are addressed to friends under persecution. These letters are remarkable for their high tone of Christian feeling. The sympathy of the writer towards the sufferers is, if possible, exceeded by his meekness towards the oppressors; and every feeling is subordinate to that of spreading the knowledge of the Truth, in the service of which he counted not his life dear. After urging upon some of his suffering friends the steady support of their Christian principles, he says: "I desire, however, that you walk wisely, gently, lovingly, meekly, and soberly to the magistrates and to all people, that they may have no occasion in any thing against you; for the good must overcome the bad, as the apostle says, 'Overcome evil with good;' and dwell in that love that can bear all things, and endure all things." p. 432. The following extract from one of the Epistles, may serve as a specimen of the truly scriptural manner in which he endeavours to comfort the sufferers.

"If the world do hate you, it hated Christ your Lord and Master also; if they do mock, and reproach, and defame, and buffet you, they did so to your Lord and Master also; who was and is the green tree, that gives nourishment to all his branches, his followers.

"If the world do persecute you, and take away your goods or clothes, was not your Lord and Master so served? Did not they cast lots for his garments? Was not He haled from the priests to Herod, and before Pontius Pilate, and spit upon ? And if they hate thee, and spit upon thee, He was hated and spit upon for thee. Did He not go to prison for thee? Scourged for thee? and grave for thee, He "who had no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth?" And did He not bear thy sins in his own body upon the tree? and was He not scourged for thee, " by whose stripes we are healed?" Did not He suffer the contradiction of sinners? who died for sinners, and went into the grave for sinners, and died for the ungodly, yea, tasted death for every man; who through death destroyed death, and the devil, the power of death, and is risen; for death and the grave could not hold Him; and the powers and principalities, with all their guards and watches, could not hold Him within the grave; but He is risen, and is ascended far above all principalities, powers, thrones, and dominions, and is set down at the right hand of God, and remaineth in the heavens till all things be restored and He is restoring with his light, grace, truth, power, Spirit, faith, Gospel, and word of life;

and was He not mocked and

Did not He bow to the cross

:

so that you read of some that came to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." "

The letters from which this Selection is made, were originally published with a Preface by George Whitehead, one of the earliest and most esteemed coadjutors of the writer. In this preface he notices some misrepresentation of his opinions, and gives some explanations of terms frequently used by George Fox, which claim a place in this Introduction.

"I am concerned," says he, "to recommend the serious reading and perusal of the ensuing collection, unto all who sincerely desire the promotion of Christ's kingdom, and prosperity of his Church and Sion, in true love, union, and order, in and by Christ Jesus himself, the Head and Foundation thereof.

"In many of the ensuing Epistles, he [G. Fox] often mentions the Seed, the Life, the Power of God, and the like; whereby he intends no other than what the Holy Scriptures testify of Christ; which, we know, he truly loved and esteemed, and was often conversant in reading of them, and had an excellent memory and spiritual sense thereof given him of the Lord. By the pure holy Seed, he meant and declared Christ, the promised Seed; wherein ill the

promises of God are yea and amen.

And as Christ

is the Word of Life, the Word of Faith, He is that immortal and incorruptible Seed, of which all true and spiritual believers and children of the light are begotten to God, and born again; and which Seed, or Word of eternal life, abideth in him that is born of God, and he sinneth not because thereof. 1 John iii. And the generation of God, and children of his kingdom, and of the promise, are called the good seed, and counted for the seed, being born of that incorruptible Seed, or Word of Life, which endureth for ever." 1 Peter, i. 23, 15.

This our deceased friend and servant of Jesus Christ truly testified of Him in all respects, both as come in the flesh and in the spirit, both as Christ was and is our only Mediator and Advocate, and as He was and is God over all, blessed for ever; whom he so dearly loved and honoured, that he often offered up his life, and deeply suffered for Him; and that in dear and constant love to his seed, that a holy generation might be raised, strengthened, and increased in the earth among the children of men. And his knowledge and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, being after the Spirit in life and power; did no ways imply any lessening of the dignity or glory of Christ, nor any defect of faith or love to Christ,

as He came and suffered in the flesh for mankind ; at some adversaries have injuriously misrepresented and aspersed him; for he highly esteemed Christ's sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory; and powerfully testified of the virtue, power, blessed and spiritual design, fruit, and effects thereof, as revealed and witnessed by his Holy Spirit."

"Christ Jesus being our spiritual Rock, Foundation, and Head, He is truly precious to us and all true believers, in all states and conditions, both of his humiliation, glory, and dominion; his great grace and goodness appearing in those precious ministerial gifts given by Him (when he ascended up on high) for his ministry and church.

"And it is very observable, that though, to express Christ's lowly condition and appearance in the world, He is sometimes in Holy Scripture termed the Seed, his name is also called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; upon whose shoulders the government is laid; and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.' Isaiah, ix. And it it wost suitable to Christ's low, humble, and suffering condition, to make use of such instruments as are most like Himself in humility and lowliness of mind,