The presbyterians, independents, and baptists, were in a great rage; for many of their people came to be turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and sat down under his teachings and received his power, and felt it in their hearts; and then they were moved of the Lord to declare against the rest of them.

I appointed a meeting in the fields near Acton, in which the word of life and the saving truth was declared freely, and the Lord's power was eminently manifested, and his blessed day exalted over all.

About this time I was moved to write a paper, and send it forth among the professors; a copy of which here followeth :

To all Professors of Christianity.

All they that professed Jesus Christ in words, and yet heard him not when he was come, they said, he was a deceiver and a devil: the chief priests were they that called him so. So the Jews said, "He hath a devil, and is mad; why do ye hear him?" But others said, "These are not the words of him that bath a devil: can a devil open the eyes of the blind?" The Jews then doubted, whether he were the Christ, or no; and so all, like the Jews, in the knowledge, in the notion, that profess a Christ without only, where Christ is risen within, they do not own him, but do doubt of him; though Christ be the same now and for ever. Jesus Christ said, "I and my Father are one:" then the Jews took up stones to stone him. And where Jesus Christ is now spiritually come and made manifest, the Jews, such as are Christians in outward profession only, have the same hard hearts inwardly now, as they had then; and do cast stones at him, where he is risen. Jesus said, "For which of these good works do ye stone me?" The Jews answered. "For thy good works we stone thee not; but for blasphemy, in that thou being a man, makest thyself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods? and the scripture cannot be broken. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God?" The Jews said to him, "Say we not well, that thou hast a devil?" Jesus answered, "I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me." And they that were in the synagogue rose up, and thrust him out of the city; and took him up to the edge of the hill whereon their city was built, to cast him down headlong. The pharisees said of him, "He casteth out

devils by the prince of devils." Jesus Christ was called a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners; but wisdom is justified of her children. The officers, when the high-priests and pharisees asked them, "Why have ye not brought him?" said, "Never man spake like this man." The pharisees said, "Are ye also deceived? Do any of the rulers or of the pharisees believe on him?" but this people which know not the law are accursed. Nicodemus said unto them, (he that came unto Jesus by night)" Doth our law judge any man before it hear him?" When Stephen confessed Jesus the substance of all figures and types, and was brought before the chief priests to his trial, he told them, The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands:" and brought the prophet's words to witness, and told them, they were stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, and always resisted the Holy Ghost, as their fathers had done. Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost, and said, he saw Jesus, and they ran upon him, and stoned him to death, as he was calling upon the Lord. When Paul confessed Jesus Christ and his resurrection, Festus said, he was mad. When Paul preached the resurrection, some mocked; the Jews persuaded the people, and they stoned him, and drew him out of the city, thinking he had been dead. The Jews stirred up the Gentiles to make their minds evil affected towards the brethren. The Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief of the city, and raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts; and there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully and to stone them. In like manner all in the nature of those Jews now, whose religion stands in notions, do stir up the rulers, and do stir up the ignorant people and incense them against Jesus Christ, where he is risen, to stone them all with one consent, in whom he is risen. This is that the scriptures might be fulfilled, and the blindness of the people might be discovered. And the same power now is made manifest and doth overturn the world, as did overturn the world to the exalting of the Lord, and to the pulling down of the kingdom of Satan and of this world, and setting up his own kingdom to his everlasting praise. The Lord is now exalting himself, and throwing down man's self; the proud one's head is aloft, fearing he should lose his pride and his crown; the priests they incense the ignorant people, for fear their trade should go down; and the professors they shew forth what is in them, being full of rage; which shews, that Jesus Christ, the

substance, is not there, but a stony heart to stone the precious, where it is risen. The carnal mind feeds upon the outward letter, and earth feeds upon earth, and that vineyard is not dressed, but is full of briars and nettles, and ravenous beasts, swine and dogs, wolves and lions, and all venomous creatures lodge in that habitation. That house is foul and is not swept, and these are the persecutors of the just and enemies of the truth, and the enemies of Christ; these are blasphemers of God and his truth; these are they that call upon God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him; these are they that feed on lies, priests and people; these are they that incense all the people and stir up envy, for it begets its own, one like itself; these are they that are the waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; these are they that have double eyes, whose bodies are full of darkness; these are they that paint themselves with the prophets', with Christ's, and with the apostles' words most fair; whited walls you are; painted sepulchres you are; murderers of the just you are. Your eyes are double, your minds are double, your hearts are double; ye flatterers repent from your carnal ends, who are full of mischief, pretending God and godliness, taking him for your cloak; but he will uncover you, and he hath uncovered you to his children. He will make you bare, and discover your secrets and take off your crown, and take away your mantle and your veil, and strip you of your cloathing, that your nakedness may appear, and how you sit deceiving the nations. Your abomination and your falseness is now made manifest to them, who are of God, who in his power triumph over you, rejoice over you, the beast, the dragon, the false prophet, the seducer, the hypocrite, the mother of all harlots; now thou must have thy cup double, give it to her double: sing over her, ye righteous ones, sing over them all, ye saints; triumph in glory, triumph over the deceit; sing the song of the Lamb, triumph over the world; spread the truth abroad. Come ye captive ones out of prison, and rejoice with one accord, for the joyful days are coming; let us be glad and rejoice for ever, singleness of heart is come, pureness of heart is come, joy and gladness is come. The glorious God is exalting himself, and truth hath been talked of, but now it is possessed. Christ hath been talked of, but now he is come and possessed. The glory hath been talked of, but now it is possessed, and the glory of man is defacing. The Son of God hath been talked of, but now he is come, and hath given us understanding. Unity hath been talked of, but now it is come. Virgins have been talked of, but

