yea the noble Arm of the Lord was truly awakened and the weight and work thereof bowed and tendered us also after an unusual and extraordinary manner that the Lord might work an Heavenly Sign before them and among them that the Majesty of him that is risen among the poor Quakers might in some measure be known unto them what God it is we serve and what Power it is we wait for and bow before yea they had a Sense and Discovery that day what would become of the Glory of all Flesh when God shall enter into Judgment Well let my right hand forget its Cunning and my Tongue cleave to the roof of my Mouth when I shall forget the loving kindness of the Lord and the sure Mercies of our God to us his Travelling Servants that day O Lord send forth thy Light and thy Truth that all Nations may behold thy Glory Thus continued the Meeting till about the Seventh Hour which done with Hearts and Souls filled with Holy Thanksgivings to the Lord for his abundant Mercy and Goodness to us we departed to our Lodging desiring to know whether our coming the next day might not be uneasie or unseasonable to her with respect to the Affairs of her Government it being the last day of the Week when we were informed she was most frequently attended with Addresses from her Peoplâ— but with a loving and ready Mind she replyed That she should be glad to see us the next Morning and at any time when we would The next Morning being the Seventh day we were there betwixt Eight and Nine where R.B. falling into some discourse with the Princess the Countess took hold of the Opportunity and Whispered me to withdraw to get a Meeting for the more inferiour Servants of the House who would have been Bashful to have presented themselves before the Princess and blessed be the Lord he was not wanting to us but the same blessed Power that had appeared to Visit them of High appeared also to Visit them of Low Degree and we were all sweetly tender'd and broken together for Vertue went forth of Jesus that Day and the Life of our God was shed abroad amongst us as a sweet savour for which their Souls bowed before the Lord and confess'd to our Testimony which did not a little please that Noble Young Woman to find her own report of us and her great care of them so effectually answered Oh what shall we say is there any God like our God Who is glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises working Wonders To his Eternal Name Power and Arm be the Glory for Ever The Meeting done the Princess came to us expressing much Satisfaction that we had that good opportunity with her Servants telling us she much desired they should have a true and right Character of us and that therefore she chose to with-draw that they might have freer access and that it might look like their own Act on Words to that Purpose The Twelfth Hour being come we returned to our Inn letting them understand we purposed the Lord willing to Visit them some time that Afternoon I must not here forget that we found at our Inn the first Night at Supper a Young Merchant of a sweet and ingenious Temper belonging to the City of Bremen who took occasion from that Night's Discourse the sixth day at Dinner and Supper and the Seventh day also to seek all opportunities of conference with us and as we have reason to be believe he stayed Twenty Four Hours in that City on our Account We opened to him the Testimony of Truth I know not that in any one thing he contradicted us At last he plainly discovered himself unto us to be a Follower of a certain Minister in Bremen that is even by his Fellow-ministers and Protestants reproached with the Name of Quaker because of his singular sharpness against the formal lifeless Ministers and Christians in the World We laid fast hold upon this and askt him in case any of us should Visit that City if he would give us the opportunity of a Meeting at his House which he readily granted us So we gave him some Books recommending him to the true and blessed Testimony of Christ Jesus the Light and Judge of the World and Life of them that receive him and believe in him and so we parted It being now about Three in the Afternoon we went to the Princess's where being come after some little time the Princess and Countess put me in Remembrance of a Promise I made them in one of my Letters out of England namely that I would give them an account at some convenient time of my first Convincement and of those Tribulations and Consolations which I had met withal in this way of the Kingdom which God hath brought me to After some pause I found my self very free and prepared in the Lord's love and fear to comply with their request and so after some Silence began But before I had half done it was Supper time and the Princess would by no means let us go we must Sup with her which importunity not being well able to avoid we yielded to and sat down her to Supper among the rest present at these Opportunities it must not be forgotten that there was a Countess Sister to the Countess then come in to Visit her and a French Woman of Quality the first behaving her self very decently and the last often deeply broken and from a light and slighting Carriage towards the very Name of a Quaker she became very intimately and affectionately kind and respectful to us Supper being ended we all returned to the Princess's Chamber where making us all to sit down with her she with both the Countesses and the French Woman prest from me the Continuance of my Relation but none more than the Countess ' s Sister which tho' late I was not unwilling to oblige them with because I knew not when the Lord would give me such an opportunity and I found them affected It continued till about Ten at Night yet many particulars omitted partly through forgetfulness and partly for want of time howbeit I must needs say they heard me with an Earnest and Tender Attention and I hope and believe the Lord hath made it profitable unto them This done some discourse they had upon it and afterwards we spoke about a Meeting for the next day being the first day of the Week and that we might have not only as many of her own Family but as many of her Town as would willingly be there she yielded to it and appointed the Meeting to begin at the Second Hour so we parted being near the Eleventh Hour at Night The next Morning we had a Meeting among our selves in our Chamber wherein the Lord refresht us and there was a great Travail upon our Spirits that the Lord would stand by us that day and magnifie the Testimony of his own Truth by us that he might have a Seed and People
made our usual Inquiry viz. who was worthy in the City and found some that tenderly and lovingly received us to whom we declared the Visitation of the Light and Love of God Among the rest was Dureus our Countryman a Man of Seventy Seven Years of Age who had learned in good Measure to forget his Learning School Divinity and Priest's Craft and for his approaches towards an inward Principle is reproachfully saluted by some with the honest Title of Quaker 't is much better than Papist Lutheran or Calvinist who are not only ignorant of but Enemies to Quaking and Trembling at the Word of the Lord as Moses and others did Upon the Sixth day of the same week about Noon we set out towards Franckfort having left several Books behind us which hath been our Practice in our Journey At Franckfort we Arrived the Second day about Noon being just a Week from Herwerden and having from thence and Cassel made known our intentions of coming to that City two considerable Persons came and met us about half a German Mile from the City informing us of several well affected in that Town upon which we told them the end of our coming and desired to have a Meeting with them in the Afternoon which we easily obtained at the House of a Merchant one of the two that met us The persons that resorted thither were generally People of considerable Note both of Calvinists and Lutherans and we can say they received us with gladness of Heart and embraced our Testimony with a broken and reverent Spirit thanking God for our coming amongst them and praying that he would prosper this work in our Hands this ingaged our hearts to make some longer stay in this City We therefore desired another Meeting the next day which they cheerfully assented to where several came that were not with us the day before and the Lord that sent us into the Land was with us and by his Power reached to them insomuch that they confessed to the Truth of our Testimony Of these Persons there were two Women one a Virgin the other a Widow both Noble of Birth who had a deep Sense of that power and presence of God that accompanied our Testimony and their hearts yearned strongly towards us the Virgin giving us a particular invitation to her House the next Morning where we had the most blessed Opportunity of the three for the Lord's power so eminently appeared that not only those that had been with us before were most effectually reacht but a certain Student residing in the House of a Lutheran Minister sent for by that Young Woman was broken to pieces and magnified that blessed power which appeared Also there accidentally came in a Doctor of Physick who unexpectedly was affected and confessed to the Truth praying God to prosper us This was the blessed Issue of our Visit to Franckfort But there is one thing more not unfit to be mentioned Among some of those that have Inclinations after God a fearful Spirit together with the shame of the Cross hath entred against which our Testimony in part striking we took Notice it was as Life to these noble Women for that was it as they told us which had long opprest them and obstructed the work of the Lord amongst them Therefore said the Young Virginour Quarters are free for you let all come that will come and lift up your Voices without fear for said she it will never be well with us till Persecution come and some of us be lodged in the Stadthouse that is the Prison We left the Peace of Jesus with them and the same Afternoon we departed out of that City being the fourth day of the week Here I writ an Epistle to the Churches of Jesus TO THE CHURCHES OF JESUS Throughout the WORLD Gathered and settled in his Eternal Light Power and Spirit to be one Holy Flock Family and Houshold to the Lord who hath Redeemed them from among all the Kindreds of the Earth Godly Zeal Wisdom Power Perseverance and Victory with all Heavenly Blessings be multiplied among you