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<DATE>2014-03-26</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140211.apex.</ITEM>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P> AN EPISTLE OF CAUTION To all Friends Profe&s;&s;ing the <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Truth;</HI> To Prevent Inju&s;tice and Injury, And the Reproach thereof in divers Matters herein Mentioned.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Rom. 13. 8.</BIBL>
<P><HI>Owe no Man any thing, but to love one another: For be that loveth another, hath fulfilled the Law.</HI></P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Tace Sowle,</HI> 1698.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>AN EPISTLE OF Caution, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Dear Friends,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>IN the Love of the Pretious and Holy <HI>Truth,</HI> in a Con&s;cienti|ous Concern for the Honour of God, and in a Chri&s;tian Care, that the <HI>Ancient Repute,</HI> that our Holy Religion hath obtained by the <HI>Ju&s;t Dealing, &V;pright Walking, Circum&s;pect</HI> and <HI>Inoffen&s;ive Conver|&s;ation</HI> of tho&s;e that have not only profe&s;&s;ed the Truth, but loved and obeyed it, and were Careful in their <HI>Words, Habit, Living, Furni|ture, Commerce</HI> and whole <HI>Conver|&s;ation</HI>
<PB N="4" REF="3"> to pre&s;erve the &s;ame, by an|&s;wering in all tho&s;e things that Righteous and Holy <HI>Principle</HI> of <HI>Truth,</HI> and <HI>Witne&s;s,</HI> that God hath placed in the Con&s;ciences of all Mankind, notwith&s;tanding the Scorn and great Sufferings they met withal.</P>
<P>But, to our great Grief, we have found, that &s;ome (e&s;pecially of late times) which make Profe&s;|&s;ion of the Worthy Name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t among&s;t us, have not had that due Regard thereunto, and the Honour there|of, as they ought, nor have been &s;o Careful, as becomes them, in the Management of them&s;elves, and their <HI>Affairs</HI> and <HI>Trade</HI> in the World; but have <HI>Incon&s;iderately</HI> and <HI>&V;nadvi&s;edly</HI> over-charged them|&s;elves with <HI>Debts,</HI> till they could not duly and ju&s;tly di&s;charge them, and by Neglecting their <HI>Affairs</HI> and
<PB N="5" REF="3"> <HI>Trade,</HI> and being too Extravagant in their <HI>Habits, Furniture</HI> of their <HI>Hou&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Living</HI> too high, and above what their Income would an&s;wer, and than becometh their Profe&s;&s;ion; and thereby have hurt them&s;elves: And for want of a <HI>Due</HI> and <HI>Timely In&s;pection</HI> into the <HI>State</HI> of their <HI>Affairs,</HI> or Stopping, when they have been Sen&s;ible of their own <HI>Inability,</HI> have gone on, till they have been under &s;uch Straights and Difficulties to &s;ati&s;|fie their <HI>Creditors</HI> ju&s;t Demand in due time, and that when they have come for Money, to put them off, have given them Ex|pectations; and &s;ometimes (when pre&s;&s;ed hard upon) made <HI>Promi&s;es</HI> to <HI>Pay</HI> within &s;ometime Limited, and yet have not performed. And the&s;e things have been, and are attended with Evil Con&s;equences, not only to the Per&s;ons them|&s;elves,
<PB N="6" REF="4"> but greatly Injurious to many others, and have been Oc|ca&s;ion of <HI>Stumbling</HI> and <HI>Offence,</HI> and have al&s;o brought <HI>Di&s;honour</HI> to <HI>Truth,</HI> and a <HI>Reproach</HI> upon Us, and a <HI>Scandal</HI> upon our Holy Pro|fe&s;&s;ion and Religion.</P>
<P>Wherefore it is our Tender <HI>Coun|&s;el</HI> and Chri&s;tian <HI>Advice,</HI> in the Love of God, that all would truly Weigh and duly Con&s;ider the&s;e things, and Examine them&s;elves with the <HI>Light</HI> of the <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> that each one may &s;ee, how things are with them; <HI>For they that do well, love the Light, and bring their Deeds to it, that they may &s;ee, they are wrought in God;</HI> but tho&s;e that do <HI>Evil, hate the Light:</HI> And it's tho&s;e, that with <HI>Grief</HI> we do declare unto you, that by walking contrary to what they profe&s;s, in not keeping under the Guidance of the good Spi|rit of the Lord, and not learning
