DEarly beloved sister! shere met together in feare, I beseech you let us hold forth our gifts (for the mutuall Information and Edification of one another) in a spiritual and holy discourse, as not knowing o­therwise, but that this may be the last time, that ever we shall meet together in this place in peace.

Why! Sister, what cause have you to suspect that we shall not meet together here at another time, as we have been wonted to doe for many years?

The wicked and Reprobate about the City say, that the Man in Power at White-hall, whom they call their King, has put forth a Proclamation the other day, to put down and put by all our Meeting­houses and Meetings for the future; because some of our Brethren being lately moved by the spirit, obeyed the holy Call, and contended for our Christian Liber­ty in the streets, as loyal subjects of our King Jesus; In whose name they cut off some wicked members, that opposed them in the names of God and Kings Charls, as they wickedly said.

Truly sisters! As I was selling of Lace in Cheap-side the other day, there came a great Company together on Horseback, and read a Paper to that effect; whereupon I told my sister Abigaile of the sad news; who went with me to our sister Prudence at the Bull-head; where we sweetned our sorrow with a pint of burnt Claret, and remembred the Saints in prison (our Father Know—, and the rest of our Brethren and Sisters,) whom that man of Sin (that they call their Lord Mayor Brown) hath wickedly committed.

Yea! It is very true; but you forgot one thing, sister Ruth; that is, the great fervency and love, that our sister Prudence shewed to us, who brought us in an half-peny Roll to sop in the wine upon her own charge; which you promised to communicate at our next meeting, that the thanks of the Congregation might be returned to her for her Christian and sisterly bounty.

It was not so much worth indeed, good Sisters! that I deserve any thanks for it. But verily, I have been much cast down in my spirit, ever since I heard, that our harmlesse and innocent meetings should be stop't and prevented, and that we should be debarred of the sweet fellowship and communion of our dearly beloved brethren; of whose sufferings we ought to be fellow-feelers now in the time of their captivity, as they have added much to our consolation in the time of their Liberty.

In truth, Sisters, I have much felt the sweetnesse of our Brethrens love, and been comfor­ted by their gifts and abilities many a time. Oh! [Page 3] what a holy man is our Brother Iv—! the Cheese monger; who was alwayes so meekly and lowly minded, that for the supply of the inward wants of any of us, would not disdaine to fall on his face, and zealously embrace us in the arms of his ser­vent affection; which hath been the cause by con­stant usage, that his Nose stand's awry, after the similitude of our old Father Cans.

And I can say by good experience, that if we be obstructed hence forward in our zealous way, I shall loose the precious and balmy salutations of our brother H—the Printer; whose breathings and pantings have been alwayes very cordial and comfortable to me, and made such deep Im­pressions upon my sanctified heart, that they have made me very fruitfull, and zealous of his good works; but if I now be deprived of his holy Seed, I fear, I shall decline in the spiritual way of our fru­ctification, and bring forth onely fruits meet for pen­nance and grief.

Verily for my part I say unto you, that the man (according to the flesh,) whom I fondly and idlely took to be my Husband in the dayes of my youthfull vanities, hath proved a meere Jew unto me, and will not give me that due benevolence, which we are taught in our holy Scriptures, is owing from the Male to the Female; And therefore since he is one of the Reprobates, and also one that loves the superstitious shirt, better than my hallowed and purified Smock, I am resolved (in despight of all opposition) to follow the godly Exhor­tations [Page 4] & Motives of that holy man of God Mr. Feake; and if I cannot have my liberty of Conscience with a Brother in our publick Meeting-place, I will seek after his Fellowship and Membership in a Corner, like the persecuted Saints of old; who lived in Dens and Caverns of the earth, rather then they would not enjoy their liberty of Conscience.

What! shall not our Brethren in the fear of the Lord hold forth unto us, and make us partakers of those good gifts, that they have received, and can fully and freely administer unto us for the relief of our needs and necessities? Shall all our Potato pies, our Calves-foot pies, our Jellies, and cordiall Brothes (besides those little Drachms and Scruples of Spirits) be all suspended and laid aside; which inflamed our zeales, and provoked us to conjunction and union one with another in an holy fear? No, no, I'le turn my Patience into fury, and rather than be kept from the sweet and delightfull enjoyments of those felicities, I will break the Commandments of ten thousand Pro­clamations, let them exclaim as loud as they will! What! are not the Creatures common for us Saints, and shall we (like drowsie and cowardly fools) be scar'd and terrified out of our Comforts, by a little pa­per-stuff? No, no, my Husbands Silks and Sattins shall flye for it, but I'le keep up our Prerogatives; which have been so piously contended for by all our Bre­thren beyond the Seas for many years, and for which the Saints of late lost their lives, and more will follow er're it be long, if the Reprobates should prevaile a­gainst us; which I hope they never shall be able, till we have utterly destroyed them upon the face of the earth.

