“My Dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ,

“Who, by believing in his light, are become children of his light and of his day; my desires are, that you may all walk in the light and in the day, and keep the feast of Christ our passover, who is sacrificed for us, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but let all that be purged out, that ye may be a new lump, keeping the feast of Christ our passover, with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Let no leavened bread be found in your houses, nor in your meetings, nor in the camp of God, or household of faith, which are the household of Christ; but all that old leaven, which makes people’s hearts sour, and burn one against another, must be purged out of the camp of God, and kept out. For the feast of Christ our passover, must be kept in the New Covenant, with his heavenly unleavened bread of life. The Jews’ feast in the Old Testament was kept with outward, unleavened bread; and now in the New Testament, in the gospel day, our feast is to be kept with the heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

“Therefore, Friends, I desire you seriously to consider and to keep this feast, which the apostle directed the church of Christ to keep. Do you not see Christendom, so called, keep their feasts with the leavened bread of malice and wickedness? which makes them so sour, and their hearts so burn one against another, that they have destroyed, or do destroy one another about religion. Therefore, all live in the love of God, which keeps above the love of the world, so that none of your hearts may be choked or surfeited with these outward things, or with the cares of the world, which will pass away; but mind ye the world and the life that is without end, that ye may be heirs of it.

“And Friends, you should strive to excel all, both professor and profane, in morality, humanity, and Christianity, modesty, sobriety, and moderation, and in a good, godly, righteous life and conversation, showing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and that you are the children of the living God, children of the light, and of the day, and not of the night. And serve God in newness of life; for it is the life, and a living and walking in the truth, that must answer the witness of God in all people; that ‘they, seeing your good works, may glorify our Father, which is in heaven.’ Therefore, be valiant for God’s holy, pure truth, and spread it abroad, among both professors and profane, and the Indians.

“And you should write over once a year, from all your yearly meetings to the yearly meeting here, concerning your diligence in the truth, and of its spreading, and of people’s receiving it, both professors and profane, and the Indians; and concerning the peace of the church of Christ amongst yourselves. For, blessed be the Lord, truth gains ground in these parts, and many are made very loving to Friends, and the Lord’s power and seed is over all; in which God Almighty keep all his people to his glory. Amen.”

Gooses, the 28th of the 11th Month, 1689.

“My desires are, that you may walk in humility in it. For when the Lord first called me forth, he let me see, that young people grew up together in vanity and the fashions of the world; and old people went downwards into the earth, raking it together; and to both these I was to be a stranger. And now, Friends, I see too many young people that profess the truth, grow up into the fashions of the world, and too many parents indulge them; and amongst the elder, some are going downwards, and raking after the earth. Therefore take heed, that you are not making your graves, while you are alive outwardly, and loading yourselves with thick clay (Hab. ii. 6). For if you have not power over the earthly spirit, and that which leadeth into a vain mind, and the fashions of the world, and into the earth, though you have often had the rain fall upon your fields, you will but bring forth thistles, briars, and thorns, which are for the fire. Such will become brittle, peevish, fretful spirits, that will not abide the heavenly doctrine, the admonitions, exhortations, and reproofs of the Holy Ghost, or heavenly Spirit of God; which would bring you to be conformable to the death of Christ, and to his image, that ye might have fellowship with him in his resurrection. Therefore it is good for all to bow to the name of Jesus, their Saviour, that all may confess him to the glory of God, the Father.

“For I have had a concern upon me, in a sense of the danger of young people’s going into the fashions of the world, and old people’s going into earthly things, and many going into a loose and false liberty, till at last they go quite out into the spirit of the world, as some have done. The house of such hath been built upon the sand of the sea-shore, not upon Christ, the Rock, that they are so soon in the world again, under a pretence of liberty of conscience. But it is not a pure conscience, nor in the Spirit of God, nor in Christ Jesus; for in the liberty in the Spirit there is the unity, which is the bond of peace; and all are one in Christ Jesus, in whom is the true liberty: and this is not of the world; for He is not of the world. Therefore all are to stand fast in Him, as they have received Him; for in Him there is peace, who is the Prince of Peace; but in the world there is trouble. For the spirit of the world is a troublesome spirit; but the Spirit of Christ is a peaceable Spirit; in which God Almighty preserve all the faithful. Amen.”

Gooses, the 1st of the 2nd Month, 1690.

