A Christian Epistle TO FRIENDS In General Of weighty Concern for their present and future Peace and Safety from the Soul's Adversary's subtil Devices and Snares of Death To be carefully Communicated to the Children of Light and Professors thereof every where Being Faithfully given forth and Recommended from the Spirit of Christ By his Servant George Whitehead Matth. 26. 41. Watch and Pray Praying always Ephes. 6. 18. With all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit And watching thereunto with all Perseveâ—ance Printed by Andrew Sowle And sold at the Three-Keys in Nags-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street 1689. A Christian EPISTLE to Friends in General c. Dear and Tenderly Beloved Friends and Called of God every where IN a real and deep sence of my Heavenly Fathers Love and tender Mercy revealed through his most dear Son our ever blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ which I am with many more livingly made a partaker of doth my Life and Spirit very dearly and tenderly salute you as truly and most heartily wishing and praying that divine Grace Mercy and Peace with all Spiritual Blessings and Divine Favours in Christ Jesus may be encreased and multiplyed among you and unto you to your great Consolation Peace and Prosperity in the Love of God. Dear Friends I finding for some time of late a living and holy constraint and pressure of Spirit to communicate some things of weight and concern unto you respecting your Safety Peace and Prosperity in the blessed unchangeable Truth am opened and encouraged by the precious Life and Spirit of our God to be clear and free therein towards you all and that in discharge of my tender Conscience in the sight and presence of the God of my Life whom I serve with my Spirit in the Gospel of his dear Son as I have sincerely done from my Youth upward blessed be his pure Name forever And having had these many Years experience in the weighty Service of the Lord our God through manifold Exercises Burthens Spiritual Travels and Oppositions I may not hide my Talent nor conceal those things my Lord and Master requires me to divulge for the Safety and Good of his People in their several Conditions States and Attainments as having long and truly seen the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living and the good and blessed Estate of his chosen and faithful Ones for which I praise the Name of the Lord my Redeemer in whom I have believed through his divine Goodness never to be forgotten by any of us as also being not ignorant of or unaquainted with the many Wiles various Workings and Depths of Satan the great Adversary of mans Felicity and of the Peace of God's People who worketh upon the divers Inclinations mutable Affections Wills Weaknesses and Infirmities of the Sons of Men to deceive pervert deprave and corrupt them that they may the more easily be led captive by him at his Will in their following their own unsubjected Wills and Spirits You therefore my dear Friends who have livingly felt and tasted of the Lord's Power and Goodness and known his Work in your Hearts in order to your Deliverance and Redemption out of the Evil World and the Corruptions thereof prize his tender Mercies and Goodness and forget them not Let the holy fear of the Lord God be your Treasure and true Wisdom and Understanding the Stability of your times in Righteousness Let your sincere Love to the pure Name and Truth of the Lord and one unto another be continued in that unchangeable Truth and Power of an Endless Life whereunto the Lord hath called us and I pray God increase your Love and Zeal for his Glorious Name and Christian Tenderness and Brotherly Affection one towards another that Life for evermore may be your Blessing and Portion as it will be to all them who dwell in Amity true Love and Unity of Spirit in our Lord Jesus Christ which is a most joyful comfortable and blessed state which too many Professors of Truth are short of for want of keeping near to the Lord in his holy fear Love of his blessed Name and Truth whose negligence and unfaithfulness to Truth in themselves hath caused a decay of Love want of Charity towards others and then instead of humbly waiting and depending upon the Lord some have exalted themselves in a Self-will Self-conceit Affection to preheminence in judgment over others until thereby Divisions and Self-separations have been caused and stirred up by them to the great grief of the Spirits of the upright who have kept their Integrity to the Lord his Truth and People And this Self-Exaltation slighting and contemning others have been and are the great Evils Snares and Engines wherewith the Adversary catches them that never were throughly subjected into true Humility Mortification true Self-denial or dying with Christ such though under Profession of Truth may make a great shew and flourish for a time in outward appearance Leaves and Blossoms yet they bring not forth Fruit unto perfection or ripeness in Christ. Therefore beware of Self-exaltation beware of an Earthly Spirit entring beware of Covetousness which is Idolatry Let not the Earth interpose betwixt any of your Souls and the brightness of that divine Glory which has appeared even in our Day and Times Spiritual Gifts may be lost or fallen short of if the Fountain of them the holy Spirit of Life it self be not diligently minded followed and where Love towards God and his Truth decays in any their love towards his Servants and People grows