God together and in Peace and Unity and Fellowship in the Seed and Life For there is your growth and therein ye grow in Grace and Faith together The Lord God Almighty preserve you all in his Everlasting Arm and Hand which is his Power over all to his Glory bearing one with another in the gentle Wisdom which is peaceable and from above For how Joyful a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity and hereby it is known that you are the Desciples of Christ if you love one another and a Mark that you are passed from Death to Life if you Love one another And so the Lord God preserve your Minds and Souls and Hearts all Holy and Pure to his Glory and all live and sit down in Christ the Seed who is the Faithful Witness the Amen the First and Last the beginning and ending No more but my Love is to you all in the Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus that never fell And Dear Friends keep low for there is no danger G. F. SIng and Rejoyce ye Children of the Day and of the Light Epist 227. for the Lord is at work in this thick Night of Darkness that may felt And Truth doth flourish as the Rose and the Lilies do grow among the Thorns and the Plants a-top of the Hills and upon them the Lambs doth skip and play And never heed the Tempests nor the Storms
Floods nor Rains for the Seed Christ is over all and doth reigh And so be of good Faith and Valiant for the Truth For the Truth can live in the Goals And fear not the loss of the Fleece for it will grow again and follow the Lamb if it be under the Beast's Horns or under the Beast's Heels for the Lamb shall have the Victory over them all And so all live in the Seed Christ your Way that never fell and you do see over all the ways of Adam's and Eve's Sons and Daughters in the Fall And in the Seed Christ your Way you have Life and Peace and there you do see over all the ways of Adam in the Fall in which there is no Peace So in the Seed Christ stand and dwell in whom you have Life and Peace the Life that was with the Father before the World began The 9th Month 1663. G. F. DEar Friends who have tasted of that which is precious Epist 228. and have felt the Truth convincing of you and also felt the Power of the Lord God I feel something amongst some of you that is not right and how that such get up into the wise Part but are out of the Power and out of the Life and with that Judges and are beholding the Moats in others Eyes whilst the Beam is in their own Eyes Oh! Abuse not the Power in which is the Gospel-Fellowship which will keep all in Unity and grieve not the Spirit in which is the true Fellowship and the Bond of Peace Keep down High-mindedness despise not Prophesies and quench not the Spirit in the least for that is Flesh and not Spirit in your selves that doth so Judge not before the time that the Lord do come who brings to light all the hidden things of darkness in you run not into outward things that is the fleshly Mind that will run from one thing and so be restless and will not know what Seat to sit in after it hath been in one outward thing it will run into another and call it his growth in the Truth and fall a Judging others but that Jadgment is after the Flesh and there growth is in the Flesh for the Fruits of it is Strife Backbitings Whisperings and leads to Idleness Busie-Bodies from House to House Slandering Scandalizeing Vilisying and are in Lightness out of the Fear of God in Varience and sowing Dissention and these are the Seeds-Men of the Flesh and not of the Spirit and so feeds one another with that which burdens the Seed and quenches the Spirit and destroys the Love and Vnity which Love you should grow in So the Fruits of every Birth manifesteth it self the Fruits of the Spirit is Love and Peace and Truth and Plainness and Righteousness and Godliness But the Frutis of the Flesh are Backbitings Whisperings Lyings Slanderings Scandalizing And therefore mind what this Birth hath brought forth and shame it that hath cryed up outward things and what it hath run into and what it hath drawn you into that are in it and what it hath rent you from and whether you are not come to a loss and whether you are not gone into the Flesh and into the Air and lost your first Habitations of Tenderness and Compassion for every Birth knows its own and is grieved when it s own is Judged and that will never love plain Dealing and righteous Judgment which is honest and true but will have the false Prophets Cushion and Pillow and can neither endure sound Doctrine nor Judgment And therefore mind your first Habitation and first Love and that which did Convince you that you may all come into Life and Power to sit down in the Habitation of it in Love and Life and Vnity and let there not be a Backbiter nor Slanderous Tongue nor Lyar nor Whisperer Reproacher nor a Busie-body found amongst you for if there be it will leaven one another and bring Darkness and Death upon you Therefore as I said before Dwell in the Power of God in which you may keep Vnity Life Love and Peace and in which Power of God you may be drawn up out of Satan's Power into the Power of God in which is my Life and in it is my Habitation and Dwelling where I know the unspotted Garment hid from all the unclean Beasts Tongues Lips Hands and Eyes and Blessed are all you that keeps in the Power and have kept your first Habitation for you grow up as Calves in the Stall and such gad not abroad to change their ways for the Birth of the Flesh would have some outward thing to feed upon but the Birth of the Spirit reigns over it Farewell Lancaster Prison the 6th Day G. F. FRiends Epist 229. Let not your Knowledge be after the Flesh but in the Spirit Let not your Fellowship be in the Flesh but let it be in the Spirit So know Vnity in the Spirit and in the Gospel Let not your Affections be in the Flesh and on things below but let them be set on things that are above and on things that are heavenly above the things below Let not your Souls be subject to the Lower Power of Darkness which is out of the Truth lest you bring Destruction upon your own selves but let your Souls be subject to the Higher Power that is above the Lower Power of Darkness Let your Acquaintance and Familiarity be in the Spirit over that which would ensnare or entangle you and bring you not Bondage Let all your Minds be Heavenly and not Earthly Let all your Minds be Spiritual and kept above all that which is Carnal then they are kept out of Death in Life and in Peace For the Invisible is above all the Visible and the Immortal is above the Mortal and the Eternal is above the External and the Incorruptible is above the Corruptible As Life is above Death Life Light and Truth over the contraries and Truth is above Error and Falshood and Light is above Darkness and Righteousness is above Unrighteousness so the Goldy are above the Ungodly and Holy above the Prophane the Just is above the Unjust and the true Prophets and the true Ministers or Preachers and Apostles and the true Desciples are above all the False And the true Christ is above all the Anti-Christs and God is above the Devil and Virture is above Vice and the true Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth is above the false which is out of the Spirit and the Truth and the true Belief and Faith and Hope is above the false Belief which is Unbelief and the Living Faith is above the Dead Faith and the Hope that is the Anchor both sure and stedfast Anchors the Soul in the great Sea the World Sure Anchor when the Liviathan maketh a Storm among the Tongues Peoples Nations and Languages which are as Waters then the true Hope standeth and stayeth and is sure and stedfast and keeps the Soul up to God a-top of the Sea
had Dominion over all things that God had made Yea over the Serpent and he came and told her they should be as Gods if they would eat of the Fruit that was forbidden and they thought to have been as Gods and to be made wise but the Devil came to be God and they came to be Slaves and so he got into Adam's Heart and Eve's Heart through their Disobedience through which they lost their Dominion and the Serpent came to be God of the World the Deceiver Now saith the Lord to the Serpent Vpon thy Belly shalt thou go and Dust shall be thy Meat all the Days of thy Life So you may see how the Serpent got into Adam and Eve by Disobedience Secondly He ruleth in all Adam's Sons and Daughters Hearts that are disobedient to the Light the Truth the Power of God in themselves and he darkens their Hearts and Minds and makes them envious and from him they have their devilish earthly Wisdom and all their invented Arts and Ways that be bad that keeps up and stirs up the fallen Nature that is sometimss puffed up and sometimes down through which the Earth is brought out of its Course and the Bonds of Civility broken So here he that rules in the Disobedient and got into Adam and Eve's Heart by Disobedience which is called the God of the World whose Meat is Dust goes upon his Belly Now if this Ruler and this Governor of the Hearts of such as are Disobedient who is called the Prince of the Air and so whirles them up into the Air who got into Adam and Eve's Heart by Disobedience and rules in his Sons and Daughters Hearts by Disobedience if he goes upon his Belly how go they that he rules Better than the Ruler think you Must the ruled go better than the Ruler Thirdly If this Rulers Meat be Dust that rules in the Hearts of the Disobedient which got into Adam and Eve's Heart by Disobedience what feeds the ruled upon then if the Rulers Meat be Dust for can any feed upon Life but they that come to the Light and Life and Truth in their own Hearts by which Truth they come to see how he got in by Disobedience and how he rules the Disobedient Now do you think that the Devil would have any Man or Woman or his Messengers or Apostles to obey the Truth and Light in themselves then how can he rule in their Hearts nuless they went out of the Truth The Devil the Serpent got into their Hearts by Disobedience and rules the Disobedient and therefore it 's not like that the Devil or his Messengers or Prophets or Apostles would have any Man or Woman to obey the Light the Truth in their own Hearts for if they obey the Light the Truth which the Devil is out of and abide just By this they come to go upright from under the slavery of him which upon his Belly goes they come to feed upon the Life Christ which was with the Father before the World began not upon the Dust which he feeds upon which is out of the Truth and they that he rules are out of the Truth So it 's no strange thing for him and his Messengers to speak against the Light in the Heart for he hath made the World like a Wilderness all wild and rough he that got in by Disobedience and rules in the Disobedient it is not like that he would have People to obey the Light nor Life within them he that is out of Truth who got into Adam and Eve by Disobedience and rules in all them that are Disobedient going roaring up and down seeking whom he may devour And so Adam came to be lost and the Lamb came to be slain from the Foundation of the World and therefore comes Christ the First and the Last to destroy the Devil and his Works in Mens Hearts and sanctifies them by his Blood his Life which was the Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World and destroys the Devil and his Works through Death and him that hath the Power of Death and Sanctifies and Washes Men and Women and presents them back again to God perfect but the Devil would not have Men and Women to own Perfection who hath made them Imperfect nor his Messengers but it is Christ that destroys him and his works and saith Be perfect and presents Men and Women perfect to God out of the Fall up to Adam before he fell and not only there but up to himself that never fell the Royal Seed And in him keep your Meetings and dwell in Peace and Love that the Fruits of the Spirit may abound among you for the Fruits of the Flesh are in the Fall where the Spirit is grieved for there they be out of the Quietness and out of the Rest and Peace Therefore in Christ that never fell the Peace and Rest and Light and Life and the Power and Truth live and God is well pleased and doth accept you in his Son Christ Jesus in the Seed in the Light in the Truth in the Power of God in the Righteousness and in the Wisdom but God doth not accept them nor you as they and you be in Adam in the Fall in their own Righteousness in their own Wisdom out of the Light out of the Truth out of the Life and not living in it in themselves And so God doth accept you in Christ the second Adam that never fell and is well pleased with you in Christ the Second Adam that Righteousness which was before Adam was is in Christ that never fell as you come out of Adam in the Fall and live in Christ Jesus that never fell And so Christ comes to be manifest in Peoples Hearts and the Son to be revealed who casts out the strong Man which hath kept the House and spoils his Goods who got into Adam and Eve by disobedience and rules in the Hearts of Adam and Eve's Sons and Daughters who are in disobedience And so Christ the Second Adam must rule in Peoples Hearts who are in the Obedience as he doth in all that have Power and injoy Life And so be valiant and faithful for the Truth upon the Earth serving the Lord in a new Life that is in Christ Jesus that never fell out of the old Life of Adam in the Fall for the old Life is in Adam in the Fall where the Spirit is grieved and the new Life is in Adam that never fell who was born in Bethlehem Beth is a House and lathem is Bread where the fulness is who will dry up the River Euphrates with its Froth which hath run so up and down among the Sons of Adam that People may drink at him the Fountain the Water of Life through whom you come to know the mighty God of Heaven and Earth the upholder of all things and creator of all things to his Glory and Honour being in Christ Jesus by whom were all things who is the Top and Corner Stone in whom you
Spirit the Living God who is a Spirit the God of all Truth he hath his Glory and Honour from the Spirit of the Lord in every Heart And so keep in the Spirit and Truth and Power of the Everlasting God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting that you may know him Lord of the Earth and of the Heaven and of the Heaven of Heavens Ruling and Reigning whose Eye is over all his Works that you may glorifie him in his Power and Spirit and serve him in the New Life which will keep you over all Mens Fables and Devices Whimsies and Imaginations out of all Janglings and vain Disputes of Men of corrupt Minds And so it is good for you all to live in him which is the same to day as he was yesterday Christ Jesus the Power of God and the Seed of Life and Word which was in the Beginning So no new thing but that which was and is to all Eternity Let your Fellowship be in that and your Vnity and Communion be in that for this is seen by the Eternal Eye the Eternal Vnity and the Eternal God So hear his Voice every one of you that speaks from Heaven whose Voice shakes the Earth and not the Earth only but the Heavens also The Heavn imports Joys So all the false Joys the lifted-up Joys or exalted Joys and Joys in vain glory and Joys in the world or any outward thing or creature and Men or Women His Voice that speaks from Heaven shakes the Earth and the Heavens and this must be shaken and removed both the Heavens and the Earth before that doth appear that can never be shaken the Noble Royal Seed Elect and Precious before the World began being Heirs of Him come to Inherit Him In Him you shall know that which cannot be shaken and there is the true Joy in that which is from Everlasting to Everlasting who is the Beginning and Ending Here is not any either lifted up or fallen down to dispair So I say hear his Voice harden not your Hearts for not hearing the Voice you harden your Hearts and then you provoke God to Wrath and sore Displeasure Let Him have your Ear that speaks from Heaven that you may come to observe his Counsel Teaching Instruction and Direction for all the Prophets and holy Men of God and the Apostles were attentive and obedient to this Heavenly Voice who Witnessed to the Truth who had a Witness in Heaven also And such declared forth the Glorious Truth which they had from the Instructions of the Almighty as you may read throughout the Scriptures what glorious Expressions and weighty Truths they declared whose Ears were attentive to Him that spoke from Heaven and how also they declared against them that stopped their Ears and closed their Eyes and hard ned their Hearts Their Ears not being attentive to the Heavenly Voice but to the Earthly and so if the Earthly and the Sin and Evil have the Ear it will fill it with that which is bad and harden the Heart and choak the Good therefore the Lord must have the Ear who is the Ruler of Heaven and Earth And as your Ears are attentive to the Lord's Voice that speaks from Heaven Iniquity's Mouth is stopped in you the Throne of Iniquity is thrown down in you that is the Wicked Spirit and Power where Iniquity fits and the Chambers of Imagery are thrown down in you where all Thoughts and Imaginations are As the Ear is attentive to the Voice of Him that speaketh from Heaven you will come to the Throne of the Lamb who hath the Power who hath the Victory and the Dominion that all may live there in the Everlasting Power of God that goes over all Deceit which was before Deceit and Darkness was and always feel a growing in the Power of the Lord God that is Universal and Everlasting that you may all be Heirs of the Power of an Endless Life and come to Inherit it and possess it and sit down in the Possession of the same that every one's Lot may fall in the Land of the Living where the Lord hath his Glory and his Honour for ever and ever O the Glory Glory of the Lord that spreads it over all And here you have his Savour and can taste your Meat in the Power of the Lord God feeding upon every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God having every one's Ear attentive to his Voice In this you grow up in the Life that is Eternal G. F. OH Dear Friends Epist 246. Mind every one your Habitation in the Power of the Lord God that first Convinced you and keep your Possession in it in the sense of God's Love and Mercy to your Souls for your Vnity and Fellowship lies in the spotless Power Truth and Life of the Everlasting God of Life and Power and herein to you the Springs of Life will be opened through which you may be daily Refreshed up to the God of Life Oh be tender of the spotless Truth and Life through which you may come to answer it in all Friends that they may have Vnity with you in the same Life and Power through which you may be a good Savour to God and a Blessing to him in your Generations serving the Lord God in the Newness of Life as a Chast Spouse and Bride to him in Body Soul and Spirit having an Esteem of your Bodies which are for the Lord and to be his Temple not for Adultery or Fornication nor Idolatry Oh therefore mind and keep in the holy Life and feel the Moving and Counselling Power and Spirit of the Almighty in you directing you into the Ways of Truth and Righteousness Peace and Holiness without which none shall see God Live in the Peaceable Life and love it eye that which makes for Peace for God is the Author of Peace and not of Confusion So live all in the precious Truth of God feeling it in its Operation through which Vnity and the Peaceable Life may be preserved amongst you in Righteousness and Peace for Wars and Strifes and Troubles and Fightings comes by Unrighteous Actions which is below Truth and Righteousness for Truth leads into the modest decent and comely Life which is Honourable and Esteemable to God and in the Hearts of all his People So live in the Truth and the Power of it that you may all come to be Heirs of the Power of an Endless Life and to Inherit and Possess the Endless Life the Power of a World that hath no end And so keep your Eyes to your Possessions and to the Life that hath no end and herein you will encrease in the Truth in the Righteousness and Holiness and the Power and Virtue of the Holy Life and so sit down in your Possessions that you may all serve the Lord in a pure Mind Soul and Spirit and none to defile your Bodies but have esteem of them as Vessels of Honour and Vessels fitted to receive the Treasures of the Lord. 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you know that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost which is the Holy Spirit And can any Worship God who is a Spirit in the Truth but they must come to the Spirit and the Truth of God in their own Hearts Here we set up the Publick and Temple Worship which Christ set up which every Man and Woman in the World must come to Truth in the inward parts and the Spirit of God within them and Worship in the Spirit they must be in it and in the Truth to Worship the God of all Truth who is a Spirit And this is the Publick and Universal Worship and this brings every Man and Woman in the World to Truth and the Spirit of God in their own Hearts And so this brings all to know their Bodies to be the Temples of the Holy Spirit in which they worship as the Jew outward worshipped in his outward Temple But the Temple since the Apostles days has been so filled with Smoak out of the Bottomless Pit and so filled with Darkness that no Man could enter into the Temple to Worship God and there the Spirit of God hath been vexed and grieved And so their Prophesie Revelation and Vision hath been denied by the Authors of this Smoak but the Seventh Angel has poured out his Viol that Men begin to enter into the Temple to Worship God in the Spirit and Truth and the Glory of the Lord shall fill the Temple And Christ and his Apostles never altered this Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth though the Beast and the Whore the false Church have set up another Worship since the Apostles days But all must come to Worship God in Spirit which was before their Worship was set up which was set up in the Apostles days And so all must come to Worship God in the Spirit and in the Truth which was before Mass-Book was which got up many Hundred Years after Christ but that is and was the Publick and Universal Worship set up by Christ the Second Adam to the Sons of Adam in the Fall which brings every Man and Woman to Truth and the Spirit of God in their own Hearts in that Spirit and Truth they must Worship God But cries the World Did not they Pray in the Temple the Jew outward and must not you Pray in the Temple Yes the Jews in the Spirit prays in his Temple and sings and rejoyces in his Temple for what Do you not know that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost And so if you Pray you must Pray in the Holy Ghost and rejoyce in the Holy Ghost and sing in the Spirit And how can you sing and rejoyce and pray in the Spirit but you must go into the Temple your Bodies being the Temples of the Holy Ghost For the outward Jew his Temple was thrown down And He is not a Jew that is one outward but he is a Jew that is one inward in the Spirit Stephen was Stoned to Death for denying the Jews outward Temple and witnessing Christ and Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost so he was the Temple of the Holy Ghost And so they whose Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost are the Temples made without Hands which are set above all Temples made with Mens Hands But if you say Did not the Jews Priests dwell in the Temple and there they were to offer in the Temple I answer Yes there was but one Temple in the whole World commanded of God and it was set up at Jerusalem and never commanded to be set up in England Ireland Scotland France Spain and Rome but the Jews were to go either to worship at Jerusalem and there to keep the Feast of Tabernacles or else their Eyes were to rot in their Heads and their Tongues in their Mouths and their Camels were to die of such and such Plagues as in Zachary you may read And they were to come out of all Nations under Heaven to worship and keep the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem and the Apostles did there wait at the time of Pentecost to be endued with Power from on High And so that Temple was thrown down about Forty Years after Christ For you that cry up outward Temple-worship made with Mens Hands in your own Nations are worse than the Jews for they were to have but one Temple and one People and that Temple is down and the Worship and he is not a Jew that is one outward but he is a Jew that is one inward in the Spirit And so Christ's Worship in the Spirit and Truth is set above the Jews outward Worship at Jerusalem and the Mountain Worship near Samaria and the Jew inward is set above the Jew outward and above the Jews outward Offering in his outward Temple and the Priest having Chambers in the Temple that was the Place of their Offering the Jew inward he offers in his Temple the Spiritual Sacrifices and no where else doth he offer but in his Temple for by the Spirit doth he offer to God who is a Spirit And they that offered in the Jews Temple were to wear the holy Garments so are you to do that are the true Christians and are called a Royal Priesthood What are all true Christians Priests Yes What are Women Priests Yes Women Priests And can Men and Women offer Sacrifices without they wear the holy Garments No What are the holy Garments Men and Women must wear The fine Linnen and they must go in White What is this the Priest's Surplice Nay the Surplice got up when the fine Linnen the Righteousness of Saints and going in White was lost What is the fine Linnen and going in White that this Royal Priesthood must wear which are the Royal Garments It is the Righteousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of the Saints this is the Royal Garment of the Royal Priesthood which every one must put on Men and Women so every one put of your Robes put on your Garments the Righteousness of Christ as a Cloak that you may offer to the Lord an Offering in Righteousness You that be sensible of the Lord's Mercies offer to him his Praise his Glory and Honour his Spiritual Sacrifice in your Temple as the sweet Odours Myhre and Frankincense And when the Jews Temple was cleansed and the Rubbish cast out of it the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple And when your Temples are cleansed and the Rubbish cast out of your Temples by your High Priest Jesus Christ in the Male and the Female who destroys the Devil and his Works you will witness renewing up into the Image of God into Righteousness and Holiness as Man was in before the Serpent got the Rubbish into him So Christ who destroys the Devil and his Works brings them to the State as Man and Woman was in before he got into him that is into Righteousness and Holiness and up into himself to the Measure of the fulness of Christ who was glorified with the Father
