to effect the same, we earnestly desire that Friends, but more especially such as are concerned in meetings of business, do labour to know their own spirits subjected by the Spirit of Truth; that thereby being baptized into one body, they may be truly one in the foundation of their love and unity and that therein they may all labour to find a nearness to each other in spirit; this being the true way to a thorough reconciliation, wherever there is, or may have been any difference of apprehension: thereby Friends will be preserved in that sweetness of spirit, that is, and will be the bond of true peace, throughout all the churches of Christ.

"And, dear friends, the Friends of this meeting, to whom the inspection of the accounts was referred, made report, that having perused the same, they found the stock to be nearly expended; whereupon this meeting thinks it necessary to recommend unto you, that a general and free contribution be made in every county, and that what shall be thereupon collected, be sent up to the respective correspondents.

"Finally, dear Friends and Brethren, be careful to walk unblameable in love and peace among yourselves, and towards all men in Christian charity, and be humbly thankful to the Lord our most gracious God, for the favour he hath given us in the eyes of the king and civil government, in the peaceable enjoyment of our

religious and Christian liberties under them; and the God of peace (we trust) will be with you to the end.

66 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. Amen.

Signed in, and on the behalf, and by the order of this meeting,

"By Benjamin Bealing."

From this epistle may be judged in some degree of the others, which are sent from the yearly meeting of the people called Quakers, to the particular meetings of their society every where. We see by it, that they give notice of the state of their particular churches, and that they earnestly recommend love and unity among their brethren, with other Christian virtues, and especially a good education of their children, besides other matters which they judge to be meet and necessary. With this epistle here inserted, I will finish this work, as having performed my design and intention, viz. the giving of a plain and circumstantial account and relation of the rise of this religious society, which, as we have seen, sprung from mean beginnings, to a great increase and progress, and extended itself far, notwithstanding the violent opposition, and most grievous severity, for suppressing and rooting them out, so often put in practice, and

committed by their enemies, but all in vain. And they now enjoy an undisturbed liberty to perform the public exercise of their worship to God, since their religion is permitted by law; which liberty they in no wise have obtained by making resistance, but by a long suffering patience, a peaceable deportment, and a dutiful fidelity to the government set over them so that now they see clearly, that God doth not forsake those that do not forsake him, according to what the prophet Azariah formerly said to king Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin, 2 Chron. xv. 2. "The Lord is with you, while ye be with him, and if ye seek him, he will be found of you but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." Having thus performed what I intended with this historical relation, I conclude it to the praise and glory of the Most High, who hath afforded me life time and ability, after a long and difficult labour, to bring this history to a suitable end.

ADDENDA.

The Author toward the conclusion of this history, having given some account of the princi ples of the people called Quakers, thought fit, in the Dutch Appendix (among other things,) to add the following treatise in Latin concerning the Light, written about the year 1662. And since in this English translation the subject matters contained in the said Appendix are inserted in the body of the history, in those places to which they properly belong, and no reference being made to this, but as mentioned in the preface, it is thought fit to subjoin it here, with the following words of the Author prefixed to the

same.

In the preface of this history, mention is made of a certain book, intitled "The Light upon the Candlestick," published in the name (as many supposed) of William Ames, yet no

ways wrote by him, though it contains his doctrine, but by a certain learned man, unwilling to be known publicly, and as it seems to me wrote originally in Latin; which though printed, being but in few hands, I have thought fit to reprint.

And the original in Latin, soon after the first Publication being translated into English by B. F. was printed in the year 1663, from which translation take it as follows, viz.

The Light upon the Candlestick.

THINGS are not for words, but words for things; if therefore we understand things aright, and as they ought, by words, it must be by such as are fit to imprint the things themselves in those to whom they should occur, and then it were enough (to make known our thoughts to others as we conceive them) only to make use of such words.

But forasmuch as we find the matter in this case far otherwise, and that two men speaking or writing the same words, may nevertheless have different, yea, contrary thoughts, the disability of performing this fitly by words or discourse, is clearly inferred. Nor may we at all wonder at it, seeing we know to what a perpetmal change languages are subject, even such,