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• Gentiles to tread down, and which were left out in ⚫ the measuring the evangelical temple of God) there'fore is he fo nettled, vexed, and in enmity, faying, "You deny the fcriptures; you renounce Chrift; you "fet up your own works, and your light is infuffi"cient," with fuch-like. O but the wife man loves reproof, and the way thereof is life to his upright foul but this thou must expect from the carnal, fleshly, and historical Christian of the outward courts and fuburbs of religion, who is an enemy to the fpiritual feed, that fees to the end of all meats, drinks, washings, figures, and bodily exercises: but as thy mind is kept ftayed upon the light, thou wilt have a good understanding given to thee, and a right difcerning, whereby to comprehend and con⚫ found all that which may let or ftop, whether it be within, or whether it be without for this know, that the very fame PRINCIPLE that gives LIGHT, adminifters ftrength, knowledge, life, raiment, and all that shall or can be needed in the fpiritual journey to the eternal reft: fo, dear friend, unto that I • recommend thee, befeeching thee to dwell in it, for by it are all things, that are either reproveable or juftifiable, made manifeft, and whatsoever can be known of God (whom to know effectual is life eternal) is manifefted within. And, O the peace! O the joy! O the heavenly refreshment that they witness, that know a paffing, (not from one form < to another) but from death and darkness, unto life and light, and are in the fpiritual travel from Egypt's land, through the ftate of condemnation for fin, (which is Moses in fpirit) unto juftification, through life eternal, which is the gift of God by JESUS < CHRIST. The Lord God eternal preferve thee, and • keep the stayed in thy mind, out of all wanderings, doubtings, or murmurings, in holy faith, refignation and patience, till thou witneffeft his kingdom to be come, and his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven; that fo thou mayeft be a fpiritual candle in thy place, giving light in the life of righteousness,

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righteousness, to the eclipfing of all the dim appearances of the former righteousness, that is among the carnal and historical Christians there-away (who 'talk of Chrift in fwelling words of vanity, but leave 'the cross behind) which they are to be convinced of, • and condemned for, by the holy paraclete, as well as 'for the groffeft of their iniquity, both being an abomination to the Lord. And if thou doft freely give up, counting nothing dear, to anfwer the Lord's heavenly vifitation of love and light unto thee, by living in the cross to the fin, righteoufnefs and judgment that are of this world, and teftifying to the fpiritual invifible way of falvation, as in the light ' thou haft received, and yet mayeft receive, experi'mental knowledge, glory, immortality, and eternal life will be thy inheritance, when time fhall be no more: only this I would leave in caution with thee, ' think not that thou haft attained all that in the holy 'vision of light may be prefented to thee, but rather in the light wait to feel the heavenly power to arife, that is able to bring into the actual enjoyment of thofe ftates; and when thou comeft thus experimentally to know the work of God wrought in thyself, thou canft with boldnefs fpeak, as one knowing 'whereof thou affirmeft, having tafted and handled of the word of life, whether as an hammer, fire, fword, a washer and reconciler,

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So the Lord God of his remnant and children of light, yet more and more enlighten, confirm and preferve thee, in and by his eternal power, to the ' end; for they, and they only, come to be faved. I am, in the fellowship of the light, and way of the 'crofs of Christ,

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My love is to thy wife, and falute me 'kindly to thofe that were at meeting 'when I was at Embden.

Thy endeared friend,

'W. P.'

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POSTSCRIPT.

Such as can be baptized with that baptism, and drink of that cup which Jesus was baptized with, and ⚫ drank deeply of, fuch, and fuch alone, fhall fit at his right-hand in the high and heavenly place: which is a hard faying to all the national and carnal profeffors, but the children of light receive it with thankfulness, and fanctify God in their hearts.'

At this time fundry oppofers, fome of whom being diffenters themselves, had enough to do in time of perfecution, by a cautious privacy, which they called

Christian Prudence,' to fecure their own heads from the ftorm the Quakers weathered, began, under the funshine of the king's indulgence, to peep out, and, by gainfaying the truth, to make its defence neceffary: fo that our author, who never turned his back in the day of battle, had plenty of controverfial exercise for his pen, the remainder of this year, and the two next enfuing; about which time likewife he wrote feveral remarkable letters, fome of which are here inferted; viz.