in the Name of the Lord. William Penn. Printed in the Year 1677. TO THE CHURCHES OF JESUS Throughout the VVORLD Gathered and settled in his Eternal Light Power and Spirit to be One Holy Flock Family and Houshold to the Lord c. Dear Friends and Brethren WHO have been visited with the Fatherly Visitation from on High and have received God's Eternal Word and Testament in your Hearts by which you have been gathered home to Christ Jesus the true Shepherd from all the Idol-Shepherds and their barren Mountains and unprofitable Hills where you have been scattered in the Dark and Gloomy Day of Apostacy and by hiâ— Light Spirit and Power have been convinced of Sin Righteousness and Judgment and can say The Prince of thiâ— World is judged by his Holy Righteous and powerful Appearance in you untâ— whom all Judgment in Heaven and Earth is committed who is the blessed Lamâ— of God the Light and Saviour of the World who is King of Salem and Prince of Peace My Soul loves you with everlasting Love even with the Love with which my God and your God my Father and your Father hath loved me and visited my Soul and your Souls in this do I dearly salute and embrace you all in this the day of the fullfilling of his glorious Promises to his Church in the Wilderness and Witnesses in Sack-cloth And O magmagnified be his Name and everlastingly praised and renowned be his holy Power and Arm by which he hath reached unto us and brought Salvation near us For he hath found us out and hath heard our Solitary Cries the deep and mournful Supplications of our bowed Spirits when we were as the â—ittle silly Dove without its Mate and â—he lonely Pelican in the Wilderness when we were ready to cry out Is â—here none to save is there none to help O when shall the Time and Times and half a Time be finisht when shall the One Thousand Two Hundred and Sixty Days be accomplisht and when shall the Abomination that stands in the Holy Place â—â—e cast out when shall the Captivity of the People be turned back O when shall Babylon come into Remembrance before God the Dragon Beast and False Prophet be cast into the Lake And when shall the Law go forth out of Sion and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem When shall Sion become the Joy and Jerusalem the Praise of the whole Earth And when shall the Earth be covered with the Knowledge of the Lord as the Waâ—ers cover the Sea Friends The Lord of Heaven and Earth hath heard our Cries and the full time is come yea the appointed time is come and the Voice of the Eâ—ernal Spirit in our Hearts hath been And Friends let it never pass out of our remembrance what our God hath done for us since he hath made us a People Hath any Weapon formed against us prospered hath he
called us and not protected us hath he given Power to conceive and not to bring forth hath he not sheltered us in many a Storm did he ever leave us under the Reproaches and Contradictions of Men nay hath he not spoken Peace to us were we ever cast out by Men and he forsook us No the Lord hath taken us up Were we ever in Prison and he visited us not hungry and he fed us not naked and he clothed us not or have we been sick and he came not to see us When were the Jails so close that he could not come in and the Dungeons so dark that he caused not his Light to shine upon us O nay he hath never left us nor forsaken us yea he hath provided richly for us he hath brought us into the Wilderness not to starve us but to try us yet not above our measure For he fed us with Manna from on high with pure Honey and Water out of the Rock and gave his good Spirit to sustain us By Night he was a Pillar of Fire to us to comfort us and by Day a Pillar of Cloud to hide and shelter us He was a Shadow of a mighty Rock that followed us and we never wanted a Brook by the way to refresh us Was God good to Israel outward Much more hath he abounded to his spiritual Israel the proper Seed and Off-spring of himself O the noble Deeds and valiant Acts that he hath wrought in our Day for our Deliverance He hath caused One to chase Ten and Ten an Hundred and an Hundred a Thousand many a Time None hath been able to snatch us out of his Hands who abode in his Truth For though the Winds have blown and the Sea hath raged yet hath he rebuked the Winds and the Sea for his Seed's sake He hath said to the Winds Be still and to the Sea Thus far shalt thou come and no further He hath cast up a high Way for his Ransomed to walk in so plain that though a Fool he shall not err therein This is the Light in which all Nations of them that are saved must walk for ever And therefore Friends let us stay our Minds in the Light of the Lord for ever and let the Awe Fear and Dread of the Almighty dwell in us and let his Holy Spirit be known to be a Covering to us that from the Spirit of this World we may be chastly kept and preserved unto God in the holy Light and Self-denying Life of Jesus who hath offered up himself once for all leaving us an Example that we should also follow his Steps that as he our dear Lord and Master so we his Servants and Friends and Children might by the eternal Spirit offer up our selves to God in Body in Soul and in Spirit which are his that we may be his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works to the Praise of him that hath called us which Calling is an high and an holy Calling by the eternal Light and Spirit in our Consciences O that it might for ever remain in high Estimation with us and that it may be the daily Watch and Travel of us all in the Presence of the Holy and Living God that hath called us to make our great Call and Election sure which many have neglected to do who have been convinced by the blessed Light and Truth of Christ Jesus revealed in their Hearts and who for a time have walked among us have been overcome by the Spirit of this World and turned their Hands from the Plough and deserted the Camp of the Lord and gone back into Egypt again whereby the Heathens have blasphemed and the Way and People of the Lord greatly have suffered Therefore O my dear Friends and Brethren in the Sense of that Life and Power that God from Heaven so gloriously hath dispensed among us and by which he hath given us multiplied Assurances of his Loving-kindness unto us and crowned us together with heavenly Dominion and in which my Spirit is at this time broken before the Lord do I most earnestly entreat you to watch continually lest any of you that have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come fall by Temptation and by Carelesness and Neglect tempt the living God to withdraw his fatherly Visitation from any of you and finally to desert such for the Lord our God is a jealous God and he will not give his Glory unto another He hath given to Man all but Man himself and him he hath reserved for his own peculiar Service to build him up a glorious Temple to himself so that we are bought with a Price and we are not our own Therefore let us continually watch and stand in awe that we grieve not his Holy Spirit nor turn his Grace into Wantonness But all of us let us wait and that in a holy travail of Spirit to know our selves sealed by the Spirit of Adoption unto the Day of our compleat Redemption when not only all our Sins but all Sorrows Sighings and Tears shall be wiped away from our Eyes and everlasting Songs of Joy and Thanksgivings shall melodiously fill our Hearts to God that sits upon the Throne and to his blessed immaculate Lamb who by his most precious Blood shall have compleatly redeemed us from the Earth and written our Names in the Book of Life Friends The Spirit of the Lord hath often brought you into my Remembrance since I have been in this desolate Land and with Joy unutterable have I had sweet and precious Fellowship with you in the Faith of Jesus that overcometh the World For though absent in Body yet present in him that is Omnipresent And I can truly say you are very near and very dear unto me and the Love that God hath raised in my Heart unto you surpasses the Love of Women And our Testimony I am well satisfied is sealed up together And I am well assured that all that love the Light shall endure to the End throughout all Tribulations and in the End obtain Eternal Salvation And now Friends as I have been travelling in this dark and solitary Land the great Work of the Lord in the Earth has been often presented unto my view and the Day of the Lord hath been deeply upon me and my Soul and Spirit hath frequently been possessed with an holy and weighty Concern for the Glory of the Name of the Lord and the spreading of his everlasting Truth and the Prosperity of it through all Nations that the very Ends of the Earth may look to him and may know Christ the Light to be given to them for their Salvation And when the Sense of these things hath been deeply upon me an holy and strong Cry God hath raised in my Soul to him That we who have known this fatherly Visitation from on High and who have beheld the Day of the Lord the Rising of the Sun of Righteousness who is full of Grace and full of Truth
