Two Epistles SENT IN MANUSCRIPT TO Friends of truth, BY GEORGE FOX the younger, And now Printed for their further service.  
LONDON, Printed for William Warwick 1663.   

Two Epistles sent in Manuscript to Friends, etc.  

The Servant of Jesus Christ, and prisoner for the Word of God, sendeth greeting unto the Flock of God who in this day suffer bonds and other tribulations and cruelties for the precious Truth, even for obeying the Gospel of salvation, which is the Power of God.  
OH ye beloved ones, who have valued the eternal Truth above your nearest and dearest Relations, Liberties, Estates & Lives, and have hazarded and given up all freely in the Cause of God, your reward is with you, which is free: Oh ye heirs of eternal life, ye babes of God, born of the Seed Royal, ye children of the promise, who are counted for the Seed, the glory and peace of God resteth upon you, and the Arm of my Father is your strength, the Lord our righteousness is his Name, who is your strong Tower, the place of your safety: Oh my beloved Friends, my bowels are filled with the streams of Eternal life and love, which runneth forth freely unto you, who are highly favoured of God, who are counted worthy to suffer for his living eternal truth; blessed be you of the Lord my Saviour, happy are you ye children of the Most High; filled be your bowels with the springs of eternal life, and filled be your hearts and mouths with the high praises of Emanuel: Oh Friends, through faith in the blood of the Lamb do you stand, and in it shall you overcome and obtain the victory over the Beast, false Prophet and Dragon, whose hour this is in the power of darkness, which is given to them for a moment to try your precious Faith. Therefore my beloved ones, who know the clefts of the Rock, and the place where the King is found: O retire all thither, and solace yourselves under the banner of his love, remove not away from the springs of his strength & virtue which he hath opened unto you, but dwell in his patience, and wait in his Light, in the pure stillness, till he arise and make his enemies his footstool. Oh Friends, you that cannot act contrary to the will of Emanuel, you that cannot bow down to any other image but the Light of the glorious Gospel, which is the image of the invisible God; you that cannot cease from worshipping him in the spirit and truth; you that cannot cease petitioning him, and meeting together in his Name, notwithstanding the Decree of the Rulers, and the raging of the wicked, I feel you in daniel's spirit, and enjoy you in that power which stoppeth the mouths of the Lions; you whose bodies are cast into Prisons, Dungeons and Holes, you who are numbered with transgressors, and are separated from your outward Relations; you who have given up your Estates and Lives and all, or are freely willing so to do, if you b● called to it; I know the Lord my God is not wanting to you, I know you are filled with his pure peace, power and presence; I know you have all, and enjoy all that the Lord seethe to be good for you, even as I your brother do, who suffereth with you; and thus we receive an hundred fold, even in this time with persecution, and eternal life in the World to come is ours; faint not: O● my Brethren and Sisters, in the overcomings of the Power, Love, Virtue, Mercy and Joy of our God which filleth my Vessel, do I salute you all, and am near unto you in the spirit of love, rejoicing to hear of your faithfulness and courage. Ah my amiable ones, multiplied be your faith and strength in the power of the eternal God, for we are not yet come to the depth of our trials.  
Verily it is but a remnant that will follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth: Oh ye Virgins who defile not yourselves with the weaker things, but are washed and pure in the chaste life of the Lamb, and redeemed from the earth by his power, his righteousness is your garment; yea his spirit is your covering, his eye is upon you for good, though the Whore may yet a little while prevail against your bodies, though she may yet drink some more blood, yet be not dismayed, seeing you know that by which victory shall be obtained; and all these things shall work together for good to you that love the Lord, and not your lives unto the death. Oh ye Babes of God, this day have I long waited and looked for, & of it have I been made to prophesy, and in the Faith, Word and Power of God I further testify, that this day must yet be hotter (for a little space) that no dross may remain among the pure gold, of which the Jewels are to be made up; but my Friends, the Lord our King in whom we have trusted, he shall arise and work such wonders in the earth, (even in this age) as shall astonish and amaze the Heathen, and cause the ears of many that shall near thereof to tingle, and men's hearts shall fail them because of those things that they shall behold; but as for you who know the word of eternal life, hold that fast, and look ye not out, nor back (remember Lots Wife) neither let in fears, but watch and wait in the eternal counsel of my Father, and he will minister strength proportionable to every one's trial, and be a safe hiding place to the meek.  
