AN Epistle to Friends; Being a Tender SALUTATION To the FAITHFUL in GOD every where. ALSO, A LETTER TO CHARLES, KING of England, etc.  
By ANNE GILMAN.  
LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1662.   

An EPISTLE to FRIENDS, etc.  
DEar Friends, to whom this may come do I send greeting. Grace, Mercy and Peace be multiplied, in and amongst you; who are of the Family of God, and of the household of the Faithful, in the Eternal God of my Life doth my Soul salute you, who are kept in the Faith, in which there is no shadow of turning: to you which are made partakers of an endless Life, which is hid with Christ in God, is my Life drawn; and I am even constrained to let forth my Love unto you, which know the washing in the blood of the Covenant, and are made partakers of an everlasting Inheritance, who have the Witness in yourselves that you are his Children; and not only Children, but Heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ: For, as we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; and though in the world we pass through great Tribulations, yet abiding in Him which overcomes, here is our Peace and safety known: for he hath chosen us to be a People for his Praise, and his Honour to dwell in; and this is the reason we are called into the Vineyard, even to know the Work and the Reward thereof: for now is the day known, wherein the time is to be redeemed, because the days are evil: Therefore, dear Friends, be not slothful; for the Lord is taking notice of the standers idle this day: for it is required of every one, according to your measures as you have received of the Lord, to clear yourselves concerning this wicked Generation: for the Best is let lose out of the bottomless-pit, and his fury is very great, because he hath but a short time to reign; therefore doth he roar after his prey with a devouring voice. Therefore, my Friends, keep upon your watch; for this is the day wherein he is in subtlety transforming himself into an Angel of light: But dear Lambs, keep to that which doth discover him in his appearances; for that is the Anchor you are to know, and there you are to be stayed, even in the Power, over Hell and Death, for these are the last enemies we are to conquer: but blessed be God who is mighty in his appearance, and hath made himself known to be the Captain of our Salvation, and hath displayed the Banner of his Love over us, who in all our Afflictions is afflicted, and the Angel of his presence is known to support in the time of our need; and this is the reason that I am constrained to call upon you to keep to your watch: and if any Lamb among you be suffered to go astray, the Shepherd's Crook is to be known to catch them to the Fold. Understand what I say, my Friends, for I writ to the Faithful that can read with a single heart; who have known the Clouds pass over, and the Veil taken away, and the Partition-wall broken down; even they know what I say, and can feel me in the endless Life, and in the invisible Fountain of Love; for herein am I united unto you; And this is the day wherein the Lord is making up his Jewels, therefore are we made to speak oft one to another, and a Book of Remembrance is to be written thereof: Therefore, dear Friends, think it not strange concerning the fiery Trials, which are to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: for, as Gold, must you be tried and purified in the fire: and this is the reason that he is making Vessels fit for his Honour to dwell in; for there is nothing can stand before him but that which can endure the fire; even fire within, and fire without. Abide it, dear Friends, and keep close to the Lord; for there is none can wear the Crown but they that endure to the end: For the mighty God is arisen in strength, as with an Army, to support all those that trust in him, and are weak and little in their own eyes, being kept low in his Fear; for such doth he wonderfully uphold. And here is no need of sheltering one under another, for the Lord is the shelter of those that put their trust in him, and walk before him with an upright heart: for it is the heart he requires, which is redeemed out of the form, and kept single to himself. Let them that read, understand: for this is the Key of David, which shutteth, and no man openeth; and openeth, and no man shutteth; yea, God Almighty it is, who is the strength of all those that in a pure heart wait upon him, in the undefiled Life which keeps blameless. And in an unspotted Conscience, the well-springs of Life are set and known, which run most pleasantly unto all those that fear the Lord, and walk humbly before him. Wherefore fear not, little Flock, for it is the Father's will to give you the Kingdom: and this is the reason that none of you can be plucked out of the Father's hand, because your Lives are hid with Christ in God; and it is your meat and drink to lie down in the Will of the Lord. And this in my measure am I made a Witness of. And this is the reason that the Lord is pleased to unloose my lips, and untie my tongue, that his living Praises should be sounded forth amongst the Heathen: for wonderfully hath he wrought in and amongst you; therefore is his Name to be exalted above all the gods of the Heathen: for he is wondeful, and wondrously doth he work, for the scattering of all that is contrary to himself; that whatsoever is standing in any, that is not of himself, may be brought to nothing, that his eternal living Truth may be known in every particular. Oh you Prisoners of hope! for you do I oft pray, and am made sensible of the answer of my Prayers, because you are kept out of the murmuring, and out of the desiring after Egypt's fleshpots. Oh let the Works of the Lord never be forgotten of you, who have tasted of his lovingkindness; for, of his goodness there is no end.  
