and so likewise, break their truce and covenant with men in outward things; and also, such as are false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of them that are good, such are not like to be subject to the good spirit of God in themselves; and traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away, says the apostle. Now if they were to turn away from them, they were not to be heeded, though they had the form of godliness, and of christianity; if they were to turn away from them, they were not to receive them into the camp; for such are as lepers are to be turned away from. And therefore the camp of God must be kept clean. And Christ hath given authority to his church to admonish and exhort, and to reprove and rebuke all such things with authority.

Now, friends, concerning putting on of apparel. The apostle in the spirit and power of Christ had a care in the church of God, that they should adorn themselves as becomes the gospel, with chaste lives and conversations, and with the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit; which is in the sight of God of a great price. This is that which arrays and beautifies God's church; and not the outward adorning and plaiting the hair, and every new fashion that comes up into the world. 1 Pet. iii. And also the apostle writes to Timothy, and gives him that exhortation to the church, 'That women adorn themselves with modest apparel, (mark, modest,) with shamefacedness and sobriety, (mark, sobriety,) not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. For that was the practice of the Jew outward, and is to this day; but with that which becomes women professing godliness, with good works. So this is the adorning that all that profess godliness must be arrayed withal. 1 Tim. ii. 9. So that all may be in that good behaviour, as becomes godliness and holiness. And likewise chaste and discreet, teachers of good things; that the word of God may not be blasphemed, which they profess; as in Tit. ii.

And it is desired, that all Friends, that have children, families, and servants, may train them up in the pure and unspotted religion, and in the nurture and fear of God; and that frequently they read the holy scriptures, which is much better than to be gadding abroad. And exhort and admonish them; that every family apart may serve and worship the Lord, as well as in public. And that when they go to meetings, they may take their servants and families with them, that they may not go wandering up and down in the fields, or to ale-houses, as many have done, to the dishonour of God, and to the dishonour of their masters' and mistresses' families, and to their own ruin and destruction. And therefore, for Christ's sake and his pure religion, let there VOL. VIII.

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be care taken, to prevent all these things. For such an one as cannot rule well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity, how can he take care of the church of God. 1 Tim. iii.

And now, friends, concerning marriages, of which very many things have been written, it is desired that all may be careful in that thing, of running hastily together. And consider it first; that first, as it is God's joining, so it is his ordinance, and it is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. And again, such men as draw out young women's affections, and run from one to another; and leave them, and run to others. And such women as draw out men's affections, and then leave them, and draw out other men's affections: these practices bring many young women, and many young men into trouble; and are sharply to be reproved. For this work is not of God's joining, but out of his covenant. Some of which have gone so far, as to promises, espousals, and contracts, and then left them, and gone to others. This is to be judged and reproved. For, as we make no contract for marriages, we break none.

And likewise such young people, that trim up themselves in gay apparel, and make a great show, and hang most on their backs, that appear what they are not in substance; which women have sometimes deceived young men; and men deceived women, and drawn out their affections and minds by outward show, and deceived one another and brought one another into trouble. Such are out of the fear of God and a chaste mind. And therefore they are not like to expect a blessing in this life, nor in that which is to come, without great judgment and repentance. Therefore such actions are to be reproved, that they may be brought into chastity, virtue, and piety, and to the adorning the hidden man of the heart, which is not corruptible, and the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit; which ornament or adorning is acceptable with the Lord. For after this manner, in old time, the holy women, who trusted in God, adorned themselves.

And likewise such, as after they are married break their covenant in marriage, such go from the spirit of God, and his joining, and from the spiritual society of God's people, and their unity and fellowship. Such are to be reproved by the spirit of God. And if they do not return after reproof, Friends cannot have unity or fellowship with them, but turn away from them; though they may have the form of godliness, and have been called a sister or a brother, but have denied the power of godliness. Therefore all must abide in Christ the vine, if they bring forth fruit to the glory and praise of God. Amen.

The apostle says, 'Now, we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly,' &c. 2 Thess. iii.

Now, dear friends, consider old Eli's case, who did admonish his chil

dren; but because he did not restrain them from the follies and the evils they run into, therefore the Lord brought his judgments upon him, that he lost his children's lives, and his priesthood, and his own life. And do you think, that this was not written for an example, that others should be warned, hear, and fear? And was not the gospel and the law given forth to restrain people from sin and evil, and such things as dishonour God?

CCCXC.-An epistle to all Friends every where.

G. F.

Friends, This is the word of the Lord unto you all. All live in the seed, in which all nations are blest; in which seed you are blessed every way, in your rising up and lying down; in your goings forth and comings in. And you have the blessings from above, and the blessings from beneath, in this holy seed; yea, the blessings of him that dwelt in the bush, that made the very ground holy, that Moses trod upon, who brings you out of the world, which is as a bushy, thorny wilderness, that ye might dwell in this blessed seed, in which all nations are blest; which bruises the serpent's head, who was the first questioner, and temptand liar, and deceiver; and man and woman by hearkening or giving ear to this questioner, liar, and tempter, the serpent, they fell from their habitation in the image of God, and so went out of their habitation and service, that God had placed them in, and commanded them to do.

er,

But, the seed of the woman is come, that bruises the serpent's head, in which seed Christ, all nations are blest.

