Year
1681
Alternative Title
Richard Ford's letter to George Fox, George Whitehead, Alexander Parker, 14 January 1681
Sender Place
Barbados
Receiver
George Fox; George Whitehead; Alexander Parker
Repository holding original letter
Library of the Society of Friends
Full Date
1681-01-14
Document Type
Correspondence
Country, State, Location 1
13.16453, -59.55165
Subjects
Fell family; Society of Friends; Quakers; Religious communities; Religious minorities
Genre
Correspondence
Abstract
Correspondence, dated January 14, 1681 (14 10mo. 1681 Quaker Style), from Richard Ford, to George Fox; George Whitehead; Alexander Parker
PRINT ID
LSF_ARBarclay_MS_Vol323_050
Language
english
Format
application/pdf
Collection
PRINT Migration Network: AR Barclay Collection
Type
Correspondence; Text
Transcription
[page 1] 50 Deare [Dear] & Honoured [Honored] Friends in the Precious Truth of our Good God We received an Epistle from yo [you] touching something yt [that] passed at our Quarterly mee =ting [meeting] 1680 at ye [the] House of Ralph Fretwell, wch [which] was indirectly managed here, & [and] sent for England & [and] else where [elsewhere] wth out [without] our knowledge or consent; wch [which] we are sensible hath [has] caused hurte [hurt] & [and] griefes [griefs] wth [with] us & [and]^griefes [griefs]^ troubles to yo^u^ [you], & [and] other tender Friends who love & [and] honour ye [the] precious Truth. As for ye [the] Paper itselfe [itself] it was not sent abroad by us, or our Order, or any particular of us yt [that] used to send a= =broad [abroad], but was a griefe [grief] to us wn [when] we heard it was abroad; & [and] we judged ye [the] same ye [the] first Quarterly Meeting af= =ter [after], otherwise called our Yearly Meeting at Rich: Suttons [Richard Suttons] ye [the] last first Month [March] 1681, severall [several] Months before any no =tice [notice] from any other place touchingouching] it, as you may partly perceive by yor [your] Accts [accounts] & [and] notice, wch [which] was chiefly aimed at by ye [the] spreaders here ^there^ to publish, & [and] reflect upon ye[the] same. Had we had any intention of publishing of ye [the] same, or such of us as send Testimonies abroad (we should have communicated it to some good Friend abroad (for approbation or service) wch [which] we find our ourselves – clear of. And as for some of ym [them] yt [that] gained it (or rather part of it) of a particular Friend to read only: & [and] af= =ter [after] sent it privately abroad wth [with] dislike: contrary to Truth & [and] its Order wth [with] us, before giving notice of ye [the] same, to have a good understanding, or ye [the] thing rectified. We ye [the] last Quarterly Meeting ye [the] 10th: month ye [the] 13th: day [December 13] 1681 at ye [the] sayd [said] Ral: Fretwells [Ralph Fretwell’s] where ye [the] paper was wrote [written] ye [the] year before (& [and] there Judged by us, & [and] it Ordered to be taken out of our Quartelry [Quarterly]Mee- =ting [meeting] Book, & [and] yor [your] testimony unanimously submitted unto, & [and] placed in ye [the] instead thereof we a= =gain [again] did decare against spreading of it, or any other papers yt [that] might grieve, or hurt any wch [which] one see- =med [seemed] to Justifie [justify] (to our greife [grief]) yt [that] such papers might be sent abroad by ym [them] yt [that] did disapprove of ye [the] same as he had done: wch [which] Friend was not at ye [the] Quartely Meeting before at Ral: Fretwells [Ralph Fretwell’s], or mentioned his sending it abroad to New York before we had advice of it from thence [there]. Also we believe had there been any intention of sending it abroad Friends would have been more circumspect in making it according to wt [what] past [passed] at ye [the] Meeting & [and] Friends Exercise wch [which] Friends had in their Eye to prevent, wch [which] was mostly ye [the] occasion of wt [what] was writt [Written] ffor [For] ffriends [Friends] did soe [so] & [and] were sensible yt [that] it was not only a griefe [grief] unto us, but unto some moderate men of ye [the] World in this Ir- =land [Ireland] yt [that] some particulars amongst us were not so ready as they might be to hearken to ye [the] advice of ye [the] Apostle 1 Cor. [Corinthians] 6[Ch?] ; to their shame, & [and] our blemish; & [and] ye [the] more we believe it would be if we did not endeavour a friendly, & [and] peaceable conclusion of ye [the] Edifying of ye [the] same: to And ym [them?] helps of Government we believe ye [the] Lord doth continue in his Church whose place it is to be Healers (as some translations have it,) or peacemakers, & [and] for ye [the] Edifying of ye [the] Body to bring ym [them] to one= =ness [oneness] in ye [the] Truth wch [which] is one kin all yt [that] obey it, & [and] brings all yt [that] fear ye [the] Lord as much as in ym [them] lyes [lies] to follow peace wth [with] all all Men, & [and] Holyness [Holiness] wth [ with] out wch [which] we believe none shall know ye [the] Lord to their Eternal comfort. Also we should have hinted (as in Jus- =tice [Justice] to ye [the] Meeting we should) of ye [the] great love, freedom & [and] tenderness, brokenness, & [and] liber- =ty [liberty] yt [that] was in yt [that] said Meeting expressed, & [and] yt [that] wn [when] anything of hot zeal, or constraint appear- =red [appeared] in any particular, how Friends were desired to ^for^ bear anything of ^that^ kind to wch [which] there was a loving submission, & [and] again repeating, forasmuch as it was a day of Love & [and] liberty & [and] choice, & [and] not of