The Lord God of my life be thy Teacher; point thy mind to the pure seed of the kingdom, and open it in thee; make thee so little, that thou mayst enter into it, and keep thee so low and poor, that thou mayst abide in it; managing these troublesome times in the outward, for thy advantage in the inward; that the city and temple of the living God may be built in it, and thou mayst know him daily dwelling and walking therein. Thus mayst thou be married to the Lord, and become one spirit with him; finding that daily removing from thee, [which is to be removed, even] by the mighty arm and pure operation of his Spirit, till all that is contrary be done away; then may thy soul dwell with its Beloved in fulness of joy, life, and peace for ever

more.

This is from the tender love, and fresh breathings of life, in thy soul's true Friend, and most hearty well-wisher,

I. P.

17th of Third Month, 1677.

TO JAMES EELES.

FRIEND,

God is my witness, to whom I must give an account of all my actions, that it is my desire to be found in all true love, courtesy, and righteousness, in my dealings towards all men; and that I would by no means deny any man his just due, which he can by any just law or right claim from

me.

Now, as touching tithes, the payment or refusing of them is to me a matter of conscience, weighty on my heart before the Lord; and I would do therein as he might justify, and not condemn me. I know tithes were ordained by God, to be paid to the Levitical priesthood, under the law; but the same power that ordained them under the law, disannulled them under the gospel. Heb. vii. 12 and 18. Here is God's power and authority for disannulling them. man or men have true right, power, and authority to set up or require to be paid, under the gospel, what God's power

Now, that any

hath disannulled,—indeed, I do not see; nor can I be subject to any human authority or law in this thing, without sinning against God, and incurring his wrath upon my soul, which I have formerly found very dreadful, and would not, for fear of sufferings in this world, expose myself to the bearing of. Besides, Christ saith, "He that denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father." He is the substance of all the figures under the law; he hath put an end to them; he is King, Priest, and Prophet in the church of God; all power in heaven and earth is given to him, and he sent forth his ministers without tithes. Now, tithes were set up in the dark time of popery, and not by the gospel light; and they who know the gospel light dare not be subject to that which was set up in matters of religion, by the dark power of Rome, in the time of darkness.

I was willing to give thee this plain and naked account, that thou mayst see how weighty the thing is with me, and how dangerous it would be to me, to do what thou requirest of me; for in so doing, I should lose my peace with God, I should be unfaithful to the testimony he hath given me to bear, I should dishonor his name and truth, and bring his sore wrath and displeasure upon my soul and conscience. Judge, thyself, in this matter, whether I had not better expose myself to any outward sufferings, though ever so great (either from thee or any thou shalt make use of), than expose my soul to so great inward misery and sufferings, for disobedience to the Lord in this particular. Consider Ralph Trumper, a just tender, honest-hearted man,-how much he hath suffered in this respect, to keep his conscience clear in this thing; who, I believe, would rather suffer all his former losses ten times over again, than suffer what he did (to my knowledge), for paying tithes, after he was convinced of the evil and unlawfulness of it. I do not contend with thee by the law of the land; but I must be subject to the law of God, who shows me from what root tithes came; and that they are not the maintenance of the ministry of Christ, or allowed by Christ, but the maintenance of the ministry * See Besse's Sufferings of Friends, Vol. 1st, p 78, 79.

Rome's power set up; both which ministry and its maintenance are to be denied and witnessed against, by those whom he calls forth to testify to his truth in these things.

So, at present, I say no more, but remain thy friend, ready to do thee any good, though I should suffer ever so deeply from thee.

25th of Fourth Month, 1677.

I. P.

DEAR FRIEND,

To DULCIBELLA LAITON.

Concerning whom I feel a travail, this is the sense of my heart in relation to thee.

