created he them and God blessed them And in this state God set them above all things that he had made But after Man and Woman had transgressed the Command of God they sewed Figg-leaves together to make them Aprons for their Eyes were opened and they came to see their Shame By their Transgression and by transgressing the Command of God the spiritual Eye came to be shut and Man and Woman came to fall from the Image of God And so after Man and Woman had transgressed the Command of God and fallen from his Image the Lord God made Coats of Skins to cloath them withal So you may see That the first Covering which Adam and Eve made after Transgression was made of Figg-leaves and the natural Sun would soon scorch and dry them to Powder But those that the Lord made them was of Skins So the transgression of the Command of God came when the Ear went out after the Serpent Sin the cause of Shame and Shame the cause of Covering and the Eye went after the Fruit of the Tree which God forbid them to Eat of So here they came to see their outward Shame and Nakedness who had fallen from the Image of God that covered them and therefore they went to cover the outward Shame And now Man and Woman in the Fall is taking thought what they shall eat and drink and what they shall put on And this is come upon them by forsaking the Lord's Teaching and following the Serpents And doth not John say Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him And farther saith For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life this is not of the Father but of the World and the World passeth away and the Lust thereof Now all may see what Man and Woman is fallen into by transgressing the Command of God and therefore it is not good for any to live in that which will pass away and is not of the Father but of the World And you may see how Pride is cried against throughout the Scriptures of Truth And they that fear the Lord do hate Evil The evil Consequences of Pride Pride and Arrogancy By Pride cometh Contention and a Man's Pride shall bring him low but Honour upholds the Humble in Spirit Prov. 29.23 For when Pride cometh then cometh Shame and Pride goeth before Destruction and an haughty Mind before a fall but with the lowly is Wisdom Prov. 11.2 and 16.18 And better it is to be of an humble Spirit with the lowly than to divide the Spoil with the proud And Isaiah saith The Lord of Host hath purposed to stain the Pride of all Glory and to bring into contempt all the Honourable of the Earth Isa 23.9 And therefore love not that which God will stain The Lord saith He will spread forth his Hands in the midst of them as he that swimmeth and he will bring down their Pride Isa 25.11 And therefore it is good to keep it down in every one And the Lord cries Wo to the Crown of Pride whose glorious Beauty is a fading Flower and when the Crown of Pride is trodden under Foot the Lord of Host shall be for a Crown of Glory Isa 28.1 5. And the Lord saith He will marr the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem Jer. 13.9 And doth not Jeremiah say Because of the Pride of Moab he was so exceeding Proud his Loftiness his Arrogancy and the Haughtiness of his Heart brought him unto Derision Jer. 48.26 29. And therefore it is good to keep in the Humility For Pride is that which deceives the Heart and brings the Judgments of God Jer. 49.16 And therefore take heed let not Pride budd lest the Rod blosom Ezekiel 7. to verse 11. And the Children of Israel they were grown in Pride and fulness of Bread like Sodom when they transgressed against the Lord like their Father Adam And therefore let them that profess themselves Christians take heed lest they be found in the same steps And see in Ezekiel 16.49 what became of Sodom and the Children of Israel And when Nebuchadnezzar confessed the Kingdom of God and Praised and Extolled and Honoured the King of Heaven and said All his Works are Truth and his Ways Judgments and those that walk in Pride God is able to abase Dan. 4.34 c. And Hosea saith The Pride of Israel doth testifie to his Face and therefore Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their Iniquity And Judah shall fall with them Hos 5.5 And therefore you may see and take heed of Pride for it is the cause of Man and Womans fall And in Hosea 7. you may see that Pride hath hindred Man from seeking after the Lord and turning to him And you may see Edom's Destruction was for his Pride Obad. 1. And you may see the Judgments that came upon the Philistines and Moab and Ammon and Ashur for their Pride Zeph. 2. And in Zachariah 10 and 11 Chapters Judgments of God because of Pride doth not Lord say The Pride of Jordan shall be spoiled and the Pride of Asyria shall be brought down and there shall be a Voice of Howling of the Shepherds for their Glory is spoiled And Christ saith in Mark Pride is one of those Evils that cometh out of the Heart and defiles the Man so take heed of that which defiles And as John saith The Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life this is not of the Father but of the World all this must be kept down in Christians And David saith The wicked in his Pride doth persecute the Poor but are they not taken in their Devices that they have imagined Psal 10.2 Again David saith The Lord hid them that feared him in the secret of his Presence from the Pride of Man and kept them secretly in a Pavillion from the strife of Tongues Psal 31.20 And also David saith That Pride compasseth the wicked as a Chain c. and they speak loftily and they set their Mouths against Heaven but the Lord casts down such to Destruction and saves the Righteous that fears him And so you may see how Pride was testified against by Christ and his Prophets and the holy Men of God both in the Old and New Testament since Man and Woman fell from the Image of God and therefore all is to fear the Lord and learn of Christ Jesus who is meek and low in Heart For it is said That Josiah's Heart was tender and he humbled himself before the Lord 2 Chron. 34.33 And if my People The effects of true Humility which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my Face and turn from their wicked Ways then will I hear from Heaven and forgive them their Sins and heal the Land and mine Eyes shall be opened and mine
of God which would have kept them in Dominion And so Adam and Eve and the Serpent all went out of Truth And Eve eating of the Tree of Knowledge she had Knowledge and Wisdom after the Fall but not in the Dominion in the Power of God But the Seed Christ which was in the Beginning bruiseth this Serpent's Head and he is the Wisdom of God G. F. Friends THere is an Eye that hath looked to see the good Seed Epist 3. that was sown and queried from whence came these Tares A little Note of G. F. to Friends at first The Answer was and is The wicked One hath sown them Now read the Tares and what is the Effect of them and their Work And what they do and have done How they hang amongst the Wheat But now is the time of Harvest that both Wheat and Tares are seen and each distinguished the one from the other G. F. All Friends MInd that which is pure in you to guide you to God out of Babylon Epist 4. out of Confusion there all the World is About 1651. there is the Seat of the Beast there are the false Prophets and Deceivers as well within as without One Voice of Deceit knows not another nor none of them the Voice of the Living God But Dear Friends mind the Light of God in your Consciences which will shew you all Deceit dwelling in it guides out of the many things into one Spirit which cannot lye nor deceive They that are guided by it are one who have been made to drink into one Spirit and the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace All Jarrings all Schisms all Rents are out of the Spirit for God hath tempered the Body together that there should be no Schism in the Body but all worship him with one Consent And as the Power and Life of Truth is made manifest watch in the Discerning one over another And beware of discouraging any in the Work of God The Labourers are few The Labourers are few that are faithful for God Take heed of hurting the Gift which God hath given to profit withal whereby ye have received Life through Death and a Measure of Peace by the Destruction of Evil. Pray that Peace may be multiplied and the Ministration of Life to the raising of the Dead that the Seed of the Woman may bruise the Serpent's Head discover all Deceit and rend all Vails and Coverings that the Pure may come to Life which Deceit hath trampled upon And all take heed to your Spirits that which is hasty discerns not the Good Seed Take heed of being corrupted by Flatteries they that know their God shall be strong But take heed of labouring to turn the Just aside for a thing of nought but know the Precious from the Vile the Clean from the Unclean These shall be as my Mouth saith the Lord for his VVork is great and his Gifts divers And therefore all mind your Gift mind your Measure mind your Calling and your VVork Some speak to the Conscience some plough and break the Clods some weed out and some sow some wait that Fowls devour not the Seed But wait all for the Gathering of the Simple-hearted ones for They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine for ever Mind the Light that all may be refreshed one in another and all in one And the God of Power and Love keep all Friends in Power in Love that there be no Surmisings but pure Refreshings in the unlimited Love of God which makes one another known in the Conscience to read one another's Hearts Being comprehended into this Love Oneness it is Inseparable and all are here one And keep in the Oneness and note them that cause Dissension contrary to the Gospel ye have received that one pure Faith may be held in all to guide and preserve all in the Vnity of the Spirit and Bond of Peace all one Family of Love Children of one Father and of the Houshold of God G. F. DEar Father and Mother in the Flesh Epist 5. but not of that Birth which speaks to you For like to that which doth beget is that which is begotten Praises Praises be given to my Heavenly Father who hath begotten me again by the Immortal Word To that of God in you both I speak and do beseech you both for the Lord's sake to Return within and wait to hear the Voice of the Lord there and waiting there and keeping close to the Lord a Discerning will grow that ye may distinguish the Voice of the Stranger when ye hear it Oh! be faithful be faithful to the Lord in that ye know for in the Buckstider the Lord hath no pleasure neither shall their Damnation slumber Oh! be Faithful Look not back nor be too forward further than ye have attained for ye have no Time but this present Time Therefore prize your Time for your Soul's sake And so grow up in that which is Pure and keep to the Oneness then shall my Joy be full So Fare ye well And the Lord God of Power keep you in his Power To him be Praises for evermore G. F. Friends NO one is Justified Epist 6. breaking the Commands of Christ no one is Justified Who they are that are not Justified living in Iniquity and no one is Justified in professing only Christ's Words and the Prophets and the Apostles Words and living out of their Lives And no one is Justified living in the first Birth and Nature and false Faith and Hope which doth not purifie as God is pure No Man is Justified not believing in the Light as Christ commands but with the Light is condemned for the Light is the Condemnation of all them that walk contrary to it Therefore the Power of God mind No Man is Justified acting contrary to that Spirit which doth convince them G. F. To Friends at Swarthmoore Friends LOve that which Judgeth the Carnal Mind Epist 7. and Crosseth it which maketh an Entrance to God and keepeth you open and then Refreshment will come into your Souls from the Lord. Dwell in the Power and know the Power of Words in one another and take heed of Deceit Farewell And the God of Love and Power keep you to himself G. F. Dear Friends THose that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution Epist 8. God is Righteous God is Pure Holy and Just God is Clean. He that is Godly and Holy suffereth by the Ungodly and Unrighteous The Just suffereth by the Unjust and Unclean and Unjust and Filthy And so the Just suffereth by the Vnjust and he that is born of the Flesh persecutes him that is born of the Spirit G. F. Friends THat which is set up by the Sword is held up by the Sword Epist 9. and that which is set up by Spiritual Weapons About 1652. is held up by Spiritual Weapons and not by
over all the contrary in the Male and in the Female having a Light from him that gives the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Which Light shines in your Hearts and there shall every one feel their Treasure in the Earthen Vessel and the Power which is of God Now whosoever goes from the Light which they are enlightned withal they go into the Darkness and they go into the Wonders and run out gazing Lo here Lo there is Christ and saying Lo he is here Lo he is there I am come a Light into the World saith Christ which every one that cometh into the World is lightned withal which Light is the Covenant and every one who are in the Light are in the Covenant with God And so Friends every where keep your Meetings this is the Word of the Lord God to you and do not heed the Lo-here's or Lo-there's neither be troubled but heed every one the Life of God and do not gad abroad from the Truth within that ye may be kept out of all high-swelling Storms Bustlings and Tempests and with it ye may be kept over the World to him and in him that is not of the World And take heed of denying the Truth whosoever do they go from the Light within them and so go into the Darkness and into the Wonders The Wonderer And who go from the Light within go from the Emanuel from the Saviour within Christ Jesus and from the Truth in the inward parts and from the Wediator between you and God and from the Vine and so ye bear not Fruit to the Glory of God And going from the Light within ye go from your Peace and from the Covenant of God and going from the Light within ye go from the Life where every one receives the Light of Life And who go from the Light within go from the Increase of God who go from the Light within go from the Anointing within them and so continue not in the Son nor in the Father All who go from the Light within go out of the Covenant of Eternal Life But every one walking in the Light within which he hath received he shall there receive the Bread of Life Christ whom the Light comes from And so having your Food within ye shall not go forth to gather it but he that is in the Light and believes in it comes to know the Garner where-into the Wheat is gathered The Bread of Life and the Chaff that is to be burned with unquenchable Fire and the Floor throughly purged and the Immortal Crown is known Therefore all Friends keep in the Power and know the Power of God in one another and the Life that stands in God that out of all Dryness and Barrenness ye may be brought and kept in the Living and Eternal Spirit and Power And so the God of Glory keep you from the Evil that is in the World in Glory and in Vnity every one in your Measures Now the Power of God will never be shaken that which is to be shaken or tossed is out of the Power and the Power remains Therefore dwell in the Power which throws down all that which may be shaken or tossed and raiseth up that which can never be thrown down nor shaken And to you this is the Word of the Lord God And dwell in that and keep in that which keeps you out of and above the Knowledge of that which entreth into the Sensual Part for both these will fail Therefore in the Power and in the Life of God dwell which comprehends the World and reacheth and fathometh over it all in that dwell and live there will be your Peace