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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	faith_n	unity_n	2,197	5	9.0779	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65829	An epistle for true love, unity, and order in the Church of Christ, against the spirit of discord, disorder and confusion &c. recommended to friends in truth, chiefly for the sake of the weak and unstable minded ... / by Anne Whitehead, Mary Elson.	Whitehead, Anne, 1624-1686.; Elson, Mary, 1623 or 4-1707.	1680 (1680)	Wing W1882; ESTC R24551	11,014	15

AN EPISTLE FOR TRUE Love Unity AND ORDER IN THE Church of Christ Against the Spirit of Discord Disorder and Confusion c. Recommended to Friends in Truth chiefly for the sake of the Weak and Unstable Minded for Information and Encouragement in our Christian Unity and Society held in the Spirit of Christ both in Faith and Practice By two Servants of the Church according to our Measures Anne Whitehead Mary Elson But God hath tempered the Body together that there should be NO SCHISME in the Body but that the Members should have the SAME CARE one for another 1 Cor. 12. LONDON Printed by Andrew Sowle and are sold at his Shop in Devonshire New-buildings without Bishops-Gate 1680. AN EPISTLE FOR TRUE Love Unity Order c. Dear Friends WHom the Lord hath called out of the World's Ways and Manners and chosen to himself and found faithful according to the Proportion of Faith and Measure of his Grace received how to walk Oh! let us hold fast that which we have received that none may take our Crown Oh! let us keep to our first Love let us do our first Works and be rightly zealous for the Lords Honour and so with a good Conscience towards God and in the sweet Spirit of Peace seeking good one toward another as good Examples and wholesome Paterns in our Practices Oh! let us keep our good Order in the Truth and Unity of the Spirit even as we received of Christ Jesus in the beginning that we should walk in the Light as he is in the Light so shall we have fellowship one with another which light is one in us all the one only true living Way leading to the Knowledge and living Obedience of the one true and living God that in his own living Spirit of Truth we might Worship him and in all wholesome Service hold forth his Holy Reverend Name to be One in us all who are gathered into it serving the Lord with one Heart one Soul one Mind and one Consent And in the beginning of our Day you that were then born and brought forth in the Truth you know the Harmony of our Unity was our Beauty and Comliness yea our Strength and Compleatness so far as we had obtained then and so 't is now blessed be the Lord can we with one Heart say who by his heavenly Power have been from the beginning kept upon his Everlasting Foundation of true Unity held in his Spirit which is the Bond of our Peace to this very Day and Time in which the Lord hath suffered Blindness in part to happen to some through their own Neglect of Watchfulness and declining their first Love by the Enemy's Subtilty prevailing who came out amongst us and had a part in the Belief and Discovery of the Way of Truth but now some only have the Sheeps clothing and others have lost that too who through a prejudiced Mind are alienated from that Unity of Spirit and Bond of Peace in which we keep our wholesome Practices which we have received in the Unity and Order of the Gospel of Peace and Truth of Christ Jesus in the fellowship of the Spirit in Bowels of Mercy being like-minded and of one accord in whatsoever things are True Just Honest and of good Report not that we should think of them only but be in the Practice of them as we are and feel the God of Peace with us therein who are confirmed in the Testimony of Christ Jesus the one Guide Way and Rule we are to walk after where all speak one thing that there be no Dissention amongst us but to be knit together in one Mind and in one Judgment this we have received of Christ Jesus one Lord Ring and only Law-given that we might walk so in subjection to his Rule and Government that all things might be done Decently and in Order for our God is the God of Order in all the Churches of his Saints and not the God of Confusion blessed be his Name but to our burden and grief we find among some a contrary Spirit that will not subject to Unity in wholesome Practice amongst as and that will needs interpole to destroy Unity in same places and obtrude it self to confound our wholesome Order and Practices received amongst us as a Church and People And through this contrary Spirit and prejudiced Mind the Accuser of the Brethren is broken out under a sp●●●ous pre●ence crying out Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience in opposition to those needful convenient and wholesome Practices exercised amongst us in outward things to which we are called as a People that are distinguished from the World 's dark Ways and Corrupt Manners in keeping our Consiences