There is a pure seed of life which God hath sown in thee; oh that it might come through, and come over all that is above it, and contrary to it! And for that end wait daily to feel it, and to feel thy mind subdued by it, and joined to it. Take heed of looking out, in the reasonings of thy mind, but dwell in the feeling sense of life; and then that will arise in thee more and more, which maketh truly wise, and gives power, and brings into the holy authority and dominion of life. Many that have been long travelling, are now entering into their possessions and inheritance, which the Lord is daily enlarging in them, and to them. Oh that thy lot may be among them, inwardly witnessed and possessed by thee! Prize inward exercises, griefs, and troubles, and let faith and patience have their perfect work in them. Oh, desire to be good, upright, and perfect in God's sight! and wait to feel the life, Spirit and power which makes so. Come out of the knowledge and comprehension about things, into the feeling life; and let that be thy knowledge and wisdom, which thou receivest and retainest in the feeling life; and that will lead thee into the footsteps of the flock, without reasoning, consulting, or disputing.

Oh! wait to be taught and enabled by God to fetch right steps in thy travels, and to take up the cross and despise the shame in every thing, wherein that wisdom, will, and

mind, which is to be crucified, would be judge; for it will judge amiss and lead aside, if it be hearkened to by thee. The Lord show thee the snares and dangers to which thou art liable, and lead thee out of them; that whatever hindereth may be discovered to thee, and thy mind singly joined to that which discovereth, that so it may be removed out of the way; and all crooked things be made straight in thee, and the rough plain, and the high low, and the low high, and the weak and foolish strong and wise, and the wise and strong weak and foolish. Oh! wait to feel and understand my words, that thy conversation may be ordered aright by the power and wisdom of God; and that thou mayst inwardly come to witness the glorious coming of Him, who is the salvation of God, and in whom thou shalt not fail to see the salvation of God.

Thou must be very low, weak, and foolish, that the seed may arise in thee to exalt thee, and become thy strength and wisdom; and thou must die exceedingly, again and again, more and more, inwardly and deeply! that thy life may spring up from the holy root and stock; and thou mayest be more and more gathered into it, spring up into it, and live alone in the life, virtue, and power thereof. The travel is long, the exercises many, the snares, temptations, and dangers many; and yet the mercy, relief, and help is great also.

Oh that thou mayst feel thy calling and election, thy sinking down, springing up, and establishment in the pure seed, in the light and righteousness thereof over all; that thou mayst sing songs of degrees to the Redeemer of Israel, and mayest daily more and more partake of and rejoice in him, who is our joy, and the crown thereof.

Thy friend, in the most sincere, tender love,

11th of Fifth Month, 1677.

I. P.

Vol. III.-43

FRIEND T. W.,

TO THOMAS WALMSLEY.

God is love: and he giveth love, and teacheth to love; and with the love which my God hath given me, and wherewith he hath taught me to love, have I loved thee, and sought the everlasting good of thy soul, even as of my own,

This morning, the consideration of thee was strong upon my spirit, how that thou wast stricken in years, and must shortly pass out of this world, and give an account to God; and this earnest desire was in my heart, that thou mightest be fitted and rightly prepared, to give such an account, as the Lord, the great, righteous and impartial Judge, might own and approve of, to thy eternal joy: for which end, two things were upon my heart to propose to thee, to be rightly considered by thee.

One is, whether thou canst truly say, as in God's sight, that thou hast known and experienced Christ within, redeeming thee from sin within. Hath Christ indeed brought salvation home to thy heart? Hast thou known his inward, living power, breaking the strength and power of Satan within thee? Iast thou known Him stronger than the strong man inwardly? Hast thou first known Christ knock at the door of thy heart, and opened to and let him in; and afterwards experienced what he doth in the heart, where he is let in? Or hast thou had only a notional knowledge and belief concerning Christ without, and never known what it was to have the Son revealed in thee? Oh that thou mightst know, and experimentally understand this Scripture, before thou go hence and be no more seen,-"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin;"-and this other also,'He that is Christ's hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." The Lord God make thee truly weighty and serious, and rightly considerate, and give thee true, unerring judgment; that thou mayst not be deceived about this thing, which is of such deep and everlasting concernment to thy soul!