<PB N="7" REF="4"> of, or being &s;ea&s;oned with the Grace of God, they run into the&s;e things.</P>
<P N="1">1. Therefore we Exhort and Coun&s;el all to be Careful, not to launch out into <HI>Trade,</HI> beyond what they can honourably and punctually An&s;wer, and without Injury to others.</P>
<P N="2">2. That no one keep another out of their <HI>Ju&s;t Debt</HI> to their Prejudice, beyond the <HI>u&s;ual Time</HI> of <HI>Payment,</HI> be the Time what it will they agree to pay at, they ought to be exact to it.</P>
<P N="3">3. That every Faithful and Ho|ne&s;t <HI>Friend,</HI> that knows any Re|puted <HI>Friend,</HI> or <HI>Profe&s;&s;or</HI> of the Truth among us <HI>faulty</HI> in any of the&s;e things afore-named, or any other thing unbecoming Truth, or our Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ion, that &s;uch Friend, that knows thereof, in Brotherly Love and Tenderne&s;s
<PB N="8" REF="5"> do privately &s;peak to him or her thereof, and <HI>Coun&s;el, Admoni&s;h</HI> and <HI>Reprove</HI> the Per&s;on offending, as the Ca&s;e requires; and if he or &s;he doth not hear and amend, then to take <HI>One</HI> or <HI>Two</HI> more, and &s;peak to him or her again; and if he or &s;he refu&s;es to hear them, that then &s;uch <HI>Friend</HI> or <HI>Friends</HI> acquaint the <HI>Monthly-Meeting,</HI> where the party belongs, or &s;uch <HI>Friends</HI> thereof, that are appointed by the <HI>Monthly-Meeting</HI> to hear &s;uch things in the <HI>Intervals</HI> of <HI>Monthly-Meetings,</HI> that they may &s;peedily call a <HI>Meeting;</HI> and the &s;aid <HI>Meeting</HI> to do and advi&s;e, as in the Wi&s;dom of God they &s;hall &s;ee the Ca&s;e requires.</P>
<P N="4">4. And we do <HI>Advi&s;e</HI> and <HI>Coun|&s;el</HI> all <HI>Friends,</HI> as they tender their own Good, the Honour of Truth, and Pre&s;ervation of our Holy Pro|fe&s;&s;ion without Blame, to <HI>In&s;pect their outward Affairs, at lea&s;t once</HI>
<PB N="9" REF="5"> <HI>(or oftner) in a Year,</HI> that they may know, how the Ca&s;e &s;tands with them, and to order and manage them&s;elves accordingly. For by Experience we have found, that a frequent Examination of our &s;elves, and In&s;pection of things relating to our outward and inward States and Conditions, with the Light of Chri&s;t, hath proved greatly bene|ficial, as we have diligently waited upon God, and humbly made our <HI>Supplication</HI> to him in the Spirit of his Son. And we have ob&s;erved, that it's tho&s;e, that have declined in their Love and Obedience to Chri&s;t, and the due Ob&s;ervation of his <HI>Equal</HI> and <HI>Royal Law</HI> (which &s;aith, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy Neigh|bour as thy &s;elf,</HI> James 2. 8. And, <HI>What&s;oever ye would that Men &s;hould do to you, even &s;o do ye to them,</HI> Mat. 7. 12.) that have not proved Faithful in the unrighteous <HI>Mam|mon.</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="6"> And as Chri&s;t &s;aid, <HI>Luke</HI> 16. 12. <HI>If ye have not been faithful in that which is anotber Man's, who &s;hall give you that which is your own?</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. If therefore any upon Exa|mination find them&s;elves in &s;uch a <HI>declining Condition,</HI> that they can but barely pay their ju&s;t <HI>Debts,</HI> or fully &s;atisfie for the &s;ame; that &s;uch immediately advi&s;e with <HI>Two</HI> or <HI>Three</HI> faithful <HI>Friends</HI> of the <HI>Month|ly-Meeting,</HI> to which he or &s;he belongs, and make his or her Ca&s;e known to them, and take their <HI>Ad|vice</HI> therein.</P>
