APPENDIX B

The two following letters were sent to Friends' meetings during the trial of James Naylor. As you read these letters, keep in mind that these were written by a 22 or 23 year old young man. They reflect a wisdom and spiritual knowledge far beyond his age and level of education, demonstrating a powerful work of God in his soul.

The first addressed "to all the called and chosen to faithfulness in Christ Jesus, and to such as are found worthy to suffer," contains the following:

To all the children of light every where who fear and love the Lord, who are begotten of God, and unto whom he is known in the Spirit and in the Truth, this is a testimony of the Father's love unto you. Grace, mercy, and peace from him that lives for ever, the God of light and life, be multiplied in you all, that you may daily be renewed in strength and girded with truth and armed with the whole armor of God, and may be kept by his power until the day of salvation to walk in subjection to Jesus Christ, witnessing the power and presence of God in you and amongst you, giving you power to fulfil his will in all things. Thus into all righteousness and out of all evil you may be led and preserved unto the end and in the end to show forth the praises of God in this generation, as a people called of him and redeemed by him for his great glory's sake. Even so Amen and Amen.

Dearly beloved, this is the message which came unto you, which is true, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all, the message of peace and reconciliation, and of glad tidings unto all that have sought the Lord, which we received of him and you have heard. All that have received it are gathered to God and are in covenant with him and one with another and are in that which reconcileth and joineth unto Christ Jesus, the second Adam. He is the Lord from Heaven, the Prince of Peace, the Savior and the Deliverer, who is made manifest in power, and condemneth the transgressor and slayeth the enmity and raiseth the life out of death.

This is he who kills and makes alive, even God who is light, who brings down one and sets up another; who makes war against the mighty and gives peace to the poor, and besides him there is none. He searcheth man's heart and trieth the reins and knows the thoughts, and every creature is manifest in his sight, and he giveth to every one according to his doing. This is he who standeth in the congregation of the righteous, even in the midst of us, and sitteth Judge among the gods. Unto him must all the gods of the earth bow, and the inhabitants of the earth must tremble before him, and unto him every tongue shall confess, and the light in every man shall answer, when he ariseth to judgment, who is a swift witness to condemn or justify all the children of men on the face of the earth.

This is the God of truth whom we worship and who will be worshiped in spirit and in truth, who is the God of Abraham and his seed for ever. And with him there is no change nor shadow of turning. He hath made known his name and his power and his wonderful works in this his day, and hath caused his voice to be heard in the earth and the dead have heard and now live. And his name is exalted on high amongst all that fear him and obey his voice. And he hath given his Son a covenant of light, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world with the true light of life or condemnation, that all who receive him may come to the knowledge of the Father, whom to know is life eternal.

And this is the Christ, the Savior, in whom we have believed, and whom we preach, who is the way, the truth, and the life, the foundation of God, which cannot be moved. The Word of God is his name and there is no other name given for salvation. This is he who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore, and there is no other to be looked for. If any preach any other, let them be accursed, and if any bring any other message, let them not be received.

All you who have believed in Christ Jesus who is the light of the world and have received the knowledge of God, who is light himself and searcheth your hearts, I exhort you and warn you all in his presence to wait upon him and to fear before him, and to walk with him for ever in uprightness of heart, which is of great price in his sight. Forget not his righteous judgments which he hath made known, lest you wax fat through mercies and rebel against him and become disobedient and gainsaying and so be destroyed from being a people. But be stayed upon the Lord and let your hearts be established with grace. Be not tossed nor shaken with any wind of doctrine of men which is not from the life of God, nor reacheth to the life in you, but begets into idolatry, to worship other gods than he who is light.

