1668. County, I came up to London. Thus were the Mens Monthly Meetings fettled through the Nation: For I Kent had been in Berkshire before, where most of the Ancient Friends of that County were in Prifon; and when I had informed them of the Service of thefe Monthly Meetings, they were fettled amongst them alfo. And the Quarterly Meetings were generally fettled before. I writ alfo into Ireland by faithful Friends, and into Scotland, Holland, Barbados, and other parts of America, advifing Friends, to fettle their Mens Monthly Meetings in thofe Countries alfo. For they had their General Quarterly Meetings before: But now that Truth was Increafed amongst them, they fhould fettle thofe Mens Monthly Meetings in the Power and Spirit of God, that did at firft Convince them. And fince the time thefe Meetings have been fettled, that all the Faithful in the Power of God, who be Heirs of the Gospel, have met together in the Power of God, which is the Authority of them, to perform Service to the Lord therein, many Mouths have been opened in Thanksgivings and Praife, and many have bleft the Lord God, that ever he did fend me forth in this Service: Yea, with Tears have many praised the Lord. For now all coming to have a Concern and Care for God's Honour and Glory, that his Name be not blafphemed, which they do profefs; and to fee, that all who profefs the Truth, do walk in the Truth, in Righteoufnefs and in Holinefs, which becomes the Houfe of God, and that all order their Converfations aright, that they may fee the Salvation of God: All having this Care upon them for God's Glory, and being exercised in his Holy Power and Spirit, in the Order of the Heavenly Life and Gofpel of Jefus; here they may all fee and know, poffefs and partake of the Government of Chrift, of the Increase of which there is to be no end. Thus the Lord's everlafting Renown and Praise is fet up in every one's Heart, that is faithful; fo that we can now fay, that the Gofpel-Order established amongst us, is not of Man, nor by Man, but of and by Jefus

Chrift, in and through the Holy Ghoft. And this 1668. Order of the Gospel, which is not of Man, nor by Man, but from Chrift, the Heavenly Man, is above Kent. all the Orders of Men in the Fall, whether Jews, Gentiles, or Apoftatized Chriftians; and will be, when they are gone. For the Power of God, which is the Everlafting Gofpel, was before the Devil was; and will be and remain for ever. And as the Everlafting Gospel was Preached, in the Apoftles days to all Nations, that all Nations might come into the Order of it, through the Divine Power, which brings Life and Immortality to Light; that they, who were Heirs of it, might inherit the Power and Authority of it: So now, fince all Nations have drunk the Whore's Cup, and all the World hath Worshipped the Beaft, (but they, whofe Names are written in the Book of Life from the Foundation of the World, who have worshipped God in Spirit and Truth, as Chrift commanded) the Everlasting Gospel is to be, and is preached again (as John the Divine forefaw it should) to all Nations, Kindreds, Tongues and People. And this Everlafting Gospel torments the Whore, and makes her and the Beaft to rage, even the Beaft, that hath Power over the Tongues, which are called the Original, to order them; by which they make Divines, as they call them. But all that receive the Gofpel, the Power of God, which brings Life and Immortality to Light, they come to fee over the Beaft, Devil, Whore, and Falfe Prophet, that hath darkned them, and all their Worfhips and Orders; and come to be Heirs of the Gofpel, the Power of God, which was, before the Beaft, Whore, Falfe Prophet and Devil were, and will be, when they are all gone, and caft into the Lake of Fire. And they that be Heirs of this Power, and of this Gofpel, they inherit the Power, which is the Authority of this Order, and of our Meetings. Every Man and Woman, that be Heirs of the Gofpel, are Heirs of this Authority, and of the Power of God, which was before the Devil was; and which is not of Man, nor by Man. These come to

Kent.

1668. inherit and poffefs the joyful Order of the joyful Gofpel, the comfortable Order of the comfortable Gofpel, the glorious Order of the glorious Gofpel, and the everlafting Order of the everlafting Gofpel, the Power of God, which will last for ever; and will out-laft all the Orders of the Devil, and that which is of Men, or by Men. And thefe fhall fee the Government of Chrift, who hath all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him; and of the Increase of his glorious, righteous, holy, juft Government there is no end; but his Government and his Order will remain: for he who is the Author of it, is the First and the Laft, the Beginning and Ending, the Foundation of God, which over all ftands fure, Christ Jesus,

the Amen.

