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condition that you would go away, or forsake your common meeting place, or divide yourselves into several little meetings. Truly, Friends, we have had many of these proffers made to us within this twenty or thirty years, but we never durst make such bargains or covenants, to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as we used to do; but did leave our suffering cause wholly to the Lord Christ Jesus, in whose Name we were ga thered, who has all power in heaven and earth given unto Him: and the Lord at last did and hath tendered the hearts of many of our prosecutors both in England and other places; and therefore it is good to be faithful, in the Spirit and power of the Lord Jesus. Christ; who is God all sufficient to support and supply you all in whatever you do, and strengthen you in all conditions. For if that should get a little advantage upon you, and get you into weakness, it would not rest so, but get more upon you. And therefore it is good to stand fast in the liberty in Christ Jesus, the Second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who hath made you free out of the snares, and bondage, and limitations of the wills of the sons of old Adam.

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And whereas some of the magistrates have alleged, that Christ departed out of the coasts of the Gadarenes upon their request, after he had cast the devils out of the possest men, and they had entered into their swine, and run into the sea :—this argument is of no weight, for you to go out of their coasts or city, who are settled citizens, and have wives and families; for Christ went up and down from place to place and preached; as He said: "The Son of Man hath not where to lay his head, though the subtle foxes had holes, and the high-flown fowls had their nests." And would they take it kindly themselves, if the King of Poland, their protector, who is of a contrary profession, should use the same argument to them, and say: "Be gone, or else do not meet at your great public places of worship, but meet in small companies, or else depart out of these coasts, as Christ did out of the coasts of the Gadarenes; and, if you do not, then you are disobedient to Christ's example: as they do apply it upon you?" And so, let them weigh the matter and their argument with the just law of God, to do unto you, as they would be done unto themselves.

And now, dear friends, I desire, however, that you walk wisely, and gently, and

lovingly, and meekly, and soberly, to all the magistrates, and all people, that they may have no just occasion in any thing against you: for the good must overcome the bad, as the apostle says: "Overcome evil with good, and dwell in that love that can bear all things, and endure all things." And nothing can separate you from this love which you have in God through Jesus Christ: in this love build up and edify one another, that by it you may answer the good in all people, and spread his Truth abroad, and be valiant for that upon earth. So in his holy peaceable Truth, and his Seed Christ Jesus, in which all nations are blest, God Almighty preserve and keep you to his glory. Amen.

And now, dear friends, you that have stood such hard and cruel sufferings so long, for the Lord's name and Truth, and could not be overcome by cruelty, take heed now lest you be overcome by fair words and flattery; for in that there is a greater danger.

G. F.

NUMBER CCCXC.

Concerning the pure and undefiled Religion.

The 4th of the 2nd Month, 1685.

Dear Friends,

You who profess the light, faith, grace, and Spirit of Christ, and the pure undefiled religion before God the Father, are to keep yourselves unspotted from the world, and to bridle your tongues from evil words, which corrupt good manners; the light of Christ Jesus letteth you see the spots of the world; and the grace of God will teach you to deny them; and the Spirit of Truth, if you be led by it, teacheth you to mortify and subdue them.

This religion which we profess is—First, pure—Secondly, it is undefiled before God the Father. And that which is pure and undefiled before God the Father, if you live in it and obey it, will keep you unspotted from the world: and that which keeps you from the spots of the world, will keep you from the body of death, and sins of the world.

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And now, friends, you that profess this pure and undefiled religion before God the Father, take heed of greediness, and earthlymindedness, and covetousness, which the apostle called idolatry; for it is a great spot and blot of the world that lieth in wickedness. And take heed of unrighteousness in trade, commerce, or dealings. And take heed of overreaching, or using any deceitfulness or fraud in your trade or commerce: for over-reaching, and using deceit, or any unjust thing, will blot you and spot you, and is contrary to the pure and undefiled religion. And take heed of unrighteousness, ungodliness, unholiness, profaneness, looseness, filthiness, naughtiness, and evil words, which corrupt good manners. These things will blot you and spot you, and are contrary to the pure undefiled religion before God the Father. And also take heed of drunkenness, theft, murder, fornication, adultery, and all manner of uncleanness: for they which act such things are void of the pure undefiled religion before God the Father; and they are blotted and spotted with the actions of the world that lieth in wickedness; and their religion is vain. And takeheed of lying, swearing, and cursing, which

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