;

to ale-houses and drunkenness; which are marks that they are dead whilst they live such must be exhorted to live in the Truth, and to come to that which will mortify that which leads to death; so that Truth may be adorned by them.

And also such as will not go to meetings, and cry against others that do, and say, they are forms of men; and one while they will not give the hand; and another while they will keep on their hats when friends pray, and yet secretly they can go to bad houses, as several have done ;—from these abominable things they must be exhorted and reproved. And if they do not repent, and come to judge and condemn those things that they have done amiss, and to live in that which doth condemn, and give forth a paper to take their transgressions and bad doings out of Friends' minds; and manifest to the people of the world their repentance: then Friends must give forth a paper to the world, to certify against them, for clearing the Truth.

And all such as are tattlers, busybodies, backbiters, and gossipers, are to be exhorted

to mind their own conditions, that they may live in the Truth, and not draw others out to words, wherein there is no profit; that Truth may flow, and the life may flow, and the unity may increase in the Spirit and Power; that all may come to live in the Gospel order.

And all such as cry, Away with your laws, we will have none of your laws—all such as cry against laws so much, are the sons of Belial, and would be without the yoke of the law of the Son of God. Such always were the stirrers up of mischief and schism from the body, and they took liberty to say any thing; as ye may read in the Book of Kings, in the days of Jezebel, and in the days of Stephen; and yet these that cry so much against laws, they live themselves in the law of sin and death; which they obey when they do evil; who are without the understanding of the righteous law, which the righteous live in and see. Therefore such must be exhorted and reproved, if they go under the name of Quakers, and are not in the life; that justice, judgment, and righteousness, may flow as a river, and as a stream, and that all the filth may be driven away from among us; that

nothing but the power of God, and the life of Truth, may amongst us rule; that the living God, who hath blessed you with his heavenly riches and mercies, and largely manifested them among you, may be in all things honoured, magnified, and exalted: to whom all belongs, God over all, blessed for ever. So that every one may adorn the Truth, and the Gospel, and mind the Lord's business above their own. And every one be tender of the glory of God, and be careful, that in no ways his Name and Truth be dishonoured.

G. F.

NUMBER CCLII.

For Friends in the ministry, scattered abroad in Virginia, Maryland, New-England, Barbadoes, and other Plantations beyond the sea.

1667.

To all you that minister abroad in those parts, this is the word of the Lord : Live in lowliness of mind, meekness of spirit, and pureness of heart, and be examples in your lives, and chaste in your conversations, in holiness of mind, that you may be a good

savour amongst the people where you come. Let all ungracious, light, unseasoned expressions, be kept out of your minds and mouths, which edify not the new Life; and keep single unto God, and single-hearted to man, and plain in all things, and low. For it is the word of the Lord, and the light of God, that prophesieth and revealeth the dispensation of the Gospel of Christ unto people. Be ye faithful in it, and walk answerable to it, and to that holy gift or manifestation of prophesy Be at unity amongst yourselves, that you may not make sects nor schisms, or stumble the weak. For you know that cursed spirit that made rents and got into the affections and uppermost part of people, hath buried the witness of God in many, and made open rents. And so, be valiant for the Truth upon the earth, abhorring all uncleanness and unrighteousness, flying all youthful ways and fond affections below, being kept above them; showing the new life to them that be in the old, and a new conversation to them that be in the vain, and gentleness to all the perverse, and straightness to all the crooked, and plainness to all the rough, and lowliness to all the mountains of ungodliness and unrighteousness; for the Lamb must have the victory. And so

you may be one another's crown, joy, and rejoicing in the Lord; and not one another's sorrow and grief. And some of you should take some of the eminent, true, good, and upright Friends, and go and discourse with some of the heathen kings, desiring them to gather their council and people together, that you may declare God's everlasting Truth, and his everlasting way of life and salvation to them, knowing that Christ is the promise of God to them, a covenant of Light to the gentiles, who is also the New Covenant to the Jews; for you have been amongst the old, rottenhearted professors, and seen the power of the Lord come over them. So, now turn to the Gentiles, to whom Christ is given for a Covenant of light, and of salvation, to the ends of the earth. So that the Light must be preached and sounded throughout all the heathen kings and princes' countries; and therefore, as you feel and are moved, let about six or more persons, living in those parts near unto them, go with you, as I said, and desire the King to gather his council and subjects together, that they may hear that which hath been promised to them, God's everlasting Covenant of light, and life, and