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<ETS>
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<DATE>2012-08-15</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z120710.apex.</ITEM>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="1" REF="1" MS="y">
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_ALthough my former freedom in writing might rather give me occa&s;ion to beg pardon for a fault committed, then to proceed in the &s;ame kind: Yet I know not how it commeth to pa&s;&s;e, that in &s;tead of repenting and ab&s;taining, I am drawne to re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">terate and aggravate this fault, by a higher pre&s;umption. The cau&s;e of this irregular motion in my &s;pirit I can attribute to nothing but to that which all &s;inners may pretend for their excu&s;e; namely, a &s;trong bent of de&s;ire, and an inclination moving me irre&s;i|&s;tibly to doe what I am about to doe: together, with a &s;ecret hope and promi&s;e to my &s;elfe of forgivene&s;&s;e grounded upon your obliging di&s;po&s;ition: Upon &s;uch motives as the&s;e we all &s;inne again&s;t God. If then you will be &s;o patient to beare with me, as he doth with &s;inners, till they may be reclaimed, and &s;o bountifully kind as to imitate him, in u&s;ing meanes to cure my di&s;temper; I will be thankfull, &amp; truly acknowledging the merit of your vertue, be bound to &s;erve you and honour your Sex. For I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e that partly the &s;illy weakne&s;&s;e, and want of capacitie, which doth appeare in mo&s;t of the Fe|male kind; partly, the di&s;proportion of &s;pirit which I have found in my &s;elf fro~ the waies of their conver&s;ation, hath kept me at a di&s;tance, till of late one whom you know hath made me perceive, both by her &s;elfe, and by the Characters of your excellent &s;pirit, which I find in &s;ome of your Letters unto her, that God hath not deprived that part of mankind of eminent graces, with &s;trength of parts and abilities to do him &s;pirituall &s;ervice, &amp; to be more helpefull in &s;ome things towards the ad|vancement of the Kingdom of his Son then even Men them|&s;elves. Upon this di&s;coverie, I confe&s;&s;e my inclination to con|ver&s;e did grow more free, and the prejudice, which made
<PB N="2" REF="2"> me &s;hie, being taken away, my affection was inlarged to be willing to contribute unto that &s;ubject which I found mo&s;t &s;u&s;ceptible of the be&s;t Motions, mo&s;t apprehen&s;ive of the chiefe&s;t Aimes and mo&s;t generou&s;ly active and re&s;olute to &s;et forward the fitte&s;t Meanes and Wayes leading thereunto; that a&s;&s;i&s;tance and helpe, which my calling in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel did oblige me to afford. And in continuance of this indeavour, &s;ome intimacie being growne betwixt us, and a &s;ettlement of that re&s;olution (which I had long before vow|ed, maintained, and practi&s;ed, to live no more to my &s;elfe, but unto the Communion of Saints,) Being then al&s;o begot|ten in her, I found that &s;he was capable, not onely of a Mo|rall, but of a Spirituall friend&s;hip: And therefore upon her departure into <HI>Ireland,</HI> after that I had beene in <HI>Holland,</HI> I propo&s;ed unto her the heads of a Covenant of &s;piritual friend|&s;hip, to be maintained for the Aimes of publike and mutuall Edification, as well at a di&s;tance as when we &s;hould be neere at hand. In this Bond, and in the faithfull and &s;ingle pro&s;ecu|tion of the duties thereof we have continued till this day, upon &s;everall occa&s;ions confirming and rectifying our pur|po&s;es therein by &s;uch Rules as the Word of God through the &s;pirit of divine and common. Love have revealed unto us. Now the onely thing, which I for my part have ever found a hin|derance and di&s;traction from the accompli&s;hment of the du|ties whereunto we are bound, which doth ordinarily clog the pro&s;ecution, and fru&s;trate the effecting of that for which God hath moved us to contract this friend&s;hip is meerely the want of freedome to communicate upon all occa&s;ions our thoughts one to another, which is occa&s;ioned by the di&s;tance of our abode. This doth put both my &s;pirit within me to a perpetuall &s;traitne&s;&s;e, and the pro&s;ecution of my Worke in publike without me to a lingring &s;lowne&s;&s;e. For &s;eeing I find it impo&s;&s;ible at &s;uch a di&s;tance as we have lived, and &s;till live in the&s;e bu&s;ie times, to &s;atisfie that tye which our friend|&s;hip doth put upon my con&s;cience, either for the publike Edifi|cation of many, or for the private comforts of each other a|gain&s;t the cau&s;es of common perplexities, whereunto all pri|vate