Meeting six years ago in this City and I remember the power had that operation upon them that I said to B F. and T R. then with me it will not be long before they will publickly own and bear testimony in this place and about three months after he came forth and she about a year after him and from their fidelity and integrity notwithstanding all the sore and bitter tempest of Persecution a fine Meeting sprang but at this day they are scattered being still sent away as fast as they return We visited his Mother's Family where we found three of his Sisters in the love of Truth his fourth Sister being also a Friend and is Wife of John Claus living at Amsterdam We had a little sweet comfortable Meeting with them After it returning to my lodging as I was writing to Doctor Andrews President of the Counsel of State who is reported to have been the Author of this cruelty to our Friends a burden came upon me my writing would not serve turn but I must go my self and in the fear and name of the Lord to plead the innocent and suffering cause of our Friends with him So away we went to his house he was at first astonished to see what manner of Men we were but after a little time he comported himself with more kindness than we expected at his hand I askt him if He and the Senate had not received a Letter in Latine from an English-man about two years since concerning their Severity towards the People called Quakers He told me he had I replyed I was the Man and I was constrained in Conscience to visit him on their behalf and I could not see how he being a Common-wealth's-man and 〈◊〉 Protestant could persecute I pleaded with the Unnaturalness the Iâ—christianity and Imprudence of such proceedings and prest â—ur Reasonâ— earnestly but tenderly upon him he assaulted us with several Objections but blessed be the Lord they were mostly fictitious and therefore easily removed and answered He also promised me That if I would write to the Senate a Remonstrance of the Case of our Friends and express my Request therein and inclose it to him he would both present it and get it to be read and make it appear that he was not so much our enemy as we lookt upon him to be I promised to send him some Books containing a Defence of our Principles which were accordingly put into the hands of Eliza. Haesbert to deliver him in my name Having taken our leave of the Old Woman and her Daughters and a Man-friend residing in that City and left the blessings and peace of our God amongst them We took Ship for Lier where we arrived the next morning thence we took Waggon for Bremen where we came safe through the Lord's goodness the next day where we met our Friends and Companions G. Keith and B. Burly who were come hither some hours before us from Amsterdam In this City there is a work of the Lord begun though yet obscurely We had a travel upon our spirits that the blessed and precious Truth of our dear Lord and Master might find a place to rest its foot upon to that purpose we wrote to two Ministers under some Suffering from their Brethren because of their great zeal against the formality and deadness of the so called reformed Churches This we sent by a Merchant who we formerly met at Herwerden With some difficulty we got to them but the person chiefly struck at was shy to speak with us his reason was this it was known that we were in Town and it was one of the accusations against him that he was a Fosterer of all the strange Religions that came through the Town Also he was then actually under Process and that the People that had heard of the innocency of his cause conceived a prejudice against our Name though it might be without cause he could not at present confer with us and said he was sorry for it with all his heart but what we should say to his Brother should be the same as if it been said to him to whom he referred us however I took hold of his Arm and said I have this Message to deliver to thee that I may disburden my self before the Lord which was this Mind that which hath touched thy heart let that guide thee do not thou order that consult not with Flesh and Blood how to maintain that cause which Flesh and Blood in thy enemies persecuteth thee for He answered rather than I will betray that cause or desert Christ by Gods strength they shall pull my flesh of my bones So he left us in his house and truely we had a good time with his Companion the other Minister about three hours testifying unto him that the day was come and coming in which the Lord would gather out of all Sects that stand in the oldness of the Letter into his own Holy Spirit Life and Power and in this the Unity of Faith and Bond of Peace should stand and therefore that he and all of them should have an eye to the principle of God that being turned to that they might speak from it and that therein they would Glorifie God and be edified So we parted leaving the man in a sensible and savoury frame We visited the Merchant twice and had a very good time with him the man is of a loving and simple Spirit and the Love of God opened our hearts to him often We also visited Doctor Johan Sophrony Cozack an odd Compositum of a man he had great and strange openings he hath writ several hundred tracts some of them are now printed at Amsterdam he is a great enemy to the Priests and in society with none of a merry yet of a rough disposition without any method or decency in his Cloaths Food Furniture and Entertainments he wants but three of fourscore yet of a wonderful Vigor and pregnancy we were twice with him and we have reason to think he was as loving to us as to any body and truly he did show at parting some serious and hearty kindness but we could fasten little upon him as to God's Power or any inward sense of us or our testimony yet we had little to object against what we had said nay some things were very extraordinary From him we went to Doctor Belingham an English Physitian a man of a lowly and tender spirit who received us in much love lamenting when we left him that he had no more time with us At the Inn we had frequent opportunity to declare the way of Truth and we must needs say we were heard with patience and Sobriety particularly of a Doctor of Law who lodged at the house and an ancient Man of Kiel in Holstein we left Books amongst them all and in the Love and Fear of God we took our leave of them on the fifth day after dinner and begun our journey towards Herwerden the Court of the Princess where
in which is Life his Candle hath hitherto rested on our Tabernacle and he hath made us glad in his own Salvation Eternal Glory to his excellent Name We immediately took a Post-Carr and came next day about two in the Afternoon to Cleve where we had a very pretious Meeting at an honest Procurator's House who received us with much love four or five more were present all Grave and Tender our Hearts were greatly affected with their love and simplicity We also visited the Lady Hubner who was kind to us Next Morning we set out for Nimeguen and thence immediately to Utrecht where we arrived that Night and took the Night-boat for Amsterdam because of a pressure upon my Spirit to be next day at the Meeting and the rather having intimated as much from Ceulen We arrived in the Morning at Amsterdam where we found our dear Friends generally well the City much Alarm'd and great Curiosity in some and Desires in others to come to the Meeting we had a very great Meeting and many People of note resorted God's Gospel Bell was rung the great Day of the great God sounded and the Dead was raised and much tenderness appeared in several O blessed be the Name of the Lord whose Work and Testimony prospereth The next day was spent in divers Affairs relating to the Truth The day following we had a Meeting with Galenus Abrahams the great Father of the Socinian Mennists in these Parts accompanied with several Preachers and others of his Congregation divers of our Friends were also present It continued about five Hours he affirmed in opposition to us That there was no Christian Church Ministry or Commission Apostolical now in the World but the Lord assisted us with his Wisdom and Strength to confound his Attempts Here endeth the Narrative I intend a Visit to the Hague to the Lady Overkirks Sister of the Somerdikes and some others that have sober Characters of Truth and Friends and thence to Rotterdam where I have much to do both with respect to Meetings and the Press G K. and B F. go with me Thus my Dear Friend have I given thee a tedious Narrative yet I hope not altogether unpleasant perhaps the brevity of my Letters hereafter may best Apologize for the length of this However I consider two things one is That thou hast time enough one time or other to look over it And next That I have plentifully as were thy requests demonstrated I have not forgotten thee O Dear Friend let us live and remember one another now absent in that Divine Sense in which the Lord God dissolv'd our Spirits when together O the Unity of this Faith the Purity of this Love and the Bond of this Peace The Lord Jesus be with thy Spirit and keep thee in this the Hour of thy Temptation that thou mayest come forth as Gold seven times tryed so shall thy Testimony shine for the God that hath called thee and he will reward thee with Honour Glory and Eternal Life Amen Thus saith the Lord I remember thee the kindness of thy Youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after me in the Wilderness in a Land that was not sown Jerem. 2.2 Dear Friend consider this yet again The way of the just is Uprightness thou most upright do'st weigh the Paths of the Just yea in the Way of thy Judgment O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our Soul is to thy Name and to the Remembrance of thee With my Soul have I desired thee in the Night yea with my Spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy Judgments are in the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness Lord thou wilt ordain Peace for us for thou hast wrought all our Works in us O Lord our God other Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us but by thee only we make mention of thy Name Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a Prayer when thy chastning was upon them Like as a Woman with Child that draweth near the time of her Delivery is in Pain and cryeth out in her Pangs so have we been in thy Sight O Lord. We have been with Child we have been in Pain we have as it were brought forth Wind we have not wrought any Deliverance in the Earth neither have the Inhabitants of the World fallen Thy dead Men shall live together with my dead Body shall they arise awake and Sing ye that dwell in the Dust for thy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs and the Earth shall cast out the dead Come my People enter thou into thy Chamber and shut thy door about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the Indignation be overpast For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquities the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her Slain Isa 26.7 8. to 21. So come Dear Lord Jesus that was dead but is alive and liveth for ever Amen Very dearly Farewell Thy Friend that faithfully Travelleth for thy Redemption W.P. Amsterdam 10th of the 8th Month 1677. The same day we had a blessed Publick Meeting never to be forgotten O the Majesty Glory and Life that the Lord attended us with our Hearts were deeply affected with his Presence great Reverence and Brokenness was over the Meeting more than I had seen The Meeting done we were opposed by a Preacher who was closely encountred and pursued by several Merchants c. not of us that cryed he was Rude and Ignorant and that they had a Testimony for us who offered to Dispute in our Defence but the Priest run away they followed him till they housed him c. It was upon me this day to engage Galenus Abrahams to a second Conference that we might more fully debate and confute his grand Objections against the present Dispensation of Truth and the heavenly Ministry witnessed among Friends he refused not my offer of a second Meeting but sent me word his Business would not give him leave to let it be any time this day upon which the next was â—ixt for the Conference to begin at Eight which accordingly it did and held till One. The most impartial account of both these Conferences that I am briefly able to give followeth The Meeting ended and having refresht our selves after a solemn leave taken of our dear Friends at Amsterdam G. F. and I went that Night to Leyden accompanied by B. Furly coming there late at Night we forbore to inquire after any worthy in that place But the next Morning we found out two one a German of or near Darmstad who not only express'd much love to the Principle of Truth and unto us the Friends thereof but also informed us of a retired Person of great Quality that liveth about two hours back again towards Amsterdam at a Village called Nortwyck Our Resolutions of being