constraint, & [and] yt [that] ye [the] Spirit of Love & [and] Truth went over every individuall [individual] to their great refreshment, & [and] acknowledgment [acknowledgement] from Jangling, or opposing. As for ye [the] paper or short memorial it was too short, & [and] not well expressed, more especially for such as was not at ye [the] said Meeting. And where it is expressed; or whether you will give up unto ye [the] Judgmt [judgement] unto their own particular or particulars only wch [which] is wrong copied) wth [with] wch [which] ye [the] Judgmt [judgement] generall [general] of ye [the] Meeting have not unitie [unity]; it should also have been expressed as it was ye [the] sence [sense] of ye [the] Meeting Viz those particular Judgmts [judgements] wch [which] have or were come unto a loss in ymselves [themselves] or have lost their beloved &c [etc.] Cant[...] 1:7,8 8. as the Scriptures testifie [testify], & [and] was spake [spoken] by us in ye [the] Meeting. But dear Friends as we expresses more large in ye [the] Quarterly Meeting for us to press up= =on [upon] ffriends [friends] our public Judgmt [judgement] of ye [the] Quarterly Meeting against any particular measure of ye [the] Spirit of God in any particular, were it our intention or practise [practice] or Judgmt [judgement] it is by us Judged as wrong wch [which] was never in our hearts so to do: But to be helpful to ye [the] dim sighted [Love?]; maimed, or Strayed, We believe it is a Christian duty & [and] practise [practice] But wtever [whatever] is in yt [that] paper yt [that] grieves upright hearted Friends, & [and] where we have given occasion through our weakness, or shortness, we are sorry for it: & [and] are fully satisfied there is no need in this day of Gods Truth of any Outward Subscription, or tye [tie]; & [and] by wt [what] we have see [page 2] and practised we find as Friends keep unto ye [the] Lord & [and] his good Spirit of Truth they are free from contention & [and] strife, & [and] in ye [the] bond of Love & [and] unitie [unity] wth [with] ye [the] Bretheren in ye [the] peaceable truth yt [that] thinks no harm but [but] suffers long and is kind. But as ye [the] feare [fear] of ye [the] Living God is departed from; yt [that] Covenant of Light, ye [the] Law of Jesus is cast behind ye [the] back, & [and] ye [the] day is darkned [darkened], & [and] full of Clouds & [and] mists: & [and] ye [the] more a= =ny [any] wander from ye [the] Fathers house into ye [the] by-wayes [byways] of their own inventions wch [which] genders more into strife & [and] other hurtfull [hurtful] Lusts to ye [the] disquiet of ymselves [themselves] & [and] ye [the] heritage of God, & [and] ye [the] derision of such as have not known ye [the] Lord, & [and] believed in his blessed Light wch [which] was & [and] is pretious [precious] to all ye [the] Children of Light. Gods Everlas= =ting [Everlasting] Covenant of Light and salvation, according to ye [the] testimonies of the Holy Scriptures of Truth. And we also testifie [testify] ye [the] Nations of ym [them] yt [that] are sa= =ved [saved] a walk in this Light. And if we or any other give any Judgmt [Judgement] against this light, or ye [the] least true measure ^of it^ in any we go against ye [the] u= =niversall [universal] Spirit & [and] wisedom [wisdom] of God wch [which] alone ought to Rule, & [and] govern, to Or= =der [Order] things in our Men & [and] Womens Meetings & [and] not ye [the] Judgmt [Judgement] of any men or women esteemed Elders out of ye [the] same spirit & [and] measure of true Light they have received from Christ. So all Judgmt [Judgement] in this thing out of ye [the] Light or against ye [the] least measure of true Light in any particular, or particulars, is wrong and Judged by us: And wth [with] ye [the] universall [universal] Spirit of God wch [which] seakes [seeks] ye [the] good of all ffriends, [friends] & [and] Enemies; & [and] is one wth [with] everie [every] true measure of Light in each particular yt [that] believes in ye [the] Light do we desire to be one wth [with], & [and] not wilfully [willfully] to grieve & [and] oppose: And if any have been or is otherwise minded we desire it may be more manifest unto us, or ym [them]; yt [that] there may be no more falling out by ye [the] way, but a travelling on hand in hand in ye [the] Lords - Truth, Light, & [and] Life; where our preservation alone is, & [and] there truly delight in one anothers welfare, not wthstanding [withstanding] anything yt [that] may have past [passed] through ye [the] Subtlety of ye [the] Enemy, or ye [the] Weakness of any. Even so Amen. 14th = 11th month [January 14] [underline]1681[/underline] This is a Copie [Copy] of ye [the] Originall [Original] Examined p[per/by] Rich: fforde [Richard Ford]. [page 3]
Creator (Linked Data)
Richard Ford (Q136308109) [Wikidata]
Receiver (Linked data)
Fox, George, 1621-1691 [VIAF]
George Fox (Q310439) [Wikidata]
Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723 [LC]
Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723 [VIAF]
George Whitehead (Q5546221) [Wikidata]
Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689 [LC]
Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689 [VIAF]
Alexander Parker (Q4719803) [Wikidata]
Citation
Richard Ford to George Fox, George Whitehead, Alexander Parker, 14 January 1681, AR Barclay Collection, MS Vol. 323, 50, Library of the Society of Friends, London, PRINT, LSF_ARBarclay_MS_Vol323_050 https://stars.library.ucf.edu/printmigrationnetwork-arbarclayvol-323/48
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