The History of the Christian People Called Quakers

1717

The Epistle from the Yearly Meeting in London, held by adjournment, from the 10th day of the Fourth month, to the 14th of the same inclusive, 1717. To the quarterly and monthly meetings of Friends in Great Britain, and elsewhere.

‘Our salutation, in the love of Christ Jesus our blessed Lord, is freely extended unto you, whose tender care over, and mercy to, this our annual assembly, we do humbly and thankfully acknowledge, in the love, amity, tender condescension, and peaceable procedure thereof, with respect to the divine power and goodness of the Lord our God, and the service of his church and people; sincerely desiring the prosperity of his whole heritage, even in all the churches of Christ among us, in his dear love, unity and peace, to his eternal glory, and our universal comfort and perpetual joy in the kingdom of the dear Son of God.

‘We are truly comforted, in that we understand there is such a general concurrence and union among Friends, with our former earnest desires and counsel, for true and universal love, unity, peace, and good order to be earnestly endeavoured and maintained among us, as a peculiar people, chosen of the Lord out of the world, to bear a faithful testimony to his holy name and truth, in all respects; and that all that is contrary be watched against and avoided; as strife, discord, contention, and disputes tending to divisions, may be utterly suppressed and laid aside, as the light and righteous judgment of truth require.

‘Oh! that all the churches and congregations of the faithful, would be excited by the Spirit of the dear Son of God, fervently to pray for the prosperity of his church and people throughout the world, that Sion may more and more shine in the beauty of holiness, to the glory and praise of the King of glory.

‘The friends and brethren, come up from the several quarterly meetings in this nation, have given a good account to this meeting of truth’s prosperity, and that friends are generally in love and unity one with another; and by several epistles, from friends of North Carolina, Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Barbadoes, Holland, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, which have been read in this meeting; as also by verbal accounts given by several friends that have lately travelled in divers parts of America, and elsewhere, we have received comfortable accounts of the state of truth and friends in those parts; by which we are encouraged to hope truth prevails in many places, and a concern grows upon friends for the prosperity thereof; and that there is an inclination in people to hear the truth declared.

‘By the accounts brought up this year, we find that friends’ sufferings in England and Wales, amount to five thousand two hundred and ninety pounds, and upwards, chiefly for tithes, priests’ wages, and steeple-house rates; and that, notwithstanding there have been four friends discharged the last year, there yet remain twenty friends prisoners on these accounts.

‘We advise that a tender care remain upon friends in all places, to be faithful in keeping up our Christian testimony against tithes, as being fully persuaded, it is that whereunto God hath called his people in this our day; we seeing by daily experience, that such as are not faithful therein, do thereby add to the sufferings of honest friends, and hinder their own growth and prosperity in the most blessed truth.

‘As touching the education of Friends’ children, for which this meeting hath often found a concern; we think it our duty to recommend unto you, the necessity that there is of a care in preserving of them in plainness of speech and habit, suitable to our holy profession: and also that no opportunity be omitted, nor any endeavour wanting, to instruct them in the principle of truth which we profess; that thereby they, being sensible of the operation thereof in themselves, may find, not only their spirits softened and tendered, fit to receive the impressions of the divine image, but may also from thence find themselves under a necessity to appear clear in the several branches of our Christian testimony. And as this will be most beneficial to them, being the fruits of conviction, so it is the most effectual way of propagating the same throughout the churches of Christ. And there being times and seasons wherein their spirits are, more than at others, disposed to have those things impressed upon them; so we desire that all parents, and others concerned in the oversight of youth, might wait in the fear of God, to know themselves divinely qualified for that service, that in his wisdom they may make use of every such opportunity, which the Lord shall put into their hands. And we do hereby warn and advise friends in all places to flee every appearance of evil, and keep out of pride, and following the vain fashions and customs of this world, as recommended in the Epistle, 1715.

’And as we always found it our concern to recommend love, concord, and unity in the churches of Christ every where, so as a means to effect the same, we earnestly desire that Friends, but more especially such as are concerned in meetings of business, do labour to know their own spirits subjected by the Spirit of Truth; that thereby being baptized into one body, they may be truly one in the foundation of their love and unity, and that therein they may all labour to find a nearness to each other in spirit; this being the true way to a thorough reconciliation, wherever there is, or may have been any difference of apprehension: thereby Friends will be preserved in that sweetness of spirit, that is, and will be the bond of true peace, throughout all the churches of Christ.

’And, dear friends, the Friends of this meeting, to whom the inspection of the accounts was referred, made report, that having perused the same, they found the stock to be near expended; whereupon this meeting thinks it necessary to recommend unto you, that a general and free contribution be made in every county, and that what shall be thereupon collected, be sent up to the respective correspondents.

‘Finally, dear Friends and brethren, be careful to walk unblameable in love and peace among yourselves, and towards all men in Christian charity, and be humbly thankful to the Lord our most gracious God, for the favour he hath given us in the eyes of the king and civil government, in the peaceable enjoyment of our religious and Christian liberties under them; and the God of peace, we trust, will be with you to the end.

‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. Amen.

‘Signed in, and on the behalf, and by the order of this meeting,
By BENJAMIN BEALING.’

From this epistle may be judged in some degree of the others, which are sent from the yearly meeting of the people called Quakers, to the particular meetings of their society every where. We see by it, that they give notice of the state of their particular churches, and that they earnestly recommend love and unity among their brethren, with other Christian virtues, and especially a good education of their children, besides other matters which they judge to be meet and necessary. With this epistle here inserted, I will finish this work, as having performed my design and intention, viz. the giving of a plain and circumstantial account and relation of the rise of this religious society, which, as we have seen, sprung from mean beginnings, to a great increase and progress, and extended itself far, notwithstanding the violent opposition, and most grievous severity, for suppressing and rooting them out, so often put in practice, and committed by their enemies, but all in vain. And they now enjoy an undisturbed liberty to perform the public exercise of their worship to God, since their religion is permitted by law; which liberty they in no wise have obtained by making resistance, but by a long-suffering patience, a peaceable deportment, and a dutiful fidelity to the government set over them: so that now they see clearly, that God doth not forsake those that do not forsake him, according to what the prophet Azariah formerly said to king Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin, 2 Chron. xv. 2, “The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you: but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.” Having thus performed what I intended with this historical relation, I concluded it, to the praise and glory of the Most High, who hath afforded me lifetime and ability, after a long and difficult labour, to bring this history to a suitable end.