Mark Free-Men and Free-Women And what hath made them Free-Men and Free-Women but Truth For if the Truth hath made you free then are you free indeed So free to worship God in the Spirit and in Truth which the Devil is out of for to serve the Lord God in the Spirit and in the New Life They are above the Serpent and from under his Controul and from under the Controul of old Adam and his beggarly Rudiments and Will-Worships and false Righteousness Truth makes free from all these and makes free to be Partakers of Christ Jesus and of his Blood and his Spirit and Mind who is the Prince of Peace and Prince of Life and makes free to be Partakers of the Divine Nature and Precious Faith and to be Members of the True Church and Gospel Fellowship and Power of God which was before the Devil was So stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free free from the Devil Dragon and Serpent and all Slavery and Servitude For Free-Men do walk in their Freedom for it is the Truth makes them Free and so to Triumph in Glory And so if the Truth have made you free then are you free indeed free from all the Will-Worships and from all the windy Doctrines from all the evil Inventions Traditions Imaginations and Notions and Rudiments of Adam in the Fall who are from Truth and free from the Devil who is out of Truth So it is plain none are free but by the Truth and all in the Truth are Free-Men And all out of the Truth are Slaves in Old Adam and Slaves to Sin and Satan and to his Will-Worship and to their own Self-Righteousness and to their Rudiments Doctrines and Traditions serving divers Lusts Pleasures and Corruptions and serving the Creatures more than the Creator who is God blessed for ever and serving the Desires of their own Minds and so as Slaves are kept in Bondage all in Prison all in the Bonds of Death and Jaws of Death for who are out of Truth are no Free-Men Though they be High Priests and Readers Preachers and Expounders as the great High Priests and the lofty Pharisees and Scribes were Professing the Scriptures yet not in the Truth and so not Freemen For they are in Malice and Envy like Cain Oppressors like Pharaoh raging Persecutors like Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews as Wild as Ishmael as Prophane as Esau out of the Truth are all those found fasting with Fists of Wickedness lifting up bloody Hands mingling their Sacrifices with the Blood of the persecuted praying to the Majestrates for Persecution All this is out of Truth and not in the Freedom so not Free-Men but doing the Devil's Lusts and Service as the Jews did And so if the Truth make you free ye are free indeed ye are free from all those things above-mentioned The Truth makes free from Envy and from Prophaness and from Wildness and from Wickedness and from the bloody Hands Free from the Fasts of those that hang down their Heads like a Bulrush free from the persecuting Spirits free from the false Prophets Deceivers Seducers Anti-Christs and all Anti-Christian false Prophets Deceivers and Seducers are Satan's Bond-slaves Vassals and Bond men and being with his Oars chained in his Gallies they carry his Wares and do his Work up and down the World which is the Sea But Truth makes free from all these free from the Hipocrites Hope which perisheth free from Nebuchadnezzar's Fury and it makes free from the wild Heifers Nature and from the Dogg Swine Horse Viper Cockatrice Serpent's Nature and from the Spider and his Webb and from the Oak and Cedar and the Bramble and Briar and Bear and Lion The Truth makes free from all these and brings Man and Woman into the Image of God And so if the Truth makes you free then are you free indeed And the Truth is Christ and Christ is the Truth which makes you free from all Falshood and makes you free from the World which lies in Wickedness and Vnrighteousness by which you come to be Free-Men of the World which hath no End And an high-way shall be there Isaiah 35.8 and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it Mark The unclean shall not pass over it This Way which is called the Way of Holiness was spoken of by Prophesie and this Way is Christ who is the Way of Holiness who is above the Vnclean and destroys it and the Ground of it the Devil and so the Vnclean cannot pass over this Way of Holiness This is our Way who are in scorn called Quakers to wit Christ And this Way of Holiness shall be for the way-faring Men though Fools yet they shall not err therein where no Lion nor ravenous Beast nor Lion's Whelp shall go thereon All the ravenous Beasts are without in the Way of the World without Christ and God But the Redeemed shall walk in this Way of Holiness Christ Jesus and the ransomed of the Lord shall walk in this Way of Holiness and they that do return from the Way of the World to Sion shall walk in this Way of Holiness with singing and everlasting Joy upon their Heads And they that walk in this Way of Holiness Christ Jesus shall obtain Joy and Gladness and Sorrow and Sighing shall flee away And all that walk in this Way of Holiness their deaf Ear is unstopped and their blind Eye is opened And the lame Man here shall leap as an Hart and the dumb Man's Yongue shall sing And here he shall see Waters gush out of the Rock and Streams out of the Desart in this Way of Holiness And here he shall see in this Way the patched Ground become a Pool and the thirsty Land full of Springs and in the Habitation where Dragons lay shall be Grass with Reeds and Rushes which begins to spring Glory be to the Lord for ever And this Way of Holiness which the Prophets prophesied of is Christ Jesus the Way who said of himself I am the Way and he is over all the fallen Ways and before the Way of the Serpent glorified with Father before the World began And this is the Way of the way-faring Men who have been way-faring up and down from Religion to Religion from Worship to Worship from one People to another from one Minister and Teacher to another and could not sit down in any of their Ways but way-fared travelled and sought And now Glory be to the Lord for ever Thousands of these way-faring Men are come to find their Way Christ Jesus and though Fools yet shall not err therein that is they shall not err in their Way They shall not err in Christ Jesus for there is no Error in him for he was before Error was for Christ the Way destroys the Devil and his Works the Ground of all Error So though they be called Fools these way-faring Men by all the Sons of Adam that are set down in their
Jerusalem as in Zachary 14.12 So the outward Jew had but one Temple in the whole World and there they went to Worship in it and the Priest had a Chamber in the Temple And when Christ came he ended the Priesthood he ended the Offerings and the Temple and the Worship therein of the outward Jews and set up another Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth For when the Woman of Samaria that came to Jacob's Well said unto Christ How that our Father 's Worshipped in this Mountain where Jacob's Well was and the Well was made before Jerusalem was or the Temple either for Jacob died in Egypt and after him his Sons came out of Egypt and builded a Temple in Jerusalem and so there they set up a place of Worship after the Well was made So Christ said unto the Woman The Hour is coming and now is that they that Worship the Father must Worship him in Spirit and Truth and not at Jerusalem nor at this Mountain is God worshipped For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth And then did Christ set up his Worship which was before the Popes Turks Common-Prayer Presbyterian Independant and other Worships were and the Worship that Christ Jesus set up was in the Spirit and in the Truth Now where is this Spirit and where is this Truth Is it not within People So as the Jew outward was to Worship in the Temple and there was but that one Temple commanded of God to be built which Christ came to end who set up his Worship in the Spirit and in the Truth So seeing the true Worship is in the Spirit and in the Truth and the Truth is within you in the inward parts the Spirit of God is within you you must not grieve vex nor quench it And so every Man and Woman in the whole World must come to the Spirit and Truth in their own Hearts by which they must know the God of Truth who is a Spirit and to feel the Spirit in their own Hearts and in the Spirit of Truth to Worship the God of Truth who is a Spirit So now as the Jew outward was to offer his Sacrifice in the outward Temple and no where else which Temple is now thrown down he is not a Jew who is one outward but he is a Jew who is one inward in the Spirit and in the Truth and so all ye Jews inward in the Spirit ye must worship in the Truth and in the Spirit And so the Jew inward can worship no where but in the Temple What Temple It is not a Temple that is made with Hands The Jews outward worshipped in the Temple that was made with Hands but the Jew inward his worship is to be in the Spirit and in the Truth and in a Temple not made with Hands So to worship in the Spirit and in the Truth is to worship in the Temple and no where else And so every Man and Woman in the whole World must worship in the Temple What Temple The Temple that is not made with Hands Where the Spirit of Truth is Know ye not that your Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost that is to say the Holy Spirit And so every Man and Woman must be brought to Truth in their own Hearts and brought to the Spirit of God in their own Hearts This is the standing and perfect Worship and it will stand when all the Worships of old Adam are gone and when the Jews and Turks and Christians Worships that be not in the Truth are gone For this is a standing and perfect Worship the Spirit of God is Perfect And this is an Universal Worship and brings every individual Man and Woman to the Spirit of God in their own Hearts This makes no Sect but every one in the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace is in the Truth which the Enmity is out of And this Spiritual Worship is in the Spirit and Truth Christ Jesus the Spiritual Man the Heavenly Man which the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven set up above Sixteen hundred Years since And so every one is to be in it and to walk in the Truth and in the Spirit and to come to the Truth in their own particulars For that Spirit makes Sects which persecutes People for not following them but they are all to Worship in that Spiritual Worship which Christ Jesus set up and every Son and Daughter of Adam is to come to the Truth and Spirit in their own Hearts and so in that Spirit and Truth to Worship the God of Truth who is a Spirit for he seeketh such to Worship him And Christ persecuted none for not following his Worship but all are condemned by the Spirit in their own selves who grieves it and vexes and quenches it and all are Condemned with the Light and Truth that hate it who will not come to it but hate it So they all that Persecute about Religion run into Heaps and Sects and Darkness and are with the Light condemned And so none can Worship the God of Truth but who comes to the Truth in their own Hearts and none can Worship God who is a Spirit but who comes to the Spirit of God in their own Hearts which mortifies Sin and Evil which Spirit leads into all Truth So every one who is a Jew inward must Worship in the Spirit and Truth and every one must be brought to the Temple which is not made with Hands and to Worship in the Spirit which Christ set up who is the Spiritual Man Carnal Men may set up Worships who have not the same Spirit and Power the Apostles had And such leads People into Sects and Heaps and leads People out of the Spirit and persecutes one another about their Worships which is not the Way of Truth nor the Command of Christ but on the contrary to love one another So all that Worship in the Spirit and Truth comes to the Spirit and Truth in their own Hearts and loves one another and loves Enemies And so as the outward Jews Priests had Chambers in the Temple which Priests Chambers and Temple Christ hath ended So let Christ Jesus now have a Chamber in your Temple to sanctifie your Temple and cleanse your Temple that the Glory of the Lord may fill your Temple The Jews Priests were to cleanse the Temple and when they had cast the Rubbish out of it the Glory of the Lord filled their Temple And so Christ as I said before hath ended the Jews Priests Chambers and Temple And so all ye who are Jews inward in the Spirit let Christ your Priest have a Chamber in your Temple that he may cleanse your Temple and cast the Rubbish out of it which is come in by Transgression who doth renew you up into the Image of God as Adam and Eve were in before they fell so that the Glory of the Lord may fill your Temple And so as the
whom we preach warning every Man that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus So the Perfection is in Christ Jesus the Imperfection is in old Adam So this is the true Hope that purifies which every one that hath it purifies himself even as he is Pure And every one that hath not a Possession of this Hope pleads for Impurity and Imperfection and a Body of Sin and a Body of Death unto their Grave and a Purgatory when they are dead Such have a Profession of the Scriptures like the Pharisees and the Hypocrites Hope which shall perish And the true Faith hath been lost since the Apostles Days the true Faith which purifies the Heart which is the Faith of God's Elect which Faith gives Victory over that which separates from God in which Faith ye all please God which Faith is the Gift of God and Christ is the Author of it every one look unto him for it for the finishing of it who is the Author of it In this Faith have all the Saints Vnity in that which gives Victory over the Devil for by the Faith which is the Shield do they resist him and quench his fiery Darts and they resist him that would defile them and make them imperfect and lead them into those things which would displease God And all that be out of this Faith they cry No Victory while we be upon the Earth but they must have a Body of Sin unto the Grave and a Purgatory to cleanse them in these be all in the Error concerning the Faith these have made Shipwreck of Faith and a good Conscience these are all in the dead Faith and so cannot preach the true and Living Faith of God's Elect These are all out of Vnity for the Vnity is in the Faith which gives Victory over the Devil These be out of the just Life which Just lives by his Faith The Life that I now live is by the Faith of the Son of God yet it is not I but Christ that lives in me said the Apostle And all that walks in the Faith of God's Elect which is the Victory over the Devil they walk in Vnity over the Enmity And the true Worship hath been lost smce the Apostles Days yea the Worship that Christ set up above Sixteen hundred Years since in the Spirit and in the Truth yea in the Spirit of God which was before the Spirit of the Devil was who is out of Truth and in the Truth which the Devil is out of In this Spirit and in this Truth God who is a Spirit and the God of Truth seeks that Men should worship him in the Truth and so every Man and Woman must come to Truth in the inward Parts and to the Spirit of God within themselves if they be Worshippers of God in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil abode not in And this is the standing and perfect Worship in which there is Vnity in the Truth for the Enmity is out of it and he cannot get into it Glory be to God for ever And Men that are erred from the Worship that Christ set up above Sixteen hundred Years since they are from the Truth within and the Spirit of God And by that unclean Spirit they have worshipped Images they have worshipped the Works of their own Hands they have worshipped the Dragon they have worshipped the Beast they have worshipped the Creature they have worshipped Angels persecuted one another about their Worships and they have persecuted the true Worshippers These are in the Blind Zeal who have hated the Light And so none can worship God who is a Spirit but they must come to the Truth in their inward Parts and to the Spirit of God in themselves by which Spirit they must know God to be a Spirit and to worship him in the Spirit They must know God to be the God of Truth and then worship him in the Truth which the Devil is out of in the Enmity an Adversary And this is the standing perfect infallible Worship that Christ Jesus the perfect infallible Man set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since And the true Way is lost since the Apostles Days which Christ set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since who said I am the Way to the Father and no Man cometh to the Father but by me So no one comes out of Old Adam but by Christ the Second Adam No one comes out of Darkness but by Christ the Light no one comes out of Death and from under the Prince of Death the Power of it but by Christ the Life So he is the Way to God No one comes out of Vnrighteousness but by Christ the Righteousness no one comes out of the Wisdom below but by Christ who is the Wisdom of God which is from above And no one comes out of Error and Evil but by Christ the Truth So he is the Door and the Way to God Almighty And no Man comes to the Father but by him No one comes out of Captivity or Prison but by Christ the heavenly Man And so they having erred from Christ the Way they have set up so many Ways in Christendom among them and fall out about their Ways one with another Enmity being among them Now Christ is the Way which the Unclean cannot walk in who was before the unclean Way was for he is over all the unclean and he is over all the perverse and crooked Ways and Mountainous Ways and evil and unrighteous and ungodly Ways he is over them all And none comes to this New and Living Way Christ Jesus but who come to the Grace of God in their Hearts the Spirit of God in their Hearts So he is the New and the Living Way who is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending set up from Everlasting to Everlasting And all that be out of this New and Living Way though they have all the Scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the Revelations yet they are dead and under the Power of Death which Christ the Way destroys through Death yea the Power of Death the Devil and was before Death and his Power was Here is the New and the Living Way And the true Religion hath been lost and erred from since the Apostles days The Religion that is pure from above and undefiled before God which keeps from the spots of the World which is to visit the Widows and the Fatherless Now they that are out of this Religion have made many Religions but they are spotted and defiled and they cry up a Body of Death and Sin and Imperfection to the Grave and a Purgatory when they are Dead And their Widows and their Fatherless and Strangers go begging up and down their Streets and High-ways so their Steets and High-ways are Judges against them and their Bodies of Death and their Purgatories manifests their Errors and Ignorance from this pure Religion that comes down from above which is not of Man's making but comes down from God which
