it lieth in the seed; that is, the seed of faith, who are the sons of Adam, are all elected; for all the seed of Adam, which do become persons, so as to be born, they are all elected. Only this is to be minded, that election comes by generation; not that God doth elect persons after they are born, but in the seed so that when the seed of faith doth get the pre-eminency in the conception, and so a man or woman comes to be born, they may be said to be of the elect seed. But no person can know his particular person elected, but by faith in the true God; which true God cannot be known but by a prophet, as Moses, the prophets, and apostles, and us the witnesses of the Spirit, who were chosen witnesses of God.

So that election comes by generation, but no man or woman can know they are of the elect seed but by believing in those messengers whom God doth send; and their doctrine and declaration being true, the believers of them do come to the certain assurance of their election, both in the seed and of their persons. So likewise it is on the contrary with the reprobate ; that is, when the seed of reason gets the upper-hand in the conception, and so a man or woman comes to be born, they may be said to be reprobated persons, they being reprobated in the seed, for reason is the seed of the serpent; so that the whole person is so to be reprobated, being the serpent's seed, though he knows it not. But he that doth know his own election, shall as certainly know another to be a reprobate; for he that doth not know certainly another to be a reprobate, I say he doth not know certainly his own election. I speak not this of children, but of those capable of men and womens estates.

Third question. How a man may know whether he be of the elect seed or not?

Answer. To this I say, as before, that it is known in believing the true messengers of God. So a man comes to know his own election, and another's reprobation; and in knowing a man's own election, he hath certain assurance of his own eternal happiness, and certain assurance of the reprobate's eternal misery.

Fourth question. Whether after the belief of this commission, there will be any divine light, as a testimony evidencing in the believer's spirit a perfect assurance of his election, or not?

Answer. As to this I say, that there is in the true belief of this commission a divine light, that doth witness and evidence in the spirit of true believers of it, that doth give perfect assurance, both of their election, and of their eternal salvation. This many can witness unto at this day in England, and some in those parts where they live beyond the seas.

Fifth question. Whether for resolution of any spiritual doubt, or removal of any eternal calamity, a man may address himself, by prayer, to the divine majesty, or not?

Answer. To this I say, we lay no bonds upon any believers in that case, but leave it to their own freedoms. For this I see by experience, that some believers, whose faith is weak in the time of temporal calamities and troubles in eternal things, will make some application unto God, and it doth procure some satisfaction to their spirits, either to bear it more patiently, and willingly submit unto it, or else they find deliverance from it; yet God taketh no notice of their prayer, for the deliverance, it doth come from the seed within them; for God doth not work by outward and visible deliverance, as he did formerly, but more spiritual and invisible, because this is the commission of the Spirit.

So likewise some believers of this commission, their faith is so strong that they do not make any supplication unto God in the time of temporal calamity, and by faith they bear it, and do find as good deliverance as those that do pray.

So that whether you pray, or pray not, it is faith and knowledge that doth deliver in the day of trouble; so that you, or any believer of this commission of the Spirit, may do what they will in the matter, even as their spirits are moved unto, or their understandings' are informed; for it will do no hurt, if it do them no good, if they know not how to satisfy themselves otherwise.

Sixth question. Whether this commission doth require the observing, or keeping any one day particularly, or particularly apart, for the service of God, as the two former commissions, or not?

Answer. To this I say, that this commission doth not observe any one particular day, for any worship, or service of God, as the former did; because the believers of this commission do worship God in spirit and truth. For no people under the sun doth worship God in spirit and truth, but the believers of this commission only: so that every day is a sabbath unto

As to the rest of our minds concerning our eternal happiness, we can say we have rested from all our labour, as God did from his creation: so that we are not bound up in our minds, as all outward worshippers are, to meet every first day, and so bring themselves into trouble, for that which God doth not command. For though God commanded the apostles to observe the first day, and they laid the same upon their believers, that is nothing to Englishmen ; for this is to mind that people are to observe every com

mission in its time and place. So that when Moses and the prophets commission was in being, the people ought to obey it; every commission in its time. and place; so when Christ and his apostles commission was in being, the people in that time ought to obey it; so now the commission of the Spirit is in being, that ought to be obeyed. And look what worship is set up by these three commissions, in their time and place they ought to be obeyed, though they differ one from another; nay, they are observed and obeyed by the true believers of them, and not as all the world doth, to observe them traditionally; for Quakers and all other opinions do observe the sabbath, or first day, but traditionally.

Seventh question. Whether it may be any matter of conscience for a man to put off his hat, or to use the language of thee and thou, or to give titles of honour to the great men of the earth?

Answer. To this I say, that it is no matter of conscience for a man to put off his hat, but is only a civil custom used in the nation where we live; neither is

it

any tie laid upon the conscience of any man, neither by Christ himself, neither by any prophet or apostle'; neither do we read any where in Scripture, that men were required to keep on their hats, though the blind Quakers do make it one of the chiefest articles of their faith; and as for the language of thee and thou, that may be used or not; for a man to tie himself to thee and thou to all persons, as kings and magistrates, this is but a traditional practice, imitating prophets of old, who were equal with kings, nay, whom princes have called them Lord, yet every silly man and woman, if they get to be Quakers, they will cry thee and thou to kings and magistrates of the earth; nay, they would count it a great sin if they should do otherwise.

This is a mere taking up of prophets and apostles words by tradition.

And as for giving titles of honour to the great men of the earth, to that I say, that great men of the earth, as kings, princes, and magistrates, they are called, in Scripture, Gods, though they die like men. And we find in Scripture, that prophets and apostles have given titles of honour unto kings and magistrates, as prophets have said to kings, O king, live for ever: As Daniel and Paul said, Oh king, Agrippa! and noble Festus: so that prophets and apostles did give titles of honour to magistrates. But if it be your lot to see that letter which I have sent to Thomas Taylor, in Stafford, that would inform you further in these things. If you do enquire for Thomas Barnet, of Utoxeter, perhaps he will shew it you; and if you did but see that book of mine, called The Quakers Neck Broken, you would see further in those things. I suppose William Newcombe, of Derby town, a bookseller, can help you to it.

Eighth question. Whether, after the belief in this commission of the Spirit, a man may fall back, or not; if so, whether there be a possibility of returning again, or not?

Answer. As to this I say, after a true belief in this commission of the Spirit, there is no possibility to fall away, (that is) if there be true faith in the heart; but if it be but a brain-knowledge, or only in the head, he may fall back away, and never be renewed again. For this I must tell you, that all those that did seem to own the apostles doctrine of the gospel, and did afterwards decline from it, and turn to the law of Moses, they may be said to have faith in the head, and not in the heart. For none can be truly said to fall away, but those that fall away