<P N="6">6. And if any Per&s;on &s;hall be &s;o Unju&s;t, to per&s;i&s;t and go on, after he knows him&s;elf to be in a <HI>declining Condition,</HI> and afterwards <HI>Break,</HI> and cannot pay <HI>Twenty Shil|lings</HI> in the <HI>Pound,</HI> or fully &s;atisfie his <HI>Creditors,</HI> he or they &s;o wilfully and knowingly per&s;i&s;ting, till their Circum&s;tances are &s;uch as afore|&s;aid,
<PB N="11" REF="6"> &s;uch Per&s;ons for their per&s;i&s;t|ing without the Con&s;ent or Liber|ty of their <HI>Creditors,</HI> and Contrary to the righteous and equal Princi|ple of <HI>Truth</HI> in them&s;elves, and to our Chri&s;tian Advice; we can|not e&s;teem them <HI>Friends</HI> of <HI>Truth,</HI> or afford them any <HI>A&s;&s;i&s;tance,</HI> as &s;uch; but mu&s;t be nece&s;&s;itated (if they do not repent thereof, and &s;en&s;ibly acknowledge their Fault) to <HI>Te&s;tify</HI> again&s;t them, as <HI>Enemies</HI> to <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
<P N="7">7. And for the Prevention of the&s;e things, and the ill Effects that follow (and that all that walk not according to Truth in their Con|ver&s;ations, may be vi&s;ited and ad|moni&s;hed) we hereby &s;ignify, that we have recommended to the &s;e|veral <HI>Monthly-Meetings,</HI> in the Love of Chri&s;t to watch over all their <HI>Members,</HI> in and belonging to their re&s;pective <HI>Monthly-Meetings;</HI> and
<PB N="12" REF="7"> to take Care, to appoint &s;ome faith|ful <HI>Friends</HI> in each <HI>Meeting</HI> to Vi&s;it them, and to endeavour, that this our Brotherly <HI>Advice</HI> and Chri|&s;tian <HI>Care</HI> for the Honour of God, his holy Name and precious Truth may be duly ob&s;erved, and made effectual to the Good Ends propo|&s;ed; and that all may be Orderly in their whole Conver&s;ation, that &s;o none among us may over-charge them&s;elves with <HI>Debts,</HI> nor <HI>Trade</HI> beyond their <HI>Abilities,</HI> but keep Clear from Injuring others, or Ad|venturing or Hazzarding <HI>others E|&s;tates</HI> to <HI>Sea,</HI> or otherwi&s;e, when they have not <HI>E&s;tates</HI> of <HI>their own</HI> to an&s;wer. And al&s;o that <HI>Friends</HI> be Careful to perform all their <HI>Promi&s;es, Obligations</HI> and <HI>Con|tracts,</HI> and make payment of Ju&s;t <HI>Debts,</HI> and not tediou&s;ly delay or keep back the <HI>Hire</HI> of <HI>Labourers</HI> and <HI>Manufactures,</HI> beyond the time
<PB N="13" REF="7"> appointed for Payment, and there|by give them Ju&s;t Cau&s;e of <HI>Com|plaint</HI> of great <HI>Injury</HI> and <HI>Oppre&s;&s;ion,</HI> Oh Con&s;ider, what the Apo&s;tle <HI>James</HI> &s;aith, <HI>The Hire of the Labourers, which</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">James 5. 4. <HI>See al&s;o,</HI> Levit. 19. 13. Deut. 24. 14.</NOTE> <HI>is kept back by Fraud, crieth, and the cries of them are entred into the Ears of the</HI> LORD <HI>of Sabath.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore, let all be Careful to Avoid &s;uch things, and living above what their <HI>E&s;tates</HI> will bear (by keeping <HI>Hor&s;es</HI> and <HI>Country-Hou&s;es,</HI> whereby great <HI>Wa&s;t</HI> is made by <HI>Lo&s;s</HI> of <HI>Time</HI> and <HI>Neglect</HI> of <HI>Bu&s;ine&s;s.)</HI> For <HI>Pride</HI> (as the Wi&s;e-man &s;aid) <HI>goes before De&s;tru|ction, and a haughty Spirit before the Fall:</HI> And we have &s;een it fulfil|led upon &s;ome, that have gone thereinto, and have for a time appeared as great, nay higher in their beginning, than many o|thers
<PB N="14" REF="8"> have done, when they have left off, who (by their Hone&s;t En|deavours) have gotten <HI>E&s;tates:</HI> But &s;uch have often ended with a <HI>Stink</HI> and <HI>Reproach.</HI></P>