“The Lord saith, ‘They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea,’ Isa. xi. 9. ‘And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious,’ ver. 10. ‘And he shall reign over the Gentiles, and in him shall the Gentiles trust,’ Rom. xv. 12. This Ensign is Christ, who was prophesied of by the prophet; which prophecy the apostle, who was a minister to the Gentiles, showeth was fulfilled in the New Testament. And in this day of Christ, Isaiah saith, ‘The Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria and from Egypt,’ &c. ‘And‘And he shall set up an Ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth,’ ver. 11, 12. This is in the day of Christ, and his gospel of life and salvation, which is preached to every creature under heaven; who ‘enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world,’ both Jews and Gentiles; that by his heavenly, divine light, they may see Christ, their Ensign, and Captain of their salvation; so Christ is one Ensign both to the Jews and Gentiles.

“Isaiah saith, ‘The Redeemer shall come to Sion,’ &c., Isa. lix. 20. And, ‘This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit, that is upon thee (to wit, Christ), and my words, which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever,’ ver. 21. ‘Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee,’ chap. lx. 1. ‘And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,’ ver. 3. ‘And the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee,’ ver. 5 (the sea is the world). ‘The Lord shall be thy everlasting light,’ ver. 20. And, ‘Thou shalt call thy walls, Salvation, and thy gates, Praise,’ ver. 18. And the Lord saith, ‘I will make the place of my feet glorious,’ ver. 13. ‘Heaven is his throne, and the earth is his footstool,’ chap. lxvi. 1. ‘And he that puts his trust in me, saith the Lord, shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain,’ chap. lvii. 13. Which mountain is established above all the mountains and hills, Isa. ii. 2. The Lord saith (speaking of Christ), ‘I have put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles,’ Isa xlii. 1. And he saith of him, ‘I will give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images,’ ver. 6-8. So Christ the Light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen; and the Gentiles are come to the Light of Christ. This prophecy of Isaiah concerning Christ, many of the Gentiles witness fulfilled, that ‘Salvation is come to the Gentiles,’ Rom. xi. 11. God gave his glory to his Son; and Christ saith, ‘The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them (namely, his believers and followers), that they may be one, even as we are one,’ John xvii. 22.

“Now“Now here you may see, the promises and prophecies are fulfilled in Christ Jesus, whom God hath given for an Ensign both to the Jews and Gentiles, and the Captain of their salvation; and he doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world; that with his heavenly, divine light, they might see Christ, the Lord from heaven, their Captain and Ensign, and trust in Him, their Conqueror, who bruises the serpent’s head, and destroys the devil and his works; and Christ and his followers overcome the dragon, beast, and false prophet. Therefore all Jews, Gentiles, and Christians, that come to believe in Christ, are to stand to their Ensign, Christ; who is also the Captain of their salvation, above all ensigns and captains below; for he is from above; therefore all are to trust in him; for he is certain and able to save to the utmost, &c. He is the same Ensign and Captain to-day that he was yesterday, and so for ever, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending, the Lord of all lords, and King of all kings upon the earth; and there is nothing certain to be trusted in below Christ Jesus, who is from above.

“You see in the Scriptures there were many ways and religions among the heathen, as there were many sects among the Jews when Christ came; and now there are many sects or religions among the Christians, who believe from the Scriptures that ‘he is come,’ as the Jews believed ‘he was to come.’ But they that close their eyes, and stop their ears to the Light of Christ, are not likely to see Christ, who hath enlightened them, to be their Ensign and the Captain of their salvation, that see not with the heavenly eye, nor hear with the heavenly ear, to see and hear their heavenly Ensign and Captain of their salvation, to convert and heal them; that they might follow him, and be of his holy camp, his heavenly soldiers, to whom he gives spiritual arms and armour, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the armour of light, and the shield of faith (which will quench all the fiery darts of Satan, and give victory), and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, which shall cut, hammer down, and burn up all the strongholds of Satan. Also he clothed his soldiers with fine linen, white and clean, his righteousness, and shoeth them with the everlasting gospel of peace, the power of God; which clothes and shoes will never wax old. And all that are shod with the everlasting gospel, the power of God, will never wax old, but will stand all storms and tempests in the world. They that are shod with the gospel, the power of God, can in it tread upon serpents, vipers, and scorpions, and all the venomous beasts upon the earth, and all the thorns, briars, brambles, thistles, and sharp rocks and mountains, and never be hurt, nor ever wear out their shoes; but their feet are always beautiful upon the mountains. Moses, a captain, the servant of the Lord, said unto the people of Israel, ‘I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot,’ Deut. xxix. 5. Here ye may see the Jews in the Old Testament, their clothes and their shoes did not wax old; so they who are Christ’s followers, whom he shoeth with his everlasting gospel of peace, clothes with his fine linen, his righteousness, and arms with his arms and armour, are clothed, shod, and armed, with that which will never decay, or wax old, never canker, or rust, corrupt, or grow blunt.

