nation, and in other parts, to preach the everlasting gospel, and to declare the word of life, which was in the beginning, through many imprisonments, hardships, sufferings, and trials: so I was afterwards moved to travel in the same heavenly power about the nation again (and to write to such places where I came not,) to recommend unto Friends the 'setting up of the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings in all counties, for looking after the poor, taking care for orderly proceedings in marriages, and other matters relating to the church of Christ.' Though some meetings for this end were settled in the north of England in the year 1652.

After this also, truth still spreading further over the nation, and Friends increasing in number, I was moved by the same eternal power to recommend the setting up women's meetings also, that all, both male and female, who had received the gospel, the word of eternal life, might come into the order of the gospel, brought forth by the power of God, and might act for God in the power, and therein do business and service for him in his church. All the faithful must labour in God's vineyard; they being his hired servants, he having given them the earnest of his spirit. For a master that hires a servant, and gives him the earnest of his hire, expects he should do his work after he knows his will, in the outward creation; so all God's people that are of the new creation, and have received the earnest of his spirit, ought to labour with, by, and in his spirit, power, grace, and faith, in the light, in God's vineyard, that they may have their wages when they have done God's work and business in his day, which is eternal life. But none can labour in his vineyard, and do his work and will, but as they walk in the heavenly divine light, grace, and spirit of Christ; which hath been, and is my travail and labour in the Lord to turn all to.

Some that professed truth, and had made a great show thereof, being gone from the simplicity of the gospel into jangling, division, and a spirit of separation, endeavoured to discourage Friends (especially the women) from their godly care and watchfulness in the church over one another in the truth; opposing their meetings, which in the power of the Lord were set up for that end and service. Wherefore I was moved of the Lord to write the following epistle, and send it among Friends, for the discovering of that spirit by which those opposers were actuated, its work and way by which it wrought, and to warn Friends of it, that they might not be betrayed by it.

'LIVE in the seed of peace, Christ Jesus, in whom ye have life. That spirit, which comes amongst you to raise up strife, is out of Christ; for it is the spirit that is not easy to be intreated, not gentle, so not of the wisdom of God, which is justified of her children. They that follow

that spirit are none of wisdom's children. There is a spirit that hath made a separation, and has been against men's and women's meetings: "yet has set up one of their own, which they have given power to, and that none shall sit amongst them but whom they give power to, but shall be looked upon as usurpers of authority." This spirit and its work is not of God, though it has made a jumble amongst some; and the path it may travel in is through the earthly affections, amongst the unestablished or apostates. But all that are in the life, spirit, light, grace, truth, and power of God, bar it out; and such as sit under their own vine, Christ Jesus, and are grafted into him, have no need of their exhortation or counsel; for the true believers are entered into their rest. Therefore, all keep in the gospel of peace, and they that be heirs of the kingdom keep your possession thereof.

'Some of this spirit have said to me, "they see no service in women's meetings." My answer is, and hath been to such, if they be blind and without sight, they should not oppose others; for none impose any thing upon them. God never received the blind for a sacrifice, neither can his people. But Christ has enlightened all; and to as many as receive him, he gives "power to become the sons of God." Such as are heirs of his power, and of his gospel, which brings life and immortality to light, can see over him that has darkened those; and all such keep the order of the gospel, the power of God, and their meetings therein, which preserve them in life and immortality. These see the great service of men's and women's meetings, in the order of the gospel, the power of God; for they are meet-helps in this power, which is the authority of their meetings. I say to all you that be against men's and women's meetings, who say, "you see no service for the women's meetings," and oppose them; you are therein out of the power of God, and his spirit you live not in. For God saw a service for the assemblies of the women in the time of the law, about those things that appertained to his worship and service, and to the holy things of his tabernacle; and they in his spirit see now their service in the gospel, many things in these meetings being more proper for the women than the men; and they, in the power and wisdom of God, may inform the men of such things as are not proper for them; and the men may inform the women of such things as are not proper for them, as meet-helps to each other. For in the time. of the law, the women were to offer as well as the men; so in the time of the gospel they are to offer their spiritual sacrifices; for they are all called, both men and women, a royal priesthood, the household of faith, the living stones, that make up the spiritual building, which Christ is the head of; and are to be encouraged in their labour in the gospel; for all things that both men and women do, are to be done in the power of God. Such as see no service for these women's meetings, or the men's,

but oppose them, and make strife among Friends, are in the spirit of the world that is against and forbids our other meetings, in the same spirit that hath been and is against women's speaking in meetings, and say, "they must be silent," &c. though the same apostle commands, "that men should keep silence as well as the women," if there were not an interpreter. You may see the spirit of the world hath entered such opposers, though they come under another colour; for they would not have us to meet at all. These are against women's meetings, and some of them against men's also, and say, "they see no service for them; then they may hold their tongues, and not oppose them that do see their service for God in these meetings.

