ford.

through; and therefore fpake to Friends, to let none 1670. but folid, weighty Friends be about me. And under great Sufferings and Groanings, and Travels, and Sor- Stratrows, and Oppreffions I lay for feveral Weeks; whereby I was brought fo Low and Weak in Body, that few thought I could have lived: and fome, that were with me, went away, faying, They would not fee me die; and it was reported both in London, and in the Country, that I was deceased: But I felt the Lord's Power inwardly fupporting me. And when they, that were about me, had given me up to die, I fpake to them, to get a Coach to carry me to Gerrard Robert's, about Twelves Miles off: For I found, it was my place, to go thither. I had now Recovered a little Glimmering Sight, fo that I could difcern the People and Fields, as I went and that was all. When I came to Gerrard's, he was very Weak; and I was moved to fpeak to him, and encourage him. And after I had ftaid about Three Weeks there, it was with me to go to Enfield Friends were afraid of my Removing: but I told them, I might-fafely go. And when I had taken my leave of Gerrard, and was come to Enfield, I went first to visit Amor Stoddart; who Enfield, lay there very Weak, and almoft Speechlefs. I was moved to tell him, He had been faithful as a Man, ' and faithful to God; and that the Immortal Seed of Life was his Crown. And with many more Words I was moved to speak to him; though I my felf was then fo Weak, I was hardly able to ftand : and within a few days after Amor died. I went to the Widow Dry's at Enfield, and there I lay all that Winter; warring in Spirit with the Evil Spirits of the World, that warred againft Truth and Friends. For there were great Perfecutions at this time: Some Meeting-houfes were pluck'd down, and many were broken up by Soldiers; who would come, fometimes a Troop of Horfe, or a Company of Foot, and they would break their Swords,Carbines, Muskets and Pikes with beating Friends: and many Friends they wounded, fo that their Blood lay in the Streets. Amongst others,

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1670. others, that were Active in this Cruel Perfecution at London, my Old Adverfary Col. Kirby was one; who Enfield. with a Company of Foot went to break up feveral Meetings and he would often Inquire for me at the Meetings he brake up. But one time, as he went over the Water to Horfly-Down, there happening fome Scuffle between fome of his Soldiers, and fome of the Watermen, he bid his Men, Fire at them; and they did fo, and Killed fome.

But I was under great Sufferings at this time, beyond what I have words to declare. For I was brought into the Deep, and faw all the Religions of the World, and People that lived in them, and the Priefts that held them up: who were as a Company of Men-Eaters, eating up the People like Bread,and gnawing the Flefh from off their Bones. But as for True Religion and Worship, and Minifters of God, Alack! I faw, there was none amongst thofe of the World, that pretended to it. For they, that pretended to be the Church, were but a Company of Men-Eaters, Men of Cruel Vifages, and of long Teeth; who, though they had cried against the Men-Eaters in America, yet I faw, they were in the fame Nature. And as the great profefling Jews did cat up God's People, like Bread, and the Falfe Prophets and Priests then preached Peace to People, fo long as they put into their Mouths and fed them; but if they fed them not, they prepared War against them they ate their Flesh off their Bones, and chopped them for the Caldron; fo thefe, that profefs themselves Chriftians now, (both Priefts and Profeffors) and were not in the fame Power and Spirit, that Chrift and the Holy Prophets and Apoftles were in, were in the fame Nature, that the old profeffing Fews were in, and were Men-Eaters, as well as they. These ftirred up Perfecution, and fet the wicked Informers on work; fo that a Friend could hardly fpeak a few Words in a private Family, before they fate down to eat Meat, but fome were ready to Inform against them. A particular Inftance of which I have heard, as followeth.

At

At Droitwich, Fo. Cartwright came to a Friend's 1670. House and being moved of the Lord to fpeak a few Words, before he fate down to Supper; there came Enfield, an Informer,and stood heark'ning under the Window. And when he had heard the Friend fpeak, hoping to get fome Gain to himself, he went and Informed and got a Warrant to Diftrain the Friend's Goods, under pretence, that there was a Meeting at his Houfe: Whereas there was none in the Houfe at that time, when the Friend fpake before Supper, but himself, the Man of the Houfe, and his Wife, and their MaidServant. But this Evil-minded Man, as he came back with his Warrant in the Night, fell off of his Horfe, Example and brake his Neck. So there was a Wretched End of a Wicked Informer; who hoped to have enriched himfelf by spoiling Friends: but the Lord prevented him, and cut him off in his Wickedness, and spoiled him.