now they are come with oil in their lamps. He will be glorified alone, where pride is thrown down, earth and the Heshly will is thrown down, and the pure is raised up; there alone is the Lord exalted. Let the heavens bow down to him, and the earth reel to and fro, and stagger up and down; the Lord is setting up his throne and his crown, and throwing down the crown of man, and he alone will be glorified; to whom be all honour and glory, all praises and all thanks. Who gives his children wisdom and strength, knowledge and virtue, power and riches, blessings and durable substance, and an eye to discern, and an ear to hear things singly; and brings down the pride of man's heart, and turns the wicked out of the kingdom. The righteous ones inherit righteousness, the pure ones pureness, the holy ones holiness: praises, praises be to the Lord, whose glory now shines, whose day is broken forth, which is hid from the world, hid from all worldly wise ones, and from all the prudent of this world; hid from the fowls of the air; hid from all vultures eyes, and all venomous beasts, and all liars, and all dogs, and all swine. But to them that fear his name, the secrets of the Lord are made manifest, the treasures of wisdom are opened, and the fulness of knowledge: for thou, O Lord, dost make thyself manifest to thy children.'

G. F.

My spirit was greatly burdened to see the pride, that was got up in the nation, even amongst the professors, and in the sense thereof I was moved to give forth the following paper, directed_

To such as follow the World's fashions.

'What a world is this! how doth the devil garnish himself! and how obedient are people to do his will and mind, that they are altogether carried away with fooleries and vanities, both men and women, that they have lost the hidden man of the heart, and the meek and quiet spirit; which with the Lord is of great price. They have lost the adorning of Sarah; they are putting on gold and gay apparel: women plaiting the hair, men and women powdering it; making their backs look like bags of meal. They look so strange that they can scarce look at one another, they are so lifted up in pride. Pride is flown up into their head, and hath so lifted them up, that they snuff up, like wild asses, and like Ephraim: they feed upon

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wind; and are gotten to be like wild heifers, who feed upon the mountains. Pride hath puffed up every one of them they are out of the fear of God, men and women, young and old; one puffs up another. They must be in the fashion of the world, else they are not in esteem; else they shall not be respected, if they have not gold or silver upon their backs, or if his hair be not powdered. But if he have store of ribbands hanging about his waist, and at his knees, and in his hat, of divers colours, red or white, or black or yellow, and his hair be powdered, then he is a brave man, then he is accepted, then he is no quaker, because he hath ribbons on his back, and belly, and knees, and his hair powdered: this is the array of the world. But is not this from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life? Likewise the women having their gold, their spots on their faces, noses, cheeks, foreheads, having their rings on their fingers, wearing gold, having their cuffs double, under and above, like unto a butcher with his white sleeves; having their ribbands tied about their hands, and three or four gold laces about their clothes; this is no quaker, say they. This is that that pleaseth the world; this array, this attire, pleaseth the world: and if they cannot get these things, they are discontented. But this is not the attire of Sarah, whose adorning was in the hidden man of the heart, of a quiet and meek spirit: this is the adorning of the heathen, not of the apostle, nor of the saints, whose adorning was, not wearing of gold, nor plaiting of hair, but a meek and quiet spirit; which was and is of great price with the Lord. And here was the sobriety and good ornament, which was of the Lord accepted. This was Paul's exhortation and preaching; but we see, the talkers of Paul's words live out of Paul's command, and out of the example of Sarah; and are found in the steps of the great heathen, who comes to examine the apostles in his gorgeous apparel. Now, are not all these, that have got their ribbons hanging about their arms, hands, back, waists, knees, hats, like unto fiddler's-boys? Which shews that you are gotton into the basest and most contemptible life, who be in the fashion of the fiddler's boys and stage players, quite out of the paths and steps of solid men; and in the very steps and paths of the wild heads, who give themselves up to every invention and vanity of the world that appears, and is inventing how to get it upon their backs, heads, feet, and legs, and say, if it be out of the fashion it is nothing worth. Are not these the spoilers of the creation, who have the fat and the best of it, and waste and destroy it? Do not