this world than after the riches of the world that has no end. Know you not that all your heaps of outward treasure must have an end, and that you must leave them all behind you? therefore I am to warn and advise you, both high and low, priests and people, to come to the grace, light, and truth that comes by Jesus Christ; to the manifestation of the good spirit of God, which is given you to profit withal; that with this grace, truth, light, and spirit of Christ, you may turn to him from whence it comes, who saith, "Learn of me ;" and God saith, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." So all the children of the new covenant, that walk in the new and living way, do hear Christ their prophet, that God has raised up, and ancinted to be their teacher and priest. So now, God doth speak to his people by his Son, as he did in the apostles' days. The Lord is come to teach his people himself by his grace, light, truth, and spirit, and to bring them off from all the world's teachers, made by men since the apostles' days; who have kept people always learning, that they may always be paying of them. And he is come to bring them off all the world's religions, to the religion that he set up in the apostles' days in the new covenant, which is pure and undefiled before God in his sight, and keeps from the spots of the world, &c. And the Lord is come to bring them off all the world's churches, to the church in God, which Christ the heavenly man is head of; and to bring them off all the world's worships, to worship God in spirit and in truth, which Christ set up above sixteen hundred years since. So all men and women must come to the spirit and truth in their hearts, by which they must know the God of truth who is a spirit: and then in the spirit and truth they will worship him, and know what and whom they worship. Also the Lord is come to bring his people off all the world's temples, that with the spirit they may know their bodies to be the temples of the holy ghost. And the Lord is come to bring his people off all the world's crosses, pictures, images, and likenesses; to know that the power of God is the cross of Christ, which crucifies them to the world, and brings them up into the likeness and image of God man and woman were in before they fell; and so to Christ that never fell. This work must all know in their hearts by the light of Christ Jesus, who "is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." It is called the light in man and woman, and the life in Christ the word; who saith, " Believe in the light, that ye may become children of the light." And the light lets you see all your evil actions that you have committed, your ungodly ways you have walked in, and your ungodly words and thoughts. If you hate this light, and love the darkness, and the prince of it, more than this light, which is the life in Christ, the Prince of life, and will not come to it, because your deeds be evil, and it will reprove you, Christ

tells you, "this light is your condemnation." Then what is all your profession good for, when you remain under the condemnation of the true light, in which you should believe, and so become children of light, and out of condemnation? Therefore, every one must believe in the light, if they receive Christ Jesus; and to as many as receive him, he gives "power to become the sons of God." He that hath the Son of God, hath life; they that have not the Son of God, have not life; and if you have not life, what good doth all your profession of the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation do you, any more than the Jews, scribes, and pharisees, that would not receive Christ the life, upon whom God brought his overflowing scourge. Therefore do you take heed, for your strength will be no better than theirs, if you have not God and Christ's supporting power, when God's scourge comes upon you, and you are filled with horrors and fears. My desires are, that you may all repent, from the highest to the lowest, and not grieve, nor quench, nor vex, nor rebel against God's good spirit in you, nor" walk despitefully against the spirit of grace," nor turn from it unto wantonness, which would teach you, and bring your salvation. If you do, how can you escape the overflowing scourge of the Almighty, and the wrath of the Lamb? My desires are, that you may all obey God's good spirit of truth, which will lead you out of all evil into all truth, and reprove you for your own righteousness, and for your own judgment and sin, and bring you to cleave to that which is good, to forsake that which is evil, and to turn to the Lord, who will receive you in his mercy and kindness: by which means you may escape the overflowing scourge in the day of vengeance, which dreadful day is coming upon all evildoers. This is a warning to you, both for your temporal and eternal good; for you to read in your assemblies, and your priests in their churches; so that all people may hear and fear, as you will answer it at the terrible and dreadful day of judgment. G. F.

'Amsterdam, the 19th of the 7th month, 1677.'

For the ambassadors that are met to treat for peace at the city of Nimeguen in the States' dominions.

CHRIST JESUS saith," Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God." Matt. v. 9. so all christian men are to forsake evil and do good, to seek peace and follow it, if they will "love life, and see good days." 1 Pet. iii. 11. God hath called all true christians unto peace, 1 Cor. vii. therefore, all christians ought to follow this peace, which God calls them to. They should let the peace of God rule in all their hearts; which is above the peace of this world that is so soon broken. For the apostle commands the christians to let the peace of

God rule in their hearts; to which all christians should be subject. The practice of this should be among all that profess christianity; and this peace is above that which Christ takes from the earth. Rev. vi. which is the peace of the wicked. The apostle saith to christians, "Be at peace among yourselves." 1 Thess. v. All christians should obey this command, and be as peace among themselves, not in wars and strife. Further, the apostle exhorts christians to "keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." So this unity this bond of peace should be kept (and not broken) by all that bear that noble name, christian. They should keep the unity of the spirit of Christ in the bond of the Prince of princes', King of kings', and Lord of lords' peace, which is the duty of all true christians. Herein they may honour Christ, in bringing forth the fruits of peace, which are love and charity. For the apostle tells you, "The fruits of the good spirit are love, joy, and peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness," &c. Gal. v.