And all you whom the Lord God hath touched with his living Power, and visited with his eternal truth, and counted worthy, and hath begotten you into the knowledge of his truth in any measure, and brought you to believe in the same (though you be yet out of bonds) know this my Friends, that this is a day wherein God will try your faith and love which you have professed in, and to him; yea, this is a day wherein a mighty storm is arisen, which will shake down the unsound, and the untimely fruit, that so the sound which partakes of the sap and virtue of the tree, may be clearly made manifest; yea this is a day in which the good Husbandman will separate the seed from the chaff, which he will scatter by his searching winds; therefore I beseech you all (who have any true love unto God, and the way of his holiness) keep close to the measure of his invisible Life & Power in your own vessels, that so you may retain strength, and be made able to stand witnesses for his Name; and I exhort and warn you all, that you suffer not your minds to be entangled or encumbered with the cares of this life, lest thereby the enemy get advantage against you, and so you lose your strength. Oh take heed of the Enemy's temptations, if he come unto you, and offer you the things of this life, that may seem pleasing to the creature, and tell you that you shall enjoy them if you will bow unto him, consent not to him, for if you cannot enjoy them and the presence and love of God, let them all go, and murmur not, deny not the Lord, let not the fear of the loss of any visible thing cause yau to act contrary to that which God hath made manifest unto you. Let not your lives be dear unto you for the cause of God. Oh Friends, this is a day wherein God will try who they are that love any changeable thing more than himself, or who they be that will defile their consciences, and deny his Witness therein, to save their estates, liberties and lives, and verily they that shall so do, heavy plagues, vengeance and judgements shall fall upon them, and that suddenly, the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it: But joy, peace and glory everlastingly shall rest upon them that stand steadfast in the Faith received from God. Therefore dear Hearts, be faithful unto death, and ye shall receive the crown of Life. And all you my Friends who have of this World's goods, let the love of God still abound in you, and then you will be constrained by it to refresh your poor brethren and sisters that stand in need this day, and thereby you may take away the cause of some temptations which otherwise might fall upon them. And oh my Friends, I know the love and care of many of you hath been, and yet is exceeding large in this particular, even so let it be still continued, and the Lord shall be glorified and honoured thereby, and he will be your exceeding great reward.  
O Lord my God, thou hast filled my bowels with thy eternal power, thou hast filled my heart with gladness, and my mouth with praises beyond all utterance; also thy peace and thy glory resteth upon me; thou hast mightily filled me with words and boldness; yea, thou hast set me above the fears of death; thou hast caused me to be content with whatsoever thou hast suffered to come upon me; and thou knowest I neither fear imprisonment, banishment, death, or any other cruelty that is possible for man to inflict upon my body; thou knowest I neither regard their threaten, nor the flatteries of the wicked, for my trust is alone in thee, and thou art my strength and my glory; thou hast made me to be content to be even what ever thou wouldst have me: Thou knowest I seek nothing but thy honour alone; therefore wilt thou honour me before the people, according to thy Word.  
And now O Lord my God, I beseech thee keep thy people in this day of trial▪ and hour of temptation, keep them above the earth, and out of the flatteries of a deceitful tongue, and keep them in contentedness with thy pure will in all things: Fill them with boldness and valour for thy Name and Truth, that so they may be careful for nothing, but to answer thy holy requirings; that thou mayest have the honour and glory of all, and that thou mayest exalt thy truth, and them in it over all.  
Then shall praises break forth and be multiplied unto thee, oh thou King of Saints, oh thou everlasting Fountain of endless life, who is able to express thy mighty and strange acts which thou art doing, and about to do: Oh keep thy people I beseech thee, faithful in their particular measures and places; oh that they may understand thy outgoings in every thing, so shall not thy work in any be condemned.  
George Fox the younger. From the Gatehouse Palace-yard, Westminst. the 17th of the 11th. month 1660.   

A Second Epistle to Friends, etc.  
