the Word, when they crucified him. And John the divine, who preached the word, that was in the beginning, said, that the beast and the whore have power over tongues and languages, and they are as waters. Thus, I told him, he might see, the whore and beast have power over the tongues and the many languages which are in mystery Babylon; for they began at Babel; and the persecutors of Christ Jesus set them over him when he was crucified by them; but he is risen over them all, who was before them all. 'Now,' said I to this man, dost thou think to make ministers of Christ by these natural, confused languages, which sprang from Babel, are admired in Babylon, and set a top of Christ, the life, by a persecutor? Oh no!' So the man confessed to many of these things. Then we shewed him further, that Christ made his ministers himself, and gave gifts unto them, and bid them pray to the Lord of the harvest, to send forth labourers. And Peter and John, though unlearned and ignorant (as to school-learning) preached Christ Jesus the Word, which was in the beginning, before Babel was. Paul also was made an apostle, not of man, nor by man, neither received he the gospel from man, but from Jesus Christ, who is the same now, and so is his gospel, as it was at that day. When we had thus discoursed with the man, he became very loving and tender, and after he had considered further of it, he never set up his college.

From Durham we went to Anthony Pearson's, and from thence into Cleaveland, and so passed through Yorkshire to the further end of Holderness, and had mighty meetings, the Lord's power accompanying us.

After we parted from Anthony Pearson's, we went by Hull and Pontefract, through the countries, to George Watkinson's house, and visited most of the meetings all up and down in these parts, till we came to Scale-house, and so on to Swarthmore; the everlasting power and arm of God carrying us through, and preserving us. After I had visited friends up and down thereaways, I passed through the countries into Yorkshire again, and into Cheshire, and so through other counties into Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and glorious meetings we had, the Lord's presence being with us.

At Nottingham I sent to Rice Jones, desiring him to make his people acquainted that I had something to say to them from the Lord. He came and told me many of them lived in the country, and he could not tell how to send to them. I told him he might acquaint them about the town of it, and send to as many in the country as he could. So

the next day we met at the castle, there being about fourscore people, to whom I declared the truth for about the space of two hours; and the Lord's power was over them all, so that they had not power to open their mouths in opposition. When I had done, one of them asked me a question, which I was loth to have answered, for I saw it might lead into jangling, and I was unwilling to go into jangling, for some of the people were tender, yet I could not tell how well to escape it. Wherefore 1 answered the question, and was moved forthwith to speak to Rice Jones, and lay before him how that he had been the man that had scattered such as had been tender, and some that had been convinced, and had been led out of many vanities of the world, which he had formerly judged; but now he judged the power of God in them, and they, being simple, turned to him, and so he and they were turned to be vainer than the world, for many of his followers were turned to be the greatest foot-ball players and wrestlers in the country. So I told him it was the serpent in him, that had scattered, and done hurt to such as were tender towards the Lord. Nevertheless, if he did wait in the fear of God, for the Seed of the woman, Christ Jesus, to bruise the serpent's head in him, that had scattered and done the hurt, by the Seed of Christ Jesus (he coming into him) he might come to gather them again by this heavenly Seed; though it would be an hard work for him to gather them again out of those vanities he had led them into. At this Rice Jones said, 'Thou liest, it is not the Seed of the woman that bruises the serpent's head.' 'No!' said I, 'what is it then?' 'I say, it is the law,' said he." But,' said I, the scripture, speaking of the Seed of the woman, saith, "It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel." Now, hath the law an heel,' said I, 'to be bruised?' Then Rice Jones and all his company were at a stand, and I was moved in the power of the Lord to speak to him, and say, "This Seed, Jesus Christ, the Seed of the woman, which should bruise the serpent's head, shall bruise thy head, and break you all to pieces.' Thus I did leave on the heads of them the Seed, Christ; and not long after he and his company scattered to pieces, and several of them came to be friends, and stand to this day; for many of them had been convinced about eight years before, but had been led aside by this Rice Jones, for they denied the inward cross, the power of God, and so went into vanity. And it was about eight years since I had been formerly amongst them, in which time I was to pass over them and by them, seeing they had slighted the Lord's truth and power,

and the visitation of his love unto them. But now was the time that I was moved to go to them again, and it was of great service, for many of them were brought to the Lord Jesus Christ, and were settled upon him, sitting down under his teaching and feeding, where they were kept fresh and green; and the others that would not be gathered to him, soon after withered. This was that Rice Jones that some years before had said I was then at the highest, and should fall. But, poor man, he little thought how near his own fall was.

We left Nottingham and went into Warwickshire, and thence passing through some parts of Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, visiting friends, and having meetings with them as we travelled, we came into Bedfordshire, where we had large gatherings in the name of Jesus. After some time we came to John Crook's house, where a general yearly meeting for the whole nation was appointed to be held. This meeting lasted three days, and many friends from most parts of the nation came to it, so that the inns and towns round thereabouts were filled, for many thousands of people were at it. And although there were some disturbance by some rude people that had run out from truth, yet the Lord's power came over all, and a glorious meeting it was. And the everlasting gospel was preached, and many received it, (for there were many sorts of professors came to the meeting), which gospel brought life and immortality to light in them, and shined over all.