void of Offence towards God and Man in keeping both in the Power and Form of Godliness Now that the Simple may not be enshared nor the Weak unstable minded deceived not the Unwatchful at unawares overtaken through the crafty Insinuations of this accusing opposing dividing Spirit that is at work in this our day to confound Order against the peaceable Government of Christ amongst his People therefore in Duty to the Lord and to clear my Conscience for the sake of those before-mentioned are these few Lines writ Wherefore in Humility of Soul as before the Lord I beseech you tender Ones in seriousness and fear towards God weigh the Matter This Dividing Accusing Prejudicial Worker would introduce a Belief That an Apostacy is entring and we are gone from the Beginning or first Principle and the Power lost and new Forms are setting up and Imposition on Consciences and the like And amongst whom is all this say they but amongst us who are in Unity of Spirit both in Faith and Practices with sincere mind towards God are preserved in subjection peaceably in Unity and wholesome comely Order that speaks forth our God to be the God of Order and 't is amongst these and such that they imagine this Fearful Imposture and Atbitrary Rule imposing Prescriprions and Laws on the tender Consciences of the Weak is now gotten up to Exercise and so the Liberty of the tender Conscience is lost And you say They are entangled with a yoke of Bondage again who would divide the Heritage of God at this day Pray Friends let us in this consider whether these in this Blindness which God hath suffered through their prejudiced Mind justly to happen in them by which are they not putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness while they are striving in the ●●●●ness of their Wills to rule placing their own Wills for Conscience and would have a Liberty therein which Christ never set free to any that are in a Perverse Gain-saying Opting Willful spirit void of the Reason of Truth and the Fellowship that is in it and so are led by a Misguided Conscience for we never understood that Conscience to be rightly guided that was not renewed and regulated by the light of Christ Iesus which is one in all

that shall never have end Anne Whitehead A true Information of our blessed Womens Meeting For we are blessed and the Lord hath blessed us praised be that Everlasting Arm of Power that gathered us in the beginning to be a Meeting betwixt 3 or 4 and twenty Years ago THus it was after the Word of eternal Life and Salvation and Light of Christ Jesus in the Conscience had been Preached in this City for some time many there were that received the Report and was Convinced of it many Poor as well as Rich and oft times Sickness and Weakness came upon many Poor Ones and many Distressed and troubled in mind when the Judgments of the Lord were upon them and they would oftentimes desire the Servants of the Lord to come unto them such that had a Word in season to speak to them And our dear Friend George Fox that man of God for so he is the Lord has made him a Blessing in his Hand to many praised be the Lord forever he was many times sent for to many that were Sick and Weak in this City and when he came to behold their want of things needful for them some scarcely Clothes to cover them or Food to eat or any one to look to them in their Distresses and Wants The consideration of it was weighty upon him and he was moved of the Lord to advise to a Womans Meeting and in order thereunto he sent for such Women as he knew in this City of which there are many living to this day that can testifie to the same who keep the Meeting in the Faith of that Power that gathered us together Blessed be the Lord forever who makes willing and gives strength to answer his Requirings in all things And when dear G. Fox declared unto us what the Lord had made known unto him by his Power That there should be a Womans Meeting that so all the Sick the Weak the Widdows and the Fatherless should be minded and looked after in their Distresses that so there should be no Want amongst the Lords People but that all Distressed ones should be minded and looked after I can truly say we had an answer of God in our Hearts to his Testimony and my Soul was refreshed at that time and my Heart tendred with many more of my Sisters in the sensible feeling of that everlasting Life and Power of the Lord and his Universal Love that had moved in his dear Servant to call us to this Work and we joyned with him in the Power of God in it and so we appointed a Meeting and after we had met for some time we considered which way we should answer the Necessities and it arose in the Hearts of some Friends That we should have a conveniency that so all the Faithful might offer as unto the Lord not knowing what one another offers that so from him they might expect their Reward and it was concluded upon accordingly by the Meeting And there were found among us some