spiritual body; and also the outward state of the church, how each member ought to walk and act, according to its place in the body. I spent several days in York amongst friends, having divers meetings amongst them; and all was peaceable and well. I went also to the castle, to visit the friends that were prisoners there, with whom I spent some time, encouraging them and strengthening them in their testimony.

Then leaving York, I travelled on southward through Yorkshire, having meetings in many places amongst friends, till I came to Barton in Lincolnshire; where on the firstday of the week I had a large and precious meeting. Then turning into Nottinghamshire, I travelled among friends through a good part of that county, in which I had several good meetings; and then passed into Derbyshire, and through Leicestershire, and so into Warwickshire, having meetings all along as I went, till I came to Warwick; there William Dewsberry came to me, and several other friends, and we had a little meeting in that town. Then passing through Southam and Radway (at each of which places I had a very good meeting) I came to Nathaniel Ball's of North Newton in Oxfordshire, and so went to Banbury to a monthly meeting there. And after I had visited friends at their meetings in the bordering parts both of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Northamptonshire, I passed to Richard Baker's of Biddlesden in Buckinghamshire; and the next day (being the first-day of the week) I had a very large meeting in Biddlesden, at an old abbeyhouse, which a friend rented and dwelt in; many friends and people came to this meeting out of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, and the parts adjacent, and of good service it was. After this meeting I visited friends in those parts, having meetings at Lillingstone, Lovel and Bugbrook; and then going to Stony Stratford, I went from thence into some parts of Bedfordshire, till I came to Edward Chester's of Dunstable. From whence passing on by Market-street, I had a meeting at Alban's, and so calling on friends at Mimms and Barnet, I came to the widow Hayly's, at Guttershedge in Hendon in Middlesex, on a seventh-day night, and had a very large and good meeting there the day following.

I passed from thence to London on the third-day following, and went directly to the Peel-meeting at John Elson's; and next morning to the meeting at Gracechurch-street, which was very large and quiet; and friends rejoiced in the Lord to see me. The yearly-meeting was in the week following, to which many friends came up out of most parts

of the nation; and a blessed opportunity the Lord gave us together; wherein the ancient love was sweetly felt, and the heavenly life flowed abundantly over all. After the yearly-meeting was over, and the friends, that came out of the counties to it, for the most part returned homewards, I continued about a month or five weeks longer in and about London, labouring in the work of the Lord both in meetings and out: for besides the public testimony which the Lord gave me to bear both to friends and to the world in meetings, I had much service lay upon me, with respect to friends' sufferings, in seeking to get ease and liberty for them in this and other nations. And much pains and time I spent, while I was now in London, in writing letters to friends in divers parts of England, and in Scotland, Holland, Barbadoes, and several other parts of America.

After I had spent about six weeks time in the service of truth in and about London, I was moved of the Lord to go visit friends in some parts of Surrey and Sussex. I went down to Kingston by water, and tarried there certain days; for while I was there, the Lord laid it upon me to write to both the great Turk, and the king of Algiers severally, to warn them both, and the people under them, to turn from their wickedness, and fear the Lord and do justly; lest the judgments of God came upon them, and destroyed them without remedy. But to the Algerines I writ more particularly, concerning the cruelty they exercised towards friends and others, whom they held captives in Algiers. Now when I had finished that service, and visited friends in their meetings at Kingston, I went on further into the country, and had meetings amongst friends in many places; as at Worplesdon, Guildford, Esher, Capel, Patchgate, Worminghurst, Bletchingley, Horsham, Ifield, Ryegate, Gatton, &c. and so came back to Kingston again; and from thence to Hammersmith. And having spent some days in the service of truth amongst friends at Hammersmith, Battersea, Wandsworth and thereabouts, I crossed over by Kensington to Hendon, where I had a very good meeting on the first-day of the week. And (having spent about two months time in this journey) went from thence to London.

When I had been about ten days in London, I was drawn forth again to visit friends in the country; and went down to Edmonton to Christopher Taylor's, who kept a school in his house for the educating of friends' children. I had some service here amongst the youths; and then went on towards Hertford, visiting several friends in the way. At Hertford I met with John Story and some others of his

party; but the testimony of truth went over them, and kept them down, so that the meeting was quiet. It was on a first-day of the week; and the next day being the men's and women's meeting for business, I visited them also, and the rather, because some in that place had let in a disesteem of them. Wherefore I was moved to open the service of those meetings, and the usefulness and benefit thereof to the church of Christ, as the Lord opened the thing in me, and it was of good service to friends. I had a meeting also with some of them there, that were gone into strife and contention, to shew them wherein they were wrong; and having cleared myself of them, I left them to the Lord. Then, after I had had another public meeting in the town, I returned towards London by Waltham Abbey, where I had a public meeting on the first-day following; and another with friends in the evening. Next day I went to Christopher Taylor's at Edmonton, and staid there a day or two, having some things upon me to write, which were for the service of truth. When I had finished that service, I went to London by Shacklewell, where was a school kept by friends, for the breeding up young maidens that were friends' daughters.