After I had travelled amongst Friends through moft Parts of the Nation, and the Monthly Meetings were. London. fettled; being returned to London, I ftay'd fome time there, vifiting Friends Meetings in and about the City. While I was in London, I went one day to Vifit him that was called Efq; Marsh, who had fhewed much Kindness both to me, and to Friends; and I happen'd to go, when he was at Dinner. He no fooner heard my Name, but he fent for me up, and would have had me fit down with him to Dinner; but I had not freedom to do fo. There were feveral great Perfons at Dinner with him; and he faid to one of them, who was a great Papift: Here is a Quaker, which you have not feen before. The Papift ask'd me, Whether I did. own the Chriftening of Children? I told him, "There was no Scripture for any fuch Practice. What! faid he, Not for Chriftening Children? I faid, Nay, I told him, the one Baptifm by the one Spirit into one Body we owned, but to throw a little Water on a Child's Face, and fay, that was Baptizing and Chriftening it, there was no Scripture for that. Then he asked me, Whether I did own the Catholick Faith? I faid, Tes: but added; That neither the Pope, nor the Papifts were in that Catholick Faith: for the true Faith works by Love, and purifies the Heart;

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and if they were in that Faith that gives Victory, 1668. by which they might have Accefs to God, they 'would not tell the People of a Purgatory, after they London. were dead. So I undertook to prove, That neither Pope, nor Papifts, that held a Purgatory hereafter, were in the true Faith: For the true, precious, Di'vine Faith, which Chrift is the Author of, gives Vi&tory over the Devil and Sin, that had feparated 'Man and Woman from God. And if they (the Papifts) were in the true Faith, they would never ufe Racks, Prifons, and Fines to perfecute and force others to their Religion, that were not of their Faith: For this was not the Practice of the Apostles and Primi'tive Chriftians, who witneffed and enjoyed the true 'Faith of Chrift; but it was the Practice of the Faithlefs Jews and Heathens fo to do. But, faid I to him, feeing thou art a Great and Leading Man among the Papifts, and haft been taught and bred up un'der the Pope; and feeing thou fay'ft, There is no Salvation, but in your Church, I defire to know of thee, What it is, that doth bring Salvation in your Church? He answered, A Good Life. And nothing elfe, faid I? Yes, faid he, Good Works. "And is this it, that brings Salvation in your Church,a good Life ' and good Works? Is this your Doctrine and Principle, faid I? Yes, faid he. Then faid I, neither Thou, nor the Pope, nor any of the Papifts know, what it is, that brings Salvation. Then he ask'd me, What brought Salvation in our Church? I told him, 'That which brought Salvation to the Church in the Apoftles Days, the fame brought Salvation to us, and not another; Namely, The Grace of God, which, 'the Scripture fays, brings Salvation, and hath appeared to all men, which taught the Saints then, and 'teaches us now: and this Grace, which brings Salvation, teaches, To deny Ungodliness and worldly Lufts, and to live godly, righteously and foberly. So it is not the good Works, nor the good Life, that brings 'the Salvation, but the Grace. What! faid the Papift, Doth this Grace, that brings Salvation, appear unto

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1668. all men? Yes, faid I. Then, faid he, I deny that. But I faid, 'All that deny that, are Sect-makers, and London. are not in the Univerfal Faith, Grace and Truth,

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which the Apoftles were in. Then he spake to me ' about the Mother-Church; and I told him: The 'feveral forts of Sects in Chriftendom had accufed us, and faid, We forfook our Mother-Church. The Papifts charged us with forfaking their Church, and they faid; Rome was the only Mother-Church. The Epifcopalians taxed us with forfaking the old Proteftant Religion, and they said, Theirs was the Reformed Mother Church. The Presbyterians and Independents blamed us for leaving them, and each of them faid; Theirs was the right Reformed-Church. But I faid, if we could own any outward City or Place to be the Mother-Church, we fhould own outward Jerufalem, where the Gospel was first preached by Chrift himself, and the Apoftles; where Chrift fuffered; where the great Converfion to Chriftianity by Peter was; where were the Types, Figures and Shadows, which Christ ended, and where Chrift commanded his Difciples to wait, until they were en"dued with Power from on high. So, if any outward place deferved to be called the Mother, that was the place where the first great Converfion to Chriftianity was. But the Apostle faith, Gal. 4. 25, 26. JerufaJem--which now is in Bondage with her Children: But Jerufalem which is above, is free, which is the Mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoyce, thou barren, that beareft not; break forth, and cry, thou that travaileft not for the Defolate hath many more Children, than he that hath an Husband, ver. 27. Now this we do fee, that Jerufalem below (which was the higheft Place of Worthip) and all that be like her in Profeffion without Poffeffion, have more Children than the Free Woman, that hath an Husband, which is Jerufalem that is above, the Mother of us all, that be true Chriftians: So, the Apoftle 'doth not fay, Outward Jerufalem was the Mother, though the first and great Conversion to Chriftia⚫nity