looked for Christ's personal coming in an outward form and manner; and they fixed the time of it to the year. 1666; at which time some of them did prepare themselves when it thundered and rained, thinking Christ was then come to set up his kingdom: and then they imagined they were to kill the whore without them. But I told them the whore was alive in them, and was not burnt with God's fire, nor judged in them with the same power and spirit the apostles were in. And their looking for Christ's coming outwardly, to set up his kingdom, was like the pharisees' lo here, and lo there. But Christ was come, and had set up his kingdom above sixteen hundred years ago (according to Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's prophecy) and he had dashed to pieces the four monarchies, the great image, with its head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet part of iron, part of clay: and they were all blown away with God's wind, as the chaff in the summer threshing floor. And when Christ was on earth, he said his kingdom was not of this world: if it had been, his servants would have fought, but it was not, therefore his servants did not fight. And therefore all the fifth-monarchy-men that be fighters with carnal weapons, are none of Christ's servants, but the beast's and the whore's. Christ said, "all power in heaven and in earth is given to me:" so then his kingdom was set up above sixteen hundred years ago, and he reigns. And we see Jesus reign, said the apostle, and he shall reign, till all things be put under his feet; though all things are not yet put under his feet, nor subdued. This year several friends were moved to go beyond the seas, to publish Truth in foreign countries. John Stubbs, and Henry Fell, and Richard Costrop, were moved to go towards China, and Prester John's country; but no masters of ships would carry them. With much ado they got a warrant from the king; but the East-India Company found ways to avoid it, and the masters of their ships would not carry them. Then they went into Holland, hoping to have got passage there, but no passage could they get there neither. Then John Stubbs and Henry Fell took shipping to go to Alexandria in Egypt, intending to go by the carravans from thence. Mean while Daniel Baker being to go to Smyrna, he drew Richard Costrop, contrary to his own freedom, to go along with him. And in the passage Richard falling sick, Daniel Baker left him sick in the ship, where he died but that hard-hearted man afterwards lost his own condition. John Stubbs and Henry Fell got to Alexandria in Egypt; but they had not been long there before the English consul banished them from thence: yet before they came away, they dispersed many books and papers there, for the opening the principles and way of truth to the Turks and Grecians. They gave the book called, The Pope's Strength Broken, to an old friar, for him to give or send to the pope : which book, when the friar had perused, he clapped his hand upon his breast, and confessed what was written therein was truth: but, said he, if I should confess it openly, they would burn me. So John Stubbs and Henry Fell, not being suffered to go further, returned to England; and came to London again. And John had a vision, that the English and Dutch, who had joined together not to carry them, would fall out one with the other: and so it came to pass. Having now staid in London some time, I felt drawings to visit friends in Essex. So I went down to Colchester, where I had very large meetings; and from thence to Coggeshal, not far from which there was a priest convinced; and I had a meeting at his house. And so travelling a little up and down in those parts, and visiting friends in their meetings thereaways, I returned pretty quickly to London, where I found great service for the Lord; for a large door was opened, and many flocked in to our meetings, and the Lord's truth spread mightily this year. Yet friends had great travails and sore labours, the rude people having been so heightened by the monarchy-men's rising a little before. But the Lord's power was over all, and in it friends had dominion, though we had not only those sufferings without, but sufferings within also by John Perrot and his company, who giving heed to a spirit of delusion, sought to introduce and set up among friends that evil and uncomely practice of keeping on the hat in time of public prayers. Now friends had spoken to him and divers of his followers about it, and I had written to them concerning it, but he and some others rather strengthened themselves against friends therein. Wherefore feeling the judgments of truth rise against it, I gave forth the following lines, as a warning to all that were concerned therein : 'Whosoever is tainted with this spirit of John Perrot, it will perish. Mark theirs and his end, that are turned into those outward things and janglings about them, and that which is not savoury, all which is for perpetual judgment, and is to be swept and cleansed out of the camp of God's elect. This is to that spirit, that is gone into jangling about that which is below, (the roiten principle of the old ranters) and gone from the invisible power of God, in which is the everlasting fellowship; and so many are become like the corn on the house-top, and like the untimely figs, and now clamour and speak against them that be in the power of God. O consider, the light and power of God goes over you all, and leaves you in the fretting nature, out of the unity, which is in the everlasting light, life, and power of God. Consider this before the day be gone from you, and take heed that your memorial be not rooted out from among the righteous." G. F.. Among the exercises and troubles that friends had from without, one was concerning friends' marriages, which sometimes were called in question. And in this year there happened to be a cause tried at the assize at Nottingham concerning a friend's marriage; the case was thus. Some years before two friends were joined together in marriage amongst friends, and lived together as man and wife about two years. Then the man died, leaving his wife with child, and leaving an estate in lands of copyhold. When the woman was delivered, the jury presented the child heir to its father's lands, and accordingly the child was admitted; afterwards another friend married the widow. And after that a man that was near of kin to her former husband, brought his action against the friend that had last married her, endeavouring to dispossess them, and deprive the child of the inheritance, and to possess himself thereof as next heir to the woman's first husband. And to effect this he endeavoured to prove the child illegitimate, alledging the marriage was not according to law. In opening the cause, the plaintiff's counsel did use unseemly words concerning friends, saying that they went together like brute beasts, with other ill expressions. After the counsels on both sides had pleaded, the judge (viz. Judge Archer) took the matter in hand, and opened it to the jury, telling them that there was a marriage in Paradise when Adam took Eve and Eve took Adam, and that it was the consent of the parties that made a marriage. And for the Quakers, he said, he did not know their opinions, but he did not believe they went together as brute beasts, as had been said of them, but as Christians; and therefore did believe the marriage was lawful, and the child lawful heir. And the better to satisfy the jury, he brought them a case to this purpose. A man that was weak of body, and kept his bed, had a desire in that condition to marry, and did declare before witnesses that he VOL. I. 21 did take such a woman to be his wife, and the woman declared that she took that man to be her husband. This marriage was afterwards called in question; and (as the judge said) all the bishops did at that time conclude it to be a lawful marriage. Hereupon the jury gave in their verdict for the friend's child, and against the man that would have deprived it of its inheritance. About this time the oaths of allegiance and supremacy were tendered unto friends, as a snare, because it was known we could not swear, and thereupon many were imprisoned, and divers premunired. Upon that occasion friends published in print the grounds and reasons why they refused to swear; besides which I was moved to give forth these few lines following, to be given to the magistrates: The world saith, Kiss the book; but the book saith, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry. And the Son saith, Swear not at all, but keep to yea and nay in all your communications; for whatsoever is more than this, cometh of evil. Again, the world saith, Lay your hand on the book, but the book saith, Handle the word; and the word saith, Handle not the traditions, nor the inventions, nor the rudiments of the world. And God saith, This is my beloved Son, hear him, who is the life, and the truth, and the light, and the way to God.” G. F. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. WILLIAM PHILLIPS, PRINTER, GEORGE YARD, |