To Juftice FLEMING, a Justice of Quorum, and Deputy Lieutenant in Weftmorland.'

T

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HE obligation thy civility laid upon the perfon that is now my wife, when in the north, anno 1664, is, with her being fo, become mine. Not to acknowledge, though I could never retaliate it, were a rudeness I have not ufually been guilty of; for however differing I am from other men Circa • Sacra, and that world, which, refpecting men, may be faid to begin when this ends, I know no religion that deftroys courtefy, civility, and kindness; which, rightly understood, are great indications of true men, if not of good Chriftians. Certainly there is fuch a thing as civil uniformity, where a religious one may

• be

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be unobtainable; and methinks there can be nothing more irrational, than to facrifice the ferenity of the one, to an adventurous (if not impoffible) pro'curement of the other. Let men be MEN before CHRISTIANS, and not repute that the best way of making them the last, which inevitably destroys the very conftitution of the firft. Natural affection, quiet living, honeft commerce, and an exemplary life, fo ftrongly plead for toleration of opinion, that where opinion aims not at the deftruction of government, it is high pity, and not a little injustice, to moleft thofe that are fo qualified. It is not my purpose to difpute for liberty of confcience, but recommend it. 'Several difcourfes are extant, which, with me, feem 'irrefutable. I hope the unfuccefsfulness of such se'verity as hath been acted, will be an unanfwerable < argument with them to leave it, with whom other ' reasons would not prevail; though I cannot think, 'but a person of thofe parts feveral have reprefented 'thee to have, would have been fatisfied with less cost ' of controversy: for, indeed, there can be nothing 'more irrational, than to fanfy that external penalties 'fhould work right conviction, or information upon the confcience in the understanding of any. Sure 'I am, it is beneath the true religion to do fo, as well as unbecoming one that has been obferved to use 'that ill argument against others.

But the scene is changed, and from the feverity ' of magiftrates, we are fallen under the implacable 'hate and perfecution of fome Co-Diffenters. It is for our credit they quarrel with us, especially that they begin truth then beft advocates her innocence ' unto mens confciences, when it is most questioned: 'fhe lofes nothing by being tried, but the wolf's-fkin, which the wolf in fheep's cloathing is wont to caft upon her; and I no-ways doubt of that fuccefs in our undertaking for her defence, An Independent and an Anabaptift, both preachers, have lately bedirted us in three difcourfes they have published ' against us, it is faid, with no finall applaufe; but C 4

then

then it is to be understood, with our enemies, or fuch as know us not: for them we have charity < therefore have we writ; for truly neither is the truth hurt in herself nor are we brought into the leaft doubt of our holy faith by them. Our unhappiness is, we are not understood, and envy takes great care we fhould not: I have fent with this our anfwers: ⚫ be pleased to accept and peruse them; I hope I need not fay, impartially, to a man of fo much wisdom and prudence. I leave the confequence with Almighty God, to whom we must all render our account for the deeds done in this mortal body, whether they be good or evil. Excufe my freedom, and accept my acknowledgment of former favour, and be affured it fhall ever meet with a grateful return • from

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Thy fincere friend, however unknown,

Rickmerfworth,
1673.'

W. P.

To all Suffering FRIENDS in Holland, or Germany, particularly in Frederickstadt, and in or near Dantzick.'

Rickmerfworth, 1ft of the 7th Month, 1673.

My dear FRIENDS,

N God's everlasting truth, and that heavenly. power, ftrength and dominion that ftands therein, doth my foul very dearly falute you all, who have tafted of the invifible and heavenly life, that is made ⚫ known unto that refidue of the woman's feed, who have been begotten into the living way of light and righteousness: oh! pleasant are the outgoings of the Lord to and in his children, whofe minds are truly ftaid upon him, and are freely refigned up into his all-wife difpofal; fuch fhall abound in the joy of

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