A collection of the several writings and faithful testimonies of that suffering servant of God, and patient follower of the Lamb, Humphry Smith who dyed a prisoner for the testimony of Jesus, in Winchester common-goal the 4th day of the 3d moneth in the year 1663.

TO ALL Parents of Children Upon the face of the VVhole Earth:

That your Children you may the better train up in the right Way that they should go therein, some∣thing of the True Way it self is discovered, that Iniquity may not be received by Tradition from Parents to Children, and so from one Generation to another, but that your Children may come to Christ, and be Children of God, and so be a Comfort unto you: Therefore is this sent among you every where in love to your Children and you.

FRom the Bowels of God's infinite Love, unto a tender Seed of him, not known nor brought forth in tender Babes, am I moved to you to write, That your Children you provoke not to Wrath, nor draw forth their Minds into Un∣righteousness; neither be ye Examples of Rashness, nor Fro∣wardness, neither teach ye them that, when they are little (to please your vain Minds) which you must chastise them afterwards to leave again; neither teach ye them to be Proud, by drawing forth their Minds to look at foolish Toyes, which you in the Transgression have put upon them, in any manner of dressing which is needless; for this know, that in so doing you bring them from being such, of whom the Kingdom of God doth con∣sist, to be Children of the Devil, who is the Father of Pride, which many harmeless Children would not come unto, were they not trained into it, by such as are in Pride already; neither teach ye them to strike in the least, nor provoke them to have any delight to see striking; for thereby afterwards they come to

strike one another, and hurt one another; and so you teach your own Children to be unnatural one to another, and you unnatural to them, in teaching them to strike one another, and then when they are a little grown up, to strike and beat them for striking one another, the which you taught them: Neither teach ye them to speak wicked Words, nor many Words; for in the Mul∣titude of Words, there wants not Sin: Neither teach ye them to call Names in the least, nor any such thing, as you will answer it for their Souls in the great and terrible Day of the Lord; for in these things is greater weight than many Thousands are aware of: And for want of taking heed of these things, in the true fear of God, Children have grown up in these and the like things, to be a great Grief unto their Parents, of whom they learned it; and some beat their Parents, being taught thereunto when they were little, and so trained up out of the fear of the Lord. And by this Wickedness, received by Tradition, and nursed up from one Generation to another, Nations are overspread with Sin and Ini∣quity, and Towns and Countries are filled with all Abominations, whereby the Lord of Heaven and Earth is grieved.

Therefore of these things be ye all warned; for this do I know, that in many tender Babes and young Children, there is a meek, innocent, harmless Principle from God, who willeth not the Death of any; and they have a Light from Christ, that lighteth every man that cometh into the World, which Light is in them: And he said, Suffer little Children to come unto me, & forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God, who come unto him that is meek and low in Heart; therefore you should suffer them to keep unto, & come unto that which is meek and low in the Heart; for that which may be known of God, is manifest in them: And Christ the Light had a love to little Children, and said, He that will enter the Kingdom of God, must become as a little Child: Therefore Wo be to you, if you teach and cause such to become the Chil∣dren of the Devil, by following your devised Fables, evil Ex∣amples and wrong Guidance in your own rebellious Wills: For behold, and look upon young Children, and see how innocent and lamb-like they look; and consider if every thing were as good as God made it; and how much more, if they were brought forth in the Covenant of God? And wherein have they delight,

in Pride or any Covetousness, or any manner of Cruelty? And is it not better for their Souls, if you let them keep in that state, and so to suffer them to come to Christ, who saveth from Sin, and his Power keepeth out of Sin, and his Light in the Conscience con∣demneth for Sin, where it is, and he cometh to destroy the Works of the Devil? Therefore you should consider, that you are far from Christ, if you teach such the works of the Devil, that never knew it, and teach Children to enter into Sin, which separateth them and you from God, and keep you forever from Salvation, unless you come through Judgment out of it again, which many come short of, and most attain not unto; for few there be that enter in at the strait Gate.

And that you may the more consider my words, and come into Moderation and the Wisdom of God, in these and other things, to walk exemplary before your Children, and to be to them Pat∣terns of Gravity, Meekness and Sobriety; therefore shall I set before your Eyes some plain and simple Truths of my experience when I was a Child.

