which is a great shame and dishonour to God, and Christ, and Christianity, yea, and humanity. Therefore why should not God's people have their liberty to exercise their good and tender consciences towards God and man? For the mystery of faith, which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of, is held in a pure conscience; and should not the work of the true Christian magistrate be to encourage the exercise of this pure conscience towards God and man, and to discourage the exercise of this evil, seared conscience, that dishonours both God and Christ, and true Christianity? If not, how are they a praise to them that do well, and a terror to evil-doers ?

'Concerning the not putting off our hats to men. Many that go under the name of Christians, have taken offence at us, because we could not put off our hats, and bow down to them; for which we find no command from Christ or his apostles, but rather to the contrary. For Christ saith, 'I receive not honour of men' (mark, he did not receive honour of men); and further Christ saith, 'How can ye believe which receive honour one of another, and seck not the honour that comes from God only ?' Now Christ declares it to be a mark of unbelievers, that seek honour one of another,' and seek not that 'honour that comes from God only;' and is not the putting off the hat, and bowing with it, an honour to men, which they seek one of another, and are offended if they have it not? Nay, have they not fined, persecuted, and imprisoned some, because they did not put off their hats to them? Nay, do not the very Turks mock at the Christians in their proverb, saying that 'the Christians spend much of their time in putting off their hats, and showing their bare head to one another?' But should not those be beyond the Turks, that bear the noble name of Christian, above seeking honour one of another, and persecuting them that will not give it, when all true believing Christians should seek the honour that comes from God only? which is the duty of all true believers in Christ Jesus, for he would not receive honour of men. And He that believeth on the Son of God, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him,' John iii. 36. Is not the Turks' proverb a reproach to the Christians, who say that the Christians spend much of their time in putting off their hats, and showing their bare heads one to another?' Have you not fined and imprisoned many, because they would not put off their hats to you, and show you their bare heads? Nay, in many of your courts they shall not have right and justice, nor liberty and freedom in cities or states, though they have truly served their time, and are honest and civil men, unless they will put off their hats and show their bare heads? Have you not made a law against such, that they must forfeit two guilders if they do not? Do you not seek to compel and force them to do it, and fine such as do not, as at Lansmeer in Waterland? Is not this the honour that you seek one of another? Did not the Pharisees and Jews do the same?

"As for your saying, 'the apostle commands to honour all men; and such as rule well are worthy of double honour.' If this 'honouring all men,' were to put off their hats to all men, and show all men their bare heads, then this command you break yourselves; for you do not this to all

men generally; and if they that rule well must have double hat-honour, then they must put off their hats twice; and show them their bare heads. If this hat-honour, and showing the bare head, be an invention of men, and not from God, and ye cannot prove it by Scripture, yet say, 'it is your rule;' then you act beside the rule, and compel people to act contrary to your rule. For where did ever the prophets, Christ, or the apostles command any such thing? Let us see a command, a practice, and an example for it. Nebuchadnezzar, who was a persecutor, and cast the three children of Israel into the fire with their hose, cloaks, and hats, we do not read that he was offended at them, because they did not put off their hats, and show him their bare heads; but because they would not bow to his image. And is it not said in the margin of the Bible, where it is said, 'honour all men,' 'have all men in esteem ?' Then they that rule well are worthy of double esteem; and this esteem must be truly in the heart, without any envy, malice, or hatred. As all men are the workmanship of God, they are to be esteemed in the heart with the Spirit of God; and they that rule well, are worthy of double esteem; here is true honour from the heart, both to God, and man, his workmanship. For people may put off their hats, and show their bare heads one to another once or twice to the officers and magistrates, and yet be full of envy, and malice, and hatred, and murder in their hearts one against another; and give them that honour, as you call it, and yet speak or wish bad things to them, when they have turned their backs on them. The true honour or esteem in the heart to all men, as they are God's creation, is without any evil wish or thought in the heart to any men, and especially to them that rule well, who have the double esteem, whom God hath placed over people. There is no evil in the heart that gives this respect, esteem, or honour, and brings them to love their neighbours as themselves, and to 'do unto all men, as they would have them do unto them;' in that they esteem all men, and have a double esteem for them that rule well. This is beyond all the honour of putting off the hats once to all men, and twice to them that are worthy of the double honour, as you may call it. But we would ask Christians that practise this hat-honour, and show one another their bare heads, Who invented this single honour and double honour, seeing they cannot prove, that ever Christ or the apostles did command or practise any such thing, or Moses in the time of the law? Now, do not say or think, that we had this practice of not putting off our hats from the Turk; for we were moved by the Spirit of the Lord, before ever we heard of the Turks' proverb and practice, to leave the honour that is below, and seek the honour that comes from above, when we came to be true believers in Christ Jesus.