is Pure before God and undefiled in his Sight that keeps from the Spots of the World Mark the Spots And these do not cry up a Body of Death nor a Purgatory when they are dead they are kept from the Spots of this World So they are far degenerated from this pure Religion from above which is undefiled before God which keeps from the Spots of this World and leads to visit the Fatherless Widows and Strangers whose Religion is that they must have a Body of Sin and Death unto the Grave and a Purgatory when they are dead And their Fatherless and Widows and Strangers must go a begging in the Streets All these Religions are from below and of their own making and not from above but of him that is out of Truth And all they that come to this pure Religion that is from above and comes to receive it it must be by the Spirit of God within and the Light of Christ within and his Grace within and his Faith within And the Image of God in them hath been lost since the Apostles days that Man and Woman was renewed into by Christ and therefore they have set up so many Inventions of their own Brain and outward Images and Likenesses and worship them for Man and Woman was in the Image of God before they fell And when they fell from the Image of God they set up many Images of God and Man and other Creatures of things in Heaven and things in Earth And when Christ came he renewed Man into the Image of God again and into his Likeness but since the Apostles days have they lost this Image of God and this Likeness and made a profession of Christ and the Apostles words as the Jews did of the Law and worshipped the Works of their own Hands and Images But now is Christ renewing Man again into the Image of God as they were in the Apostles days yea also I say as Adam and Eve were in before they fell Yea and in this Image of God they will reign over all Images and Image-makers either with hand or brain for they have made those Images and Likenesses by the Evil Spirit that is out of Truth which the Spirit of Truth leads out of and above them and from their works Glory to God for ever for his Image and his Likeness is led into by Christ Jesus and into Adam and Eve's State before they fell and not only into that State but into Christ Jesus that never fell And the true Praying hath been lost since the Apostles days for none can pray truly but by the Spirit of God unto God who is a Spirit or unto Christ who is a Quickning Spirit And all they that have erred from the Spirit cannot abide to hear talk of it and yet may have the Scripture from Genesis to the Revelations and make Prayers and say them over and give them to others to say over and so Pray by the Book and that must help his Infirmity and so have erred from the Spirit and from the true Doctrine of the Apostles who said The Spirit must help their Infirmities and they must pray in the Spirit So all that grieves and vexes and quenches the Spirit of God cannot pray in it to God who is a Spirit But they think to be heard by their much Babbling and asks and prays but do not receive and every one must come to the Spirit of God in themselves and to the Light and to the Faith that purifies his Heart and to the Spirit of Grace and Supplication and by this his Mind is to be turned towards Christ who prays to God and asks in the Name of Jesus and in the Power and Light and Spirit of Christ And the true Fellowship hath been lost and Sanctification and Belief and the Righteousness since the Apostles days For many have had the letter but lost the Life the Notion but lost the Possession the Profession but lost the Substance Christ Jesus but the true Fellowship is in the Gospel the Power of God which was before the Devil was and since Men lost this Power of God they have not known the Scriptures aright but they have set up Fellowships by that Spirit which is of him that is out of the Truth that have destroyed one another and persecuted them which are in the Power of God which is the Gospel which was before the Devil and all the Fellowships in old Adam was and will be when they are all gone Now the Gospel-Fellowship is a perfect Fellowship a pure and an holy Fellowship it is an everlasting Fellowship for the Power of God is everlasting it is over the Jews Fellowship in the outward things and the Gentiles invented Fellowships and the Fellowships of Bread Water and Wine for these are no Mysteries the World's Fellowship is no Mystery the Fellowship of Bread Water and Wine is no Mystery but the Gospel-Fellowship is a Mystery and none sees it but who comes to the Light of Christ and to the Truth in the inward parts For this is a standing Fellowship the Gospel the Power of God and all Fellowships out of it are imperfect and corrupt where the Body of Death and Sin and their Purgatory is pleaded for which Fellowships below Men make and are of Men and from Men but the Gospel is not of Men nor by Men but of God and from Christ So this Fellowship is the Church-Fellowship that is in God and it is a pure Fellowship the Gospel-Fellowship is which Gospel brings Life and Immortality to Light and expels away all that which darkens and burdens and loads the Soul Mind Spirit and Heart So this is Glad-Tidings to the Immortal Soul which comes by the Immortal Power up to the Immortal God where Life and Immortality comes to Light and to shine over him that hath darkened it Here is liberty to the Immortal Soul Mind and Spirit in the Gospel the Power of God which is the Gospel-Fellowship which is a Mystery but Bondage and Darkness to the other so Life and Immortality is hid from all them that makes Fellowships below and have their Fellowships by Men and of Men who are out of the Power of God the Gospel and makes Fellowships of old Authors and makes Fellowships of the Scriptures But being erred from the Spirit they know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God and there they are in Strife and Enmity in their Fellowships and falling-out about their Bread and Wine some taking it one way some another and falling-out about their handy Works and plucking People from one another to themselves and not to Christ nor his Gospel-Fellowship that came not by Men neither was it of Man So they that deny Revelation cannot preach Christ until he be revealed nor cannot preach the Gospel until it be revealed And they that say Revelations are ceased they may as well say there is no Gospel and so have no Christ to preach and are only Ministers of the Letter neither have
they the Secrets of God to preach which are revealed to them that fear him And that is the Spirit of Darkness from the Prince of Darkness that is out of the Fellowship of the Gospel where is Enmity which speaks it self sufficiently abroad among all their Fellowships and into this Fellowship of the Gospel the Power of God which was before the Devil was he cannot get And the Righteousness hath been lost since the Apostles days therefore People have been found in their own Self-Righteousness and Vnrighteousness and therefore they are all found out of Peace with God and with Christ and one with another for where there is Righteousness there is Peace And Sanctification hath been lost since the Apostles days therefore both Teachers and Hearers are found in Vncleanness and preach up the Body of Death and Sin and a Purgatory and so have forsaken him that should sanctifie them and make them clean And the Sanctifying Belief hath been lost since the Apostles days for he that Believes is born of God and he that Believes in the Light may become a Child of the Light every one that cometh into the World are enlightned by Christ that they should believe in the Light as he commands them and so become Children of the Light and he that believes overcomes the World And if there be no overcoming on this side of the Grave as the World's Preachers made of Men say then there is no true Believing on this side of the Grave and therefore the World is not overcome in them and he that is their God is of the World also For he that believes overcomes the World for greater is he that is in you than he that is in the World So this greater overcomes the less and he that Believes passes from Death and Sin that brings Death and the Devil the Power of Death So becomes a Child of Light and of the Day and of the Light which was before Darkness was or the Prince of it for this is the Belief that overcomes the World that sanctifies the Unbelieving Husband and the Unbelieving Wife else their Childeen were unholy but now they are clean 1 Cor. 7.14 For this Belief is greater than he that is of the World which overcomes him that would defile for this Belief in Christ which passes from Death to Life it takes away the root of Sin and Iniquity which is complained of in the Scriptures which they were born in though they had the Law which made nothing perfect which took hold of their outward Actions or Branches but this Belief makes the Root holy and if the Root be holy the Branches that springs from the Root will be holy also And all you that preach up a Body of Sin and Iniquity and that you must have a Body of Sin and Death unto the Grave and a Purgatory when you are Dead Neither Man nor Woman of you do believe aright for the Believing Wife sanctifies the Unbelieving Husband and the Believing Husband sanctifies the Unbelieving Wife else their Children were unclean but now they are holy So from this Sanctifying Belief you are all erred since the Apostles days But have made Beliefs and Creeds of your own and then say there is no overcoming on this side of the Grave you may as well say there is no true Belief G. F. An Exhortation to keep to the Ancient Principles of Truth FRiends Epist 263. Keep at a word in all your Dealings without Oppression And keep to the sound Language Thou to every one And keep your Testimony against the World's vain Fashions And keep your Testimony against the Hireling Priests and their Tithes and Maintenance And against the old Mass-houses and the repairing of them And against the Priests and the World 's joyning in Marriages And your Testimony against Swearing and the World 's corrupt Manners And against all Loosness Pleasures and Prophaness whatsoever And against all the World 's evil Ways vain Worships and Religions and to stand up for God's And to see that restiution be made by every one that hath done wrong to any And that all Differences be made up speedily that they do not fly abroad to corrupt Peoples Minds And that all Reports be stop'd that tend to the defaming one another And Friends Live all in the Power of the Lord God and in his Truth Light and Life that with it you may all with one Heart Soul and Mind keep Dominion and in the Light Life Truth and Power of God do true judgment Justice and Truth Righteousness and Equity in all your Men and Women's Meetings without favour or affection to Relations Kingdreds and Acquaintance or any Respect of Persons for if you do not so Judgment will come upon you from God to put you down from your Places For the Power of God Light Life and Truth respects not any but Justice Truth Righteousness and Equity c. Let Mercy overshadow the judgment Seat and let Mercy be mixt with Judgment Take heed of Foolish Pity and if you be not diligent against all Prophaness Sin Iniquity and Vncleanness Loosness and Debauchery and that which dishonoureth God then you let those things come up upon you which you should be a-top of and subdue and keep down with Righteousness and the Truth and the Power of God And in all your Men and Women's Meetings let all things be done in Love which doth edifie the Body and let nothing be done in Strife and vain Glory but keep in the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace And let all things be done in the Wisdom of God which is pure and gentle from above above the Earthly which is below sensual and devilish And take heed of hurting any concerning Marriages if the thing be right through any earthly Reasoning lest they do worse And so all be diligent for the Lord God and his Truth upon the Earth and the Inheritance of a Life that hath no end that you may live in that Seed that is blessed for evermore And be diligent in all your Meetings and see to the setting forth of Apprentices all Fatherless and poor Friends Children and that all the poor Widows be carefully look'd after that nothing may be lacking among you then all will be well And keep your Testimony against all the filthy Raggs of the old World and for your fine Linnen the Righteousness of Christ Jesus And keep your Testimony for your Liberty in Christ Jesus and stand fast in it against all the false Liberties in old Adam and your Liberty in the Spirit of God and in the Gospel of Christ Jesus against all the false and loose Liberties in the Flesh And train up all your Children in the Fear of the Lord and in his New Covenant Christ Jesus as the Jews did their Children and Servants in the old Covenant and so do you admonish your Children and Servants And let no Man or any live to themselves but in that Love that seeks not her own And
Church as the Apostle instanceth in Ephesians And therefore they were not to be unequally yoked Believers with Vnbelievers The Law of God did forbid it they were not to give their Sons and Daughters to the Heathen or marry with them for it grieved the Lord in the Old World and brought Destruction upon those bad Marriages When the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men were fair and they took them Wives of all which they chose who corrupted the Earth and filled it with Violence Yet the Holy Men of God their Marriages were never judged of God in the Old World Neither Seth's Lamech's nor Mahalaleel nor Methusalah nor Noah nor Abraham Isaac nor Jacob and so none before the Law nor none in the Law nor in the time of the Gospel their Marriages were not judged by the Lord who walked in the Power and Spirit of the Lord and knew God's Joyning who brings the Man and Woman together but such as mingled with the Heathen and Vnbelievers and followed strange Flesh they went from the Spirit the lost the Sonship through such the Earth was corrupted and filled with Violence and such could not know God's Joyning who went from the Spirit and from the Law and Gospel and such are mingled among Heathens and Vnbelievers and follow strange Flesh and corrupts their own who go from the Spirit by which they have been sanctified and led into the Sonship And such as Marry with Vnbelievers and Heathen they go contrary to the Law of God and grieves him and their Righteous Parents So Marriage is God's Holy Ordinance and Christ that comes to restore all things again into their place he saith Whom God joyns together let no Man put asunder And brings it to the beginning again how God made them Male and Female So in the Restauration inther Image of God and Sanctification they are brought to the joyning one Male with one Famale again not for one Man to have many Women at once God did not make many for him but in the Fall from the Righteousness of God and his Image there they run together like Beasts a Man and many Women There Men joyn and put asunder but in the beginning it was not so saith Christ the Heavenly Men the Second Adam for God made them Male and Female and whom he joyns together let no Man put asunder And so God joyns with his Spirit and Power for he is a Spirit and this is a heavenly and spiritual Joyning and them that God joyns they do not follow strange Flesh but the Spirit of God and such a Marriage is sanctified by the Spirit and by the Lord and such knows his Heavenly Ordinance And this is the Marriage Christ owns and sets up and encourages who is the Covenant and the Quickning Spirit And so God who is a Spirit joyns with his Spirit Power and Light this joying is in the Covenant of God all such Marriages are honourable in all things for their Bed is nt defiled but where the Bed is defiled that Marriage is not Honourable And all that forbid Marriage are in the Doctrines of Devils and they that are in the Doctrine of Devils are out of Truth who destroys the Creation and destroys some one way and some another that are under his Power and Command from Truth but they that obey the Truth and obey Christ and obeys God they are over him and his Doctrine and the defiled Bed and strange Flesh and the Spirit gives them an Vnderstanding to know God and his joyning by his Spirit who is blessed for ever Now if any should say That Adam took his Wife alone and so run into the Works of Darkness and go together in the Dark contrary to the Righteous Seed and Holy Generation Such are judged by the Holy Seed and by them in the Holy Life and Law of God and with the Light of Christ Jesus condemned And as for Adam taking his Wife alone that was before there was any Witnesses But there was a Form of Words betwixt them before they went together or he knew her as followeth viz. And when the Lord God brought the Woman to Adam Adam said to the Lord This is Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man and they shall be one Flesh But this Form of Words of Adam's and his doing is nothing to them that are Workers of Darkness and run together in the Dark For after the Earth was peopled you may read how the Generations of the Righteous did take one another in the Assemblies of the Righteous and it was Recorded before Witnesses So all such as Marry by the Priests or Marry by the World that are Vnbelievers do go from God's Power and Spirit and his joyning and do break the Law of God in their Marriages who forbad to joyn with Vnbelievers And therefore with the Light of Christ Jesus are such judged and condemned and must come through Condemnation and Judgment For the right joyning in Marriage is the Work of the Lord only Right joyning in Marriage is the Work of the Lord and not the Priests or Magistrates for it is God's Ordinance and not Man's And therefore Friends cannot consent that they should joyn them together For we Marry none it 's the Lord's Work and we are but Witnesses But yet if a Friend through tenderness have a desire that the Magistrate should know it after the Marriage is performed in a publick Meeting of Friends and others according to the holy Order and Practice of Friends in Truth throughout the World and according to the manner of the Holy Men and Women of God of old he may go and carry a Copy of the Certificate to the Magistrate Friends are left to their Freedom herein But for Priests or Magistrates to Marry or joyn any in that Relation it 's not according to the Scripture and our Testimony and Practice hath been always against it It was God's Work before the Fall and it is God's Work only in the Restauration Let not any go disorderly together in Marriage contrary to the Practice of the Holy Men of God who declared it in the Assemblies of the Righteous Twelve or more faithful Friends Relations to be present at Friends Marriage when they took one another all things being clear and they both being free from any other in respect to Marriage And when any take one another in Marriage let there not be less than a dozen Friends and Relations present according to your former Order having first acquainted the Men's Meeting and that they have Clearness and Unity with them and then it may be Recorded in a Book And if any walk contrary to the order of Truth herein let some be appointed to speak to them and give notice thereof to the next Meeting And all that are Widdows who have Children and do intend to Marry All Widdows to set out a proportionable part for her first Husbands Children before
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
God how soon they forgot him as in the Days of the old World and in the Days of Moses and in the Days of the Judges how they soon forgot God that had done great things for them and for sook God and his Way and Religion and Worship and followed such Gods as Men had made And in the Days of the Prophets how the People forsook the Lord God and in the Days of Christ and his Apostles how they were mostly gone astray from God though they kept an outward Profession of their Words yet denied Christ in his Light and Life and Power who was the End of the Law and the Prophets Many of old Time forsock the Truth and ran into Error And them that did receive Christ Jesus and believed in him in a few Ages after the Apostles how most of Christendom ran from the Life into Death and ran from the Light into Darkness and into Error from the Holy Sprit and into Babylon which is Confusion and from the Worship in the Spirit and in the Turth that Christ set up and follwed after the Worship of the Beast and the Dragon and went from the true Church after the Whore and from Christ the Way to God after the Ways that Men had made and from the Religion that is Pure from above after the Religions that Men have made And so now the Gospel is preached again Now the Gospel is preached again and the Living Way Christ to the Living God and his Religion and his Worship is set up and received of many and they come to the true Worship which is in God And all be Faithful All be faitbful and take heed of running back again where you were before lest you and your Children perish as others have done that forsook the Lord God for Mercies And therefore train up your Children in the Fear of God and in the Way of Christ and in his Worship and Religion that they may observe and keep in it when you are gone And walk in the Spirit and Truth And walk in the Spirit and keep in the Order of the Gospel in which God is worshipped and keep in the Order of the Gospel in the Power of God which was before the Devil was which Power of God will keep you Pure to God that nothing may get betwixt you and the Lord God And be obedient to the Law that God hath written in your Hearts and put in your Minds that you may be the Children of the New Covenant and that you may be the Royal Priesthood offering up to God the Spiritual Sacrifices And sitting under your Teacher the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation and seasoneth your Words and establisheth your Hearts And this Grace saveth and is sufficient saith God Almighty And you need no Man to teach you but as the same Anointing doth teach you to know all things which Anointing abideth in you And hearken all what the Righteosness of Faith saith speaking on this wise Rom. 10.6 7 8. The Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and in thy Mouth to obey it and do it That thou need not say Who shall ascend to bring Christ from above or descend to bring Christ from the Grace c. for that is the Word of Faith which we do Preach G. F. To Friends in Carolina DEar Friends to whom is my Love in the blessed Seed Epist 288. which bruiseth the Head of the Serpent and is over all and changeth not which is the First and Last in whom you have Life and Peace with the God of Peace So you few that are that ways keep your Meetings Keep your Meetings in the Name of Jesus and meet together in the Name of Jesus whose Name is above every Name and Gathering is above every Gathering and there is no Salvation in any other Name but by the Name of Jesus and you Gathering in his Name where Salvation is he is your Prophet your Shepherd your Bishop your Priest in the midst of you to open to you and to santifie you and to feed you with Life and to quicken you with Life wait in his Power and Light that ye may be Children of the Light by believing in the Light which is the Life in Christ that you may be grafted into him the true Root and built upon him the true Foundation Who is the Foundation of his People who was the Foundation of the holy Prophets and Apostles and of all the holy Martyrs and is the Foundation of all his holy People now and is the Rock of Ages yea of the Ages of the Prophets and of the Ages of his Apostles and of the Ages of his People now and Martyrs who kept them above the Raging of the Seas and doth now which Rock the Wise Men builds upon the Rock that stands against all the Storms and Tempestuous Weather And therefore be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and his good Spirit and live in it by which you may profit in the things of God through which ye may answer the Witness of God in all and the Spirit which they grieve and quench which they are erred from through which he may be served and his Truth spread abroad So every one in your Measoures of the Spirit of God and Christ be faithful that in it you may increase and answer the Lord in a good Life and Conversation for all his Mercies And as every one hath received the Lord Jesus Christ so walk in him that you may serve the Lord in a New Life and worship him in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of and by this Truth you may be made free by whith ye may be espoused and married to Christ Jesus for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and coming And therefore if you want Wisdom keep in the Truth that you may go to the Treasure of Life and of Salvation that you may be Heirs of the same and of Life and Possessors of it Yea I say Heirs of Life and Inherit that and that will be more to you than if all the World was your Portion and the Riches you lay up there will stand buy and be with uyou when time is gone and shall be no more For the Truth is the Truth and changeth not in which live and it will be your Peace and Joy everlasting And in the Seed Christ Jesus who bruises the Serpent's Head who was before the Devil was glorified with the Father before the World began and was from Ecverlasting to Everlasting the First and Last the Top and Corner-Stone in him live that you may inherit Life Everlasting and dwell in the Love of God in Christ Jesus that will edifie and build one another up and therein walk in all Holiness of Life and Conversation for that becomes God's House and dwell and live and walk in the Peaceable Truth that keeps you in Peace and in the Holy Fellowship of the Spirit the Bond of Peace by which