First, as concerning Tenderness, my Heart was much affected therewith, and Tears was as my meat and drink night and day; and often was my Heart refreshed with love from God, when I came unto that which came from Christ, the Man of Sorrows, who said, Come unto me; and suffer little Children to come unto me; but many despised my Tears, and vilified my Mournful state, not knowing (as they said) what the matter was with me; and much provocation was used to get me out of that Condition, and as I grew up, to hurry me into the Earth, which brought much di∣sturbance upon my foolish despised state, that fear and terror then entred upon me, and ghastly Dreams in the Night, and sometimes strange Visions, in which I should cry out, and speak aloud, to the raising of all in the House, who with all the means they used could not get me out of it, which even astonished the Parents with fear, which things I well remember; and by the violent, fierce, wrathful Nature that ruled in others, was my quietness disturbed, which begat Wrath and Anger in me again towards them, which may be a Warning to you; yet something of God in me was not wholly overcome: And the first words, accor∣ding to Scripture, that pierced my Heart, and remained with

me, was, He hath filled the Hungry with good things, and the Rich hath he sent empty away.

The which words remained as a thing printed and sealed in my Heart, from the pure love of God, and my Meditations of him and his Love was exceeding prevailent upon my little tender Heart, being a Child, and so much the greater was my Grief, when by the Earthly mindedness, and wrathful hasty Nature in Parents, and others, I was even forced out of it, and so provoked to Wrath, Grief and Discontent, and not suffered to come nor keep to Christ, who saith, I am the Light, which I felt meek and low in the Heart, therefore was my Trouble great many times, and wrath and hastiness began to have entrance in me, the which being sensible of, and finding a love towards God to be much more precious than any thing of the World, and having a Hope towards him, I do affirm, That when I was a little Child, I should and did often pray to God (believing there was a God, though I knew him not) even earnestly did I pray with Tears, and my Heart was opened with his Love, to whom also I should make my Complaint in secret sometimes upon my Knees, when I could get into such a place that none could see me, nor at all come to know it: And sometimes as I went along the way, when it come into my heart, then should I even as it were beg and cry with many Tears, and had boldness towards God, as towards a familiar Friend, though much in submission and fear, as one unworthy, because I had sinned against him: And for these things I had no Creature to be my Example, nor to learn it of, and not know∣ing nor hearing of any that did the like, I durst not let any know of it, nor wherefore I did so often weep, when they did see me; for I saw none but despised that condition, and were unsensible of my state.

And so having not any that was sensible of that tender Princi∣ple of God in me, to cherish that, or be a help to me in it; but all, (as I grew up) to nurse up the evil earthly thing that was begot∣ten in me (as I said before) by that nature my Leaders were in; and as I grew in years, so that was apt to grow in me, my natural Father being more eager than most men, in labouring and caring for earthly things, that when I grew to the age of six or seven years, and upwards, there was seldem one day in six but he caused

me to cry bitterly, and through provocation continually thereun∣to, the Earth and Darkness got entrance in me more than before, and the tender Principle of God in me was vailed from me, and so became in after years as a Child of Wrath, disobedient to God, as I have written in a Book entituled, Man driven out into the Earth, wherein is declared the dreadful Indignation of God that after came upon me (because of that wicked Nature which I was led into) before I came into this peace with God, which now I do enjoy with him forever, whose Name my Soul doth magnifie for evermore.

And this I do write to be an Ensample unto you, and a Warn∣ing, that you may not bring your Children into the like Alie∣nation, Torment and Condemnation as I was, and the more espe∣cially, because that few afterwards do return to God with all their Hearts, and enter in at the straight Gate. And this you may also consider, that this I write in plainness, and true love to you and your Children, for the good of Body and Soul that in the fear of the living God, you may train them up, so may you have comfort in them at the last, and they may grow up in the Wis∣dom of God, to rule over such outward Earthly things, as the Lord or you may commit into their hands; for this you may or should know, that such as truly fear God will do no Evil, nor waste the Creatures upon their Lust; and if you teach them to waste the Creatures of God in Pride, lust, vanity, and needless things when they are young, how can you expect, but they will abuse, spend and waste your Estate when they are grown up; and some have been bred up so high in Pride, that when they have wanted to maintain that, and other Wickedness, they have robb'd and stole to maintain it, and at last, with shame, come to untimely ends; and many things might be named which with the Light you may also see and know, that these things are of great concernment both for Body and Soul, and for your good and your Children.