cold and then their Gifts decrease and dye as the Life of them is withdrawn or departed from or that Love lost which is the more excellent way for If I want Charity or Love I am nothing What Gifts Openings Discoveries Visions Revelations Wisdom Knowledge or Understanding soever any have yet still 't is the heavenly Root must bear them they must keep low their Minds and Spirits to that from whence Life and Love springs or else they fall wither dye and become empty uncharitable and hard-hearted and there the Enemy has his Evil Ends upon them in betraying them and corrupting their minds from the Truth from Life from Love from the Innocency and Simplicity which is in Christ the Way the Truth and the Life and there 's a danger in being too early and forward to censure and judge others and in judging censuring and undervaluing others Gifts Ministry and Labourâ— whom God hath called into his Work and Service for some whereby may either lose their own Gifts Life and Strength or fall short of those heavenly Gifts which otherwise they might attain to if they kept low and tender in Humility Love Society with their Brethren whereby they might also be serviceable with them For I have seen in my time some who never passed through Judgment in themselves yet very censorious judging detracting and whispering against their Brethren slighting them their Ministry and Labours who themselves have greatly lost by it
and God in displeasure hath suffered them to discover their own weakness and nakedness for their own abasement under the righteous Judgment of Truth And 't is evident from this kind of exalted censorious whispering and envious Spirit which worketh not for Love and Union have proceeded the several Divisions Schisms and Separations which have happened to the great trouble of the Church of Christ in our days as in the Primitive Christians days And the several sorts of Apostates Backsliders from Truth shew what and what kind and manner of Spirit they went and go out in by their Works and Fruits whether in a Spirit of Pride and Ambition in a Spirit of Envy and Hypocrisie in a scornful contemning Spirit in a covetous earthly Spirit in a loose prophane Spirit or in a drunken debauched Spirit of Ranterism and fleshly Liberty which come all from one evil Root and Seed according to the various corrupt Inclinations and Wills of Men upon which the Enemy works and appears with Baits and Temptations suitable thereunto that he may prevail the more And 't is certain that the envious Apostates and wilful Adversaries were the most troublesome to the Primitive Churches of Christ and his holy Apostles in their day and so in ours Therefore blessed and truly happy are they that keep their Habitations in the Truth and love of God and live in Christian Love and Charity one towards another for such walk in the Light where there 's no occasion of stumbling or scandal And as 't was Evidence unto the Primitive Christians that they were passed from Death to Life because they loved the Brethren and that they had purified their Souls through their Obedience of the holy Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren Even so now the same Evidence Testimony remains and lives in and for all them that dwell in the Love of God one towards another For all Envy Prejudice Back-bitings Whisperings Tale-carrying Lying Heats Passions Provocations Reviling Railing Clamours Scorn Contempt ill Language Flattery and Hypocrisie are to be utterly put away avoided judged condemned and forever excluded the Camp of God for they proceed from the false and degenerate Birth evil Seed and Spirit and not from the true Seed or Birth which is Innocent and hurts no body by Word or Action in Person Name Reputation or Property for that 's tender in all these things For false Reports Whisperings Back-bitings and Tale carrying cause Strife and Division and are condemned by the Law of God and Light of Christ and expresly forbidden by God himself Thou shalt not be as one that carries Tales up and down among my People Thou shalt not receive a false Tale nor raise a false Report against the Lord's People nor do his Prophets or Servants any harm And all who profess the Truth or make mention of the Name of the Lord among us ought to watch over their own Spirits Wills and Passions and have a care of hurting one another or crushing any tender Spirit or Plant or stopping or quenching any Spiritual Gift or Testimony God has given how little or low soever it may be or seem for some of a tender Spirit are sooner hurt and wounded than healed All keep in Christian Humility Meekness Patience Gentleness and Tender heartedness one towards another And Elders and Overseers in the Churches of Christ must be Examples of Believers both in Humllity Meekness Patience and Condescention as Christian Patterns and not self-willed nor soon angry nor given to Passion Striving Heats or Contention Such Christian Examples and Behaviour in the House and Church of the living God tends greatly to keep out and prevent Contentions and contentious Spirits and to the comfort and encouragement of the upright-hearted who are willing to serve the Lord his Truth and people My dear Friends the Lord our God has been good to us a tender Father through all our Tryals Sufferings and Exercises in upholding us by his free Spirit accompanying us with his presence comforting us in our Afflictions with his renewed Mercies and multiplied Favours in preserving us a living people to his praise until