it will keep you out of the Strife and Combustions and Heaps For this all comes to be fathomed Strife and Combustions chained and kept down by the Eternal Power and bound and bundled up for the Fire and judged down and all that which brancheth forth from it that nothing may reign but Life it self and all the Contrary the Filth amd Dross with the unquenchable Fire is to be consumed and burned Wait all this to know here is the Path of Righteousness and Purity and nothing shall stand but the Mountain of the Lord Glory to the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness which is felt and seen And all being kept in the Light and walking in that which ye are enlightned withal ye cannot be in the Strife for the Enmity is out of the Light and the vain Boaster which comes to nothing but is judged and condemned And when that ye are Met together in the Light hearken to it that ye may feel the Power of God in every one of you So here comes your Ear to be opened to hear the Counsel of the Lord God and here the Eye comes to be opened to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of you ye all sitting under you Vines So every particular wait on him who received not Honour of Man neither glorified himself but the Light which enlightneth every one Man's Honour that cometh into the World is a Witnesse against all them that seek their own Glory or glorifie themselves or bear witness of themselves Now they who receive Honour from Man are from the Light both he that gives and he that takes it and it is to be stained and the Light stains it and condemns it So every particular of you to you this is the Word of the Lord God Know the Son of God to be revealed in you And know the Seed which is Christ to which the Promise of God is that ye may all witness the Seed of the Woman to bruise the Serpent's Head in every one of you The Serpent's Head That ye may all witness ye are come to him that was in the Beginning and to the Seed of the Woman which bruiseth the Serpent's Head in every one of you in your own particulars Then ye all will come to feed on the Bread of Life that comes from above And such are Redeemed out of the Transgression who are here that witness this But where the Seed of the Woman hath not bruised the Serpent's Head and that which abides not in the Truth reigns there is the Transgressour So that which is out of the Truth reigning the Serpent being Head The Seed of the Serpent and his Food he sows his Seed his Seed goes forth from him and his Food his Meat is Dust for he could not feed upon Life that abode not in the Truth which is the Life He that abides not in the Truth which is the Life his Food is Dust and he it is that is tormented And who are out of the Truth are out of the Worship of God for who are the Worshippers of the Father they must be in the Truth and in the Spirit And being in the Spirit and in the Truth they are in that the Devil abode not in but is out of and all
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
Mark Free-Men and Free-Women And what hath made them Free-Men and free-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
in the Truth that the Lord may be glorified in all your Families And teach your Children when they are young then will they remember it when they are old according to Solomon's Counsel So that your Children may be a Blessing to you and not a Curse And all Men and Women are to order their Children and Servants in the Order of the Gospel and in the New Covenant And to order them in the Order of the Gospel that they may all come to know the Lord. For the outward Jews were to train up their Children in the Old Law in the Old Covenant And so you that are called Christians are to train up your Children in the Fear of the Lord and in Christ Jesus that they may walk in Him in Modesty and Holiness and Virtue And so all to govern their Families And they that are to Govern are to be governed and ordered themselves by the Spirit and Power of God to God's Glory and as Examples in their Families for all Loosness is out of the Power of God either in Word or Life And so by the Power of God and his Righteousness and Truth and Light and Life all that is to be judged and kept under and down and the Truth and the Light and Spirit of God must be walk'd in which all Loosness is out of And so whatsoever things are of good Report or whatsoever things are Lovely or whatsoever things are Pure and Decent and Vertuous and Godly and Righteous and Holy and Just that follow after and do the Works of Charity and not your own but the good Works of Hospitality which are accepted of God And keep the Order of the Gospel the Power of God which Power of God was before the Devil was and is over him which brings Life and Immortality to Light in Men and Women and Men and Women they are to walk in this Power of God and to keep in it Men and Women to walk in the Power of God being Heirs of the same and under the Goverment of Christ Jesus who bruiseth the Serpent's Head and destroys him and his Government Men and Women being Heirs of Grace and Life together and of the Power of God and of the Gospel of Christ Jesus the Amen And so as they come to possess and inherit him and his Gospel-Order they come to possess him and his Government and Order the increase of which there is no End And that Notice be taken of all evil Speakers Backbiters Slanderers and foolish Talkers and idle Jesters for all these corrupt good Manners and are not according to the Saints and Holy Men's Practise Against Backbiters whose Words were seasoned with Salt ministering Grace to the Hearers And all such as go up and down to Cheat Against Cheats by borrowing and getting Money of Friends and have cheated several all such are to be stopped and judged and Notice of them is to be given to Friends and to other Persons And Dear Friends in the Everlasting Seed of Life Wisdom and Salvation my Desire is that you all may be preserved in it to the Glory of God For heavenly Vnity and in his Power and Light and Life over Death and Darkness in the heavenly Vnity in all your Meetings Now concerning them that do go to the Quarterly Meeting they must be substantial Friends Quarterly Meetings Members that can give a Testimony of your Sufferings and how things are amongst you in every particular Meeting So that none that are raw or weak that are not able to give a Testimony of the Affairs of the Church and Truth may go on behalf of the particular Meetings to the Quarterly Meetings but may be nursed up in your Monthly Meetings and there fitted for the Lord's Service So that two may go one time from every particular Meeting and two another time or as it is ordered in your Monthly Meetings So that some may go from all your Meetings that make up your Monthly Meetings for the Quarterly Meeting should be made up of weighty seasoned and substantial Friends that understands the Business of the Church for no unruly and unseasoned Peasons should come there nor indeed into the Monthly Meetings but who are single-hearted seasoned and honest And if any one should speak or tattle any thing out of your Monthly or Quarterly Meetings Against Partling to the blemishing or defaming any Person or the Meetings such are to be brought to Judgment and Condemnation for it breaks the Priviledge and Order of your Christian Society in your Meetings so that all may be kept and preserved in the Power of the Lord and in his Spirit in Love and Vnity And therefore keep your Meetings solid and sober and let the Authority of your Men and Womens Meetings be in the Power of God Authority of Meetings for every Heir of the Power has Right to that Authority and in it keep the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's Peace in his Church And so the Lord give you Wisdom that by it you may be ordered to his Glory Care of God's Glory and Truth and that every one may have a care of God's Glory and of his Name and Truth and that in his Power you may see that all do walk as becomes his glorious Gospel which hath brought Life and Immortality to Light in you which will preserve you in Life and in Immortality over the Devil that has darkned you So that nothing may get betwixt your Souls and Minds and the Lord God that he may be glorified in you all and through you all and over you all blessed for ever Amen And the least Member in the Church hath an Office and is serviceable and every Member hath need one of another And now Friends so many Monthly Mens Meetings as you have in your County you may have so many Monthly Womens Meetings and if once a Year at least you had a General Womens Meeting it would be well for in some Counties they have as many Quarterly Womens Meetings as Mens and in others they have only two in the Summer-time Womens Meetings because the Ways are foul and Days short in Winter And that one or two Friends in every Meeting do take an Account of all the Marriages Births and Burials Births Burials and carry them to the Monthly Meetings and let one or two there be ordered to receive them and record them there in a Book which is to be kept at the Monthly Meetings And from thence a Copy of what is recorded there to be brought to the Quarterly Meeting and let one or two Friends be appointed there to receive them and to record them all in one Book which is to be kept for the whole County And this will be most safe that if one Book should happen to be lost the other may be preserved for the Use of such as may have occasion And that all Friends who are not already provided may speedily procure convenient Burying-places
World and in the Worship of God in the Spirit and Truth which the Devil is out of So that in the Truth you may be preserved in Peace with God and one with another And in the Spirit of Truth you may be preserved in the Vnity and Fellowship of it in which is the Bond of Peace And my desire is that all the faithful Men and faithful Women in the Light and Power and Spirit of Christ And Possession of Truth all may be kept in the Possession of the Truth and that all such may make up the Men and Womens Meetings so that you all may be in your Possessions of the Order of the Gospel and the Government of Christ the Seed that bruises the Head of the Serpent who is the Head of all ill Government and Disorders So that the joyful and glorious Order of the Everlasting Gospel all may be in the Possession of so that in the Light Spirit and Power ye may all have a care of God's Glory and his Honour and his Church's Peace keeping in the Vnity of his Everlasting Spirit which is the Bond of the Heavenly and Spiritual Prince of Princes Peace And all that are in the Possession of this Admonish may admonish and exhort all such as walk not as becomes the Gospel and glorifie not the Lord with their Bodies Souls and Spirits and so see that as every one has received Christ Jesus that they do walk in him that all may walk in the Holiness which becomes the House of God so that God may be glorified by his Light Power and Spirit in all who is over all God blessed for ever And so the God of Glory who hath brought Christ from the Dead Quickned for what end by him are you quickned and raised from the Dead that henceforth you should not live to your selves but to him and walk in him who is the Amen and over all the First and Last G. F. ALL you that are Believers in the Light of Christ Epist 265. which manifesteth Darkness ye are kept by the Power of God unto the Day of Salvation So though your Salvation is not yet compleated Believers how kept yet you have your Keeper the Power of God which neither slumbers nor sleeps and it will keep you unto that Day For those Virgins in the Parable they had their Keeper by which they were preserved in their Virginity which they were never accused of loosing for it is said that the Cry was at midnight that is the mid time of Darkness for Darkness is called Night and the Voice of the Bridegroom was at midnight Arise Now they that had no Oil in their Lamps did not enter with the Bridegroom but they that had Oil did Now that which doth keep is the Power of God and preserves pure unto him in the Virginity from that which would defile the Virgin Mind Virgins and the Virgin Soul and Spirit For it is all from the same Man of Sin that defiles the Mind and the Spirit that leads them out to defile their Bodies and corrupt them therefore all is to mind their Keeper the Power of God which was before the Devil the Man of Sin Oils Lamps was by which Power of God they have Oil in their Lamps through which their Lamps may be always Burning in their Temple and such come to be the Temple of God for they that defile the Temple defile their Souls and Bodies they let in the Defiler and Destroyer and so their Lamps go out and they go from God and his Power the Keeper and such God will destroy and so many as are kept by the Power of the Lord unto the Day of Salvation Day of Salvation Power though the Day of Salvation is not yet compleated yet in the Day of Salvation the People of God are a willing People even in this Day of his Power And so they are to abide with their Keeper which is the Power of God for while they be in the Night and not in the Day of Salvation nor Day of Power tho' they may be in the Widerness of Temptations and Trouble Spiritual Israel's Travel yet may feel the Power the Keeper to lead through all these things out of Egypt through the Red Sea through the Wilderness through Jordan the River of Judgment and over the Canaanites and therefore every one's Faith is to stand in the Power of God and believe in the Power of God that will bring to the Day of God's Power and to the Day of his Salvation For the outward Jew did not enter because of Unbelief and so this great foul Man of Sin hath defiled all Mankind outwardly and inwardly And therefore all to have their Faith to stand in the Power of God their Keeper for the defilement is in the Night by the Power of Darkness and through it By Faith in the Power safety Therefore let thy Faith stand in the Power of God thy Keeper which will keep both Body and Soul and Spirit clean and blameless to the Day of Redemption and Day of Salvation and by the Power of God such will have a Dominion over the foul Man of Sin the Devil for it is he in People that leads and tempts to outward Defilement of their Body Loss of Virginity the Cause and so to lose their Virginity and it is he that draws their Minds from God and Christ and from God's Ways and his Worship and his Truth and his Spirit and his Grace and his Faith that he works in People Therefore if thy Faith stand in the Power of God all by it is preserved in this Body Soul and Spirit in Purity and a hidden Mind Soul and Spirit secret to the Lord who is a Spirit and they are preserved by his Power their Keeper For as is the saying of some of the World that are the most modest that they will keep their outward Virginity to the Day of their Death or of their Marriage but such as before that have no esteem of their Bodies no more than unruly Beasts Vncleanness give up their Bodies to Vncleanness and Themselves to work Wickedness and so forsake their Keeper the Power of God which should keep both inwardly and outwardly And so all the inward Virgin Minds and Souls and Spirits that are hidden to the Lord they will dye before they will lose their inward Virginity but will keep it to the Marriage of the Lamb as the Wise Virgins did by which Power they are preserved over the Man of Sin whom Christ their Husband bruises the Head of and destroys him and his work for Christ was before the Man of Sin was the Devil and his Works either who was glorified with the Father before the World began and therefore all such Virgins as are come to Christ and are married to him Christ your Husband He will deal with the foul Man of Sin Who are married to Christ and bruise his Head and break his Power