Therefore that it may go well with them and you, and that God may do them good at the latter end, let all your Children every where be trained up in the Way that they should go, which Way is Christ, and he saith, I am am the Light, and the Light in them will let them see, that they should not Lye, nor speak Wicked Words, nor do any Violence one to another; and so

you are to train up your Children in the Light; for the Light is the Way in which they may come to know God, and hear his Voice; for God speaks by him that is the Light: And God cal∣led Samuel, being yet a Child, and Ely bid the Child answer the Call of the Lord. And the Child, who answered the Call of the Lord, reproved old Ely the Priest; for that Priest's Sons were Sons of Belial, and knew not God; and them sons of his were the first Priests that ever took Tythes by force, and they and their Father came to an untimely Death, under the Judgments of God, which is also to follow upon all them Priests that take Tythes by force. And certainly, when I was a Child the Light of Christ in me did let me see the Abominations of the Priests practices, and did speak against their way of sprinkling Infants, and said, I should never stand as a God-father for any (nor never did) whereat a man Swore at me, and said, It was pity any one did it for me; but I said, I mattered not if they had never done it; for I was never the better, though I had never heard any one speak against the things, nor did not until many years after: And so, that which is now my Guide, is the same which was in the beginning before the Sin, and no other Foundation I never knew, neither can ano∣ther Foundation be laid in any, than that which is already laid, which is Christ within the hope of Glory; and he saith, I am the Light, come unto me; and suffer little Children to come unto me; for the Kingdom of God is of such, as come to him meek and low in Heart, who saveth from Sin: And certainly I never knew the Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace, until I became again as I was when I was a little Child: And how hard it is to come again into that simple innocent state, (when degenerated from it) let Gods Witness in the Couscience answer. Therefore is this written that you may not shut up the Kingdom of Heaven from your Children.

Secondly, Take heed how you cause or suffer your Children to Babble many vain words with their Tongues, with a delight to hear them prattle when there is no need; for thereby afterward the Tongue becomes an unruly Member, set on fire of Hell, Jam. 3. 6. as I found and bore the fierce Indignation of the Lord for; and many little Children would not come to speak so many vain and evil words, which corrupt the good Manners, if they were not

much provoked thereunto; and seeing People delight to hear them speak the most crasty words, which are from the subtilty of the Serpent; and many send their Children abroad among other wild People or Persons, to have them learn sub∣tilty and crast, to speak their words from, and how to be har∣dy, or too hard for others by subtil Words and Lyes also, in buying and selling, and when they have learned it, say, They can live any where, and that they can shift for themselves, and live by their Wits and forecast, which indeed oft-times to deceive others; and yet there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 such a plain, honest, simple Principle in some, that they can never be brought into such subtil words, nor into so many words as others, though they themselves have much endeavoured to attain it, but they have been more plain and simple, and the Lord preserveth the simple, Psal. 11. 6. and such sometimes could not defend their own cause, but were pleaded down when their cause was just, by others that had learned more of the Serpents subtilty, which the Vengeance of God will one day come upon, when the Lord avengeth the cause of the oppressed.

And in this I have had also much experience; for when I was a Child I saw much into the vanity of needless words, and was very backward a long time in speaking, and in that, and some other things, much differing from other Children, and many thought I would have been a fool, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they call it 〈…〉〈…〉 the foolishness of God, and therefore oft-times much means was u∣sed to cause me to speak, and many Provocations long together, and yet not at all scarce make me speak one word, for I saw then it was needless, and could not ask one how he did, when I saw he was well, nor answer that which was needless; and when I was a little grown up, and sent upon any small Errand, I should deliver my Message in very few words, that people thought I would be never like a man; and about ten years of Age my Father, in the flesh, would sometimes send me to Mar∣ket, and it was long before he, and all others, could make me ask any more then the price he did allow me to sell at; or if he did not set me a certain price, then I should resolve of a price in the mind, according as I saw the Market, and so I often sold with the cheapest, being loth to take too much, and therefore was often esteemed and called a Fool, and Dunce; but it had been easier for me, if I had never been drawn out of that state, when I

was taught of God, to do unto others, as I would be done unto, and was fearful to strike any one, but rather gave way to them that struck me, and so was by many of my equals abused, and it was hard for me to take away the life of any Creature, and pleaded much against it with my Father and Mother, when they com∣manded me to do it, though it was but to kill a young Dog or Cat, or the like, my Life in me was grieved to do it, and much was I forced to harden my Heart before I could do any such thing, though commanded by my Parents, which may be a warning to all Parents, that they be not the cause of the hardning of their Childrens hearts, and then say of them, they are hardy Lads, for that which har dens the heart seperates from God, who is Love, and from Christ, who comes to save the Life, and so the Sacrifice of God is not known, which is in the broken Heart, but the Lord is with the humble and the broken hearted: And you should all take heed of provoking your Children to many words; for all flesh should be silent before the Lord, and their words and yours should be few, seasoned with salt, that they might minister grace to the Hearers; for God sitteth in Heaven, unto whom an account must be given for every Idle word; and according to every word that a man shall speak, shall he be judged. Therefore let the fear and dread of the Lord God be before your Eyes, that you bring not your Children into the Condemnation, by speaking more then 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Of plain simple Truth in few Words, left the Lord God of Heaven and Earth requite it of you, in the day of his firce Wrath, when you will not be able to answer him one of a Thousand, and left you bring your tender simple Babes, to be Children of the Devil, and then it be not in your power to bring them back out of that state again, but they dye in their sins, upon whom the Wrath of God abideth.