Be not troubled at temptations, nor at sufferings, nor at reproaches, nor any other thing, but stand in the counsel of God and in his long-suffering and wait patiently upon him in your measure of the grace of God received, which is sufficient for you to preserve you so that you may receive victory over death and over him that hath the power of it, to trample upon all that which is contrary to the life of God within you and without you. Neither be ye troubled nor offended in Christ. If any among you deny the Lord and backslide from his pure way through an evil heart of unbelief and so become disobedient children and vex the righteous soul, such shall bear their own burden and condemnation in the day of the Lord and shall know that truth changes not, but is the same for ever, though the deceitful-hearted through unbelief depart from it and choose their own ways, and despise the counsel of the Lord to their own destruction.

But be ye more watchful and faithful and valiant for the truth upon earth unto the end so that you may be found faithful witnesses unto the name of Lord in this crooked generation and may receive the fulfilling of the promise of God and may witness God within you, the Emanuel, the Savior, God with us. This is the whole salvation, and there is no other to be expected or witnessed than this, that God dwells in us and walks in us, according to his promise. And all that know this, need not go forth to the right hand nor to the left, but salvation is come unto us.

He takes away sin, and saves from it and from condemnation, and who witness this are begotten by the word of God and born of the immortal seed and are new creatures. Now there is no condemnation, but the reward of righteousness and peace to us who are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. Here we witness that the Lord is our God and we are his people, and he seeth no sin in us who are born of him nor remembers iniquity, but his covenant is with us and the kingdom is become the Lord's and his dominion is set up. Here God is all in all, where the prince of darkness is cast out. And this is the end and substance of all ministrations, which we bear witness of.

I exhort all of you that are called of God every where to patiently wait in the way of the Lord and in his judgments to receive this and to possess it within you so that you may be worshipers of God and doers of his will, and may have the witness that you are accepted of him, and may know that your calling and election are sure, where nothing that defileth can enter, but that may be taken away and removed. And him you may feel and witness whom Satan hath nothing in, who is the second Adam, and cannot be overcome, but is greater than the first Adam, who was overcome (though innocent), and was lost from the presence of God. But he in whom there is no sin and who cannot transgress, comes to seek and to save that which was lost in sin and to bring back that which was driven away by sin. He is greater than innocency and overcometh the devil and is called the Son of God. And to him that overcometh, who is the light of the world, is all power given of the Father. And know him in you all to be greatest, who is not of the world nor can bow to the devil, to give you dominion and authority over all the world and the powers of hell and death, even he who sealeth up the old dragon in perdition never more to deceive. He who witnesseth this, knoweth the election which it is not possible to deceive or be deceived.

As every one of you have received him who is the Lord from Heaven, so let your faith stand in him and walk in him. And let all your conversation be ordered by him in all pure and blameless walking in the sight of your enemies, that it may be manifest that you are branches in him and that you have received power to become the sons of God, and are heirs of the inheritance which shall not fade away.

And all you that witness this, your eye is open to see God, and you are cleansed from sin by the Word of God, and you have received peace with God and glad tidings from him in your own souls, and this is salvation by the second Adam. Herein be established and settled, and look not for another for there is not any besides this Savior and this salvation. But if any preach another, believe him not. And if any cry lo here and lo there is Christ, without you, go not after them nor follow them, but know him within you, who is greater than all. Yea, if we ourselves, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other Jesus than he that lighteth every man that cometh into the world or any other salvation than God with us, let us be accursed. For this is the gospel of our salvation, Christ Jesus within us the hope of glory, the power and wisdom of God to rule and reign in us, by which we are changed from death to life and translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son.

And now all Friends and elect of God, who are called and faithful, you that have received this testimony which God hath given of the Son and which the Son hath given of the Father, which in faithfulness hath been testified in this generation, I exhort you all in the fear and counsel of the Lord, take heed to that which you have believed, and heard, and learned of the Father, which is the truth as it is in Jesus and shall abide for ever. Be not removed from your hope nor given to change, but mind the life of God in you all which is immortal and is but one, and it answereth to the Lord in judgments and in mercies, and one to another in that which is righteous and just, and witnesseth against all the works of the world, which are evil and not wrought in God.

