AN ANSWER To a Book published by Richard Smith OF WESTCHESTER, Wherein The People of God called QUAKERS (more particularly in this County of Cheshire) are cleared from the Wrong, Injustice and False Accusations by him charged upon them.  
Written for the Information and Satisfaction of the Sober-minded, by Alexander Laurence.  Thou shalt not bear False Witness against thy Neighbour, Exod. 20.16. Against an Elder receive not an Accusation, but before two or three Witnesses, 1 Tim. 5.10. 
Printed in the Year 1677.   

Reader,  
Whosoever thou art to whom this may come, and especially to all such who have seen Richard Smith's Book, to which this following is an Answer; and because the said Richard Smith giveth thee an Account in his Book, how long he hath walked with those People called Quakers, etc. and now hath thus publicly appeared against them, therefore lest thou shouldst say (as some have done) That the Quakers are divided amongst themselves, and therefore are like to come to nought.  
To all such (on the behalf of the People aforesaid) I Answer, That the People called Quakers are not divided, but are in Unity, Peace and Concord amongst themselves, praised be the Lord for it, who is the God of all our Mercies, who hath raised us up to be a People, who were not a People, by his own Arm of Power, and thereby hath gathered us to himself, who were once afar off; and by this Power have we been preserved unto this day, notwithstanding many who have risen up against us; and blessed be the Lord, this holy Arm of Power we do yet feel to uphold us and carry us on through whatsoever Sufferings or Reproaches do or may yet attend us for his Name sake.  
And although some, who have walked with us, may turn from us, it is so manifest, that they were not truly of us; and such there were in the days of the Apostles, of whom John speaks, 1 Joh. 2.19. They went out from us, but they were not of us (but as he saith, even so say we) if they had been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, etc. And Judas walked, and was numbered amongst the Apostles, yet afterwards turned from them, and proved a Traitor. And the Wise in Heart may easily see R. S' Design in publishing his Book, & thereby gratifying such who are evilly affectied towards us. The Apostle Paul, when he speaks of his many Perils, 2 Cor. 11.26. mentions as not one of the least of his Sufferings (to wit) his Perils amongst false Brethren; and so, if we meet with such in our day, it is no new thing, but even the same that our Brethren that are gone before us have met with in their Age and Day.  
T. J. Given forth the 29th day of the 7th Month, 1677.   

AN ANSWER To a BOOK published by Richard Smith OF WESTCHESTER.  
Richard Smith,  
THy Book thou gavest me the 26th of the 4th Month, I have perused, and did wholly conclude to have been silent as to any Answer to it, knowing it would pass away like an untimely Birth, as many of that nature and tendency have done; but upon further consideration finding, that though thou pretendest to a great deal of fair and Christianlike dealing with us in Words, yet in Deed hast done otherways, as though we were guilty of gross Errors, and in our managing of the Difference between thee and Daniel Maddock. that thou hadst received such Wrong from us as is beyond all bounds of Civility; page the 7th at large, reporting those for my words in the behalf of the Meeting which were not mine, taking part of that which thou to me called'st the Preamble to my Answers to thy Queries, and therein seekest to fasten a Lie upon me; also adding or diminishing to all or most of my Answers to thy Queries, which in their time and place I shall prove, and therefore cannot well pass it by with Silence, as thou in thine to the Reader sayest, it was the way of the holy men of old not to favour gross Errors therewith; but shall endeavour to manifest to thee, and all the sober-minded that may come to read this thy unchristian like dealing with Friends in this County in general, and myself in particular. In the first place, thou tell'st the Reader, That thou signifiedst to thy Friends thy intent in publishing thine; and that thou gave them ten day's time, that they might have come and seen it. I leave it to the sober Reader to judge, whether it had not been as fit for thee to have come to some of us, to have showed it (as I did this to thee) before thou hadst published it; and I myself, upon the receiving notice thereof from thee, wrote to thee again, signifying my desire unto thee to the contrary, by reason it would open the mouths of many to speak evil, & say, as they now do, We are at Difference among ourselves: but my Letter, by reason of some neglect in the messenger, came not to thee within thy prefixed time (though it came before thy Papers went from thy hand) and therefore thou wouldst not so much as open it to read, but sent it from thee sealed again; which I also leave to the sober minded to judge, whether this were christian or friendly dealing yea or nay, being it came before thine went from thy hands: & though such things as these may and do give some occasion to say, We are at Difference among ourselves, yet blessed be the Lord, who by the Arm of his holy Power at first gathered us, and brought us nigh unto himself (which were once afar off) and one unto another in that holy Power; by the same he hath and doth preserve the faithful and upright in heart nigh unto himself, and in Unity one with another, and in love and good will to all people: and though some have, and do, and may go from us, yet it is but that it may be manifest, that they were not all of us.  
