AN EPISTLE TO FRIENDS Given forth from Leinster-Province Meeting in Ireland held at Castledermot the 9th 10th and 11th days of the 7th Month 1698. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him 1 John 1 Chap. 15. vers Printed in the Year 1699 The Epistle Dear Friends THE following Epistle is recommended to be read in the fear of the Lord in which I doubt not but you will have a sence of the Godly Care and Concern which the Lord hath raised in the Minds of some of his faithful Elders for the Good and Preservation of his Heritage But if there be any amongst our selves or others not acquainted with our Christian Discipline who for want of truly seeing the great danger and hurt that hath attended the Professors of Christianity by unbounded desires and persuit after the things of this World shall censure our Christian care as if we went about to exercise Lordship over one another or would hinder and limet such Industrous and capable persons who in the fear of God and in Moderation do improve the Creation in general or their own worldly Talents in particular which God hath been pleas'd to give them I say if any shall thus Judg of our Godly Care and Endeavours Let all such know they are mistaken and that no such thing is intended But as a People whom the Lord hath made sensible of the many snares that do attend and the Loss some have susteined by the unsatiable Desire and too Eager Persuit after the Lawful things of this World A concern came upon us that if possible we might all come to be limited with truths bounds that leads to Moderation and Content and to depend more upon that providential hand of the Lord that will afford us what we stand in Need of then in an Inordinate desire to persue after the gain of this Worlds Goods And now dear Friends and Brethren this Brotherly Caution arises in my Heart to you who were Eye-Witnesses and partakers of that wonderful and Eminent bowing power and presence of the Lord God that appear amongst us at that Meeting that none who were Witnesses of the Power of the Lord at that time and thereby brought into a lively sence and sight of the great danger attending that mind which would be going after Covetousness may in the least give way thereto or enter into Reasoning and Consulting with Flesh and Blood by which you will loose the sence you then had of that Spirit and be in danger of becoming Monuments of God's Displeasure But on the contrary keep to the guidance and direction of Gods Spirit in your selves which will limit your desires to the lawful things of this World within the bounds of Truth which is the earnest desire of one that desires the good and preservation of all in that which will tend to the glory of God bring everlasting comfort in the end Thomas Trafford To all our dear Friends and Brethren in this Nation of Ireland and elsewhere THE Salutation of our dear love in the Lord JESUS CHRIST in tender Bowels flows forth to the whole Heritage of God with fervent desires that all may walk worthy of his great love and Fatherly kindness and care to us and over us who hath blessed us in turning us from our Iniquities and brought us to the knowledge of himself by the blessed light of his dear Son shining in our hearts and by the evidence of his holy Spirit confirmed our faith in the great unspeakable benefit we have both in his first and second coming for to suffer for us in that prepared Body and now in Spirit and glorious power of the Father to perfect our Redemption and Salvation and to reconcile us unto himself by washing us with the Water of Regeneration sprinkling us with the Blood of his covenant and under his daily Cross which crucifies us to the World and renews his heavenly Image in us and hath preserved us in all Exercises of Troubles Temptations and Perils of all sorts inward and outward and fed us plentifully with the wholesom and sound doctrine of his heavenly Kingdom and watered us abundantly from time to time with the Distillations of the Showers thereof flowing from the Clouds that he hath prepared and filled with his holy spirit to replenish his Husbandry and Vineyard with the Mysteries of Faith and Godliness as the former Rain in its season and the latter Rain in its season and clothed us with Religious Discipline and Gospel Order that no nakedness may be amongst us but every Member of this Body of people which Christ is Head of may be covered with his Righteousness in Words and Actions following him in the daily Cross and self denial by Faith in him as Lights in the World to the praise and glory of God and in order to carry on and perfect this good Work for our Establishment and his Honour He hath raised and settled and is raising Instruments according to his blessed promise that he would give his People Judges as at first and Counsellers as at the beginning Men fearing God and hating Covetousness gifting them for this great Work with his holy Spirit of Counsel with a sound Mind and Understanding and a concern for his Honour and prosperity of his blessed Truth amongst Men the Enlargement and Exalting of the Government and Kingdom of Christ with all Godly diligence according to the ability and gift of his holy Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding given to them for this work and service for the Lord and his People as help-meets in Government and Overseers and Door-keepers of the Flock and Church of Christ walking before them as good Examples in self-denial and daily Cross of Christ not only to the unlawful things of the World but to the lawful things The Lord bounding them in their getting and ordering them in their Management and disposing thereof that the