ning all people may come to Christ, that was, before the world was made. For the chaff is come upon the wheat by transgression: he that treadeth it out is out of transgression, and fathoms transgression; and puts a difference between the precious and the vile; and can pick out the wheat from the tares, and gather into the garner: so brings to the lively hope the immortal soul into God, out of which it came. And none worships God but who comes to the principle of God, which they have transgressed; and none are plowed up but who comes to the principle of God in him, that he hath transgressed: then he doth service to God, then is the planting and the watering; and the increase from God cometh. So the ministers of the spirit must minister to the spirit, that is in prison, which hath heen in captivity in every one; that with the Spirit of Christ people may be led out of captivity up to God, the Father of spirits, and do service to him, and to have unity with him, with the scriptures, and one with another. And this is the word of the Lord God to you all, and a charge to you all in the presence of the living God; be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, whereever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them: then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one; whereby in them ye may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you: then to the Lord God you will be a sweet savour, and a blessing.

'Spare no deceit, lay the sword upon it; go over it: keep yourselves clear of the bloods of all men, either by word, or writing, or speaking; and keep yourselves clean, that you may stand in your throne, and every one have his lot, and stand in the lot in the Ancient of Days. And so the blessing of the Lord be with you, and keep you over all the idolatrous worships and worshippers: let them know the living God; for teachings, churches, worships must be thrown down with the power of the Lord God, set up by man's earthy understanding, knowledge and will. For this all must be thrown down with that which gave forth scripture; and who be in that, reigns over it all: that is the word of the Lord God to you all. In that is God worshipped, that brings to declare his will; and brings to the church in God, the ground and pillar of truth: for now is the mighty day of the Lord appeared, and the arrows of the Almighty gone forth, which shall stick in the hearts of the wicked. Now will I arise, saith the Lord God Almighty, to trample and thunder down deceit, which hath

long reigned, and stained the earth: now will I have my glory out of every one. The Lord God Almighty over all in his strength and power you keep, to his glory, that you may come to answer that of God in every one in the world. Proclaim the mighty day of the Lord of fire and sword, who will be worshipped in spirit and in truth; and keep in the life and power of the Lord God, that the inhabitants of the earth may tremble before you that the Lord God's power and majesty may be admired among the hypocrites and heathens, and ye in the wisdom, dread, life, terror and dominion preserved to his glory: that nothing may rule or reign, but power and life itself; and in the wisdom of God ye may be preserved in it. And this is the word of the Lord God to you all, and the call is now out of transgression; the spirit bids come: and the call is now from all false worships and gods, and from all inventions and dead works to serve the living God: and the call to repentance, to the amendment of life, whereby righteousness may be brought forth; which shall go throughout the earth. Therefore ye that be chosen and faithful, which are with the Lamb, go through your work faithfully, and in the strength and power of the Lord; and be obedient to the power; for that will save you out of the hands of unreasonable men, and preserve you over the world to himself: hereby you may live in the kingdom, that stands in power, which hath no end; where glory and life is.'

For Tho. Mounts.

G. F.

After the assize, the sheriff with some soldiers came to guard a woman to execution, that was sentenced to die; and we had a great deal of discourse with them. One of them wickedly said, that Christ was as passionate a man as any that lived upon the earth: for which wicked saying we rebuked him. Another time we asked the jailer what doings there were at the sessions; and he said, 'Small matters; only about thirty for bastardy.' We thought it very strange, that they who professed themselves Christians should make small matters of such things: but this jailer was very bad himself, and I often admonished him to sobriety; but he would abuse people that came to visit us. Edward Pyot had a cheese sent him from Bristol from his wife; and the jailer took the cheese from him, and carried it to the mayor, to search it for treasonable letters, as he said: and though they found no treason in the cheese, they kept it from us. This jailer might have been made rich if he had carried himself civilly; but he sought his own ruin;

which soon after came upon him: for the next year he was turned out of his place, and for some wickedness was cast into the jail himself, and there begged of our friends. And for some unruliness in his carriage, he was by the succeeding jailer put into doomsdale, and locked in irons, and beaten; and bid to remember how he had abused those good men, whom he had wickedly, without any cause, cast into that nasty dungeon and told, that now he deservedly should suffer for his wickedness; and the same measure he had meted to others, he should have meted out to himself. He grew to be very poor, and died in prison; and his wife and family came to misery.