that Night at Rotterdam and having the Hague to Visit by the way made our return at that time unpracticable however the Relation of the German concerning the good Inclinations of the great Man and his Wife their disdain of the World voluntary retreat from the Greatness and Glory of it rested strongly upon our Spirits This Person presently conducted us to the House of one who had formerly been a Doctor in the University and there left us To this Person both G. F. and my self were more than ordinarily open he was of a sweet yet quick wise yet very loving and tender Spirit there were few Strangers we felt greater love to He assented to every thing we said and truly his Understanding was very clear and open to the things that lay upon us to declare and express'd his firm Belief of great Revolutions at hand and that they should terminate in the setting up of the glorious Kingdom of Christ in the World What shall I say the Man felt our Spirits and therefore loved us and in the fresh sense of that love writ a Letter by us to a retired Pâ—rson at the Hague like himself which in several places of Germany was the way whereby we found out several of the retired People we visited After near two Hours time with him we took Waggon for the Hague leaving the Peace of God upon him The first thing we did there was to enquire out the Lady Overkirk a Person of a retired and religious Character separated from the publick Worship of that Country She was a home but her Husband with her being a great Man of the Army of another Disposition and Way of Living hindred our Access at that time The next Person we went to was a Judge at the Law of Chief Court of Justice in that Republick he received us with great Respect and a more than ordinary desire to know the truth of our Faith and Principles We declared of the things most surely believed amongst us in the Power and Love of God He made his Observations Objections and Queries upon several things we spake to whom we replied and explained all Mattters in question insomuch that he declared himself satisfied in our Confessions and his good Belief of us and our Principles We took a solemn and sensible leave of him and we felt the Witness reacht and his Spirit tendred which filled our hearts with dear love to him he brought us to his Street-door and there we parted From him we went to visit that Person for whom we had a Letter from the Dr. at Leyden but he was not at home We immediately took Waggon for Delft and from thence an Express-Boat for Rotterdam where we arrived well about Eight at Night The next day was mostly spent in visiting of Friends and the friendly People in that place which consisted of several Persons of worldly Note The next day being the first Day of the Week we had a large and blessed Meeting wherein the deep Mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ and Antichrist were declared in the power of an endless Life Several of divers Religions were there but no Disturbance and Contradiction but a profound Silence and reverent Attention were over the Meeting That Night I had a blessed Meeting at my Lodging with those Persons of Note that at sometimes visited our publick Meetings as at that day and have a Convincement upon them The Lord's Love Truth and Life preciously reached towards them and they were very sweetly affected Next day I bestowed in perfecting and correcting several publick Letters which I was moved to write both in my first and second Journey in Germany and after my return to these Low-Countries They are left behind to be Translated and Printed they are omitted here because they are large and likely to be â—ereafter printed in English The Titles whereof follow I. A Summons to Christendom in an earnest Expostulation with her to prepare for the great and notable Day of the Lord that is at the door II. To all those who are sensible of the Day of their Visitation and who have received the Call of the LORD by the Light and Spirit of his Son in their Hearts to partake of the great Salvation where-ever scattered throughout the World but more especially in the High and Low-Dutch Nations Faith Hope and Charity which over-come the World be multiplied among you III. To all those Professors of Christianity that are Externally separated from the visible Sects and Fellowships in the Christian World so called wherever hidden or scattered true Knowledge which is Life Eternal from God the Father by Christ Jesus IV. A tender Visitation in the Love of God that over-cometh the World to all People in the High and Low-Dutch Nations who hunger and thirst after Righteousness and desire to know and worship God in Truth and in Sincerity containing a plain Testimony to the Ancient and Apostolical Life Way and Worship that God is reviving and exalting in the Earth in his Spirit and Truth The sense of the serious retreat of this great Man we heard of at Leiden was so strong upon me that I could not see my self clear to leave the Country before I had given him a Visit I purposed therefore the next Morning to set forward to the Hague from thence to Leiden and so to Nortwyck I arrived there in the Evening with B F. A Sonnemans and M Sonnemans and immediately made known our coming and the end of it to him and his Wife by the means of the young German who was got thither before us to visit them An Invitation came to us all at our Inn and immediately we repaired to his House which was very stately and yet plain he presently came to us took us by the hand and bid us heartily welcome We immediately sate down and after some time of retirement I spoke something of what was upon me yet not before he had given us a sober and pathetical Account of his Life and of the present frame and disposition of his Spirit All this was in the absence of his Wife but so soon as I had finisht what was then upon me to speak of the Witness of God and of its Work in Man upon the occasion of the History he gave us of his 〈◊〉 he led us into another Room 〈◊〉 his Wife was he told her here were â—omâ— Christian Friends come to visâ—t her she saluted us very kindly We all sat down and after some â—â—â—ence the heavenly Power of God did in a living and tender manner open their States and Conditions to me and opened my Mouth to them the substance of my Testimony was to this purpose That Death reigned from Adam to Moses Moses was till the Prophets the Prophets till John and John till Christ What Christ's day was how few see this day and whilst People are talking of being in Christ under Grace and not under the Law Death reigneth over them and they are
Sanctuary for ever Farewell Farewell Thy Friend and the Lord's Servant W.P. Briel 30. 8th Month S.N. 1677. Next morning the Pacquet-boat arrived and about Ten we went on board having first taken our solemn leave of our Friends that accompanied us thither We immediately set sail with a great number of Passengers but by reason of contrary and tempestuous Weather we arrived not at Harwich till the third day about the 6th hour Whence next Morning I writ this following salutation and Account to the Friends of Holland and Germany A Letter from Harwich to Friends in Holland and Germany containing the Passages from Holland to England Let this be sent to Friends in High and Low-Dutch-Land O My Soul magnifieth the Lord and my Spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour who hath rebuked the Winds and the Seas and made us to drink of his Salvation upon the great Deeps Yea we could not but praise him in the Tempest for all things are full of his Majesty Blessed is the eye that seeth and the heart that dependeth upon him at all times there is not another God he is the Lord alone that the holy Ancients trusted in and were not confounded what shall my Soul render unto the Lord. We are full of his Mercy he hath made us Witnesses of his care We can say in righteousness they are blessed whose God is the Lord and that serve all the day long no other Master than our God Friends this is an endeared Salutation to you all in High and Low Dutch-land in the deep and fresh sense of the Lord 's preserving Power O that you may abide in that sense of him which he hath begotten in you and in the reverent knowledge of him according to the manifestation which you have received of him in the light of his dear Son O that you may be faithful and fervent for the Lord that his glorious life and power may break thro' you And these Lands long dry and barren as the Wilderness may spring and blossom as the Rose For what have we to do here but to exalâ— him that hath visited and loved us yea saved us in great measure Aâ— he is worthy my Spirit reverenceth him my Heart and Soul do bow before him eternal Blessings dwell for ever with him Dear Friends my love followeth to you as a fountain God even my God and your God hath made you dear to me yea dearer than all natural Kindred You are Flesh of Flesh indeed Sea nor Land Time nor Place can never separate our Joy divide our Communion or wipe out the remembrance that I have of you yea the living Remembrance that my God often giveth me of you in the life of his Son abideth which breaketh my heart to pieces and I can say I have left most of my heart behind me and the Lord only could have outwardly separated me so soon from you O this Love that is stronger than