Flock may follow by their footsteps as they thus follow Christ And dear Friends You of this Nation knows that for several Years past there hath been and yet remains a Godly care on the minds and spirits of such whom the Lord hath thus raised and concerned as Overseers that all things might be well in the Church of Christ and he may present it to the Father as a Chaste Virgin without blemish and on this Account much labour of God hath been bestowed at Opportunities and Seasons which the Lord hath put into our hands and hath been sanctified to us the Lord owning his work and us in it and honouring our Assemblies in this service with his powerful glorious presence to the overcoming of our hearts with comfort and satisfaction opening our Understandings by the Enlargement of his holy Spirit in many things absolutely needful to be put in practice for the preservation of his People out of the snares of the Enemy of Mankind which he lays in the World and
baits them with the things of this World And God hath wonderfully own'd and blessed our labours to our great Comfort and Encouragment and the great benefit and satisfaction of many who gives thanks and praises to the Lord for the benefit received on many Accounts through those close Concerns and Labours of love for the good of one another as Saviours on Mount Sion And now that which remains and chiefly is before us in this service of this our day is to warn and admonish the Church of Christ to beware of the snares of that unwearied Enemy which he lays in secret baits with the lawful things of this World in this time of Ease and great Liberty for his baits is suitable to the times and seasons to answer the Inclination of Peoples minds that goes from things that are above after the things that are below and 't is easie to understand the generality of People is taken in his snares and carried away after Riches Preferment Honour Greatness and Vain-Glory in the things of this World that is uncertain and soon comes to an End And he is striving to break in upon the People of our Society whom the Lord hath called by his Grace out of the World to obey and follow him in all things as Lights in the World to his Honour And this Enemy of all Righteousness hath prevailed on many that are not so careful and watchful in the Light of Christ as they ought to be against this Adversary of Mankind in the lawful things of this World with which he blinds the Eyes of the Understanding and leads the Heart Mind and Affections into Captivity they not Eying the Lord and his blessed Truth to limit and bound them so falls into many Temptations Snares and hurtful Lusts and others following their Examples to get Riches and be big in the World Invades other Mens Properties and fails in their purposes so sacrifices Religion and their own Credit to their greedy desire after gain and gives occasion for Men to brand us with the Character of Covetousness which causes Truth professed by us to be evil spoken of Stumbles the minds of some that otherwise might joyn with us and hinders the Lords work of Reformation on many Accounts and grieves his good Spirit and wounds the hearts of his faithful Servants that are given up in Heart Mind Body and Substance that the Lord may limit bound order and dispose of them all they have and hold as stewards under him that hath all power in Heaven and Earth and his Will and Mind to be known and observed in Earthly things as well as in heavenly things with all due Reverence Subjection and Obedience where our preservation is from the Inrodes the Enemy makes to hinder the Progress of the Lords People and to make them unfruitful to the Lord as his Vineyard in heavenly and spiritual things but instead thereof to bring forth wild Grapes Bryars Thorns Thistles and Tares the fruits of the Mind Heart Spirit and Affections that goes in their own Wills into Earthly things beyond the Bounds and Limits of the Lords Everlasting Truth which is great provocations for the Lord to curse the Ground and to lay his Vineyard waste which he hath bestowed great labour upon that it might bring forth good fruit to the Praise Honour and Glory of his great Name Now under a due consideration of the great Injury and damage the Church of Christ hath and doth sustain in our day by this floating Spirit that leads into the lawful things of the World beyond the Bounds of Truth and beyond the use for which they were created and given of God A great concern came upon several of us in a spiritual Travel for the Honour of God and the preservation of his People the Comliness Beauty and Credit of the unspotted Religion professed by us and under this Godly care and concern the Spirit and power of the Lord mightily appearing with us and in us in which the Testimony of the Lord Jesus rose in many as a Standard lifted up against the Invasions of an Enemy and great Labours and Endeavours were used to stop this unsatiable Mind and Spirit that is so earnest and eager after Earthly things and yet not willing to be called by the name of Covetousness and to bring it within the Bounds and Limits of Truth This Religious concern being practised from time to time for several Years at such Opportunities as the Lord put into our hands to be concerned in Church-Affairs that nothing thing might get in nor grow which God hath not sowed nor planted but be pluckt up and rooted out in due time that the Lords Plant and good Seed that he hath planted and sowed might grow flourish and bring forth good fruits in due Season to the Honour and Glory of the great Husbandman that the cares of this World and Covetousness of Riches might not choak it Now we being at our