And all you who live and walk in this seed, you live in him that bruises the serpent's head, that liar, tempter, and questioner; yea, and every one by this seed Christ, may be renewed up into the image of God, as Adam and Eve were in, in the beginning. Then you are all in your habitations of life and truth, and the image of God; and in it you know your services, that the Lord God Almighty commands you. And you living in this holy seed, you live over all vain unruly talkers, and vain disputers, men of corrupt minds, which have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. All you that live in the seed that bruises the serpent's head, turn away from such, for their work is to destroy; whose words eat as a canker; who do profess truth in words, and may have the form of godliness, but in their works deny the power thereof, who are to every good work or service reprobated.

And these are as the raging waves of the sea and tempests, they are known by their tempestuous spirits, and its raging, like a raging of the sea, casting up mire and dirt; a murdering spirit, like Cain; a gainsaying spirit, like Corah; and erred from the true spirit, like Balaam. No

rain in their clouds, no water in their wells, nor fruit on their trees; twice dead; that is once dead, and made alive, and dead again; so they cannot grow in the truth, light, nor the spirit of God, nor his gospel; but such corrupt the earth, and corrupt people's minds; are sowers of discord, strife, and contention; co-workers with the serpent to beguile the unstable minds; all such the seed of God reigns over.

And therefore in this holy seed Christ, all live and walk, and shun such evil spirits and their works; and all be established in this seed Christ Jesus, that the serpentine spirit, either by its strife, vain jangling, vain disputing, or its sowing of dissention, tempting and questioning, nor with feigned, fair, flattering, enticing words may not draw you out of your habitation of the seed, Christ Jesus; and the image of God, and your work and service in it, that God and Christ commands you.

And therefore beware of this serpentine spirit, that you may not be deceived, as Eve was; and beware of dogs that will bite and devour you; and beware of evil workers, though they have never such fair words to deceive the hearts of the simple. Beware of false prophets, which are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God, and are become wolves, though they have got the sheep's clothing, and the words of truth, of Christ and his apostles, whose fruits are as thorns and thistles. But the seed Christ, that discovers all these things, in him live, grow up, and walk and be established.

And beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, who make an outward profession of the holy men's words, but are persecutors of the seed, Christ Jesus, in whom all nations are blest, and despisers of his peaceable government; of the increase of which there is no end. And into this blessed seed, the serpent cannot come, nor any of his instruments nor his angels, which are evil spirits. And all the doters about questions and strife of words, and the vain janglers, and vain perverse disputers and contenders, and the sowers of strife and dissention, makers of debate and strife: all these are out of the blessed peaceable seed; although they may profess the truth of all the new and old testament in words, without the power of God, (that they are turned away from, and therefore they are to be turned away from,) the trumpet of the Lord, his spirit and power is blown against them, though they have never such high swelling words of vanity, and have never so many flattering fair words and good speeches, and trimmed and decked with the sheep's clothing, yet they are in the wolf's nature, and whored from the lamb and his nature, and so from the seed Christ, in whom all the children of the kingdom and the elect are to walk, that are of his heavenly and spiritual generation, and grow up in him as trees of righteousness, whose fruits are unto holiness, and whose end will be everlasting life. And the end of that spirit and its fruits, before mentioned, that

are out of Christ and his peaceable truth, will be destruction in the lake of fire. And that is the word of the Lord to you all; therefore be warned what you join to, and what you lay hands on suddenly.

For I remember, before we were called Quakers, as I was sitting in a house in Nottinghamshire, (about the year 1648,) the word of the Lord came to me and said, 'Some of those that should come to be convinced with the light and spirit of God, and should come so far as Cain to hear God's voice, and as far as Balaam to hear God's voice, and to have some openings, and to come so far as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, these should be the deceivers, and the troublers of the church of Christ, and seek to destroy the faithful, and to betray them: who formerly had some experience to talk of, but did not live in the truth.' Which I and many others have seen come to pass and fulfilled.

For Christ said to his disciples, that the false prophets and the antichrists, (which were inwardly the ravened wolves, which the apostles and believers should beware of,) should come to them, to try them, they had the sheep's clothing, and outward profession of christianity, but were inwardly ravening wolves to devour them. Now, these were inwardly ravening from something. And the apostle John speaks of such as went out from us. It seems, they were once among them, but,' (saith he,) 'they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out from the true church, that they might be manifest that they were not of it.' And these were the antichrists and false prophets, that Christ said should come, which John and the apostles saw were come, and exhorted the church to beware of, and to keep to the unction which they had from the Holy One. And this unction and anointing, as it abides within the saints, the true church, and they in it, it will teach them all things, and is truth; and by it they shall continue in the son and the Father, and so in the holy seed, rock, and foundation, that cannot be shaken.

And the apostle said, 'there was to be a falling away first, before the man of sin was revealed; the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself,' &c. And when the apostle saw the mystery of iniquity already working; and his coming is after the working of satan, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.' And such go into strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, and not the truth. And here you may see there is a falling away, before the son of perdition, or Judas, be revealed; and they that fall away, receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, but believe lies, that they shall be damned. And the Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth, and will destroy him with the brightness of his