Death more excellent than the love of Women that endureth for ever this Privilege have all the Saints Jesus the light of the World that saveth from the World be with you Amen We got well last night about Seven to Harwich being three days and two Nights at Sea Most part of the time was a great storm of Wind and Rain and Hail the Weâ—ther was against us and the Vessel so leaky that two Pumps went night and day or we haâ— perisht 't is believed that they pumpt twice more water out than the Vessel could contain but our peace was as a River and our joy full The Seas had like to have washt some of the Seamen over-board but the great God preserved all well Frights were among the People and Despondencies in some but the Lord wrought deliverance for all we were mightily throng'd which made it the more troublesome But it is observable that though the Lord so wonderfully delivered us yet some vain People soon forgot it and returned quickly to their wanton Talk and Conversation not abiding in the sense of that hand which had delivered them nor can any do it as they should but those that are turned to his appearance in their hearts who know him to be a God nigh at hand which may it be your Experience and Portion for ever And the Lord be with you and refresh and sustain you and in all your Temptations never lâ—ave you nor forsake you that Conquerors you may be and in the end of Days and Time stand in your Lot among the Spirits of the Just made perfect Amen Amen Yours in that which is Eternal W.P. Harwich 24. of the 8th Month 1677. Here I left dear G F. G Diricks and her Children that came over with us to follow me in Coach who having a desire to be that day at Colchester Meeting went early away on horse-back G K. accompanying me we got the Meeting and were well refresht in Friends That Evening we had a mighty Meeting at J. Furly's house where we lay many being there of the Town that would not come to a publick Meeting and indeed the Lord 's divine Power and Presence was in the Assembly Next day we had a great Meeting at a Marriage where we had good service for the Lord. Afternoon about four we took horse for London G. F. c. through miscarriage of a Letter about the Coach not being come to Colchester That night we lay at I. Ravens eight miles on our Way there we met Giles Barnadiston and Willam Bennet with whom and some other Friends thereabout we were comforted in the Life and Power of the Lord. The day following we took our journey for London came there in good time that Evening where I found all things relating to Friends in a good condition blessed be the Name of the Lord. I stayed about a week in Town both to visit Friends at Meetings and to be serviceable to the more general Affairs of Truth The first day of the next week I went to Worminghurst my house in Sussex where I found my dear Wife Child and Family all well blessed be the name of the Lord God of all the families of the Earth I had that Evening a sweet meeting amongst them in which God's blessed Power made us truly glad together and I can say truly blessed are they who can chearfully give up to serve the Lord Great shall be the encrease and growth of their Treasure which shall never end To Him that was and is and is to come the eternal blessed righteous powerful and faithful One be glory honour and praises Dominion and a Kingdom for ever and ever Amen William Penn. TO THE Children of Light IN THIS GENERATION Called of God to be Partakers of Eternal Life in JESUS CHRIST the Lamb of God and Light of the World My Endeared Friends and Brethren MAny Days and Weeks yea some Months hath my Heart been Heavy and my Soul unusually Sad for the sake of this Nation the Land of our Nativity For I have
therefore laid aside so shall it Vindicate us in Due Time in the Eyes of all Nations and present us a People owned beloved and protected of God in whom we have firmly believed Nor is this Presumption as some may think who being not so well acquainted with that Entire Resignation and Supreme Faith of which Jesus is the Author that removes Mountains into the Sea conclude from meer Natural and Human Considerations against us yet we know him in whom we have believed and the same that hath Cured us of our Diseases the same said unto us Arise and Walk in this Way of Faith Trust in me and not in another And truly this is much of that Wonder which Men shall have in their Minds and Mouths about us in those Latter Days In Troubles not to be dejected and in Jeopardies not to be concerned to make to our selves Defences but as the Lillies that neither toil nor spin yet feed and grow so we may both be preserved and become Victorious without Worldly Force or Projections For we must shew our selves to be that Little City and Hill of God that hath only his Salvation for our Walls and Bulwarks by whom he will renown his Arm and magnifie his Power above the Arts and Contrivances of Men. Our Weapons and our Armour is Spiritual it hath prevailed and it will prevail if we keep in the Faith which was first delivered to us a blessed Shield by which the Just live And therefore My Dear Friends let us be Careful not to mingle with the Crowd lest their Spirit enter us instead of our Spirit entering them and we thereby come to fall into the same Temptations they are liable to of Fear and Flying to the Hills and Mountains to protect them confiding in the Arm of Flesh to deliver them no no! they must come to us we must not go to them Yet can we not be Unsensible of their Infirmities as well as we shall not be free from some of their Sufferings we must make their Case as our own and travail alike in Spirit for them as for our selves Let us stand in the Counsel of our God and he will make us Preachers-forth to them of the Works of his Divine Power and the Virtue of that Faith which comes from Heaven yea he will make us as Saviours to the People that they may come to know the Holy Law and Word of the Lord their Creator in their Hearts and have their Minds and Souls turned to him and stay'd upon them that Iniquity may no more abound nor Ungodliness find a place but that in Truth Righteousness and Peace they may be establisht and the Land keep its SABBATH to the Lord for ever Then shall God lift up the Light of his Countenance upon us and water us from Heaven and bless us with all Temporal and Spirital Blessings and we shall be yet called THE ISLAND SAVED BY THE LORD Amen Amen! This was upon my Soul from God to you I could not Visit you all with a Distinct Message upon many Accounts besides the Time is Short and the Confusion appears to me to be at hand Therefore have I sent it by way of Epistle with the Brotherly Salutation of Unfeigned and Unalterable Love to you all in your Respective Meetings and Families And the Lord God of our Visitation and Redemption stir you up to these things and keep us all in his Holy Fear Wisdom Love and Patience through all those Travails and Exercises to the End of our Days that having finisht our Testimonies our Heads may go down to our Graves in Peace and our Souls be received into the Rest which is reserved for the Righteous with God and with his Blessed Lamb forever I am Your Brother and Companion through the many Tribulations of our Day and Testimony William Penn. Worminghurst in Sussex the 4th of the 9th Month 1678. I desire that this Epistle may be read in the Fear of the Lord in your several Meetings 22d 5. Month. London 2â—d Essex 24th Colchester 25th Harwich 26th â— Month. 27th 2â—th Briel Rotterdam 2â—th 30th 5 Month. 31st Leyden 1st 6 Month. Haerlem Amsterdam 12th 6 Month. 13th 6 Month. 14th 6 Month. 15th 6. Month. 16th Naerden 18th Osnabrug 19th 6 Month. Herwerden 10th 20th 6 Month. 11th 12th â— Month. 12th 22th 6 Month. 13th 23th 6 Month. Paderborne 14th 24th 6 Month. 15th 25th Cassel 16th 26th 17th 27th 6 Month. Frankfort 21st 31st 6 Month. 22 1 6 Mon. Isa 59.21 5.23 6 Month. Crisheim Franckenthall 7.25 6 th Month. Manheim 1.26 6th Month. Worms Crisheim 2.27 6 th Month. Worms 3.28 Mentz Frankfort 4.29 6 th Month. Mentz Hampack 5.30 6 th Month. Tresy 6.31 Cullen 7.1 7 th Month. 1.2 7 th Month. Duysburgh Mulheim 2.3 7 th Month. Duysburgh Holton 7th Month. 3.4 Wesel 7 th Month. 4.5 Rees Emrick Cleve 7th Month. 5.6 Nimwegen Utrecht 7 th Month 6.7 Amsterdam 7 th Month 7.8 7 th Month. 1.9 Horn. 7 th Month. 2.10 Enckhuysen Workum Harlingen 7 th Month. 3.11 Wesel Leeuwaerden Wiewart 7 th Month. 5.13 Lippenhusen 7 th Month. 6.14 Groningen 7.15 Delfzyl 7 th Month. 1.16 Embden Lier 17 th 2. Bremen 7th Month. 3.18 7th Month. Herwerdâ—n 7.22 7 th Month. 8.23 7 th Month. 2. â—4 7 th Month. 3.25.4.26 27 7th Month. Wesel 28th Duysburgh 29th Dusseldorp 8.30 Ceulen 2.1 8th Month. Dusseldorp 3.2 Duysburgh 3. 8th Month. Wesel 5.4 8th Month. 6.5 Cleve 8th Month. 7.6 Utrecht 1.7 Amsterdam 2.8.5 3.9 8 th Month. 4.10 5.11 Leyden 8 th Month. 6.12 Hague Delft Rotterdam 8 th Month. 7.13 8 th Month. 1.14 2.15 8th Month. Nortwyck 8th Month. 4.17 Hague Delft Rotterdam 8th Month. 5.18 6.19 8 th Month. 7.20 Briel 8 th Month. 1.21 2.22 3.23 Harwich 4.24 Colchester 8 th Month. 5.25 6.26 London 9th Month. 5.1 Worminghurst Hague
