EPISTLE FROM FRIENDS MET IN LONDON, THE 26TH OF THIRD MONTH, 1673. DEAR FRIENDS AND BRETHREN, The Lord our God having, by his eternal power, raised up and preserved many faithful and living witnesses of his blessed Truth until this day, both for the conversion of many from darkness to light, and for their building up, establishment, and comfort therein, by his own living eternal word of life and reconciliation; and having also signally blessed this precious opportunity of our assembling together with His glorious presence, power and majesty manifest among us, which many were and are eye-witnesses of; and in the unspeakable sense thereof many have been as melted, and their hearts exceedingly broken, and their souls overtaken, and deeply affected with God's unspeakable goodness and power, love and life, so plentifully shed abroad among us and in our hearts:-in the sense whereof our hearts are open and affected towards you all, even in the same dear and tender love and life that is abundantly shed forth unto us; and from which our salutation is to all our dear Friends, brethren, and sisters, in this and other nations. and Having the general state of the churches and people of God opened unto us, with a tender care upon our hearts, and breathing of our souls, that they all may grow, prosper, and be preserved, in unity, grace, and good order: that divine life and virtue may reign, and abundantly flow over and through all, to your replenishment and unspeakable comfort; that you may keep out the enemy in all his appearances, that would make divisions and disturbances in the churches :for at this time the enemy is busy, and secretly at work for that end, to make rents; endeavouring thereby to bring the open opposers and adversaries of Truth over us. It is, that strife and divisions may be stirred up among ourselves, that they desire and watch for ; therefore, where any are instruments thereof, they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the enemy: they that make divisions and cause offences contrary to the gospel, and that seek to sow discord among brethren, are not only to be marked, but the Lord will make them manifest; and his power will bring them under, and debase them, as it hath done and will do that spirit, which is guilty of jealousies, evil surmisings, whisperings, and hard speeches against the brethren, and faithful labourers in the Lord's work. It is the accuser of the brethren that strikes at their testimony, and seeks to undermine and to beget a disesteem and slight of them in it; which adversary must be watched against, and for ever cast down and out. And we are assured from the Lord, that all sowers of discord, accusers of the faithful brethren, slighters and undervaluers of their testimony and gifts, self-seekers, whisperers, backbiters, and all self-willed and self-exalted spirits, God will debase; His eternal power will work them under, and all that which offends shall be removed. God's pure power is at workrefining, thoroughly purging his floor and sanctifying his church and people; that there may be no rent or schism, but that the Lord may be one, and his name one, among us: and blessed are you that keep to your first love, and retain your integrity to the end. O! dear Friends and brethren, watch in the light against all the enemy's wiles; and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, that she may be seen in her beauty and splendour, as a city without breaches; that peace may remain in her walls, and prosperity within her palaces. O! let it be the general care of all our brethren, to whom the Lord hath committed an oversight in the churches, to keep things quiet and in good order, by the power and wisdom of God; who is not the author of confusion, but of peace :- and that the public affairs of Truth be managed and carried on in the same power and wisdom, which is pure and serviceable; that all in humility may submit to Christ's rule and government, in the spirit of meekness and condescension. Keep out all roughness and harshness one towards another, and all self-rule and dominion, that is not of the life, but in the will of the flesh; and let all that be kept down for ever,—and that no strange fire be kindled among you, nor in your meetings. And elders and overseers must not be self-willed, nor soon angry, nor given to haste or passion, nor [to] any shortness or brittleness; for such keep not in a sound mind, nor in the discerning either of true judgment or mercy,-which are both to be exercised among you, as the spirit of life opens to you the conditions and states to which they properly belong. For as all looseness, disorderly walking, and scandalous conversation and practices, must be severely reproved and judged out, especially among them that are convinced of the precious Truth,-and the guilty to bear their judgment and burthen; so likewise mercy and forgiveness must be extended to such as, having been overtaken with a fault, come to feel a true tenderness in their hearts through judgment-and to receive counsel, that they may be preserved in fear and watchfulness. And let not judgments and testimonies against miscarriages and offences be made more public than the miscarriages are,-to harden those that miscarry, and give the adversaries of Truth advantage to throw dirt upon Friends: but be careful and tender for the Truth and Friends in that matter; and endeavour to save the souls even of those that are tempted and drawn aside. As also, that private differences which may happen among any Friends or brethren, be ended by some Friend, in the wisdom and counsel of God, with as much privacy as may be,-without troubling or disturbing the public meetings or churches with them, and without public reflections upon persons, where the difference or offence on either hand is not so notorious or publicly manifest, but best to be ended privately;-both for the preservation of them who are concerned therein, and the prevention of such occasions as may either stumble the weak, cause confusion, or give the world occasion to reproach Friends and Truth. And Friends, we desire that all differences may be ended in the several counties where they do arise; and that the honour of God, and peace of the Church, may be minded, both by those whose case is to be determined, and those who are to determine: and that none join with such a singular spirit as would lead him to be sole judge in his own cause, but, in the restoring and healing spirit of Christ, both the offended and the offender may for the Truth's sake submit to the power of God in his people, in those cities, places, or counties, with such Friends as they with the parties concerned shall call to their assistance; for they do and will judge for God. And if any will not give up his matter to the judgment of Truth in his people, he doth but render himself and his cause suspicious, and that he wants the sense of the fellowship of the body: and as Friends keep in wisdom and patience concerning such, it will come over him, and be his burthen; for the universal spirit of Truth, by which we are called and made a people, leads not into any such practice. Dear Friends, let the authority of God's power, heavenly and peaceable wisdom, be eyed in all your assemblies; that the government of Truth and righteousness may be exalted over all, that true judgment and mercy may have their place. And though a general care be not laid upon every member, touching the good order and government in the church's affairs, nor have many travailed therein, yet the Lord hath laid it more upon some, in whom he hath opened counsel for that end,-and particularly in our dear brother and God's faithful labourer, George Fox,-for the help of many and God hath, in his wisdom, afforded those helps and governments in the churches, which are not to be despised; being in subjection to Christ the one head and lawgiver, answering his witness in all. And so all necessary counsel, admonitions or testimonies, that have been given forth and received in the universal spirit of life and unity, have their service for God, in subjection to his light and [in] subserviency thereto, and in order to answer the great rule and law of the Spirit of life, as proceeding from it. And they that are spiritual will acknowledge those things spoken or written from this spirit, and for this end, to be the requirings of the Lord. Many in divers places have received help and encouragement from Him, through those helps and governments that He hath afforded in the church-the true and living body, which we are members of; in which as all keep their habitations, there is a sweetness and harmony of life, unity and subjection one to another, and a preserving one another in the Lord: yet every man in his own proper order, for every member of the body is not an eye; and yet each member hath its proper place and service, and all in subjection to the one life, power, and head, which is Christ. And it hath been observed by us, that that spirit which despiseth governments and dominion, and speaks evil of dignities, is either a singular, or a selfrighteous, self-separating spirit, that would itself bear rule, and be judge over all,-which also seeks to stumble and darken the simple; or a loose, disobedient, careless spirit, that would not be reformed, but live at ease in the flesh and fleshly liberty; which the power of God will rebuke. But though he hath given us dominion over that spirit and its perverse ways, which oppose His power, and would work division, and lead into a corrupt liberty; yet it is no dominion over your faith that we seek ;-but that we may be helpers of your joy in the Lord, and you as diligent co-workers together in the faith and love of God; wherein we all may be a mutual comfort, joy, and crown of rejoicing, one to another, as having one Master, and we all brethren in Him, who is the Lord of the household, and God of glory, whose glorious presence is with us. And it is a wrong spirit, that would surmise or insinuate jealousies, or beget prejudice against the faithful labourers in the gospel, and helpers in government :-to misrepresent such, as aiming at any other ends and interests than Christ's interest and government over all; which God is our record, we are clear from seeking or aiming at any other. And in His authority and power, we stand witnesses against that spirit for ever, both in our open and secret enemies, which either smites at our heavenly society, or would break our unity. To the Prince of Peace, who is our head and lawgiver,-unto whom thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers are subject,-be glory for evermore! unto whose power and government we commit you all, and, in true endeared love, rest Your dear brethren, THOMAS GREEN. ALEX: PARker. SAMUEL WATSON. JAMES MERRICK. GEORGE WHITEHEAD. d We desire that true copies hereof may be communicated to and read in the several Quarterly, Monthly, and other meetings of Friends and brethren, throughout England and elsewhere. AT A SOLEMN GENERAL MEETING OF MANY FAITHFUL FRIENDS AND BRETHREN, CONCERNED IN THE PUBLIC LABOUR OF THE GOSPEL AND SERVICE OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, FROM THE MOST PART OF THE NATION. BELOVED FRIENDS AND BRETHREN, Upon weighty consideration had of the affairs relating to the Church of Christ in our day, in the counsel, wisdom, and orderings of God's Holy Spirit, whose glorious, bright, and refreshing presence was plentifully manifested among us; we do with one consent agree to, and conclude upon, these following particulars, seriously recommending them to the care and diligence of all Friends and brethren in the Truth, in their respective places and services, and whether in these or other parts of the world, where this may come; hoping that, upon reading hereof, they will have some sense of that heavenly power, presence, and wisdom of God that filled our hearts, and gave us heavenly unity, both in receiving and giving forth this our advice and counsel: and that through a sensible fellowship in the same power and wisdom of God in themselves, they may be stirred up to put the same in practice in their several places, to the exalting of that blessed name in which we have found salvation; and to the debasing and bringing under whatever hath lifted up itself against that most holy name, and led from the unity of the faith and good order that stands therein. [The above is introductory to several disciplinary regulations, most of which occur in our "Rules of Discipline." The epistle ends with this subscription: Your brethren, in the love and labour of the gospel, and Friends present at the said meeting, |