this day and affording us this present Liberty we have of late enjoyed and do pertake of the benefit and advantage thereof in our publick peaceable and Religious Assemblies for the Exaltation of the glorious Name holy Truth and divine Power of the Lord our God. Wherefore we have great cause to prize his tender Mercies and Goodness to us and walk humbly under the sence thereof that a right use and improvement may be made of all the Mercies and Priviledges we do enjoy and such a good use of the present Liberty as that none grow careless or negligent indifferent or luke-warm because thereof nor any to sit â—own at ease in the Flesh or in the Earth and therein promise themselves security from further Sufferings or Tryals because of the late present enjoyment of liberty and ease from Persecution This is no good use of the present Mercy nor safe Conclusion for God has many ways to try his people and National Calamities and Distresses whereof his own people sometimes partake are not at an end nor the Judgments incurred by Iniquity turned away because of the continued Provocations Wickedness Rebellions against God their Abominations Pride Hypocrisies Deceits Falshood and Presumption abounding in this and other professing Nations against the great and righteous God the Judge of all who is so long sparing and for bearing as he is to this Nation meerly for his small Remnant and Seed's sake which is already gathered and to be gathered Yet the great God will distress Nations and cause the Earth to tremble before him and Overturnings and Desolations in the Earth before Calamities are ended or Christ's peaceable Kingdom be set up more generally in the Earth or where as yet it is opposed and resisted For the cause why Wars Desolations and the devouring Sword are already in great Judgment entred so many Nations and Countries is because of the Crying Sins Great Provocations Persecutions and Cruelties in the dark Places of the Earth And dear Friends Brethren and Sisters whom I truly love in the Lord who retain your Integrity and Love in the blessed unchangable Truth you cannot be unsensible how that the Lord's Harvest is great and what need of faithful Labourers there now is an effectual Door being open in this time of Liberty the Lord in Mercy has granted for the good of many poor Souls that they may come and receive the Truth in the love of it and that they who have been or are of a fearful Heart may receive strength and know the Lord to be their Saviour and Redeemer in this his Evangelical Day and free and blessed opportunity he has afforded And yet though this Harvest be great the diligent and faithful Labourers are but few now raised up in Comparison of the greatness of the Harvest and necessity of the Work many of our antient Brethren and faithful fellow-Labourers
and Helpers in Christ being taken away and gone to their Everlasting Rest having faithfully served out their Day and Generation fulfilled and finish'd their Testimony with Joy and Peace and obtain'd a Crown of Glory that shall never fade away And this very matter has been often seriously upon my Thoughts and weighty Considerations What should be the Cause or Reason why so few faithful Labourers and clear Gospel Ministers have been of late raised up or now brought forth though some be in a good lively Testimony blessed be the Lord and it clearly appears to me First That few are given up in their Spirits for this weighty Service as we were in the beginning who are in some measure gifted and qualified Secondly Few sincerely seek the Lord or have waited upon him with fervent Desires Prayer and Supplication that they may be gifted indued and qualified with Power Wisdom Faith Patience c. for the Work of the Ministry of Christ Jesus whereas if any man want Wisdom he should ask it of God and he shall not miss of a gracious answer to the desire of his Soul who sincerely asks seeks and knocks at Wisdom's Gate Whatsoever ye ask in my Name saith Christ believe that ye shall receive it and it shall be given you You know Soloman's Request to the Lord for an understanding Heart to discern Judgment his choice of Wisdom rather than Riches or long Life how it pleased God 1 King. 3. 10. Thirdly Very few have their Minds and Spirits really and inwardly exercised in frequent Prayer and daily Supplication to God or in heavenly Meditation or spiritual Contemplation in Gods pure and spiritual Laws Ways Judgments and Works or in holy Scriptures by the holy Spirit which opens them but too many have their Minds Hearts and Affections taken up with these fading Objects and Things below minding earthly things or overcharged with the love of Riches Cares and Cumbers of this Life to compass the Earth wherein many a good Tallent has been hid and poor Soul buried in Captivity Whereas it requires an inward and serious Exercise of Spirit toward God frequent and servent Prayer and Supplication unto him an inward and diligent attention upon him who is the giver of every good and perfect Gift to obtain both divine Wisdom and a weighty living clear Evangelical Ministry For 't is the sanctified Hearts and Souls who truly fear God into whom only Wisdom entreth and maketh them Friends of God and Prophets The Lord will have an inward spiritual sincere zealous People Oh! Inward watchfulness Prayer and Supplication to Almighty God have been and are too much neglected by many I pray God they may seriously examine and find out the causes in themselves with the Light of Christ Jesus