Therefore, all you that feel the power of God, and your service for God in them, both men and women, keep your meetings in the power of God, the authority of them, as they were settled in it; then ye will be preserved both over this spirit that opposes them, and over the spirit of the world that opposes your other meetings; for it is all one in the ground, and would bring you into bondage. Such as are out of the peaceable gospel oppose its order; and out of the faith that works by love, out of the wisdom that is gentle, easy, and peaceable, &c. and out of the kingdom that stands in peace and joy. Therefore, keep over that spirit that sows discord or dissension, and would draw you from your habitation and possession in the order of the gospel; for it is the same spirit that deceived Adam and Eve, by which they lost their habitation in righteousness and holiness, and their dominion; so that spirit got over them, and it would get over you. One while it will tell you," it sees no service for your meetings;" and another time oppose you. But I say, this is the blind spirit which is out of the power of God, and which the power of God is over. Therefore, keep in the power, that ye may stand for your liberty in Christ Jesus, males and females, heirs of him, of his gospel, and his order. Stand up for your liberty in the gospel, and in the faith, which Christ Jesus hath been the author of; for if ye lose it, and let another spirit get over you, ye will not soon regain it. I knew satan would bestir himself in his instruments, when men's and women's meetings came to be set up in the power, light, and truth, and the heirs of the gospel to take their possession of it in every county and city, therein to walk, watch over one another, and take care of God's glory and honour, and his precious truth, and to see that all walk in the truth as becomes the gospel, and to see that nothing was lacking; and so whatsoever was decent, modest, virtuous, lovely, comely, righteous, and of good report, to follow after; and to admonish and exhort all that were not faithful, and to rebuke all that did evil.' I knew this would give such a check to all loose speakers, talkers, and walkers, that there would be an opposition against such meetings. But heed it not, truth will come over them all, and is over

them all, and faith must have the victory; for the gospel and its order is everlasting, the seed (Christ,) is the beginning and the ending, and will outlast all; the Amen, in whom ye have peace. I say, all that oppose the men's and women's meetings, or that marriages should be laid before them, or the recording of condemnations of sin and evil, or admonishing or exhorting such as walk not in the truth, are of a loose spirit, and their spirits tend to looseness. Let those take them that will; truth will not have them, nor any of their sacrifice; for nothing is accepted of God but what is done in truth, and in his spirit, which is peaceable. The authority of our men's and women's meetings is the power of God; all the heirs of the gospel are heirs of that authority and dignity; this is of God, and shall answer the witness of God in all. The greatest opposers of this practice and work are such as have been convinced of God's truth, but have not lived in it. Such were the greatest troublers of the church in Moses' day, and in the days of the apostles; but mark their end, and read what became of them all. Therefore, all keep your habitation in the truth, and therein ye may see what became of all the opposers of it for twenty years past: they are all gone, and the truth lives and reigns; the seed is over all, and all are one in it, in rest, peace, and life everlasting; and therein they sit down together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, the Amen. G. F.

Swarthmore, the 5th of the 8th month, 1676.'

While I was at Swarthmore, died William Lampit, priest of Ulverstone (the parish that Swarthmore is in.) He was an old deceiver, and perverter of the right way of the Lord, and a persecutor of the people of God. Much contest I had with him when I first came into those parts. He had been an old false prophet: for in the year 1652 he prophesied (and said he would wage his life upon it) that the Quakers would all vanish and come to nought within half a year:' but he came to nought himself. For he continued in his false accusing of God's people till a little before he died, and then cried for a little rest. To one of his hearers, that came to visit him before he died, he said, I have been a preacher a long time, and thought I had lived well; but I did not think it had been so hard a thing to die.'

After I had finished the services which lay upon me then to do, feeling my spirit drawn towards the south (though I was but weak, and not able to travel far in a day) I left Swarthmore the twenty-sixth of the first month, 1677, and went to Thomas Pearson's at Powbank in Westmoreland, where I had a meeting the next day; and from thence to Thomas Camm's at Camm's-gill, whither Robert Widders, with his wife and several other Friends came to see me before I left the country, and to attend the meeting there the next day, which was very large, and in

which I was largely drawn forth in testimony to the truth. I had much discourse with some of that meeting, who were not in unity with the Quarterly Meeting they belonged to: but afterwards several of them, that were somewhat tender, came to see their error, and gave forth condemnations against themselves. Next day John Blaykling came to Thomas Camm's to bring me to his house at Drawell in Sedberg in Yorkshire; whither I went with him, visiting Friends in the way. I staid at Drawell two or three nights, having meetings there and thereabouts: for while I was there, the men's and women's meetings were held, which were very large and precious. The first-day following I had a meeting at Brig-flats, to which most of the Friends from the several meetings round, with a great concourse of other people came; it was thought there were five or six hundred people. A very good meeting it was, wherein truth was largely declared and preciously opened, to the comforting and refreshing the faithful, and the drawing near them that were afar off. I had another meeting at John Blaykling's, where came many Friends that were going to the Quarterly Meeting at Kendal: with them my wife went back (who with her daughter Rachel had accompanied me thus far ;) and I, having Leonard Fell with me, passed through Sedberg and Garsdale into Wensydale, visiting Friends as we went. At night I reached Richard Robinson's at Counterside, where several Friends came to me that evening; some of whom went with me next day to the widow Tenant's at Scarhouse in Langstroth-dale, whither we had much ado to get, the snow lay so deep, though it was a week in the second month. Here on first-day we had a large meeting, Friends coming to it from several parts round about; and the Lord gave me a very seasonable testimony to bear amongst them, which I did for several hours, to their great satisfaction and comfort. Thence passing through Bishopsdale, Mildum, Barton, and by Bedal and Northallerton, I came to George Robinson's at Burrowby, where also Friends coming from several parts, we had a very large and good meeting, and very peaceable. Not long after, an envious justice, hearing I had a great meeting there, troubled Friends about it, and made them appear at the sessions, where he asked them many insnaring questions; for he knew not how to convict them, because he had no proof against them. When he saw his questions did not catch them; he told them, he had heard that George Fox was at a large meeting with them, and they all sat silent, and none spoke in the meeting.' This false story he cunningly feigned, thinking thereby to have drawn some of the Friends to have contradicted him, and have said, 'that I had spoke in the meeting; that he might have convicted them upon their own confession, and have fined them. But Friends standing in the wisdom of God, did not answer him according to his desire, and so escaped his snare. But two Friends that came out