causeth People to err but there is but one Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth and this is the one Spirit that led the Prophets and Apostles to give forth the Scriptures and all the Instructers that are out of it causeth People to err from the Spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in and so are in Confusion And there is one Leader One Leader Jesus Christ Christ Jesus that God hath given and all that are not led by him are led into the Ditch the corrupting place and they tell them there is no Perfection here and all the Learned in Babel's confused Tongues who have the Letter of the Scriptures yet following their own Spirits seeth not and the Divination of their own Brains and using their Tongues such buildeth up Babylon again who are not in the Spirit the Prophets and Apostles were in and know not the Tongue of the Learned nor the Scriptures of Christ and the Prophets and the Apostles but they are as a sealed up Book to them and therefore they are Raging and Contending about the meanings of them teaching their People by their Example to do the same G. F. MY Dear Friends Epist 307. who feels the precious Truth of God by which you are made God's Freemen and Women and have bought the Truth To be fruitful in good Works do not sell it for Dross or Dung but be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth you who have received God's Seed into the good Ground that in this Life some bring forth Fifty Sixty and a Hundred fold of Fruit from God's Seed to his Glory and that have received the Anointing Oil in your Lamps from the Holy One that they may burn and shine both Night and Day in your Tabernacles through which you may be lighted into the Bridegroom's Chamber and the Power of God has always been your Keeper and will be unto the Day of Salvation which Power of God is over all yea over the Power of the Devil the Waster and Destroyer who makes the World like a Wilderness and fills it with Vnrighteousness Death Darkness and Cruelty Therefore let your Faith stand in the Power of God which the Kingdom stands in which is a Cross to the World's Power that causes Persecution which Power of God is the Gospel which was before the Devil was that brought Death and Darkness into you this Power of God brings Life and Immortality to Light in you by which Power you see over him that has darkned you and before he was And you that are Heirs of this Gospel keep the holy and heavenly Order of it by which Power of God you come to digg and has found the Pearl in your own Field of great Price by which Power of God you come to sell all and to purchase the Field then you have Riches enough And have Salt in your selves that you may savour withal and that your Salt lose not its savour through which you may be kept from under the Feet of Men though they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and it is not only given you to believe in Christ but to suffer for his Name whose Name is above every Name and there is no Salvation by no other Name under Heaven but by the Name of Jesus The Name of Jesus a strong Tower whose Name is a strong Tower and the Righteous flee unto it and are safe by whose Name and Power that is over all you have been upheld through all your Tribulations Sufferings Imprisonments spoiling of Goods And Christ Jesus and his Power is the same to day as he was yesterday and so for ever And therefore as I said before let your Faith stand in his Power for Christ's Kingdom stands not in Word but in Power and in Righteousness and in Joy in the Holy Ghost whose Kingdom is an Everlasting Kingdom and the Riches in it is Everlasting Blessed are all they that are Heirs and Possessors of this their Minds and Hearts are kept over all fading things and the Riches that has Wings that the Spoiler may spoil And therefore Consider all the Faithful before you The excellency of the knowledg of Christ how they Accounted all but as loss dross and dung to the excellency of the Knowledge that they had in Christ Jesus and Consider likewise the Faith of the Martyrs the Faith of the Apostles and Primitive Christians that kept the Faith and Testimony of Jesus their Patience was seen And likewise Consider all the Prophets of God to Enoch how their Faithfulness is made manifest and all the rest how they were tried by Persecutors by Prisons and by spoiling of their Earthly Goods and Riches but never of the Heavenly Goods and Riches for there the Thief and Spoiler could not come And therefore mind that Noble Seed that never bowed to Sin and Iniquity nor the Devil but bruises his Head and destroys him and his Works that ye may all be Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone who is your heavenly Food and Bread that comes down from Heaven through whom you may eat and live by him as he lives by the Father and so by eating this heavenly Bread that comes down from Heaven you may have Everlasting Life The Lord may try you by Persecution or spoiling your outward Goods which he has given you by permitting the Spoilers and Persecutors come to try you that you may come forth like Gold seven times tried in the Fire the Perfection of trial for many are the Troubles of the Righteous but the Lord will deliver out of them all and happy are they that are tried Above all Earthly Riches that they may come forth more purer than Gold And let none sell their Birth-right for a Mess of Pottage and a Piece of Bread Esau-like And let let none have their Eyes wander after their carrying away the Fleece nor look back at Sodom's Judgments for the Earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof and he can make the Fleece grow again And therefore consider the Riches of Job and the Poverty of Job and how his Friends despised him in his Poverty and how they were reproved and God encreased his Prosperity and lenghthened his Tranquility And as Daniel's Windows were open towards outward Jerusalem in the time of the Informers when he pray'd to his God as he did before in the time when they were not And therefore should not all your Windows and Doors be open towards heavenly Jerusalem your Mother that God may come in and help you against the false Mother and her Children And therefore keep your Meetings in the time of Sufferings as you did before and preach the Word in season and out of season the Word I say that commands the Clouds and Storms and was before they were And therefore blessed are those Eyes that sees the Sun of Righteousness that never sets the Sun of Righteousness that changes not for the Prophet speaks of a Sun and
so that his Name may be glorified and he honoured in your bringing forth much heavenly Spiritual Fruit from the heavenly Seed that Christ the heavenly Seeds-Man hath sown in your Hearts that so an Hundred fold of Holiness Righteousness Godliness Vertue and Piety from this heavenly Seed you may bring forth and increase in this Life-time and in the World to come reap Life Everlasting And give no occasion to your Adversaries neither in your Lives nor Words but that you may all serve God in the New Life shewing forth that you are new Men and that you are renewed in the Image of God and that you are born again of the Immortal heavenly Seed by the eternal Everlasting Word that lives and abides and endures for ever And that you do feed upon the heavenly Milk and Bread from above and that your Conversation is in Heaven and that you are cloathed with the fine heavenly Linnen which is the Righteousness of Saints which is Christ's the Heavenly and Spiritual Man's Livery by which his Servants are known by his Badge of Righteousness and distinguished from all the Servants of Old Adam Egypt Sodom and Babylon with their Badge of Vnrighteousness And so be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth And be valiant for the Truth c. and spread it abroad preach Christ and his Kingdom his Light his Grace his Truth to Men that all should walk in it and his dreadful Day upon all the Talkers of God Christ his Prophets and Apostles Words that do not walk in the same Power Spirit and Life Grace and Truth as they walked in I say Preach this to the Magistrates and amongst the Heathen-men and shew your seles to be quickned by Christ who have been dead in Sins and Trespasses but that you are now made alive by him and so shew forth his Light Life and Truth and that you are awakened to Righteousness and therefore shew it forth to them that are asleep in the Vnrighteousness So that the Lord's Glory and righteous Power Truth Light and Life may flow over all to his Glory over all for ever Amen And much I could write to you concerning these things but I have not been very well but blessEd be the Lord God his Everlasting Seed is over all which reigns from Everlasting to Everlasting and my Life is in it And therefore stand and live in the Lord's Name and Power which is against all manner of Vnrighteousness and in the Light which is against Darkness and all the Works thereof and in the Life which is against Death and over Death and all the Actors of it and in the Truth that is over all Evil and against all the Doers thereof within and without And so that in the Light Life Power and Truth of God and in his Holy Spirit you may live in Fellowship and in the Vnity of the Spirit which is your Bond of Peace yea even of the Prince of Princes Peace which the World cannot take away from you Swarthmore the 5th of the 9th Month. G. F. An Encouragement to all the Faithful Womens-Meetings in the WORLD who assemble together in the Fear of God for the Service of the Truth Wherein they may see how the Holy Men encouraged the Holy Women both in the Time of the Law and in the Time of the Gospel though Selfish and Vnholy Men may seek to Discourage them But go on in the Name and Power of Christ and Prosper FRiends Epist 320. You may read in the old World how one FAmily after another till Noah's time served the Lord God And then from Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob and their Wives and after Moses and Aaron had brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and that they were come to be a great People Moses said I would all the Lord's People were Prophets Numb 11.29 And when a young Man said unto Moses Eldad and Medad do Prophesie in the Camp Moses desired that all the Lord's People were Prophets and he would have had Moses to forbid them But Moses ansered and said unto him again Would to God all the Lord's People were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them So Moses here who was Captain Governour and Judge over Israel was far from restraining any from Prophesying in the Camp but reproved his Envy that would have had him forbid them and did moreover encourage them by saying I would to God all the Lord's People were Prophets And surely all the Lord's People are made up of both Men and Women And the Lord having given his Law to the Children of Israel which was Holy Just and Good the Lord said I have poured out my Spirit upon the House of Israel So that by this Spirit they might understand his Law which was Spiritual Ezek. 39.29 Now in the time of the Law there were the Assemblies of the Women for all the Women that were wise of Hearth did work with their Hands about those holy Things which God had commanded And all the Women those Hearts stirred them up in Wisdom Assemblies of the Women under the Law these Women wrought about those holy Things that belonged to the Tabernacle and Sanctuary as you may see in Exod. 35. And likewise the Assemblies of the Women in the 38th Chap. and of the Womens assEmbling at the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and in the Margent it 's said They assembled by Troops Now here you may see That the Women were in the Work and Service of God as well as the Men and they had their Assemblies For God had poured out of his Spirit upon the House of Israel to give them an Understanding both Men and Women to do that and make those things which God had commanded which were called holy things which were but Figares and Shadows of the Substance Christ Jesus the Holy One. Now Moses and Aaron and the Seventy Elders did not say to those Assemblies of the Women We can do our Work our selves and you are more fitter to be at home to wash the Dishes or such-like Expressions but they did encourage them in Work and Sevice of God in those things which God had commanded them in the time of the Law For God having pured his Spirit upon the House of Israel God give his Spirit to the House of Israel under the Law to give them an Understading to do those things which God had commanded them by which Spirit their Hearts were stirred up to do God's Work both Males and Females And in the time of the Law the Women were to offer up Sacrifices and Offerings as well as the Men upon God's Altar as you may see Hannah when she brought Samuel and offered him up to the Lord she brought him to the House of the Lord in Shiloh and when she brought him she took up with her three Bullocks besides Flower and Wine So see how she paid her Vows to the Lord and offered up her Sacrifices upon God's
out of the Unity which Teaching is forbidden both by Law and Gospel and they are not fit to Teach if they have not learn'd Subjection to the Spirit of God and know the Silence of all Flesh before the Lord and have not learn'd to adorn themselves with that which is modest and the Lesson of Sobriety whith becomes Godliness and with the good Works the Fruits of the Spirit And such Women as have learn'd this Lesson may Teach and Prophesie for the Spirit is poured upon them to that End And the same Apostle saith Elder Women Nurses Mothers Teachers c. in the Church of Christ 1 Tim. 5. That the Women should be as Mothers and a Mother is a Nurser and a Teacher and Instructer of her Children and the younger Women as Sisters with all Purity and Sisters in Christ and in Purity all have but one Father and a Sister is in the Vnity in the Spirit in the Gospel 1 Tim. 5. And if any Woman that believes have widows let them relieve them So here was the Womans Work to relieve their Widows c. And again The Apostle writes to Titus and saith unto him Speak thou the things which become sound Doctrine c. The aged Women that they be of good behaviour as becometh Holiness not false Accusers not given to much Wine teachers of good things Now here they must be qualified before they can be Teachers of those good things And that these aged Women teach the younger Women first To be Sober secondly To love their Husbands thirdly To love their Children fourthly To be Discreet fifthly To be Chaste and keepers at home and Good Obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed Now here the aged Women not a Woman but the aged Women were to teach the younger Women these things And how could these Women be Teachers of all these Vertues and good Things if these Mothers and holy Woman did not meet togeter and converse together of Holiness and Vertue as in Tit. 2. And in 1 Pet. 3. Women to win Husbands by the Word and Conversation also he encourageth Wives and Women That if their Husbands will not be won by the Word they may without the Word be won by the chaste Conversation of the Wives whilst they behold your chaste Conversation saith he coupled with Fear and whose adorning saith he Let it not be that of the Outward with plaiting of the Hair or wearing of Gold or putting on costly Apparel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not Corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great Price And this he saith was the Ornament of the holy Women in the old time with which they adorned themselves who trusted in God as Sarch c. whose Daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any Amazement And likewise the Believing Husband and the Believing Wife are Heirs together of the Grace and Life And therefore the Believing Women being Heirs of Grace and Life as well as the Men they may impart of their Life which they do inherit as well as Men for an Heir of Life is beyond an Heir of the Earth And there is no Believing Husband will hinder his Believing Wife Men not to binder Wives from administring to the Necessity of the Poor c. being Heirs of Life to adiminister some of their temporal things to them that are in Necessity he will not have all the Earth to himself but let her have the disposing of some of it as well as himselfe whilst they do enjoy it and ministring of outward things is the least Love And Women many times know the Condition of poor Families and Widows and such as are in distress more than the Men because they are most conversant in their Families and about such things But there are many Idle Talkers and Busie Bodies that are out of the Sense and Service of God that will not do good themselves nor suffer others to do their Service of Love and Charity for the Lord in the Church And John writes in his Second Epistle unto the Elect Lady and her Chidlren whom I love in the Truth saith he and not I only Note John the Evang list sent his Epistle to a Woman but also all they that have known the Truth for the Truth 's sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever c. I rejoyce greatly says he that I have found they Children walking in the Truth And further saith I write no new Commandment unto thee but that which we had from the beginning that we love one another And so he trusts to come and see her and speak Face to Face unto her the Children of thy Elect Sister greet thee Amen The elect Lady and her elect Sister So was not this an honourable Woman that had trained up her Children in the Truth as was commanded by John And he admonished her against such as did transgress and did not abide in the Doctrine of Christ Jesus that they had not the Father nor the Son but they that did abide in the Doctrine of Christ Jesus had both the Father and the Son So is not this an Encouragement to all faithful Women to see that their Children do walk in the Truth and abide in the Doctrine of Christ that they may have both the Father and Son And farther Solomon saith A gracious Woman attains Honour The vertues of a gracious Woman and a vertuous Woman is a Crown to her Husband and every wise Woman buildeth her own House Surely then she hath a work to do he that hath Ears let him hear But the foolishe Woman plucketh it down with her Hands And there are too many of those that are in the Transgression of the Spirit and Power of God with which they must build But a Woman that feareth God she shall be praised give her of the Fruit of her hands and let her Works Praise her in the Gates And then surely she hath a work to do that must praise her in the Gates She stretcheth forth her hands to the Poor yea she reacheth forth her hands to the Needy Prov. 31. And must she not then have something of the Outward to do it withal She opens her Mouth in Wisdom and in her Tongue is the Law of Kingness She looks well to the Ways of her Houshold and eateth not the Bread of Idleness She is like the Merchant 's Shir she bringeth her Food from far she riseth also whilst it is Night and giveth Meat to her Houshold and Portions to her Maidens she considereth a Field and buyeth it with the Fruit of her hands she planteth a Vineyard she guirdeth her Loins with strength and strengtheneth her Arms she perceiveth that her Merchandize is good her Candle goeth not out by Night c. And here is an Example to all Women a
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
are in old Adam which they did and do dote after which the new Creatures in Christ Jesus the second Adam were not to taste touch nor handle for they did perish with the using And are not all the Will-worships and the Beasts and the Dragon's Worships of the old Creatures that be out of Christ bearing the Mark of the Beast in their Hand or Forehead And they that be in Christ which be new Creatures have their Father's Mark or Name in their Fore heads and worship the Holy Pure and Living God in Spirit and in Truth And it was the old Creatures that made Images and Idols and such make them now and worship them But they that are in Christ are new Creatures and are renewed up into the Image of God and worship him in his Holy Spirit and Truth that liveth for ever Amen And these cannot touch taste nor handle the old Creatures Images Idols Not to touch with the Rudiments of the World Doctrines Ordinances Traditions or Rudiments of the World which are the old Creatures in Old Adam which doth touth taste and handle them But the new Creature cannot who is in Christ the express Image of the Father and he maketh his new Creatures like himself Moses appointed Servants for God in the Law or Old Testament but Christ made Sons in the New Testament for as many as received Christ he gave them Power to become the Sons of God Swarthmore in Lancashire the 30th of the 11th Month 1678. G. F. To Friends in America concerning their Negroes and Indians ALL Friends Epist 335. every where that have Indians or Blacks You are to preach the Gospel to them The Gespel to be preacked to the Blacks Indians c. and other Servants if you be true Christians for the Gospel of Salvation was to be preached to every Creature under Heaven Christ commands it to his Disciples Go and teach all Nations baptizing them into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And this is the one Baptism with the Spirit into one Body which plunges down Sin and Corruption which hath gotten up by Disobedience and Transgression For all hath been plunged into Sin and Death from the Life for all died in Adam then they have been all subjected by the Evil Spirit which hath led them out of the Truth into the Evil and therefore they must all be baptized into the Death of Christ and put on Christ if they have Life And also you must preach the Grace of God to all Blacks and Indians which Grace brings Salvation that hath appeared unto all Men to teach and instruct them to live Godly Righteously and Soberly Which Grace of God is sufficient to teach and establish all true Christians that they may appear before the Throne of Grace And also you must teach and instruct Blacks and Indians and other Indians and Negroes directed to God's Spirit how that God doth pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh in these days of the New Covenant and New Testament and that none of them must quench the Motions of his Spirit nor grieve it nor vex it nor rebel against it nor err from it nor resist it but be led by his good Spirit to instruct them and with which they may profit in the things of God neither must they turn from his Grace into Wantonness nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace for it will teach them to live Soberly Godly and Righteously and season their Words And also you must instruct and teach your Indians and Negroes and all others how that Christ by the Grace of God Christ tasted Death for every Man and is the Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World tasted Death for every Man and gave himself a Ransom for all Men to be testified in due time and is the Propitiation not for the Sins of Christians only but for the Sins of the whole World And how that he doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World with his true Light which is the Life in Christ by whom the World was made And Christ who is the Light of the World saith Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light And they that do Evil and hate the Light which is the Life in Christ will not come to the Light because it will reprove them and love the Darkness more than the Light this Light is their Condemnation And so all must be turned from Darkness to Light to believe in the Light and from the Power of Satan to God and if they do not believe they will be reproved condemned and judged by Christ who hath all Power in Heaven and in Earth given unto him who will judge both the Quick and the Dead and reward every Man according to his Works whether they be good or evil And therefore you are to open the Promises of God to the Ignorant and how God would give Christ a Covenant a Light to the Gentiles Christ a Light to the Gentiles the Heathen and a New Covenant to the House of Israel and the House of Judah and that he is God's Salvation to the ends of the Earth and how that the Earth shall be covered with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waters covers the Sea so that the glorious Knowledge of the Lord should cover the Earth And the Lord said The Example of Abraham for the Instruction of Families He knew that Abraham would teach and instruct his Family that they should learn to keep his Laws and Statutes after he was gone and Abraham did Circumcise all his Males yea them that he had bought with his Money of any Stranger Now who are of Faith and walks in the steps of faithful Abraham doth preach up and instruct all their Families in the Circumcision of the Spirit that they might be Circumcised with the Spirit which puts off the Body of Death and the Sins of the Flesh that is come up in Man and Woman by Transgression so that in the Spirit they may serve and worship the true and living God and so that ye all may come to enjoy the Presence of the Lord in your Families and improve your Talents that Christ hath given unto you for David saith that saw Christ in his New Covenant Let all Nations Praise the Lord and again All that have Breath Praise the Lord again Let the Poor and Needy praise thy Name And let all People praise thee O God And O ye Servants of the Lord praise the Lord for the Lord is good to all and his tender Mercies is over all his Works And all thy Works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall bless thee they shall speak of thy Glory and of thy Kingdom and talk of thy Power For the Lord saith From the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my Name shall be great among the Gentiles And in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name and a pure Offering
