letters from virginia quakers

7/29/2019 Letters From Virginia Quakers

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Letters from Virginia QuakersAuthor(s): M. Ethel CrawshawReviewed work(s):Source: The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan., 1926), pp. 88-93Published by: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and CultureStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1921001 .

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88 WILLIAMANDMARYQUARTERLYLETTERS FROM VIRGINIA QUAKERS.

Contributed by M. ETHELCRAWSHAW,Friends' Reference Library, London.From the Quarterly meeting in Virginia the 11th 1 mo,1696/7.To the yearly meeting Friends in London.Dear Friends and Brethren we Greet you well in theTruth of our Lord Jesus Christ at this present writinghereof blessed be the name of our God forever, who hathkept and preserved a Remnant of us to this day and hathgiven us Dominion over false & Deceiptfull Spirits thathath laboured to creep in amongst us to doe us hurt andspoile of meetings, but blessed be the name of our Godwe have our Meetings in Peace in those parts, and in allother parts of Virginia as we understand by our well be-

loved Travelling Friends James Dickinson and Jacob Fal-lowfield who hath visited most of the meetings in Virginia,Maryland, Pensilvania and Carolina, who can give you anaccot of the Prosperity of The Blessed Truth amongstFriends in General better than we can, Dear friends weReceived all your yes ly meeting Papers from the year86 to the date of 94' -xcept 88 and 93 wch we did notreceive, nor we have not Received any yearly, meetingPapers from you since 94. We hope you will not forget usnor pass us by as unworthy of your Remembrance becausewe have neglected to write unto you as other meetingshave done from other Countrys-Dear friends we havebeen informed that there doth belong to our Quarterlymeeting one of Dear George Fox's Journals given as aLegacy by him, if you please to send it us we prayyou let it have Wm Penns Preface in it as that had wchEdward Haistewell sent to friends in the upper parts ofVirginia as a Token of his love to them the last year-wedoe also acknowledge Edward Haistewells love and kind-

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WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLY 89ness to us in sending a Parcell of Good friends Books tobe delivered amongst Friends here, the wch were very ser-viceable to all people that were seekers after the BlessedTruth to whom is our Love in General. Dear friends wehave here sent you an Account of what hath been takenaway from several Friends in our parts for not Trainingand for the Priest as far as we can be Informed but forthe most part they put the Priests wages into the CountryTaxes soe that its obscure to Friends what they take perPole for the Priest our Friends in the upper parts of Vir-ginia did Determine with us at our last yearly meeting towright unto you, who can give a larger accot of what hathbeen taken away from them then we can-soe dear friendswe Recommend to you our well beloved Friends JamesDickinson and Jacob Fallowfield, who can Inform you atlarge of the affaires of Truth who have been true labourersin the Gospel of Christ Jesus in these American parts,whose ministry hath had great audience and we believehath taken deep impression upon the hearts & spirits ofmany People, God Grant it may be for their Eternal Good.Soe hopeing we may hear from you as formerly and thatwe may Receive your yearly pary ;s and those that arewanting because we would keep am together in a Bookfor future Good. Soe we Recommend our dear loves to allFriends in General and Rest your Loving friends in theTruth.From our Quarterly meeting held at Thos. Tooks inIsle of Wight County in Virginia the 11, 1 mo, 1696/7.Signed by order of said meeting-By Thos. Jordan.

Virginia-To the Friends & Bretheren of the QuarterlyMeeting in the Isle of Wight County or else where in Vir-ginia.London 9th, 7 mo, 1697.



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90 WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLYDear FriendsYors from your Quarterly Meeting held at the Isle ofWight County in Virginia we received but after our lastYearly Meeting was over and have ordered it to be keptto the next and appointed John Field to draw up a fewlines to certifie you thereof wch take as followeth.Dear Friends we are glad to hear that a Remnant of youare preserved to this day and that the Lord hath given youDominion over false Spirits that have Laboured to creepin among you to hurt and Spoile yor Meetings and that youhave them in peace and that truth prospers amongst you.Oh Friends let yor Faith stand in the eternal power throughwhich you have been preserved and in the name of theLord Jesus Christ keep all yor Meetings and be dilligentand frequent in Meeting together and waiting upon theLord that you may be strengthened with might throughthe Workings of this glorious Power in yor inward manthat in life and Doctrine & conversation you may shewforth the virtue and Wisdom of him in whom ye have be-lieved in whom as all abide they have life & peace andSalvation and are accepted of God & partake of the Spir-itual Blessings which flow from him through our LordJesus Christ.And we herewith send you the Yearly Epistles of1688, 1693, 1694, 1695, 1696, 1697 and dear G: F's Jour-nal and have signified to Edward Hastewell yor kind ac-ceptance of that he sent and the other Books and we areglad to hear that you take account of yor Sufferings for notTrayning and not paying the Priest and desire whateverSufferings come upon you that you are faithfull and trueto yor Testimony for him in all respects and in the SeveralBranches of it and be as carefull and exact as you can inthe accots both wth respect to the dates sums demandedquantity taken by whose Authority and by wt Persons &we shall be glad frequently to hear from yu & of yor growthand prosperity in the holy Truth wch we heartily desire &



