us, that any who openly confess Christ Jesus (yea, the magistrates of Dantzic do the same) should inflict those punishments upon an innocent and harmless people, by reason of their tender conscience, only because they come together to serve and worship the Eternal God, who made them, in Spirit and in truth; which worship Christ Jesus set up sixteen hundred years ago; as we read in John iv. 23, 24.

"I beseech the king, that he would consider, whether Christ in the New Testament, ever gave such a command to his apostles, that they should shut up any in prison, and feed them with bread and water, who were not conformable in every particular to their religion, faith, and worship? Where did the apostles exercise such things in the true church after Christ's ascension? Is not this the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, that his followers should love their enemies, and pray for them that hate them, and persecute and despitefully use them?' Matt. v.

"Is it not a shame to Christendom among the Turks and others, that one Christian should persecute another for the doctrine of faith, worship, and religion? They cannot prove that Christ ever gave them such a command, whom they profess to be their Lord and Master. For Christ says, that his believers and followers should 'love one another,' and by this they should be known to be his disciples. And did not Christ reprove those who would have 'fire to come down from heaven,' to destroy them who would not receive him? and did not he tell them, they did not know what spirit they were of?' Have all who have persecuted men, or taken away their lives, because they would not receive their religion, known what spirit they were or are of? Is it not good for all to know, by the Spirit of Christ, what spirit they are of? For the apostle says, Rom. viii. 9, ‘If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.' And 2 Cor. x. 4, 'The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual,' &c. And 'We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness,' &c. Thus we see, that the fight of the first Christians, and their weapons in the days of the apostles, were spiritual.

"Now would not the king and the magistrates of Dantzic think it contrary to their consciences, if they should be forced by the Turk to his religion? Would it not in like manner seem hard to the magistrates of Dantzic, and contrary to their consciences, if they should be forced to the religion of the King of Poland? or to the King of Poland, if he should be compelled to the religion of the magistrates of Dantzic? And if they would not be subject thereunto, that then they should be banished from their wives and families, and out of their native country, or otherwise be fed with bread and water under strict confinement?

"Therefore we beseech the king with all Christian humility, and the magistrates, that they would order their proceedings in this matter according to the royal law of God, which is, 'to do unto others as they would have others do unto them,' and 'to love their neighbour as themselves.' For we have this charity, that we hope and believe, that the King of Poland and his people, with the magistrates of Dantzic, own the writings of the New Testament, as well as of the Old; and therefore we beseech the king and magistrates to take heed, that their work of imprisoning an

innocent people, for nothing but their meeting together, in tenderness of conscience, to serve and worship God, their Creator, may not be contrary and opposite to the royal law of God, and to the glorious and everlasting gospel of truth.

"We desire the king, in Christian love, earnestly and weightily to consider these things, and to give order to set the innocent prisoners, our friends, called Quakers, at liberty from their strict confinement in Dantzie; that they may have freedom to serve and worship the Living God in Spirit and in truth, to go home to their habitations, and follow their trades and calling, to maintain their wives, children, and families. And we believe that the king, in doing such a noble, glorious, yea Christian work, will not go unrewarded from the Great God who made him, whom we serve and worship, who has the hearts of kings, and their lives and length of days in his hands.

From him who desires that the king and all his ministers may be preserved in the fear of God, and receive his Word of wisdom, by which all things were made and created; that by it he may come to order all things to the glory of God, which God has put under his hand: that both he and they may enjoy the comforts and blessings of the Lord in this life, and in that which is to come, life eternal. Amen."

G. F.

London, the 10th of the 3rd Month, commonly called May, 1684. "Postscript.-The king may please to consider, that his and all men's consciences are the prerogative of God."