Name's-sake that had called them And Jesus himself that made a good Confession before Pontius Pilate who hath consecrated through his Blood a new and living Way for all that come unto God by him who is made a high Priest higher than the Heavens one that can be touched and moved and is daily touched and moved with our Weakness and Infirmity that through him we may be made strong in the Lord and more than Conquerors through him that hath loved us Wherefore let it not seem as if some strange thing had happened to you for all these things are for the Trial of your Faith which is more precious than the Gold that perisheth 'T is the old Quarrel Children of this World against the Children of the Lord those that are born after the Flesh warring against those that are born after the Spirit Cain against Abel the Old World against Noah Sodomites against Lot Hagar against Sarah Ishmael against Isaac Esau against Jacob Egyptians against Israelites the false Prophets against the true Prophets as Isaiah Jeremiah c. the Jews under the Profession of the Letter of the Law against Christ that came to fulfil the Law and all his spiritual Followers and Disciples And all the false Apostate Christians against the true and Spiriritual Christians and Martyrs of Jesus So your Conflict is for the Spiritual Appearance of Christ Jesus against those that profess him in Words but in Works and Conversations every day deny him doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace in themselves and those that are led by it But though Gog and Magog shall gather themselves together to lay waste the City of God yet the Lord hath determined their Destruction and he will bring it to pass Wherefore rejoyce O thou little Hill of God and clap thy Hands for Joy for he that is Faithful and True Just and Righteous and able to deliver thee dwells in the midst of thee Who will cause thee to grow and increase till thou becomest a great Mountain till thou becomest the Praise of the whole Earth and the whole Earth be filled with thy Glory And to you all who are the followers of the Lamb of God who was dead but is alive and lives for evermore who is risen in your Hearts as a bright shining Light and is leading you out of the Nature and Spirit of this World in the Path of Regeneration I have this to say by way of holy Encouragement unto you all the Lord God Eternal that was and is and is to come hath reserved for you the Glories of the last Days and if so be that the Followers and Martyrs of Jesus in Ages past when the Church was going into the Wilderness and his Witnesses into Sackcloth were notwithstanding so Noble and Valiant for the Truth on Earth that they loved not their Lives unto the Death and suffered joyfully the Spoiling of their Goods for the Testimony of Jesus how much more ought you all to be encouraged unto Faithfulness who are come to the Resurrection of the Day which shall never more be eclipsed in which the Bride-groom is to come to fetch you his Spouse out of the WILDERNESS to give you Beauty for Ashes and the Garment of Praise for the SPIRIT of HEAVINESS who will cover you with his Spirit and adorn you with his fine Linen the Righteousness of the Saints Lean upon his Breast for ever and know your joyning in an Everlasting Covenant with him that he may lift up the Light of his Countenance upon you and delight to do you Good that in blessing he may bless you increase you and multiply you in all spiritual Blessings now and for ever that to God through him you may live all the Days of your appointed Time to whom be Glory and Honour Praises and Thanksgivings in the Church throughout all Ages and for ever I am In the Faith Patience Tribulation and Hope of the Kingdom of Jesus your Friend and Brother William Penn. My Companions in the Labour and Travel of the Testimony of Jesus G. Keith and B. Furley salute you all in the Love of our God We have passed through several Cities of Germany and are now at Franckfort where the Lord hath given us Three blessed Opportunities with a serious and seeking People whereof as in other places of this Country many of them are Persons of great Worldly Quality Blessed be the Name of the Lord to whom be Glory be for ever W.P. Franckfort the 22d of the 6th Month 1677. The fifth Day we arrived by the way of Worms at Crisheim in the Paltzgrave's Country where we found to our great Joy a Meeting of tender and faithful People But it seems the Inspector of the Calvinists hath injoined the Vooght or chief Officer not to suffer any preaching to be among our Friends who poor Man fearing the Indignation of the Clergy came next Day to desire Friends not to suffer any preaching to be amongst them lest he should be turned out of his Place To whom we desired Friends to say that if he pleased he might apprehend us and carry us to the Prince before whom we should give an Account of our Testimony But blessed be the Lord we enjoyed our Meeting quietly and comfortably of which a Coachful from Worms made a part amongst whom was a Governour of the Country and one of the chief Lutheran Priests It came upon me in this Place to salute the Princess and Countess with this following Epistle A Salutation to Elizabeth Princess Palatine and Anna Maria dâ— Hornes Countess of Hornes at Herwerden in Germany My worthy Friends SUCH as I have such I give unto you the dear and tender Salutation of Light Life Peace and Salvation by Jesus Christ the blessed Lamb of God with the unspeakable Joy of which he hath replenished my Soul at this time that my Cup overfloweth which is the Reward of them that chearfully drink his Cup of Tribulations that love the Cross and triumph in all the Shame Reproaches and Contradictions of the World that do attend it My God take you by the Hand and gently lead you through all the Difficulties of Regeneration and as you have begun to know and love his sweet and tender Drawings so resign the whole Conduct of your Lives to him dispute not away the precious Sense that you have of him be it as small as a Grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all Seeds there is Power in it if you do but believe to remove the greatest Mountains of Opposition O pretious is this Faith yea more pretious than the Glory and Honour of this World that perish It will give Courage go with Christ before Caiaphas and Pilate yea to bear his Cross without the Camp and to be crucified with him knowing that the Spirit of God and of Glory shall rest upon them to the Inheritors of this Faith is reserved the eternal Kingdom of Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost O be you of that little Flock unto whom
being one with this Spirit in judging those that have been faithful according to the Gift of Wisdom they have received from God they will feed it and fortifie it and in the end come to be one with them against the power it self and at last run out and become open Enemies and Despisers for whom is reserved the blackness and darkness for ever Wherefore all that labour for the Restoration of those that are out of Unity with the Brethren let them be such as are of a sound mind themselves Else What will they gather from Or What will they gather to And let them labour in the Simplicity Integrity Love and Zeal of the Power that first gathered us to God For that which is rightly gotten will endure but that which is obtained by the Contrivance Interest and Perswasions of Men getteth no farther than Man and is of the Flesh and what is of the Flesh is fleshly and shall never inherit the Kingdom of God Therefore let none look out of the Seed for help for all Power is in it and there the true Light and Judgment stand for ever and that Seed hath God ordained to bruise the Serpent's head They that would save it and those that would bruise it by any other thing are Breakers of God's great Ordinance and fly to Egypt for strength For 't is David the Stripling that shall be too hard for Goliah the Giant and that not by Saul 's Armour but with God's living little stone cut out of the Mountains without hands without Man's Invention and Contrivance O this hath wrought all our mighty Works in us and for us to this day Wherefore let us be still and trust and confide therein for ever Let none look back faint or consult for if they do they will darken their pure eye and lose their way and into the Eternal Rest of the Flocks of the Companions will never come Brethren the Judgment given forth against this Spirit and all those that have resisted our love and forbearance that are joined to it must stand and all that are out of Unity with the Judgment are judged by it therefore as all would stand before the Lord and his People let not this Spirit be reasoned withal enter not into Proposals and Articles with it but feed it with Judgment that is God's Decree so may the Souls that are deceived come by the right Door into the heavenly Unity My Brethren look forwards and lift up your Eyes for the Fields are even white unto harvest up and down the Nations remember the great Name of the Lord and behold the great Work that he is doing before all People whose saving health is visiting the World and whose eternal Word and Testament must from us go forth to gather the Nations let that that will be unjust be unjust still let the Dead bury the Dead to whose appearance the King and the Kingdom of the Gentiles shall bring their glory Let us all who have received the Gift from God wait in deep humility to be raised up and impowered by him more and more to eye and prosecute his universal Service in the World which noble Work had those that are gone into the Sepation but laid deeply to heart they would never have sat at home murmuring fretting and quarrelling against the comely and godly Order and Practice of their Brethren But Love Peace and Joy had filled their hearts and not the troubler and accuser of the Brethren who hath opened an evil Eye in them and begotten them into a discontented self-separating mind and this Image they bear and the pure Eye sees it O let none tempt the Lord let none provoke the eye of his jealousie let us all dwell in that divine sense that he hath begotten in us Where our love as a fresh and pure stream will always flow to God and one another Here all his ways are pleasantness and all his paths are peace for where he keepeth the House who is Prince of Peace he will keep all in his heavenly peace We are but as one Family and therefore we have but one Lord and Master we are but as one Flock and we have but one heavenly Shepherd to hear who goeth before us and giveth us eternal like to follow him And if any are offended in him or in his it is their own fault if faint and grow weary we are truly sorry if through unwatchfulness the Enemy hath enter'd begotten coldness to the Brethren and carelessness of embracing the opportunity by which the Unity is renewed and increased so that what 's done by the Brethren without them is lockt upon first with a sleight eye and then with an evil eye which begets distance and this distance in a time separation and separation continueth enmity and this enmity death it self We are in our Spirits truly griev'd for them however the Judgments of God must stand against them and that Spirit which leadeth them in which they gather not to God but to themselves and woe to them that strengthen their hands and despise counsel they will have much to answer for before the Lord. I feel a slighting scornful laughing Spirit often flying at me with its venemous Sting but the Seed of Life is over it and the Lord God will destroy it Wherefore Friends in all places where the Spirit hath entrance keep sound Judgment upon it if you will keep your Garments clean and enter not into Disputes and Contests with it 't is that it seeketh and loveth but go on in your Testimony and business for the Lord in the Lord 's peaceable Power and Spirit and his blessing and presence of Life shall be with you and in multiplying he shall multiply you for no good will be withhold from you we can say it of a truth God is good to Israel and to all that are of an upright heart And let us be of good chear for 't is God's determination that the House of David shall grow stronger and stronger and his Branch shall encrease and spread and of his Government Kingdom and Dominion there shall be no end Your faithful Friend and Brother in the service of our dear Lord W.P. From on Board the Passage between Delfzyl and Embden 16. of 7 th Month 1677. God's blessed work encreaseth and prospereth in these Lands magnified be his everlasting Name We arrived at Embden about the 11 th hour This is the City where Friends have been so bitterly and barbarously used the like hath scarcely been known in any place where Truth hath broke forth in our day they having here been banished some 30 and some 40 times and above The first Family that received truth in this City was Doctor John William Haesbaert and his Wife at whose house also the first Meeting was set up among Friends to wait upon the Lord by way of publick Testimony they are now both Dead but the Memory of their Fidelity is a precious Ointment among the Righteous they were with me at a