“Now“Now, all (whether Christians, or Jews, or Gentiles) that hate the Light of Christ, and close their eyes and stop their ears to it, are not likely to see Christ, their Ensign, and Captain of their salvation; but are blind. As no outward captain would enlist a company of blind and deaf men, and clothe and arm them with outward armour; so such as are blind and deaf, whose eyes are closed, and ears stopped to the heavenly Light of Christ, he is not likely to clothe them with his fine linen, and arm them with his heavenly and spiritual armour; neither are they like to be heavenly and spiritually disciplined, to see and know his holy, spiritual, living camp, nor to follow him, while they are deaf and blind, and hate his Light, which is the Life in Christ. For it is the Light that shines in the heart, which gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus; who is the Ensign and Captain of men’s salvation, and who hath brought, and doth bring many sons unto glory; praises, honour, and glory be unto the Lord over all, who liveth for ever. Amen.”

Gooses, the 14th of the 2nd Month, 1690.

“All Friends everywhere, that are alive to God through Jesus Christ, and are living members of Christ, the holy Head, be still; and stand still in the Lord’s camp of holiness and righteousness; and therein see the salvation of God, and your eternal life, rest, and peace. In it you may feel and see the Lord’s power is over all; and how the Lord is at work in his power, ruling the nations with his rod of iron, and breaking (in the nations) the old leaky vessels and cisterns to pieces, like the potter’s vessels, that will not hold his living water; who are erred from his Spirit.

“But blessed be the Lord God of heaven and earth, who, by his eternal arm and power hath settled all his people upon the living, holy rock and foundation, that stands sure; whom he hath drawn by his Spirit to his Son, and gathered into the name of Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, full of grace and truth; who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him; whose name is above every name under the whole heaven; and all his living members know there is no salvation given by any other name than by the name of Jesus. He, their salvation and their living head, is felt in the midst of them in his light, life, Spirit, grace, and truth, and his word of patience, wisdom, and power; who is his people’s prophet, that God hath raised up in his New Testament and Covenant, to open to them; and their living Shepherd, that hath purchased, redeemed, and bought them with his precious blood.

“Christ, the living One, feeds his living sheep in his pastures of life, and they know their living Shepherd’s voice with his living bread and water, and follow him; and will not follow any of the world’s hirelings, nor thieves, nor robbers, nor climbers, that are without Christ, the door. Christ’s living children likewise know him, the bishop of their souls, to oversee them with his heavenly and spiritual eye, that they may be preserved in his fold of life, and go no more forth. They also know Christ, their holy priest, that by the grace of God tasted death for them, and for every man, and is a propitiation for their sins; and not for theirs only, but for the sins of the whole world: and by the one offering up of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

“Such a High-priest becomes Christ’s sheep in his New Covenant and Testament, who is holy, harmless, and separate from sinners, and is made higher than the heavens; who is not made a priest after the order of Aaron, with his tithes, offerings, &c., but makes an end of all those things, having abolished them; and is made a High-priest after the power of an endless life, who ever liveth to make intercession for his people: and is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God through him. He is the one holy Mediator between God and man; who sanctifies his people, his church, that he is head of, and presents them to God without spot, or wrinkle, or blemish, or any such thing; and makes them a holy, royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual, holy sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, who is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords in the earth; so a holy, heavenly King, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given to him; and rules in all the hearts of his sheep and lambs, by his holy, divine, precious faith, that is held in all the pure consciences of his people: of which holy faith Christ, the holy One, is the author and finisher. By this holy faith all the just live: in which divine and precious faith all the just and holy ones have unity; by it they quench all the fiery darts of Satan, have access to the pure God, and in it please him.

“Christ, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, in his New Testament and New Covenant, is the minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle which the Lord hath pitched, and not man. Therefore all the lambs and sheep of Christ must feel this holy Minister in their temple and sanctuary, who ministers spiritual, holy, and heavenly things to them in their sanctuary and tabernacle. For all the tabernacles and sanctuaries that are built or pitched by man, men make ministers for them; and such ministers are of men and by men, with their worldly sanctuaries and tabernacles of men’s pitching, by men’s hands.