In good sooth, sister Patience, I concur with you in opinion; And I further add somewhat of mine own, That I hold it both unnatural and unreasonable, that if we were no more then rational creatures, (as we are not) we should have lesse freedome and liberty in congregating together with holy men, than is per­mitted in the order of Nature to meer bruit Beasts and Fowl (which have no understanding) to gather themselves into sociable herds and flocks, and do those things in common one with another, as their appetites incite them; Much more therefore since that we are Saints, and pure and holy Sisters of the Brethren, (who are perfect and righteous men) should we have in charity our free and absolute permission and tolerati­on to do what we will; for as much as the Brethren go the right way to work with us, and doe not tempt us to folly and filthinesse, as the carnal and sinfull men of the world use to doe with the rest of our unsancti­fied Sex; but what they doe to us, they do it with so­briety and discretion, and in pure love and affection, that they may raise up an holy Generation of young Saints; who may onely know their Fathers after the spirit and not after the flesh; (as the children of the world do,) though there were twenty of the Brethren contributing to the begetting of one little Saint; For Charity is the bond of all perfection, and love is the fulfilling of the law; And therefore if a Brother and Sister be spiritually moved, and inclined in an holy love and charitable respect to propagate and encrease the number of the faithfull, no time or place or per­sons ought to restrain or bar them from doing so good a work. Wherefore my opinion is, that the Procla­mation is not binding of us in Charity, Religion and [Page 6] Conscience; nor is there any carnal power above the priviledges of us Saints: And therefore I will never submit to it, as long as I breath.

Good sister, I believe you to be in the right; and as our sister Rebecca hath often expounded to us the word, I am confirmed, that we are above all prin­cipalities and Powers in the world (except the powers of darknesse,) and shall bring them all into subjection under our feet. And therefore we will meet with our beloved Brethren, though it be at the Gallows, rather then we will loose their brotherly communion; and if any of those wicked men, (which call themselves our Husbands,) will not give us way to do as we list, but shall seek to controll and require us to go along with them to their Steeple-houses, and conform our selves to their Baal's Priests, we will forsake and leave their wicked company, and betake us to our Bre­threns Copulation and Conjunction with us, where and when and how, the spirit shall move us to it.

This is very fine indeed! What must we meet no more together forsooth? But we will by my consent, in despight of all the Train Bands of the City! A Proclamation! Out upon it! Tis but one of the Buls of the Whore of Babylon, and shall we be frighted and disheartned by a little Paper-Bull, that fear not, nor stand in aw of the great Bulls of Bashan, our husbands! Come, come, Sisters, let us make a col­lection, and provide a stock for our religious brethren, who now suffer persecution for their Conscience sake, that their bonds may be made easie to them, and the rigour of their Keepers taken off; that since we can­not enjoy them with us here in freedome, they may freely enjoy us with them in their restraints and con­finements. [Page 7] For which purpose, the Fore-man of our shop hath already progged for me (unknown to his wicked Master) this bag of money; And rather than our Brethren shall want, my servants shall course it, and course it over and over with me, so as they will but proll from their Master secretly, that which his Nabal like and churlish worldly mindednesse will not freely let me have for the relief of our poore bre­thren.

Ah good sister Temperance, you are piously disposed! Hold close to that good resolution, and ne­ver fall back from it with any perswasion of that evill minded man, your carnal and ungodly Husband. All that he hath is yours, and for our common good; And therefore it is no iniquity for you to do what you wil, so as thereby you promote the welfare of our bre­thren, though it tend to the breaking and bringing down the rebellious and stubborn heart of your un­sanctified Husband; for whom you must not reserve in the least corner of your soul any affection or love; since he is a reprobate to our Faith, and an enemy to the Saints; and its no matter at all what becomes of him.

Though, sisters, you can ruzzle up and down in your silks and rich attire, and I am but a poor footer of stockings, yet my bolt may be as soon shot, as yours, and to as good a purpose! I say this; That it is best for us all to be as wary as we can. For my own part, I am now grown old, and cannot do, as I was wont, the marke being quite out of my mouth, as they prophanely say: But if my blood was as quick and [Page 8] active (as some of yours is, and it hath been in my younger dayes) I would adventure to do more than now I can, or can be expected from me. I tell you, sisters, that I conceive it will be best for us to follow the advise and exhortation of our brother Venner, & to cut the throats of such of our Husbands, as are King­lings for the Man in Power, and Enemies to the Bre­thren. As for my part, I have an old rigid Presbyte­rian to my Husband, who night and day calls me Scis­matick and Fanatick, and Whore, and Jade, and Bawd to the sanctified Whores (meaning all you my deare sisters,) but for my self, I value not his words, if there was any great matter of truth in them; onely I will be avenged upon him for your sakes, whose holy names and persons, he doth so wickedly slander; And therefore it shall not belong ere I doe him a courtesie, and send him to his long home: And if you will ever be free, you must all do the like, that are under the Curse of such ungracious Reprobates.

I am fully convinced, that my Sister Con­stance hath moved to the purpose, and it will be best for us all to take her Counsel, and put it in present and speedy execution, that we may set up our Monarchy with all expedition.

Agreed, agreed! Wee'l fire the City too, rather then we will not have our wils. And therefore let us take our Farewell of this our Meeting-place at this time; onely let us sing a Psalm of mercy to the praise of our King, composed by our Father Feake for our E­dification and Instruction, before we depart.