Province Meeting before mentioned and a great Appearance of Friends both Men and Women and the mighty power of the Lord amongst us his Glory covering our Assembly and crowning our meeting with his presence and under a weighty sence thereof the Affairs of the Church were managed in great Unity Peace and Concord And under this heavenly Canopy of the Lords Antient goodness a weighty concern came upon our Spirits as at other times on the like Occasion concerning the Bounds and Limits of Getting and the right using the lawful things of this World and how far Friends might safely go into them And much time being spent in Church-Affairs to good purpose and satisfaction the Meeting adjourned till the next day and after the Meeting for the worship of God was over then Men Friends and Antient concerned Women to meet together and consider of this weighty matter and accordingly Friends met and sat down in great Silence retired to the Lord for his Aid and Counsel and the Lord was pleased to appear and his power was great through his Spirit to our great Comfort for his Glory covered our Assembly and many hearts were melted before him because of the weight of his Goodness which bowed all Spirits and many heavenly things were opened in the Testimony of Jesus concerning the Bounds and right use of the lawful things of this World and in the demonstration of the Spirit and power of Christ then abounding amongst us and governing our Assembly and guiding our hearts and understandings Unanimously mously it was agreed and adjudged that a Competence of the lawful things of this World is sufficient for every one and is the right bounds with a due consideration of every ones Charge Station place and service And that Mind which will not be content with this bears the Character of Covetousness and renders such unfit to Rule in the Church of Christ And under the Over-Ruling power of the Lord there was an Unanimous Consent one by one to offer up our selves to the Judgment of the Province-Meeting
or other approved Elders as the Province-Meeting shall think fit if in any thing we do exceed those Bounds that Truth may bound Us that hath all power in Heaven and Earth And in a Subjection one to another in our Possessions Holdings Callings Trading and dealing amongst Men not to be our own Judges or walk in the light of our own Eyes considering the Wise Mans saying that every Mans Cause is good in his own Eyes but his Neighbour finds him out and in the multitude of Counsel is safety Not that we intend to deprive any of the moderate lawful use of the things of this World or to take from any Man his Possessions or to invade and take away Property but to bring all things into right bounds and set them in their right places that so none may be guilty of the great sin of abusing the Lord's Mercies but might use and enjoy them to his honour that in so doing they may enjoy his Peace Blessing which indeed is the true comfort of all Enjoyments Thus shall we give evident Testimony to the World by our Moderation even in the lawful things that we are true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ in a self-denying life And thus as helps meet together in the Lord Jesus we may be as Saviours on Mount Sion building up one another in our most precious Faith and in our heavenly possession in Christ Jesus over the greedy Gain Greatness and Vain-Glory of the World and perishing fading things thereof that soon comes to an End and here the rich Man will not Glory in his Riches but see the danger of them and not lay hold of Opportunities to heap up more to make himself and posterity great in the World but rather Endeavour to lessen that with more ease and chearfulness he may serve God and his Generation with what he hath with all his might being glad of every Opportunity that presents that he may do good and be rich in good Works considering he is a Steward and his time uncertain in what he enjoys and must be accountable to the Lord of all for all things he possesses under him and under the like consideration the mean Man will be glad that he is free from many Temptations and Snares that the Rich in this World is lyable to fall into and pierce themselves with many sorrows and hurtful Lusts and bless the Lord for what he enjoys not wanting Food and Rayment with which he is well content and easie in his mind that is towards the Lord and seeks not from place to place and from one Country to another in a covetous Mind to heap up Riches but looks to the Lord with an Eye of Faith to receive Counsel from him in his undertakings and dare not go beyond his Limits nor without his countenance and all Murmuring Repining and Unbelief is kept out of the Camp And there will be no craving Spirits where the Lord Rules but all in their stations according to serve the Lord with all their might and Substance in their places where the Lord hath raised them or order'd them and may be serviceable Shaking themselves from the dust of the Earth putting on their beautiful Garments of the Lords Government and shining under the discipline thereof rising over the Earth and Earthly things in the life and power of Christ as Lights in the World in this glorious day of the Lord wherein he is staining the Glory of the lawful things of this World and the goodliness thereof by the brightness of his coming in the Glory of his Fathers Kingdom and is whipping Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple that it may be a house for the service of God which holiness becomes that he may walk sup and make his abode and the Offerings of his People may be acceptable to him when he hath purged away all this dross Tin and