In Pag. 8. thou sayest, Thou hast walked with these People since the beginning, meaning them called Quakers: that is not so; for they were a People a good season before thou camest among them so as to join with them, & longer before thou walkedst with them in all humility and lowliness, as thou pretendest: Bearing part with them in all Trials and Sufferings that have befallen them upon a Religious account, as thou there writest: These are very large say, and very much included in them; but less in words, and more in deeds, would make thee never the worse, but better thought of by them that have and do know thy manner of humility and lowliness, and what part thou hast born with us in all our Trials and Sufferings; but it may be thou beganst to be weary of that part thou didst or mightst bear with us, & therefore took this occasion to turn the Meeting forth of thy House, and to descent from us; Truth and Time will manifest all things.  
The first part of thy Book is, to give an account of our dealing or mannagement of the difference between thee and Daniel Maddock; and this we know, that Daniel did not in many things carry hinself as became one professing what he doth, but many times gave occasion for thee to complain of him; and this thou as well knowest we never stood by him, or in the least owned him therein; but on the contrary, reproved him for the same, and admonished him to condemn it, which according to thine pag. 11. he did; and yet new occasion did rise, so that the Difference continued, and rather increased between you, by reason of which we were much troubled, and our spirits often grieved, and tired with the matter, much of the Meeting being many times taken up with that business; and our desires were, that the man might see his own Weakness, and shun it; and therefore did we bore with him long, not willing to cast him wholly off, knowing there was a Principle of God in him, for the sake of which many of us had a secret respect for him, though we dealt plainly with him: and thou thyself at a Meeting, when we were determined to proceed against him, desired Forbearance, for thou hadst Hopes of the Man.  
Witness Thomas Janney, Henry Morrey.  
And our long Forbearance (which thou blamest us so much for, calling it Neglect, Injustice, and false to our own Orders, etc.) produced this at the last, viz. that he, upon the sending Thomas Wynne and his Brother Nathan to him, they laying something before him, came to see his Error, and to condemn it, and gave forth a Paper against himself, the Copy of which is as followeth.  
To all my dear Friends, both Brethren and Sisters at their Quarterly-Meeting in Cheshire.  
Chester, the 9th of the 10th Month, 1675.  
WHereas you out of love and tenderness towards me, have ordered my Brother Nathan Maddock and Thomas Win to come unto me, to reason with me concerning those things charged in your Paper, which things they clearly opened to my Understanding to be Evil, viz. My Burdening the Meeting sometimes with Words, which they could not bear; in speaking Evil against James Park and Richard Smith; and having Separate Meetings, which Friends do disown: Moreover being at this time sensible of God's living Truth, I do in the sense of the same, condemn not only all those things aforesaid, but all other that the Spirit of Truth condemns by you, in that blessed and good Order wherein you are gathered; yea, dear Friends, I do condemn the very spirit and ground of it, and desire to live with you in that good and heavenly Order for evermore.  
The Mark of Daniel VW Maddock. Witness 

Nathan Maddock,  
Richard Hemlock,  
Thomas Winne.    
This may also further satisfy, that the abovesaid was the true Desire of my own Heart.  
D. M.  
And though thou sayest, Thou knowest not upon what account we received it; yet it was in order to give thee, or any other that he had offended satisfaction: Yet were we not satisfied with this only, but also enjoined his Brother Nathan to go to him, and advise him, as from us, To go to thee, and Condemn the thing before the Woman which was by when the words were spoke; which accordingly he did: and though thou art minded to say it was by reason of thy threatening to have him before the Mayor of the City; but that is but thy Supposition; but however, we enjoined him to do it, and accordingly he did, and therein our expectation was answered; and thou at that time seemed satisfied, and desired the Lord to forgive him, and thou didst.  
