grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.' And by this measure of grace, the gift of Christ, they did walk, and so must all true christians, by which they must walk, if they will grow in grace; and if they grow up to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, they must grow in grace.

And in Gal. vi. 14. the apostle saith, God forbid I should rejoice, but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world; for in Christ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but a new creature; and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy upon the Israel of God.' G. F.

Concerning the Rule.

Now mark, you professors of the letters, that say, 'the scripture is your rule;' was not circumcision of the letter of the scripture? and yet the apostle saith, it avails nothing, but a new creature: and that which the apostle rejoiced in, was the cross of Christ, in which he was crucified to the world, and the world to him. And is not the cross of Christ the power of God? and as many as walk according to this rule, and rejoice in it, (to wit,) the cross of Christ, and the new creature? I say, as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. For the apostle saith, the cross of Christ is the power of God;' so that the rule of the new creature in Christ he sets forth to be the rule. And you that have the form of godliness, and deny the power thereof, and the having the spirit that gave it forth now in your days, and call it your rule, and yet walk quite contrary to it, are to be turned away from; yet not turn away from the scriptures, but from you, that walk contrary to them, and the spirit that gave them forth.

And the apostle saith in Phil. iii. 16. ' nevertheless, in that whereunto we are come, let us proceed by one rule, that we may mind one thing; for he had told them with weeping of such as were enemies to the cross of Christ, whose end is damnation, whose God is their belly, and glory in their shame, who mind earthly things.

Now were not they enemies to the rule then, which was the cross of Christ, the power of God? and what was this rule they were to walk by? was it not that which God had distributed to them, the spirit of God? for these, whose belly was their God, and gloried in their shame, and minded earthly things, whose end was damnation; these were a kind of christians, which it is to be feared there are too many such now, which were enemies to the cross of Christ, which is the power of God, which VOL. V.-32

were to be turned away from: and was not the grace of God, which God said should be sufficient for Paul, and his strength made perfect in his weakness; was not this grace and strength a sufficient rule for Paul?

And doth not the apostle say, 'let Christ rule in your hearts by faith who shall rule all nations with a rod of iron?' so is not he a sufficient rule in the heart by faith, and a sufficient rule to rule all nations, Rev. xii. 5. yea, and sufficient to rule the heathen. Rev. xix. 15.

And doth not Christ say, I will send you the spirit of truth, which shall lead you into all truth, and bring to your rememberance the words I have spoken unto you?

Is not this spirit a sufficient rule, that leads into all truth?

And in Neh. ix. the Lord gave his good spirit to the people, his good spirit to instruct them, and they rebelled against it.'

And were not they reproved for so doing? and was not that a sufficient rule? and are not they the sons of God that are led by the spirit of God? and is not that a sufficient rule to lead and guide?

-And the Lord saith, he that hath the Son, hath life.'

And is not here a sufficient rule?

And John said, these things I have written unto you, concerning them that deceive you; but the anointing which you have received of him, dwelleth in you; and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you all things, and is true, and is no lie.'

And is not this a sufficient rule, this teacher, that people might see the deceivers, and shun them?

And the Lord saith, I will put my laws in your minds, and write them in your hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people; and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them;' and is not this law and new covenant a sufficient rule to know God by? and was not the Holy Ghost a sufficient rule, that led Moses and the prophets to give forth the scriptures? and was not the Holy Ghost a sufficient rule, that led the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ into all truth; and see the fulfilling of the law and prophets in Christ, and brought to their memories the words that Christ spoke, and afterwards to record them? and is not the same Holy Ghost a sufficient rule for all christians now to know God, and Christ, and the scriptures, and lead them all into the truth of them; in which Holy Ghost they must pray and have their fellowship, seeing no man knows the things of God without the spirit of God, which searcheth all things, and they are spiritually discerned, and the natural man perceives them not, they are foolishness to him; and how can they be his rule, when they are foolishness to him, as in 1 Cor. ii.

And what rule had Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, Isaac

and Jacob, and Moses, before scriptures were given forth? did not they walk by faith, which was the gift of God, yea, and to be perfect? was not Abraham commanded to walk before him, and be perfect, which perfection you cannot attain unto by walking in the oldness of the letter, for you must serve God in the newness of life, and not in the oldness of the letter, Rom. vii. 6. for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.' 2 Cor. iii. 6. And so, was not that faith a sufficient rule for all the old fathers to walk by? and must not we walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham? Rom. iv. 12.

And the apostle saith, but he is a Jew who is one within, and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.'

So, is not he a christian who is one within, in the heart (and not in the letter,) only, whose praise is of God, and not of men, seeing that many may have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, which are to be turned away from: and may not such say they are christians, as the Jews said they were Jews, and were not, but the synagogue of Satan?

And the apostle said, 'henceforth, know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet henceforth know we him so no more.' 2 Cor. v. 16.