that were unworthy that we could not relieve out of that which was provided for the Faithful and yet they were such that frequented our publick Meetings and looked unto us for Charity and we could not send them empty away So we considered and had a Weekly Gathering for them that it might be fulfilled as it is written Do good unto all but especially to the Houshold of Faith And after some time of our meeting together their came two of the Brethren from the Mens Meeting to us when we were met together expressing their Unity with us and also did declare the mind of the Mens Meeting viz. That they would be ready to help and assist us in any thing we should desire of them for Truth 's Service And so in some time it was agreed upon in the Unity of the Truth that the Men Friends should pay the Poor Friends Rents and find them Coles such as we Relieve that were faithful and put out such poor Friends Children as we should offer to them And this has been done almost from the beginning of our Meeting to this Day besides many other Services that fall in by the way that cannot be omitted by us And thus the Work of the Lord has been carried on and prospered by the Arm of his everlasting Power Magnified be his Name forever who has found us worthy and made us willing to answer whatsoever he requireth of us according to the measure received of him And this I do declare that it was the same everlasting quickning Power that first visited us by the Spirit of Judgment and of Burning and wrought in our inward parts mightily even as the little Leaven in the three Measures of Meal to purifie and to cleanse to purge out and put under all that was contrary to the Lord and to make us Habitations fit to do his Will that gathered us and made us a Meeting and the same has been with us to this very day blessed and magnified be his Name forever And I have a Word in my Heart to say unto you all Back-sliders Obstructers Opposers such as countenance them secretly of this our heavenly Order of Men and Womens Meetings which the Lord by his Power has set up and hath given Wisdom according to true Knowledge to act in the Church of Christ you that have despised Dignities and speak Evil of the Servants of the Lord such that faithfully have laboured amongst us from the beginning which the Lord hath found worthy of double Honour giving some of them odd Names Alas poor People what will become of you except you Repent Consider and see whether some of you could not once have plucked out your Eyes to have done them good Oh what is the matter now Has not the Serpent deceived you and made you to eat of the forbidden Fruit and let in the Spirit of Enmity that sows Dissention and makes Division in the Heritage of God I do say the Lord's Controversie is with you and your End will be Miserable except you come to Repentance which my Soul hath often desired for you For I do well know and the Lord hath sealed it upon my Heart That that Spirit which hath opposed the blessed Unity and Order of Truth in these our Men and Womans Meetings shall never prosper nor they who are in it inwardly to God without Repentance although outwardly they may make never so great a shew with high Words and Notions But saith the opposing Spirit We are not against your Meetings in London but we have no such need in the Countries Doubtless Christ's Churches in the Countries are one and the same as in the Cities of which he is Head of his Churches there as in London and surely his Members have the same Office and Service in kind and quality although it may be not so much in quantity which is reasonable for the Impartial minded to consider And now my Dear Friends and Sisters in the blessed Truth of our God you that have kept this our Meeting for many Years and some of you from the first Day the Lord gathered us together and made us a Meeting I do believe that you with me can truly say That we have felt the drawings of the Father's Love from time to time to this our Meeting and his Blessing is amongst us Insomuch as we dared not to suffer any of our own Occasions to hinder us from this our Service to which the Lord hath called us but many times have pressed through the croud of much Business and many things that would have hindred but we dared not to give way unto it but in faithfulness answer the Lord's Requirings The Lord hath been with us of a truth from time to time his Living Powerful Presence has been truly witnessed amongst us to the refreshing of our immortal Souls which is a true Confirmation to us that the Lord owns us in this our Service And I can truly say I had true Breathings to the Lord in the behalf of our younger Women as they come to be settled in the World amongst us that they may be affected with the Work and Service of our Meeting as truly as we have been and are to this day and that they may be Heirs of the Grace of God with us And this I can truly say I have felt the zeal of the Lord to arise in my Heart