goes out of its course, and an old garment goes on, and an uppermost clothing; and thy nature being led out of its course, it comes to be all on a fire, in the transgression; and that defaceth the glory of the first body. Therefore be still a while from thy own thoughts, searching, seeking, desires and imaginations, and be stayed in the principle of God in thee, that it may raise thy mind up to God, and stay it upon God, and thou wilt find strength from him, and find him to be a God at hand, a present help in the time of trouble, and of need. And thou being come to the principle of God, which hath been transgressed, it will keep thee humble; and the humble, God will teach his way, which is peace, and such he doth exalt. Now as the principle of God in thee hath been transgressed, come to it, that it may keep thy mind down low to the Lord God; and deny thyself, and from thy own will, that is the earthly, thou must be kept. Then thou wilt feel the power of God, which will bring nature into its course, and give thee to see the glory of the first body. And there the wisdom of God will be received (which is Christ, by which all things were made and created) to be thereby preserved and ordered to God's glory. There thou wilt come to receive and feel the physician of value, who cloaths people in their right mind, whereby they may serve God, and do his will. For all distractions, unruliness and confusion is in the transgression; which transgression must be brought down, before the principle of God, which hath been transgressed against, be lifted up; whereby the mind may be seasoned, and stilled, and a right understanding of the Lord may be received; whereby his blessings enter, and are felt, over all that is contrary, in the power of the Lord God, which raises up the principle of God within, and gives a feeling after God, and in time gives dominion. Therefore keep in the fear of the Lord God; that is the word of the Lord God unto thee: for all these things happen to thee for thy good, and for the good of those concerned for thee, to make you know yourselves, and your own weakness, and that ye may know the Lord's strength and power, and may trust in him. Therefore let the time that is past be sufficient to every one who in any thing hath been lifted up in transgression out of the power of the Lord: for he can bring down and abase the mighty, and lay them in the dust of the earth. Therefore all keep low in his fear, that thereby ye may receive the secrets of God and his wisdom, and may know the shadow of the Almighty, and sit under it, in all tempests, and storms, and heats. For God is a God at hand, ar the Most High rules in the children of

So then, this is the word of the Lord God unto you all, what the light doth make manifest and discover, as temptations, distractions, confusions, do not look at the temptations, confusions, corruptions; but at the light, which discovers them, and makes them manifest. And with the same light you may feel over them, to receive power to stand against them. The same light which lets you see sin and transgression, will let you see the covenant of God, which blots out your sin and transgression, which gives victory and dominion over it, and brings into covenant with God. For looking down at sin, and corruption, and distraction, ye are swallowed up in it: but looking at the light, which discovers them, ye will see over them. That will give victory; and ye will find grace and strength: and there is the first step to peace. That will bring salvation, and by it ye may see to the beginning, and the glory that was with the Father before the world began; and so come to know the seed of God, which is the heir of the promise of God, and of the world which hath no end; and which bruises the head of the serpent, who stops people from coming to God. That ye may feel the power of an endless life, the power of God, which is immortal; which brings the immortal soul up to the immortal God, in whom it doth rejoice. So in the name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty strengthen thee.'

G. F.

When the foregoing paper was read to her, she said it stayed her mind for the present. Afterwards many friends got copies of it, both in England and Ireland, and read it to people that were troubled in mind; and it was made useful for the settling of the minds of several.

About this time came forth a declaration from Oliver Cromwell, the Protector, for a collection towards the relief of divers protestant churches (so called) driven out of Poland; and of twenty protestant families driven out of the confines of Bohemia. And there having been a like declaration published some time before, to invite the nation to a day of solemn fasting and humiliation, in order to a contribution to be made for the suffering protestants of the vallies of Lucerne, Angrona, &c. who were persecuted by the duke of Savoy, I was moved to write to the Protector and chief magistrates on this occasion, both to shew them the nature of a true fast (such as God requires and accepts); and to make them sensible of their injustice and self-condemnation, in blaming the papists for persecuting the protestants abroad, while they themselves, calling them

selves protestants, were at the same time persecuting their protestant neighbours and friends at home. That which I writ to them was after this manner:

To the Heads and Governors of this Nation, who have put forth a Declaration for the keeping of a day of solemn Fasting and Humiliation, for the persecution (as you say) of divers people beyond the seas, professing the reformed religion, which, ye say, hath been transmitted unto them from their ancestors.