“And now, dear Friends and brethren everywhere that are of the flock of Christ; Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us all keep this heavenly feast of our passover in his New Testament and Covenant, not with old leaven, neither of malice nor wickedness; but let all that be purged out, with the sour, old leavened bread, that all may become a new lump; and so keep this heavenly feast of Christ, our heavenly Passover, with the unleavened bread (mark, with the unleavened bread) of sincerity and truth. My desires are, that all the flock of Christ everywhere may keep this heavenly feast of Christ, our heavenly passover, with his heavenly, unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Amen.”

“All Friends in the ministry everywhere, to whom God hath given a gift of the ministry, and who travel up and down in it, do not ‘hide your talent, nor put your light under a bushel, nor cumber or entangle yourselves with the affairs of this world.’ For the natural soldiers are not to cumber themselves with the world, much less the soldiers of Christ, who are not of this world; but are to mind the riches and glory of the world that is everlasting. Therefore, stir up the gift of God in you, and improve it; do not sit down, Demas-like, and embrace this present world, that will have an end; lest ye become idolaters. Be valiant for God’s truth upon the earth, and spread it abroad in the day-light of Christ, you who have sought the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, and have received it, and preached it; which ‘stands in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.’

“As“As able ministers of the Spirit sow to the Spirit, that of the Spirit ye may reap life everlasting. Go on in the Spirit, ploughing with it in the purifying hope; and thrashing, with the power and Spirit of God, the wheat out of the chaff of corruption, in the same hope. For he that looks back from the spiritual plough into the world, is not fit for the spiritual and everlasting kingdom of God; and is not likely to press into it, as the faithful do. Therefore you that are awakened to righteousness, and to the knowledge of the truth, keep yourselves awakened in it; then the enemy cannot sow his tares in your field; for truth and righteousness is over him, and before he was. My desires are, that all may fulfil their ministry, that the Lord Jesus Christ hath committed to them; and then by the blood (or life) and testimony of Jesus you will overcome the enemy that opposes it, within and without.

“All“All All you that preach the truth, do it as it is in Jesus, in love: and all that are believers in Jesus, and receivers of him, he gives them power to become the sons of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; whom he calleth brethren; and he gives them the water of life, which shall be a well in them, springing up as a river to eternal life, that they may water the spiritual plants of the living God. So that all may be spiritual planters, and spiritual waterers; and may see with the spiritual eye the everlasting, eternal God over all, to give the increase, who is the infinite fountain. My desires are, that you may be kept out of all the beggarly elements of the world, which are below the spiritual region, to Christ, the Head; and may hold Him, who bruiseth the head of enmity, and was before it was; that ye may all be united together in love, in your Head, Christ, and be ordered by his heavenly, gentle, peaceable wisdom, to the glory of God. For all that be in Christ, are in love, peace, and unity. In Him they are strong, and in a full persuasion; and in Him, who is the first and the last, they are in a heavenly resolution and confidence for God’s everlasting honour and glory. Amen.

“From him, who is translated into the kingdom of his dear Son, with all his saints, a heavenly salutation. Salute one another with a holy kiss of charity, that never faileth.”

Ford-Green, the 25th of the 9th Month, 1690.

“Dear Friends and Brethren, Ministers, Exhorters, and Admonishers, that are gone into America and the islands thereaway. Stir up the gift of God in you, and the pure mind, and improve your talents, that ye may be the light of the world, a city set upon a hill, that cannot be hid. Let your light shine among the Indians, the Blacks, and the Whites, that ye may answer the truth in them, and bring them to the standard and ensign, that God hath set up, Christ Jesus. For from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, God’s name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every temple, or sanctified heart, incense shall be offered up to God’s name.

“And have salt in yourselves, that ye may be the salt of the earth, that ye may salt it; that it may be preserved from corruption and putrefaction; so that all sacrifices offered up to the Lord may be seasoned, and be a good savour to God. All grow in the faith and grace of Christ, that ye may not be like dwarfs, for a dwarf shall not come near to offer upon God’s altar; though he may eat of God’s bread, that he may grow by it. And Friends, be not negligent, but keep up your negroes’ meetings and your family meetings; and have meetings with the Indian kings, and their councils and subjects everywhere, and with others. Bring them all to the baptizing and circumcising Spirit, by which they may know God, and serve and worship Him. And all take heed of having your minds in earthly things, coveting and striving for them; for to be carnally minded brings death, and covetousness is idolatry. There is too much strife and contention about that idol, which makes too many go out of the sense and fear of God; so that some have lost morality, humanity, and true Christian charity.