sometimes in a Meeting and sometimes upon my Bed against this wicked Spirit that hath sought to lay waste and bring to nought our blessed Meeting and heavenly Society and Order which hath been set up amongst us and a true sence hath been upon me of our dear Friends up and down the Nation of their great Tryal and Exercise that hath been upon them because of this wicked dividing Spirit and especially in my Native Country viz. Wiltshire And this was the first moving cause in the Power of God in my Heart to cast in my Mite as my Testimony to that everlasting Universal blessed Power which the Lord hath made me a living Witness of according to my measure And this I can say the more Opposition we have had against our Womens Meeting the more we have increased in the Power of the Lord and he hath blessed our Endeavours and Services and therefore Friends be not discouraged but go on in the Work and Service of the Lord in his Power to his Glory who hath honoured his Daughters of Abraham and Sion in his heavenly Work and therefore we cannot but serve the Lord in our Generation and be Valiant for his Truth upon Earth and our desires are that all our fellow Sisters in the Lords Truth may do the same every where throughout the whole Earth where the Lord hath gathered them so that all may live to the Praise and Glory of God Amen And though we are Absent in the Body yet Present in Spirit with all the Faithful with the Spirit joying and beholding your spiritual Order in the Spirit and stedfastness of your Faith in Christ Jesus the second Adam the Lord from Heaven in whom our Peace and Rest is Mary Elson THE END 1 Joh. 1.7 2 Phil. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 6.

Consciences and leads into the S●●●ness of Mind not only in faith but also in sound Judgment and Practice and in the Testimony of Christ Jesus hath been confirmed in us the true Re●●●●●er and Guide of the Conscience void of Offence but now where Self-will is put for Conscience 't is sensibly felt to be a gross Mistake And such are in Christian Charity to be pitied and better informed and indeed much Travel hath been for that so that the Mis-led in a contrary Judgment might be helped and reduced back into Unity and our peaceable Fellowship in our wholesome Practices in the outward Affairs of Truth but that which adds to our Sorrow that though they still ery The tender Consciences yet woful Experience demonstrates it far otherwise where Prejudice hath so hardned that there is not so much softness left for the Reason of Truth to take Impression or to receive that which pertains to Love and good Works which is one end and product of our Meetings distinctly and respectively the Men Friends who discharge their places to whom the Godly Women always give the Pre-eminence as Brethren and Women Friends in their places not seeking Rule over one another but that we may be Furtherers of one anothers Joy and be each others Crown of rejoycing in the Lord meets in the Fear of the Lord as in the Light of Christ Jesus in our Consciences we received so to walk and do according to the Order of his Spirit in which Christ is Present in our so meeting together and the faithful can feal to the Testimony of it to the Glory of his Name forever But wherein doth this great and heavy Imposition on tender Consciences consist One thing is say some Womens Meetings are imposed Why do you compel any contrary to their Freedom No all are left to the Measure of Truth in them which is one and the same in all Consciences but Informing Instructing and Exhorting that every one be found in the Unity of our Duty according to our Measure of the Light of Christ Jesus received to walk in it as Members of his Body to discharge our Office and Servants in Christ Family to do our Service as the good Women of old were Helpers in the Work of the Gospel in such things as are proper to us as visiting and Relieving the Sick the Poor more especially and Destitute amongst us that they be helped a also the Poor Widdows and Fatherless Orphans that the Distressed in all things be rightlyanswered the Children at Nurse be rightly educated and well brought up in order to a future well-being in the Creation Again we being met together the Elder Women to instruct the Younger to all wholesome things Loving their own Husbands and Children to be Discreet Chaste Sober keeping at Home that the Word of God we profess be not Blasphemed c. with many other Matters pertient to us as a Meeting whom the Lord blesseth with his Power and Presence to sustain and bear us up against all our Opposers Again It is Imposition saith the Workers of Dissention for Marriages to offer their Intentions to the Consideration of the Womens Meeting But pray consider in the Reason of Truth a Marriage hath an equal Concern in the Woman as in the Man and 't is as reasonable to consider the Women may have as near a Concern in that matter with the Woman as the Men on the other Part. And