Ye that know this which is of the Father in you, dwell in it and walk in it, and be not shaken out of it nor removed from it, for it is the way of peace unto everlasting rest where there is no sorrow but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Every one in particular have salt in yourselves to savor withal so that you may resist the wicked one in all his temptations and may not join to anything which is out of union and contrary to the life of God and to the truth which you have received that you may never be betrayed of your hope nor of the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus, in which the Father is well pleased. Let the light of the world guide you in all things, that your works may be wrought in God, never to be condemned, nor you to suffer loss. Knowing this first, that none are justified by him, but them that are led and guided by him. And to whom he is a Savior, he is also a teacher, and he is given to teach in all the ways of truth.

Let your fellowship be in the life and power of God and know not one another in words only and in outward appearance, but witness one another in the Spirit and in the Truth, and have communion there in breaking the bread of life, that Christ Jesus may be seen to be head in you and you members to serve him and one another, all receiving wisdom from the head and virtue from the vine, Christ Jesus, that you may abound in love, mercy and peace, and all the fruits of righteousness unto the Father.

Dwell in the fear and counsel of God and be subject to his will, not despising the cross, which is the power of God, which slayeth the birth that is born of the flesh, which is not heir of the promise. But walk in the cross daily so that your understandings may be kept open to try and discern all spirits, whether they be of God.

Believe not every spirit, for lying spirits who are not in the truth may arise among yourselves and go forth from the light, but in the feignedness and hypocrisy, with false visions and lying imaginations, handling the word of God deceitfully, and corrupting and perverting the pure way of God, having the form, but not the power, having left the power and gone from the light. Such utter the words of truth without the life and are but as the chaff to the wheat, and they are to be denied and resisted and not joined to, lest innocency and simplicity be betrayed and your faith made void, and so you be destroyed from the life of God, and death surprise you and darkness enter your dwellings, and so unbelief and doubting and murmuring and lusting after evil arise in you and you be perverted from the worship of the true God and grieve his righteous Spirit by bowing to idols and following of other lovers. And so the true God who hath brought you out of Egypt and made manifest his power in you be forgotten, and the faith of his Son made shipwreck of and your latter end be worse than the beginning, and the name of the Lord be dishonored by you, and then woe unto you, his wrath shall suddenly break out against you.

Wherefore hear and fear, and hearken unto the word of the Lord. He hath caused his light to shine forth and his voice to be heard. He hath proclaimed his name amongst you and hath caused his marvelous light to approach when you sat in darkness, in the land of the shadow of death. When you were lost, he sought you, and when you were driven away and scattered, he found you and brought you home. When you were in your blood and no eye pitied you, he had mercy upon you and bound you up and healed you. When you were dead, he said unto you, "Live," and it was so. When you were led captive by the devil under the power of death, he broke the chains and set you free. And when there was none to help or save, his own arm brought deliverance and salvation, and the way of life and peace he set before you.

And now all this hath his own arm accomplished so that you should be a praise unto him for evermore. If you walk in the way which he hath set before you and keep his covenant which he hath made with you and fulfil his will and walk in righteousness, love, unity, meekness, lowliness, humbleness, soberness, watchfulness, and in fear of his name, then shall his presence never forsake you nor his outstretched arm cease to defend and preserve you. He shall go before you and be your reward. And he shall be your God, and you shall be his people and shall dwell in him and he shall be your hiding place. He will be to you a father and you shall be his children, and his blessing and peace shall remain in your habitations for ever and ever.

But if any of you turn aside for a thing of naught, after vanity, and deny the way of righteousness and forget the Lord and kick against him, and follow the way and counsel of your own hearts and worship other gods, and join yourselves to strangers and make the cross of Christ of none effect, and turn from the light of Christ within you and fulfil your own wills and the desire of your own minds, and go out of the fear of the Lord into the liberty of the flesh, (which is not the liberty in Christ Jesus) and so seek yourselves and strive for mastery to be one above another and surmise evil one against another, and the bond of peace be broken, and vain contention and strife appear, then shall the rod of God smite you and his wrath be suddenly kindled against you. And you shall not prosper, but his countenance shall be hid and the terrors of the Lord and lamentations shall possess you, and peace shall flee far from you. Such shall be cast out of the camp of the Lord and shall have no part in the inheritance, but the blessing shall depart and the curse shall enter till utter destruction.

