To all the friends to truth in the nations Swinton, John, 1621?-1679. 1663 Approx. 6 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A62058 Wing S6287A ESTC R220774 99832165 99832165 36636 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A62058) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 36636) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2136:4) To all the friends to truth in the nations Swinton, John, 1621?-1679. 1 sheet ([1] p.) s.n., [London : 1663] Signed at end: J.S., i.e. John Swinton. Imprint from Wing. Reproduction of the original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). 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Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Society of Friends -- Doctrines -- Early works to 1800. 2008-01 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-01 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Sampled and proofread 2008-03 Elspeth Healey Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion TO ALL THE Friends to Truth in the Nations . DEar Friends , I am Commanded of the Lord God to lay a few things before yon , charging you in his Fear and Dread to weigh and consider them . THis is an Hour and Power of Darkness , of Tryal upon all , and is not a Time for any to be looking abroad ; It is high time for the strength of every Individual to be gathered Inward ; Stayed minds will now be found more needful than ever . The Grand Design of the Enemy is , To draw you out ; and doth suit his several Baits accordingly ; Knowing assuredly , that your Strength , your Peace , your Safety , your Redemption , indeed your All lies in your single being stayed in your Minds in the Light , and in your Real and Sincere Obedience and Subjection to the Leading of That , to the proper measure of that in every Individual or Particular Vessel ; If he can but lead you out from That in more or less , in so fat he gains his point , and you so far strengthen the hands of the Enemy , and you are struck in your very Vital parts , especially if in any measure your Minds be joyned to that Thing , whatever it be you have set up an Idol of Jealousie . Therefore all dear hearts , in the LIGHT watch over the hollow-nature , over your Thoughts , Words and Actions ; every one keeping in their proper Sphere , singly given up in all things INWARD and OVTWARD , Fearing and Trembling , especially in this Day to admit of a Thought , a Word or Action to pass you withont examining in the Light , how far it is owned by the Infallible Witness ; and if it will not stand there shut it out , and let it alone , if there be any Doubt concerning it . Dear hearts , I have in the Eternal seen , that the Enemy hath much entred , in the Ordinary Application of that which goeth under the name of our own Freedome . I say again , this is an Hour and Power of Darkness , and the Enemy hath entred ; And I say ( in the Dread and Authority and Power of the living God ) hath leavened many ; and the Seed hath been and is burthened in many Particulars , and in one another ; The World hath entred , Self hath entred , the High-mind hath entred : Singleness , Love , Integrity , Tenderness , Bowels , have been eaten out . Judgings , Evil-Surmisings , Enterfearings with one anothers work ; so that even Divisions with an Open Face hath entred as it were ; Yea , and the Servants of the Lord God have been discouraged , and their hands weakned , in that which they have been particularly employed in from the Lord God. I speak what in the Infallible I see and know , I Judge no man ; All Judgement is committed to the Son ; every Individual is to stand-fast in that Liberty , to admit of no Judgement but what is from the true Judge : To shut out the Accuser , any thing that would take that Office ; And indeed the Work of that is to justifie the Guilty , and condemn the Innocent , both at Home and Abroad ( feel me ) And therefore I do in the Name and Authority of the Lord God Charge every Individual , shutting out all Reasonings , Consulations , Justifications , Accusations , that they may come under the Single View of the True and Insallible Judge , the LIGHT in the Conscience ; that every One may in that see , how far the Execrable thing hath entred any of you , in any of the afore-mentioned Evils : For I do say , In the Fear & Dread of the Almighty , that I have seen his Fury ready to break forth for these things ; Yea , his Jealousie that burns like Fire . And therefore let none be stout-hearted , let all sink down to the Witness ; for whatever ye be , it is your station to dwell there , and not to look out ; and in that you shall see the Innocent Cleared , Justified , and Judgement brought upon the head of the Transgressor , that in every Vessel the Transgressor may be Sacrificed ; there may be nothing preserved that must be broken down and shut out , that the Oppressed may be delivered , the Dear and Pretious Vnion of Friends preserved , the Reproach of Truth taken away , and who have been overtaken in an Infirmity ( through the Deceit or Violence of the Enemy ) may be restored with the Spirit of Meekness , Love and Tenderness . For Friends , Know that the Weight of these things have been upon me , and I have been pressed under them . I am even bowed down . J.S.