<P>And this hath happened, be|cau&s;e they have not walked in that <HI>Humility</HI> and <HI>Fear</HI> towards <HI>God;</HI> which all that would attain <HI>True Riches, Honour</HI> and <HI>Life,</HI> and be made partakers of his Ble&s;&s;ing, mu&s;t dwell in. And it is not only the <HI>Duty,</HI> but <HI>Intere&s;t</HI> of every one of us, that would do well here, and be happy hereafter, to Abide in the holy <HI>Fear</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> and walk according to his Righteous Law in all things; that tho&s;e <HI>Reproaches</HI> and <HI>Scandals,</HI> that have of late been brought in a great Degree upon the <HI>Truth, &V;s,</HI> and our holy <HI>Pro|fe&s;&s;ion,</HI> thereby may for the future be prevented.</P>
<P>And it's Advi&s;ed, That Friends
<PB N="15" REF="8"> be Careful to ob&s;erve the <HI>Time</HI> Agreed upon to <HI>Meet</HI> together for the Wor&s;hip of God, as the <HI>Quar|terly-Meeting</HI> hath recommend|ed to us (held the 3<HI>d</HI> the of <HI>11th</HI> Month, 1697.) which is as follow|eth.</P>
<P><Q REND="margQuotes">That Friends take Care to At|tend the <HI>Fir&s;t-days</HI> and <HI>Week-days-Meetings</HI> at the U&s;ual times appointed, <HI>viz.</HI> About the <HI>9th hour</HI> in the <HI>Morning,</HI> as near as they can, and in the <HI>Winter-Sea&s;on</HI> about the 2<HI>d hour</HI> in the <HI>Afternoon;</HI> and in the <HI>Summer|time,</HI> when the Days are long, about the 3<HI>d hour</HI> in the <HI>After|noon,</HI> on tho&s;e Days, which are not <HI>Fir&s;t-days.</HI></Q></P>
<P>And as they are truly Diligent to an&s;wer that <HI>Chri&s;tian Advice, not to for&s;ake the A&s;&s;embling of them|&s;elves together;</HI> and when met, Re|verently and in <HI>Fear</HI> and <HI>Humility</HI>
<PB N="16" REF="9"> Wait upon the Lord in the Gift of his holy Spirit, all will be made &s;en&s;ible of their <HI>Inward States</HI> and <HI>Conditions;</HI> and as they are Exerci|&s;ed in a Chri&s;tian Travel of Spirit, and &s;upplicate God in the Spirit of his Son, to help them and &s;up|ply their Wants, they may be en|abled to walk in <HI>Obedience</HI> to <HI>Truth,</HI> and be endued with the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> thereof to order their Affairs with <HI>Di&s;cretion;</HI> the Want whereof hath been one great <HI>Cau&s;e,</HI> that &s;ome have gone into tho&s;e things, which we herein caution again&s;t. For tho&s;e, that have neglected their Chri&s;tian <HI>Duty</HI> of <HI>Meeting</HI> together to Wait upon God, and Wor&s;hip and Serve him, have often not well &s;pent their Time, but mi&s;&s;pent it.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="9">
<P> So in the Love and Service of Truth (greatly de&s;iring, all things herein advi&s;ed may be duly ob&s;er|ved and practi&s;ed) we Remain</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Sign'd on behalf of the Friends and Bre|thren of the <HI>Six-weeks-Meeting</HI> held in <HI>London</HI> <DATE>the <HI>29th</HI> of the <HI>1&s;t</HI> Month, 1698.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Your Friends and Brethren
<LIST>
<ITEM>Francis Camfield,</ITEM>
<ITEM>William Chandler,</ITEM>
<ITEM>John Harwood,</ITEM>
<ITEM>William Ingram,</ITEM>
<ITEM>William Beech,</ITEM>
<ITEM>John Constantine,</ITEM>
</LIST></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="postscript">
<PB N="18" REF="10">
<HEAD>Po&s;t&s;cript.</HEAD>
<P>AND <HI>Dear Friends</HI> and <HI>Bre|thren,</HI> that are <HI>Heads</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> of <HI>Families,</HI> we tenderly Exhort you, in true Brotherly Love, that ye may be Examples in all things in your Families, and faithfully and in good Con&s;cience di&s;charge your Duty in the <HI>Place</HI> and <HI>Station</HI> you are in, as &s;uch that know, you are Accountable unto God, and are de&s;irous to give up your Account with Joy, and not with Grief. Oh Therefore wait up|on God, and pray to him for Wi&s;|dom, that ye may be endued there|with, and in the Fear of God, and Authority of his Powerful Truth di&s;countenance and endea|vour