If any of you deny the Lord, unto whom his way is made manifest, he will deny you and you shall have no part in him, but vengeance in flames of fire will he render upon the disobedient, manifold more than if his love and way of peace had not been made manifest to you, and the light of the world is your condemnation for evermore, if you turn from it.

And in the presence of the living God I warn you all, believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which brings any other message than what hath been declared from the beginning. Believe not him which crieth, "Lo here or lo there is Christ" without you, or that draweth from the measure of Christ within you to hearken to or to be taught by any other thing. For that spirit is not of the Father which preacheth any other Christ than he that is the light of the world and lighteth every man that cometh into the world, or bringeth any other message than that God is light in himself and hath given his Son a light into the world.

This is the true testimony of the Father and of the Son. And he that doth testify any other message is to be judged and denied. He is not a worshiper of the true God, but out of the truth and in the error, and a deceiver, being deceived.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which ministereth to others that which it hath not learned of the Father, but hath the words without the power, and liveth not in the power of what it ministereth forth in words nor is in what it declareth, but is in outward show, in the hypocrisy and feignedness, and reacheth not the life of God, but veileth and covereth it. That spirit is not of the Father, but is to be denied and not received.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which is at liberty in the flesh and maketh the offense of the cross to cease, which is exalted out of the fear of the Lord in the liberty of the earthly, which crucifieth the life and darkeneth the eye. That spirit will boast of joy and peace, and experience, and knowledge, and speak high words in the airy mind, and would lead you to glory above the cross, till you be past feeling the life. And that spirit begetteth into the love of the world, which passeth away. Beware of that spirit, for it is not of the Father, but to be condemned.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which is hasty and forward and rash, for that goeth out of God's counsel and betrayeth the just, and striveth to be greatest and to be above the weak, and despiseth him, and would be master and not a servant, and would rule and not be ruled in the meek and lowly government of Christ. That spirit will judge rashly and unsavorily, and condemn another in secret in what itself is guilty of. Beware of that spirit, for it is not of God, but to be judged with the life of God.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which seeks to have praise of men and would beget divisions and make parties, which respects persons and glories in gifts and knowledge and parts more than in the giver, and admires men more than Him that gives the increase, and feeds on the knowledge in that nature which is to be famished, and glories in what hath been done by it, as though it had not received power from the Lord, and is exalted as though it bore the root, not knowing that it is borne of the root. That spirit spends its treasures amongst harlots, and despises the poor, and seeks occasion to glory over the weak, that it may be renowned. Beware of that spirit, I charge you all, for it is not of the Father, nor to be followed, but to be condemned and resisted unto death.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which preacheth not from the measure of God received and to be manifest to it in you, and approved by it only, but speaks above the measure and reaches not to the measure of the grace of God, which leads after words and cries peace to the rich and judgment to the poor, and the word of God is not divided aright, but heals up falsely, and daubs with untempered mortar, and cries war where God speaks peace. That spirit is a deceiver and a betrayer and feeds but the ear and not the life, and darkens the counsel of God by words without knowledge and is not of the Father, but of the world, and to be denied and condemned.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which is not subject to rule and order and is not meek and diligent and longsuffering, but heady and high and untoward, seeking occasions against the just and watcheth for evil. That spirit will not bear reproof, but is slothful and careless, surmising evil and backbiting and conforms in appearance, making a fair shew, but is not unto God as it appears to man. It would go and is not called and will not go when it is called, and seeks for the praise of men more than God, and that is fruitless ground and brings forth briars and thorns in secret, which chokes the seed of God. Beware of that spirit, it is a lover of this world. Have no fellowship with it, for it is a deceiver and is to be denied.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which is tossed and unsettled and is given to change and is not established with grace, but hunts for the precious life and seeks by flattery to beguile the innocent. This spirit is zealous for a moment but is soon overcome, and brings not forth fruit to perfection, but withers, and its latter end is worse than the beginning. That spirit is exalted into presumption in peace and cast into desperation in trouble, and the double mind lodgeth in it, and it is unstable in all its ways and is a ground for the seed of Satan, and to it there is no peace from God. Beware of that spirit, for it is not of the Father, but to be condemned.