Service that they may be serviceable in their Generation and in the Creation and come into the Practice of the pure Religion which you have received from God from above that every one may know their Duty in it and their Service in the Power and Wisdom of God for now the Practick Part is called for People must not be alwayes talking and hearing but they must come into Obedience to the Great Power of the Great God of Heaven and Earth And so that none may stand out of the Vineyard idle and out of Service None to be idle in the Vineyard and out their Duty for such will talk and talle and judge with evil Thoughts of what they in the Vineyard say and do And therefore the Power of God must call all into their Duty into their Service into their Places into Vertue and Righteousness and into the Wisdom of God For all that be out of their Duty in their Service though they have the knowledge of it yet are not so serviceable in the Creation nor in their Generation for the Power of God must go over and is over all such by which Power all must be acted in which true Obedience is known And therefore train up your young Women to know their Duty in this thing the Elder women train up the Tounger Women c. that they may be in their Services and Places which they are to do in the Power and Wisdom of God by which you are kept open to the Lord to receive of his Gifts and Graces and of his Life through which you are to minister one to another And all keeping in it then there is none to lett or stop its flowing but through it you all are to be watered as a Garden of Plants by which they are nourished and so all be faithful and diligent in the Lord's Business and make all the sober Women professing Truth in the Country about you acquainted with this thing and when you have them together at the Monthly Meeting read this among them So no more but my Love G. F. DEar Friends Epist 297. Keep in the Power of the Lord for if you do lose that To keep in the Power of the Lord. you lose the Kingdom which stands in Power and Peace and Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost for out of the Kingdom is Strife and no Peace and therefore keep in the Power and Life and Love which you did first receive that you all may be Heirs of the Kingdom and fit under your Teacher the Grace of God which will bring your Salvation that you may witness that you have a Teacher from God that doth bring your Salvation which Salvation is your Walls and Bulwarks that he may be glorified and ye may have your Comfort in your Salvation And keep your Mens and Womens Meetings both being Heirs of Life and of the Gospel-Order and of Christ and his Government though you may have some Opposers but this is a Day of possessing of Christ and his Government and of the Gospel-Order and therefore do not lose your Authority Men nor Women in the Gospel nor in Christ though some may slight it For the Foundation of our Mens and Womens-Meetings is Christ Jesus who bruiseth the Serpent's Head who is the Head of all false Orders and Foundations and the Gospel which is the Power of God which bringeth Life and Immortality to Light shines over him that did darken you which Power of God he is out of And therefore all in the Power and Spirit encourage both Men and Women in their Duty in the Order of the Gospel of Christ in whom you have Dominion and in him who changeth not My Love is to you all G. F. DEar Friends to whom is my Love in that which changeth not Epist 298. the Royal Seed that bruiseth the Serpent's Head in whom you have Life and Peace in that live and walk that you may bear Fruit to the Glory of God and answer that of God in every one And live in the Peace that passeth Knowledge and Understanding and in this troublesome time of Wars and Strife mind the Power or God and his Kingdom that standeth in Righteousness and Joy in the Holy Ghost that is over all and never will have an end and that will keep you over all these times of Trouble fresh in the Life and Power My Troubles have been great in the Service of the Lord and the Convincement of People is great in America and the Islands in those parts Blessed be the Lord God over all for ever Amen whose Power and Life and Truth is over all and he in his Power gave Dominion over all by Sea and by Land And People and Friends are well setled beyond the Sea and Meetings are precious beyond words So in haste my Love to all Friends in all those parts as tho' I named them and live in Love for that doth edifie you Bristol the 1st of the 6th Month 1673. G. F. To Friends at Jamaica FRiends We do hear that some professing Truth amongst you Epist 299. do not keep to your Meetings so diligently as they ought to do nor yet meet but few of you together on the First Days And the reason is That upon the First Days some of you write and make up your Accompts so as you cannot have time to go to and frequent the Meetings Truly Friends this is an ill Savour to come over here into England and shews that you mind your own Business more than the Lord's and the things of this Life more than the things that appertain to the Life that is without End which should be sought for first if you desire to be bless'd and to presper And if you do not you will grow loose and wither and not have the Blessing of God with you you cannot expect it And therefore you that go under the Name of the Friends of God and of Truth keep diligently your Meetings on the First Day together that the Lord's Power may stir among you for if you do not keep your Meetings upon the First Day of each Week you are worse than the World that meet in their Steeple-Houses or Places of Worship who prefer your own Business before the Lords The Lord I say will not in so doing prosper you in it And therefore I say once more in the Name of Christ Jesus keep your Meetings who are gathered in it And let there be Meetings on the Week Days and also Mens Meetings to see that nothing be lacking among you once in a Fornight and likewise a Womens Meeting though there be but a few For you that have seen the Order of Truth in England and other Places how can you go out of the Practice of it without growing wild and withering That so Men and Women in their distinct Places may be Helps meet in Government in the Seed of Life and in the Widom of God by which all things was made and in the
him speak as the Oracles of God if any Man minister let him do it as of the Ability which God gieth mark God giveth and not Man or as God hath ministred to him that God in all things may be glorified through jesus Christ to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen 1. Pet. 4. And the Apostle saith to every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ for there is one God and Father of all which is above all and through all and in you all so every one now as then is to mind him that is in them all who is above all and his Gift and the measure of Grace the Gift fo Christ for it will teach them and bring their Salvation and through the measure of the Gift of Grace they grow up to a perfect Man and to the measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ as may be seen Eph. 4. And as God hath dealt to every Man a Measure Of Faith in the Faith they should walk which gives them Victory and access to God which purifies their Hearts with which they please God And the Apostle said to the Church then which is to be the Practice of the true Church now That according to the Grace that was given whether we Prophesie Every one to keep to the Measure of Grace received let us Prophesie according to the Proportion of Faith or any Office let us wait on the Office or he that Teacheth on Teaching and he that Ministreth on Ministring or he that Exhorteth on Exhortation and he that distributeth let him do it with simplicity c. And be that sheweth Mercy with cheerfulness as you may see Rom. 12. So all this is to be done in the Faith and according to the Measure of the Grace given to every one so that all may be done in the Faith according to the Measure of Grace given to every one so that all may be done in the Faith from one Spirit which the manifestation of is given to every one to profit withal by which Spirit they are all baptized into one Body which Christ the heavenly Spiritual Man is the Head of So all Members from the Eye to the Foot are serviceable in the Body in the Grace of God who are joined together by the Spirit of God and to Christ their Head from whom they receive Nourishment for the Spirit of God does distribute to every one severally as he will and so are all made to drink mark to drink into one Spirit in which they have all Fellowship in the heavenly drinking of the Spiritual Drink and eating of the Spiritual Bread that comes down from Heaven Therefore every Man and Womans Eye must be lifted up to Heaven and Minds and Thirsts and Desires and Hearts and the Soul that hungers and the Needy that sighs and the Poor that groans for this Bread that comes down from Heaven and the Spiritual Drink and so they may have the Spiritual Bread in their own Houses and heavenly Water in their own Cisterns with which they may have to refresh them felves and others So here may all eat and drink to the Praise and the Glory of God for all drinks into one Spirit And as they eat of the Bread that comes down from Heaven then they can say the Scripture is fulfilled all Eyes are Lifted up unto thee thou opens with thy Hand to wit thy Power and thou fillest with thy Blessings and then with their Souls Hearts and Spirits Minds and Lips they will shew forth his Praise in praising God the Creator who is in all over all through all and above all And therefore in the Power and Name of Jesus in whose Name you were gathered keep your Meetings your Mesn and Womens Meetings that in the Power you may be kept in the Holy Vnity and Holy Order in Diligence in the Church of God and in his Business and Affairs Admonishing Exhoring Rebuking such as talk and does not walk accordingly such as professes and does not possess and such as are the Sayers and are not the Doers So that every ones Life and Conversation may be as becomes the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ the heavenly Man and keep in the Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of the Prince of Princes Peace which if you break you fonfeit your Riches in your Estate and Inheritance of Life And some Men may say Man must have the Power and Superiority over the Woman because God says The Man must rule over his Wife and that Man is not of the Woman but the Woman is of the Man Man and Womin to be helps-meet now as in the beginning Indeed after Man fell that Command was but before Man fell there was no such Command for they were both meet helps and they were both to have Dominion over all that God made And as the Apostle saith for as the Woman is of the Man his next Words are so is the Man also by the Woman but all things are of God And so the Aposcle clears his own Words and so as Man and Woman is restored again by Christ up into the Image of God they both have Dominion again in the Righteousness and Holiness and are helps meet as before they fell So then the Man is not without the Woman neither the Woman without the Man in the Lord. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear But there is some dark Spirits that say That for Women to meet together to worship God apart from the Men is monstrous and ridiculous But this dark Spirit has not defined what Worship is for if a Company of Women should meet together and some of these Women should kneel down and lift up their Hands and Eyes to God and pray to God or praise God as John would have fallen down to the Angel this is Worsbip And if the dark Spirit calls this Monstrous and Ridiculous because Men is not with them then it will follow it will be monstrous and ridiculous to pray to God or to worship God except Men be with them Therefore with the Spirit of God all may see what Confusion this dark Spirit is running into that is against Womens-Meetings and that Women must not worship God apart from the Men and calls it monstrous and ridiculous but from their own monstrous Spirit their own ridiculousness is manifest For you may see in the Scripture what Worship was and what Worship is such as was not to worship Idols they were not to lift up their Hands nor Eyes to them nor to fall down to them but to worship God and to bow bown to him and to lift up their Hands and Eyes to him for all Men and Women must lift up their Eyes Hands Hearts and Spirits to the Lord and to bow to him and worship him and ought in all their Meetings that gather in the Name of Jesus to wait upon the Lord for Wisdom Counsel and Vnder
into such things And therefore they are to have an Esteem of Truth and Virtue above all such things and not to indulge any such things as will draw out their Minds from Vertue to Vice Now when the Women are met together in the Light Women when met to be helpful to one another and in the Gospel the Power of God some are of a more large Capacity and Understanding than other Women and are able to inform and instruct and stir up others into Diligence Vertue and Righteousness and Godliness and in the Love and Wisdom of God to Inform and Reform their Families and to help them that be of weaker Capacities and Understandings in the Wisdom of God that they may be fruitful in every good Work and Word So that they may see that all their Families are ordered to God's Glory and that which tends to Loosness or Evil either in words ways or actions that would corrupt them either in their Lives or Manners may be kept down and reproved So that all their Children and Servants may be trained up in the Fear of God in the New Covenant for among the Jews in the Old Covenant them that sojourned amongst them were to keep the Sabbath and if they did eat of their Sacrifice they were bo be circumcised And the Women had their Assemblies in the Days of the Judges and the Kings and old Ely's Sons abused them and old Ely did admonish his Sons but he did not resTrain them from their Wickedness and therefore God cut off his Sons and he lost the Ark of God and the Priesthood and his own Life also So many of you may admonish your Children but if ye do not restrain them by the holp of the Spirit of God which God hath given to you you will quench the Spirit of God in you by indulging them so by that you will lose your spiritual Offering and your Priesthood therein Ely an example to all Parents and take heed if you do not lose your own Lives and your Childrens also therefore mind old Ely for your Example Now old Ely was not against the Assemblies of the Women who assembled by Troops as in the Margent of the Bible you may see 1 Sam. 2.21 22. though some Men now a days may be against Womens Meetings or Assemblies in the Gospel-times and against Woments Speaking or Prophecying but they are ignorant of the universal Spirit and of their Service and Labour to God in his Grace and Gospel and are of a narrow Spirit and are not the true Servers of God themselves for if they were they would have all People to serve God in his Power and to keep the true Religion which is to visit the Fatherless and the Widows and to keep themselves from the Spots of the World And some there have been that would not have the Women to meet without the Men and some of them say the Women must not speak in the Church and if they must not speak what should they meet with them for But what Spirit is this that would exercise Lordship over the Faith of any And what a Spirit is this that will neither suffer the Women to speak amongst the Men nor to meet amongst themselves to speak But all this is for Judgment with that Spirit that gives Liberty unto all that Labour in the Gospel in the Light and in the Grace And some Men and Women there are that suggest if Women should meet by themselves in the Order of the Gospel the Power of God they would be too high but such Men and Women as