we arrived on the Seventh day in the morning every way well through the Mercies of the Lord. We sent to inform her of our arrival and to know what hour it would be convenient for us to visit her who returned us this answer that being then imployed in the business of her Government it would be the 2d hour in the afternoon before she could be at leasure The time being come we went to visit her and found her and the Countess ready to receive us which they did with much love and tenderness I observed them to be much lower than ever and that our former blessed opportunities had had a blessed effect upon them That afternoon was imployed in the narrative of our travels which they heard with great attention and refreshment the whole discourse ended with a precious little meeting The house being clear of Strangers they both earnestly prest us to sup with them which being not well able to decline we submitted to At Supper the Power of the Lord came upon me and it was a true supper to us for the hidden Manna was manifested amongst us yea a blessed Meeting it proved to us O the reverent tenderness and lowly frame of Spirit that appeared this Evening both in the Princess and Countess The French-woman we found greatly improved both in her Love and Understanding yea she is very zealous and very broken she was always with us on these occasions After supper we returned to the Princesse's Chamber where we stayed till it was about 10. at Night at parting I desired the Princess would give us such another opportunity next day being the first day of the Week as we had the last time we were with her she answered me With all my heart But will ye not come in the Morning too I replied Yes willingly What time wilt thou be ready to receive us she answered at 7. About 7 the next Morning we came about eight the Meeting began and held till Eleven several Persons of the City as well as those of her own Family being present The Lord's power very much affected them and the Countess was twice much broken as we spoke After the People were gone out of the Chamber it lay upon me from the Lord to speak to them two the Princess and the Countess with respect to their particular conditions occasioned by these Words from the Countess I am fully convinc'd but O my Sins are great Whilst I was speaking the glorious Power of the Lord wonderfully rose yea after an awful manner and had a deep entrance upon their Spirits especially the Countesse's that she was broken to pieces God hath raised and I hope fixt his own Testimony in them We returned to our Inn and after dinner we came back to the second Meeting on that day which began about the second Hour in the afternoon And truly the Reverent Blessed Sure Word of Life was divided aâ—right the precious sense of Truth was raised in the Meeting There came more of the City than in the morning and we were much comforted in the Lord's power that was with us For the Truth had passage and the hungry were satisfied and the simple-hearted deeply affected This day at both Meetings was one of the Princess's Women that never was at Meeting before and she though very shy of us the last time became tender and loving to us she was truly reacht O magnified be the Name of the Lord whose presence was with us and whose arm stood by us After Meeting the Princess prest us to stay and sup with her pleading the quietness of the Family and that they were alone At Supper as the night before it was upon me to commemorate the Goodness of the Lord his daily Providences and how pretious he is in the Covenant of Light to the dear Children and Followers of the Light Great was the reverence and tenderness that was upon the Spirits of both Princess and Countess at that instant After Supper we returned to the Princess's Chamber where we spent the rest of our time in holy silence or discourse till about the tenth hour and then we repaired to our Quarters Next morning about eight we returned to the Court where the Princess and Countess were ready to receive us The morning was imployed in very serious Conference relating to the affairs practice and sufferings of Friends in England with which they seemed greatly affected When about the Eleventh Hour a ratling of Coach interrupted us The Countess immediately stept out to see what was the matter and returned with a countenance somewhat uneasie telling us that the young Princes Nephews to the Princess and the Graef of Donaw were come to visit her upon which I told them we should withdraw and return to our Lodging but intreated that for as much as we were to depart that night with the Post-Waggon we might not be disappointed of a farewell Meeting with them and the rather for that I had a great burden upon my Spirit which they readily complied with telling me these persons would onely dine and be gone As we went to the door the Countess stept before us and opened it for us and as I past by she lookt upon me with a weighty countenance and fetcht a deep sigh crying out O the cumber and entanglements of this vain World they hinder all good Upon which I replied looking her steadfastly in the face O come thou out of them then After we had dined in our Lodging something being upon me to write to the Professors of that Country I went up to my Chamber that I might be the more retired just as I was about the conclusion of the Paper cometh the Steward of the House to the Princess with this Message That the Princess intreated us to come to her for the Graef of Dâ—naw had a great desire to see us and to speak with us this brought a fresh Weight and Exercise upon us but committing all to the Lord and casting our care upon him we went Being arrived the Graef approacheth us in French at first took no great notice of our inceremonious behaviour but proceeded to inquire of us our success in our Journey and what we found answering our Journey and Inclinations Then we fell to points of Religion and the Nature and End of true Christianity and what was the way that leadeth to the Eternal Rest After some short debate about compleat satisfaction in this life we both agreed that Self-denial Mortification and Victory was the Duty and ought to be the endeavour of every sincere Christian From this I fell to give him some account of my Retreat from the World and the inducements I had thereto and the necessity of an inward work with which he seemed much pleased After this he fell to the Hat c. This choaketh and the rather because it telleth tales it telleth what people are it marketh Men for Separatists it 's blowing a Trumpet and visibly crossing the World and that the fear of
not come to Moses nor the shaking Mountain the Thundrings Lightnings and Whirlwinds and what it was that led to Christ and what it was to be in him and under the Government of his Grace directing them to the blessed Principle of Light and Truth and Grace which God had shed abroad in our hearts I declared the nature and manner of the appearing and operating of this Principle and appealed to their own Consciences for the truth of what was said And I can truly say the holy Life of Jesus was revealed amongst us and like Oil swom at the top of all In this I was moved to kneel down and pray great brokenness fell upon all and that that was before the World began was richly manifested in us and amongst us The Meeting done the great Man and his Wife blest us and the work of God in our hands saying with tears in his eyes My house is blessed for your sakes and blessed be God that I ever lived to see you And thus we left them though with much difficulty for they prest us with great earnestness both to eat and to lodge with them and were hard to bear our refusal They said it we was a Scandal to their house that they should let such good people as were to go out of it or suffer us to lodge in any other place But we declared our pre-engagement elsewhere and that it was not for want of true kindness towards them One passage I had almost forgot to mention I was said he once at table with the Duke of Holsteyn at Frederickstadt when the Magistrates came to complain against a people called Quakers in that City The Duke was ready to be prejudiced against them but at the very naming of them I conceived a more than ordinary kindness in my mind towards them I askt the Magistrate what they were for a People he told me that they would not pull off their hats to their Superiors I askt him whether they would pull off their hats to God he said yes said I that may be the reason why they will not pull them off to Man Do they live peaceably Yes Do they pay their Taxes Yes Do they rub their hats in your eyes No Do they do any harm with them No Why what is your Quarrel then not they meet in silence and they will speak or pray unless they be moved by the Spirit why that is according to the Doctrine of Scripture If this be to be a Quaker I would I were a Quaker too but said he I never saw one before but I bless God I see you now He very much inveighed against the false Christianity that is in the World and greatly magnified a tender mortified and