The apostle exhorts christians, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." This should be the endeavour of all christians. For it is no honour to Christ, that christians should war and destroy one another, that profess the name of Christ, who saith, "He came to save men's lives, not to destroy them." Christians have enemies enough abroad without them, and therefore they should love one another, as Christ commands, who saith, "By this ye shall be known to be my disciples, if ye love one another." Christians are commanded to love enemies, much more one another. And Christ saith, "As the Father hath loved me, so I have loved you: continue ye in my love." John xv. 8. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." John xiii. 35. But if christians war and destroy one another, this will make Jews, Turks, Tartars, and Heathens say, you are not disciples of Christ. Therefore, as you love God, and Christ, and christianity, and its peace, all make peace, as far as you have power among christians, that you may have the blessing. You read, christians were called the household of faith, the household of God, a holy nation, a peculiar people: and they are commanded to be "zealous for good works," not for bad. Christians are also commanded not to bite and devour one another, lest they be consumed one of another.

Is it not a sad thing for christians to be biting and consuming one another in the sight of the Turks, Tartars, Jews, and Heathens, when they should "love one another, and do unto all men as they would have men do unto them?" such devouring work as this will open the mouths of Jews, Turks, Tartars, and Heathens to blaspheme the name of Christ, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and cause them to speak evil of christianity, for them to see how the unity of the spirit is broken among

such as profess Christ and Christ's peace. All christians are to mind God's and Christ's teaching, who teach christians to love one another, yea, enemies; and persuade kings and princes to give liberty to all tender consciences in matters of religion and worship, they living peaceably under every government: so that for the time to come there may be no more imprisonment and persecution among christians for tender consciences about matters of faith, worship, and religion, that the Jews, Turks, Tartars, and Heathens may not see how christians are persecuting one another for religion. Seeing from Christ and the apostles christians have no such command, but, on the contrary, to love one another; and knowing that Christ said to such as would have been plucking up tares, "Let the tares and the wheat grow together till the harvest (which is the end of the world) lest they plucked up the wheat;" and at the end of the world Christ would send forth his angels, and they should sever the wheat from the tares. So Christ tells you, it is the angels' work at the end of the world, and not men's work before the harvest at the end of the world. Hath not all this persecution, banishing, imprisoning, and putting to death concerning religion, been the pretence of plucking up tares? and hath not all this been before the harvest, before the end of the world? have not all these been actors against the express command of Christ, the King of heaven? all kings and rulers, especially those that call themselves christians, should obey their Lord and Saviour's command; "Let the tares and the wheat grow together till the harvest ;" and the harvest is the end of the world. Also, Christ told some of his disciples, that would have had "fire to come down from heaven, to destroy such as would not receive him (in their zeal) that they did not know what spirit they were of :" and rebuked them, saying, "He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Have all such as have destroyed men's lives concerning religion, and the worship of God, known what spirit they have been of? have they not done that they should not do? that which Christ forbade, who saith, "Lest ye should pluck up the wheat with the tares," and saith, "It is the angels' work at the end of the world?" hath not God showed unto man what is good, and his duty, to "love mercy, to do justly, and to walk humbly with his God?" which man is to mind.

And the apostle exhorts christians to "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. xii. 14. Why should christians war and strive one with another, seeing they all own in words one King, and Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, whose command is, that they should "love one another;" which is a mark that they shall be known by, to be Christ's disciples, as I said before. And Christ, who is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, saith, "As I have loved

you, so love one another." John xv. 12. and John xiii. And the apostle saith, "christians ought to be patient towards all men." 1 Thess. v. 14.

From him who is a lover of truth, righteousness, and peace, and desires your temporal and eternal good; and that in the wisdom of God, that is pure, gentle, and peaceable from above, you may be ordered, and order all things God hath committed to you to his glory, and stop those things among christians, so far as you have power, which dishonour God, Christ and christianity! G. F.

'Amsterdam, the 21st of the 7th month, 1677.'

END OF VOL. II.