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WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLY 91pray God that he would enlarge the Borders of Sanctuary& dayly add unto his Church. So in the love of Truth &desire of its prospe remain yor Friends.Signed on Behalf of the 2d days morning Meeting inLondon. John FieldJohn Vaughton Geo WhiteheadTho: LowerJon Butcher Theo: Eccleston

Wm Bingley

Chuckatuck from our meeting this 24th, 1 mo., 1700/1.Dear FriendsYour letter dated in the 4th, 6 mo., 1699, with the In-closed Epistles Relating to the affairs of your last yearlyMeeting doth give an accot at large we have well ReceivedBut as to those Epistles of dear G: F's and the Book calledthe Switch written in answer to an Envious Book calledthe Snake in the Grass we have not recd nor hear nothingof them, nor doe not know where to goe to Demand them.there being no mention made in your letter by what shipor master of the said ship they were sent by, likewise for-merly you writ us word that you had sent us one of DearG. F.'s Journals wch to this day we never had, soe for thefuture if it may seem good unto you to send us letters orbooks to make mention both by what ship and likewise theman's name that goes master of the said ship, and then itslike we shall not faile, and soe Dear and well belovedFriends and Brethren & Sisters our souls dearly and ten-derly salutes you in that which hath neither beginning ofDays nor End of Life, which is the Eternal Power of God.wch makes us all of one Family, and as we abide and walktherein we shall be baptized into that one spirit wch trulyunites unto God and one unto another, whereby we may



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92 WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLYbecome a Household unto God, that he may take delightto doe us good, for surely we can speak that to his Praiseand that by living Experience that our God is a God fullof love and Tender Compassion, who taketh care to waterhis Divine Heavenly Plant wch his owne Right hand hathPlanted in our owne Bosoms, and Dear Friends we cannotbut stand and admire at God's great love and unspeakablemercies and Blessings wch he soe largely doth extend tothe Inhabitants of those Remote Parts of the Earth, bysending time after Time his faithful servants and mes-sengers to Proclaim the Glad Tydeings of the Gospel ofPeace to the Captivated seed and to minister to the spiritsthat are in Prison, oh magnified and Praised be his Greatand honourable name saith our souls for the same, who isno Respector of Persons but he that Feareth God and work-eth Righteousness is excepted of him. And dear Friendswe take notice what you write unto us in your letter tostirr us up to Dilligence to wait upon God both in meetings& out of meetings and to supplicate to him for his continualAid and assistance soe that we may be able to Encounterwith the enemy of our souls, who goes about like a Roar-ing Lyon seeking whom he may devour-we doe hope asthe Lord doth give us ability to follow your Council andtender care and advice, it is our hearty Prayers and desiresthat the Lord will Reward you manifold into your Bosomsaccording to his wonted Goodness & Tender mercies andthat you & we may Receive Dayly fresh supplyes from hisBountifull hand, who giveth liberally & upbraideth nonethat is faithful and obedient to him. Dear friends you arevery near and dear unto Us tho at soe great a distance asto the outward from us, and our hearty desires and hopeis that the Lord will put it into your hearts to let us hearas often as an opportunity doth present, we are not unsen-cible of the various Exercises that come upon you for yourgreat love & care for the Heritage of God wch the Enemyof man's Soul Raises up, but it is of great comfort and Joyto us the Lord crowns your meetings with Dominion over



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WILLIAM AND MARY QUARTERLY 93them all, oh magnified be his great and Glorious name forEvermore, for without him we can doe nothing that canturn to the Comfort of our Poor Immortal Souls nor to thehonour of his great and worthy Name, who is God overallblessed forever and forever more saith our Souls amen.And soe likewise dear friends we further take noticewhat you write concerning a Great Scarcity of Corn inScotland and how it hath pleased the Lord to open yourhearts to send over for Scotland to friends there supplyesto Refresh and norish the outward Man wch we understandby letters goes very hard with them there by reason ofCrops failing year after year, The Lord we hope will Re-ward you for your great love and care. Also as concerningyour great love and care tending towards the Redemptionof those Poor friends being Captives, Slaves under theTurks power we are sorry to hear, however we hope theLord in his due time will find a way for their freedom andLiberty. And dear friends we give you to understand thatour Antient friend dear Thomas Jordan is out of the Body,and for the future for what you may or have freedom tosend direct to Daniel Sanburn in Chuckatuck. This is toinform you that there is a great opening in the hearts ofPeople here in Virginia and our meetings doth Increasewe are in hopes that the Lord will in his appointed timeRaise up a People to his great honour and Glory, and untohis great name.We Injoy our Meetings Quiet and Peaceably at presentand the Rulers, magistrates are very tender and loving tous at present, except it be to Backsliders and Apostatesthat are like the Salt that hath lost its Savour and is fittfor nothing but to be Troden under the feet of men. Soewith our dear and tender Love wee Rest & Remain yourFriends and Brethren in the Truth of our Lord JesusChrist.Signed in the behalfe of the said meeting.By Isaac RickasisDanl Sanborne

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