so suggest are too high already and would be ruling over Men and Women's Possessions and waste their own for if they were in the Power and Spirit of God they need not fear any one's getting over them For the Power and Spirit of God gives Liberty to all for Women are Heirs of Life as well as the Men and so Stewards of the manifold Grace of God And they must all give an account of their Stewardship All must give account of their Stewardship and are to be Possessors of Life and Light and Grace and the Gospel of Christ and to Labour in it and to keep their Liberty and Freedom in it as well as the Men. And they are Believers in the Light as well as the Men and so Children of the Light and of the Day as well as the Men. And so the Assemblies of the Women Assemblies of Women to be in the Gospel as was in the time of the Law whom God hath poured out his Spirit upon are to be in the time of the Gospel as well as in the time of the Law that they may be helps meet to the Men in the time of the Gospel in the Restoration as they were in the Beginning and time of the Law So all the Women in all their Assemblies in the time of the Gospel and of the New Covenant of Light Life and Grace are to be incouraged as they were in the time of the Law and to be stirred up in the Wisdom of God to their Diligence and Service of God and Christ in his New Covenant in his Gospel-time Concerning the Substance to do the Lord's Business about the Heavenly Tabernacle and Heavenly Garnients as the Women were about the Figure in the time of the Law And now you that stumble at Womens Meetings had not your Women many vain Meetings before they were convinced and you were not then offended at them when they met to satisfie the Flesh and had Junketing Meetings to themselves did you reprove them for such Meetings And why should they not now meet in their Conversion in the Lord's Power and Spirit to do his Business and to visit the Fatherless and Widows and to keep themselves from the Spots of the World which is the Practice of the pure Religion wherein the Men and Women may be helps meet in the Religion that is not of the World that keeps from the Spots of the World But some have said That such Meetings must not be That they may be helpful with the Men to prevent Evil c. but as Business requires or occasions them As much as to say you must not make up the Hedges till the Beasts have devoured your Corn and then the Parish Overseers must meet together to compute the Damage And here their Wisdom is seen as if it were not more their Duty to meet to prevent bad Actions that may fall out and with the Power of God to stop up Gaps to prevent Evil or weak Places for when the Evil is entred into it is of the latest to meet then which rather brings Scandal that Remedy and therefore the Labourers in the Gospel Men and Women being helps meet are to see that all walk and live in the Order of the Gospel and to see that nothing be lacking then all is well For the Women in their Assemblies may inform one another of the poor Widows and Fatherless
did not despise Communication with a Woman And she instructed the Priest and the King's Scribe which came to her So neither King nor Priest did despise this Propheress's Teaching and Instruction but obeyed it as you may see what a large Sermon she preached to them in 2 Kings 22. from 14 to the end And you may see Abigail that honourable Woman's Wisdom Abigail's Conduct and advice to David how she saved her FAmily and her House from DesTruction Yet she did not go to ask her Husband old churlish Nabal at home but she who was innocent and wise took it upon her self and you may see what a brave Sermon she preached to David who heard her patiently and she tole David how that he was bound up in the bundle of Life with the Lord God And David blessEd the Lord God that she come to him and said The Lord God of Israel had sent her that day to meet him and said Blessed be thy Advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from shedding Blood as you may read in 1 Sam. 25th And was not this a Noble and Honourable Act of his Woman which prevented so much Evil and Blood-shed which her Husband had like to have brought upon them So David did not despise the Counsel of this honourable Woman who was wiser than her Husband Nabal And now must not the Virgins in the time of the Gospel trim their Lamps and get Oil into their own Lamps by labouring in the Grace Light and Power of Christ and keep their Lamps trimmed and always burning In the time of the Law it was Aaron the Priest's Office but in the time of the Gospel all the Virgin Minds must trim their Lamps that their Lamps may burn the clearer and to see that they have Oil in their Lamps from the heavenly Olive-Tree Christ Jesus And therefore they that would not have the Virgins and Women to be diligent serving the Lord in his heavenly Business and Service their Lamps are going out and they are become Fools and would have others like themselves And the Lord sent Elijah in the time of the Famine Widom of Zaphath's Faith and said unto him Behold I have commanded a Widow Woman to sustain thee and he arose and went to Zarephath and when he came to the Gate of the City the Widow-Woman was gathering Sticks to make a Fire to bake her a Cake who had but one handful of Meal and a little Oil in a Cruce and yet in Faith she made the Man of God a Cake though she had no more than his that she and her Son might eat and then die but her Meal wasted not nor her Cruce of Oil according to the Word of the Lord and so the Lord blessed his Woman as you may see in 1 Kings 17. And in the 2d of Kings and the 4th there you may see the Faith of the Widow-Woman and how largely she spoke unto the Prophet Elisha and how the Lord encreased her stock of Oil through her Belief and Faithfulness And Elisha passed unto Shunnim And the Shunamite Woman's Hospitality to the Prophet where there was a great Woman and she constrained him to eat Bread and so it was as oft as he passed by that he truned in thither to eat Bread and she said unto her Husband Behold now I perceive that this is a Holy Man of God which passes by us continually let us make him a little Chamber I pray thee on the Wall and let us set for him there a Bed and a Table and a Stool and a CandlesTick and it shall be that when he comes to us that he shall turn in thither Now to this good Action of this holy Woman was her Husband subject and how she was blest afterwards for her Faithfulness and receiving of the Man of God Now the Prophet of the Lord did not despise this Woman's speaking in the time of the Law Neither did Solomon despise the Prophesie his Mother taught him Prov. 31. And David said The Lord gave the Word and great was the Company of those that published it psalm 68.11 And the King's Daughter was among the honourable Women So there were the honourable Woman that feared and served the Lord God in the time of the Law and before the Law But now there should be much more in the time of the Gospel Women should be more Servicealle in the Church in the time of the Gospel than they were under the Law which is preached to every Creature which Gospel-Light has enlightned every Man that cometh into the World and in the time of the Covenant of Grace which hath appeared unto all Men to teach them and bring their Salvation And so in the time of the Gospel Light and Grace the honourable Women should be meet helps and Fellow-labourers together in the Work and Service of the Lord as Man and Woman was before they fell and as they were in the time of the Law For that honourable Deborah which was a valiant Mother in Israel Deborah a valiant Mother in Israel was a Judge and a Prophetess Judges 5. And Jephtha's Daughter was not she a vertuous young Woman and see what a Sermon she preached to her Father and said to him Jeptha's Daughter vertuous Let me go up to the Mountains to bewail my Virginity and he said unto her Go and she went and her Companions Fellow-Virgins and she said unto her Father As thou hast opened thy Mouth unto the Lord so do unto me according to what hath proceeded out of thy Mouth forasmuch as the Lord hath taken Vengeance for thee of thy Enemies And the Daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the Daughter of Jeptha Judges 11. So here they had a Yearly Meeting upon this Occasion But the Assemblies of the Women about the Works and Services the Lord commanded was beyond this And Manoah Sampson's Mother Manoah had more Faith than her Huaband unto whom the Angel of the Lord appeared and declared unto her great things which she declared unto her Husband but her Husband did not reprove her and when her was in fear that they should die then his Wife encouraged him saying If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have rceived a Brunt-Offering and heave shewed us all these things And here you may see the steadfastness of this Woman's Faith beyond her Husband 's as in Judges 13. And the Woman of Tekoah see what a Sermon she preached to King David 2 Sam. 14. And you may see what a large Sermon the Woman of the City of Abel preached unto Joab the General she told him The wise Woman of the City Abel she was one of htme that were peaceable and faithful in Israel and thou seekest to destroy a City and a Mother of Israel why wilt thou swallow up th Inheritance of the Lord So she convinced him and preserved the City And so these and such Women are recorded to Posterity for their
was forbidden for a Woman to speak in the Church But this Woman is set forth for an Examp e to all Young and Old Women of her Love to Christ her Saviour and not only so but a preacher of him to all that looked for Redemption in Israel And the Woman of Canaan that came unto Jesus and said Lord help The Woman of Canaan her Faith but he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and cast it unto Dogs and she said Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from the Master's Table Then Jesus answered and said unto her Oh Woman Great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt So you may see by this Woman's Faith in Christ Jesus this Woman's Daugher was made whole which was an Example for all the Faithful to look unto Jesus for Help as you may see in Mat. 15. And Mary The Bounty and Humility of Mary that took a Pound of Oinment of Spikenard very costly and anointed the Feet of Jesus and wiped his Feet with her Hair and the whole House was filled with the Odour of the Ointment But when Judas saw it he had Indignation saying What profit is this waste Why was not this Ointment sold for Three hundred Pieces of Silver and given to the Poor as you may see in Mat. 26. and Mark 14. and John 12. Now this was Judas which carried the Bag and betrayed Christ and many there are that carry the Bag now that would not have their Wives nor the Women bestow any thing upon Christ nor his poor Followers But Jesus said Let her alone why trouble you her she hath wrought a good Work on me for the Poor ye have with you always and whensoever ye will ye may do them good but me ye have not always she hath done what she could she is come before hand to anoint my Body to my Burial Verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the World this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a Memorial of her So Christ did not forbid the Woman's Practice but encouraged her and so he doth still them that obey him And the Woman that was Twelve Years troubled with an Issue of Blood who had spent all upon Physicians and grew worse and worse her Faith was so strong that she believed if she could but touch the Hem of his Garment she should be well And as soon as she had touched his Cloaths The Faith of the Woman Twelve Tears diseased vertue went from Christ and healed her and then the Woman came fearing and trembling and fell down before Christ and told him all the Truth what she had done And he said unto her Daughter thy Faith hath made thee whole go in Peace Mark 5. Now Christ who is the Head of the Church here sufferedf a Woman to speak before him from whom she had received the Healing-Vertue And you may see when Christ was crucisied how many Women were there as Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of James and many others which came up to Jerusalem that were about Jesus at the time of his being crucified as in Mark 15. And Mary Magdalen Women the first Wienesses of Christ Resurrection and Mary the Mother of James came to the Sepulchne and the Angel said unto them Be not afnaid ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is not here he is arisen behold the place where they laid him But go your way tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth beofe you into Galilee there shall you see him as he said unto you For Jesus appeared first viz. to Mary Magdalen as in Mark 16. And in John 20. it is said The two Angels said to Mary Woman why weepest thou And she said because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him and when she had thus said she turned her self and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus c. But Jesus said unto her Mary and she turned her self and said unto him Rabbi as much as to say Master and Jesus said unto her touch me not for I am not ascended yet unto my Father but go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God c. And Mary Magdalen came and told the Disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her So here Mary Magdalen was a Messenger of Christ Jesus Mary Magdalen a Messenget of Christ who did not despise her speaking before him who was the Head of the Church nor did not refuse to send her to preach his Resurrection to his Disciples though she was a Woman And in Luke 24. it 's said It was Mary Magdalen and Joanna and Mary the Mother of James and other Women which were with them which told the Apostles that Christ was risen and this was said unto them Why seek ye the Living among the Dead He is not here he is risen Remember that he spoke unto you when he was yet in Galilee saying The Son of Man must be delivered into the Hands of Sinful Men c. And they remembred these words and they returned from the Sepulchre and told all these things unto the Eleven Disciples and all the rest And mark as I said before it was Mary Magdalen and Joanna and Mary the Mother of James and other Women that were with them which told these things unto the Apostles and these words seemed unto them as idle Tales and they believed them not Now mark their Message and to whom it was and who they were that were the Messengers the weaker Vessels and to whom to the Apostles and what they preached was what they remembred Christ had spoken to them before to wit that Christ should suffer and rise again And Christ appeared again unto two of his Disciples The Disciples going to â—maus c. and lie talked with them and asked them What Communication they had And they said unto him Art thou a Stranger in Jerusalem and knowest not the things that have befallen c And he said unto them What things And they said unto him Concerning Jesus of Nazareth that was a great Prophet and mighty in Deed and in Word before God and all People which the Jews have crucified but they trusted he should have redeemed Israel and besides all this to day is the third day since these things were done And certain Women also of our Company made us astonished which were early at his Sepulchre and when they found not is Body they came saying That they bad seen a Vision of Angels which said he was alive So here the Woman's Testimony of the Resurrection of Christ aftonished them And Jesus said unto them O Fools and slow of Heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken Ought not Christ to have suffered these things