and bring all to the righteous judgment thereof Fourthly If any of the younger sort who are in some measure indued with spiritual Gifts and Knowledge do let up a slight and dis-esteem in their Minds of their elder Brethren who are experienced in the Work and Service of God and keep not in Society or Union with them in the Spirit of Love and of a sound Mind but give way unto a singularity abounding in their own sence not keeping low and humble before the Lord nor little in their own Eyes such neither grow in Life nor in divine Openings nor increase in their Gifts nor come to attain to a weighty clear Evangelical Ministry and Service but rather loose dye and wither unless they come into true Humility Self-denyal Reconciliation Love and Union with their elder faithful Brethren who in the love of God would tenderly help them and not hinder them in the Work and Service of the Lord our God. It is both a great Grief and Scandal also to see many of the younger sort who frequent our Meetings and even of Friends Children also degenerating into Pride and height of Spirit and Apparel so nearly to immitate and border upon the World as too to many do contrary to the Gravity Modesty Sobriety Plainness Simplicity Innocency and Humility which Truth requires in Example as well as in Spirit and which Truth at first led many into and as still it doth lead and order them that truly love and obey it In which I pray God to settle and order his People and that no plea nor excuse may be made to maintain Pride Vanity or Immodesty in Apparel which only gratifies vain airy Minds and Spirits and the Lust of the carnal Eye and grieves the tender and gives occasion of Reproach and Stumbling to them that are without and to such as are soberly Religiously inclined Oh! 't is precious to keep low and humble before the Lord and to walk as living Examples of Christian Humility a lowly Mind is content with low things and loves plainness And this is observable that if never so much be truly and sincerely preached in publick against Pride and Vanity in Apparel c. if it be indulged or conived at at home in Children or young Persons by Parents Guardians or Overseers all Preaching Instruction and Warning proves to them but as Water spilt upon the Ground and takes no Impression whilst through such Encouragement Indulgence at home they imbrace a Spirit of Pride Irreverence towards God disregard to his Truth and People and though some Formality and something of the form of Truth they may have by outward Education 't is not by the Work of Regeneration for 't is but few in comparison that really come in at That Door and therefore I have had often a Godly Fear upon me of the springing up of degenerate Plants amongst us and a degenerate Generation to the dishonour of Truth and our holy Profession after our days And it 's they who are inclining and getting into the Spirit of the World and Liberty out of the Truth who live not in Humility nor in the Fear of God that give secret strength to an apostate turbulent Spirit which has been the Churches Exercise of late Years and that are most easily catched with that Apostate Spirit and feigned Words of the Instruments thereof whose Work is to sow Discord and make Divisions Schisms and Separations which are Fruits of the Flesh for if all had been faithful to the Light and kept in Humility and Love of Truth and one another there had been no Enmity one towards another nor smiteing of fellow-Servants but the Fear of God would have preserved them out of those Snares of Death which that Spirit of Discord leads into Howbeit I am well satisfied in the Lord that he will never suffer a general or final Apostacy or Degeneration the Brightness of our Day and Glory of our Sun of Righteousness shall never be extinguished Although too many through the Adversary's Subtilty and Temptations together with their own carnal and corrupt Inclinations are apt to degenerate and their Minds to be exalted and alienated from the Fear of God from the Cross of Christ from Humility
and Lowliness of Mind from true and Conscientious Tenderness from love to the Brethren from Innocency Plainness and Simplicity that 's in Christ both in their Spirits Language and Habits who therefore ought to be faithfully admonished and tenderly instructed by which means together with a meek and gentle Behaviour many have been gained and many may yet be recovered out of the Snares of Satan who have been taken Captive at unawares Having Compassion of some making a Difference has often reached the tender part in them and in relation to others more deeply prejudiced I remember a cautious saying of an antient and faithful Brother deceased viz. Where we cannot make them better we must take heed we do not make them worse The Lord keep his People in his holy Fear watchful and humble before him in true Love and tender Heartedness that they may receive Wisdom from him to behave themselves and to minister suitably to all conditions And all dear and tenderly beloved Friends with all who are effectually convinced of God's holy Truth and Name and do profess the same In the holy fear of God in his Light Watch and Pray constantly without fainting against your Souls subtil Adversary in all his Attempts to beget into Self-exaltation and Prejudice to smite fellow-Servants and cause Divisions or Offences for that 's the Enemy's Work. And Friends have not the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of Persons This was antient and Christian