Witness Nathan Maddock, Richard Hemlock.  
Yet after all this, to seek in all things to justify thyself, and render us and our proceed as bad as thou canst, is not Christian nor Friend-like; but I do believe thou wilt miss of thy End in the minds of sober people, unto whom I leave the consideration of these things to judge, whether we deserve to be reflected upon after such a manner as thou dost in thy Book, and whether thou deservest to be justified in so doing; for my end chief in writing is, to give satisfaction to such as may read both thine & this.  
And as to the thing thou chargest us with, relating to Thomas Davanport, I shall give a short Relation of the truth of the matter, and leave it to the consideration of the sober Reader, whether thou hast not wronged us in saying, We received an Accusation from him against thee when thou wast absent. Thomas Davanport had been long from amongst us, and at that time Thomas Winne and Nathan Maddock went to D.M. they also went to Thomas Davanport, and after some discourse together, he saw he had not done well, and ingenuously confessessed it, and gave forth a Paper to condemn it, the Copy is as followeth.  
This is to all Friends in the Living and Eternal Truth.  
THat whereas I have been judged to deny the Meetings and Assemblies of Friends, and upon that account have abstained from Meetings, and joined myself to those that have denied Meetings. I do here testify in the Presence of the Lord, and bear my Testimony against that spirit that hath led from Meetings, and doth lead from meetings, & particularly against that spirit that judged Friends for putting off their Hats & kneeling in the time of public Prayer: and not only so, but also bear my Testimony against that spirit of Imposition that keeps it on; and as touching my marrying contrary to the good and heavenly Order that is now established among Friends, I do condemn with the former, and the Root and Ground that led me to it: and whatsoever the blessed Spirit of God in the good Order of the same condemns, I do from my Heart condemn: and hereby desire, that this may remove whatsoever Scruple may be in the hearts of any Friends in reference to these things aforesaid; and I hearty desire in the sense of God's blessed Truth to be at Unity with Friends in the same holy and good Order forever and for evermore.  
With my whole heart I do freely consent to what is above written. Thomas Davanport. Iron-Bridge-house, the 10th of the 10th Month, 1675. Witnesses 

Nathan Maddock,  
Thomas Wynne.    
Which when we heard, many of us were very glad of it, having had long good will for him, and really desired his good, The next Quarterly-Meeting he came among us, and having some discourse with him, we advised him, to go again to Meetings amongst us; he answered, Richard Smith had forbid him his house, and he did not know whether he would be willing he should come thither or nay, or words to this effect; we told him, We could not receive any thing against Richard Smith, he not being there, and therefore desired him to forbore; and further, William Gandy and others said unto him, They would engage Richard Smith would be willing he should come into his house: this was the occasion of those words from T. D. and our answer, and whether this were receiving a False Accusation against thee, as thou chargest us with, let any reasonable man judge.  
Witness 

William Gandy,  
John Simcock,  
Thomas Welch,  
John Badely,  
Henry Maddock, with many more.    
Afterwards thou camest into the Meeting, and I told thee what Tho. Davanport had accused thee with, but not willing to have any old matters debated upon (we having had too much of them, as before) I did ask thee this Question, Richard, Art thou willing Thomas shall come into thy House to the Meeting? thou saidst, Thy Doors were open, etc. I asked thee again; thou replyedst off the Matter; so I said, Richard, Canst not thou say, thou art willing, or thou art not? what needeth so much ado? And when thou couldst not satisfy us with those Answers, thou saidst, Thou wouldst say no more, or words to that purpose: and indeed, it did trouble many in the Meeting to see thee so stiff, and so little of a condescending spirit, that though Friends had engaged thou wouldst be willing, yet thou wouldst not so much as say thou wert; which manner of carriage in thee hath given too much occasion of the then Difference in Chester: and when thou hadst refused to answer, Thomas seeing we were troubled thereat, he said to thee, If he had done thee any Wrong, he would do what thou wouldst have him to do, or words to that purpose; and further said, he would do what we would have him to do; and thereupon we advised and desired him to come to Meetings, which accordingly he did; and this thing was it that did (as thou called'st it p. 7.) pinch thee the most of any thing that was done by us; and after this thy spirit turned against us; and then thou be an'st to speak and write against women's Meetings, and not before since that at London (which thou chief objectest against) though that was done above nine month before this I mention; yet nothing that I know of said against it by thee till after this time; so it may easily be understood the Ground or Reason of thy differing with and separating from us, even because thy Mind was not answered in all things according to thy desire by us (which is not the Symtom of a man's walking in all Humility and Lowliness with us, as thou boastest of thyself) though thou now pretendest something else, and makest a great noise of the Wrong we have done thee, etc. which is left to the Reader to consider of, and without partiality to judge.  
