that do such cruel actions, without thinking the Lord may do to you the same! You cannot be without sense and feeling, except you be given over to reprobation, and your consciences seared with a hot iron. But Christian charity hopes that you are not all in that state; but that there may be some relenting or consideration of your actions among some of you, either according to the law of God, or his gospel.

“From him that desires your temporal and eternal good and salvation, and not destruction.

Amen."

Middlesex, the 28th of the 2nd Month, 1689.

G. F.

"Peter, thou mayest translate this into high Dutch, and send them 40 and you may print it, if you will, and send it abroad; and translate that part of the letter that is to Friends into high Dutch, and send to them."{

Having stayed in the country about three weeks, I returned to LONDON a little before the Yearly Meeting, which was in the third month this year, and was a very solemn, weighty meeting; the Lord, as formerly, visiting his people, and honouring the assembly with his glorious presence, to the great satisfaction and comfort of Friends. After the business was over, it was upon me to add a few lines to the Epistle which went from the meeting to Friends, after this manner :—

"DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN,

"Who have known the Lord's eternal arm and power, that hath preserved you upon the heavenly rock and foundation, and hath built your house upon it; you have known many winds, tempests, and storms, that have risen out of that sea where the beast rose; and many raging storms that have risen by apostates of several sorts; but the Seed that bruises the serpent's head, and is the foundation of God's people, stands sure. Dear Friends and brethren, though there be great shakings in the world, the Lord's power is over all, and his kingdom cannot be shaken. Therefore all ye children of God, children of the light, and heirs of his kingdom, a joyful, peaceable habitation keep in; keeping out of all the contentions and disputes about things below. Lay hand on no man, nor nothing suddenly, lest they should be puffed up with that which fades, and so come to loss: but mind the Lord's power, that keeps open your heavenly eye, to see things present and to come; and in that ye will see and handle the word of life.

"Dear Friends everywhere, have power over your own spirits. As God hath blessed you with his outward things, have a care of trusting in them, or falling into difference one with another about these outward things that are below, which will pass away. But all live in the love of God, and in that live in peace with God, and one with another. Follow the works of charity, and overcome evil with good to all; for what good have all the tinklers done, with their cymbals and sounding brass? They always bred confusion, and never did good in any age; tinkling with their cymbals, and sounding with their brass, to draw out the simple to follow them. Therefore, it is good for all the children of God to keep in their possession of life, and in the love of God, that is everlasting.

"As for all the tumults of the world, and the apostates from the truth, the Lord's power is over them all, and Christ reigns; and the Lord saith, 'No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper,' Isa. liv. 17. Now, Friends, you are not insensible how many weapons have been formed against us, who are the sons and daughters of God; and the Lord hath restrained them according to his promise; they have not prospered. The Lord said, 'Every tongue that shall rise up in judgment against thee, thou shalt condemn' so God hath given such a power to his children, to condemn all the tongues that shall rise up in judgment against them, and this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord; their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.' You are not insensible of the many tongues that have risen up against us in judgment, yea, of apostates and profane. But in and with the truth, the power of God, according to the promise of God, Every tongue that riseth against thee, thou shalt condemn.' It is not one tongue only thou shalt condemn, but every tongue that shall rise up in judgment against thee, thou shalt condemn.' The Lord giveth this power to his servants and children, to judge the evil tongues; and he doth restrain the weapons formed against them, so that they shall not prosper against his children that he hath begotten. Praises and honour be to his holy name for ever! Amen."

6

G. F.

Soon after this, the Yearly Meeting began at York; which because of the largeness of that county, and for the conveniency of Friends in the northern parts, had for some years been held there. And inasmuch as there had been some hurt done in that place, by some that were gone out of the unity of Friends, it was upon me to write a few lines to that meeting, "to exhort them to keep in the pure, heavenly love, which brings into, and keeps in, the true unity." Which was thus:

:

"DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN IN CHRIST JESUS,

"Whom the Lord by his eternal arm and power hath preserved to this day, all walk in the power and Spirit of God, that is over all, in love and unity; for love overcomes, builds up, and unites all the members of Christ to him the Head. Love keeps out of all strife, and is of God. Love, or charity, never fails, but keeps the mind above all outward things, and strife about outward things. It overcomes evil, and casts out all false fears. It is of God, and unites all the hearts of his people together in the heavenly joy, concord, and unity. The God of love preserve you all, and establish you in Christ Jesus, your life and salvation, in whom ye have all peace with God. So walk in him, that ye may be ordered in his peaceable, heavenly wisdom, to the glory of God, and the comfort one of another. Amen."