Therefore as you love and tender their good, both of Soul and Body, see that you keep, and in all things bring them to Gods Witness in them, and that will judg and reprove them for any Evil they have done, and will keep them more out of all Evil, then you by any other Reproof can do, and will answer your chastizing for any Evil to be just, when done in the true Modera∣tion, not exceeding the Offence committed, nor proceeding from the least motion of the wrathful nature in you [mark that.]

Thirdly, take heed of provoking your Children to unquietness,

neither disturbe them of being quiet; for many are not content to see them sober and quiet, but are provoking them to Lightness and vain Pleasure, when they would be sober, like Lambs; for it is written, In quietness and rest shall ye be saved, Isa. 30. 13. And study to be quiet, I Thes. 4. 11. And commune with your own Hears, and be still, Psal. 4. 4. For when I was a Child, I did often sit and stand quiet long together, pondering many things in my Mind, and as I grew up all along that thing remained with me, that for an hour, or some hours, if I were not disturbed, I should sit quiet, either waiting on the Lord for Counsel, or searching which motion in me to be guided by; And when I have been riding along the way, when I have sound the right thing in me did not lead me, I have turned back and not rode that Jour∣ney: And my silent siting like a Fool, my Father hath often called studying, and hath often sharply reproved me for it; say∣ing, by way of Reproach, I would sure study to be some great Prea∣cher or another; and my Mother hath come to me, its like hun∣dreds of times, both when I was a Child, and a Man, and in her pity hath laid hards on me, and bid me should not sit studying so, for surely I would make my self a fool, not knowing what my condition was: And being so usually disturbed and grieved, sometimes on First-dayes, or when I could, I should get into some Wood, or place so private, that none should find me, and there wait in quietness three or four hours, and sometimes the Love of God would break through me, and his Word would make my heart soft, and I felt the same then which now is my Life; and now I know, that those that wait on the Lord renew their strength; and though it is written, The Lord was weary of the Peo∣ples Sacrifices, and with their Words, Mal. 2. 17. Yet it was ne∣ver written in Scripture, that the Lord was weary of those that waited upon him. Therefore you should suffer your Children to wait upon God (or at leastwise to be quiet) and that which may be known of God, is manifest in them, Rom. 1. 19. And the Lord hath not lest himself without a Witness in every Con∣science; and it is Christ that is given for a Witness, Isa. 55. 4. and his Light shineth in their hearts, who saith, Come to me, and learn of me; for he is the Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul, who teacheth all to Prosit, Isa. 48. 17. And is that true Prophet, which whoso hears not, the Soul is cut off; and certainly my Soul was cut

off from the Life, when I was forced from hearing his voice in me, that is a man of Sorrows, and as a Lamb dumb. Therefore take heed of provoking your Children to hear ken to a stranger, or another Teacher than he that is a living Mimster within the vail, and the vail is over the Heart, where I have found that Instructor that shall never be removed, but all Teachers without may be re∣moved, and Priests and men may dye, but this abides a Priest for∣ever, being made by the Power of an endless Life, Heb. 7.

And so now all such as come to know something of God in them, they also come to sit in silence, and quietness, to receive Instructions from God, which is no new thing invented by the will of man, or learned one from another, but is the same with that which guided the Prophets, and was in my heart from God of a Child: and I do affirm in the presence of the Lord God, that I had never returned out of that degenerate state which I was hurried into, from the measure of the breath of Life in me, if I had not waited in, and been obedient unto the Light of Christ, which was in me so a Child: And you may all mind, that all along there hath been something in you, which in secret did reprove you for sin, and will let you see the sins of your Youth or Childhood, and that is the Light of Christ, the Son of God, who so loved the World, that he gave his Son a Light into the World; and the World is sct in the Heart, Eccles. 3. 11. that all men through him might believe, and be saved from Wrath to come; and that is it that is given for a Witness, and the Witness is alss in the Conscience of a Child, which will testifie against it, after it hath done Evil, and the Countenance will fall, like Cain; but before they have done Evil they are not ashamed, as Adam, being innocent; and if they be falsly accused of an Evil they have not done, they will have Boldness therein, and the Witness in them will justifie them; and the Witness is given, of God to be a Leader, Isa. 54. 4. and a Captain, Heb. 2. 10. and a Saviour, Mat. 1. 21. And the Lord in the midst is mighty to save, Hos. 11. 9. And this is freely given to every one, without Money, and without Price, so that there is neither Jew nor Greek, Barbarian nor Scythian, Bond nor Free, but Christ is all, and in all, and he is called a Witness, and the Light of the Gentiles; and he saith, I am the Light, be∣lieve in the Light; And God is Light, who is above all, and through all,