So I come to show wherein thou hast wronged me, in reporting those for my words in the behalf of the Meeting which were not mine: The 19th of the 8th month, 1676. after a long Debate with thee, indeed to small purpose, as is proved; thou mayst well know the Cause of it, if thou wilt but let Truth take place in thy mind; the greatest matter thou at that time couldst allege against us was, our Forbearance, or as thou callest it; neglect, etc. that we had not given Sentence of Excommunication against Daniel Maddock, and wholly rejected him; which indeed (as by thy Book doth appear) was the main thing thou hadst driven at for a season; thereupon I said in the behalf of the Meeting, That the Church had Power to pass Sentence of Excommunication, or to forbear for a time, as they saw meet and convenient in the Wisdom of God; these were my words, witness Tho. Brigs, Richard Milner, and others, and these we will stand by. And we do say, The time and season of our declaring on disunion with those who break out of the order of truth stands not in the will of any prejudiced man, but in the will of God, who is Long-suffering and full of tender Mercy, who waits to restore the Back-slider.  
Thou sayest in thine, pag. 19 I said, We had power to suspend our Judgement; in which thou showest either a great deal of Ignorance or Wilfulness; for we had given our Judgement long before this against D. M. otherwise, why did we require him to make thee satisfaction? This manner of dealing is not Friendly nor Christianly, but looketh too like Forgery.  
For thy saying, that Tho. Brigs and Tho. Wynne told thee plainly, thy house was not thy own: It is well known to the moderate people of this Nation (though thou makest such use of it) that we do not deny any man that which is his own, nor desire it from him: but let me tell thee, thou having given Friends leave to meet in part of thy House, and they having provided some convenience for that purpose, as things to sit upon, etc. it was not agreeable to the Truth for thee, for the Offence of one or two (if such a thing were) to turn all the rest forth of thy Doors without their Consent, and thereby expose them to such Sufferings as did thereupon follow, which might have been much worse had not the then Mayor and Recorder of that City used much Moderation and Justice in the Mannagement of the Matter; and how sleight soever thou mayst make of this, yet it is that which by all thy Papers and Book thou canst not clear thyself from until thou repent of it, and condemn it.  
The next thing is to clear myself from the Lie thou wouldst make people believe I am guilty of, in saying, It is thy Principle and Practice to deny Water-baptism, and Breaking of Bread, and Drinking of Wine. I do say, and am able to prove it both by Witness and thy Practice, that it is thy Principle and Practice (except thou be changed in that as well as in other things) to deny both, as being now in force, or to be practised in the Church of Christ; and therefore demand of thee, what Scripture thou hast to prove the discontinuing of them, seeing thou ownest they were once? or what Scripture had Paul to prove the discontinuance of Circumcision, seeing God said, It should be for an Everlasting Covenant in their flesh, Gen. 17.13. For, no rational man can in reason judge, that I should charge thee to deny that they never were, seeing the Scriptures are so full that they were, in their time and season; therefore needless is it for thee to say, they were of Service in the Church, etc. but to prove by plain Text of Scripture, that they are not (not that I say they are) seeing thou wilt be so exact for Scripture-proof for what we do; for that was the occasion of my so writing; not that we in the least deny the Scriptures, as thou well knowest, but own and esteem them in their place, yet prefer the holy Spirit before them, by which the holy Scriptures were given forth, and the Leadings of that Spirit which leadeth into all Truth, so into the Truth in them.  