this Immortal Word and so are of an Incorruptible Generation which is above the Corruptible and here is the hidden Man of the Heart that is Incorruptible known that hath an Everlasting Fellowship and hath an Incorruptible Crown and is an Heir of an Incorruptible Kingdom And now the God of this World and his Followers that abode not in the Truth in whom there is no Truth cannot endure to hear talk of the Order of Truth which is in the Light and Life and in the Gospel and in the Wisdom of the God of Truth For the World is full of Disorder and Confusion but the Living Eternal Immortal God of Truth is a God of Order and not of Confusion who hath sent his Son to destroy the Devil and his Works Blessings and Praises with all Glory and Thanks be unto him who hath all Power Might Majesty and Dominion now henceforth and for ever Amen G. F. DEar Friends Epist 357. All live the Life of the true Christians and not the Life of old Adam that went from God's Command and Voice nor like the Jews To live the Life of Christianity and such as have got the Name of Christians that say There is no hearing of God and Christ's Voice now which are out of the Life Power and Spirit Grace and Truth and Image of God that the true Christians were in and Adam and Eve before they fell so that none can live the Life of the true Christians and the holy Prophets and Apostles except they are in the same Power and Spirit Grace and Truth and Faith and Image that they were in which is a Life above the World and its God in whom there is no Truth no Life Light nor Power of the Living God abiding in them And therefore before any can live the Life of the Saints they must bow to the Name of Jesus their Saviour in his Light Grace and Truth and Power and Spirit which cometh from him who submitted himself to the shamesul Death of the Cross and destroyed Death and his Power who had no Sin nor Guile in his Mouth and is risen again for our Justification and so hath tasted Death for every Man and given himself a Ransom for all that all should now bow at his Name Jesus a Saviour and so to his Power and Authority bow who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him So all Men have bowed under Death and Sin by Transgression Christ submitted to the Cross and Death for us And Christ hath submitted to the Cross and Death for them and hath born their Stripes for Sin and Iniquity who had no Sin neither knew any to bring us out of Death and Sin Therefore every one must bow at the Name of Jesus as before whatsoever they do in Word or Deed it must be done in the Name of Jesus and before that they can confess to Jesus Christ to the Glory of God the Father they must all bow at the Name of Jesus and bow to his Grace and Truth Light Spirit and Power that cometh by Jesus which they know Him the Fountain the Rock and Foundation to build upon who brings out of Death and Darkness into Light and Life and a Kingdom and a World that is Everlasting and there to have Food and Cloathing that is Everlasting G. F. DEar Friends With my Love to you in the holy Peaceable Truth that never changes nor admits of no Evil Epist 358. but makes all free that receive it and tht walk in it To live in Truth which admits of no Evil. and is over all the Clouds without Rain and Wells without Water and Trees without Fruit And from the Truth floweth Justice Equity Righteousness and Godliness Mercy and Tenderness that brings a Man's Heart Mind Soul and Spirit to the Infinite and Incomprehensible God and from it a Love flows to all the Univerfal Creation and would have all to come to the Knowledge of the Truth and it bends every one to their utmost Ability to serve God and his Truth and to spread it abroad and it brings their Minds out of the Earth which makes them brittle and changeable and uncertain for it doth not change neither doth it touch with that which does change As to Vnity It makes all like it self that do obey it Vniversal to live out of narrowness and self and deny it So it brings all into Oneness and answereth the good Principle of God in all People and brings into Humility and the Fear of the Lord which is the beginning of his Wisdom and it brings all to have a care of God's Glory and his Honour and watches over all the Professors of it for their good to keep within its bounds and walk within its order which he that is out of Truth leads into all disorder in whom there is no Truth and the Truth makes all its Children free from him and in it to reign over him Thanks Glory and Honour to the Lord God of Truth over all for ever Amen The Lord who is the God of all Peace and Order The Lord is the Protect or of his People alone Protects and Preserves his People with his Eternal Power for the Devil's Power is not Eternal it had a beginning and must have an ending for the Eternal Power limits that Devourer and Destroyer And therefore Friends Patience must be exercised in the Truth and keep to the Word of Patience which Word was before the World was and abides and endures for ever and it will keep Friends over and out of all the Snares of the World and its Temptations So with my Love in the Seed of Life that reigns over all and in it the Lord God Almighty preserve and keep you all to his Glory Amen G. F. An Epistle to be read amongst Friends FRiends You that are Believers in the Light Epist 359. which is the Life in Christ To Gather in the Name of Jesus and are grasted into him who is ascended far above all Principalities Power Thrones and Dominions by whom all things were made and created all the Children in the New Covenant do Gather together in the Name of Christ Jesus whose Name is above every Name under the whole Heaven and in whose Name they have Salvation and not by any other Name under the whole Heaven And at this Name must every Knee bow and every Tongue confess Christ Jesus to the Glory of God the Father and they that have bowed their knee to the Name of Jesus and do confess him to the Glory of God the Father cannot Gather in any other Name under Heaven below the Name of Jesus but Gather in the Name of Jesus which is above every Name under Heaven in whom they have Salvation and so cannot not Gather in any Name below Christ for they do know that they have not any Salvation in whatsoever Name that they do Gather together in below the Name of Jesus And being gathered in the Name of Jesus he
gathered together He being in the midst of them they may as well deny Christ as deny his heavenly Order of his Gospel and his Heavenly Spiritual Government And all them that deny the Men and Womens Meetings People are to come into the possession of what thay profess in the New Covenant in the Restoration out of Death and Darkness by Christ and in his Gospel of Light and Life they may as well deny the Preaching of the Gospel if People shall not come into the Possession of that which is Preach'd and Practice it For the Faithful Men and Women that are restored into the Image of God by Christ Jesus as Adam and Eve were in before they fell they were meet-helps in Righteousness and in the Image of God and in Christ Jesus yea they were meet-helps one to another and Christ makes them as Kings and Priests to Reign upon the Earth over the Serpent and the Devil the Destroyer in the Power of God which was before he was in which is the holy Order And they do that offer the Spiritual Sacrifices to God and are his heavenly Witnesses stands for God and Christ and his Righteousness in his Light and Life They that do offer Spiritual Sacrifices are to stand up for God and Christ by which they are grafted into Christ and so by and in his Power Light and Life stands over Death and Darkness and the Prince and Power of it and in it Reigns over him And so doth Praise God and his Son that liveth for ever and sings Hallalujah Swarthmore the 10th Month 1679. G. F. An Epistle to Friends for them to read MY Dear Friends The peaceable Truth live in Epist 361. which you have received from Jesus your Saviour and that by the Grace and Truth that is come by him into your Hearts No bringing forth good Fruits but by abiding in Christ you may all abide in Christ and grow up in him from whence it comes For as Christ saith Except you abide in me ye cannot bring forth Fruit. And there is none that abide in Christ but who abide in his Light Grace and Truth And Christ saith Without me ye can do nothing who is the Heavenly and Spiritual Man without Christ we can do nothing the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him So without this Truth and Grace and Light and Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus which you receive from him you cannot abide in him This brings you to abide in him and to have his Presence to strengthen you so that through him you may do all things which he commands and requires of you And now The Grace and Truth that comes from Christ brings to Christ the Rock and Foundation Dear Friends to the Light and Grace and Truth in your Hearts you were turned at the first and now as you do all walk in the Light and are established in the Grace and Truth in your Hearts Minds and Souls it brings you to Christ the heavenly spiritual Rock and Foundation and to build upon him with the Light Grace and Truth that comes from him and then you will see such as Christ speaks of that did profess him and preach him but did not abide in his Light Grace and Truth so not in Christ Jesus and such Christ will not know that do not abide in him with his Light Grace and Truth from whence it comes For the Grace And the Grace and Truth that cometh from Jesus makes inward Christians Truth and Light that cometh by Jesus this makes inward Christians and the Jews inward who have the Praise of God though may be not of Men. And the Apostles in their Days they had to do with several sorts of People some that preached Christ of Envy and some of Contention and some of Good-will notwithstanding the Apostles rejoyced that Christ was preached But then after a time when many had gotten the Form of Christianity and Godliness and denied the Power thereof he exhorted the Faithful that kept their Habitation in Christ Jesus to turn away from such And yet such went under the Name of Christians else they could not have the Form of Godliness And likewise Such as have the form of Godliness but deny the Power of it are to be turned away such as got the good Words and fair Speeches with which they deceived the Hearts of the Simple these were got to be Preachers among the Christians And the heady high-minded and fierce Despisers these had the Form of Godliness though they denied the Power of it which they were turned from So they that lived in the Light Grace and Truth and the Power and Spirit of Christ were to turn away from such that had the Form of Godliness and denied the Power And such as these that had the Form of Godliness and denied the Power were come farther than such as taught for Doctrine the Rudiments and Precepts of the World and Doctrines of Men or the professing Jews and Gentiles that stood against the Name of Christ which were altogether Unbelievers of the very Form of Godliness of the New Covenant And likewise such that were doting about Questions and Strife about Words The vain Talkers were the Persecutors of the Church in the Apostles days and so are now vain Janglers and Disputers Men of corrupt Minds and those that were unruly and vain Talkers many of these were Teachers which were Troublers of the Churches in the Apostles days And those that Peter and Jude cried against that were come so far as Balaam to Prophesie and Cain to hear the Voice of God and a Corah which came out of Egypt many of these got up to be Teachers having high swelling Words which the Apostle judged amongst the fallen Angels and the old World and Sodom who were turned to be Mockers And such-like as these were they that separated themselves being sensual having not the Spirit And so it seems these did set up Separations from the Apostles and Saints in their Days And the Apostle declareth how the Lord saved his People out of the Land of Egypt and afterwards destroyed them that believed not Angels left their first Habitation and the Angels that kept not their first State but left their own Habitation he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day And so these which went under the Name of Christians that had been convinced and had got a Form of Godliness and Christianity that kept not their first State in the Light and Grace and Truth and by it their Habitation in Christ Jesus they came under the Chain of Darkness And therefore Friends you see how the Apostle was troubled with the false Apostles and Satan's Messengers that got among the Corinthians and how they despised the Apostle And likewise what was got up among the Romans and Galatians and in the Days of John as he manifests in
his Epistles And therefore how Careful were the true Apostles of the Saints in their Watching over them For John said If ye walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we Fellowship one with another And that ye also may have Fellowship with us for truly our Fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ And these things write we unto you that your Joy may be full For many may talk of the Light and preach the Light Those that walk in the Light are accepted but to walk in the Light that is it which grafts into Christ Jesus and brings to live in him which talking of him doth not And as the Apostle said As every one hath received Christ Jesus so walk in him And the Sayers of the Word and not the Doers deceived their own Souls So there may be many Sayers of the Word deceivers of their own Souls and others and Preachers of Christ Jesus But the Doers of the Word and the Walkers in Christ Jesus are they that are accepted of the Lord. And again as the Apostle saith The Word of Faith was nigh them in their Hearts and Mouths to obey it and do it and that was the Word of Faith which they preached And the Light shined in their Hearts to give them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things that is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him And these things I have written unto you saith the Apostle concerning them that seduce you So here may all the inward Christians in the Grace Light Truth Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus see what the Apostles exhorted the Saints unto that they might be preserved in their Day and so by the sme now from them that deceived their own Souls and othes And so by this Light The Anointing the Saiats Guide this Word the Anointing Grace Truth power and Spirit of Jesus Christ in the Heart Mind and Soul must all the Saints be guided now by which they may come to be inward Christians and have a Habitation in Christ Jesus and so built upon Him the Living Rock and Roundation as the Saints were in the Apostles Days and so to have Salt in your selves and the Leaven in your own Meal and the Pearl in your own Field and yuor Lamps lighted in your own Tabernacles and nourished with the heavenly Oil. So that you may put a Difference betwixt the Clean and the Unclean and what you are to touch and whaat you are not And that no Man or Woman may look below Heaven for their Bread tonourish their Souls and inward Man and below God and Christ for their Springs which by continuing in the Light which is the Life in Christ the Word by which all things were made and created they shall have a Spring from him the Fountain springing up in them to Eternal Life so they shall have both the upper and nether Springs to nourish the Plant that God hath planted And such as came out of Egypt with Moses and after rebelled against the Lord and Moses and the Law and the Prophets were a greater Grief to Moses and the Prophets than the Heathen And likewise Apostates both under the Law and the Gospel the greatest Exercises to the Servants of God those that came to be Christians called and had got the Form of Godliness came to be a greater Grief to the Apostles than the World for their Work was to seek to destroy that which the Apostle had begotten and them that they had turned to Christ And therefore well might the Apostle exhort the Saints to turn away from such that had the Form of Godliness and denied the Power and therefore he told the Saints The Kingdom of Heaven stands not in Words but in Power and therefore they were to know one another in the Spirit and Power and that is the Internal Knowledge And their Fellowship was to be in the Holy Ghost and their Unity in the Spirit which was the Bond of Peace and their Fellowship was to be inthe Gospel which was the Power of God So an Everlasting Fellowship in the Everlasting Power of God that will out-last the Power of Darkness for it was before it was And also their Vnity was to be in the precious Divine Faith which Christ was the Author and Finisher of the Mystery of which was held in a pure Conscience and their Worship was in the Spirit of God and in Truth So you may see what a Heavenly Unity and Fellowship and a Worship Christ and the Apostles set up And the Saints in the Light Grace Truth Spirit and the Power of God the Gospel lived in it and walked in it So with the Light Grace Truth Power Spirit and Word of Life in the Heart all hold Christ the Head who is the Head of all thigs by whom all things were made who is the Treasure of the heavenly saving Wisdom and Knowledge who is called the Second Adam the Lord from Heaven And therefore all are to have their Knowledge and their Wisdom from him the Treasure by the Light Grace Truth Power and Spivit that comes from him it leads you to him your Treasure of heavenly Wisdom and Knowledge by which Knowledge you know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is Life Eternal to know And now my Dear Friends concerning True Liberty THE True liberty is in the Gospel the Power of God which the Devil and his Instruments with his false Liberty cannot get into And in this Gospel is the Saints Fellowship which the Devil with all his false Fellowships cannot get into nor find it True Liberty in the Faith of Christ for it is a Mystery Likewise true Liberty is in the Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of which gives Victory over that which separated Man and Woman from God and by which they have access to God again And in this holy pure divine precious Faith that is held in the pure Conscience which pure Conscience hath its pure holy divine precious Liberty in this holy divine precious Faith which works by Love and not as the dead Faith doth which works by Enmity which is the Fruit of this holy pure divine Faith and in it is the divine pure holy and precious Liberty and Freedom So here is the divine holy pure and precious Liberty in this Faith which works by Love that is the Victory over that which brought Man and Woman into Bondage and Slavery and false Liberty Faith is the Saints victory So this living Faith is the Victory over all dead Faiths and false Freedoms and Liberties which holy divine pure and precious Faith 's the Saints were and are to contend for which Christ the Holy One is the
and by ti keep in the Order of the Law of Life whcih they have in Christ Jesus Such as folow the God of the World bate the Order of Truth And they that follow the World's God that are out of Truth and disobey their Creator the God of Truth and the Lord Jesus Christ I say all such obey and follow him in whom there is no Truth and such cannot endure to hear talk of the Order of Truth and of the Gospel or the Law or Order of the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus which all they that do obey the Voice of the Lord and Christ Jesus in his Light Grace and Truth and Gospel the Power of God and his Holy Spirit and Faith and Word of Life within come into Unity and Fellowship one with another and with the Son and with the Father and in this they know the Order of Christ and God to be a God of Order and delights in his Heavenly and Eternal Order of Light Life Power and Spirit of God that is over Death and Darkness and the World's God who is a God of Disorder in whom there is no true Order but Confusion and into this holy Order of the Everlasting Light and Life he cannot come Glory to the Lord God and his Son Christ Jesus who is over all from evelasting to Everlasting and is the Rock and Foundation and Habitation of his People blessed for ever and evermore Amen G. F. POSTSCRIPT Here you may see by these following Scriptures how the Apostles loved the Good and holy Order of Christ in his Gospel Some Scripture Collections concerning good Order in the Church and Light and Life and Truth but as Job said The Land of Darknese is without any Order And Babylon signifies Confusion which is the false Church and is called a Woman and a City of Confusion who iw against the Order of the true Church and gets the Titles of the true Chruch that is called a City and a Woman which brings forth the Man-Child Christ Jesus and of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end who sits upon the Throne of David and upon his dom to order it to establish it with Judgment and with Justice henceforth and for ever So here you may see Christ doth in his Kingdom and them that have him have his Order Isa 9.7 And David saith Although mine House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all thins and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my Desire c. 2 Sam. 23.5 Again David saith Order my steps by thy Word and let not Iniquity have Dominion over me Psalm 119.133 Which is the Duty of every Christian to have their Steps ordered by the Word of God that lives and abides and endures for ever which Word is a Word of Order And David saith The Steps of a good Man are ordered by the lord and he delights in his Way I have been young and now am old yet I have not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread He is ever merciful and lendeth and his Seed is blessed Psalm 37. Here you may see how the Lord delights in him and them that walk in the Steps the Lord orders them with his Word And him that orders his Conversation aright shall see the Salvation of God Psalm 50.23 And this Order must be in the Light which is the Life in Christ the Saviour And the Apostle Paul after he had spoken many things to the Corinthians he said Therest will I set in Order when I come 1 Cor. 11.34 And he saith concerning the Collections for the Saints in 1 Cor. 16.1 As I have given Order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye to wit the Corinthians So they were to practise the same Order which were the Believers in Christ which the Apstle in the Power of Christ had given to them For the Apostle had the Wisdom of God which he had ordained before the World began unto the Glory of his People then and now also 1 Cor. 2. And the Order that the Apostle did give to the Churches of the Galatians and the Corinthians was That upon the First Day of the Week every one of them lay by him in store as God had prospered him c. 1 Cor. 16.2 And in Acts 14. When they had ordained Elders in every Church and had prayed they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed confirming the Souls of the Disciples Elders Ordained c. and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that they must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God And as Paul and others with him went through the Cities Decrees to be kept they delivered them the Decrees for to keep that were ordaine of the Apostles and Elders which were at Jerusalem and so were the Churches established in the Faith and increased in Number daily Acts 16. And the Occasion of these Decrees was because some Men that went from Judea taught the Brethren saying Except ye be circamcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved Acts 15. And these Decrees were to stop such Preachers For the Apostles and Elders said Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with ords subverting your Souls saying Ye must be circumcised and keep the Law to whom we gave no such Commandment Now it is clear the Apostles and Elders gave these Teachers no such Commandment to preach such Doctrine to Trouble the Chruches And the Apostle Paul after he had spent some time t Caesaria and Antioch he went over all the Country of Asia and Phrygia in Order strengthening all the Disciples Acts 18. So you may see how they were a Comfort one to another And the Apostle writes to Titus Titus in Creete Chap. 1. For this Cause I have left thee in Creete that thou shouldst set in Order the thins that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I have appointed thee So here Titus in the Sapirit of God did observe that which Paul in the Power of Christ did exhort him to But such as are against the Order and Pracxtice in the Light and Gospel cannot order their Speeches by teason of SDarkness And the Apostle saith Col. 2.5 Though I be absent in the Flesh yet am I with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your Order and steadfastness of your Faith in Christ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Here the Apostle rejoyced in the Order that kept them in the Faith and Steadfastness in Christ Jesus Therefore the Apostle saith Every Man in his own Order Christ the First Fruits c. For in Adam all died even so in Christ shall all be made alive And they that are alive in Christ Jesus are in his Order of Life and Light and in his Gospel the Power of God And the Apostle