<PB N="3" REF="2"> conditions are involved. Seeing, I &s;ay, I find it impo&s;&s;i|ble at &s;uch a di&s;tance to &s;atisfie in &s;uch occurrences and for &s;uch ends my con&s;cience chiefly in point of readie deliberati|on, or &s;ea&s;onable execution of that, whereunto the love of Gods &s;ervice, as well in publike as in private doth bind me, and that onely by rea&s;on of our di&s;tance; therefore I have oft de&s;ired, that a way may be found to remove it: But becau&s;e I find other inconveniences in the removall thereof, which will en&s;ue in re&s;pect of the world, which will bla&s;t the fruit of all our intentions, except &s;ome neerer relation prevent the &s;ame; and becau&s;e I &s;ee no warrant to &s;tint the increa&s;e of friend&s;hip and divine love from the neare&s;t relations for hu|mane re&s;pects, nor is it con&s;cionable, without Gods owne way, to confirme the application of ones &s;elfe to one particular, more then to many, with a re&s;traint of the Spirit, from inten|ding others in the &s;ame degree, who may be, if not alike ca|pable, yet no le&s;&s;e inclinable to &s;erve God in the &s;ame way; I &s;ay, Madam, for the&s;e and &s;ome other cau&s;es now to be omit|ted, I am nece&s;&s;itated to breake through humane re&s;pects, by ca&s;ting my &s;elfe upon God, who doth in the capacitie of your Spirit open a doore unto me to &s;ee a way through the ob&s;ta|cles, which otherwi&s;e might &s;eeme impa&s;&s;able. For I am con|fident, that your Lady&s;hip is able to di&s;cerne what hand God hath in this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of our continued acquaintance, and I make no doubt but you al&s;o &s;ee cleerly, that I will be con&s;trai|ned in the end either to faile in friend&s;hip by not fulfilling a Covenant made in the feare of God, (which is a thing intole|rable to my verie thought to apprehend) or to neglect Gods &s;ervice in the Go&s;pel of peace, and Communion of Saints, to which I am more bound then to the former, by how much this Aime is the more Univer&s;all then that, (which is as grie|vous and le&s;&s;e &s;upportable to my thoughts) except the publike and private relations, under which we both &s;tand, be brought to be one &amp; the &s;ame in their due &s;ubordination, which cannot be done without the neare&s;t conjunction of our per&s;ons in the freedome of all manner of commerce, for the performance of the&s;e duties and endeavours, upon which our intimacie is
<PB N="4" REF="3"> grounded; and without which it is not lawfull, as being not &s;ubordinate unto the glorie of God. I<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">en the cau&s;es of our di&s;tance doe really di&s;turbe my peace, and make my &s;traitned &s;pirit lead a weari&s;ome life; and if the&s;e ob&s;tacles of our law|ful conjunction hinder us both from the work of Gods glo|rie in our callings, which might many wayes more comforta|bly then now it is, be performed; and if your &s;pirituall Sa|gacitie cannot but find this to be &s;o: I may (I hope) without de&s;paire of Pardon pre&s;ume to make this reque&s;t, that you would be plea&s;ed to repre&s;ent this ca&s;e unto your Aunt, who is here, to de&s;ire her to remove the impediment of which I complaine, by that approach which may be honourable before God and Man, and give me the full freedome of performing all duties which God doth require of tho&s;e whom he maketh one bodie for his &s;ervice. As for any doubts which &s;he might have had concerning the &s;tate of Marriage, and the u&s;efulne&s;&s;e thereof to Gods glorie, I have by generall di&s;cour&s;es endea|voured to take them away, and am confident, by the grace of God, that all &s;cruples, that either &s;he or any in her condition