Counsel So let not the Rich and High contemn the Low and Mean let not uncertain Riches puff any up or exalt them above their Brethren Nor any Brother of High degree in earthly Enjoyments slight or contemn their Brethren of low degree some sincere-hearted and serviceable Friends and Brethren have enjoyed plenty of the World's Goods and yet through Losses Sufferings Disappointments or other's unjust Dealings by them are brought low in the World and they were esteemed when in Prosperity It would be very Unchristian and Sinful to slight or dis-esteem them in their Adversity which is their Tryal The Poor of this World who are rich in Faith whom God hath chosen are near unto him their Faith is the more tryed by their Poverty and lowness and how soon That may be the tryal of many that are Rich they know not therefore 't is very unsafe for any to trust in uncertain Riches or to be exalted or lifted up because of them but rather humbly to depend upon the living God and trust in him and love esteem their Brethren in Truth how mean and low soever in this World knowing that with God there 's no respect of Persons not with them who truly bear his Image And pray Friends keep out all Disputes and Controversies which some busie Spirits in the World are incident unto as about outward Revolutions Governments State-Affairs and Kingdoms of this World Let not their Divisions divide you nor their Strife and Contentions about the outward Court and forms Religion earthly Kingdoms and Crowns that will fade influence any among you to contend or become parties about them but quietly serve and wait upon God in your Places and Stations where he hath set you and submissively leave all to his over-ruling Power Wisdom and Providence to do or suffer things to come to pass as he pleaseth for none may say to him What dost thou Though Men men may be warned as God shall require and he knows what 's best for his People and will cause all things to work together for good to them that love him his Kingdom come more and more his blessed Will be done in Heaven and Earth who is Judge of all and sees all Hearts Intents and Designs of men throughout the whole World. And you know that as we cannot make Flesh our Arm nor therewith sight for one or another Stillness and Quietness Innocency and Good-will towards all men according to our Christian Principle is therefore the best and savest state and condition wherein we all may approve our selves as the Lord 's hidden Ones and of them that are quiet in the Land. Be still and know that the Lord is God and that he will be exalted in his everlasting Kingdom and Dominion over all the Kingdoms of men Neither let the World's Confusions confound you nor the World's Distractions distract you or any of you nor the removing of Mountains in the Earth remove you from the Lord's Mountain nor the unstable Waters or tossing Waves toss you or influence any of you to discompose or hurry you from your peaceable Habitations but keep in your strong-Hold your Rock and Foundation Christ Jesus nor let any thing divert you from minding his Kingdom of Peace above all which is not of this World out of which mens Lusts and the ground and occasion of Wars and Fighting are excluded For in Salem is his Tabernacle Oh! let all quietly wait upon the All-seeing Righteous Holy God to see his good End through all and his righteous Determination and Decision of the Controversies amongst men And keep in Innocency and peaceable Conversation towards all and Innoffensively under and towards the Civil Government giving no real occasion of Offence but as becomes true Christians walk in Love and Good-Will towards all both high and low for herein hath been and will be our Safety and Confidence through all our Tryals being preserved by the Power and Goodness of the Lord our God as his peculiar People who is our Stay our Rock and Refuge blessed be his Name forever O! forget not to praise the Lord for all his tender Mercies and peculiar Favours and Goodness in our preservation until this day knowing also that they who sincerely and stedfastly trust in his Name and Power shall be as Mount Sion that shall never be removed and that as his Servant David declared It is better to trust in the Lord then to put Confidence in man It is better to trust in the Lord than to put Confidence in Princes Psal. 118. 8 9. I pray God keep all his People in a steddy Dependance upon him and Confidence in him to the end Finally my tenderly beloved Friends and Brethren having thus far cleared my Conscience in the sight of God in the living sence of his Presence and Counsel in these matters as relating to several States and Dangers I recommend all to the Faithful and true Witness in themselves to make the particular and just Application and to make every one sensible of the weight and lively Impressions of these and all other Christian Cautions and Warnings proceeding from thence through any of the Servants of Christ for the Safety and Peace of all the Lord's people among us even to the least and lowest of his Flock and those Convinced among us who are called by his Grace to the Confession of his holy Name and Truth The God of Peace be with you all and bless you and encrease Righteousness Peace Love and Union among his People every where that all may be stedfast in the Truth true and faithful in their Day and Time to the end of their Days Amen Amen London the 28th of the 7th Month 1689. Your faithful Friend and Brother in Christ George Whitehead THE END