last turned them out, after they had kept them a year or more in prisons.

And thus the Lord's power hath carried us through all, and over all, to his everlasting glory and praise! for God's power, which was before the devil's was, hath been our hedge, our wall, and our keeper, and the preserver of his plants and vineyard, who have not had the Magistrate's sword and staff to help them, nor ever trusted in the arm of flesh and have gone without Judas his bag, or the Magistrate's sword and staff, to preach the word of Life, which was in the beginning, before they were; which word reconciles to God. And thousands have received the word of reconciliation, and are born again of the immortal seed by the Word of God, and are feeding upon the milk of the word, which lives, and abides, and endures for ever. And many have suffered to death for their testimony, both in England and beyond the seas, both before and since the king came in; which ye may see as followeth :

This was given to the king and both houses of parliament, being "A brief, and plain, and,

true relation of the late and sad sufferings of the people of God, in scorn called Quakers, for worshiping and exercising a good conscience towards God and man.

"By reason whereof eighty-nine have suffered till death; (thirty-two of which died before the king came into England, and fiftyseven since, by hard imprisonment and cruel usage ;) forty-three have died in the city of London and Southwark, since the act was made against Meetings," &c. (about 1661.)

And all those laws that were already made, and the oath which they imprisoned us for, (because we could not swear at all, in obedience to the command of Christ Jesus,) were never originally intended against us. And yet we suffered by the several powers and their laws, though they did not concern us, both spoiling of goods and imprisonments, even to death itself. And the governor of Dover Castle, when the king asked him if he had dispersed all the sectaries' meetings, he said: That he had; "but the Quakers the devil himself could not: for if he did imprison them, and break them up, they would meet again; and if he should beat them, and knock them down, or kill some of them, all was one;

they would meet and not resist again." And thus the Lord's power did support them, and keep them over their persecutors; and made them to justify our patience and lamb-like nature. This was about 1671.

And since the king came in, three acts have been made against us by the king and parliament, besides the proclamations, by which many have suffered imprisonment and banishment, and many to death. And yet for all these acts and proclamations, and banishment, and persecutions, and sufferings, faithful friends are as fresh as ever, in the Lord's power, and valiant for his Name and Truth. And some weak ones there were, when the king came in, that did swear, and take the oaths; but after, when they had so done, they were sore troubled for disobeying the command of Christ and the apostle, that they went to the magistrates, and condemned them. selves, and offered themselves to go to prison.

And thus the Lord, in his everlastingpo wer, hath been the support and stay of his people.

And when the glorious Gospel and Truth was spread over the nation, and they had re

ceived the Word of Life, then first the quarterly, and some monthly meetings, were settled throughout the nation; and then after, as Truth more and more spread, the monthly men's-meetings, in 1667 and 1668. And then also some women's meetings were set up.

And now the power of God is the authority of both our men's and women's meetings, and all our other meetings; which power of God was before the apostasy and before the fall and is over all; and all are to take their possessions of it; and in it are to do God's service and business.

G. F.

Friends,

NUMBER I I.

1650.

The children of the devil, how expert are they in evil, in all deceit, in his kingdom; and yet they may speak of the things of God; but no vulture's eye ever saw nor venemous beast ever trod in the steps of the just, though they may talk of the way. For they who have their conversation in this world, and only mind the things of this world, in vain do they profess godliness.

* The numerical designation of the Epistles does not begin till after the preceding Introductory Epistle, which stands second in the Folio Volume.

But the children of God, who are conceived and begotten of Him, are not of this world, neither do they mind only the things of this world, but the things which are eternal: the children of this world do mostly mind the external things, and their love is in them, but the other live by faith; the one is sanctified by the Word, the other painted with the words. The children of God are pure in heart, not looking only at the outside the favour of the world and friendship thereof is enmity to God; man may soon be stained with it. O love the stranger, and be as strangers in the world, and to the world! for they that followed Christ in his cross, they were strangers in the world, and wonders to the world, and condemned by the world; and the world knew Him not, neither doth it them that follow Him now. So, marvel not if the world hate you; for the world lieth in hatred and wickedness. Those who love this world, are enemies to Christ; and they who love the Lord Jesus Christ, and have Him for their Lord over them, they are redeemed out of the world. The world would have a Christ, but not to rule over them; the nature of the world is above Christ in man, until Christ hath subdued that nature in man. While the nature of