I abode at London most part of this winter, having much service for the Lord there, both in meetings and out for as it was a time of great sufferings upon friends, I was drawn forth in spirit to visit friends' meetings more frequently; to encourage and strengthen them both by exhortation and example. The parliament also was sitting, and friends were diligent to wait upon them, to lay their grievances before them; of which we received accounts almost every day, of the sad sufferings friends underwent in many parts of the nation. In this service of seeking relief for my suffering brethren I spent much time; together with other friends, who were freely given up to that service, attending at the parliament-house day by day for many days together, and watching all opportunities to speak with such members of either house, as would hear our just complaints. And indeed, some of the members of each house were very courteous to us, and appeared willing to help us if they could: but the parliament being then earnest in examining the popish plot, and contriving ways to discover such as were popishly affected, our adversaries took advantages against us (because they knew we could not swear nor fight) to expose us to those penalties that were made against papists; though they knew in their consciences that we were no papists, and had had experience of us, that we were no plotters. Wherefore, to

clear our innocency in those cases, and to stop the mouths of our adversaries, I drew up a short paper, to be delivered to the parliament, which was as followeth :

It is our principle and testimony, to deny and renounce all plots and plotters against the king, or any of his subjects; for we have the Spirit of Christ, by which we have the mind of Christ, who came to save men's lives, and not to destroy them; and we would have the king and all his subjects to be safe. Wherefore we do declare, that we will endeavour, to our power, to save and defend him and them, by discovering all plots and plotters (which shall come to our knowledge) that would destroy the king or his subjects this we do sincerely offer unto you. But as to swearing and fighting, which in tenderness of conscience we cannot do, ye know that we have suffered these many years for our conscientious refusal thereof. And now that the Lord hath brought you together, we desire you to relieve us, and free us from those sufferings; and that ye will not put upon us to do those things, which we have suffered so much and so long already for not doing; for if you do, ye will make our sufferings and bonds stronger, instead of relieving us.'

:

G. F.

About this time I received two very envious books, written against truth and friends: one of them by a doctor (so called) of Bremen in Germany, the other by a priest of Dantzic in Poland. They were both full of gross falsehoods, and had in them many reproachful slanders. I found it upon me to answer them both; and that I might not be over-much interrupted therein by other business and company, I got out of London for a little while, and went down to Kingston-upon-Thames, were I writ an answer to each of them; and also an answer to some other scandalous papers, which had been printed and scattered about to misrepresent friends by.

While I was there I writ also the following paper, to persuade the magistrates to moderation towards dissenters, and take off their edge to persecution. And because it should have its full service, I directed it

To all the Rulers, Magistrates, and them that are in authority, and law-makers in England, Scotland, and Ireland, from the highest to the lowest, and to all other magistrates every where, in that which is called Christendom; desiring their health, and peace, and tranquillity, and life,

and salvation in Christ Jesus, the Lord of Glory, and Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and all power in heaven and in earth is given to him; who will reward every man according to his words and works.

All you bearing the name of Christian magistrates, my desire is, that you may all be found in Christ; and not only have the name, but be made partakers of his divine nature; that ye may be not only sayers of the word, but doers of the word; not only professors of Christ, and talkers of Christ, but let Christ rule in your hearts by faith, and be walkers in Christ. For as Christ's great apostle saith, "As every one hath received the Lord Jesus Christ, so let him walk in him; for in him there is peace." And if all that do profess Christ, did walk in Christ, they would all walk in peace, and be in unity; for the apostle exhorted the Christians in his day to keep the unity of the Spirit; which is the bond of peace, yea, of Christ the King of king's peace. And all Christians, who have the scriptures, and are not in this spirit of Christ, they are not in unity one with another; and so have broken this bond of peace, which should knit and unite them together. And likewise all that do profess the truth of Christ, should live in it, for it is peaceable; and the gospel is the gospel of peace which, if all Christians that do profess it, lived in, they would be at peace one with another, and in the glorious fellowship of the gospel. And also, if all Christians kept in the fear of God, which is the beginning of the pure, heavenly, peaceable, and gentle wisdom which is easy to be entreated (above that wisdom, which is earthly, sensual, devilish, and destroying) then there would be no difference and destroying about matters of religion.

'I do declare the mighty day of the Lord is come and coming; and the Lord God is come to teach his people himself by his Son (Hebr. i.) whose Son, Christ Jesus, bruises the serpent's head, that false teacher, that led Adam and Eve from God their teacher. So God will teach his people by his Son, who was the teacher of Adam and Eve in paradise, before they fell and disobeyed the Lord, and forsook him, and followed the serpent; whose head Christ does bruise, and renews man and woman up again into the image of God, which Adam and Eve were in before they fell glory and honour be to God through Jesus Christ, who hath called us by his Son into his glorious image, to serve and worship him in his spirit and truth; which