London, the 27th of the 3rd Month, 1689.

G. F.

Being much wearied and spent with many large meetings, and much business with Friends, during the time of the Yearly Meeting, and finding my health much impaired thereby, I went out of town with my daughter Rous, to their country-house near KINGSTON, and tarried there most of the remaining part of the summer. In which time I sometimes visited Friends

at Kingston, and wrote divers things for the service of truth and Friends. One was an epistle to Friends in Barbadocs; as follows:

--

"To all Friends in Barbadoes, that are convinced of God's

truth."

My desires are that ye may live and walk in his peaceable truth, and show forth that ye are children of the light and of the truth; for the heavenly, gentle, and peaceable wisdom is justified of her children. But debate, strife, wilfulness, and laying open one another's nakedness and weakness, is not the practice of heavenly wisdom's children (but of Ham's), nor from the Spirit of Christ; neither such as bite and tear one another; that is from a devouring spirit, not from the Spirit of Jesus, which covers that which is uncomely, and can forgive. Now, my Friends, you profess that truth, which is beyond all the world's ways; therefore see that you excel them in the heavenly, gentle wisdom, that is easy to be entreated; for the wisdom of the world is not easy to be entreated; and sometimes will not be entreated at all. Pray see you excel the world in wisdom, in virtue, in kindness, in love that is over hatred, in meekness and humility, in sobriety, civility, and modesty, in temperance and patience, and in all morality and humanity, which will not act anything below men or unmanly. Show forth truc Christianity, and that ye are the converted and translated believers in Christ, dwelling in the love of God, that beareth all things, endureth all things, is not puffed up, and envies not. For they that are out of this love of God and Christian charity, are nothing, but as a tinkling cymbal and as sounding brass, and are discontented, murmurers, and complainers, full of doubts, questions, and false jealousies. Keep that spirit out of the camp of God; for do not you read in the Scriptures, both of the New and Old Testament, that the end of such was misery? Therefore, in the love of God, build up one another; for love edifies the body of Christ, and he commands his believers to love enemies, and to love one another; by this they are known to be the disciples of Christ. But to live in envy, strife, and hatred, is a mark they are no disciples of Christ: For he that loveth not his brother, abides in death; and whosoever hates his brother, is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. But they that love the brethren, are passed from death to life,' 1 John iii. 14, 15. And, ‘If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from God, that he who loveth God, love his brother also,' chap. iv. 20, 21. Therefore, 'love one another;' for love is of God, and hatred is of the devil; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knows God. All are children of God by creation; therefore in that state they are to love their neighbours as themselves; and to do unto all men as they would have them do unto them. Secondly, God poureth his Spirit upon all flesh (or all men and women); all that are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; and are in fellowship in the everlasting gospel; and in unity in the Spirit, the bond of peace. They that go out of this unity, out of the bond of peace, and do not keep it,

break the King of kings' peace; but they that keep in the unity, and fellowship in the Spirit, and walk in the light, have fellowship one with another, and with the Father and the Son. It is not every one that talks of the light, of the word, of righteousness, of Christ, and of God, but he that 'doeth the will of God.' Therefore, my Friends, strive to excel one another in love, in virtue, in good life and conversation; and strive all to be of one mind, heart, and judgment in the Spirit of God; for in Christ all are one, and are in peace with him. The Lord God Almighty preserve you in him, your rock and foundation, that is heavenly and stands sure; that ye may be valiant for the truth upon earth, for the Lord and his glorious name; that ye may all serve him in your generation, and in his new creation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

And now, that you are come into so much favour with the magistrates and powers, that they let you serve the office of constable, &c., without swearing or taking any oaths, hereby Christ's doctrine and command, and his apostle's is set up. Therefore, I desire, that you may double your diligence in your offices, in doing that which is just, and true, and righteous; so that ye may excel and exceed all, that are tied or bound by oaths to perform their offices; and you can do it upon your Yea and Nay; so say, and so do; according to Christ's doctrine and command. For Adam and Eve, by disobeying the command of God, fell under condemnation; and they that disobey the command of Christ, in taking oaths and swearing, go into evil and fall into condemnation, Matt. v.; James v. in the Lord is to you all."