And their fellowship stood in the spirit, and they were to know Christ and one another in the spirit, and to keep the unity of the spirit, which is the bond of peace, yea, even of the Prince of princes' peace: but they that deny the having of that spirit the apostles were in, know not Christ, nor the fellowship of the saints, nor the Prince of princes' peace.

And the apostle saith, in Rom. xv. 18. for I dare not speak of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed.' Now mark, did not he keep to the measure of the rule which Christ had wrought in him?

Now come, all ye priests and professors in Christendom, and try yourselves by the scriptures, which you say is your rule; how dare you speak any thing, to make people obedient in word and deed, that Christ hath not wrought in you or by you? are not you boasting of other men's lines and labours, that other men have made ready for your hands? do not you want the fear of God in your hearts, as was in the apostles, who durst not speak any thing but what Christ had wrought by them to make people obedient by word and deed? ought not the apostle here to be your example? and then Christ would have the glory of that which he works by you in people, and in you, and your own wills would be laid in the dust. And therefore, is not all that which you speak to people, that which Christ hath not wrought in you and by you, like the false prophets, using your tongues, and the false apostles boast of other men's lines.

And the apostle saith, in Rom. iii. 24. and we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.'

And in Rom. iv. 12, 16. but unto them also that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham:' and is not this a rule sufficient?

And in Rom. viii. 1, 2. 'now there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit; for the law of the spirit of life, which is in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death.'

Now, is not this spirit a sufficient rule to walk by? but you that say it is not the rule, do not you remain under condemnation, under the law of sin and death, pleading for it, and not for freedom by the law of the spirit in Christ on this side the grave.

And further, the apostle saith, but if ye mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, ye shall live.' Therefore is not this spirit a sufficient rule to walk by?

And in 2 Cor. v. the apostle saith, for we walk by faith, and not by sight.' [Mark, not by sight.] The church was not to walk by sight, but by faith, which Christ is the author of; and is not this sufficient? and they who walk by faith, walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, his faith, which was before scriptures were written? and is not this a sufficient rule for all the faithful, which is testified of in the scripture, and was before scripture was written; and which scripture is to be believed, and fulfilled, and practised, &c.

And Ephes. ii. 8. by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.' So is not that sufficient to walk by, which saves?

And in 1 John i. 7. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses us from all sin.'

So is not this light sufficient to preserve the fellowship, by walking in it? and is there any cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, but first they must walk in the light? there may be a talking of the blood of Christ, and yet a pleading for the body of sin and death, and imperfections to the grave; so that only talking of the blood of Christ will do them but little good, and pleading for their body of sin and death, and imperfections to the grave, that there they may be all buried in the pit together, where there is no repentance, and give a man ten or twenty shillings to preach them a funeral sermon: and as it is in Heb. ix. 27. it is appointed unto men, that they should once die, and after that come to judgment.' And therefore, consider and mark this, and quench not the spirit which God hath given you to profit withal ; and do not resist the Holy Ghost, which Christ hath sent to lead you into all truth, and to reprove you; and hate not the light which Christ hath

enlightened you withal, that you may believe in it, and walk in it, that you may become children of the light, lest it be your condemnation: for is not the light sufficient to lead you, and guide you, and rule you, and to give you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus? and is not that the treasure which the saints had in their earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us. 2 Cor. iv. And rebel not against the spirit, which God hath given you to instruct you, and to know the things of God by, and that in the spirit you may have fellowship with the saints: for if you rebel against his good spirit, what are all your fellowships good for? and is not God's spirit sufficient? doth not Christ say, it is the spirit of the Father, that speaks in you?' and is not that sufficient to rule and to guide, and to serve and worship God in, in spirit and truth?

And did not the apostle say, in Rom. i. 9. that he served God in the spirit.' And is it not the duty of all christians, to serve God in the spirit? and is not that a sufficient rule that will teach them to know how to serve God, (to wit, his holy spirit,) by which spirit they may know God, and Christ, and the scriptures, and know one another in the spirit, and in it have fellowship, and so keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace, yea, the bond of the Prince of princes', King of kings', and Lord of lords' peace, which none can take away from them?

And doth not Christ say, they that worship the Father, must worship him in spirit and in truth? and is not that a sufficient rule, to worship him in, the grace of God, which brings salvation, which teacheth the saints? is not this a sufficient rule to teach and to establish the heart, and season thy words, and bring salvation?

And the apostle saith, Rom. viii. 26. 'likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities.' So is not this spirit sufficient, that helps people's infirmities? and the spirit itself makes intercession.'

And in Gal. v. 16. 'I say, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh.'

And is not this a sufficient rule for people to walk by?

And the apostle saith, in Gal. ii. 19, 20. for I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God; I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' [Mark,] This should be every christian's life and living.

Worcester-Prison, the 9th day of the 11th month, 1676.

G. F.

For obeying the command of Christ, and the apostle James's doctrine, who

says, 'swear not at all.' Matt. v. Jam. v.