not they say then to their Neighbours and Friends Rejoyce with me for I have found the Piece which was lost Likewise I say unto you saith Christ there is joy in the Presence of the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth as you may see in Luke 15. Now here you may see all these renowned faithful Women were encouraged by Christ and his Followers and are recorded and set forth to encourage all that are faithful to wait upon Christ and to light their Candle at God's Light and Fire that so they may sweep their House and find their Treasure that they may declare their Joy of it to their Friends and Neighbours And also you may see Dorcas was full of good Works and Alms-deeds which she did Dorcas full of good Works And all the Widows stood by Peter weeping shewing the Coats and Garments which Dorcas made whilst she was with them to wit the Widows Mark and was not there a Womens-Meeting then whilst Dorcas was with them to wit the Widows and Dorcas was a Disciple of Jesus Acts 9. And Paul on the Sabbath went out of the City by a River-side where Prayers were wont to be made and spoke to the Women which resorted thither and was not there a Womans-Meeting also which resorted there to pray together And there was a certain Woman named Lydia THe Feithfulness of Lydia a Seller of Purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God whose Heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things spoken by Paul and she besought him to come to her House if he judged her faithful to the Lord and abide there and she constrained him and them that were with him Acts 16. So you may see the Faithfulness of this Woman and the Practice of the other Women before they were converted And Priscilla Priscialla a Labourer in the Gospel which was a notable Faithful Woman whom Paul often mentions with her Husband Aquilla and Philip's four Daughters which were Prophetesses which were set forth to encourage others And you may see Phebe whom the Apostle Paul sends his Epistle to the Romans from Corinth by and calls a Servant of the Church of Cenchrea and he saith Greet Mary which bestowed much Labour upon us and Priscilla and Aquilla my Fellow-Labourers in Christ Jesus So here you may see there were Women Labourers and Helpers in the Gospel With other Women Labourers in the Gospel And he farther saith I commend unto you our Sister Phebe Who is a Servant unto the Church c. And saith That Priscilla and Aquilla my Fellow-helpers in Christ Jesus which for my Life have laid down their Necks unto whom not only I give Thanks but also all the Churches of the Gentiles So here you may see in what esteem was this Man and Woman and Phebe and other Women for their Faithfulness to the Churches as you may read Rom. 16. And the Apostle saith That the unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the unbelieving Wife c. else their Children were unholy but now they are clean and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the believing Husband So here is an equal share in the Belief 1 Cor. 7. And the Apostle saith That every Woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head So Women may Pray and Prophesie here according to Order in the Church as well as the Men 1 Cor. 11. And yet the same Apostle in the 14th Chapter forbids a Woman to speak in the Church And the Apostle saith Let the Women keep Silence in the Church and if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home But when they have learnt of Christ their Husband at home What sort of Women forbid to speak in the Church they are not forbididen of Christ from Prophesying or Praying but to lie babbling and prating in the Church such Speaking in the Church is a Shame Now a Widow hath no Husband to ask but Christ nor a Virgin yet she may Prophesie and a believing Woman that hath an unbelieving Husband he is to be sanctified by her So she is not to learn her Salvation of him but of Christ and to do his work And the same Apostle saith Let the Men keep Silence in the Church if they speak in an unknown Tongue and there be not an Interpreter So here the Men must keep Silence in the Church in this case Men forbid in some Cases to speak in the Church as well as some Women as well as the Women 1 Cor. 11. and Chap. 14.27 And the Apostle further saith I permit not a Woman to speak in the Church but to be under Obedience as also saith the Law But tho' the Law did not permit their usurping Authority in the Church yet it did permit their Prophesying in the Church in the time of the Law as well as in the time of the Gospel as you may see by those Famous Women before-mentioned in the Old Testament as well as in the New And the same Apostle saith I beseech thee Euodias and I beseech Syntyche that they may be of the same mind in the Lord and I intreat thee also true Yoke-Fellow help those Women which laboured with me in the Gospel with Clement also und iwth other my Fellow Labourers whose Names are in the Book of Life So here the Apostle intreated his Yoke-Fellow to help those Women which laboured with him in the Gospel the Power of God So these Women were meet Helps with the Apostle in the Labour of the Gospel the Power of God as you may see in Phil. 4. And all that be of his Mind in the Lord will encourage either Women or Widows or Virgins that have received the Gospel to labour in it and all that have not the Mind of the Apostle in the Lord will discourage Womens labouring in the Gospel and not entreat others to help them but such will give them Liberty to labour in the Power of Darkness and to Slothfulness and Carelesness which the Wo is unto and not the Blessing And again the Apostle writes to Timothy That the Women should adorn themselves in modest Apparrel and Shamefacedness and Sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array but which becomes Women professing Godliness with good Works and let your Women learn in Silence with all Subjection c. But I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurp Authority over the Man but learn in Silence c. For the Woman being deceived was first in Transgression c. Now for a Woman to Preach or Teach such a Teaching as Eve taught Adam such a Sermon as she had from the Serpent that drew her self and Adam her Husband from God's Teaching here in this Teaching she usurp'd Authority over the Man and therefore God se the Man to rule over the Woman but they were meet helps before while they were under God's Teaching Now to usurp Authority over the Man by such Teaching is
the Lord to deal with them For that which they get by spoiling you they will never be the richer for and when they have done spoiling the Lord can spoil them and theirs And all the Goods they take from Friends for serving God will torment them at last and be a greater Plague to them more than keeping on your Hats and saying Thou to them was And you have had Experience how the other Powers spoiled your Goods The Spoil of the Righteous not durable Riches to their Persecutors but were they either the richer or the fatter Nay the more thery did eat destroy and devour the more they look like Pharaoh's lean Cattel And did not the Christians of old suffer joyfully the spoiling of their Goods by Professors and Prophane So they that are born of the Flesh will persecute them that are born of the Spirit and they that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution and blessed are they that do suffer Persecution for Christ and his Righteousness sake And so never fear the loss of the Fleece for God can make it grow again as he did poor Job's And it is the way of the Enemy and Adversary to set upon the young convinced to think by that means to make them to yield For have you not read it was the way how that the Enemies of Israel of old fell upon the weak and feeble of their Camp and the hindermost of the Flock but they had their Reward at the End And so wait upon the Lord and he will support you though he may try you a while as he doth all his Saints that the Trial of your Faith may come forth more pure than Gold And so never fear Man nor what they are permitted to do unto you but the Lord Though the hungry Lions may lack yet they that wait upon the Lord shall not want any good thing for his Promise is he will never leave them nor forsake them And so the Lord God Almighty give you Power and Courage to stand against all the Wiles of the Enemy and to be Valiant for his Truth upon the Earth And so with my Love in the Everlasting Seed Christ Jesus who is over him that makes to suffer and will be when he is gone Marshgrange the 6th of the 4th Month. 1676. G. F. To Friends in Barbadoes MY Dear Friends in the heavenly Relation and Zion's Children Epist 333 amongst whom the Stone that the Builders rejected is elect and precious and in him Christ you are Elect Christ the Head of God's Church who is the Head of the Corner of God's Building And therefore in the Name of Jesus keep your Meetings in whom you all have Salvation and not by any other Name under Heaven and though the Lord may try you where your Minds are and in what by the outward Powers yet be valiant for God's Truth upon the Earth and if some of you be cast into Prison and your Goods be spoiled the Seed is upon the Head of him that maketh to suffer and will remain when he is gone And the Lord God who giveth the increase of all both Invisible and Visible can make the Fleece to grow again And therefore let your Faith be in the Power and Word of Life And the Authority of your Men and Womens Meetings is the Power of God and all the Heirs of the Gospel are Heirs of Christ the heavenly Man and of his Government the increase of which there is no end And so all walk in Christ So walk in Christ who bruiseth the Serpent's Head that hath gotten between you and God so as you all are in him then nothing can get between you and the Lord God and so in the glorious Order of the Gospel the Power of God dwell which is over the Devil and the World and before he and it was and the Power of God will be when he and it is gone This is the everlafting Gospel which bringeth Life and Immortality to Light and that you all may see over him that hath darkned you to him who was before he was and the Power of God will be when he is gone And therefore walk in the glorious blessed peaceable and comfortable Order of the everlasting Gospel for the Gospel the Power of God is the Gospel of Peace and the Truth is Peaceable The Devil the Destroyer and Adversary abode not in the Peaceable Truth and the Kingdom of God stands in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and the Vnity of the Spirit is a Bond of Peace yea the Bond of the heavenly Man the Prince of Princes Peace that Bond must be kept by all Zion's Children the Heirs of Life And all seek the Peace and Good one of another To seek Peace and dwell is Love and dwell in the Love of God thet does edifie the Body of Christ and bears all things and endures all things and build up one another in the most holy Faith which you have from Christ the holy One for Holiness becomes the House of God And therefore all mind that which becomes his House and now is the time for every one to put on the Armour of God and to take his Weapons and Arms that you may stand by God's Ensign in the Truth against him that is out of Truth keeping on your Helmet of Salvation as a token of your Victory and your Breast-Plate of Righteousness which preserves both Mind Heart and Soul and your Loins girded with Truth Keep on the Armor of Righteousness that you may be Valiant for it and your Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel the Power of God that your Feet may stand fast over all slippery Places in the Power of God the Gospel that is sure and everlasting Here is your Armor and your Weapon is the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God the Word of Life and Salvation and Wisdom and Reconciliation that is as a Sword and a Hammer to cut down and hammer down that which hath made a separation betwixt you and God and is as Fire to burn it up And the Shield of Faith that is your Shield by which you have victory and access to God by which Faith all the Just lives and are saved and contend for it which is declared to the Saints by Christ who is the Author and Finisher of it And by this Faith you come to Christ the Author and as many as receive him walk in him that you may be always fresh and green in him who bruises the Head of the Serpent that hath made People lean and barren and hath made so many barren Mountains which Christ is gathering and calling his People from that they might walk in the Light of the Lord and come to the Mountain of the House of the Lord that is established above all the Mountains where God teaches all his the Way of Life Truth and Salvation And the Mountain of the House of the Lord is always green with fresh
natural Men with all the Arts Languages and Wisdom upon the Earth can find it out or know this Mystery nor make it for Christ Jesus the heavenly and spiritual Man is the Author and Finisher of it and no natural Man though he may have all the Languages that began at Babel and yet he may not know the Mystery of this One Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author of For Pilate that set Hebrew Greek and Latin a-top of Christ who was the Author and Finisher of Faith he was so ignorant of the Mystery of Faith that he asked Christ What is Truth And the Greeks that spoke Natural Greek and the Hebrews that spoke Natural Hebrew the Preaching of Christ the Author and Finisher of the true Faith was a Stumbling-block and Foolishness to them So I do conclude That no Man or Woman hath true Faith only by the Natural Knowledge Reading or Vnderstanding of the Original Tongue and Language of the New Testament no more than the Natural Jews had by the Reading or Knowing of the Natural Tongue of the Old Testament nor can any in the whole World have true Faith except Jesus Christ be the Author and Finisher of it Now those that do say That the Tongues are the Original and by them the Orthodox Men and the Divines so called are qualified which Tongues began at Babel and these be the Preachers that makes Faiths for People who hath gotten Scriptures in Hebrew Greek and Latin But I must tell you that Pilate and Herod and the Jews and the Chief Priests and the Grecians and others that could speak Latin and Greek and Hebrew Naturally knew not Christ nor this One Faith which is the Gift of God which Christ is the Author of No more can they with all their Natural Knowledge of all the Tongues until Christ Jesus the Author of the true and saving Faith give it unto them by which One Faith was Enoch translated before the many Languages were and by which Faith Abel's Sacrifice was accepted and by which Faith Noah built the Ark and by which Faith he was saved and by which Faith now all the Houshold of Faith are saved from the Wrath by which God will destroy the wicked World which is reserved in store by the same Word unto Fire against the Day of Judgment and Perdition of ungodly Men which Word will hammer down all and burn up all and cut down all the Vngodly and by which Word all things were made by which Word of Life and Wisdom his People are reconciled to God and therefore they love the Word Christ who doth fulfil the Mind of God G. F. FRiends In the Power and Image and Truth and Wisdom of God Epist 343. who are come under God and Christ's Teaching the heavenly and spiritual Man Don't you strive about Men like the Carnal Corinthians Not to be carnal and divide about Men. that cried I am of Paul and I am of Apollos And them that do so leave them to themselves after you have admonished them to keep to the Light Grace and Faith that comes from Christ if they will not hear it nor him nor you then I say they must be left to themselves And you whose Faith stands not in Men but in Christ the Author of it and in his Gospel of Salvation by which you are saved which Gospel is the Power of God your Keeper Keep ye in the Order of the Gospel the Power of God all ye that are Heirs of it and in