Kingston-upon-Thames, the 10th of the 5th Month, 1689.

My love

G. F.

I stayed at Kingston till the beginning of the seventh month, where not only Friends came to visit me, but some considerable people of the world, with whom I discoursed about the things of God. Then leaving Kingston, I went to LONDON by water, visiting Friends as I went, and taking HAMMERSMITH meeting in my way. Having recovered some strength by being in the country, when I was come to LONDON, I went from meet> ing to meeting, labouring diligently in the work of the Lord, and opening the divine mysteries of the heavenly things, as God by his Spirit opened them in me. But I found my body would not long bear the city; wherefore, when I had travelled amongst Friends there about a month, I went to TOTTENHAM-HIGH-CROSS, and thence to Edward Man's country-house near WINCHMORE-HILL, and to ENFIELD, spending three weeks among Friends thereabouts; and had meetings at all those places. Then, being a little refreshed with being in the country, I went back to LONDON; where I tarried, labouring in the work of the ministry, till the middle of the ninth month; at which time I went down with my son Mead to his house in ESSEX, and abode there all the winter. During which I stirred not much abroad, unless it were sometimes to the meeting, to which that family belonged, which was about half a mile from thence; but I had meetings often in the house with the family, and those Friends that came thither. Many things also I wrote, while I was there; some of which follow. One was an epistle to the quarterly and yearly meetings of Friends in Pennsyl

vania, New-England, Virginia, Maryland, the Jerseys, Carolina, and other plantations in America. Which was thus:

"MY DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST,

Who, by believing in his light, are become children of his light and of his day; my desires are, that you may all walk in the light and in the day, and keep the feast of Christ, our passover, who is sacrificed for us, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but let all that be purged out, that ye may be a new lump, keeping the feast of Christ our passover, with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Let no leavened bread be found in your houses, nor in your meetings, nor in the camp of God, or household of faith, which are the household of Christ; but all that old leaven, which makes people's hearts sour, and burn one against another, must be purged out of the camp of God, and kept out. For the feast of Christ, our passover, must be kept in the New Covenant, with his heavenly, unleavened bread of life. The Jews' feast in the Old Testament was kept with outward, unleavened bread; and now, in the New Testament, in the gospel-day, our feast is to be kept with the heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Therefore, Friends, I desire you seriously to consider, and to keep this feast, which the apostle directed the church of Christ to keep. Do not you see Christendom, so called, keep their feasts with the leavened bread of malice and wickedness? which makes them so sour, and their hearts so burn one against another, that they have destroyed, and do destroy one another about religion. Therefore, all live in the love of God, which keeps above the love of the world; so that none of your hearts may be choked or surfeited with these outward things, or with the cares of the world, which will pass away; but mind ye the world and the life that is without end, that ye may be heirs of it. And Friends, you should strive to excel all, both professor and profane, in morality, humanity, and Christianity, modesty, sobriety, and moderation, and in a good, godly, righteous life and conversation, showing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and that you are the children of the living God, children of the light, and of the day, and not of the night. And serve God in newness of life; for it is the life, and a living and walking in the truth, that must answer the witness of God in all people; that they, seeing your good works, may glorify our Father, which is in heaven.? Therefore be valiant for God's holy, pure truth, and spread it abroad, among both professors and profane, and the Indians. And you should write over once a year, from all your yearly meetings to the yearly meeting here, concerning your diligence in the truth, and of its spreading, and of people's receiving it, both professors and profane, and the Indians; and concerning the peace of the church of Christ amongst yourselves. For, blessed be the Lord, truth gains ground in these parts, and many are made very loving to Friends, and the Lord's power and seed is over all; in which God Almighty keep all his people to his glory. Amen.” G. F.

Gooses, the 28th of the 11th Month, 1689.

While I was in the city, I had a concern upon my spirit with respect to a twofold danger that attended some who professed truth: one was of