After this I went to ENFIELD, where, and in the country around, several Friends had country-houses, amongst whom I tarried some time, visiting and being visited by Friends, and having meetings with them. Several things I wrote in this time, relating to the service of truth; one was Concerning judging:' for some, who had departed from the truth, were so afraid of its judgment, that they made it much of their business to cry out against judging. Wherefore I wrote a paper, proving by the Scriptures of truth, that the church of Christ has power and ability to judge those that profess to be of it, not only with respect to outward things relating to this world, but with respect to religious matters also. A copy of which follows::

"Concerning Judging.

"THE natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; but he that is spiritual judgeth all things (mark) all things; yet he himself is judged of no man,' 1 Cor. ii. 14, 15. So the natural man cannot judge of those things he receives not, for they are foolishness to him; but he is comprehended by the spiritual man, and his foolishness, and is judged, though he cannot judge the spiritual man.

"Do not ye judge them that are within?' saith the apostle (this power the church had, and hath), therefore put away from amongst yourselves that wicked person.' Did not this wicked person, think you, profess

and plead for liberty for his wickedness, and his freedom, as he was a Christian, who was looked upon as a member of the church?

"The apostle saith, For I verily, as absent in body, yet present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this wicked deed,' 1 Cor. v. 3, 12. Here the apostle judged, though afar off, and set up judgment in the church against false liberty, under what pretence soever it was.

"And the apostle saith, 'Dare any of you, having a matter against a brother, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?' Here the saints, the church, are to judge of things amongst themselves, and not for the unjust to judge of their matters. 'Do ye not know the saints shall judge the world?' So the saints are to judge the unjust, and not the unjust to judge their matters.

"And farther, the apostle saith, 'If the world shall be judged by you (to wit, the saints), are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters amongst you?'

"It is clear that the saints have a judgment given them of Christ, by his power and Spirit, light and wisdom, to judge the world, and not to carry their matters before the unjust, but to judge of them amongst themselves; and if they carry them before the unjust, they show their unworthiness of the saints' judgment.

"Again, ‘Know ye not that we shall judge angels? (and angels are spirits) how much more things which pertain to this life ?'

If

ye then have judgment of things pertaining to this life, set them up to judge who are least esteemed in the church,' 1 Cor. vi. 4. Here it is clear the church of Christ has a judgment in the power and Spirit of God, not only to judge in things that pertain to this life, but are also to judge of things between brethren, without brother going to law with brother before unbelievers; which was a fault, and to be judged, if they did so.

"But also the saints have a judgment to judge angels that kept not their habitations, and the world. As in Jude, 'He judged the angels that kept not their habitations, their first state.' Did not he judge in divine matters here? He judged the state of Cain, and Balaam, and Core, and such Christians as were gotten into their steps, and were gone as far as they, though they professed themselves Christians? Here again he judged in divine matters; and of their states and beings, who stood in the divine principle, and who were fallen from it.

"The apostle saith, Try the spirits, and believe not every spirit,' 1 John iv. Here again was a judgment in divine matters; and he judged such as went out from them; these, whilst they were with them, had sight of things and openings; but when they went from them they went from the anointing; and therefore he exhorts the saints to keep to the anointing. Such as went from them that had the anointing, came to be the seducers and false prophets that went into the world.

"John had a judgment to try sacrifices, and distinguished Cain's from Abel's; and, by the Spirit of God, knew which God accepted, and which he did not accept, 1 John iii. 12. Paul judged and tried such messengers

and apostles, and transformers of themselves like to the apostles of Christ; and would have the church to try such, and have the same judgment that he had, 2 Cor. xi.

"The apostle Peter judged Ananias and Sapphira, and the thoughts of Simon Magus, who would have been a worker of miracles for money. Was not all this judgment in divine matters? And the apostle Paul judged the preachers of circumcision, both in the Romans and Galatians. For it was the faith and liberty of those preachers to preach up circumcision, though it was a wrong faith. Did not the apostle here again judge

in divine matters ?

"James judged in matters of faith, and manifested the living faith from the dead one. He also judged in matters of religion, the vain from the pure religion, and distinguished them.