farther 't is said ' T is Imposition to go more than once to the Brethrens Meeting But say we that are in our wholesome Practices in these Matters and our Consciences bear us witness in the sight of God our Eye is to the Honour of his Truth therein therefore cannot encourage or allow People we are concerned with to hasten or run together in Marriage without due Care and Weightiness and that we are satisfied they are clear in all things touching their Marriage as they ought to be and for which end there ought to be a special care over Young People to whom the Aged had need to be Examples both of Gravity and good Order that Christ's Yoke be not cast off by either nor any false Liberty of the Flesh set up encouraged or soothed among us wherefore when they have proposed their Intentions to one Meeting for them to consider 't is but reasonable they have time to make Inquiry and Search into the the Matter so as they may be satisfied that all things are sweet savoury that so far aswe can we may be approved of by all in such publick Affairs Yea But you will have such to come the second time who are known to be clear Yea 't is but reasonable that such should manifest their Patience and Subjection as good Examples to others in these Needful and wholsome Practices that are of good Report And therefore we cannot approve such in their willful Endeavours to confound the Unity of our Order in this matter under pretence of a burden to their Conscience for it was no burden to come once for that Meeting in it self being Good Just Honest and of good Report answering the Light of Christ Jesus which is one in all Consciences as well in the Ignorant Blind Mis-guided and Erring because they will not be informed the Light is the same there to reprove and inform as it is in the Conscience ruled and guided by the Light Therefore pray consider how that can contract a burden viz. the going twice to such a Meeting as before-mentioned how it can cause a burden on the Conscience that is rightly informed though it may be weak but rather contradicts the Self-will that brings Bondage and blinds the Consciences And are not such rather by their opposing Will justly under the Reproof of the Church and that Endeavours may be that the Understanding of such be opened and brought to a better Information in their Consciences For from the beginning we believe God's Witness in all Consciences is one and its Reproofs of one Nature and Tendance and its Instruction● tending to one and the same end and leads all as they are guided by it into one Way which allows of no false Liberty Yea but you are gone from the Beginning for you had not this Way in the Beginning say the Opposers Pray consider above tweny six Years ago in the South Parts we were a very little handful of People gathered into the Belief of the Light of Christ Jesus so as it is that very Principle of Life in us that we through Obedience to it might come to know God as it is Eternal Life to know him and rightly to worship him in his Spirit and to be led by him into all Truth and in Testimony of his own Spirit in these our Practices which since the Lord hath called us to as we are a People called and gathered by the Lord. Pray Consider I speak the Truth of my Knowledge and my Conscience beareth me witness in what I have or shall say in this

Matter according to my small Portion and Measure in the Unity of the Grace received I give God the Glory in Humility of Soul before him for my Preservation to this Day for pray consider through the smallness of Number in the beginning we were not so capable as now for Order in outward Affairs nor was there then such occasion as now but then the Grace of God grew amongst us and the mighty Arm of his Power was manifested by which many were gathered to believe in the Light of Jesus Christ it being that and no other Name given under Heaven by which men must be saved Now in our little measure of Faith in this One Way One Name One Truth we were as in a threefold Cord of God's Love joyned together and as we encreased in Number then occasion begun of Services of several kinds which we were called in the Truth to consider of which are not so proper here to mention but this one of Marriage Before we were or could be gathered into the Order of Men Womens Meeting Upon the weight of the matter a necessity did appear that Friends in the Unity of the Spirit and Wisdom of God should consider of a Way wherein this matter might be transacted among our selves in wholesome Savoury Order as the Truth might in no wise be Scandalized but the Testimony of Truth born in it to the World The most convenient Method then seen for Truth 's sake was that Persons declared their Intentions in our publick Meeting after Friends were satisfied in their Marrying they took each other in the publick Meeting But after our Meetings grew more Numerous and also disorderly Spirits began to get up which were not subject to the Truth such