wife and her daughter Susan, by coach (for I was not able to travel on horseback) towards the north; many friends. accompanying us as far as Highgate, and some to Dunstable, where we lodged that night. Afterwards travelling on, we visited friends and were visited by them at Newport-Pagnell, Northampton, and Cossel, where (amongst other friends that came to see us) there came a woman, and brought her daughter, for me to see how well she was, putting me in mind, that when I was there before, she had brought her to me, much troubled with the disease called the king's evil, and had then desired me to pray for her; which I did, and she grew well upon it, praised be the. Lord! From Cossel we went on by John Simcock's and William Gandy's, to Warrington and Preston, and so to Lancaster; friends visiting us, and we them, as we went. I had not been at Lancaster since I was carried prisoner from thence by the under-sheriff and jailer, towards Scarborough-castle in Yorkshire, and now I found the town full of people; for it was both the fair time there, and the trained-bands were met there also upon a general muster. There were also many friends in town from several parts of the country, because the quarterly meeting for the county was to be there the next day. I staid two nights and a day at Lancaster, and visited friends both at their. men's and women's meetings, which were very full, large, and peaceable; for the Lord's power was over all, and none meddled with us. Here met us Thomas Lower and his wife, with Sarah Fell, James Lancaster, and Leonard Fell, and the next day after the meeting, being the twentyfifth of the fourth month, we went over the sands, with several other friends, and came safe to Swarthmore. After I had been a while at Swarthmore, several friends from divers places and parts of the nation came to visit me, and some out of Scotland; by whom I understood that there were four young students of Aberdeen convinced there this year, at a dispute held there by Robert Barclay and George Keith, with some of the scholars of that university. Among others of the neighbourhood that came to visit me, colonel Kirby was one, who had been one of my great persecutors, but now he said he came to bid me welcome into the country; and carried himself at this time in appearance very lovingly. Yet before I went from Swarthmore, he sent for the constables of Ulverstone, and ordered them to come up to me, and to tell me, that we must have no more meetings at Swarthmore, for if we had they were commanded by him to break them up; and they were to come the next first-day after. That day we had a very precious meeting there, and the Lord's presence was wonderfully amongst us, and the constables did not come to disturb us; but the meetings have been quiet since, and have encreased. The illness I got in my imprisonment at Worcester had so much weakened me, that it was long before I recovered my natural strength again. For which reason, and for that I had many things lay upon me to write, both for public and private service, I did not stir much abroad during the time that I now staid in the north, but when friends were not with me, spent pretty much time in writing books and papers for truth's service. For while I was at Swarthmore, I gave forth several books to be printed, viz. One concerning Swearing. Another, shewing that none are successors to the Prophets and Apostles, but who succeed them in the same power and Holy Ghost that they were in. Another, shewing that Possession is above Profession, and how the Professors now do persecute Christ in Spirit, as the professing Jews did persecute him outwardly in the days of his flesh. Another little book, to the Magistrates of Dantzic. Another, called Cain against Abel, or an Answer to the New Englandmen's Laws. Another, to Friends at Nevis, concerning Watching. Another, entituled, The Spiritual Man judgeth all things. Another, concerning the Higher Power. Besides these I writ several epistles to friends, both here in England and beyond the seas, and answers to divers papers concerning the running out of some, who opposed the order of the gospel, and had stirred up a great deal of strife and contention in Westmoreland. Wherefore I was moved to write a few lines particularly to friends there, directed thus: This is for Friends in Westmoreland. 'All live in the power of God, and in his Light and Spirit, which did first convince you, that in it ye may keep in the ancient unity, and in the humility, and in the fear of the Lord, and his gentle and peaceable wisdom, which is easy to be intreated; that in the same Power, Light, and Spirit of God ye may all be serviceable in your men's and women's meetings, in the possession of the gospel-order; which gospel, the power of God, hath brought life and immortality to light; that in this ye may see over him that hath darkened you. And in this power, the glorious gospel, no apostates can come; for the power of God was before the apostates were, or the fall of man and woman was, or the devil either, and will be when he is gone. Therefore praise God in his glorious gospel, in which you have an eternal fellowship in the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not of man nor by man. fore all friends in Westmoreland, keep in the power of And thereGod, which will and must preserve and cover you, if ye be preserved. Therefore let your faith stand in the power of God, and not in the wisdom of men's words, lest ye fall; for in God's power ye have peace, life, and unity, and for want of keeping in God's power, and in his righteousness and Holy Ghost, is all this strife come among you.' G. F. I also writ the following general epistle to friends at the yearly meeting in London: 'My dear friends and brethren, Whom the Lord hath preserved by his eternal power to this day, over and through many troubles, storms, and tempests, and