reprobate Silver Our hearts are deeply affected with the care and kindness of the Lord for our preservation from the Snares of the Enemy which he lays for us in the lawful things of this World far more dangerous and we more lyable to be taken in them in this time of great ease and liberty than in the time of persecution and sufferings to be frighted from our stedfastness in our Faith and Principles And dear Friend we may well understand that as to our Society self-denial stands mostly in the lawful things hoping by this time of this glorious day you have overcome the base and unlawful things and your hearts and minds is cleansed from them by the Blood of Christ that sprinkles our hearts from an evil Conscience and washes our Bodies with clean Water of Regeneration and renewing of his Holy Spirit And he that hath done this for us is perfecting what is lacking that he may present us to God the Father faultless to whom be praises for ever Amen Subscribed in behalf of the Meeting by William Edmondson Thomas Trafford Roger Roberts John Pim. George Rooke Thomas Wilson POST-SCRIPT AT the first when the Lord called and gathered us to be a People and opened the Eyes of our Understandings then we saw the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the wickedness that was in the World and a perfect Abhorrence was fixed in our hearts against all the wicked unjust vain ungodly unlawful part of the World in all Respects And we saw the goodly and most glorious lawful things of the World to be abused and misused And that many Snares and Temptations laid in them and many troubles and dangers of divers kinds and we felt the Load of them and that we could not carry them and run the Race the Lord had set before us so chearful as to win the Prize of our Salvation So that our care was to cast off this great Load and Burthen of our great and gainful ways of getting Riches and to lessen our concerns therein to the Compass that we might not be chargeable to any in our stations and services required of us and be ready to answer Christ Jesus our Captain that called us to follow him in a spiritual warfare under the discipline of his daily Cross and self-denial and then the things of this World was of small value with us So that we might win Christ and the goodliest things of the World was not near us So that we might be near the Lord and the Lords Truth out-ballanc'd all the World even the most glorious part of it Then great Trading was a Burthen and great concerns a great trouble all needless things fine Houses rich Furniture and gaudy Apparel was an Eye fore Our Eye being single to the Lord and the inshining of his Light in our hearts which gave us the sight of the knowledge of the Glory of God which so affected our minds that it stained the Glory of all Earthly things and they bore no Mastery with us either in dwelling eating drinking buying selling marrying or giving in marriage the Lord was the object of our Eye and we all humble and low before him and self of small Repute Ministers and Elders in all such cases walking as good Examples that the flock might follow their footsteps as they followed Christ in the daily Cross and self-denial in their dwellings callings eating drinking buying selling marrying and giving in marriage And this answered the Lord and his Witness in all Consciences and gave us great credit amongst-Men And as our Number increased it happened that such a Spirit came in amongst us as was amongst the Jews when they came out of Egypt and this began to look back into the World and traded with the Credit which was not of its own purchasing and striving to be great in the Riches and Possessions of this World and then great fair buildings in City and Country fine and fashionable Furniture and apparel equivolent with dainty and voluptuous provision with Rich Matches in Marriage with Excessive Customany uncomely smoaking of Tobacco under colour of lawful and serviceable far wide from the Footsteps of the ministers and Elders the Lord raised and sent forth into his Work and service at the beginning And far short of the Example our Lord and Master Christ Jesus left us when he was tempted in the Wilderness with the preference of the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them and despised them And Moses that refused the Crown of Egypt and to be called the Son of Pharoh's Daughter rather chused Affliction with the Lords People having a regard to the recompence of reward And the holy Apostle writes to the Church of Christ both Fathers Young-men and Children and advises against the love of the World and the fashions thererof And it is working as the old Leaven at this very time to corrupt the Heritage of God and to fill it with Bryars Thorns Thistles and Tares and the Grapes of the Earth to make the Lord reject it and lay it wast But the Lord of all our mercies whose Eye hath been over us for good since he gathered us to be a People and entred into Covenant with us and according to his antient promise is lifting up his Spirit as a Standard against the Invasion of this Enemy and is raising up his living Word and Testimony in the hearts of Many to stand in the Gap which this floating high worldly libertine Spirit hath made And that is gone from the Footsteps of them that follows Christ as at first and knows him to bound them and to keep in his Bounds and not in their own Will and time lay hold on Presentations and Opportunities that may offer to get Riches which many hath had and refused for Truths sake and the Lord hath accepted as an offering and rewarded to their great comfort and to the Praise of his great Name William Edmondson The End