Then was I moved by the power and Spirit of the Lord, to open unto them the promise of God, how that it was made to the seed, not to seeds, as many, but to One, which seed was Christ; and that all people, both males and females, should feel this seed in them, which was heir of the promise, that so they might all witness Christ in them, the hope of glory, the mystery, which had been hid from ages and generations, which was revealed to the apostles, and is revealed again now, after this long night of apostacy. So that all might come up into this seed, Christ Jesus, and walk in it, and sit down together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, who was the foundation of the prophets and apostles, and the rock of ages, and is our foundation now. And all sitting down in him, sit down in the substance, the first and the last, that changes not, the seed that bruises the serpent's head, and was before he was, who ends all the types, figures, and shadows, and is the substance of them all, in whom there is no shadow. Now these things were upon me to open unto all, that they might mind and see what it is they sit down in.

For first, they that sit down in Adam in the fall, sit down in misery, in death, in darkness, and corruption.

'Secondly, they that sit down in the types, figures, and shadows, and under the first priesthood, law, and covenant, sit down in that which must have an end, and which made nothing perfect.

Thirdly, they that sit down in the apostacy, that hath gotten up since the apostles' days, sit down in spiritual Sodom and Egypt, and are drinking of the whore's cup, under the beast's and dragon's power.

Fourthly, they that sit down in the state in which Adam was before he fell, sit down in that which may be fallen from, for he fell from that state, though it was perfect.

Fifthly, they that sit down in the prophets sit down in that which must be fulfilled; and they that sit down in the fellowship of water, bread, and wine, these being temporal things, they sit down in that which is short of Christ, and of his baptism.

Sixthly, to sit down in a profession of all the scriptures from Genesis to the Revelations, and not be in the power and spirit which they were in that gave them forth, that was to be turned away from, by them that came into the power and spirit which they were in that gave forth the scriptures.

'Seventhly, they that sit down in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, these sit down in him that never fell, nor never changed. Here is the safe sitting for all his elect, his church, his spiritual members, of which he is the living head, his living stones, the household of faith, of which house he is the corner stone that stands and abides all weathers. "For," as the apostle said, "he hath quickened us, who were dead in sins and trespasses, &c. and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Jesus Christ." Now, the ages are come, that his kindness. and exceeding riches towards us through Jesus Christ is truly manifested in us, as it was in the apostles' days, even in us, who have been dead in sins and trespasses as they were, but now are quickened and made alive, and made to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the First and the Last, by whom all things were created, who is ascended above all, and is over all, and whose glorious presence is now known. And all that sit down here in Christ Jesus they see, where all other people sit, and in what. So the promise of God being to the Seed, which is one, Christ Jesus, every man and woman must come to witness this Seed, Christ in them, that they may be heirs

of the promise, and inheriting that, they will inherit substance. These things were largely declared of, and the state of the church, and the state of the false church since the apostles' days, opened; and how the true church fled into the wilderness; and the state of the false prophets, which Christ said should come, and John saw were come, and how all the world wondered after them; and how they had filled the world with false doctrines, ways, worships, and religions; and how the everlasting gospel was now preached again to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people; for all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, had drunk the whore's cup, and she was over them, and sate upon them. And in this night of apostacy, the pure religion and worship in Spirit, which was in the apostles' days, and the way of life and living faith, and the power and Holy Ghost were lost; but now they came to be set up again by Christ Jesus, and his messengers and ministers of the gospel, as in the apostles' days. For as Christ sent his disciples to go and preach the gospel into all the world, and after that the false prophets and antichrists went over the world, and preached their false doctrines and traditions, and heathenish and jewish rudiments: so now again, the everlasting gospel must be preached to all nations, and to every creature, that they may come into the pure religion, to worship God in the spirit and truth, and may know Christ Jesus, their way to God, and him to be the author of their faith, and may receive the gospel from heaven, and not from men; in which gospel, received from heaven, is the heavenly fellowship, which is a mystery to all the fellowships in the world. Now after these things had been largely opened, with many other things concerning Christ Jesus and his kingdom, and the people were turned to the divine light of Christ, and his Spirit, by which they might come both to know God and Christ, and the scriptures, and to have fellowship with them, and one with another in the same spirit, I was moved to declare and open divers other things to those friends who had received a part of the ministry, concerning the exercise of their spiritual gifts in the church, which, being taken in writing by one that was present, was after this manner:

Friends,

'Take heed of destroying that which ye have begotten ; for that which destroys, goes out, and is the cast-away: and though that be true, yea, and may be the pure truth which such an one speaks, yet if he doth not remain in that, and live in that in his own particular, but goes out, the