{Page 191] The next morning about seven we took Boat for Embden, which is about three Leagues: On Board of the Vessel it came upon me to write a Letter to Friends in England concerning the present Separatists, and their Spirit of Separation, which hath several times been opened unto me {Page 192} and had remained some days upon my spirit. The Letter followeth.
This came upon me in the Ship, between Delszyl and Embden, upon the 16th of the 7th. Month, 1677, to send amongst you.1
{Page 192} {Page 128B} To Friends everywhere, concerning the present Separatists, and their Spirit of Separation.
Friends and Brethren:
By a mighty Hand and by an outstretched Arm, hath the Lord God everlasting gathered us to be a {Page 129 B} People, and in his own Power and Life hath He preserved us a People unto this Day; and praises be to his Eternal Name no weapon hath yet formed against us, either from without, or from within hath prospered.
Now this I say unto you, and that in his Counsel that hath visited us, whoever goeth out of the Unity with their Brethren, are first gone out of Unity with the Power and Life of God in themselves, in which the Unity of the Brethren standeth; and the {Page 193} least Member of the Body in the Unity standeth on the top of them, and hath a Judgement against them, unto which Judgment of both great and small amongst the Living Family that in the Unity are preserved they must bow, before they can come into the unity again; yea, this they will readily do, if they are come into Unity with the Life and Power of God in themselves, which is the holy Root, that beareth the Tree, the Fruit, and the Leaves; all receiving Life and Virtue from it, and thereby are nourished unto God’s praise.
And let all have a care how they weaken that, or bring that under the exaltation and high imagination of those against whom it is revealed: For I feel this unruly spirit is tormented under the stroke and judgement of the Power, and in its subtilty is seeking occasion against the Instruments by whom the Power gave it forth: Let all have a care how they touch with this spirit in those Workings, for by being one with this spirit in judging those who have been faithful, according to the gift of wisdom they have {Page 194} received from God, {Page 130 B} they will feed it and fortify it, and in the end come to be one with it against the power itself; and at last run out and become open Enemies and Despisers, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever, [unless they repent2].
Wherefore, all that labor for the Restoration of those who are out of unity with the brethren, let them be such as are of a sound mind themselves; Else what will they gather to? [or, what will they gather from?3] And let them labor in the Simplicity, Integrity, Love, and Zeal, of the Power that first gathered us to God. For that which is rightly gotten will endure, but that which is obtained by the contrivance, interest, and persuasions of men, getteth no further than man, and is of the flesh; and what is of flesh is fleshly, and shall never inherit the Kingdom of God.
Therefore let none look out of the Seed for help; for all Power is in it, and there the true Light and Judgement stand forever; and that Seed [only4] hath God ordained to bruise the Serpent’s head. They that would save it, and those that would {Page 195} bruise it by any other thing, are Breakers of God’s great Ordinance, and fly to Egypt for strength. For ‘tis David the Stripling, that shall be too hard for Goliath the Giant; and that not by Saul’s armour, but with God’s living little stone, cut out of the Mountains without hands, without Man’s Invention and Contrivance. O this hath wrought all our Mighty Works in us, and for us to this day! Wherefore let us be still, and trust and confide therein forever. Let none look back, faint, or consult; for if {Page 131 B} they do, they will darken their pure eye, and lose their way, and into the eternal rest of the Flocks of the Companions will never come.
Brethren, the Judgement given forth against this Spirit (and all those that have resisted our love and forbearance that are joined to it) must stand, and all that are out of [our5] Unity with the Judgement are judged by it; therefore as all would stand before the Lord, and his People, let not this Spirit be reasoned withal; enter not into proposals and articles with it, but feed it with {Page 196} Judgement, that is God’s Decree, so may the Souls that are deceived, come by the right door into the heavenly Unity.