this Power of God keep your Men and Womens Meetings the Power of God being the Author and Authority of them by which Power of God the Gospel you are saved and have your liberty and in it you are over him that would destroy you and darken you and keep you in Bondage In which Power of God the Gospel you see Life and Immortality brought to light So it is the Gospel that hath brought it to Light and keeps Life and Immortality and an Vnderstanding up in you above him that has darkned you from it Now this is an Everlasting and Invisible Power in which you are all help meets in the Restoration by Christ the heavenly and spiritual Man whereby you are brought into the Image Lakeness Righteousness Holiness and Power of God as Man and Woman were in before they fell And now the same Spirit that drew Adam and Eve from the Image and Likeness of God and his Power and Righteousness and Holiness under a pretence to feed upon that which God had forbidden them for they thought they should have been wiser than God had taught them would keep Man and Woman in the Fall Now they by hearkning to that Spirit and eating of the forbidden Fruit fell and lost the Image of God The cause of Man's fall and Righteousness and Holiness and the Power in which they had the Dominion and were brought into the Fall by hearkning to this false Spirit the Adversary who envied their Happiness and Prosperity And so by their Fall they came under another Power another Image another Likeness and another God even the God of the World Now this Adversary and Deceiver appeared against Man in Paradise and now Men and Women are deceived by him and under his Power in the Earth who creeps on his Belly and Dust is his Meat This same Spirit who is the Adversary and Destroyer that led Adam and Eve into the Fall strives to keep Men and Women in the Fall and in the Earth and opposes them in their Conversion Regeneration and Restoration And this was the same Spirit that rose in Cain against Abel and envied his Acceptable Sacrifice and his Righteous State as it did Adam and Eve's Prosperity in the Ruling Power wherein they had Dominion over all And the same Spirit is risen now which strives to keep People in the Fall where he has got them that Men and Women should not be helps meet in the Restoration by Christ Jesus as they were in before they fell in Power and Righteousness and Holiness and Likeness The same Spirit that envied Mâ—â—s happiness the same opposes good Order in the Church and Image of God So I say the same Spirit that envied Adam and Eve before they fell the same Spirit opposes the Men and Womens Meetings in the Order of the Gospel in their Restoration And that which led them into the Fall does strive to keep them in the Fall that It might be Lord and not Christ Lord who Restores them so the same Spirit now would not have Men and Women to have Dominion in the Power of God over all in the Restoration as they were help meets together in the Beginning And this is the Adversary the Serpent that led into the Fall and would keep in the Fall and there be Head But Christ who is the Head and gives forth the Order of his Gospel for his People to live and walk in and under his Spiritual and Heavenly Government bruises the Head of
Faith was and are still denied And all such as preach God and Christ and crucifies Christ to themselves afresh and denies God in their Works were then and are denied And all such as preach the Light and walk in Darkness and preach the Spirit the Fruits of which is Love and Peace and are in Strife and Enmity were never owned by God nor Christ nor good Men though they may be called Christians And all such as preach Liberty and themselves were Servants of Corruption were and are still denied And all such as cries Lord Lord and preaches Christ Christ and does not his Will enters not into his Kingdom themselves And into it they can bring none that do not go into it themselves Which Kingdom stands in Power and in Joy and Peace in the Holy Ghost And all such as preach the Word of God and are not doers of the Word they are Deceivers of their own Souls and they may deceive others with the good Words And such cannot be reconciled to God neither can they bring others to Reconciliation with God So this Spirit is but One which Spirit all along has wrought against the true Spirit of God in all his People and was in Srife and Contention and Disquietness against the Righteous in all Ages but it wrought its own Destruction and the Fall of them that followed it as you may see through all the Scriptures And therefore all are to keep the Vnity of the Spirit All are to keep the Vnity of the Spirit the Bond of the heavenly Man Christ Jesus's Peace who renews Man up into the Image of God as Man was in before he fell and not only into that State but up into himself that never fell where they know both his Gospel-Order and his Heavenly Government and are subject to it He being the Head above all Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions Who is ascended above all that he might fill all things Who is over all the Beginning and Ending and Lives and Reigns from Everlasting to Everlasting the Amen G. F. An Epistle to be read in the Men and Womens Meetings DEar Friends Epist 344. My Love in the Lord Jesus Christ to you all in whom I have laboured and my Desires are the God of all Peace and the Son of Peace may fill all your Hearts with his Love and Peace and Wisdom and Knowledge in all things to do his heavenly glorious Will in that you will know his Son's Doctrine and as you know it obey it And my Desires are in the Lord All to walk worthy of their Holy Vocation that you may all walk worthy of your Vocation and of him that his called you to Holiness and Righteousness and to Peace so that his Peace may flow as a River and Righteousness run down as a Stream to the gladding of the City of God the Walls of which is his Power and Salvation and Light and Life And now My Friends Keep all your Meetings in the Name of Jesus in whom you have all Salvation which is above every Name under the whole Heaven in which there is no Salvation And also all your Men and Womens Meetings every where keep in the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ his Gospel by which he hath brought Life and Immortality to light in you that you may see over him that hath darkned you and before he was which Power will preserve you in Life and Immortality So that you may now all labour in the Gospel the Power of God in his glorious and comfortable Gospel joyfully serving the Lord in his Gospel of Peace through which Gospel you have Peace with God So that in this Gospel All to be stirred up to Labour in the Lord's Service the Power of God there can come nothing between you and God Here is your heavenly Order not of Man nor by Man So that all the faithful Men and Women may in the Lord's Power be stirred up in their Inheritances of the same Gospel and to labour in it helps-meet in the Restoration as Man and Woman was before the Fall in the Garden of God all are to work in his Righteousness and in his Image in his Power in his Garden to subdue the Earth and keep the Dominion in his Power in the Restoration as Man and Woman did in the Image of God before the Fall Whosoever would hinder you in this Work it is the same Serpent's Spirit that led Adam and Eve into the Fall from the Work of God which now would keep you in the Fall to do his Work and Command and not the Lord's and therefore over that keep your Dominion Authority and Inheritance in the Restoration in the Power of God in which every one of you must give an account to God and therefore be diligent in the Lord's Power Light Life and Spirit in which you all see your Services to God so that he may be glorified among you all and in you all and over you all his Glory may shine And you all Men and Women in your Men and Womens Meetings be diligent labouring in the Light Life and the Power of God the Gospel in the Garden and Church of God so that Righteousness and Peace may flow down amongst you and Truth and Godliness Purity Vertue and Holiness over all that is contrary and that the Weight and Care of God's Glory and his Honour and his pure Holy Name and his Truth Religion and Worship you may all stand up for against that which would in any wise cause it to be evil spoken of by ill Walkers and Talkers and let all things you do be done in Love and condescend one to another in the Power of the Lord and in his Truth have esteem one of another and let all things be done among you without any Strife for it's Love that edifies the Body and knits it together and unites it to Christ the heavenly and holy Head The Reproach taken from Woman that was first in Transgression And now you Women though you have been under Reproach because Eve was first in Transgression the Promise was The Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head And this Promise of God is fulfilled A Virgin should have a Child and they should call his Name Emanuel God with us again For Man and Woman was drove from God out of Paradise and the Serpent became their Head and god of the World but Christ is come according to the Promise of God and his Prophets who was born of a Virgin and therefore saith Mary My Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour My Soul doth magnifie the Lord for he hath regard to the low estate of his Hand maid for behold from henceforth all Generations shall call me Blessed Now here comes the Reproach to be taken off from Women which were first in Transgression who are not suffered to speak in the Church but here Mary did speak and believe that which was spoken to her And also the Reproach
have the Life and the Truth which Death and Darkness cannot get into which is out of the Truth tho' they may talk of the Words of the Truth but keep in the pure Religion that was set up above Sixteen Hundred Years ago and this pure Religion which is undesiled before God will keep you from the Spots of the World and above all the spotted and dirty Religions that are not pure but are defiled before and in the sight of God And in this Religion in your Mens and Womens Meetings that are in the Gospel of Christ and in the Order of it you will see that nothing is lacking being ordered by the holy pure peaceable and gentle Wisdom of God from above and so keep in the Worship of God in the New Covenant in the Spirit and in the Truth which the Devil that foul Spirit who is out of the Truth cannot get into nor his Company And so in the Seed of Life which bruiseth the Head of the Serpent all dwell and sit down who is the Amen the First and Last in whom you have Peace with God and then nothing can get between you and the Lord God G. F. To the Yearly Meeting in Yorkshire MY Friends Epist 350. In the Service and in the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ the Second Adam in his Power Light and Truth live over Death and Darkness and him that is out of the Truth So all in the Seed that bruises the Serpent's Head stand up for God's Glory and Honour All to walk as becomes the Gospel in which Seed you are all one Male and Female and in which Seed you all have Peace and Vnity that is Everlasting And in this heavenly Seed see that all walk as becometh the glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus which hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel by which you do see over him that hath darkened you And this Gospel the Power of God will keep you in Life and in Immortality in which you may all see your Work and Service for the Lord God in Holiness and in Righteousness and in Godliness that the Lord God may be glorified in you all and among you all who is over all blessed for ever Amen And Friends see that all your Children and Families be trained up in the New Covenant of Grace and in Life and Peace and circumcised and baptized with the Spirit That Families be seasoned with Truth that they may all eat of the Spiritual Food and drink into one Spirit in the New Covenant and to feed upon the Substance as the Jews did on the Shadows in the Old which faded away And the Power of God the Gospel is the Authority of your Mens and Womens Meetings and every Heir of the Gospel is to Labour in their Inheritance and Possession in the Restoration into the Image of God in Righteousness and Holiness being made by Christ that never fell helps meet in the Restoration as they were before the Fall who is the First and Last the Foundation and Rock of Ages in him sit down in Life and Peace and Rest the Amen that nothing may get between you and the Lord God and see that nothing be lacking among you then all is well So with my Love in the Lord Jesus Christ London the 3d of the 4th Month 1678. G. F. FRiends Know what the Lord doth require of you Epist 351. and all have a Sense of that in your selves that he doth require which is to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk humbly with God Now the Lord who is Merciful and Just Holy and Righteous Pure and Perfect he doth require The Lord requireth but in propoation to what he giveth That Man and Woman should do Justly and Righteously and live Godlily and Holily by the Holy Light and Spirit and Truth and Grace that the Lord hath given every Man and Woman to profit withal And so to answer the Holy Pure Righteous Just God of Truth in all their Lives and Words and Conversations and so to glorifie him upon the Earth And the more the Lord gives the more he requireth and the less that he giveth the less he requireth But the Lord requireth of every Man and Woman as he giveth who will judge the World in Righteousness by the Man Christ Jesus according to the Gospel the Power of God that is preached to every Creature under Heaven that is according to the invisible Power manifesting that there is something of the invisible Power of God in every Man and Woman So here the Lord Jesus Christ doth not Judge according to the hearing of the Ear and to the seeing of the Eye for with Righteousness shall he Judge you according to the Light which is the Life in the Word Christ with which he doth enlighten every Man that cometh into the World to the Salvation of them that believe in it and the Condemnation of them that do hate it and that will not receive the Gospel nor the Grace which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared to all Men but walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace and iurn it unto Wantonness So according to his Grace and Light and Gospel will the righteous God Judge the World in Righteousness by Christ the Heavenly and Spiritual Man who hath died for the Sins of the World though they deny him that bought them and tasted Death for every Man Such deserve his Judgment Send this abroad among Friends to be read in their Meetings Swarthmore the 11th Month 1678. G. F. An Epistle to Friends to keep in the Power of God in their Peaceable Habitations over all the Troubles of the World ALL my Dear Friends and Brethren Epist 352. who are gathered by the Light Grace and Truth and Power and Spirit of Jesus Christ to him the Head over all by whom were all things created the First-born of every Creature and the First-begotten from the dead know him and the Power of his Resurrection that you all may be Partakers of it and of Life Everlasting and may sit together in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who is over all the First and Last and in him you have Peace who is not of this World for in this World there is trouble and the World did and doth hate Christ The World hated Christ before it hated them yea and his Light Grace Truth Power and Spirit and therefore it is no marvel if the World do hate Christ's Members that do follow him in his Light Grace Truth Power and Spirit and so with it receive him into them their Life and Salvation and so he that hath the Son of God hath Life who is the Fountain that filleth all that wait upon him with his heavenly Blessings and Riches of Life from Christ the Rock and Foundation that cannot be shaken though the Rocks and Foundations of the World may be shaken and cloven in pieces and the Pillars of the Earth may reel and stagger and all
