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not of man, nor by man. And all Friends in Westmoreland, keep in the power of God, which will and must preserve and cover you, if ye be preserved. Let your faith stand in the power of God, and not in the wisdom of men's words, lest ye fall. In God's power ye have peace, life, and unity; and for want of keeping in God's power, in his righteousness and holy ghost, is all this strife come among you. G. F.'

I also wrote the following general epistle to Friends at the Yearly Meeting in London:

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WHOM the Lord hath preserved by his eternal power to this day, over and through many troubles, storms, tempests, and prisons. Let every one's faith stand in the power of God, which is over the devil, and was before him. 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, must stand in the power of God, so then it stands in that which is over all, in which they are established. This the apostle brought the church, the true christians, to: and so ought all the true christians' faith now, which Christ is the author of, to stand in the power of God, in which the everlasting kingdom stands. As every one's faith stands in this power, it 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 and admonished them that their faith should not stand in men, nor in the words of man's wisdom, but in the power of God. 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." So it is to be now. Every one's faith must stand in the power of God, and not in men, nor their speeches upon the good words. For we have seen by experience, when they begin to cry up men, and their faith stands in them; such as would have people's faith to stand in them, love popularity, and bring not people's faith to stand in the power of God. Such cannot exalt Christ; and when such fall, they draw a great company after them. Therefore the apostle would not know such after the flesh, but 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. So it must be now. They whose faith doth not stand therein, cannot exalt his kingdom, that stands in power; therefore every one's faith must stand in the power of God.

'The apostle denied popularity, when he judged the Corinthians for looking at Paul and Apollos, to be carnal: such are carnal still. There

fore all should know one another in the spirit, life, and power, and look at Christ; this keeps all in humility. They, whose faith stands in men, will make sects; as in the days of J. N. J. P. and others. The faith of such, Christ is not the author of; if he hath been, they have erred from it, and made shipwreck of it. All that are in the true faith, that stands in the power of God, 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, and every just man and woman may live by their faith, which Christ is the author and finisher of. By this faith every man may see God, who is invisible; which faith gives the victory, and thereby he hath access to God. So every one's faith and hope standing in the power of God, therein all have unity, victory, and access to God's throne of grace; in which faith they please God. By this faith they are saved, obtain the good report, and subdue all the mountains betwixt them and God.

This power hath preserved Friends over their persecutors, over the wrath of men, above the spoiling of their goods, and imprisonment; as seeing God, that "created all, gives the increase of all, and upholds all by his word and power." Therefore, let every one's faith be in his power. In this no schism nor sect can come, for it is over them, before they were, and will be when they are gone. But perfect unity is in the truth, in the spirit, that circumciseth the body of death, puts off the sins of the flesh, and plunges it down with the spirit. In the spirit of God there is perfect fellowship; and Christ is the minister of the circumcision and baptism.

This is upon me from the Lord to write unto you, that every one of you, whose faith Jesus is the author of, may stand in the power of God. From the Lord I warn you, and all every where of 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, light, power, nor truth ever fell, nor the faith itself, the gift of God; but men going from it, become unsavoury.

'Adam, whilst he kept in truth, and obeyed the command of God, 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.

'The Jews, after they received the law, as long as they kept the law of God, which was just, holy, good, and perfect, it kept them good, just, holy, and savoury; but when they turned their backs on the Lord, and forsook his law, they came under the power of darkness, under the powers of the earth, and were trodden under as unsavoury.

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The christians 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, their saltness, and their shining. And as Christendom now confesseth, they are not in the same power and spirit the apostles were in, so not in the same salt, nor upon the same hill. So they came to be trod under, and the beast, the whore, and the false prophet are uppermost, the unsavoury. Their dead faith is in men, and in words; therefore they are full of sects, and one against another.

And now the everlasting gospel, the power of God, is preached again, which was before the devil was, that darkened man; and by this power of God, life and immortality is come to light again; therefore, every one's faith is to stand in this power that hath brought life and immortality to light in them, and so to be heirs of the power of God, the gospel. Herein all have a right to the power of God, which is the authority of men's and women's meetings, and of all other meetings set up thereby.

As the gospel is preached again, if your faith doth not stand in the power, but in men, and in the wisdom of words, you will grow carnal; and such are for judgment who cry up Paul or Apollos, and not Christ, the author of your faith. Those that love to be popular would have people's faith stand in them; such do not preach Christ, but themselves. But such as preach Christ and his gospel would have every man and woman to be in the possession of it, and every man's and woman's faith to stand in Christ, the author of it, and in the power of God, in which, as their faith stands, nothing can get betwixt them and God; for if any should fall amongst us, as too many have done, that leads its followers either into the waters or into the earth.