"Paul judged of the false brethren, that would spy out the liberty of the true; to whom he would give no place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with the saints; as in Gal. ii. Did not the apostle here judge in divine matters? And he judged concerning the matters of the gospel when some came to pervert them with another gospel, and said, 'The gospel which I received is not of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ,' Gal. i. 12. So here was a judgment to distinguish the gospel of Christ from all other gospels, which were accursed, which are after man, received and taught of man, and not by the revelation of Jesus Christ, Gal. i. And he had a judgment to know, 'who made the gospel chargeable, and who kept it without charge.'

"He set up a judgment in the church that the believers should not be unequally yoked; and to see when men had a communion in the light, and when they had it in the darkness; when with Christ, and when with Baal; with the believer and unbeliever; with the temple of God and with idols : : as in 2 Cor. vi. Did he not set up a clear judgment here in divine matters in the church?

"And the apostle judged such libertines as through their knowledge could sit at meat in the idol's temple; who through their knowledge and liberty caused the weak brother to perish, for whom Christ died. These, it is like, did profess it was their faith and their liberty; yet they did not keep in the unity of the true faith, but went about to destroy it, 1 Cor. viii.

"Peter gives judgment upon the angels that sinned, and were cast down into hell; upon the state of the old world, and of Sodom, and the state of the false prophets then amongst them, that could speak great swelling words of vanity; and whilst they promised them liberty, they themselves were the servants of corruption. And had not Peter here a judg ment in divine matters? These were such whose work was to bring into bondage, and these were like the dog and sow that were washed; which shows that they had been washed, but were turned into the mire again. The apostle Paul had a judgment upon such as, with their fair words and men's wisdom, deceived the hearts of the simple; and upon such as 'served not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies, and were enemies to the cross of Christ.' He had a judgment and discerning who lived in

the cross of Christ, and who did not; and exhorted all to live in the cross of Christ, the righteous power of God, that slew all deceit, and the deeds of the old man, agreeably to Christ's words, 'He that will be my disciple, must take up his cross and follow me.' Was not here a judgment again in divine matters, of such as walked in the divine power, and such as did not?

"Christ sets up a judgment in his seven churches, and commends them that did keep in his judgment, and had tried them which said, 'they were apostles,' who might pretend they were sent of God and Christ, and were not; but the church of Christ had found them liars. Christ commended this judgment of the church of Ephesus, because they had 'not borne with them that were evil, but had tried those false apostles:' and Christ commends this church, for they had 'hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which he also hated:' and had not these Nicolaitanes sprung from Nicolas, one of the deacons ? and were not these become a sect of Christians? though they might talk and preach of Christ, yet Christ hated their doctrine.

"Christ saith to the church of Smyrna, I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.' So the church is to have a judgment upon these blasphemers, and to distinguish the Jews in the Spirit from such as are not, but of the synagogue of Satan.

"To the church in Pergamos Christ saith, I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrines of Balaam,' &c., and also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.' Now, these that held the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, were got into the church, and might look upon themselves to be high Christians, and take great liberty to go into Balaam's doctrine, and Nicolas's doctrine, which was hated by Christ; but the church was to keep a spiritual and divine judgment upon the heads of all these.

"To the church of Thyatira, saith Christ, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest the woman Jezebel to teach, which seduces my people,' &c. Here was a suffering, which should have been a judgment by Christ's Spirit, upon that Jezebel, which was erred from his Spirit, and so from Christ. Such as these were high preachers. And is not the church to beware of suffering such now, lest they come under the reproof of Christ, for not passing judgment against the false teacher and seducer ?

The church of Sardis had a name to live, but was dead, and her works were not found perfect before God.' There is a judgment to be set up in the church, to judge all imperfect works, and such as would have a name, but not the nature; a name to live, but are dead. All the members of Christ's church must be in Christ, living members, and live to his name. This church had a few names that had not defiled their garments, that did walk in white; but such as have a name to live, but are dead, whilst they are in the dead state, cannot walk in white, nor judge in divine matters. Behold,' saith Christ, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which