and in all, Ephes. 4. 6. And he hath placed a sufficient measure in eve∣ry one, Psal. 46. 5. Heb. 8. 10, 11. which was my Teacher when I knew no other, and before I knew what it was, and is my Teacher now, and is the same as ever it was, and doth not Change; and this is that which comes from God, and is not put in them by Man nor humane Learning, but men by their Eloqent Speeches and vain Deceit may lead them forth from that in them, and so break the Command of Christ, who said, Go not forth, Mat. 24. 25. And then when they are led forth after Lo here and Lo there, from the Rock, which Christ, the Light within, and from the sure Foundation, which God hath laid, and no man can lay another, though they despise this, and reject, and refuse this precious Corner-stone, which is the Light that shineth in the heart to give the knowledge of God, from the which being led by the subtility of mans fallen Wisdom, then are they liable to follow any devised Fables, and Imaginations, and Sects, and Opinons, and to be scattered upon every dry, barran and dark Mountain, as the Lord knoweth I was long, not knowing where to find Rest, having been hurried from, and led out from my true Guide, from and by the which at first I could pray with the Spirit, as in measure the Spirit that was within helped my Infir∣mity, with Sighs and Tears, which being led out from, and the tender Motions of it quenched, then after I grew up, was taught to say Prayers, and some Prayers that others learned out of Books, and this they laid upon me to say every night, but I found that was just as dry Heath, instead of a Honey-comb before.

And so being led on in a Form, and to look after Things, and Teachers without, the Light within became darkned, and my understanding of the Son of God's Love shed abroad in my Heart, which sometimes being sensible of, I began very Young to look after Priests and Sermons, and thought to have sound the true Thing again there; but as true as the Lord God of Hea∣ven and Earth liveth, They did me more harm than all the rest, and led me farther from my Teacher, and from the sence of the feeling after God, Acts 17. 27. to sind him near me then ever, and withal begot in me abundance of the Serpents subtilty, and the more because I being sensible of a want in me, received their fair Speeches with much eagerness and earnest Desires, believing

them that that was the Way to Peace; so that I grew much into that knowledge which puff••th up, and did indeed encrease my Sorrow, and so by them was I deceived, the Lord God knoweth I Lye not, but speak the Truth in Flainness, having not Envy towards any of their Persons; and this is the very Truth of my Heart, in the Presence of the living God, That it was more harder for me to leave and deny, and know Redemption out of that, which I learned from and among the Priests, then to leave the Fruits of all the Sin that ever I by Temptations did run into, and my Wit∣ness herein will abide in me forever.

Therefore let the Lord God be the Teacher of your Children, who hath given them Life and Beeing, and a better Teacher you cannot provide for them, nor direct them unto, and that which may be known of God, is manifest in them; and let that lead them, and guide them in his fear; and you are to let them understand, that they should do and speak justly, according to that Witness of God in them, which will let them see when-ever they are tempted to speak a Lye, or say they have done such a things as you commanded them, and have not; and will let them see, they should be faithful and diligent unto you in all things, that are just in the sight of God; and other things you should not re∣quire of them, left you grieve them, but examples of Righte∣ousness should you be in all your Words and Actions unto them; and if you are not able to set them to School to learn to read, yet they have the Light from christ in them already, and that will sh••w them plainly of the Father; and he that is the Light is the good Old Way, in which the way faring men, though Fool, cannot Err.

And if you set them to school never so long to read and write, and with their learning to search the Scriptures, which is good, yet they are to come to Christ the Light that they may have Life, and they are to learn of him, and follow him, and so to learn of Christ, as to know him to be in them the Hope of Glory, and the Way out of Sin, and unto the Father, his will in all things made manifest to obey, rather then man, that so it may go well with them, and that they may come to receive a Blessing from God, and be a Comfort to their Parents, who fear him, and at last in Gods Ever∣lasting Covenant lie down with Peace and Rest