may have about that matter, will ea&s;ily be re&s;olved. There|fore I cannot but &s;eeke, that &s;he may fulfill her part towards the full accompli&s;hment of the effect of our Covenant, al|though I neither at fir&s;t, nor a long time after, did conjecture any nece&s;&s;itie of &s;uch a &s;equele as now I find inforced (by the circum&s;tances into which God ca&s;t, me) upon my intentions. And this, Madam, I could never have uttered unto any of her friends, be&s;ides your &s;elfe, becau&s;e <HI>I</HI> know that there is none to whom &s;he hath &s;o great confidence; and <HI>I</HI> beleeve, there is none able to judge better of the ca&s;e then you are, as being fully per&s;waded of your Spirituall and Rationall parts; for which cau&s;e you may &s;ee, that <HI>I</HI> have put the tru&s;t of my &s;elf, &amp; of the &s;ecrets of my heart, upon which the chiefe comforts which <HI>I</HI> expect in this temporall life depend, in your hand, to u&s;e them as your con&s;cience to the love of Gods glorie &s;hall direct you: For <HI>I</HI> prote&s;t truely in his pre&s;ence, that it is no worldly de&s;ire, nor earthly intention, nor per&s;onall pa&s;&s;ion, (although <HI>I</HI> cannot wholly denie the affections of humanitie)
<PB N="5" REF="3"> which doth &s;way or lead me to this motion, but meerely the di&s;charge of my dutie, to advance the glory of God in my Calling, by the fitte&s;t meanes which his providence doth af|ford. On him therefore I relye for &s;ucce&s;&s;e, according to the &s;inceritie which he &s;eeth in me; wherein al&s;o I will take my leave, commending your &s;pirit in this and all other things to his gracious direction, who am</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Lady&s;hips mo&s;t humble and faithfull Servant in Chri&s;t,</SIGNED>
<DATE>This 4/14 <HI>December,</HI> 1644.</DATE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THis la&s;t Po&s;t brought me a great confirmation of my re&s;olution concerning Ma&s;ter <HI>N.</HI> which re&s;olution I de&s;ire &s;hould be knowne there: the ground of it is in his Letter to your Lady&s;hip, therefore I &s;end it againe; and the rather, becau&s;e I cannot po&s;&s;ibly lay downe now the par|ticular Rea&s;ons of this Union with him; which <HI>I</HI> thought to have done, for the &s;atisfying &s;uch who are either capable of Grace, or Rea&s;on: As for your &s;elfe (with whom there is none ranked) <HI>I</HI> perceive your Lady&s;hip takes up mo&s;t of the&s;e things, which hath obliged me to yeeld to Ma&s;ter <HI>N.</HI> Propo|&s;ition; and therefore I am not much &s;olicitous for others, knowing you will (as occa&s;ion &s;erves) informe all, as they are capable: which I mu&s;t leave to you, be&s;eeching the Lord of life to fill you more with the abundance of his Grace, that you may &s;till be a helpe to Gods people, and a comfort in God, to</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your Lady&s;hips mo&s;t faithfull, humble, and mo&s;t affectionate Servant,</SIGNED>
<DATE>11 / 22 <HI>Febr.</HI> 1645.</DATE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="6" REF="4">
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur Gratulatorie affection is no le&s;&s;e obliging then your interce&s;&s;ion, and I hope the Lord will make me thankfull for all the ble&s;&s;ings which he hath be&s;towed upon me; among&s;t which, that which you mention, of &s;uch a Friend and Wife in one per&s;on is the greate&s;t in temporall things: and as he hath by his Grace joyned our hearts, not for worldly Ends, but for a Spirituall Aime of &s;erving him; &s;o I am confident, that he will direct us in that way which is mo&s;t unblameable: and as we &s;eeke not the honour and appearan|ces of this world, but are &s;incerely bent to &s;eeke the honour which is from God alone, without any &s;hew in the world, that we may be counted worthy to partake of the Cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, and to be mortified unto the world with him; &s;o I beleeve &s;tedfa&s;tly, that God will &s;anctifie us, and make us Ve&s;&s;els of Honour for every good u&s;e in his Tabernacle, and quicken us by the re&s;urrection of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the more we &s;hall