Believe not that spirit, neither follow it, which is more zealous than knowing, whose zeal is without true knowledge and stands in that which is corrupted, that flourisheth for a moment, but cannot endure forever. It hath no root in itself, but is furious and passionate, and not longsuffering. That spirit knows not itself, but would devour its adversaries with bitterness, and not gain by longsuffering. That is not the spirit of the Father, but must be denied in all.

Believe not that spirit which draws back into the world, into its lusts and liberty and fashions which pass away. That spirit forgets God and draws back, for his soul hath no pleasure in it, but is vexed with it, where the cross is made of none effect, and the false liberty is walked in which murders the life. That spirit is of the devil, and is to be condemned.

And now all friends of God everywhere, who know him and are known of him, whom he hath gathered out of this untoward generation, be diligent in your callings and keep your meetings in faithfulness, waiting upon the Lord so that you all may receive of his fulness and may be nourished up unto himself as trees of righteousness, the planting of his own right hand, to spread forth his name and glory, as a people saved by him. And this know and understand, that spirit is not of the Father which confesseth not the Son to be come in the flesh, who destroys the works of the devil, and takes away sin. That Spirit believe and follow which condemns sin and destroys it and takes it away, and so gives peace with God in your consciences and leads you into all truth and keeps you from all evil. You that witness this, the Son you know and the Father you know to dwell with you and in you. And this is the first and the last. Believe in him and follow him, and look not for any other. And in this the Father of life and glory, whose dominion is without beginning and end, establish you and preserve you. Amen and Amen."

The second Epistle addressed "to all that suffer for the testimony of Jesus, and for his name's sake," is as follows:

The glorious God of truth hath appeared and made known his way and truth perfectly in this our day, and hath chosen unto himself faithful witnesses to testify of his name and of his truth before rulers and people, and hath brought forth a seed which is not of this world, which cannot bow to the devil, but is heir of God's inheritance, though a sufferer in this world under the powers thereof. Many in this generation, who are called and faithful and chosen, bear witness unto the name of the Lord in sufferings and tribulations, whom he will honor, because they honor him, who is exalting his truth and his people through sufferings.

And now all Friends who are called to suffer for the testimony of Jesus and for the exercise of a pure conscience which you hold, be valiant for the truth upon earth and faint not, but finish your testimony with joy for the Lord and against all your enemies. Look not forth at afflictions and sufferings, but look beyond them to the recompense of reward. Neither be offended in Christ, though ye are called to suffer for him and for his name sake, but dwell in the peace with God, which is a sufficient reward.

Take heed to your life which is immortal, that you may feel and enjoy it, and account that the present sufferings are not worthy to be reckoned with the glory that is to be revealed and of which you have the earnest, even present peace with God. Look beyond your sufferings, and feel the life of God in you fresh and lively, which is more than all things, to carry you above all the world and all its envy, which is against the seed of God.

Take heed of temptations, for the power of Satan will work, and is near to tempt you in sufferings, to gain dominion over you, and to touch your life and to cast you down. Therefore mind the life of God in you to have dominion, which Satan hath nothing in and which is not given him to touch. And that is more than all, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life to enjoy when he is tried. You are tried by sufferings and tribulations, and your faith and patience are proved. Therefore prove yourselves faithful unto the Lord by long suffering and patience so that Satan overcome you not. Though he may touch you and have power to cast some of you into prison, and otherwise to winnow you, and to try you for your life, yet be faithful unto death and you shall receive the crown of life eternal. And keep the word of his patience, that you may be delivered and Satan may bow under your foot.