Now, though it was a Cruel, Bloody, Perfecuting Time, yet the Lord's Power went over all, and his Everlasting Seed prevailed; and Friends were made to ftand firm and faithful in the Lord's Power: And fome of the Sober People of the World would fay, If Friends did not ftand, the Nation would run into Debauchery.

And though by reafon of my Weakness, I could not travel about amongst Friends, as I ufed to do; yet in the Motion of Life I fent the following Lines, as an Encouraging Teftimony amongst them.

My Dear Friends,

The Seed is above all, in it Walk; in which ye all have Life. Be not amazed at the Weather: for always the Juft fuffered by the Unjuft; but the Juft had the Dominion. And all along ye may fee, by Faith the Mountains were fubdued; and the Rage of the Wicked, and his Fiery Darts were quenched. And though the Waves and Storms be high, yet your Faith will keep you to Swim above them for they are but for a Time, and the Truth is without Time. Therefore keep on the Mountain ' of

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1670. of Holinefs, ye who are led to it by the Light; where nothing fhall hurt. And do not think, that any thing will outlaft the Truth, which ftandeth 'fure; and is over that, which is out of the Truth: "For the Good will Overcome the Evil, and the Light

Bnfield.

Darkness, and the Life Death, and Vertue Vice, ' and Righteoufnefs Unrighteousness. The Falfe Pro6 phet cannot overcome the True: but the True Prophet, Chrift, will overcome all the Falfe. So be Faithful, and live in that, which doth not think the time long.

G. F.

But after fome time it pleafed the Lord to allay the Heat of this Violent Perfecution: and I felt in Spirit an overcoming of the Spirits of thofe MenEaters, that had ftirred it up, and carried it on to that Height of Cruelty; though I was outwardly very Weak. And I plainly felt, and thofe Friends that were with me, and that came to Vifit me, faw and took notice, that as the Perfecution ceafed, I came from under the Travels and Sufferings, that had lain with fuch Weight upon me: So that towards the Spring I began to Recover, and to walk up and down, beyond the Expectation of many; who did not think I could ever have gone abroad again, I had been fo exceeding Weak through the Travel and Exercife that was upon my Spirit.

Whilft I was under this Spiritual Travel and Suffering, the State of the City New Jerufalem, which comes down out of Heaven, was opened to me; which fome Carnal-minded People had looked upon to be like an outward City or Town, that had dropt out of the Elements: But I faw the Beauty and Glory of it, the Length, the Breadth, and the Height thereof, all in compleat Proportion. And I faw, that all, who are within the Light of Chrift, and in his Faith, which he is the Author of, and in the Spirit, the Holy Ghoft, which Chrift, and the Holy Prophets and Apoftles were in, and within the Grace and Truth, and within the Power of God (that was before the Devil was) which was the Walls of the City; fuch are

within the City, fuch are Members of this City, and 1670. have right to Eat of the Tree of Life, which yields her Fruit every Month, and whofe Leaves are for the Enfield. healing of the Nations. But they that are out of the Grace, out of the Truth, out of the Light, Spirit and Power of God; fuch as Refift the Holy Ghoft, quench, vex and grieve the Spirit of God, and hate the Light, and turn the Grace of God into Wantonnefs, and do Defpight to the Spirit of Grace; fuch as have erred from the Faith, and made Shipwrack of it, and of a Good Confcience, and abuse the Power of God, and defpife Prophefying, Revelation and Infpiration; thefe are the Dogs and Unbelievers, that are without the City: And these make up the great City Babylon, Confufion, and her Cage, the Power of Darkness; and the Evil Spirit of Error furround and cover them over. And in this great City Babylon are the Falle Prophets, in the falfe Power and falfe Spirit, and the Beaft in the Dragon's Power, and the Whore, that is gone a Whoring from the Spirit of God, and from Chrift, her Husband: But the Lord's Power is over all this Power of Darkness, Cage, Whore, Beaft, Dragon, Falfe Prophets and their Worshippers, who are for the Lake, which burns with Fire. Many things more did I fee concerning the Heavenly City, the New Jerufalem, which are hard to be uttered; and would be hard to be received. But in fhort, This Holy City is within the Light: and all that are within the Light, are within the City; the Gates whereof ftand open all the Day, (for there is no Night there) that all may come in: and Chrift's Blood being fhed for every Man, and he tafted Death for every Man, and enlightneth every Man that cometh into theWorld, and his Grace, that brings Salvation, having appeared to all Men, there is no Place or Language, but there his Voice may be heard. The Chriftians in the Primitive Times were called by Chrift A City fet upon an Hill, and they were alfo called The Light of the World, and The Salt of the Earth: But when the Chriftians loft the Light, and Salt, and Power of God,

then