(but more especially the presence and glory of God manifested in the meeting being terrible to the consciences of the persecutors) did so weary out the malice of their adversaries, that oftentimes they were forced to leave their work undone. For when they came to break up a meeting, they were obliged to take every individual out by force, they not being free to give up their liberty by dissolving at their command: and when they were haled out unless they were kept forth by violence, they presently returned peaceably to their place. Yea, when sometimes the magistrates have pulled down their meeting-houses, they have met the next day openly upon the rubbish, and so by innocency kept their possession and ground, being properly their own, and their right to meet and worship God being not forfeited to any. So that when armed men have come to dissolve them, it was impossible for them to do it, unless they had killed every one; for they stood so close together, that no force could move any one to stir, until violently pulled thence so that when the malice of their opposers stirred them to take shovels, and throw the rubbish upon them, there they stood unmoved, being willing, if the Lord should so permit, to have been there buried alive, witnessing for him. As this patient but yet courageous way of suffering made the persecutors' work very heavy and wearisome unto them, so the courage and patience of the sufferers, using

no resistance, nor bringing any weapons to defend themselves, nor seeking any ways revenge upon such occasions, did secretly smite the hearts of the persecutors, and made their chariot-wheels go on heavily. Thus after much and many kind of sufferings thus patiently borne, which to rehearse would make a volume of itself, which may in due time be published to the nations* (for we have them upon record) a kind of negative liberty has been obtained; so that at present for the most part we meet together without disturbance from the magistrate. But on the contrary, most Protestants, when they have not the allowance and toleration of the magistrate, meet only in secret, and hide their testimony; and if they be discovered, if there be any probability of making their escape by force (or suppose it were by cutting off those that seek them out) they will do it; whereby they lose the glory of their sufferings, by not appearing as the innocent followers of Christ, nor having a testimony of their harmlessness in the hearts of their pursuers, their fury, by such resistance, is the more kindled against them. As to this last part, of resisting such as persecute them, they can lay claim to no precept from Christ, nor any example of him or his apostles approved.

But as to the first part, for fleeing and meet

* See Sewel's "History of the Society of Friends."

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ing secretly, and not openly testifying for the truth, they usually object that saying of Christ, Mat. x. 23. "When they persecute you in this city, flee into another." And Acts ix. 4. that "the disciples met secretly for fear of the Jews." And Acts ix. 25. That Paul was let out of Damascus in a basket down by the wall.

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To all which I answer, First, As to that saying of Christ, it is a question if it had any further relation than to that particular message with which he sent them to the Jews; yea, the latter end of the words seems expressly to hold forth so much; "For ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come." Now a particular practice or command for a particular time will not serve for a precedent to any at this day to shun the cross of Christ. But supposing this precept to reach farther, it must be so understood to be made use of only according as the Spirit giveth liberty, else no man that could flee, might suffer persecution. How then did not the apostles John and Peter flee when they were the first time persecuted at Jerusalem? but on the contrary, went the next day, after they were discharged by the council, and preached boldly to the people. But indeed many are but too capable to stretch such sayings as these for self-preservation, and therefore have great ground to fear, when they interpret them, that they shun to witness for Christ, for fear of hurt to themselves, lest they mistake

them. As for that private meeting of the disciples, we have only an account of the matter of fact, but that suffices not to make of it a precedent for us; and mens' aptness to imitate them in that and not in other things of a contrary nature, shews that it is not a true zeal to be like those disciples, but indeed a desire to preserve themselves, which moves them so to do. Lastly, as to that of Paul's being conveyed out of Damascus, the case was singular, and is not to be doubted but it was done by a special allowance from God, who having designed him to be a principal minister of his gospel, saw meet in his wisdom to disappoint the wicked counsel of the Jews. But our adversaries have no such pretexts for fleeing, whose fleeing proceeds from self-preservation, not from immediate revelation. And that Paul made not this the method of his procedure, appears, in that at another time, notwithstanding the persuasion of his friends, and certain prophecies of his sufferings to come, he would not be dissuaded from going up to Jerusalem, which according to the forementioned rule he should have done.

But lastly, To conclude this matter, glory to God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that now these twenty-five years,* since we were known to be a distinct and separate people, hath given us faith

The Reader will observe that this was written in the year 1675, about 25 years after George Fox commenced his minist erial labours.

Editor.

fully to suffer for his name, without shrinking or fleeing the cross; and what liberty we now enjoy, it is by his mercy, and not by any outward working or procuring of our own, but it is He has wrought upon the hearts of our opposers. Nor was it any outward interest hath procured it unto us, but the testimony of our harmlessness in the hearts of our superiors; for God hath preserved us hitherto in the patient suffering of Jesus, that we have not given away our cause by persecuting any, which few, if any Christians that I know can say. Now against our unparalleled yet innocent and Christian cause, our malicious enemies have nothing to say, but that if we had power, we should do so likewise. This is a piece of mere unreasonable malice, and a privilege they take to judge of things to come, which they have not by immediate revelation; and surely it is the greatest height of harsh judgment to say men would do contrary to their professed principle if they could, who have from their practice hitherto given no ground for it, and wherein they only judge others by themselves; such conjectures cannot militate against us, so long as we are innocent.

And if ever we prove guilty of persecution, by forcing other men by corporal punishment to our way, then let us be judged the greatest of hypocrites, and let not any spare to persecute us. Amen, saith my soul.