<PB N="19" REF="10"> to keep down in your Chil|dren and Servants that Spirit, which is not of God, and that would elevate their Minds above his Fear, and would draw them into the Love of the World, and the things thereof, which are not of God. For in the World is the <HI>Lu&s;t of the Eye, the Lu&s;t of the Fle&s;h, and Pride of Life,</HI> which <HI>Youth</HI> are too Inclinable to follow. And <HI>Friends,</HI> do not &s;pend any of that Sub&s;tance God hath ble&s;&s;ed you with, and made you Stewards of, to gratifie that in your Children or Servants which ye have known the Judg|ments of God for in your &s;elves; But you, that God hath given Children to, be Careful to Train them up in the Admonition of the Lord, and in the way, in which they &s;hould go; that they may not depart from it, when they are old: Neither Countenance them
<PB N="20" REF="11"> in any thing, which is unbecoming the Plainne&s;s and Simplicity of that Precious and Holy Truth, God Al|mighty hath ble&s;&s;ed us with the Knowledge of; and in which, as we live and abide, we enjoy Peace, and partake of Ble&s;&s;ings from him.</P>
<P>And <HI>Dear Friends,</HI> Let us &s;tir up, encourage and give opportu|nity to our <HI>Children</HI> and <HI>Servants,</HI> to frequent our publick <HI>Meetings</HI> for the Wor&s;hip of God in due time, to wait upon the Lord, that they may know a growing in the Truth. And all ye, that are <HI>Ser|vants,</HI> and make Profe&s;&s;ion of Truth with us, we Exhort and Intreat you in the Love of God, that ye demean your &s;elves in your re&s;pective Places in all things, as becomes our Holy Profe&s;&s;ion, and in that <HI>Plainne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Humility,</HI> which Truth leads into, both in your <HI>Words</HI> and <HI>Apparel;</HI> and ex|ceed
<PB N="21" REF="11"> not the Bounds of Truth, nor let your Minds out after tho&s;e things, that do not profit to God|ward: Neither let your Adorn|ing be the outward Adorning, but that of a meek and quiet Spi|rit. And be Careful to di&s;charge a good Con&s;cience towards God and Men in all things, and not be <HI>Eye-Servants,</HI> nor <HI>Bu&s;y-bodies,</HI> nor <HI>Tale-bearers,</HI> nor <HI>Tattlers,</HI> nor <HI>Back biters,</HI> and keep out of Strife and Contention, and <HI>let your Words be few and &s;avory;</HI> and with Singlene&s;s of Heart, as unto the Lord, di&s;charge your &s;elves in your Service and Places. And as ye are Careful and Faith|ful in that which is anothers, ye will procure Love in others to you. For when the righteous Principle of Light and Truth in all is an|&s;wer'd, the Doctrine of Chri&s;t our Saviour in all things adorned,
<PB N="22" REF="12"> then the Peace and Ble&s;&s;ing of God is enjoyed. And then there will be Encouragement for you, when ye become <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> or <HI>Heads</HI> of <HI>Fa|milies,</HI> and Parents of Children, to per&s;evere in Faithfulne&s;s unto the Lord, and to be Careful to wait upon God, and pray to him, that ye may be pre&s;erved in the Love and Obedience to Truth, and endued with Power and Wi&s;|dom to di&s;charge your re&s;pective Duties, and an&s;wer this our Chri|&s;tian <HI>Advice,</HI> avoiding the things cautioned again&s;t, and following tho&s;e Exhorted unto; that &s;o we may, as Children of one Father and Hou&s;ehold of Faith, grow up more and more unto a Habita|tion for God in and through his holy Spirit.</P>
<P>And all <HI>Friends,</HI> both High and Low, Rich and Poor, Young and
<PB N="23" REF="12"> Old, Live in <HI>Love,</HI> live in <HI>Meek|ne&s;s,</HI> live in <HI>Humility,</HI> live in <HI>Cha|&s;tity,</HI> live in <HI>Self-Denial,</HI> live in the <HI>Cro&s;s</HI> of our Lord <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t;</HI> and in that ye will have Peace, in that ye will receive Strength to walk blamele&s;s in the Sight of God and Man.</P>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>THE END.</TRAILER>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