Jesus to outstrip the World in Vertue Chastity Modesty and Temperance and in that which is of good Report Our Light to shine before Men. For our heavenly Light ought to shine so before Men that they may see our good Works and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven And therefore all in the Church of Christ ought to live in the Spirit and Power of Christ in which they do Judge the World and all the fallen Angels So in this Heavenly Power the Vertue Purity Chastity flows and shines over all and they that do possess as though they did not and they Marry as though they married not They are all resigned in the Power of Christ that gives Dominion over the World which brings all into one Mind and to be of one Heart and Soul and to one Judgment and are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation a peculiar People that shews forth the Praise of Christ who hath called them out of Darkness into his marvellous Light and as Living Stones are built up a Spiritual Houshold an Holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ And so my Dear Friends To walk in Christ my desire is That in Jesus Christ ye may all live and walk who is the Seed of the Woman that bruises the Serpents Head that is the Head of all Wickedness and Strife and in this Seed Christ all Nations are blessed as they live and walk in him And the Blessings from above and the Blessings beneath rest upon them And in this Seed Christ all have Rest and Peace who is the First and the Last over all Blessed for ever Amen In him is my Love to you all as though I named you Read this in your Quarterly Meeting at York G. F. To the Six Weeks Meeting in Barbadoes DEar Friends Epist 384. In Christ in whom we have Peace Purity Holiness and Righteousness you must be kept Holy and Righteous to the Glory of God and Righteousness and Holiness and Puririty must wear and outlive all that is contrary to it and Patience and Meekness and Humility and Kindness and Sobriety must wear out Passion Envy Strife and Wrath High-mindedness and Loftiness and Wilfulness and therefore consider the Holy Men and Women of God must not strive but be gentle to all and in that alone keep their Dominion Not to strive but be gentle For truly Friends Love gathereth into Love and edifies the Body of Christ and let nothing be done with Strife but in Love to the Glory of God in the Name of Christ and in his Power so that you all may see and feel Christ among you ordering you all to his Glory with his Wisdom which is Pure Peaceable and Easie to be intreated so that none may be burdened nor oppressed in your Meetings but that the Life and Seed may reign in you all and so the Lord may have the Glory of all and ye may all have Comfort in him your Head And do not much strive with unruly Talkers but keep your Peace in the Spirit and Power of Christ that will overcome and wear out all that is contrary to it So that all may keep their own Habitation in Christ Jesus who is over all the First and Last and in his Power and Spirit live and walk that so you all may be Trees with Fruits and Wells with Water and have Bread in your own Tabernacles and your own Lamps trimmed and burning and that there may be no Strife among you but dwell in Love for he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God so God who is Love is to be your Salvation To condescend to the Meek c. And condescend to the meek and to every appearance of the Lord God and make every one's Condition in the Truth your own in that you will deny your selves and become all to all in the Truth so that none may be hurt in the Truth nor made to stumble nor the blind caused to wander but be directed into the right way and all as the tender Plants may grow together as the Lord 's Planting and he watering them and giving the increase and growth to his Glory so that the Lord may have the Praise and Glory of all his Works Amen And be careful in all your Meetings that they may be kept peaceable in the Wisdom of God that is pure and peaceable and easie to be intreated so that Wisdom may be justified of her Children That there be no Harshness or Fierceness but Meekness and Mildness and gracious Language which will edifie and season the Hearers and be of a good savour And this will honour the Seed Christ from whence Grace and Truth cometh and will be to your Comfort and shew forth whose Children you are for as Christ said Blessed are the Peace-makers they are Children of God And therefore all do this Work that you may have this Blessing And so with my Love to you all that are convinced of God's Truth as though I named you all and all to dwell in Love then you all do dwell in God as I said before and so the Lord God Almighty preserve you all in Christ your Sanctuary Amen You may read this in your Monthly or Quarterly Meetings Kingston the 7th of the 9th Month 1683. G. F. To suffering Friends in Prison at Bristol DEar Friends With my Love to all the Prisoners and the Faithful Epist 385. as though I named them It is the time now for all the Faithful to keep in Christ their Sanctuary To keep to Christ our Sanctuary in whom you have all Peace Rest Life and Salvation and by the Testimony of Jesus and the Blood of the Lamb whose Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the Foundation of the World they were they that did overcome and did eat of the hidden Manna and had the new Name and therefore now is the time to keep the Word of Patience and the Testimony of Jesus for they that keep the Word of Patience the Lord will keep them in the Hour of Temptation which will come upon the whole World to try them which dwell upon the Earth for the Word was before the World was and the Tempter for all things were made by the Word And it is also the Word of Reconciliation the Word of Power the Word of Wisdom and the Word of Life and the Word of Salvation by which People are reconciled to God that are born again of the incorruptible Seed by the Word of God and they feed and grow by the Milk of the Word which lives and abides and endures for ever which strengthens all the Faithful in all Ages in all their Afflictions Imprisonments and Sufferings and it is the same to God's People now in this Day of Trial to preserve all his People every where in his Spirit and Power faithful to himself for he that endures faithful to the End shall be saved He that end ares
chaste Mind And therefore they are not like to expect a Blessing in this Life nor in that which is to come without great Judgment and Repentance Therefore such Actions are to be reproved that they may be brought into Chastity Vertue and Piety and to the Adorning the hidden Man of the Heart which is not corruptible and the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which Ornament or Adorning is acceptable with the Lord. For after this manner in Old Time the Holy Women who trusted in God adorned themselves And likewise such To keep Covenant in Marriage as after they are married break their Covenant in Marriage such go from the Spirit of God and his Joining and from the Spiritual Society of God's People and their Unity and Fellowship Such are to be reproved by the Spirit of God And if they do not return after Reproof Friends cannot have Unity or Fellowship with them but turn away from them though they may have the Form of Godliness and have been called a Sister or a Brother but have denied the Power of Godliness Therefore all must abide in Christ the Vine if they bring forth Fruit to the Glory and Praise of God Amen The Apostle says Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every Brother that walks disorderly c. 2 Thess 3. Now The Case of old Eli a Warning to Parents Dear Friends consider old Eli's Case who did admonish his Children but because he did not restrain them from the Follies and the Evils they run into therefore the Lord brought his Judgments upon him that he lost his Childrens Lives and his Priesthood and his own Life And do you think that this was not written for an Example that others should be warned hear and fear And was not the Gospel and the Law given forth to restrain People from Sin and Evil and such things as dishonour God G. F. An Epistle to all Friends every where FRiends Epist 390. This is the Word of the Lord unto you all All live in the Seed in which all Nations are blest in which Seed you are blest every way Christ the Blessing of all Nations in your rising up and lying down in your goings forth and comings in And you have the Blessings from above and the Blessings from beneath in this Holy Seed yea the Blessings of him that dwelt in the Bush that made the very Ground Holy that Moses trod upon who brings you out of the World which is as a Bushy Thorny Wilderness that ye might dwell in this blessed Seed in which all Nations are blest which bruises the Serpent's Head who was the first Questioner and Tempter and Lyar and Deceiver and Man and Woman by harkening or giving Ear to this Questioner Lyar and Tempter the Serpent they fell from their Habitation in the Image of God and so went out of their Habitation and Service that God had placed them in and commanded them to do But the Seed of the Woman is come that bruises the Serpent's Head in which Seed Christ all Nations are blest And all you who live and walk in this Seed you live in him that bruises the Serpent's Head that Lyar Tempter and Questioner yea and every one by this Seed Christ may be renewed up into the Image of God as Adam and Eve were in in the Beginning Then you are all in your Habitations of Life and Truth and the Image of God and in it you know your Services Vnruly Talkers that the Lord God Almighty commands you And you living in this Holy Seed you live over all vain unruly Talkers and vain Disputers Men of corrupt Minds which have the Form of Godliness but deny the Power thereof All you as live in the Seed that bruises the Serpent's Head turn away from such for their Work is to destroy whose Words eat as a Canker who do profess Truth in Words and may have the Form of Godliness but in their Works deny the Power thereof who are to every good Work or Service Reprobated And these are as the raging Waves of the Sea and Tempests they are known by their tempestuous Spirits and its raging like a raging of the Sea cassing up Mire and Dirt a murdering Spirit like Cain a Gain-saying Spirit like Corah and erred from the true Spirit like Balaam No Rain in their Clouds no Water in their Wells nor Fruit on their Trees twice dead that is once dead and made alive and dead again so they cannot grow in the Truth Light nor the Spirit of God nor his Gospel but such corrupt the Earth and corrupt Peoples Minds are sowers of Discord Strife and Contention Co-workers with the Serpent to beguile the unstable Minds all such the Seed of God reigns over And therefore in this Holy Seed Christ all live and walk and shun such evil Spirits and their Works and all be establish'd in this Seed Christ Jesus that the Serpentine Spirit either by its Strife Vain Jangling Vain Disputing or its sowing of Dissention Tempting and Questioning not with feigned fair flattering inticing Words may not draw you out of your Habitation of the Seed Christ Jesus and the Image of God and your Work and Service in it that God and Christ Commands you And therefore beware of this Serpentine Spirit Beware of Doggs who will devour that you may not be deceived as Eve was and beware of Doggs that will bite and devour you and beware of Evil-workers though they have never such fair Words to deceive the Hearts of the simple Beware of false Prophets which are inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God and are become Wolves though they have got the Sheeps cloathing and the Words of Truth of Christ and his Apostles whose Fruits are as Thorns and Thistles But the Seed Christ that discovers all these things in him live grow up and walk and be established And beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees And of the Leaven of the Pharisees who make an outward Profession of the Holy Mens Words but are Persecuters of the Seed Christ Jesus in whom all Nations are blest and Despisers of his peaceable Government of the increase of which there is no end And into this blessed Seed the Serpent cannot come nor none of his Instruments nor his Angels which are evil Spirits And all the Doters about Questions and Strife of Words and the vain Janglers and vain perverse Disputers and Contenders and the sowers of Strife and Dissention Not to dote about Questions and strife of Words makers of Debate and Strife All these are out of the blessed peaceable Seed although they may profess the Truth of all the New and Old Testament in Words without the Power of God that they are turned away from and therefore they are to be turned away from the Trumpet of the Lord his Spirit and Power is blown against them though they have never such high swelling Words of
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
Christ the Son to abide for ever for a Testimony of these things which were to be spoken after namely the Substance Christ but Christ as a Son is over his House whose we are namely that are the Sons and Children of God as in Heb. 3.5 6. So here is a distinction betwixt the Servant's House Moses and the Son's House Christ Jesus And Christ said While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light as in John 12.36 So the way to become the Children of the Light is to believe in the Light And the Apostle saith to the Ephesians Chap. 5.8 Ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of the Light And again the Apostle writeth to the Thessalonians Ye are all Children of the Light and Children of the Day we are not of the Night nor of Darkness 1 Thess 5.5 These were the Believers in the Light that were become Children of the Light and Day of Christ And Christ said unto such Ye are the Light of the World and a City set on a Hill To be Blameless and without Rebuke that cannot be hid and such are to be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World Philip. 2.15 For as the Prophet saith in Isa 54.13 and Christ saith in John 6.45 All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the Peace of thy Children in Righteousness shall they be established And the Apostle saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and if Children then Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ If so he that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together namely with Christ Rom. 8.14 16 17. Here you may see the Sons of God are Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ such can declare of his Generation for they which are Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God nor cannot in Truth declare of Christ's Generation but the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed as in Rom. 9.8 For Christ saith to Nicodemus Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God nor enter into it That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3.3 5 6. For he that is born of the Spirit is persecuted by him that is born of the Flesh and Jerusalem that is above is the Mother of all them that are born of the Spirit and so are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus as in Gal. 3.26 and 4.26 So as the Apostle saith to the Church of Ephesians Chap. 3.6 That the Gentiles should be Fellow Heirs of the same Body and Partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gosspel who were built together for an Habitation of God through the Spirit Eph. 2.22 And God hath chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him as in James 2.5 Christ said Chirst soweth good Seed in the Heart He that soweth the Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the wicked One the Enemy that soweth them is the Devil Matth. 