overturn your foundation and bottom whereon ye pretend to stand, while ye are professing the Scriptures, and persecuting the life, light, and power which they were in who gave them forth. For the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, is now striking at the feet of the image, the profession which is set up, and stands in the will of man. Now is that made manifest unto which all must answer, and appear before the judgment-seat of Christ: that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done whether it be good or Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and shall be made manifestin all your consciences, which ye shall witness.

bad.

"G. F."

Divers times when a fast was proclaimed, G. Fox wrote on that subject; and since commonly some mischief was then contrived against the Quakers, no wonder that he should say, that these fasts were like unto Jezebel's.

Many of his friends being at this time in prisons and dungeons, several others of them went to the parliament, and offered to lie in the same prisons where their brethren lay; that so those that were in prison, might not perish in stinking dungeons, and their persecutors thereby bring innocent blood upon their own heads.

But this could not be obtained; for some of the parliament would threaten these compassionate men that thus attended them, with whipping, if they did not desist. And because the parlia ment then sitting, consisted mostly of such who, pretending to be more religious than others, were indeed great persecutors of those that were truly religious, G. Fox could not let this hypocrisy go unreproved, but wrote the following lines to them :

"O friends, do not cloke and cover yourselves; there is a God that knoweth your hearts, and that will uncover you. He seeth your way: wo be to him that covereth, but not with my Spirit, saith the Lord. Do ye contrary to the law, and then put it from you? Mercy and true judgment ye neglect. Look, what is spoken against such; my Saviour spake against such: "I was sick, and ye visited me not; I was hungry, and ye fed me not; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; I was in prison and ye visited me not." But they said, "When saw we thee in prison and did not come to thee?" "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these little ones, ye did it not to me." Friends, ye prison them that be in the life and power of truth, and yet profess to be the ministers of Christ: but if Christ had sent you, ye would bring out of prison, and out of bondage, and receive strangers

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter: ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you. "G. F."

It was not G. Fox alone who was grieved with the said hypocrisy, but others of his friends also declared zealously against it. A certain woman came once into the parliament with a pitcher in her hand, which she breaking before them, told them, so should they be broken to pieces; which came to pass not long after. And because, when the great sufferings of G. Fox's friends were laid before O. Cromwell, he would not believe it, this gave occasion to Thomas Aldam and Anthony Pearson, to go through all, or most of the gaols in England, and get copies of their friends commitment under the jailors hands, to lay the weight of the said sufferings upon O. Cromwell, which was done; but he, unwilling to give order for their release, Thomas Aldam took his cap from off his head, and tearing it to pieces, said to him, "So shall thy government be rent from thee and thy house."

About the beginning of this year, E. Burrough wrote a letter to O. Cromwell, and his council, complaining of, and warning them

against persecution, as being what would draw down God's anger against them.

some

Several copies of the said letter were delivered to Oliver, and his council; and months after E. Burrough wrote the following letter to him.

"Friend,

To the Protector.

"The salutation of my life wisheth well unto thee in the Lord, and most especially that thy precious soul may be redeemed out of death to God, and live, that thou mayest have a rest and habitation in him, when this world is no more.

"Now whereas it is a general outcry among the teachers and people among this nation, and also is doubted, and hath been sometimes objected by thyself, that the people called Quakers, are deluded, and deceived, and in error, and such like and now, if it be possible, that thy. self and others, may be resolved concerning us; put therefore all thy objections and doubtings into plain positions, or let the wisest of thy teachers do it for thee; and whatsoever thyself, or any for thee, can object against us, or what thou doubtest of, or stumblest at, either in respect of our doctrines, or practice, let the matter be stayed in plain words, in positions, or queries; and if God permit, a sufficient answer thou mayest receive; to remove all conscienti

ous scruples, and to confound all subtle allegements and evasions; whereby hereafter for ever thou mayest be altogether inexcusable of all doubting, or speaking against us, or suffering evil to be done, or spoken against us upon that account. And this am I moved to give forth, and send thee, that thou mayest be satisfied: and all things tried and made manifest in the sight of all men; and that all rash judgment, and false supposition, which lodgeth in the hearts of many, may be confounded and brought to nought; and let it be left off, to cry out deceivers, and heresy, &c. and causing any to suffer on suspicion thereupon; but bring all things to light, and true judgment; that what is proved to be the truth may be owned, and not persecuted any more; for we are willing to be made manifest to all men; and if any thing be objected against us, which may not be sufficiently answered, and resolved to sober men, then our enemies are more free, and have whereof to glory in against us; but and if all occasion of stumbling be removed by answers, according to the Scriptures, and our principles, practices, and doctrines thereby vindicated, then let all the teachers, and all our adversaries, shut their mouths from biting at us, and railing against us, and accusing of us to thee; and let thy ear be shut from believing lies against the innocent; and let none suffer in thy dominion