In the next place I come to speak of my Answer to thy Queries, and therein to prove unto thee and others what I said before, viz. that thou hast in all or most of them either added or diminished; in my first Answer, pag. 26, 27. thou in thy Book endest with these words, Though they pretend Scripture for their Rule in what they do; in mine to thee there is this further, We have an evident Testimony that we can give for women's Meetings, from many faithful Witnesses, that God owneth them by accompanying them with his living Presence in their Assemblies; yet we go not about to impose them upon Believers, but as the Lord persuades them: This word Imposition hath often been used upon other occasions, as thou well knowest, by such as have gone forth of the blessed Unity of Truth, when there hath been no occasion for it; now, if this be fair or right, to say as thou dost in the Margin, p. 26. it is my Answer, and yet leave this forth which answers to the latter part of thy Query, pag. 22, 23. I leave it to any rational man to judge: in answer to thy Reply I shall only say thus, We go not about to speak, writ or act any thing contrary to the Scriptures of Truth, nor to  of them, as thou well knowest, therefore it is not friendly so to write as though we did, pag. 27. and for thee to go about to make void my assertion in answer to thy Query, p. 26. to wit, that the power and authority of that unlimited Spirit is the same in the Female as in the Male, by saying, pag. 27. was ever the same in any Female as in the heavenly Male Christ Jesus, shows much wilfulness in thee; for thou canst not be so ignorant as so to understand the intent of my words, that I should compare either Female or any other Male with him in whom dwell the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and of whose fullness we receive Grace for Grace: but though he was anointed with the Oil of Gladness above his fellows, and did not receive the Spirit by measure, yet it has pleased the Father in his infinite to Goodness, that His should be anointed with the same Anointing, and receive a measure of the same Spirit, as to nature and quality (and therein is one with that in those Males he breathed upon) I am not speaking of quantity; so my assertion is not contrary to the Apostles Doctrine, as thou pag. 27. sayest it is, but agreeable thereunto, who said, There are diversities of Gifts by the same Spirit [mark that] dividing to every man severally as he will; and we say, women too; for God said, who cannot lie, He would pour forth his Spirit upon all flesh, and your Sons and your Daughters shall prophesy, Joel 2.28. So my assertion stands good, and will do against all that thou canst say against it, That the Power and Authority of that unlimited Spirit is the same in the Female as in the Male, and in that they are labourers together for God: Consider what thou art about to do, and take heed left through thy own wilfulness darkness cover thy understanding.  
Thou needest not tell us, That the Church hath no Power but what it hath from him who is the Beginning; for I say in my answer, pag. 27. of thy Book, That the Church of Christ had and hath Power given them (not that they take it wrongfully) as thou in thy Query, p. 22. wouldst charge us with; neither are we five that Church, but through God's Grace Members of it.  
Those words of thine in the Margin, pag. 27. But may not I justly question, whether you five he that Church which hath Power given to add this, etc. favours more of a cavilling spirit, that will be critical, than the Spirit of Truth.  
Thou sayest in thy Reply to my second Answer, pag. 29. And now of late for you to set up such things as these (meaning women's Meetings) as are no way in themselves necessary to the accomplishing of the other aforesaid, to wit, a holy and upright Life; and yet there sayest, thou art not against them or any other to meet to pray, exhort, strengthen & build up one another in their most holy Faith: This is strange that they may meet together to pray, exhort, strengthen and build up one another in their most holy Faith, and yet be no way in themselves necessary to the accomplishment of an holy and upright Life; this indeed is such a Paradox to me, that I have not heard of the like by one that pretends so much as thou dost; and if they may do this, which is the greater, why may they not do that which is the lesser, to wit, take care of some widows, fatherless and such as want relief, and that the younger women & elder also walk orderly, etc. we do believe they may do both, according to the ability that God giveth them; and we do not despise them because they are the weaker Vessels (though it may be some of us have been of that mind with thee.) And for thee to say, That we saying, if any professing the Truth shall either by word or deed, directly discountenance or weaken the hands of either men or women in that work or service, let such be admonished, according to the Order of the Gospel, and if they receive it not, but resist counsel, and persist in the work of Division, we cannot but look upon them, as therein, not in the unity with the Church of Christ and order of the Gospel, is to excommunicate such, or call that Excommunication, as thou dost: I would have thee read thyself, as thou sayest to us; for I thought Excommunication had been a further thing then to say, we cannot but look upon them therein not in the unity with the Church of Christ and order of the Gospel; for if this be Excommunication, as thou hast often said it is, than was Daniel Maddock excommunicated by us; for we did not in those things which thou chargedst against him, look upon him to be in unity with the Church of Christ, and order of the Gospel; and therefore we exhorted him to condemn them, and so we have done and do thee, thy writing and speaking so much against women's Meeting, as thou dost, to say, they are contrary to the Scripture of Truth, and that they are in themselves no way necessary to the accomplishing of an holy and upright life, etc. yet we say, Excommunication