'A profession of the reformed religion may be transmitted to generations, and so holden by tradition; and in that, wherein the profession and tradition is holden, is the day of humiliation kept; which stands in the will of man, which is not the fast that the Lord requires, to bow down the head like a bulrush for a day, and the day following be in the same condition as they were the day before. To the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences do I speak, which testifieth for God every day, and witnesseth against all sin and persecution; which measure of God, if ye be guided by it, doth not limit God to a day, but leads to the fast which the Lord requires, which is "To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to break every yoke, and to let the oppressed go free." Isaiah lviii. 6, 7. This is the fast the Lord requires; and this stands not in the transmission of times, nor in the traditions of men : but this stands in that which was before times were, and which leads out of time, and shall be when time shall be no more. And these that teach for doctrine the commandments of men, are they that ever persecuted the life and power when it came. And whereas ye mention a decree or edict that was made against the said persecuted protestants, all such decrees or edicts proceed from the ground of the pope's religion and supremacy, and therein stands his tyranny and cruelty, acted in that will, which is in that nature which exerciseth lordship over one another, (as ye may read Mark x. 42, Luke xxii. 25,) as all the heathen do, and ever did; and in the heathenish nature is all the tyranny and persecution exercised, by them that are out of the obedience to the light of Christ Jesus in the conscience, which is the guider and leader of all who are tender of that of God in the conscience. But who are not led by this know not what it is to suffer for conscience sake. Now, whereas ye take into your consideration the sad persecution, tyranny and cruelty exercised upon them, whom

ye call your protestant brethren, and do contribute and administer to their wants outwardly; this is good in its place, and we own it; and see it good to administer to the necessities of others, and to do good to all: and we, who are sufferers by a law derived from the pope, are willing to join and to contribute with you to their outward necessities. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;" who is good to all, and gracious to all, and willing that all should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. But in the mean time, while ye are doing this, and taking notice of others' cruelty, tyranny and persecution, turn your eye upon yourselves, and see what ye are doing at home. To the light of Christ Jesus in all your consciences I speak, which cannot lie, nor cannot err, nor cannot bear false witness; but doth bear witness for God, and cries for equity, and justice, and righteousness to be executed. See what ye are doing, who profess the scriptures, which were given forth by the saints in light, who dwelt in the light and in the life of them. For them, who do now witness the same light, the same life, and the same power, which gave forth the scriptures, which ye in words profess, them ye persecute, them ye hale out of your synagogues and markets; them ye beat, stock, and imprison. Now let that of God, in your consciences, which is just, and righteous, and equal, examine and try, whether ye have any example or precedent to exercise this persecution, which now many in this nation suffer under, who are a people harmless and innocent, walking in obedience towards God and man. And though ye account the way of truth they walk in, heresy, yet therein do they exercise themselves, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and man, as ye may read the saints of old did, (Acts xxiv. 14, 15, 16); not wronging any man, neither giving any just cause of offence; only being obedient to the commands of the Lord, to declare, as they are moved by the Holy Ghost; and standing for the testimony of a good conscience, speaking the truth in Christ, their consciences bearing them witness that they lie not: for this do they suffer under you, who in words profess the same thing for which they suffer. Now see if any age or generation did ever persecute as ye do; for ye profess Christ Jesus, who reveals the Father; and persecute them that witness the revelation of the Father by Christ Jesus unto them. Ye profess Christ Jesus, who is the light of the world, that enlightens every man that cometh into the world; and yet persecute them that bear witness and give testimony to this light. Ye profess that the word is become flesh, and

yet persecute them that witness it so. Ye profess that whosoever confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is an antichrist; and yet persecute them that do confess him come in the flesh, and call them antichrists and deceivers. Ye profess that the kingdom of Christ is come; and yet persecute them that witness it come. Ye profess Christ Jesus, the resurrection and the life; and yet persecute them that witness him to be so. If ye say, how shall we know that these people who say they witness these things, do so, or no? I answer, turn your minds to the light, which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal, which is one in all; and if ye walk in the light, ye shall have the light of life, and then ye will know and see what ye have done, who have persecuted the Lord of glory (in his people) in whom is life, and the life is the light of men. To no other touchstone shall we turn you, but into your own consciences, and there shall ye find the truth of what we have declared unto you, and of what we bear testimony to, according to the holy scriptures. And when the books of consciences are opened, and all judged out of them, then shall ye witness us to be of God, and our testimony to be true; though now ye may stop your ears, and harden your hearts, while it is called to-day but then ye shall know what ye have done, and whom ye have transgressed against; and then ye will see that no persecutors, in any age or generation that ever went before you, did ever transgress against that light, and measure of God made manifest, in such manner as ye have done. For though Christ and the apostles were persecuted in their times, the Jews (for the most part of them) did not know that he was the Christ, when he came, notwithstanding that they had the scriptures, which prophesied of him; neither did they believe that he was risen again, when the apostles preached his resurrection. But ye say, ye believe he is come; and ye say ye believe in his resurrection; and yet ye persecute those that witness him come in the flesh, those that are buried with him in baptism, those that are conformable to his death, and know the power of his resurrection, those ye persecute, those ye hale before magistrates, and suffer to be beaten in your synagogues; those ye cause to be whipped, and stocked, and shamefully entreated, and into prison cast, and kept; as many jails in this nation at this day testify to your faces. Therefore honestly consider what ye are doing, while ye are taking notice of others' cruelties, lest ye overlook your own. There is some difference in many things, between the Popish religion and that which ye call the Protestant, but in this persecution