My brethren, look forwards, and lift up your Eyes; for the Fields are even white unto harvest, up and down the Nations. Remember the great Name of the Lord, and behold the great Work that He is doing before all people; whose saving health is visiting the World, and whose eternal Word and Testament is going forth to gather the Nations. Let that that will be unjust, be unjust still; let the Dead bury the Dead, [to whose appearance the King and Kingdom of the Gentiles shall bring their glory6]: Let us all who have received the Gift from God, wait in deep humility, to be raised up and impowered by him more and more, to eye and prosecute his universal service in the World; [to whose appearance the King and Kingdom of the Gentiles shall bring their glory7]; which noble Work, had those who are gone into the separation but laid deeply to heart, they would never have sat at home murmuring, fretting, and quarrelling against the comely and godly Order and Practice of their Brethren: {Page 132 B} But love, peace, and joy had {Page 197} filled their hearts, and not the troubler and accuser of the Brethren, who hath opened an evil Eye in them, and begotten them into a discontented self-separating mind, and this Image they bear, and the pure Eye sees it.
O let none tempt the Lord! let none provoke the eye of his jealousie ; let us all dwell in the Divine sense, that He hath begotten in us: Where our love as a fresh and pure stream will always flow to God and to one another. Here, all his ways are pleasantness, and all his paths are peace; for where He keepeth the House who is Prince of Peace, he will keep all in his heavenly peace. We are but as one Family, and therefore we have but one Lord and Master. We are but as one Flock, and we have but one heavenly Shepherd to hear, who goeth before us, and giveth us eternal like [life8] to follow him: And if any are offended in Him or in his, it is their own fault; if they faint and grow weary; we are truly sorry; if through unwatchfulness, the Enemy hath enter’d , begotten coldness to the Brethren, and carelessness of embracing the opportunity by which the Unity is renewed and {Page 198} increased, so that what is done by the Brethren without them is looked upon, first with a slight eye, and then with an evil eye, which begets distance, and this distance in time [a9] separation, and separation continueth enmity, and this enmity death itself10: We are in our spirits truly griev’d for them, however, the judgement of God must stand against them and that Spirit that leadeth them, in which they gather not to God {Page 133 B} but to themselves, and woe to them, that strengthen their hands and despise counsel, they will have much to answer for before the Lord. I feel a slighting, scorning, laughing Spirit, often flying at me with its venomous Sting; but the Seed of Life is over it, and the Lord God will destroy it.
Wherefore Friends, in all places where this Spirit hath had entrance keep sound Judgement upon it, if you will keep your garments clean, and enter not into Disputes and Contests with it, ‘tis that it seeketh and loveth; but go in your Testimony and business for the Lord, in the Lord’s peaceable Power and Spirit; and his blessing and presence of life shall be with you, {Page 199} and in multiplying He shall multiply you, for no good thing will He withhold from you, we can say it of a truth, God is good to Israel, and to all that are of an upright heart. And let us be of good cheer, for it is God’s determination that the house of David shall grow stronger and stronger, and his branch shall increase and spread, and of his Government, Kingdom, and Dominion there shall be no end.
Your faithful Friend and Brother in the service of the dear lord, WILLIAM PENN.
God’s blessed work increaseth and prospereth in these Lands, magnified be his everlasting Name.
From on board the Passage [passage-boat[^10]] between Delfyzl and Embden, the 16. of the 7th. Month, 1677
Source: An Account of W. Penn’s Travails in Holland and Germany. Anno. MDCLXXVII. For the Service of the Gospel of Christ, by way of * Journal. Containing also Divers Letters and Wpistles writ to several Great and Eminent Persons wholst there. London, Printed and Sold by T. Sole, near the Meeting-House in White-Hart-Court in Grace Church-Street, and at the Croked-Billet in Holywell-lane near Shoreditch*, 1694. Pages 192-199.
B Source: Journal of William Penn, while visiting Holland and Germany in 1677. Philadelphia: Friends’ Book Store No. 304 Arch Street. 1878. pgs. 128-133.
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Barclay Document reads: The next morning about seven o’clock, being the 16th of the seventh month, we took boat for Embeden, which is about three leagues. On board of that vessel, it came upon me to write a letter to Friends in England concerning the Separatists, and their spirit of separation, which hath several times been opened unto me, and had remained some days upon my spirit. The Letter follows.↩
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Barclay Document reads: …and separation continued, bringeth forth enmity, and this enmity, death itself,…↩
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