that which ye are entrusted withal (and not your own) or fatherless' or widows' estates; but all such things ye may settle and establish in their places. You may remember many years ago, in a time of great persecution, there were divers friends, who were traders, shop-keepers, and others, who had the concerns of widows and fatherless, and other people's estates in their hands: and when a great suffering, persecution, and spoiling of goods came upon friends, there was especial care taken, that all friends that did suffer, what they did offer up to the Lord in their sufferings, might be really their own, and not any others' estates or goods which they had in their hands, and were not really their own; so that they might not offer up another body's, but that which was really their own, which they had bought and paid for, or were able to pay for. And afterwards several letters came out of the country to the meeting at London, from friends that had goods of the shop-keepers here at London upon credit, which they had not paid for; who writ to their creditors whom they had their goods of, intreating them to take their goods again. And some friends came to London themselves, and treated with their creditors, letting them understand how their conditions were, that they lay liable to have all that they had taken from them; and told them they would not have any man to suffer by them: neither would they by suffering offer up any thing, but what was really their own, or what they were able to pay for. Upon which several took their goods back again, that they had sent down: and this wrought a very good savour in the hearts of many people, when they saw that there was such a righteous, just, and honest principle in friends, that would not make any to suffer for their testimony; but what they did suffer for the testimony of Jesus, it should be really and truly their own, not other people's. And in this they owed nothing to any, but love. So in this every man and woman stands in the free offering, a free people, whether it be spiritual or temporal, which is their own; and in that they wrong no man, neither inwardly nor outwardly. Ornan said unto David, I give thee the threshing floor, &c. and the oxen for burnt-offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat-offering; I give it all. But king David said unto Ornan, Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price for I will not take that which is thine, for the Lord, nor offer burnt-offerings without cost, 1 Chron. xxi. xxii. &c. So it should be his own; and so should it be every man's that offers. So you may see here that David would not accept of another man's gift for an offering to the Lord; he

would not offer up that which cost him nothing: but it should be really his own, Psalm cxii. 5. A good man will guide his affairs with discretion.'

'Let this be read in your monthly and quarterly mens' and womens' meetings." G. F.

London, the 2d of the Fourth month, 1683.

Some time after the yearly meeting I went down to Kingston-upon-Thames, to visit friends there; and while I was there it came upon me to write the following epistle to friends in general, as a salutation of love unto them, and to stir up the pure mind in them:

Dear friends and brethren, who are turned from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, who are the believers in the light, which is the life in Christ, and are become the children of the light and of the day, and are grafted into Christ, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, and so are gathered in the name of Jesus, in whom ye have salvation, and not in any other name under the whole heaven. For Christ Jesus saith, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Matth. xviii. 20. So here you being gathered in the name of Jesus, he is in the midst of you, a saviour, a mediator, a prophet, a shepherd, a bishop, a leader, a counsellor, the captain of your salvation, who bruises the serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works. Therefore brethren in Christ Jesus, exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For you are made partakers of Christ, if ye hold fast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end, Heb. iii. 14. Therefore hear Christ's voice, for he is in the midst of you a teacher. And take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, as there is in too many in this day of provocation and temptation but while it is day hear his voice, and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that hath promised, and that hath called you) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; (mark) as the manner of some is, that did and do forsake the assembling of themselves together: but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day of light appearing. For if we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins; but a certain, fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,

which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. x. And therefore it is good not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but exhort one another daily for Christ is in the midst of his people a teacher and a prophet, who saith, "Learn of me; who is the way, the truth, and the life. And we being many, are one body in Christ (who are gathered in his name) and every one members one of another. Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given us, whether they be prophecy, let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith; and let those that do minister, wait on their ministry; and those that be teachers, on their teaching; and he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; and he that ruleth, with diligence; and he that sheweth mercy, he is to do it with cheerfulness. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good: be kindly affectioned one towards another, with brotherly love in honour preferring one another. Rejoice in hope; be patient in tribulations; be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good; and (if it be possible) as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men, Rom. xii. This is and was the practice of the church of Christ. And now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and are able also to admonish one another, Rom. xv. 13, 14. Here the church of Christ, in which Christ was in the midst, a teacher and the head of the church, they were and are able through him to admonish one another. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which peace of God ye are also called into one body (to wit, of Christ). And let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, &c. Col. iii. And whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And the apostle said to Timothy, "Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began," 2 Tim. i. 8, 9. So here it concerns every one, not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, who hath called them by his grace; and not to be ashamed of any of Christ's

prisoners, and afflicted ones for Christ's and his gospel's sake, who abolishes death, and brings life and immortality to light through his gospel: you that believe in the light, know it. And Peter saith in his general epistle to the church of Christ, As every man (mark, every man) hath received the gift, so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God (so not of men) if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives (so not of the ability of mens arts and sciences) that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, &c. For these gifts and grace come from Jesus into the hearts of the members of his church, whom he is in the midst of. And if any man suffer, as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God, &c. And every true Christian hath the presence of Christ (who hath all power in heaven and in earth given him) to support them with his power, light, and life. And Christ saith to his believers, Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in the synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my name's sake, for a testimony against them and the gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in the same hour, what ye shall speak: for it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of the Father that speaketh in you. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his lord: it is enough for the disciple, that he be as his Master, and the servant as his lord: for if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, what will they do to his servant. Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, &c. A sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your heavenly Father, &c. The hairs of your head are all numbered; ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven: but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father, which is in heaven. And whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, &c. Matt. x. And again Christ saith, Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with bis holy angels. Mark viii. 38. And Christ saith to his disciples, He that re

ceiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. Matt. x. 40, 41, 42. Here ye may see, how Christ encourages his disciples, and them that receive them. And John saith, Among the chief rulers of the Jews many believed in Christ; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the syna gogue, John xii. 42. Too many such believers are now adays, who dare not confess Christ, lest they should lose the favour of men. But Christ encourages the faithful disciples, and told them they would put them out of their synagogues; yea, that the time should come, that whosoever killed them, would think they did God service: And these things (said he) will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them, John xvi. 2, 3, 4. Here ye may see what Christ told his disciples should come to pass to them. And Saul, before he was converted, did compel the Christians to blaspheme, and made havock of the church of Christ, Acts viii. and chap. xxii. and xxvi. And did not the beast (in the Revelations) compel both small and great to worship him and his image? And did not all worship it, but they who had their names written in the Lamb's book of life, before the foundation of the world? And did not Nebuchadnezzar set up an image sixty cubits high, and six cubits broad? And then did not he cause an herald to cry aloud, It is commanded that all people, and nations, and languages fall down, and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar hath set up and whoso falleth not down, and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of the fiery furnace? And were not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, cast into the furnace? Dan. iii. But God delivered them. Therefore it is good to be faithful to God and his worship in spirit and truth. And the Jews had agreed, that if any man should confess Christ, he should be put out of their synagogue, John ix. 22. So it was for Christ's sake they were excommunicated out of their synagogues. But as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence; and who so believes on him, shall not be ashamed.