"Now concerning persecuting, imprisoning, and banishing God's people, in whom Christ is manifest, and dwells in their hearts; doth not Christ tell you, that in so doing you imprison him? Then do you not banish him, and persecute him out of your cities and corporations? And how can you enter into, and have a share in his kingdom, though you may profess him in words? Are not such to go into everlasting punishment, that do not visit Christ in prison? Then what will become of you that banish and imprison him, where he is manifest in his members, and suffer

them not to meet together to enjoy him amongst them, according to his promise? Therefore you, that will not let Christ reign in his people, and have his liberty in them, in your cities and countries, to exercise his offices, you will not have your liberty in heaven. You that will not let Christ reign in your hearts, nor suffer him to reign in his people here upon the earth, in this world, in your kingdoms;—you will not reign with Christ in heaven in his kingdom, nor in the world without end.

"You, that banish the truth out of your cities or countries, or his people for its sake, banish the truth and Christ out of your hearts from ruling there; so you yourselves are not the temples of God. When you have banished Christ and his truth out of your own hearts, you banish such in whom he rules out of your estates and country: then see what judgments the Lord doth bring upon you, when you are left to yourselves; yea, fears and troubles, one judgment after another, come upon you; you are even filled with them. But the banished, the sufferers for truth and Christ's sake, have a peaceable habitation in the truth, which the devil is out of, and cannot get into; which habitation will outlast all the habitations of the wicked and persecutors, though they be ever so full of words without life and truth. The life and the truth will outlast all airy notions, and Christ, the Lamb and patient Seed, will overcome the devourer and the unpatient seed; and they that have the garment, the righteousness of Christ, which is the fine linen, will find it to outlast all the rags and inventions of men. For Christ saith to his learners, 'Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,' the persecuting world. He said also to his disciples, 'If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.' Therefore let all that profess themselves Christians lay aside persecution about religion, churches, or worship, fasting or praying days; for you have no command from Christ and his apostles to persecute any. Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, when they called him a deceiver, and blasphemed him, and said, 'He had a devil,' did not persecute any of them for it, nor force or compel any to hear and believe him, nor the apostles after him; but he bade them, that would have been plucking up the tares, Let the tares and wheat grow together until the harvest.' So you have no command from Christ or his apostles to persecute, imprison, banish, or spoil the goods of any, for matter of pure conscience and religion, worship, faith, and church, in the gospel-times."

Harlingen in Friesland, the 11th of the 6th Month, 1677.

G. F.

After some time George Keith and William Penn came back from Germany to Amsterdam, and had a dispute with one Galenus Abrahams (one of the most noted Baptists in Holland), at which many professors were present; but not having time to finish the dispute then, they met again two days after, and the Baptist was much confounded, and truth gained ground.* Between these two disputes we had a very great meeting at

*It appears that Galenus Abrahams asserted that nobody in the present day could be accepted as a messenger of God, unless he confirmed his doctrine by miracles. See Sewell's History, vol. ii., 366–368.

Friends' meeting-place, at which many hundreds of people were, and some of high rank in the world's account. An earl, a lord, and divers other eminent persons, were present, who all behaved themselves very civilly. But when the meeting was ended, some priests began to make opposition; which, when William Penn understood, he stood up again, and answered them to the great satisfaction of the people, who were much affected with the several testimonies they had heard declared. After the meeting several of them came to Gertrude's, where we were, with whom George Keith had much discourse in Latin.