Friends,  
AS for you who are sufferers this day upon the account of truth, whether in bonds, or out of them, I know and am satisfied that many of you have not need that any man teach you, because you are not only brought to the knowledge of the Anointing, but it abideth in you, and your delight is holy to obey the same, and whatsoever it Commandeth you it is your Meat and Drink to do it, because you are born of him from whence it comes, and he dwelleth in you, and you in him, & you know his voice, and are in a Readiness to obey the same; and I know ye are taught of him what he requireth of you, so you that are come to this state, I know words as to your own particular add but little, because you enjoy the end of them: Yet I know when any thing proceeds from the same word and Fountain of Life of which you partake, feed, and drink, that may be of service to others that are not come to so high a State, that profess the same truth, or desire the knowledge of it, you can with joy, hear the same, and are refreshed; because thereby the work of the Lord which you delight in is carried on: Therefore that which is upon me in the Fear, Power, and Life of God, I shall write, and send amongst you that profess the truth, as it is in Jesus, that it may reach to you to whom it is of service, that where the witness of God is owned, it may arise and make manifest to each particular, what of that which is here written belongeth unto them.  
Friends, you who are imprisoned for the testimony of truth, happy are you that are faithful in your Testimony for the Lord: Now this know, that it is them that suffer according to the will of God, and Continue in pure obedience thereunto, which are acceptable unto him (by Jesus Christ) in their Testimony: Therefore let the pure dread of the Almighty be lived in, and let there be a a sure watch (kept by every particular) in the Light, lest any thing (through the temptation of the Enemy) get up in any of you that is contrary to the Lords pure Light, and you join to it, and thereby you, and your Testimony come to be defiled, and the Lord dishonoured; And Friends, this know, that there are many temptations which ofttimes accompany those that are in bonds for the truth, which are to be watched against in the pure Light which makes them manifest, or else there is a great danger, Now it is upon me to speak something concerning some of them, that you may watch against them as your deadly Enemies, (mark) as there is a true joy that springs in those that in the true simplicity, do suffer for the cause of God, so also there is this temptation that sometimes may be presented to some in bonds, (mark) even to think highly of themselves, because they are put in prison for the truth; ye even to think of themselves (because of their sufferings) above what they are. Now where this temptation is joined to, it puffeth such up in the fleshly false joy, and leads out of the fear above the Cross, and so becomes very dangerous unto them, and such become very burdensome to them that abide in the truth, and suffer according to the will of God, therefore where any hath such a temptation. Oh watch against it that it prevail not; and where any are sensible that such a temptation hath prevailed, let such sink down to the pure judgement of the Lord, and wait therein, till through faith and patience, victory be obtained. And Friends, let the fear and the mighty dread of the Lord God be upon you in receiving of the Creatures, or else the simplicity in you may soon be betrayed. Oh there is a great danger concerning those things, if the pure life which is more than meat, be not continually lived in. Many whose hearts are open, not knowing what you (who are in bonds) may want, may bring and offer you much, and some may urge things upon you; therefore you had need to stand in the pure fear, wisdom and authority of God (in the self-denial) or else those things may soon become a snare unto you, and so fleshly liberty and ease may be Run into, and may grow upon you, whereby the true savour and feeling of the living truth may be lost; therefore keep low and watchful, that so you may be preserved sincere to the Lord in his authority standing out of, and denying all superfluity; And you who have but little of this world's goods, who are in sufferings, and do rather want then a-abound. Oh Friends, commit your cause to God, and let not the enemy on the other hand prevail in tempting you to look out, or to distrust, and thereby cast you down, and bring your precious life under, but in the Faith and Patience of the Lamb abide, doing the things that is lawful and aright in the fight of God, and he will assuredly provide for you: Oh do not in any wise do evil, that good may come thereof; the woe will be upon them that keep you from providing for your families, and they in the day of God's judgements (which hasteth) will be found and counted worse than infidels, and nor you, who are willing to labour for your families, if you could have your liberty without sinning against the Lord; and all Friends be watchful one over another, in the true love which thinks no evil, and live in it, and bear one with another, and be subject to the power in one another, and that will bring you to know how to abound, and how to suffer want; and it will constrain you to be helpful one to another, both in and out of bonds; yea it will bring you into contentedness in every condition. Oh dear hearts; I know there are many of you that are out of Prison, whose sufferings this day are as great, and some far greater than those that are in, but well will it be with