is a further thing, viz. in the Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 1 Cor. 5.4, 5. So thou mayst read thyself either ignorant or wilful in thy saying and writing, that our so saying, as before, is Excommunication; for doubtless Paul had not unity with Peter in that thou mentionest in thine to the Reader pag. 4. neither did he look upon him therein in unity with the Church of Christ and order of the Gospel, yet this was not to excommunicate that good man, who did not persist therein; and though the Government be upon Christ's Shoulders; yet he hath given his Power to govern under him; and what they do in his Power he owns; and though the Apostle had not dominion over other▪ Faith, or at least did bear with such as were weak in the faith, yet he & they had Power to judge and reject Gain-sayers and Opposers, and so have his true Church now: we do say, such as keep to the Doctrine and Practice which was first amongst us, and continue in the unity of the Spirit, which first united us (but that thou leavest forth) such ought not, nor are not by us accounted Makers of Division, etc. but a man or men and people may hold both the doctrine and practice, and yet be forth of the unity of the Spirit, as thou art; and divers more before thee (in our day and time) have been and are: so thou mayst mourn for thyself; for time will come thou must mourn for this and other of thy do, as well as several have done, who are gone to their place, and once bigned themselves, and stiffened their Necks against us as much as thou now dost; but when they came to lie upon their Dying Bed, it was otherwise with them, and then they could take the shame to themselves, and clear the Lords Truth, and them that abode faithful thereunto; and this was God's Love unto them; and this thou must come to sooner or later, or it will be worse for thee, whether thou wilt hear or forbear.  
In my Answer to thy 3d Query thou endest pag. 31. And against such the Spirit and Power of the Lord is, etc. (in mine there is thus much further) God is and doth judge, as I with many more through God's Goodness am a living Witness, and had such a living Testimony in my heart from God against that dividing separating spirit upon occasion, that it left such a seal therein, which I hope through God's Grace I shall never forget. In thy assertion in thy latter-end of thy Query thou art too confident, as upon occasion may appear. Now why thou shouldst do thus in my first, and this also, except to cover that separating spirit from the Testimony that many can give against it, I know not  
In thy Reply, p. 31. thou sayest, If you had continued in that where true unity was, you would not have innovated such things as would have broke it, or infested the Church, and disturbed her Peace. Here thou settest thyself a Judge over us all, to censure us to be gone forth of that in which the true Unity was, so makest thyself guilty of that which thou wouldst charge upon us, viz. to be Lords over others faith, as thou didst in thine of the 21th of the 5th month, 1676. to me, in which thou wrotest, It had been better those words had not been writ (meaning those of the 27th of the 3d month, 1675.) or being writ, that we would recall them: so, as I wrote in answer to thee, we must not write or speak that which is upon our spirits upon good ground, as I to thee there signified, but by thee be censured, it were better they had not been writ, or being writ to recall them; and now further by thee be censured to be gone forth of that in which the true unity wa●; so, as W. Penn wrote to thee, instead of querying thou judgest us: but that is known and felt in our Men & women's Meetings in which our Unity was and doth continue, blessed be the Name of the Lord: and it is not some going from us now, as others have done before, that can break our Unity, as in the Power we keep; though it may be and is cause of godly Sorrow to us, to see such things: Neither do honest godly Women, Meetings infested or disturb the Peace of the true Church (it is a bad saying from thee, and thou must repent of it) it is that dividing spirit which would be Lord (though it pretends a great deal of Humility) that seek, to infest and disturb her Peace; but the Lord hath hitherto preserved it (and will do to the end, as his keep faithful to him) against all that hath or may rise to break it, either from amongst ourselves or others. And for thee to say, Setting up of women's Meetings runs parallel with the Bringers in of Circumcision amongst Believers: Not at all; for the Apostle preached Circumtion down (though he had no Scripture for it) and said, Gal. 5.2. That if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing; but he never spoke against women's Meetings (when he went where they used to pray) but rather encouraged them, exhorting the Elder Wowen to teach the Younger; neither did Moses, that Man of God, speak against or forbidden Miriam, and all the Women went out after her, Exod. 15.2. (here were women apart from the men, and questionless a great assembly or meeting this was) for doing what they did; he might have said, have not I sung with the Children of Israel unto the Lord? and what need you women go apart to sing? but he was not of such a spirit, as to stop or gainsay any thing that was good, in which there could be no hurt, or tendency of evil, nor in our women's Meetings; But thou wilt be ready to say, This was upon another account then to take care of the Church's business; it is true; but this part of our women's business in their Meetings, to praise the Lord for his goodness: and Deborah was a Judge in Israel, & the Children of Israel came unto her for Judgement, Judg. 4.4, 5. and Israel was the then Church of God: This may serve for answer to that in thy Reply to my Answer to thy 4th Query, p. 33. where thou sayest, it lieth upon our part to prove that ever Females were entrusted to look after the Government of the Church, which I have here done, to wit, that a Female was entrusted with the Government of the Church.  
