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you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.' 'Now we exhort you, brethren, to warn them that are unruly, and comfort the feeble-minded, and support the weak, and be patient towards all men, for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; and that ye study to be quiet, and walk honestly to them that are without; and that ye may have lack of nothing.' 1 Thess. v. 14. And in 2 Thess. ii. 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.' G. F.

CCCXLVIII.

6

Dear friends, to whom is my love in the heavenly seed Christ Jesus, in whom all nations are blessed; Oh! therefore keep all in this seed, in which ye are blessed, and in which Abraham and all the faithful were blessed, (without the deeds of the law,) and so the promise was and is to the seed, and not to the law of the first covenant. And in this seed all nations and ye are blessed, which bruiseth the head of the seed which brought the curse, and separated between man and God. This is the seed which reconciles you to God, and this is the seed in which ye are blessed, both in temporals and spirituals; through which you have an inheritance, that cannot be defiled, among the sanctified, neither can any defiled thing enter into its possession, for all defilements are out of this seed. This is that which leavens up into a new lump, and bruiseth the head of the wicked seed that leavens into the old lump, upon whom the sun of righteousness goes down and sets; but never goes down nor sets to them that walk in the seed in which all nations are blessed; by which seed they are brought up to God, which puts down that seed which separated betwixt them and God; so that there comes to be nothing betwixt them and God.

And so now, all my dear friends, my desires are, that you may all be valiant, in this heavenly seed, for God and his truth upon the earth, and spread it abroad, answering that of God in all; that with it the minds of people may be turned towards the Lord, that he may come to be known, and served, and worshipped, and that ye may all be the salt of the earth, to make the unseasoned savoury. And in the name of Jesus, keep your meetings, who are gathered into it, in whose name ye have salvation, and he in the midst of you, whose name is above every name under the whole heaven. And so you have a prophet, and bishop, shepherd, priest, and counsellor, above all the counsellors, priests, bishops, prophets, and shepherds, under the whole heaven, to exercise his offices among you, in your meetings, that are gathered in his name. And so Christ's meeting and gathering is above all the meetings and

gatherings under the whole heaven. And so his body, his church, and He the head of it, is above all the bodies, and churches, and heads under the whole heaven. And so the faith that Christ is the author of, and the worship that he hath set up, and his fellowship in his gospel, is above all historical faiths, and the faiths that men have made, together with their worships and fellowships, under the whole heaven.

And now, dear friends, keep your men and women's meetings in the power of God, the gospel, the authority of them, which brings life and immortality to light in you. And this gospel, the power of God, will preserve you in life and in immortality, which hath brought it to light in you, that ye may see over him that hath darkened you, and so from the knowledge of the things of God. And so, it is he and his instruments, that would darken you from life and immortality, and that would throw down your men and women's meetings, which are established in the power of God, the gospel, and would darken you again from this life and immortality, which the gospel hath brought to light; and will preserve you in life, and in immortality, as your faith stands in the power of God, the gospel, in which every one sees your work and service for God. And every heir of the power of God, the gospel, hath right to this authority, which is not of man, nor by man; which gospel, the power of God, is everlasting, and leads you into an everlasting fellowship; and in the gospel is everlasting joy, comfort, and peace, which will out-last all those joys, comforts, and peace, that will have an end; and also that spirit that opposes its order, and the glorious fellowship, peace, and comfort that are in it.

And now, my dear friends, my desire is, that ye may keep in the unity of the spirit, that baptizes you all into one body, which Christ is the heavenly and spiritual head of; so that you may see, and witness to your heavenly and spiritual head; and all drink into that one spirit; which all people upon the earth are not like to drink into while they grieve, quench, and rebel against it; nor be baptized into one body, nor keep the unity of the spirit, which is the bond of peace: yea, the King of kings and Lord of lords' peace, which is the duty of all true christians to keep, who are inwardly united to Christ. So with my love in the everlasting seed.

Swarthmore, the 26th of the 7th month, 1678.

CCCXLIX.-To Friends in the County of Oxford.

G. F.

Dear friends,-Keep in the Lord's power, that his kingdom stands in, and in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy ghost, which the devil and all his instruments of strife and debate, and sowers of discord among brethren, are out of; and keep that spirit out with the power of

God, which was before it was; in which gospel (the power of God) is your holy and heavenly order; in the possession of the same labour, walking in the new and living way, over all the dead ways in Adam, let them be what sect they will; and in this new and living way you have the life and the truth, which death and darkness cannot get into, which is out of the truth, though 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 undefiled 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 men's and women's 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.

CCCL. To the Yearly Meeting in Yorkshire.

G. F.

My friends,-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; in which seed you are all one, male and female; and in which seed you all have peace and unity 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 ye 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 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

men's and women's 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.

CCCLI.

G. F.

Friends,--Know what the Lord doth require of you, and all have a sense of that in yourselves, 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, 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 glorify 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 turn it into 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.

CCCLII.--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, 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, 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 hypocrites and sinners may fear; but they that fear the Lord, and wait upon him, shall be as Mount Sion, that cannot be removed; for the Lord's power is over all, by which he keeps his people to the day of salvation.

And therefore, all you that have this keeper, the power of the Lord, through faith unto the day of life and salvation, need none of the slumbering keepers or watchers; for the Lord was the keeper of Israel, who neither slumbered nor slept, till Israel forsook the Lord, and then they set up slumbering and sleepy watchers and keepers; like the apostate christians, who have forsaken the power of God to keep them, and then they are soon forsaken.

And therefore, friends, you that do know the power of God, in which the kingdom of God stands, you know your keeper, through the faith which Jesus Christ is the author of, which stands in his power, and not in words; and so your faith standing in his power, it will keep you out of the words of men's wisdom, and above them.

And the golden lamp in your tabernacle, all are to have to burn with the heavenly oil, which you have from Christ your high priest, being returned to him, the great shepherd and bishop of your souls, who will bring you, his sheep, into his safe fold; who gives unto his sheep eternal life, and his sheep shall not perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand. Though men may pluck hypocrites and apostates one from another; but Christ saith, no man is able to pluck his sheep out of

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