be ly|able to the cen&s;ures of the world. Yet I thinke it very fit, that &s;ome Meanes &s;hould be u&s;ed, &s;uch as your Lady&s;hip doth mention, to &s;top the cen&s;oriou&s;ne&s;&s;e of worldly-minded Friends, which will be intended with the fir&s;t occa&s;ion by her, who will be more &s;ubject to be blamed by tho&s;e that con&s;ider things after the fle&s;h, then I will be either by them or others. But we &s;hall joyntly intend the clearing of our wayes towards Men, as we have approved them hitherto before God; that perhaps the eyes of &s;uch as are dimme may &s;ee &s;omewhat clearer then yet they doe the purpo&s;es of our life, which &s;hall truely be dedicated in all faithfulne&s;&s;e to your Lady&s;hips com|forts, by</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your mo&s;t affectionate and humble Servant in Chri&s;t.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="7" REF="4">
<OPENER><SALUTE>MADAM,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur affectionate Congratulations to our Union, I make, no doubt, will be accompanied with your pray|ers to God for us, that we may be enabled to attaine the End of our lawfull Conjunction, and be &s;trengthned in the dutifull performance of tho&s;e Endeavours which have drawne us to this &s;tate, which by Gods grace may be effectually u&s;efull to his Glory, and the Edification of o|thers, which is all the ground of the Comfort which wee &s;eeke in one anothers Societie. I am bound therefore to pray&s;e God for this inclination and frame of &s;pirit, where|by he hath joyned us fir&s;t to him&s;elfe, then one to another, and la&s;tly, to all others who can under&s;tand what the End of every Chri&s;tians life is, as well in this as in any other Relation: and I rejoyce not a little, to &s;ee your Lady&s;hips heartie Congratulations going along with us, upon this di&s;|coverie and knowledge of our way in the&s;e proceedings. For although others, who are good in their owne degree, reach not to the Aimes which have brought us to this &s;tate; yet in due time, by the abilitie which God hath endued your Lady|&s;hip withall, I hope, their apprehen&s;ions may be rectified, to looke upon matters with another Eye then hitherto they have done: it is a ble&s;&s;ing of God to be prayed for unto them, to di&s;cerne the things mo&s;t excellent; and when wee di&s;cerne them, to be re&s;olute in following them is a dutie which generous &s;pirits will delight in. Would to God wee all could under&s;tand the &s;aying of Chri&s;t, as he meant it; <HI>That which is highly e&s;teemed of Men, is abomination in the &s;ight of God.</HI> And in another place he &s;ayth, <HI>How can yee beleeve, that receive honour one of another, and &s;eeke not the honour which is of God alone?</HI> Wee mu&s;t &s;peake of our &s;elves, and profe&s;&s;e, that wee count nothing e&s;timable or honourable, but what is u&s;efull to his &s;ervice, in the life
<PB N="8" REF="5"> of Chri&s;t; and nothing is u&s;efull that way, but that which crucifieth the world to us, and us to the world, in re&s;pect of the fa&s;hion of it, and outward &s;urface of things, which is void of Realitie. All that imaginarie Sub&s;tance, and Accidentall Frame of Corruptible Matters, which maketh a &s;hew in this pre&s;ent World, doth bring us under a Yoake of Bondage, and depriveth us of the glorious li|bertie of the Spirit of Adoption, in &s;ome degree or o|ther, as wee yeeld thereunto. Therefore, as our &s;ence is, &s;o wee will in our practice really endeavour to beare wit|ne&s;&s;e to this Truth unto every one; and I &s;uppo&s;e, my Wife would rather her Friends &s;hould receive &s;atisfaction, in reading her reall performances of duties to God, then any Apologies or Verball Ju&s;tifications. But I mu&s;t needs breake off, as being &s;traitned in time; therefore I can &s;carce read over what is here written in ha&s;te: onely I mu&s;t &s;ay in truth, that I am</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Lady&s;hips mo&s;t humbly affectionate and obliged Servant,</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>4 / 14 <HI>April,</HI> 1645.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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