In my answer to thy 4th Query thou endest, and there was the first breach of unity; in mine there was this further, As many can witness, whose Testimony I hope thou wilt not deny. So have I shown wherein thou hast either added to or diminished from all or most of my answers, for what end is known unto thyself, and as a Conclusion there was written, before I subscribed my Name, Thus have I in plainness, according to what was in my mind, given thee an Answer, and if herein thou be not satisfied, I leave thee to more abler Brethren for further satisfaction; but this I know, Richard, were the Truth and the simplicity thereof kept unto, there would not be so much a do about honest women's meeting together for the end : and I am really sorry upon serious consideration, that thou, which hast been a strength unto others, should now become a weakner of the weak, not only in this, but also and more particularly in other things of weighty concern, which I desire may (in the measure of that blessed Spirit of Light and Life) be seriously by thee considered and amended, that so the Unity of the Spirit, which is the Bond of Peace, may be truly known.  
From thy real Friend and Wellwisher Alexander Laurence.  
And for thee in thy Reply to my fourth Answer, so to make use of my words, as that I should say, That the Scriptures should so far differ (pag. 34.) from that Spirit that gave them forth, as to be compared to Babel 's Builders, because I compare the● thereunto, who wilt one while have an instance from Scripture for what we do; and another while, have not others a measure of God's Spirit to direct them what to do, and what to leave undone; this I said looked like Babel's Builders: and for thee to make such use of my say as aforesaid, is little less than wilful Wickedness: But what Scripture had John for his Baptism, or Paul for his preaching down Circumcision, Priesthood, Tithes, Temple, Offerings, etc. and setting up new Institutions: so that which was once done and set up by and according to the Command of God, was afterwards by the Revelation of the divine Power preached down, and another thing set up, by which it is plain, that the holy Spirit in all Ages was the Rule of God's People, which was before Scripture was; and was Abel's Rule, Enoch's Rule, Noah's Rule, Abraham's Rule, etc. and this is the Rule of his at this day; for it is the everlasting unchangeable Rule; and unto this have our hearts bended, and by it been broken, blessed be his holy Name: and unto this must thou bend, & by it be broken more than yet thou art, or it will be worse for thee; and this holy Spirit leads none to preach any other God, Christ, Spirit, Gospel, Truth, etc. then what the holy men of God, that gave forth the holy Scriptures, preached and testified of, as thou reflectingly upon us writest, pag. 26. yet the Scriptures speak of another God and Spirit, viz. the God of this World, the spirit that ruleth in the hearts of the Children of disobedience; and this is the ground of Division.  
Thus having for the Information and Satisfaction of the sober impartial Reader, given a short account of the truth of things, and also hinted at some of thy Wrest and Perverting of our Words and Do, knowing it would be tedious both to the Reader and myself, to trace thee through them all; I leave the issue of all unto the Searcher of hearts, knowing it is not he that commends himself, but such as God approves that findeth acceptance.   

In the Title Page line 9 for Cheshire read Chester: pag. 7. lin. 2. for no read to.  
THE END.