And all you who suffer for well-doing, who hold fast the testimony which you have received of God when your hearts are searched. You

are blessed from the Lord and your reward no man can take away, even the life, and liberty, and treasure which Satan cannot touch or spoil you of. Ye that suffer because you cannot fulfil wickedness nor the will of man, but are of the seed which cannot please man nor bow to the devil, ye suffer for Christ and for righteousness sake and cannot walk contrary to the light of Christ within you, but rather choose to suffer under corrupt men and laws than to transgress God's righteous law written in your hearts. You are chosen to fulfil the will of God by sufferings and are not of the world, and therefore the world hates you.

All you that suffer imprisonment of body or spoiling of goods, or travails or any other thing, because you cannot pay tithes, this is the word of the Lord God unto you that you suffer for righteousness sake and for the name of Christ, and unjustly by the oppression of men, for well doing and not for evil, and the Lord will be your exceeding great reward. Look beyond your outward liberty and know the liberty in spirit, in the Father and in the Son where is everlasting peace and freedom which none can bring into bondage. Look beyond all outward treasure and riches and see God's treasure and possess it, which never waxes old, which none can spoil you of.

As witnesses for the Lord and for his truth and covenant you suffer, and it is for a testimony against all your enemies and against oppression and oppressors. For the cry of that oppression the land groans, and for ages hath done. But the Lord is now risen against it, for its cry reacheth to heaven against the unrighteous exacters whose cruel hands have heavily oppressed the just and the poor in this particular. Your suffering is for a testimony against your cruel adversaries, whether priests or others, and against the unjust judges and lawyers, and their whole train of oppressors. For this end are you called to suffer, and to you it shall be made easy if you abide in the counsel of God till vengeance overcome your adversaries. Therefore lift up your heads and fulfil the will of your Father in patience and in faithfulness till the Lord appear for you, who hearkeneth to the cry of the poor and regardeth him that suffereth unjustly, and will recompense the oppressors into their bosoms. He will break every yoke and be a terror to all the cruel hearted.

And all you that suffer, who are moved by the power of the Lord to bear witness against the false worships and against the false teachers and idol temples, of which the land is full, and who are moved to testify against sin in rulers, priests, or people, whether your sufferings be imprisonment, or beating and stoning, or other abuses or cruelties whatsoever which the devil hath power to lay upon you, you suffer for righteousness sake, and for the name of Christ, and for well-doing, if in the wisdom of God you be guided, and the Lord will be your reward and peace forever.

Lift up your heads and rejoice in him and abide in his counsel, ye that suffer herein for him and for his name's sake. Your suffering is for a testimony against all this generation, against the idol worships and ways which God's soul loathes and which he will confound, and against the idol teachers and false prophets and priests who preach for hire and make merchandise of souls, against whom God's wrath is kindled, and upon whom his indignation will be poured. It is a testimony against the sins of rulers and people which abound in this generation, till the measure of it be fulfilled through persecuting you who warn them of the evil and bear witness against their evil deeds, that God may be justified when he condemneth them.

He is risen against the worships, and ways, and teachers, and people, whose abominable iniquities have overgrown the world, and profaneness hath gone forth from them through nations, rulers, and teachers, and people are all out of the way and given to vanity, covetousness, and idolatry, and the breath of the Lord shall consume all who do oppress the just. Woe unto the idol worships, and temples, and teachers, to all the hirelings, and deceivers who feed themselves and not the flock, who abound in the world and in this nation. The Lord is risen against them all to pluck up by the root, that the branches may wither. And his arm shall watch over them to overthrow them all and to make them desolate, that the just may be delivered.

All you who suffer imprisonment, or fines, or reproaches, or any thing, because ye cannot swear for conscience sake nor respect persons according to the vain customs of the heathen, but are redeemed out of the customs and superstitions of men, which are of the world and are evil, and not of God nor justified by him, you suffer for righteousness sake and for Christ's sake and are witnesses for God herein against the superstitions, and wickedness, and pride, and high-mindedness of men. The Lord is with you if you be ruled in his wisdom and are faithful to him, and he will lift up your heads, till his and your adversaries be confounded.