Having now finished our service at Amsterdam, we took leave of the Friends there, and passed by waggon to LEYDEN, about twenty-five miles; where we stayed a day or two, seeking out and visiting some tender people we heard of there. We met with a German, who was partly convinced. He informed us of an eminent man that was inquiring after truth. Some sought him out, and visited him, and found him a serious man; I also spoke to him, and he owned the truth. William Penn and Benjamin Furly went to visit another great man, that lived a little out of Leyden, who, they said, had been general to the King of Denmark's forces. He and his wife were very loving to them, and heard the truth with joy.

From Leyden we went to the HAGUE, where the Prince of Orange kept his court; and we visited one of the judges of Holland, with whom we had pretty much discourse. He was a wise, tender man, and put many objections and queries to us; which, when we had answered, he was satisfied, and parted with us in much love. Leaving the Hague, we went to DELFT, and thence to ROTTERDAM that night, where we stayed some days, and had several meetings. While I was here I gave forth a book for the Jews; with whom, when I was at Amsterdam, I had a desire to have some discourse, but they would not. Here also I reviewed several other books and papers which I had given forth before, and which were now transcribed.

CHAPTER IX.

1677--1680.-George Fox, with other Friends, sails for England, and lands at Harwich, after a hazardous voyage of three days-has a large meeting at Colchester, and proceeds thence to London-writes to his wife-receives further accounts of persecution in New England-travels into Buckinghamshire, and meets with some false brethren, who are unruly and troublesome at meetings-Friends have a special meeting with them afterwards-at Reading meets with opposition to the settlement of a women's mecting-visits Bristol during the fair, where are many Friends from various parts-the separatists there are very rude and abusive-he aids Friends in drawing up a breviat of their sufferings, to present to the judges at Gloucester assizes-meets with some separatists at Finchcomb-is engaged with other Friends in soliciting Parliament to grant them relief from the statutes made against Popish recusants-attends the Yearly Meeting, which was a glorious and heavenly one-Friends greatly united in testifying against the spirit of separation-not one mouth opened on its behalf-the Truth prospers at home and abroad-George Fox writes to his wife-writes to the king of Poland to dissuade him from persecution to Friends in Amsterdam-Friends again press their suit for relief from the statutes made against Popish recusants without success-are much exercised with the spirit of separation, which opposes the order and discipline of the church-George Fox writes a paper to open the understandings of the weak, and as a reproof to a censorious judging spirit-has conferences with some of the opposers at Hertford-writes again to Friends to warn them of this spirit of false liberty-visits Friends in prison at Leicester-advises Friends how to end their differences-writes an epistle to Friends in London-writes to Friends in prison to console them under suffering-writes an epistle to the Yearly Meeting -an encouragement to Friends to be valiant for the Truth-also a caution to Friends to keep in humility-travels again towards the South-visits prisoners in York Castle-recommends Friends to lay their sufferings before the judge at the assizes attends the Yearly Meeting in London-writes to the Great Turk and to the Dey of Algiers—to the latter particularly respecting Friends who are captives there at Hertford meets with John Story (the schismatic) and some of his party, but the Truth prevails-has a meeting with some of the opposerssolicits the Parliament to grant relief to Friends under suffering-writes a paper against plots and plotters.

FINDING Our spirits clear of the service which the Lord had given us to do in Holland, we took leave of Friends of Rotterdam, and passed by boat to the BRIEL, in order to take passage that day for England; several Friends of Rotterdam accompanying us, and some of Amsterdam, who were come to see us again before we left Holland. But the packet not coming in till night, we lodged that night at the Briel; and next day, being the 21st of the 8th month, and the First-day of the week, we went on board, and set sail about ten, viz., William Penn, George Keith, and I, and Gertrude Dirick Nieson, with her children.

We were in all about sixty passengers, and had a long and hazardous passage; for the winds were contrary, and the weather stormy; the boat also was very leaky, insomuch that we had to have two pumps continually going, day and night; so that, it was thought, there was quite as much water pumped out as the vessel would have held. But the Lord, who is

VOL. II.