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
of God and be careful and tender to your Servants in all Respects that there may come no Complaints from them or others that so in all things you may be ordered by the Wisdom of God that his Blessing may be amongst you And Dear Friends I desire that you would send over an Account by the next Ship how many Meetings you have and how many Meetings Monthly of Men and Women and how many Quarterly Meetings and Half-Year Meeitings and let us know how Truth spreacs and prospers amongst you which you would do well to write over every Year to the Yearly Meeting at London So with my Love in the Seed which reigns over all in whom you have all Life and Salvation and Peace in the Lord God G. F. To Friends that are Prisoners in York DEar Friends Epist 377. with my Love to you and all the rest of the faithful Friends in Bonds and my desire is to the Lord that ye all may stand faithful and valiant for his glorious Name To stand saithful in the time of Storms and his holy peaceable Truth now in this Day of Storm and Tempest that none may turn their Backs on the Lord in this Day of Trial and none may be ashamed of confessing of Christ before the Adulterous Generation as Christ said lest Christ be ashamed of them before his Father and before his holy Andels and therefore now is the Time and Day of your Trial for the Lord is Just though I know that the Faithful and Innocent Just and Righteous must stand it out and therefore mind the Lord in all your Sufferings and keep all low and in the Humility of Heart and there you will feel that he taht inhabits Eternity dwells with an humble Heart and he will be your Shield and Buckler and defender in time of Trouble and the Lord hath promised to deliver his People in the Six Troubles yea in the Seventh the Perfection of Troubles and therefore do not think Time long and your Sufferings long for the Lord will lay no more upon you but what you are able to bear yea upon his faithful People I know it and am a Witness for God in all my Sufferings and Imprisonments and haling before Magistrates about Sixty times about this Thirty six Year And so Friends when you are tried you may come forth more precious than Gold that is tried in the Fire and keep the Word of Patience and it will keep you from the Temptations that comes upon the World to try them for the Word of God was before the World was And though you be in outward Bonds from your Wives Families Houses and Relations yet the Word of God is not bound The Word of God is not bound neither can they bind the Word of God it 's at Liberty it abides and indures for ever it will make you all rich though they think to make you poor with their Bonds and casts you into Prisons but I tell you the Word of God will make you rich for the Word of God was before the Wicked and his Bonds were for in the Beginning was the Word but since the beginning was the Devil who had cast some into Prison spoken of in Revelations that ten Days might be a longer time than ten natural Days For they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Pesecution by the Vngodly for it was the Just that suffered by the Unjust in all Ages and Christ said to Saul Why Persecutest thou me So they that stood in Christ and were in Christ Jesus it was Christ that was Persecuted as well as they in whom he reigned And do not you understand and know the Sufferings and Trials of the holy Men of God went through and how by Faith they subdued the Mountains and consider the Faith of Abraham Isaac and Jacob The Faith of the Patriarchs and the Faith of Abel and Enoch and Noah and the Faith of Jeremiah and the rest of the Prophets and the Faith of Daniel and the Three Children and the Faith of all the Apostles what Sufferings and Imprisonments they went through and consider all the Martyrs since the Apostles days consider what Sufferings they have gone through and God and Christ is the same to uphold you that are given up in his Spirit Power and Faith to stand for his Glory and be valiant for his Truth and Name upon the Earth And therefore keep in your Sanctuary Christ Jesus who destroys the Destroyer and bruises the Serpents Head and so in Christ Jesus your Sanctuary you all are in safety in whom you have all Life and Salvation and Peace with God in him you may all Triumph and Rejoyce with exceeding great Joy and say What shall separate us from the Love of God which we have in Christ Jesus And the Apostle said to the Saints in their Days That there was not any thing able to separate him from the Love of God in Christ jesus you feeling the same Love you feeling the same Faith to dwell in you and walk by For the just shall live by Faith which is his victory and hath access to God in which he pleases God And so with my Love to you all in Christ Jesus who was before the Devil was that makes you to suffer and will be when he is gone In Christ you have heavenly Peace that none can take away from you in him dwell and live Amen POSTSCRIPT AND all be Faithful in their Testimony of Life against Riches and all those things which hath come up in this Night of Apostacy from the Light Life and Power of Christ and God against all Loosness whatsoever that the heavenly Camp of God may be kept holy clean and pure And all Friends look at the Lord above allyour Sufferings and trust in him who with his his Eternal Power hath preserved you to this day and the Lord in his Glorious Power was with us in all our Assemblies at this Yearly Meeting he over all hath the Dominion and over all evil Spirits gave Dominion to his People Glory to his Name for ever Amen And therefore let you Faith be in the Gospel the Power of God which hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in you G. F. To all the Elect of God Chosen and Faithful who have known the Work of the Lord and his Dealings and his Eternal Hand his Spirit and Power in preserving of you to this Day and in this Glorious Gospel Day of Christ Jesus who are built upon him the holy Rock and Foundation of God that standeth sure and are fed with the Heavenly Bread and feel the Springs of Living Water and enjoy the Presence of Lord who daily gives the Increase AND now Friends Epist 378. with the Eternal Power and Heavenly Light of Christ with it you have seen and do see and will see that which Christ hath spoken Matth. 13. and Luke 8. which he taught to the great Multitude in Parables Parable of
which keeps in the Way of the Lord and commands their Children and Houshold to do the same they have the Blessings from Heaven above and the Blessings below yea the Blessings of the Eternal Inheritance and of the Kingdom of God and that was their chief Inheritance That all the Faithful Seed of Abraham sought to possess their Houshold and their Children in who did command their Children and Houshold to keep the Way of God that they might inherit the Blessing David saith Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the counsel of the Vngodly nor standeth in the way of Sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the Scornful But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth meditate Day and Night Now here is the condition of them that do enjoy the Blessing they must keep from the Counsel of the Ungodly and the Way of Sinners and the Seat of the Scornful Now here you may see David's Instruction how People might inherit the Blessing Levit. 10. That you may put a difference betwixt the holy and unholy and between the clean and unclean and that you may teach your Children all the Statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses And it was so in the Old Testament that they might learn the Statutes there Surely much more they are to learn the Commands of Christ in his New Testament And in Deut. 4.9 10. To Teach our Children the Fear of the Lord. They were to Teach their Sons and their Sons Sons and again they were to Teach their Children that they might learn to fear God all the days that they lived upon the Earth c. This they were to teach their Children and again in Deut. 11. It was the Command of God that they were to Teach their Children the Commandments of God and they were to speak of them when they sat in their House and when they walk'd by the Way when they lay down and when they rose up and in Deut. 30. Moses told them that The Word was nigh them in their Mouths and in their Hearts that they might do it And David said Come you Children hearken to me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. O fear the Lord you Saints there is no want to them that fear him Psal 34.9 11. Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their Help and their Shield Psal 115.11 And you may see all along in the Old Testament they that feared the Lord were commanded to teach and instruct their Children the Way of the Lord that they might walk in it and inherit the Blessing which was a better Portion than outward Riches which will pass away for they make themselves Wings and fly away Solomon saith Train up a Child in the may he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Foolishness is bound up in the Heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction shall drive it far from him Prov. 22.15 He that spareth the Rod hateth his Son but he that loveth him chastiseth him betimes By Mercy and Truth iniquity is purged out and by the Fear of the Lord they depart from evil Prov. 13.24 and 16.6 And the Apostle's Command is For Children to obey their Parents in the Lord for this is right Eph. 6.1 and Col. 1.3 20. It is well pleasing to the Lord Children to obey their Parents Children to obey their Parents and the Bishops or Elders were to Rule well their own Houses and to have their Children in subjection with all gravity and likewise the Deacons were to rule their own Children and their own Houses well Tim. 1.3 And likewise you may see the good Report of the Widows bringing up Children which followed every good work c. And in Titus such as were Elders or Overseers their Children were to be Faithful Elders to govern their Families well not accused of Riot or Vnruly and the aged Women were to be of good Behaviour as becometh Holiness c. and Teachers of good things and that they Teach the younger Women to be Sober c. And That the Word of God be not blasphemed And Titus was to exhort young Men to be Sober-minded For the Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared unto all Men teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World that being justified by his Grace we should be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life And Peter saith As Obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to your former Lusts in your Ignorance but as he who hath called you is Holy Be Holy in all manner of Conversation so be you Holy in all manner of Conversation and be not like them feeding themselves without fear which are the Clouds without Rain and Wells without Water and Trees without Fruit whom Jude declares against such cannot eat and drink to the Praise and Glory of God c. So you see what care both in the Old and New Testament the faithful Parents had to teach their Children the Way of the Lord and the Lord hath a Confidence in all them that fear him and are of the Faith and Seed of Abraham that they will not only admonish their Children and Houshold but Command their Children and Houshold after them to keep the Way of the Lord c. Gen. 18. And to keep out of the wicked Ways of the World The Apostle saith They which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham And so are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus and if you be Christ's then are you Abraham 's Seed and Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3. And so the Children of God are counted for the Seed which the good Seed Christ saith are the Children of the Kingdom And the Apostle spake to the Romans that they should Walk in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Again the Apostle saith to the Corinthians concerning Titus Walked we not in the same Spirit walked we not in the same steps And in the first Epistle of Peter Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an Example Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps who did not sin neither was guile found in his mouth So these were holy steps and are a Religious Holy People that walk in the steps of faithful Abraham and of Christ and the Apostles and these have the pure Religion and do visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and keep themselves unspotted from the World and these are they that are Circumcised with the Spirit and Baptised with the Holy Ghost and serve God Night and Day and worship him in Spirit and Truth and these are the Religious Families which are of the holy divine pure and precious Faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of which Faith purifieth their Hearts and is their Victory by which
Saints Feet if she have relieved the Afflicted if she have dilgently followed every good Work c. These are the qualified Widows that are to be taken into the Number So here was a great Practice and a diligence in Piety for this Woman to do before she was receivinto the Number of the Faithful But says the Apostle The Younger Refuse for when they begin to wax Wanton against Christ c. they cast off their first Faith and withal they learn to be Idle so they forsake to learn and shew Piety and to live in that and so do not learn to be diligent and wander about from House to House and not only Idle but Tattlers and busie-Bodies speaking things they ought not and therefore such things were and are to be reproved such as these were not to be received and taken into the Number of the Faithful but to be refused And again the Apostle saith I will therefore that ye Younger Woman Marry bear Children guide the House give no occasion to the Adversary to speak reproachfully And the Apostle says To relieve our own Relations and to charge the Church with them If any Man or Woman that believeth have Widows let them relieve them and let not the Church be charged that it may relieve those that are Widows indeed So here you may see the Care Piety and Duty if either Man or Woman that Believes have Widows they are to relieve them and not let the Church of Christ be charged with them So let Men and Women learn to shew Piety to Widows to Nephews and to Parents And the Apostle saith to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another do nothing by partiality lay hands suddenly on no Man So here you may see the Apostle's Care in the Church of Christ who would have all to be exercised in Truth and Piety and be diligent in their Service that Truth requireth of them And then again the Apostle speaks of such as are Lovers of themselves Covetous Proud Boasters disobedient to Parents Unthankful Unholy without natural Affections to wit to Husband or Wife Children Parents or others and likewise Truce-breakers which break their Covenant or Promises in their Marriages with God and with Man and so likewise break their Truce and Covenant with Men in Outward Things and also such as are false Accusers Incontinent Fierce Despisers of them that are Good such are not like to be subject to the good Spirit of God in themselves and Traitors Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God having the form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof from such turn away says the Apostle now if they were to turn away from them they were not to be heeded though they had the Form of Godliness and of Christianity if they were to turn away from them they were not to receive them into the Camp for such are as Lepers are to be turned away from And therefore the Camp of God must be kept clean And Christ hath given Authority to his Church to admonish and exhort and to reprove and rebuke all such things with his Authority Now Friends concerning putting on of Apparrel The Apostle in the Spirit and Power of Christ had a Care in the Church of God that they should adorn themselves as becomes the Gospel The Gospel Adorning with chaste Lives and Conversations and with the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of a great Price This is that which arrays and beautifies God's Church and not the outward adorning and plaiting the Hair and every new Fashion that comes up into the World 1. Pet. 3. And also the Apostle writes to Timothy and gives him that Exhortation to the Church That Women adorn themselves with modest Apparrel mark Modest with shamefacedness and sobriety mark Sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls For that was the Practice of the Jew outward and is to this Day or costly Array But with that which becomes Women professing Godliness with good Works So this is the Adorning that all that profess Godliness must be arrayed withal 1 Tim. 2.9 So that all may be in that good Behaviour as becomes Godliness and Holiness And likewise Chaste and Discreet Teachers of good things that the Word of God may not be blasphemed which they profess as in Tit. 2. And it 's desired That all Friends that have Children To train up Children and Servants in the pure Religion Families and Servants may train them up in the pure and unspotted Religion and in the nurture and fear of God and that frequently they read the Holy Scriptures which is much better than to be gadding abroad And exhort and admonish them that every Family apart may serve and worship the Lord as well as in Publick And that when they go to Meetings they may take their Servants and Families with them that they may not go wandring up and down in the Fields or to Ale-Houses as many have done to the dishonour of God and to the dishonour of their Masters and Mistresses Families and to their own Ruine and Destruction And therefore for Christ's sake and his pure Religion let there be Care taken to prevent all these things For such an one as cannot rule well his own House having his Children in subjection with all gravity how can he take Care of the Church of God 1 Tim. 3. And now Friends concerning Marriages Concerning Marriages of which very many things have been written it 's desired that all may be careful in that thing of running hastily together And consider it first that first as it is God's Joining so it is his Ordinance and it is honourable in all and the Bed undefiled And again such Men as draw out young Womens Affections and run from one to another and leave them and run to others And such Women as draw out Mens Affections and then leave them and draw out other Mens Affections These Practises bring many young Women and many young Men into Trouble and are sharply to be reproved For this Work is not of God's Joining but out of his Covenant Some of which have gone so far as to Promises Espousals and Contracts and then left them and gone to others This is to be Judged and Reproved For as we make no Contract for Marriages we break none And likewise such young People that trim up themselves in gay Apparrel and make a great shew and hang most on their Backs that appear what they are not in Substance The ill Consequence of Pride and Vanity which Women have sometimes deceived young Men and Men deceived Women and drawn out their Affections and Minds by outward shew and deceived one another and brought one another into Trouble Such are out of the Fear of God and a