you, who are faithful and obedient in your places and measures, whether in bonds, or out; and ill will it be with the unfaithful, and disobedient where ever they be; therefore keep to the Lords living eternal power, that you may be carried through all your trials within, and without, in your several places. For my Friends, the day will yet be very hot, yea it must so be, that that which can abide the fire, may be made manifest clearly, and remain in its purity, and that the dross which hath been mixed with the pure, may also be separated from it, and be made manifest to be but dross; and you that are in bonds, take heed of looking out, at time, or place, or at the cruelty of the Enemy; poor hearts, I know some of you suffer exceeding much hardship this day in your Testimony for the Lord; yet I know the presence of my Father is freely with you, who in the innocency, and simplicity of your hearts, gives up to his pure will in all things. Oh Friends, take heed that none of you yield to uphold any wicked Custom, or oppression; which many of you may be tempted to in Prisons, & may suffer much for denying them, but better is it so to do, then to offend the Lord, who is the reward of the faithful: Oh Friends, this is a day the Lord hath mightily discovered the Beast, his Power, Names, and horns; And this is a day wherein the Lord is Calling, and Leading his People to bear a clear Testimony against all those things; Therefore take heed to yourselves, that you give not your Power to the Beast, by bowing to any of his Names. Fear not his Horns, Receive not his Mark; though he suffer you not to buy, nor sell. Oh Friends watch, for you will be tempted, and all both bond & free, whose Names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will be compelled, and all that follow the Lamb this day must come through great tribulation, for he is opposing the Beast, and breaking through his Power, Horns, Names, and Marks; And behold there is great Power and authority given to the Beast; that he may try the Inhabitants of the Earth; and that the Virgins that follow the Lamb, who love not their Lives to the death, may be clearly made manifest, and separated from all the dirty professors of his Name, that will bow and fall under the power of the Beast, to save themselves; and say in their hearts, who is able to make war with them; and verily great will be the number of such; Therefore dear hearts stand steadfast, and watch unto prayer, and wait in the power that is endless, that your understandings may be kept open and clear, that you may see all the snares of the Enemy; and that you may feel Power to resist in the time of need: For my Friends this know, that those that start not a side but followeth the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, many of them have greater things to pass through, and to suffer, than an inprisonment; Therefore wait that you may be prepared for whatsoever the Lord may suffer to come upon you, for the trial of your faith: Oh take heed of D●rty engagements, Bonds, or Ties; better were it for you that have Estates to lose them, or for you or others to suffer Imprisonment, Banishment, Death, or any other cruelty, (if the will of God be such as to give your adversaries so much power) then to bring yourselves into bondage, who in any measure are made free by the Lord. Friends, the Children of the Promise are counted for the seed, and the seed royal is free, and is not to be compelled to any thing by man, but what it declares to land do●● among) the Sons of Men to stand (and to be done) in its own freedom and liberty, and this seed cannot beg its freedom and liberty of any mortal, nor never did, neither can it, nor give its power to the Beast, but through suffering it breaks down, and through the Beasts compelling power, and so by its own power in the Father it conquereth its Enemies, and works itself into the dominion over all, & all power must bow down to it, and serve and obey it; therefore all you that know the truth▪ (the seed Royal) feel his power that Redeems▪ ●ut of all Earthly things, that so you may be willing to suffer for him, with whom ye desire to reign, and be willing to bear the Cross, and despise the shame; Then shall you obtain the Crown which is immortal; but whosoever draws back, my foul shall have no pleasure in him, saith the Lord God; Therefore my Friends stand out of all mortals, in the immortal seed, and consent not, neither bow to, or join to (or do) any thing that the Life of the seed draws or leads not to (what ever you may see others) (whom you have esteemed to be before you in the truth Consent to) yet do nothing (to save yourselves) by imitation without ceiling the Life to lead you▪ but whereunto every one of you hath attained, in the knowledge of the life of God, walk you by the same rule, and mind the same thing, knowing this, that there are first, that shall be last, and there are last, that shall be first; so the Lord God keep you in his authority, Life and Wisdom to the end, Amen.  
I am your endeared Friend in the power of the Righteousness, of the Lamb, in which I war against his Enemies, & not with carnal weapons; therefore I fear not man, whose heart is filled with cruelty, neither am I dismayed at the power of those that seek my Life, for it is in the hands of him that pleads my cause (who will set up his own Kingdom, and establish it in Righteousness, and destroy them that will not serve and obey him,) let him do what he pleaseth with it▪ Glory to him in the highest; Halelu●ah▪ George Fox the younger. From, the Palace-yard Gatehouse 30th 11th Month ● 1660▪