'If any should go from the spirit of prophecy, that did open them, and from the power, they may speak those experiences the power opened to them formerly. So might Adam and Eve speak of what they saw and enjoyed in paradise; so might Cain and Balaam, of what they saw; and also the Jews, Korah, and Dathan, who praised God on the banks, saw the victory over Pharaoh, ate of the manna, drank of the rock, came to mount Sinai, and saw the glory of the Lord. So might the false apostles speak of their experiences, and all those false christians that turned from the apostles and Christ. So may such do now, that err from the spirit, that are come out of spiritual Egypt and Sodom, and have known the raging of the Sodomites, as Lot did the outward; and the pursuit of the spiritual Egyptians, as the outward Jew did the outward Egyptians; yet if they do not walk in the spirit of God, in the light, and in the grace, which keeps their hearts established, their words seasoned, and their faith in the power of God, in which the kingdom stands, they may go

forth like the false christians, like the Jews, like Adam and Eve, Cain, Korah, and Balaam, and be wandering stars, trees without fruit, wells without water, and clouds without rain; and so come to be unsavoury, trodden down, and as Adam who lost paradise, and the Jews who lost the holy land, not walking in the law, and keeping the command of God; and as the christians who lost the city, the hill, the salt, and the light, since the apostles' days, and came to be unsavoury, and to be trodden under foot of men.

"Therefore, let every one's faith stand in the Lord's power, which is over all, through which they may be built upon the rock, the foundation of God, the seed Jesus Christ. So all in Christ may be ever fresh and green; for he is the green tree that never withers, all are fresh and green that are grafted in him, abide in him, and bring forth heavenly fresh fruits to the praise of God. And though Adam and Eve fell from paradise, the Jews fell from the law of God, many of the christians fell from their prophecies, erred from the faith, the spirit, and the grace; and the stars have fallen, as was spoken in the Revelation; yet the spirit, grace, faith, and power of God remains.

Many such states have I seen within these twenty-eight years; though there is a state that shall never fall, nor be deceived, in the elect before the world began, who are come to the end of the prophecies, and are in him, where they end, renewed up into the image of God, (by Christ,) which man was in before he fell; in that power, where he had dominion over all that God made; and not only so, but "attain to a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," who never fell. In him is the sitting down in life eternal, where their feet stand sure and fast in the gospel, his power. Here their bread is sure; and he that eats this bread lives for ever.

'And all friends and brethren, that declare God's eternal truth and word of life, live in it, be seasoned with grace, and salted with the heavenly salt, that your lives and conversations may preach wherever you come; that there be no rawness, nor no quenching of the spirit, nor despising prophecy either in men or women. For all must meet in the faith that Jesus is the author of, and in the light that comes from him, and be so grafted into the life, that your knowledge may be there one of another in Christ, and that there may be none slothful, nor sitting down in earthly things, minding them, like Demas of old, lest you clothe yourselves with another clothing than you had at first; but all keep chaste, for the chaste follow the Lamb.

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And Friends that are ministers, possess as if ye did not; be married as if ye were not; be loose to the world in the Lord's power; for God's oil will be a-top of all visible things, which makes his lamps burn, and give light afar off. Let none strive nor covet to be rich in this world, in

these changeable things that will pass away; but let your faith stand in the Lord God, who changes not, created all, and gives the increase of all. 'Now Friends, concerning faithful men's and women's meetings, which were set up in God's counsel, whoever oppose them, oppose the power of God, which is the authority of them. They are no ministers of the gospel, nor of Christ, that oppose his power, which all are to possess. For the true ministers of Christ, that preach his gospel (which is to be preached to all nations) as deceit is gone over all nations, and all nations. have drunk the whore's cup, and she hath them in her cage, her unclean power from the beast and dragon, out of the power of God, and out of truth and the spirit of God, the apostles were in; the power of God must come over all this again; and all true ministers, that preach the gospel, must bring people into the possession of it again. I say, whosoever preaches the gospel of Christ and him to people and nations, those people and nations receiving the gospel, they receive the power of God, that brings life and immortality to light in them; and they see over the devil that hath darkened them, and the beast, the whore, and her cage. So by the power of God, life and immortality is brought to light in them; then these men and women, being heirs of this power, the gospel, are heirs of authority and power over the devil, beast, whore, and dragon.

It is their possession and portion, and they are to labour in their possession and portion, to do God Almighty's business and service in the possession of the power of God, the gospel, which is a joyful, glorious, everlasting order. Here is the authority of our men's and women's meetings, and other meetings in the name of Jesus, the gospel of Christ, the power of God, which is not of man, nor by man. In this are all to meet, and to worship God. By this are all to act, and in this have all fellowship, a joyful fellowship, a joyful and comfortable assembly. All faithful men and women in every country, city, and nation, whose faith stands in the power of God, the gospel of Christ, who have received the gospel, and are in the possession thereof, have all right to the power in these meetings, for they are heirs of the power, which is the authority of the men's and women's meetings.

So here is God's choice (and not man's) by his power, of his heirs; and they have all freedom therein to go to the meetings, the men to the men's, and the women to the women's, for they are heirs of the power, which is received in the holy ghost; and they see over enmity, and before it was, by the light, the life, and immortality, which is brought to light in them.

The devil, the author of enmity, cannot get into this authority, power, order, nor fellowship of the gospel, nor life, nor light, nor into the unity of the faith, which gives victory over him that hath separated

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