13.37 38 39. Here Christ maketh a distinction betwixt the two Seeds and the two Sowers and the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom of God but the bad Seed must be cast into the Fire which are the Children of the wicked One. And Christ said in Luke 8.11 The Seed is the Word of God And Peter saith Being born again not of Corruptible Seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth and indureth for ever such feed upon the Milk of the Word and grow thereby I Pet. 1.23 and 2.2 And John saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God in this the Children of God are manifest from the Children of the Devil and in this the true Birth is manifest and this Seed and Birth knows the Kingdom of Christ and declares of his Generation who is built upon him the heavenly Rock and Foundation for Jesus Christ our Saviour abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light through his Glorious Everlasting Gospel the Power of God 2 Tim. 1.10 And the Apostle saith The Law served till Christ came The Law served and it was added because of Transgression till the Seed should come namely Christ Gal. 3.19 And now Christ the Seeds-Man is come who is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to every one that believes and they that Believe are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus And the Lord said to Abraham In thy Seed shall all the Kindreds or all the Families of the Earth be blessed Acts 3.25 Gen. 12.3 Acts 7.6 And this is the Seed that sojourned in a strange Land and they that did evilly intreat this Seed and bring it into Bondage God did judge And the Promises of God is sure to all the Seed as in Rom. 4.16 And the Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed for these are the Children of the Kingdom as in Rom. 9.8 And the Dragon was wroth with the Woman and went to make War with her Seed which kept the Command of God and had and have the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 12.17 Now here you may see it is against the Seed which keeps the Command of God and Testimony of Jesus the Dragon maketh War but Christ the Seed of the Woman bruises the Serpent's Head For the Lord saith I will pour out my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thy Off-spring Isa 44.3 All who are in the Seed know God's Spirit and Blessings And the Lord said My Words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed Now is not this the Seed in which all Nations are blessed in whose Mouch God's Word remains As in Isaiah 59.21 And are not these the Children of the Seed which are the Children of the kingdom of God And the Lord said concerning Christ Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for thy Possession Thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron thou shalt dash them to pieces like a Potters Vessel Psal 2.8.9 And the great Image of Gold Silver Brass Iron and Clay spoken of in Daniel which was broken to pieces by Christ the Stone and became like
Six-Weeks Meeting is for to see Epist 418. that all their Meetings are preserved by the Wisdom of God in the Vnity of the Spirit The Care of the Six Weeks Meeting the Bond of Peace and in the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost being ordered by the pure gentle heavenly peaceable Wisdom easie to be intreated Holy and Vertuous Examples to all other Meetings both in City and Country And that all may be careful to speak short and pertinent to Matters in a Christian Spirit and dispatch Business quickly and keep out of long Debates and Heats and with the Spirit of God keep that down which is doting about Questions and Strife of Words that tend to Parties and Contention Which in the Church of God there is no such Custom to be allowed And likewise not to speak more than one at a time nor any in a fierce Way for that is not to be allowed in any Society neither Natural nor Spiritual but as the Apostle saith Be swift to hear and slow to speak and let it be in the Grace which seasons all Words And if there be any Differences that cannot be quickly ended in the Meeting let the Six-Weeks Meeting order some Friends to hear the Matter out of the Meeting without Respect of Persons and bring in the Report to the same Meeting the same Day if possible and the Meeting may give Judgment that no Business be delayed from time to time And so with my Love to you all in the Seed of Life Christ Jesus in whom ye have all Peace and Wisdom from him who is the Treasure of Knowledge and Wisdom Amen Kingston upon Thames the 5th of the 3d Month 1690. G. F. DEar Friends Epist 419. Something was upon me to write unto you that such among Friends who marry and provide great Dinners that instead thereof it will be of a good Savour on such Occasions that they may be put in mind at such times to give something to the Poor that be Widows and Fatherless To be Charitable and relieve the Poor and such like to make them a Feast or to Refresh them And this I look upon would be a very good Savour to feast the Poor that cannot feast you again and would be a good Practise and Example and would be a means to keep the Mind to the Lord and in remembrance of the Poor for they that give to the Poor lend to the Lord and the Lord will re-pay them And I do really believe what ever they give less or more according to their Ability cheerfully they will not have the less at the Years End for the Lord loves a cheerful Giver I know this Practice hath been used by some Twenty Years ago And so it is not only to give the Poor a little Victuals which you cannot eat your selves but give them a little Money that the Lord hath blessed you with and give it to some of the Womens Meetings for to distribute to the Poor So you will have the Blessings of the Lord and the Blessings of the Poor And so to be of a free noble Spirit above all the churlish Misers and Nigards and narrow Spirits These things I do recommend to you though it may look a little strange to weigh and consider the thing it will both be of a good Report and a good Savour and manifests a self-denial and openness of Heart and of the general Love of God London the 4th of the 4th Month 1690. G. F. To Friends Captives at Macqueness DEar Friends st 420. With my Love to you all in the Lord Jesus Christ in whom you have Life and Salvation and Rest and Peace with God and the Lord God Almighty with his Eternal Arm and Power uphold and preserve you in Christ in whom you have Rest and Peace though in the World Troubles and though you be in Captivity from your Wives and Children and Relations and Friends yet the Lord is present with you by his Spirit of Grace Light and Truth And so feel him at all times and stand in his Will do not Murmer nor Complain but stand still in the Faith and Power of God To stand in the Faith that you may see your Salvation for by Faith the Lord delivered his People out of Egypt by his Power and by Faith Enoch and Noah were preserved and Abraham Isaac and Jacob and by Faith the Prophets were delivered out of many Perils and Daniel out of the Lions Mouth And you may see how the Righteous were delivered by Faith in Heb. 11. And it would be very well if you that be Captives and Friends To meet to worship God could have Meetings as they had at Algier to the comforting and refreshing one another And you may speak to your Patroons of your meeting together to worship God that created Heaven and Earth and made all Mankind and gives you Breath Life and Spirit to serve and worship him And my Desires are to the Lord That you in his Truth and Power may answer the Truth in all both King and Prince and Turks and Moors that you may be a good Savour among them all and in them all manifesting that you are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World and a City set on a Hill that cannot be hid So that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And what do you know but the Lord hath set you there to preach in Life and Word and good Conversation Therefore while you are there mind your Service for God who hath all things in his Hand And a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Providence And Christ is the Mountain that filleth the whole Earth and so you will feel him there And therefore keep in the Word of Power and in the Word of Patience and the Word of Wisdom that will give you Dominion over all Amen London the 25th of the 8th Month 1690. G. F. You may petition the Emperor or King and your Patroons Postscript whose Captives you are that you may have one Day in the Week to meet together to worship and serve the Great God that made you in Spirit and Truth For you worship no Representation Image or Likeness neither in Heaven nor in the Earth but the Great God who is Lord over all both in Heaven and Earth and is manifest by his Spirit in his People from you poor Captives who desire their Good here and their Eternal Happiness hereafter And you may draw up a Paper to this Effect and get it Translated into their Language and send it to the Emperor and his Council and your Patroons and set your Hands to it with all speed after the the receipt of this George Fox THE END THE FIRST TABLE CONTAINING The Names of Countries Cities Towns and Places mentioned in this Collection of Epistles being those from or to which they were sent and directed by the Author on Truth 's Account in England and
and Transgression taken off Men that believe in the Seed Christ Jesus who bruises the Head of the Serpent that has brought Man and Woman into his Image and his Works which Christ destroys both him and his works and renews Man and Woman up into the Image of God as they were in before they fell and into the Power to have Dominion to work in his Garden to subdue the Earth c. So that all are now to labour in the Garden of God that are in the Power and Image of God being brought into it by Christ Jesus that bruises the Serpent's Head that has been Head in them all So that Christ Jesus may be Head in all Men and Women and every Man and Woman may act from him their Holy Head their Life and Salvation and keep his heavenly Peace in his Church and every living Member believing in the Light which is the Life in Christ may be grafted into him the Fountain of Life and receive from him the Water of Life that they may feel the living Springs and the Rivers springing up in them to Eternal Life These are living Stones the spiritual Houshold of which Christ is both Head Rock and Foundation And Christ is called the Green Tree Christ the green Tree from whom all the Branches receive their Nourishment which Green Tree never withers into whom they are grafted by Belief in the Light which is the Life in him from whom they all receive their heavenly living nourishment through which every Graft is nourished then it comes to bud and bring forth Fruit to the Praise of the Eternal God Now every one of these living Believers are Members of the living Church in God which Christ is the Head of and every Member in the Church hath an Office and so every Member is serviceable in the Body in his Office in the Light which is over Darkness and was before it was and in the Life which is over Death and was before it was and in the Power of God which was before the Power of the Serpent was and so they are in this Light Life and Power to execute their Offices I say in this Divine Light Life Power and Spirit of God for God's Glory in Truth Purity Vertue Holiness and Righteousness they are to stand up for and the Honour of his Son and receive him who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him and all that receive him he gives them Power to become the Sons and Daughters of God then in his Power all are to act and walk and to serve God in their Generation and in it to serve him in the New Creation in Righteousness and Holiness and to stand up in his Power for his Glory in his Power Righteousness and Holiness that Christ brings into them and renews them in and so into the Restoration that they may Labour in the Church and Garden of God in his Power to his Everlasting Praise and Glory Amen And all Friends To stand fast in the Liberty of Christ stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and in the Liberty in the Faith which Christ is the Author and Finisher of which Faith purifies the Hearts and gives Victory in which you have access to God the Mystery of which is held in a pure Conscience in which Faith it hath its true Liberty And keep in the Liberty of the Everlasting Glorious Gospel of Peace which is not of Man nor by Man but from Heaven which Gospel bringeth and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light and will preserve you in Life and Immortality over him that hath darkned you and in this Gospel you have Everlasting Liberty and Peace and in the Truth which maketh you free from him that is out of the Truth This free State all are to keep in and also in the pure holy Spirit of God and Christ that doth Mortifie all that is to be mortified and crucified and doth Baptize you into one Body In this Holy Spirit you are to walk which leadeth you into all Truth in which is your Vnity and Fellowship and giveth Liberty from that which hath grieved it and quenched and vexed it And so in the Liberty and Fellowship and Vnity of the holy pure and peaceable Spirit you are all to dwell and walk which is the Bond of the Prince of Princes Peace which the World cannot take away London the 13th of the 9th Month 1677. G. F. MY Dear Friends To whom is my Love in the Everlasting Seed Epist 345. that reigns over all and will overcome all your Persecutors and the Devil that is the cause thereof who fighteth against the Light which is the Life in Christ as they did against him in the Flesh above Sixteen Hundred Years ago And now my Friends Suffer as Lambs in the time of your Sufferings To suffer as Lambs in the Patience of the Lamb. let all your Wills be subjected with the Patience that hath the Victory and run the Race and obtain the Crown of Life and be willing to go to Suffer for Christ's sake for the Apostle said It is not only given you to Believe but also to Suffer for his Name sake in whom you have Salvation for They that suffer for Righteousness sake are Blessed and theirs is the Kingdom of God and by Faith the holy Men of God had Victory as you may see at large in Heb. 11. So nothing is overcome by any Man's Will but by Faith that giveth access to God in which they do Please God And I do believe that all your Sufferings will be for good for your Establishing upon the holy Rock of Life which was the Rock of all the Sufferers the Prophets and the Apostles who is the anointed Saviour to the answering that of God in all People for the Lord hath a great Work and Seed in that place So live in the Spirit that Mortifieth all and Circumciseth all and Baptiseth all so that with the Spirit you may sow to the Spirit and of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting And my desire is All to live in the Vnity of the Spirit and in the Bond of Peace that you may all be kept alive to God and live in the living Vnity of the Spirit which is the Bond of the heavenly Peace that passeth the Knowledge of the World which Peace brings such Joys which transcend all your Sufferings and will carry you above them And so in love to God and in love to your Persecutors you can pray for them who persecute you and this Suffering is above all the Sufferings in the World which are without Love and Charity who maketh one another to suffer when they get the upper hand but such are not the Sufferers for the true Lord Jesus who suffered though he was above all yet he made none to suffer and when he was Reviled he reviled not again but said Father forgive them and committed himself to him that judged Righteously So let the