“O therefore, be awakened to righteousness, and keep awakened: for the enemy soweth his tares, while men and women sleep in carelessness, and security. Therefore so many slothful ones go in their filthy rags, and have not the fine linen, the righteousness of Christ; but are straggling, and ploughing with their ox and their ass, in their woollen and linen garments, mixed stuff, feeding upon torn food that dieth of itself, and drinking of the dregs of their old bottle, and eating the sour, leavened bread, which makes their hearts burn one against another. But all are to keep the feast of Christ, our passover, with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. This unleavened bread of life from heaven, makes all hearts and souls glad and joyful, lightsome and cheerful, to serve and love God, and to love, and serve one another in the peaceable truth, and to keep in the unity of God’s Spirit, which is the bond of peace. In this love and peace, God Almighty keep and preserve all his people, and make them valiant for his truth upon the earth, to spread it abroad in doctrine, good life and conversation. Amen.

“All the members of Christ have need one of another. For the foot hath need of the hand, and the hand of the foot; the ear hath need of the eye, and the eye of the ear. So that all the members are serviceable in the body, which Christ is the head of; and the head sees their service. Therefore, let none despise the least member.

“Have a care to keep down that greedy, earthly mind, that raveneth and coveteth after the riches and things of this world, lest ye fall into the low region, like the Gentiles or heathen, and so lose the kingdom of God, that is everlasting; but seek that first, and God knows what things ye have need of; who takes care for all, both in heaven and in the earth: thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gifts, both temporal and spiritual.”

Tottenham, the 11th of the 10th Month, 1690.

“Dear Friends and Brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Lord by his eternal arm and power hath upheld through your great sufferings, exercises, trials, and hardships (more, I believe, than can be uttered), up and down that nation, which I am very sensible of; and the rest of the faithful Friends, who have been partakers with you in your sufferings; and who cannot but suffer with the Lord’s people that suffer. My confidence hath been in the Lord, that he would and will support you in all your sufferings; and that he would preserve all the faithful in his wisdom, that they might give no just occasion to one nor other to make them suffer; and if you did suffer wrongfully, or unjustly, that the righteous God would assist and uphold you; and reward them according to their works, that oppressed or wronged you.

“And now my desire is unto the Lord, that in the same holy and heavenly wisdom, ye may all be preserved to the end of your days, to the glory of God, minding His supporting hand and power, who is God All-sufficient, to strengthen, help, and refresh, in time of need. Let none forget the Lord’s mercies and kindnesses, which endure for ever; but always live in the sense of them. And truly, Friends, when I consider the thing, it is the great mercy of the Lord, that ye have not been all swallowed up, seeing with what spirits ye have been compassed about. But the Lord carrieth his lambs in his arms, and they are as tender to him as the apple of his eye; and his power is his hedge about his vineyard of heavenly plants.

“Therefore it is good for all his children, to be given up to the Lord with their minds and souls, hearts and spirits, who is a faithful keeper, that never slumbers nor sleeps; but is able to preserve and keep you, and to save to the utmost; and none can hurt so much as a hair of your heads, except he suffer it, to try you; for he upholds all things, in heaven and in earth, by the Word of his power; all things were made by Christ, and by him all things consist (mark, consist), whether they be visible or invisible, &c. So he hath power over all; for all power in heaven and in earth is given to him; and to you that have received him, he hath given power to become the sons and daughters of God; so living members of Christ, the living head, grafted into Him, in whom ye have eternal life. Christ, the Seed, reigns, and his power is over all; who bruises the serpent’s head, and destroys the devil and his works, and was before he was. So all of you live and walk in Christ Jesus; that nothing may be between you and God, but Christ, in whom ye have salvation, life, rest, and peace with God.

“As for the affairs of truth in this land and abroad, I hear that in Holland and Germany and thereaway, Friends are in love, unity, and peace; and in Jamaica, Barbadoes, Nevis, Antigua, Maryland, and New England, I hear nothing but Friends are in unity and peace. The Lord preserve them all, out of the world (in which there is trouble), in Christ Jesus, in whom there is peace, life, love, and unity. Amen. My love in the Lord Jesus Christ to all Friends everywhere in your land, as though I named them.”

London, the 10th of the 11th Month, 1690.