would intrude in to our Meetings to take each other so then a Necessity in Truth required a further Method for a more particular and strict Care in this case In all which we are not gone from the Light and Power of God and first Principle but in these and other things we have been in our good Order and Practices and sweet Fellowship managed by it and I hope the tender in Conscience will consider that are impartially Minded that 't is no Imposition to inform and perswade the Ignorant and Willful to subject in this or any other matter that is Honest Just Savoury and of good Report and lawful to conform to in the Unity of Love to practise being no other but what is consonant to the Conscience swayed and regulated by the Light of Jesus Christ in which is the true Liberty of the Conscience whether weak or strong For I hope all will conclude that if the weak in their little measure of Light be kept Conformable to the Truth that by the Light they cannot be led in their little measure to oppose the strong in their greater measure and may see further that 't is not reasonable in Truth for the Light cannot contradict it self and 't is the same in the strong as in the weak But 't is greatly to be lamented at this day that to any that have known the Lord and at any time fellowship among his People the Cross of Christ should become so ineffectual that such Blindness is happened that they should put Self-opposing-will for a tender Conscience I do not say they know it but whether they do or no I pray God open their Understandings and subdue that perverse wilful Spirit and cross Selfish-humor that works in opposition to a General Good and Peaceable Subjection amongst the People of the Lord and Church of Christ Surely these though they may cry Liberty of Conscience and pretend for tender Consciences too yet they are not fit Subjects for that Liberty that Christ redeems to and sets free in to serve him with a Conscience purged from Dead Works nay they that set themselves in their wilful prejudiced Opposition against our Peaceable practising in the Church of God Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things pertain to Love whatsoever things are of good report Phil. 4. 8. In which the God of Peace is with us now that which is opposing our Unity therein would affright the simple Ones with amazing expressions of Imposition c. on weak Consciences and going from the Spirit of Life and Power into the Form but blessed be the Lord that we have kept our Habitation in the Power and held our Unity in that Spirit that gives us Life thereby to live to God and not to our selves to serve him in that Form of Godliness which the Power hath brought forth amongst us to live in the Unity of and in his Spirit the Foundation of our Preservation in Peace and Consolation to this very day and the Faith of such remains firm in God's everlasting Power even as we received in the beginning of the breaking forth of the Day of the Lord in which his ancient Arm and excellent Everlasting Name was revealed which is above every Name into which a Number was gathered to believe and meet in and the Lord was there and is to this very day in the midst of them as Thousands and ten Thousands can speak to the Testimony of it Oh Glory Obedience and everlasting Dominion be ascribed to his honourable and everlasting Name over all forever For the Kingdom of our God and his Christ on whose Shoulders the Government is laid shall prevail through all Clouds of opposition and Mists of thick Darkness that have risen out of a misguided understanding through a Prejudiced mind even to ensnare the weak and simple and deceive the unstable Soul drawing from our Christian Unity which is purely held in the Spirit And so inasmuch as the Envious Worker is suffered to proceed that would even raze out the Foundation of Christ's Kingdom and Government under which his Subjects do only own their Christian Freedom and true Liberty of Conscience and whatsoever may be insinuated to the contrary by the Enemy of our Souls Well-fare in the particular and the Churches Peace in the general which God may suffer it is for the Tryal of our Patience and Manifestation and Confirmation of our Faith and Love one to another and that it is in the Election in Christ Jesus which cannot be deceived whereby we are strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might is our confidence that all shall work together for good to the Called Chosen and Faithful according to his purpose in Christ and effectual working of his Grace And that the Lord in his Power and due time will arise to clear the Innocency of his People and Confound and lay Waste all that which works in Opposition to the Prosperity and Unity of his Truth and peaceable Government of Christ in his Church which is formed in the Power of God So all Glory we ascribe to the one pure Power in which we believed in the beginning as the Foundation of Christ's Government and Kingdom