I charge you all in the presence of the Lord, who suffer for righteousness sake in these things or in any other, who are moved of the Lord to bear witness of the truth and against the deceits of the world, be not exalted in the flesh in your sufferings, lest you forget God. Neither be cast down into sorrow, lest ye be overcome of the devil. But dwell in the measure of the power and life of God, which is above all, and more than all. Feel God's living arm to stay your hearts, to watch his own in you, to refresh you continually. Resist the devil on every hand with the armor of light and truth, that your life may be preserved in dominion over all things, even the life which is not of this world in you, that it may not be veiled or overcome. For to enjoy the life of God with you is enough. If you pass through the fire and through the water, it keeps you and carries you above all, and it is more than all outward freedom, or liberty, or riches, or treasure of this world.

Walk herein in boldness and faithfulness and patience, as you have us for an example in Christ Jesus, who are in jeopardy every hour, often in trials, sufferings, and dangers, and love not our lives unto death for the testimony of Jesus which we hold, and that his name and truth may be exalted in the earth. But, as the Lord moves, we are carried through nations, among lions and devourers, such as seek our life for their prey, and yet the Lord is with us, our defense, and arm, and preserver above all.

Therefore look you to the Lord in all affliction and distress and know his reward with you so that your burden and yoke may be easy and not hard. For his presence makes all things joyful. And know that it is for the name of the Lord and for his honor and for his kingdom which God will set up through suffering, for this cause are ye called to suffer, and neither your life, nor liberty, nor any other thing is to be measured or compared herewith.

So unto every one of you I am moved to write and to warn you all in the fear of God to be content, and longsuffering, and patient, and finish your testimony with rejoicing, if ye seal it with your blood. Dwell with the Lord in his holy habitation of peace, out of respect to time or places or things. And give up yourselves so that His will may be fulfilled in you.

And think it not strange though you have fiery trials. Neither be moved at any suffering without you or troubled in spirit. Neither let it break your peace nor fellowship with God by any impatience or murmurings or temptations, for then will your sufferings be grievous to you, and the enemy within and without will have ground against you to overthrow you.

Know it is that which ever was in all ages, and no new thing for the seed of God to suffer by the seed of evil-doers, for the wicked always strengthened their hands in cruelty against the righteous and laid heavy burdens upon the just and caused the innocent to groan under them, for a time, till iniquity was fulfilled, that they might be broken, and the oppressed delivered. And always the Lord exalted his name by the sufferings of his people, as we have a cloud of witnesses of our forefathers that went before, who did bear witness to the name of the Lord through faithful suffering.

So it is no strange thing that hath happened unto you, but that which is common to all the saints who enter the kingdom through tribulation. Blessed are you, if you be faithful unto the end, that you may reap the reward of your works, of your sufferings and patience, even the crown of life that never fades away. So the Lord God of life preserve you.

And all Friends everywhere, I am moved to warn you to dwell in love and unity, and fellowship one with another in the light, and in the Spirit of the Father, and fulfil the law of Christ, and bear one another's burden and suffer with one another, that none be oppressed among you in any thing, whilst others are free. Let the burden of all things and the care of all things in relation to the truth be equal among you, according to every one's freedom. And as every one is moved of the Lord, administer to one another's necessities as members of one body, to the honoring of the Head and spreading of the truth, that there be no complaining, but equality and justness, and the government of Christ ruling among you and his wisdom in all things. Feed no excess, nor the lustful devouring mind in any. Neither suffer the distressed to perish for want, but reach one to another in love and like mindedness, suffering for one another and all caring for the truth above all things so that God may dwell among you and it be known that he is in you of a truth. And in this, the wisdom of God guide you all, Amen.

By a companion in tribulation to all the saints everywhere.

Edward Burrough