prisons; and therefore let every one's faith stand in the power of God, which is over the devil, and before he was. So your faith standing in the invisible power of God, it stands in that which does not change; and the faith, that Christ Jesus, the power of God, is the author of, it must stand in the power of God; so then it stands in that which is over all, in which they are established. And this the apostle brought the church and the true Christians to; and so ought all the true Christians' faith now, which Christ is the author of, it must stand in the power of God; in which power of God the everlasting kingdom stands; and so as every one's faith stands in the power of God, this keeps all in the power of godliness. For as it was in the days of the apostles, when some were crying up Paul and Apollos (and so forth) he judged them as carnal; and exhorted them, and admonished them, that their faith should stand in the power of God. So it was not to stand in men, nor in the words of man's wisdom, but in the power of God; and he said he would not know the speech of them, but the power amongst them; for the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. And so it is to be now; every one's faith must stand in the power of God, and not in men, nor their speeches of the good words. For we have seen by experience, when they begin to cry up men, and their faith to stand in them, such men as would have people's faith stand in them, love popularity, and bring not people's faith to stand in the power of God, and such cannot exalt Christ; and when such fall, they draw a great company after them. And therefore the apostle would not know such after the flesh, but would know them that were in the power and Spirit; and struck down every one's faith that stood in the words. of man's wisdom, that they might stand in the power of God; and so it must be now. And all, whose faith doth not stand in the power of God, they cannot exalt his kingdom that stands in power; and therefore every one's faith must stand in the power of God. And the apostle denied popularity when he judged the Corinthians, for looking at Paul and Apollos to be carnal; and such are carnal still; and therefore all should know one another in the Spirit, life and power, and look at Christ; and this keeps all low and down in the humility. And they, whose faith stands in men, will make sects; as in the days of J. N. and J. P. and since in others: and such their faith Christ is not the author of; and if he be, they have erred from it, and made shipwreck of it. And all those that are in the true faith, that stands in the power of God, they will judge them as carnal, and judge down that carnal part in them, that cries up Paul or Apollos, that their faith may stand in the power of God, and that they may exalt Christ, the author of it. For every one's eye ought to be to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith; and every just man and woman may live by their faith, which Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of; and by this faith every man and woman may see God, who is invisible; which faith gives the victory, by which he hath access to God. And so every one's faith and hope standing in the power of God, in it they all have unity and victory, and access to God's throne of grace, in which faith. they do please God, which Christ is the author of. And so by that faith they are saved; and by this faith they obtain the good report, and subdue all the mountains, that have been betwixt them and God. So that power hath kept and preserved friends over their persecutors, and over the wrath of men, and above the spoilings of their goods, and imprisonments; as seeing God that hath created all, and gives the increase of all, and upholds all by his word and power; therefore let every one's faith be in his power; and here in this no schism or sect can come, for it is over them, and before they were, and will be, when they are gone. But perfect unity is in the truth and in the Spirit, that does circumcise the body of death, and that puts off the sins of the flesh, and plunges it down with the Spirit; and in the Spirit of God there is a perfect fellowship; and Christ is the minister of this circumcision and baptism. So this is upon me from the Lord, to write unto you all, that every one of your faith, that Jesus is the author of, may stand in the power of God; and from the Lord I do warn you, and all every where to the same. For if a star should fall, which has been a light, either the earth or the sea does receive it; that is, the earthly mind, or the foaming, raging people: though neither the seed, nor light, nor power, nor truth ever fell, nor the faith itself, the gift of God; but men going from it, then they become unsavoury. For Adam, whilst he kept in truth and obeyed the command of God, he was happy; but when he disobeyed the Lord, he fell under the power of Satan and became unhappy, though he might talk after of his experiences in Paradise; but he had lost his image, and his power and dominion, that God created him in. And the Jews, after they received the law of God, as long as they kept the law of God, which was just, holy, good and perfect, it kept them good, just, and holy, and savoury; but when then turned their backs off the Lord, and forsook his law, then they came under the power of darkness, and under the powers of the earth, and were trodden under as unsavoury. And so the Christians, they were called a city set on a hill, the light of the world, and the salt of the earth; but when they forsook the power of God, and their faith stood in words and men, and not in the power, then their walls fell down, though the power in itself stood; and they lost their hill, and their saltness, and their shining. And so as Christendom now does confess, they are not in the same power and spirit as the apostles were in; so not in the |