retired Estate I have great hopes he and his Wife will eye the truth We returned to our Inn to supper and to bed Next morning we took Waggon for the Hague where we â—â—t with Docemius the King of Denmark's Resident at Ceulen who had been at Rotterdam to seek us and came back thither with hopes to meet us We had some service there with a Lawyer but were again disapâ—ointed visiting the Lady Overkirk â—ecause of her Husband's presence and the other retired Man beforâ—â—entioned was again from home the Judge would gladly have received us but a great Cause then depending commanded his attendance That Afternoon we took Boat for Delft and so to Rotterdam where we all arrived well It was my desire to have been the next day at a Meeting at Dort but it seems that Way that we hoped had been open for us was shut insomuch that we were prevented of that service However I applied my self to the perfecting of what yet wanted to be compleated in those Writings I left behind me to be printed The next day being the sixth day of the Week we had a very blessed publick Meeting taking therein our leave of the Country and after that was done we had another amongst Friends recommending to them the peaceable tender righteous Truth desiring that they might live and grow in it and be a People to the Lord's praise so should his Work prosper his Dominion enlarge and encrease among them In the Evening I had also a Meeting at my Lodging among the great People of that place of which I have before made mention and magnified be the Name of the Lord his Power did sweetly visit him and effectually reacht them that at their departure some of them fell upon our Necks and with Tears of Love prayed that they might be remembred by us and that they might have strength to answer our great Travel for them We recommended them unto the Lord and the pure Word of his Grace in their hearts The next day the generality of Friends of that place met at Sim. Johnson's house early in the Morning where we took our leave of one another in the Love and Power of the Lord feeling his living Presence with them that stayed and with us that went Several accompanied us to the Briel we arrived about Noon there accompanied us the King of Denmark's Resident who had been with us at those Meetings at Rotterdam P. Hendricks and Corn. Roeloffs of Amsterdam and A. Sonnemans B. Furly M. Sonnemans and Sim. Johnson with several others of Rotterdam The Pacquet-boat not being come we were necessitated to lie there that night That Night it was upon me in the earnest Love of God to salute the Princess and Countess with a few farewell-lines as followeth TO THE Princess Elizabeth c. Salvation in the Cross Amen Dear and truly respected Friend MY Soul earnestly desireth thy Temporal and Eternal Felicity which standeth in thy doing the Will of God now on Earth as 't is done in Heaven O dear Princess do it say the Word once in Truth and Righteousness not my Will but thine be done O God Thy Days are few and then thou must go to Judgment then an Account of thy Talent God will require from thee what improvement hast thou made let it prove and shew its own excellency that it is of God and that it leadeth all that love it to God O that thou mayest be able to give an Account with joy I could not leave this Country and not testifie the Resentments I bear in my mind of that humble and tender Entertainment thou gavest us at thy Court the Lord Jesus reward thee and sure he hath a Blessing in store for thee Go on be steadfast over-come and thou shalt inherit do not despond one that is mighty is near thee a present help in the needfull time of trouble O let the desire of thy Soul be to his Name and the remembrance of him O wait upon the Lord and thou shalt renew thy Strength the Youth shall faint and the young Men shall fail but they that trust in the Lord shall never be confounded I wish thee all true and solid Felicity with my whole Soul The Lord God of Heaven and Earth have
thee in his keeping that thou mayest not loose but keep in that Divine Sense which by his Eternal Word he hath begotten in thee Receive dear Princess my sincere and Christian Salutation Grace Mercy Peace be multiplied among you all that love the Lord Jesus Thy Business I shall follow with all the diligence and discretion I can and by the first give tâ—ee an Account after it shall please the Lord to bring me safe to London All my Brethren are well and present thee with their dear love and the rest that love Jesus the Light of the World in thy Family Thou hast taught me to forget thou art a Princess and therefore I use this freedom and to that of God in thee am I manifest and I know my integrity Give if thou pleasest the Salutation of my dear Love to A.M. de Hornes with the inclosed Dear Princess do not hinder but help her that may be required of her which considering thy Circumstances may not yet be required of thee Let her stand free and her freedom will make the passage easie unto thee Accept what I say I intreat thee in that pure and heavenly love and respect in which I write so plainly to thee Farewell my Dear Friend and the Lord be with thee I am more than I can say Thy Great Lover and Respectful Friend W.P. I referr thee to the Inclosed for Passages We visited Giltall and Hooftman and they us they were at one or two of the Meetings at Amsterdam Vale in aeternum For ANNA MARIA de Hornes stiled Countess of Hornes Jesus be with thy Spirit Amen BEloved and much Esteemed for the sake of that love which is raised in thy Heart to the Eternal Truth of God the increase of which I earnestly desire that thou mayst be more than Conqueror through the powerful Workings of that divine Love in thy Soul which casteth out all fear and overcometh the World In this eternal Love it is that I love thee and would be loved of thee blessed are they that hold their fellowship in it It is Pure Harmless Patient Fervent and Constant In fine it cometh from God and leadeth all that receive it to God indeed it is God and they that live in God live in Love If we keep and abide in him that hath visited us we shall always feel his love as a fountain and Wonderful are the Effects of it O it can lay down its Life for its Friend it will break through all Difficulty and hath Power to conquer Death and the Grave This transcendeth the Friendship of the World and the Vain-glorious Honours of the Courts of this World O this kindness is inviolable our purest Faith worketh by this Love O the Tenderness of that Soul in which this Love liveth and hath place the Humility and Compassion that always keeps it Company and who can lively enough describe the lovely Image it giveth the attracting and engaging Conversation it hath but it is discerned and greatly valued by the Children of Love who are born of it which all the Children of Light are What shall I say it is the great Command and keepeth all the Commands Love pure and undefiled it fulfilleth the Law and Gospel too Blessed are they that feel any of this Love shed abroad in their Hearts with this Love it is that God loved us and by the Power of this Love Christ Jesus hath died for us Yea 't is this Love that quickeneth us to Jesus that enflameeth our Souls with pure and ardent Love to him and Zeal for him Yea 't is this holy Love that forsaketh Father and Mother Sister and Brother Husband Wife and Children House and Land Liberty and Life for the sake of Jesus that leaveth the Dead to bury the Dead and followeth Jesus in the narrow Way of Regeneration that can trust him in the Winds and in the Earthquakes in the Fire and in the Waters yea when the Floods come in even unto the Soul this despondeth not neither murmureth and as it cannot despair so it never presumeth yea it can triumphantly say What shall be able to separate me from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus Shall Principalities or Powers Things present or Things to come Shall Life or Death O no neither Time nor Mortality My Dear Friend let this noble Plant of Paradise grow in thy Heart wait upon the Lord that he would Water it and Shine upon it and make an Hedge about it that thy whole Heart may be replenished with the heavenly increase and fruits of it O that thou mayst grow in thy inner Man in Wisdom Strength and a pure Understanding in favour with God and with all People that are in the same Nature and Image for the World only loveth its own I hoped not to have been so quick upon my last long Letter but God's pure Love that hath redeemed me from the Earth and the earthly Nature and Spirit moved fervently upon my Spirit to Visit thee once more before I leave this Land I deferr'd it to this Extremity and being not clear to go hence I send thee my Christian Salutation in this pure Love that many Waters cannot quench distance cannot make it forget nor can time wear it out My Soul reverently boweth before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that it would please him to preserve thee Fear him and thou needest not fear for the Angel of the Lord encampeth about those that trust in his Name The Angel of his Eternal Presence guard thee that none of the Enemies of thy Soul's Peace may ever prevail against thee Perseverance and Victory be thy Portion in this World and a Crown of endless Glory be thy Reward in that which is to come Amen Since my last being the next day after the Date thereof we had a meeting with Galenus Abrahams and his Company for they are the most virulent and obstinate Opposers of Truth in that Land the success thou mayst perhaps see suddenly in Print and therefore I may defer the Narrative only in general our Dear Lord our Staff and Strength was with us and Truth reigned over all That Night we went to Leyden where we visited some Thence next day to the Hague where also we had a little Meeting O the Lust and Pride of that place thou camest into my Mind as I walked in the Streets and I said â—n my self Well she hath chosen the better part O be faithful and the Lord will give thee an eternal Recompence Thence we came to Rotterdam where the Lord hath given us several heavenly Opportunities in Private and Publick We are now come to the Briel and wait our Passage the Lord Jesus be with you that stay and with us that go that in him we may live and abide for ever Salute me to my French Friend bid her be Constant I wish thy Servants felicity but thine as mine own God Almighty overshadow thee hide thee under his Pavillion be thy Shield Rock and