's sake and so it is the Gift of God with his Eternal Spirit and Power that doth uphold us in all our Sufferings which hath made so many to finish their Testimony for the Truth in Goals and Prisons and not to love their Lives to the Death but love God and Christ Jesus above their Lives and all outward things as Practice and Experience have declared it And now dear Friends To be faithful to the end be faithful in Christ Jesus to the end that you may all have the Crown of Life and that Peace from Christ Jesus which the World and all the Apostate Spirits from the Truth cannot take away from you I say neither the World with their outward Persecutions and spoiling of Goods nor the Apostate Spirits from the peaceable Truth with all their Lies and Defamations and their filthy scandalous Books and evil Tongues though they be like the raging Waves of the Sea casting up Mire and Dirt whose Folly is manifest to all that hear and see them yet all this cannot disturb the Peace of the Righteous And all the restless unquiet unruly Murmurers and Complainers that are filled with false Jealousies and are the wandering Stars who are wandered from the Witness of the Lord in their own Hearts such their Judgments do not linger nor their Damnation doth not slumber though they may be suffered for a time to try God's People And now Friends you know envious Cain was a Sacrificer as well as Abel but out of the Faith and Righteousness who Murdered his Brother Abel he may be said to have been a Type of Judas who was a partaker of the Ministry yet betrayed his Master And you read that Ishmael and Esau were circumcised as well as Isaac and Jacob but Esau hated Jacob and would have slain him and Ishmael scoffed at Isaac and so he that is born of the Flesh persecuteth him that is born of the Spirit and that Birth is not Heir with the Seed of the Promise though it may come into the outward Form and outward Profession And likewise you read of Corah Dathan and Abiram and their Company and their Rebelling against the Lord and his Servants Moses and Aaron and of their false Liberty but what became of them in Numb 16. you may see And likewise how that the Jews after the Lord brought them out of Egypt made themselves a Calf of their Jewels and Ear-rings as in Exod. 32. Psalm 106.19 The Jews made a Calf in Horeb and worshipped the Golden Image and forgot God their Saviour who had done great things in Egypt and wonderous things in the Land of Ham and murmured in their Tents and hearkened not to the Voice of the Lord And therefore God overthrew them in the Wilderness and they came not into the promised Land And you read how the Jews run into false Liberty in the Days of Baalam and joined with Baal-Peor Examples of Apostates of old Times and how the Anger of the Lord was kindled against them and what a destruction he brought upon them who had turned against the Lord and his faithful People as in Numb 25. And likewise how often the Jews murmurred against Moses and Aaron and what a destruction came upon them in the Wilderness that none of that old Stock the Lord brought out of Egypt that dishonoured him though they had seen his Glory none entred into the Land save Caleb and Joshua but they perished in the Wilderness for their Murmurring and Rebelling and therefore take heed of Murmurring and Rebelling against the Lord and his Spirit but in all things learn to be content And also you read in Judges how often the Jews forsook the Lord and what Judgments came upon them and also how the Jews turned against the Prophets and imprisoned and persecuted them And in the Days of the Kings as in the Chronicles how David and many of the Prophets and the Righteous suffered But what became of them that made them suffer And likewise in the Days of Christ and his Apostles how did they fuffer by the professing Jews And there were many Comers and Goers in the Days of Christ that could say Lord Lord But such do not enter into the Kingdom of God except they do the Will of God And you read how the Apostles and the true Church were troubled with false Christians and false Brethren whom Paul writeth against in many of his Epistles and Peter and John and Jude and John in his Revelations And therefore all Friends dwell in the Seed Christ Jesus in whom ye cannot be deceived who bruises the Head of the Serpent who is the Head of all Deceivers and the Head of all Enmity and false Ways Worships and Religions and the Head of all false Liberties But in Christ Jesus in whom all Nations are blessed is the true Liberty in him all stand fast so far as he hath made you free and in him all walk as ye have received him to the Praise and Glory of God In whom you have all Eternal Life Peace Rest and Salvation and in him the Lord God Almighty preserve you all in Love Vnity and Fellowship Who is able to support you and supply you with his Eternal Hand and Power with what you do need in all your Sufferings and Trials Amen G. F. To Friends at the Yearly Meeting in York DEar Friends Who are turned to the Light Epist 395. and are the Believers in the Light which is the Life in Christ my Desires are To be established upon Christ the Rock That you may all be established upon him your Eternal Rock and Foundation and grow up in Christ Jesus the Second Adam by his Light Grace and Truth that is come from him for you know Christ had many Enemies and his Disciples and Followers and Moses in the time of the Law such as turned their Backs on the Lord Christ and his Followers have many Enemies and erred from his good Spirit and rebelled against it they turned against the Lord and Moses and Aaron and they went from the Fellowship of the Law of God and his Spirit and then Destruction came upon them Such Jews were they that rebelled against Christ and his Apostles and yet were great Professors of the Old Testament And such that were called Christians that got the Form of Godliness and the fair Speeches and good Words but denied the Power thereof and so the Order thereof Such as these separated themselves and erred from the Spirit and the Faith and so from the Unity of the Faith and the Fellowship of the Spirit of God Such were and are to be turned away from by all them that are in the Faith and the Spirit of God and all the Spiritual Witnesses in the Tabernacles of God testifies against such though they may make a great Profession of Christ and the Apostles Words but deny the Power and err from the Spirit and the peaceable Truth Such cannot be the true Worshippers of God in the
a Place and a Name better than of Sons and Daughters saith the Lord and I will give them an everlasting Name which shall not be cut off Isa 56. So you may see how the Lord doth encourage his People to walk in the Truth in Faithfulness to him for the Lord hath loved his People with an everlasting Love therefore with loving-kindness hath he and doth he draw them unto himself to serve and worship him Jer. 31. And Christ saith He that believeth on him hath everlasting Life Mark hath it as in John And again Christ saith He that drinketh of the Water that I give shall never thirst but the Water that I shall give shall be in him as a well of Water springing up to Eternal Life So every one mind this Well in you who have drank of the Water which Christ hath given you And the Apostle saith God will punist them who disobey the Gospel God will punish them that disobey his Gospel with an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power 2 Thess 1.9 Here you may see everlasting Destruction to the Wicked that disobey the Gospel and everlasting Life to them that believe and obey the Bospel of Christ Now they that disobey the Gospel of Christ refuse their own Comfort and Joy of Life and Salvation which Gospel is the Power of God which is preach'd to every Creature under Heaven to believe and obey therefore happy are you who have received it and obeyed it which brings Life and Immortality to Light in you that you see over the Enemy which darkened you and are now become Heirs of this comfortable and joyful Gospel of Life and everlasting Salvation in which everlasting Gospel you have an everlasting golrious Fellowship and in this everlasting Gospel you can praise the everlasting God that reigns over all from everlasting to everlasting And all that are of the Seed and Faith of David can say as David said Blessed be God from everlasting to everlastin and let all the People say Amen Praise ye the Lord. And further can say That the Mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon all them that fear him and his Righteousness unto the Children of Men Psalm 103.17 For the Lord God he changeth not he is the same that he was who inhabits Eternity and dwells in the humble Heart and therefore you humble Ones fear and serve and worship him And keep under the Wing of Christ and in him your Sanctuary and Saviour who destroys the Destroyer and is over all the First and Last Amen Dear Friends To shew forth the Nature of the Lamb. Who are under Sufferings for the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for his new and living Way and his pure undefiled Religion and his Worship in the Spirit and Truth that Christ who is from above and hath all Power in Heaven and Earth hath set up for all the followers of the Lamb to walk in his new and living Way and to keep in his pure undefiled Religion and Worship in Spirit and in Truth And now Dear Friends and Brethren my desire is That you may shew forth the Nature of the Lamb and the Vertue and the Life in which the Nobility of true Chriftianity is seen and manifested in your peaceable modest and vertuous Behaviour before the Powers that you are brought before and that none are to question or take thought what they are to say for it shall be given you in that same Hour what ye shall speak saith Christ Whosoever therefore shall confess me bfeore Men hism will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven For with the Heart Man believeth unto righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 And every Tongueshall confess to God Rom. 14.11 And again the Apostle saith That every Tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Philip. 2.10 So we cannot but confess and declare what our Eyes have seen Every Tongue shall confess to Christ and our Ears have heard and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life Christ Jesus by whom all things were made and created And Christ and his Disciples who often met on Mountains and in the Wilderness and on the Sea-side and in Ships and sometimes in Houses We do not read that the Jews and Priests called Christ and his Apostles Meetings Routs or Riots though the Jews and the chief Priests were bad enough against them For all Routs and Riots are out of the Spirit of Truth and so is Misbehaviour of all People for the Truth is peaceable and brings People into peaceable Lives and Conversations out of Routs and Riots and Misbehaviour and in Peace they worship God and they worship God in the Spirit who is a Spirit an din this holy pure Spirit is the Unity and Bond of Peace and is the Bond of good Behaviour and of holy Walking and Talking and it is the Bond of peaceable Lives and Conversations of all that worship God in Spirit and Truth and walk in the New and Living Way and keep in the pure holy and undefiled Religion And so Dear Friends be of one Mind and heart and Spirit and God Almighty Arm you with Patience and Humility who is God All-sufficient to give you Dominion with his Power and to support you And so with my Love to you all in the Lord Jesus Christ And let your Moderation appear unto all Men for Wisdom is justified of her Children And what any one of you doth want God is All-sufficient to supply you trust in him and in fear walk before him London the 3d day of the 10th Month 1684. G. F. POSTSCRIPT JOhn said Of evil Spirits That he saw three unclean Spirits like Frogs that came out of the Mouth of the Dragon and out of the Mouth of the Beast and out of the Mouth of the false Prophet Mark they do go out of their Mouths for they are Serpents and Devils working Miraracles that goeth out of their Mouths the foul unclean Spirits which goeth forth unto the Kings of the Earth and of the whole World Mark the whole world to gather together them Mark to gather them so here they are to be gathered to the Battel of the great day of God Almighty Rev. 16.13 14. And Satan the old Serpent shall go out to deceive the Nations which are in the four Quarters of the Earth God and Mgog to gather them together to Battel the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea so here is a gathering together by the Devil and they went upon the breadth of the Earth and compassed the Camp of the Saints about and the beloved City and Fire came down from God out of Heaven and devoured them so these were gathered together by the Devil the Destroyer was destroyed by God the Saviour of his People Rev. 20.8 And the Lord scattered Nimrod that mighty
Hunters gathering who gathered up People together to build Babel and confounded them Gen. 10.11 And Isaiah said All they Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the Peace of thy Children and in Righteousness shall they be established Behold they shall surely gather together but not by me saith the Lord And whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake No Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper No Weapon form'd against God's Heritage shall prosper and every Tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn This is the heritage of the Servants of the Lord and their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord Isai 54. And Christ Jesus saith Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And the Apostle said to the Jews speaking of Christ That there is no Salvation in any other For there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 but by Christ Jesus So here is the Saints true Gathering in the Name of Christ Jesus the Second Adam and none is able to pluck them out of his hand John 10. For Christ the Seed of the Woman bruises the Serpent's Head and Christ through Death destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death and so doth reconcile all things both in Heaven and in the Earth into one The Devil abode not in the Truth and so he became a Devil The Devil not abiding in the Truth became an Enemy a Destroyer and a Serpent and Enemy and a Satan and Adversary to the Truth and to Righteousness and Holiness and to Man and Woman that God made in his Image in Righteousness and Holiness so he became an Enemy and Adversary and Destroyer who is out of the Truth and abode not in it in whom there is no Truth and so is called the Old Serpent and Satan and Devil Tempter and false Accuser and Christ through Death destroys Death and the Devil the Power of Death And when the Jews went from the Truth they became Enemies and Adversaries to it and Destroyers of the Righteous and the Just yea they were Adversaries and Accusers and Enemies to the Prophets and Christ Jesus and Apostles and Christ called the Jews Vipers and Serpents and said to them that made a Profession of the Scriptures of the Old Testament but were gone from the Truth of them that they were of their Father the Devil and his Works and Lusts they would do And here the Jews that went out of the Truth did not they become as Serpents Enemies Satans Adversaries and Judas's Betrayers and of the Devil Destroyers of the Just And when they which are called Christians became haters of the Light and Walkers despitefully against the Spirit of Grace Despisers of the Word in their Hearts and erred from the Truth and the true Faith and professed the Form of Godliness but denied the Power thereof and so denied the Spirit ot true Christianity These became as Serpents Enemies Satan Adversaries to true Christianity and of the Devil that seek to destroy it and Judas's Betrayers of it and of the Righteous and the Just where-ever it appeared to the unjust And this hath been the Work of that Spirit that did not abide in the Truth in all Ages to be as Enemies Adversaries and Judas's Betrayers who seek to deftroy the Truth but Christ the Truth doth destroy that destroying Spirit who is the Saviour And Christ said to the Jews and to the Scribes and Pharisees which were the greatest outward Professors and appliers of the Prophets and Promises of the Old Testament to themselves upon the Earth and yet the greatest Persecutors of the holy Men and Women and the Lord's Prophets upon the Earth I say that Christ said to them O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Christ lamented over Jerusalem and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered they Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Behold your Houses are left unto you desolate c. Matth. 23.37 38. Jersalem was the chiefest Place of Worship and the chiefest City among the Jews and the greatest Place of Persecution and yet the Lord Jesus Christ wept over this City and would have gathered these persecuting Professors who were without possessing of the Life of what they did profess but they would not come to him that they might have Life And these persecuting Jews Scribes and Pharisees Christ said unto them Te compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made he is two-fold mord the Child of Hell Matth. 23. Here you may see these Scribes Pharisees and Jews the great Professors and Temple-Worshippers without Life what they gathered into and what Disciples they made in their compassing Sea and Land they made them like themselves and the Devil and Satan and the Serpent who abode not in the Truth and seek to draw all out of the Truth and to make them as Serpents and Satan Adversaries and of the Devil Destroyers and so he rules in the Hearts of the Disobedient and blindeth the Eyes of the Heathen or Infidels and the apostatised Christians from the Spirit of Christ and the Life of Christianity they do seek to draw all from the Truth and Spirit of Christ and the Life of Christianity into Death Enmity and into Persecution and Destroying like the Devil Jews and Judas both in one Spirit according to their Measures that they have from the Devil but all that live and walk inthe Truth and the Spirit of Jesus labour to bring and draw and gather all into the Truth and to Christ their Saviour who destroyeth the Destroyer G. F. Concerning the pure and undefiled Religion that was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago Which all that do own God and Christ are to walk in DEar Friends Epist 399. You who profess the Light Faith Grace and Spirit of Christ and the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father To keep from the Spots of the World are to keep your selves unspotted from the World and to bridle your Tongues from evil Words which corrupt good Manners the Light of Christ Jesus letteth you see the Spots of the World and the Grace of God will teach you tho deny them and the Spirit of Truth if you be led by it teacheth you to mortifie and subdue them And now Friends Here is the pure and undefiled Religion which the Apostles in the Primitive Times did own and which now we do own This is pure Religion and is undefiled before God the Father and to keep unspotted from the World First This Religion is Pure Secondly It is undefiled before God the Father And that which is pure and undefiled before God the Father if you live in it and obey it it will keep you unspotted from the World and so from the Spots of the
World And that which keeps you from the Spots of the World will keep you from the Body of Death and Sins of the World which you are made free from by the Circumcision of Christ by his Spirit and by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus are made free from the Law of Sin and Death And now Friends you that do profess this pure and undefiled Religion before God the Father to keep unspotted from the World or from the Spots of the World take heed you that profess this pure and undefiled Regilion tha tye keep your selves from the World or that you do not get the World's Spots upon you And take heed of Grediness and Earthly-mindedness and Covetousness which the Apostle called Idolatry for it is a great Spot and Blot of the World that lieth in Wickedness And take heed of Unrighteousness in your Trades Commerces or Dealings For Unrighteousness is a Spot To be Just in Trade c. And take heed of Over-reaching or using any Deceitsulness or Defraud in your Trade or Commerce For Over-reaching and using Deceit of any Unjust thing will Blot you an Spot you and is contrary to the pure and undefiled Religion And take heed of Unrighteousness Ungodliness Unholiness Prophaness Loosness Filthiness Naughtiness and Evil Words which corrupt good Manners These things will Blot you and Spot you and are contrary to the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father And also take heed of Drunkenness Theft Murder Whordom Fornication Adultery and all manner of Uncleanness For they which act such things are void of the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father and they are blotted and spotted with the Actions of the World that lieth in Wickedness and their Religion is vain And take heed of Lying Swearing and Cursing which are Spots of the World and forbid by Christ and the Apostle And all such that follow the Lust of the Eye the Pride of Life and the Lust of the Flesh which is not of the Father but of the God of the World that abode not in the Truth such are spotted with the Spots of the World and are Proud Vain Lofty Scornful High Spots of the World and Spotted with the World's Spots and are void of the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father And take heed of Malice Hatred Envy Wrath Rage and Fury these are the Spots of the World who bear such Fruits contrary to the Spirit of Meekness Gentleness Kindness Tenderness Sobriety Love and Mercifulness which are the Fruits of the pure Spirit of God which leadeth to the pure undefiled Religion before God the Father which is To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and to keep unspotted from the World this pure undefiled Religion keepeth in the Purity of Life and Conversation and this is above all and keeps from all the vain Religions in the World which pure and undefiled Religion it is the Duty of all true Christians to walk in by which they may be kept from the Spots of the World and this is the Religion that was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago in the Church of Christ and happy had all Christendom been if they had kept to this pure undefiled Religion to this day and then they would not have made so many Religions as they have done but to this pure undefiled Religion they must come again if ever they come to the true Religion The pure Religion and undefiled is the hest Religion for none can make a better than the pure undefiled Religion which was set up in the Church in the Apostles days above Sixteen Hundred Years ago unto which all that profess Christianity should be conformable even to this pure undefiled Religion which will keep them from the Spots of the World and then their Religion will not be of the World And this is the one pure undefiled Religion that all Christians should be of which is from one God the Creator of all So there is one God the Creator of all and one Lord Jesus christ by whom all things were made and created who is the one Mediator betwixt God and Man even the Man christ Jesus there in one Body and one Spirit even as you are called to one Hope of your Calling and one God and Father of all who is above you all and in you all and through you all and there is one Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher of and there is one Baptism and by one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free must all drink into this one Spirit of Christ and so to keep the Unity in the Spirit which is the Bond of Peace for the Apostle saith If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 for Christ saith in his Prayer to his Father That they may be all one meaning the true Christians as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that they may be one ever as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one to wit the Believers and Followers of Christ John 17.21 22 23. Here you may see God and Christ are one in them so he Prayeth that his People may be one in whom they have Rest Life Peace and Salvation with God through Jesus Christ Amen Let your Conversation or Practice be without Covetousness c. Hebr. 13.5 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Philip. 1.17 The 4th of the 2d Month 1685. G. F. To Friends at York DEar Friends Epist 400. To you is my Love in the Seed of Life that bruises the Head of Enmity and in this Seed you all have Life and Peace that is Everlasting And my Desires are That you may all dwell in the Love that can bear all things To keep the Word of Wisdont and of Patience And keep the Word of Patience which will never be worn out for the Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever and over all Trials keeps for the Word was in the Beginning and all things are upheld by the Word of his Power in it abide And so live and walk in the Wisdom that is from above that is heavenly pure peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated And keep in the Lamb-like Nature for the Suffering Lamb must have the Victory And so the Man of God must not strive but be gentle and yet valiant for God's Truth and not to fell it for they that do go into Bondage and Captivity for the Truth maketh all God's People free and the peaceale Truth is a peaceable Habitation And so in it God Almighty preserve you and all the Lord's People every where that they may Glorifie the Lord God of all their Comforts Lives and Mercies Amen Kingston the 13th of the 10th Month 1685. G. F. DEar Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus
Christ Epist 401. who is your holy heavenly Rock and Foundation of God that standeth sure who was the Foundation and the Rock of his Church Christ the Foundation of God that standeth sure in the Apostles days and is now You may see how Christ sent John tho Encourage his Church and saith in Rev. 3.8 I know thy Works Behold I have set before thee an open Door and no Man can shut it For thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denied my Name Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship before they feet and to know that I have loved thee Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I also will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the face of the Earth Now you may see what Comfort the Sons and Daughters of God have that keep the Word of Patience what a Door is opened to them of the Blessings Mercies and Riches of God which no Man can shut from them And they which said they were Jews and were not or such as make outward Profession of the Words of Truth and Form of Godliness and are not in the Truth such the Lord saith Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan c. So here you may see the Lord would have his Children his Church to take notice what he will make of them that do not possess the Truth namely The Synagogue of Satan he will bow them down and make them to know He loveth his faithful People And all such as went out from the Church of Christ Those who go from the Church maifest themselves in the Apostles days which were not of them and Corah Dathan and Abiram that went out from the Jews c. and all they that separated themselves in the Apostles days from the Church of Chrift and all they that separated themselves now c. and are gone out from the Church of Christ have maniseft they were not of them They that went out from the Church of Chrust in the Apostles days and separated themselves from them and all they that go from the Church of Christ now and separate themselves from them they have erred from the Word of Patience and have not kept that but such are gone into Temptations of the World and are become as the Synagogue of Satan and like Raging Waves of the Sea Satan's Fruits and Works they do manifest so that by their Fruits it is known of what Synagogue they are and have and do sufficiently discover it in all Ages how that Patience is worn out and weareth out and that they have not kept the Word of Patience and none such are like to preach the Word of God and the Word of Life and the Word of Patience and the Word of Wisdom that liveth and abideth and endureth for ever that keep not the Word of Patience for how can such keep the Word of Patience or the Word of Life or the Word of Wisdom when they separate themselves and go out from the Church of shrist and are not of it For had they been of it they would have continued with the Church of Christ in the Word of Life Wisdom and Patience But now they do manifest themselves to be out of the gentle Wisdom of God The Fruits of hem who ere not led by the Wisdom of God and out of the Word of Patience in a Rash Hasty Furious Envious Malicious Hateful Lying Defaming Slandering Gain-saying and Envious Spirit of Cain Corah and Ham and the Fruits of this Spirit is manifest sufficiently now as in other Ages to them that live in the Word of Life Wisdom and Patience by which Word all God's Children are born again of the Immortal Seed and feeds upon the Milk of the Word by which Word all things were made and created by which Word all God's People are reconciled to God which Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever Now as there isa growth and adding to Faith and Vertue and Knowledge and Temperance and Godliness and Patience and Brotherly Kindness and Charity as God's Children are led by the Spirit of God in which they have Unity and it is the Bond of their Peace So as there is an erring from the Spirit of God there is a degenerating from Vertue Kindness and true Knowledge and Godliness and Temperance and Patience and Brotherly Kindness and Charity this we have seen both now in this Age as in the Days of the Apostles and this degenerating Spirlt whose Patience is worn out they may get all the good Words in the Scriptures Words of the Spirit Words of Truth Words of Faith and the Promises and apply them to their Impatient Spirits but they will lose the Comfort of them But the Word of Life the Word of Wisdom the Word of Patience will never be worn out but liveth and abideth and endureth for ever Dear Friends f we suffer for Righteousness appy are we Be ye Followers of that which is good and if ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye For it 's better if the Will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing and not for evil-doing because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth Righteously If ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their Terror neither be troubled having a good Conseience that whereas they speak Evil of you as of Evil-doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ And if ye are Reproached for the Name of Christ Jesus happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on their part he is Evil spoken of but on your part he is Glorified But let none of you suffer as a Murderer or a Thief or as a Busie-body in other Mens matters But if any Man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him Glorifie God upon this behalf that he suffereth as a Christian not as a Murderer Thief Evil-doer or a Busie-body in other Mens matters for that is not a Suffering for Christ who hath suffered for you and they that will reign with him must suffer with him The God of all Grace who hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Jesus Christ after that ye have suffered a while make ye perfect stablish strengthen and settle you this is through the Sufferings for Christ Jesus the Captain of our Salvation who was made perfect through Sufferings and is able to succour all his Followers in their Temptations and Sufferings And the Apostle saith to the Church of Christ the Philipians I count all things but loss for the
Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him Of the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ that I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death Which every true Christian should be of the same mind as this Holy Apostle was So here you may see the Apostle exhorts People to Suffer with Christ and for him but not as Murderers Thieves Evil-doers and Busie-bodies in other Mens matters And as David saith Depart from the evil and do good seek peace and pursue it keep thy Tongue from evil and thy Lips from speaking guile For the wicked have set their Mouths against the Heavens and their Tongues walk through the Earth But be not as the Horse and the Mule whose Mouth must be held with the Bit and the Bridle And David saith I will take heed unto my Ways that I Sin not with my Tongue I will keep my Mouth with a bit while the Wicked is before me And this is good Advice that God's People be not ensnared by the Wicked's Snare And therefore it is good for all God's People to be careful and wise that none do suffer as Busie-bodies in other Mens matters or as Evil-doers c. but let their Sufferings be foi Righteousness sake and with Christ that they may reign with him And keep out the Athenians Spirit spending their time in hearing and telling of News which the World is full of in whom your Trouble is But in me ye have Peace saith Christ And therefore as every one hath received Christ so walk in him and let your Conversations be in him Amen And blessed are they who suffer for Righteousness sake and in whose Hearts there is no Enmity And blessed are they that dwell in the Love of God that can bear all things and are in the Wisdom of God which is pure and peaceable For Troubles Afflictions Sufferings Imprisonments spoiling of Goods and many Perils do attend God's People by the World that lieth in Wickedness And therefore it is good for all God's People to keep in Christ their Sanctuary in whom they have Eternal Rest and Peace And also God's People are exercised now as in days past with Trials and Perils by false Brethren as the Church of Christ was in the Apostles day such as went from the Chruch in Cain's Trials by false Brethren Corah's and Balaam's Way as the Apostle saith Fierce Despisers false Accusers of those that are good and you may read in 2 Pet. 2. throughout of such as forsook the right Way and of many following their pernicious Ways by reason of whom the Way of Truth was evil spoken of And so it is now as it was in the Apostles days And the Apostle saith to the Church You have heard say that Anti-christs should come even now are there many Anti-christs They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out from us that they might be manifest they were not of us 1 John 2.18 19. Christ did forewarn his Disciples of these Anti-christs and false Prophets that they should be in wardly Ravening Wolves and by the Fruits of their Trees they should be known to be of the Nature of the Wolf and not of the Lamb Such as these went from the Church in the Apostles days into the World and such as these are gone from the Church of Christ now into the Spirit of the World their evil Spirits are tried as in 1 John 4. And the Sufferings and Perils by false Brethren have been more Grief many times to the Church of Christ than open Persecution for they cause the Way of Truth to be evil spoken of that turn from the Way of Righteousness like the Dog to the Vomit or the Sow to the Mire And in the Way of Righteousness Christ Jesus God preserve all his People from all the biting devouring Dogs and greedy Swine And you read how Righteous Abel suffered by his false Brother Cain The Righteous suffer by the Vnrighteous and did not Ishmael persecute his Brother Isaac And would not Esau have destroyed his Brother Jacob But God prevented him And was not Ishmael and Esau in an outward Profession of the Circumcision And how often did the Jews that were brought out of Egypt by the Power of the Lord turn against Moses and Aaron and other Elders and so turned against the Power and Spirit of God that brought them out of Egypt whom the Lord destroyed in the Wilderness and they never came to see the Land of Promise And how often did the Jews turn against the holy Prophets of God after they came into the Land of Canaan and what was their end when they had rebelled against the good Spirit that God gave them to instruct them And were not these holy Prophets the Jews Brethren whom they killed and imprisoned and presecuted And was not Joseph sold into Egypt and persecuted by his Brethren but God was with him and preserved him And so he will his faithful People And did not Moses say unto the Children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up of your Brethren him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you Deut. 18.15 Acts 3.22 and 7.37 Now when God had raised up this Prophet Christ the Prophet Christ Jesus you see many of the Jews would not receive him nor believe him nor many would hardly hear him though they were called Brethren but they Mocked him and Persecuted him and Blasphemed him and the Chief Priest gave Money to Juaas one of his Disciples to betray him And what became of all the Jews and of Judas that betrayed and persecuted Christ and the Prophets And what became of all those false Apostles and Anti christs that went in Cain's Corah's Balaam's and Jezabel's Way And will not all of the same Spirit in our Age that hath gone and goeth in the same Way or Path have the same End yea their latter End will be worse than their Beginning and to be as the Synagogue of Satan who maketh them to Accuse Slander and Revile God's Righteous People from whom Christ will save and deliver his People who bruises the Head of the Serpent and against such Synagogues of Satan the Wrath of the Lamb is turned And in Christ the Lamb of God the Saints have their Rest and Peace and can Sing Hallelujah Bednal-Green the 14th of the 4th Month 1685. G. F. A General Epistle DEar Friends Go not out from your Habitation Epist 402. but keep in your heavenly Habitation in the Spirit of Grate and Truth and the Gospel the Power of God To keep our Habitation in Christ Jesus and the holy Divine Faith you will feel in your
an Example to Parents and the Arke of God for not restraining his Children from Evil And again if that they must be left to themselves why did the Prophets and the Apostles say That they must not quench nor vex nor grieve nor rebel against the Spirit of God nor turn the Grace of God into Wantonness nor walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace but walk in the Spirit and in the Truth and in the Light and to love it and not to hate it for they that do not love the Light but hate it are condemned by it and so grow in the Condemnation and are not in the Justification of Life The Lord God commanded Abraham to Circumcise himself and his Children and Servants that were bought with Money and were born in his House He was to bring all his Males into this Covenant of outward Circumcision and the Lord said That Soul shall be cut off that is not Circumcised he hath broken my Covenant of outward Circumcision as you may see Gen. 17. Here you may see Abraham was to teach and instruct his Family and Servants and he was not to keep any Man or Servant that was Uncircumcised in his Family Now you that profess the New Covenant True Circumcision are not you and all your Children and Servants to be Circumcised with the Spirit of Circumcision And do not they that have not the Body of Death and the Sins of the Flesh cut off by Circumcision go down into the Pit and not into Paradise and the kingdom of God And therefore may not such Uncircumcised by the Spirit hurt the Families of true Christians in the Light Therefore consider Abraham was not to suffer and of his Children and Servants that were bought with his Money or born in his House to be Uncircumcised in the Old Covenant This care the Lord laid upon him in his Family in the Old Covenant Therefore consider you that profess the New Covenant of the Spirit of Circumcision what Care lies upon you in your Families of Teaching and Instructing your Servants and Children and to bring them to the Spirit of Circumcision And now do not say but you are all warned in your Life-time and therefore prise your time while you have it that you spend it to the Honour and Glory of God The 9th of the 5th Month 1686. G. F. An Epistle for them that are learned in Christ to read and understand THe Lord saith Epist 410. In this Mountain shall the Lord of Host make unto all People a feast of fat things c. And he will destroy in this Mountain the Face of the Covering cast over all People and the Veil that is spread over all Nations And he will swallow up Death into Victory and the Lord God will wipe away Tears from off all Faces Isai 5.26 27. 1 Cor. 15.54 Rev. 21.4 Is not this Mountain Christ Christ filleth the whole Earth that filleth the whole Earth where this Feast of fat things is And doth not Christ through Death destroy Death and the Devil the Power of Death and so takes away the Veil and Covering that is spread over all Nations that they may be covered with the Spirit that he pours upon all Flesh And the Apostle saith Moses put a Veil over his Face that the Children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is to be abolished for their Minds were blinded For until this Day remains the same Veil untaken away in the reading of Moses and the Old Testament the Veil is upon their Hearts which Veil is done away in Christ and when they shall turn to the Lord the Veil shall be done away as in 2 Cor. 3. So here you may see the Veil that was spread over the Hearts of People The Veil over Peoples Hearts done away by Christ is done away by Christ and all they that are turned to the Lord with open Face behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even by the Spirit of the Lord. And the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed his People and dwell amongst them who hath made their Robes white in the Blood of the Lamb And this is the Days of Christ whom God gives for a Covenant of the People to establish the Earth Sing O Heavens and rejoyce O Earth and break forth into Singing O Mountains for God hath comforted his People and hath Mercy upon his afflicted And Christ saith to the Prisoners Go forth unto them that are in Darkness shew your selves and they shall feed in Pastures For he that hath Mercy on them shall lead them and by the Springs of Water shall he guide them Isai 49. For God gave Christ for a Covenant to the People for a Light to the Gentiles to open the blind Eyes to bring out the Prisioners out of Prison and them that sit in darkness out of the Prison-Houses Isai 42.2 6 7. Rev. 7.15 16 17. So we that do witness this do praise the Lord God through Jesus Christ Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his People Rev. 21.3 This is the Day of the New Covenant which People enjoy in Christ Jesus The Lord saith I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave I will redeem them from Death O Death I will be thy Plague O Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos 13.14 And the Apostle saith O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which gives us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. So here you may see the Grave had its Victory Christ gives Victory over Death and the Grave and Death hath its Sting which is Sin But the Strength of Sin is the Law But Christ gives us the Victory who makes an end of Sin the Sting of Death as in Dan. 9.24 And who through Death destroys Death and the Power of Death and is the End of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes and so are dead to the Law by the Body of Christ Rom. 7.4 And Christ saith unto the Jews Verily verily he that hears my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life Mark Everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but hath past from Death unto Life Then they have past from the Sting of Death which is Sin And as John saith we know that we are past from Death unto Life because we love the Brethren for he that loveth not his Brother abideth in Death John 5.24 1 John 2.44 So if they were past from Death to Life then they were past from Death and his Sting which is Sin through Jesus Christ who destroys Death and makes and End of Sin And again Christ saith to the Jews Verily verily
Friends Page 498 1684. 391. To the Meeting of Friends in Truth that are Captives in Algier Page 502 392. To the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings in England c. Page 504 393. To Friends in Holland Page 505 394. Dear Friends and Brethren who are Elect and Chosen in Christ Page 506 395. To Friends at the Yearly Meeting in York Page 507 396. To the Suffering Friends of Dantzick Page 508 397. An Epistle to Friends against Pride and Haughtiness Page 510 398. An Epistle to all the Prisoners and Sufferers for the Name of the Lord Jesus Page 521 1685. 399. Concerning the Pure and Undefiled Religion c. Page 526 400. To Friends at York Page 528 401. Dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ Page 529 402. A General Epistle Dear Friends go not from your Habitations Page 533 403. Dear Friends in Holland Friezland Hambrough Frederickstadt Dantzick Palatinate c. Page 539 404. To Friends in Pensilvania Page 540 405. To Friends in the Ministry in Pensilvania and New-Jersey Page 541 406. To Friends in Wales Ibid. 407. To Friends in Dantzick Page 542 1686. 408. To Friends in Pensilvania East and West-Jersey Page 543 409. To all the holy Women that trust in God c. Page 545 410. An Epistle for them that are learn'd in Christ to read and understand Page 548 411. To the Yearly Meeting in Yorkshire Page 552 1687. 412. To Friends in West-Jersey and Pensilvania Page 553 413. Dear Friends my desire is that all Friends prize the Mercy c. Page 554 1688. 414. All my Dear Friends and Brethren Ibid. 415. Dear Friends my Love is to all Ibid. 1689. 416. To the Quarterly Men and Womens Meetings in London Ibid. 417. Dear Friends and Brethren in Christ Jesus Page 555 1690. 418. To the Six Weeks Meeting in London Ibid. 419. Dear Friends something was upon me to Write to you c. Page 556 420. To Friends Captives in Macqueness Ibid. The End of the Second Table ERRATA PAge 14. l. 45. no Parenthisis p. 15. l. 36. for and so r. but p. 16. l. 42. for into r. of p. 18. l. 10. for into r. in p. 3 r. l. 23. for they r. â—e p. 39. l. 44. after Friends dele that p. 42. l. 42. for so r. for p. 43. l. 3. after reason add which p. 59. l. 8. for is r. are p. 64. l. 6. after ending add and p. 67. l. 34. for Beauty r. Joy p. 137. l. 23. for he r. the Ibid. l. 31. dele the before of p. 142. l. 29. r. Lord's r. Lord p. 146. l. 6. after it dele to p. 153. l. 23. for which r. but p. 180. l. 26. after Ills add and p. 211. l. 7. after Abomination add that Ibid. l. 11. dele that p. 226. l. 39. dele are p. 234. l. 13. dele it p. 267. l. 3. after say add that p. 334. l. 44. for this r. these p. 338. l. 47. for has r. have p. 339. l. 39. dele let Ibid. l. 40. for wander r. wandring p. 344. l. 26. for which r. this Ibid. l. 34. after things dele and p. 353. l. 22. for Word's r World's p. 356. l. 17. after Sacrifices add for p. 398. l. 22. for feedeth r. feed p. 437. l. 27. for sprikles r. sprinkles p. 455. l. 9. for met r. meet p. 456. l. 5. for Bondange r. Bondage Ibid. l. 17. after how add He brought them down p. 462. l. 45. after of add the p. 475. l. 40. dele his p. 508. l. 19. dele fore p. 514. l. 49. dele and p. 517. l. 8. for to r. and p. 534. l. 45. for Disciple r. Disciples p. 545. l. 27. after to add be BOOKS Printed and Sold by T. Sowle next Door to the Meeting-House in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street And at the Bible in Leaden Hall-Street near the Market 1699. SAmuel Fisher's Works in Folio Robert Barclay's Works in Folio George Fox's Journal with W. Penn's Preface Folio The Works of the Long Mournful and Sorrowful Distressed Isaac Penington Folio The VVorks of that Memorable and Ancient Servant of Christ Stephen Crisp containing also a Journal of his Life giving an Account of his Convincement Travels Labours and Sufferings in and for the Truth price bound 5 s. A Collection of the several Writings and Faithful Testimonies of that suffering Servant of God and patient Follower of the Lamb Humphry Smith Truth 's Innocency and Simplicity Shining through the Conversion Gospel-Ministry Labours Epistles of Love Testimonies and VVarnings to Professors and Profane with the Long and Patient Sufferings of that Ancient and Faithful Minister and Servant of Jesus Christ Tho. Taylor VVho finished his Course in the Year MDCLXXXI price 5 s. A Collection of certain Epistles and Testimonies of Divine Consolation Experience and Doctrine Written by that Faithful Patient and Long-suffering Servant of Christ William Bennit The Memory of the Righteous Revived being a brief Collection of the Books and Written Epistles of John Camm and John Audland Together with several Testimonies relating to those two Faithful Labourers price bound 2 s. Truth Vindicated by the Faithful Testimony and Writings of the Innocent Servant and Hand-maid of the Lord Elizabeth Bathurst Deceased price bound 1 s. Baptism and the Lord's Supper Substantially Asserted being an Apology in behalf of the People called Quakers concerning those Two Heads By Robert Barclay price bound 1 s. A Catechism and Confession of Faith By R. Barclay price bound 9 d. No Cross No Crown A discourse shewing the Nature and Discipline of the holy Cross of Christ By W. Penn. In Two Parts The Fifth Addition price bound 3 s. An Address to Protestants of all Perswasions more especially the Magistracy and Clergy for the Promotion of Virtue and Charity In Two Parts By W. Penn a Protestant The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged price bound 1 s. 6 d. An Account of W. Penn's Travails in Holland and Germany for the Service of the Gospel of Christ by way of Journal Containing also divers Letters and Epistles writ to several Great and Eminent Persons whilst there The Second Impression Corrected by the Author 's own Copy with some Answers to the Letters not before Printed price bound 2 s. A Brief Account of the Rise and Progress of the People called Quakers in which their Fundamental Principle Doctrines Worship Ministry and Discipline are plainly Declared to prevent the Mistakes and Pervertions that Ignorance and Prejudice may make to abuse the Credulous With a Summary Relation of the former Dispensations of God in the World by way of Introduction By W. Penn. price bound 1 s. Primitive Christianity Revived in the Faith and Practice of the People called Quakers Written in Testimony to the present Dispensation of God through them to the VVorld That Prejudices may be Removed the Simple Instructed the VVell-enclined Encouraged and the Truth and its Innocent Friends Rightly Represented By W. Penn. price bound 1 s. The Harmony of Divine and Heavenly Doctrines Demonstrated in sundry Declarations on