While I was in prison in Launceston, there was a friend went to Oliver Cromwell, and offered himself, body for body, to lie in doomsdale prison for me, or in my stead, if he would take him, and let me go at liberty. Which thing so struck him, that he said to his great men and council, Which of you would do so much for me if I were in the same condition?' And though he did not accept of the friend's proffer, but said he could not do it for that it was contrary to law, yet however the truth thereby came mightily over him. A good while after this he sent down major-general Desborow, pretending to set us at liberty: and when he came, he profferred us, if we would go home, and preach no more, we should have our liberty; but we could not promise him so. Then he urged, that we should promise to go home, if the Lord permit: whereupon Edward Pyot wrote him this following letter:

'Friend,

To Major-General Desborow.

'Though much might be said as to the liberty of Englishmen to travel in any part of the nation of England, it being as the Englishman's house by the law, and he to be protected in any part of it; and if he transgress the law, the penalty upon the transgressor is to be inflicted. And as to liberty of conscience, which is a natural right, and a fundamental; and the exercise of it, by those who profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, is to be protected; as by the instrument of government appears; though they differ in doctrine, worship, and discipline; provided the liberty extend not to popery, or prelacy, nor to licentiousness. Where these rights are denied us, our liberty is infringed; which are the price of much blood and treasure in the late wars. Yet in the power of God over all, by which all are

to be ruled, are we, and in it dwell, and by it alone are guided to do the will of God; whose will is free and we, in the freedom of his will, walk by the power, either as it commands or permits, without any condition or enforcement thereunto by men; but as the power moves either by command or permission. And although we cannot covenant or condition to go forth of these parts, or to do this or that thing, if the Lord permit (for that were to do the will of man by God's permission) yet it is like we may pass forth of these parts in the liberty of the will of God, as we may be severally moved, and guided by the pure power, and not of necessity. We, who were first committed, were passing homewards when we were apprehended; and, as far as I know, we might pass, if the prison doors were commanded to be opened, and we freed of our bonds. Should we stay, if the Lord commands us to go; or should we go, if the Lord commands us to stay; or having no command to stay, but being permitted to pass from hence, the pure power moving thereto, and yet we stay; or go, when as before commanded to stay; we should then be wanderers indeed: for such are wanderers who wander out from the will and power of God, abroad, at large, in their own wills and earthly minds. And so, in the fear of the Lord God, well weigh and consider, with the just weight and just balance, that justice thou mayest do to the just and innocent in prison.'

Edward Pyot.

Some time having passed after the foregoing was delivered him, and he not giving any order for our discharge, I also wrote unto him as followeth :

'Friend,

To Major-General Desborow.

We who be in the power of God, the ruler of all, the upholder of all things, and know and dwell in his power, to it we must be obedient; which brings us to stand out of all men's wills, not limited. To say, we will, if the Lord permit, in a case of buying and selling to get gain, if the intent be so to do, may be done but we standing in the power of God to do his will, and to stand out of man's will, if man propound, we shall have our liberty if we will say we will go to our outward being, if the Lord permit, if it be the will of God; and because we cannot say these words in this case, shall not have our liberty; when we

:

know that the will of God is, we shall go to speak at some other place; here we cannot say these words truly. For to say, we will go to our outward habitation, if it be according to the will of God, when we know the will of God is otherwise, we cannot speak so truly and clearly. Neither can any man say so to him that requires it of him, who stands in the power, and knows the power of God to lead him, according to God's will, and it leads him to another place than that which is called the outward home. But the Son of God, who came to do, and did, the will of God, had no place whereon to lay his head; and the apostles, and many of the followers of Christ, had no certain dwelling place. Now, if these should have been restrained, because they could not say they would go to that which the world calls their outward homes, if it were the will of God, when they knew it was the will of God they should not; and they could not do the will of God in doing so; and therefore could not speak those words to satisfy man's mind and will, would not that have been evil? Abraham could not do the will of God but in going from his native country and who are of faith are of Abraham, of whom Christ came according to the flesh. Now, if you alledge and say, this is to let all loose, and at liberty to idleness, I say, no; such as be in the power of God, who do the will of God, come to receive his wisdom, by which all his creatures were created; by which to use them to his glory. So this I shall say who are moved by the Lord God of glory and power, to go to their outward beings or habitations, such of us may go to our outward beings or homes, and there be diligent in serving the Lord God, that they may be a blessing from the Lord God in their generation; diligently serving him in life and doctrine, in manners, in conversation, in all things. And who are moved of the Lord to go to any other place, we standing in his will, and being moved by his power, which comprehends all things, and is not to be limited, we shall do his will, which we are commanded to do. So the Lord God open your understandings. that you may see this great power of the Lord, which he is now manifesting among his children in this his day; that ye may not withstand it in our friends, that are come into the power of God, and to God, and know him by whom the world was made; by whom all things were created that were created; and there was not any thing made, of all that was made, but what was made for him, and to him, and by him; who is the power of God, who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world. Now, our friends being come to this light, which cometh VOL, I.

Y