Therefore, my Friends, keep to that which gives you the Victory, and keep to your Dominion, that sin may not reign in your mortal bodies, and here you will find peace and rest for your souls, as your minds are singly stayed upon the Lord; and your eyes kept in your head Christ Jesus. Then will there be a watching over one another in love, and in the spirit of meekness, as becometh Saints who fear the Lord, and give glory to his Name: Such cannot watch with an evil eye, but are made to watch against that, because it is for Judgement. So to the hidden Word in the heart do I commend you, which gives victory over all that which arises contrary to itself, that noble Warriors you may be over all Corruptions and divers Lusts; for you are to triumph over all that which is contrary to the Lord, and then all things will work together for good: and nothing it is can separate you from the Love of God, which is made known to you that abide in his Fear; which Fear is the beginning of Wisdom; and as we abide herein, we meet together as Children of one birth, and are refreshed in one banqueting-house of his lovingkindness: and here is no vain jangling, but all agree together, and can lie down in the Counsel of the Lord; and as we are kept to this, there is no place for the Enemy to enter. Oh, dear Friends, did our Enemies but know what we enjoy, who are gathered into Faithfulness, surely they would cease Persecution, and own their Condemnation, concerning us; but it is hid from their eyes, and therefore can we say, Father, forgive them, because our love runs to our Enemies: For we who have been made partakers of the large Love of the Lord, desire that all might have part with us in his Fear: But alas, alas! our lamentation is taken up for them who flight these precious enjoyments; but to us is he risen with healing under his wings, and therefore can we thankfully take the Cup of Salvation, and praise the Lord amongst the Heathen: and this is the large Love of our God, and it is marvellous in our eyes. O Praises, Praises, Glory and Honour be given to God, who worketh all our works in us, and for us.  
And here I am your Fellow-labourer in the Vineyard of our lord ANNE GILMAN.   

A LETTER to CHARLES, KING of ENGLAND, etc.  
INcline thine ear (O King) and slight not the precious Warnings of the Lord, which daily are made known unto thee, by that of God in thy own Conscience; and large and many have been the Warnings of the Servants of the Lord unto thee, but they have been cast behind thy back: And now is our God risen in his Mighty Power, to make Inquisition for innocent Blood; therefore, prepare, prepare, to meet the Lord, and consider what account thou canst give of the Innocent Blood which cries in the ears of the Lord for vengeance, it is the voice of thy Brothers righteous blood which thou art to give an account of this day; and this is required at thy hands by him, who hath the hearts of Kings in his hands, and turneth them as the rivers of waters whither he pleaseth. What have we done (O King) that such usuage we should receive from thy hands, and by thy orders, that Soldiers should come into our peaceable Meetings in a warlike manner, as if some great enemies were to be conquered, amongst the People of God, whom by scorners are called Quakers, who cannot hold up a weapon against any? I say, What have we done that we should be haled, many of us, out of our Meetings, and cast into stinking Prisons on heaps, where, for want of air and room, many have sealed to this Testimony with their death, before they can deny to Worship God as they are persuaded in their own Consciences? for, if thou shouldest prepare, in the room of Prisons, a fiery Furnace, or a Lion's den, we can as contentedly lie down, in the Will of our God, as we can suffer our bodies to lie in Prison: For the same Law which took hold of the Saints of God in the days of old, doth take hold of us at this day: for we cannot bow to the imaginations of men concerning the Worship of our God. And before we can own any man to be our Teacher, we can suffer death: for our Life cannot be taken away, it is hid with Christ in God; for those that will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer Persecution: And therefore (O King) we are not careful to answer thee in this matter, for our Confidence is in the Lord, and our Strength lieth in him, who is God Almighty, and doth save his People from their sins, and from the wrath of our Enemies; and he giveth us courage and boldness, so that our lives, or any thing we do enjoy, is not near or dear unto us, for our Wills are freely given up into the hands of the Lord, that he should do with us as seemeth good in his fight; for this I know, that all things shall work together for good to those that love God, and are called for this purpose to suffer for his Names sake, who comes through great Tribulations, their Garments are washed in the Blood of the Lamb. And this is the Reason we cannot Conform to the Idol shepherds, which preach for Money, and divine for Hire, and seek their Gain from their Quarters; our Souls abhor such Teachers, for we are Redeemed from their mouths; and we should know it to be a yoke of bondage, to turn to them again. And be it known unto thee (O King) that the Lord is risen, who is the Mighty God of Jacob, in strength, as with an Army, and is scattering to pieces all the deceitful workers of Iniquity; for though his loving kindness hath been plentifully known amongst his People, yet this will not excuse thee, when the great God shall render unto every one according to the deeds done in the body; and though God is pleased to preserve his People in the hollow of his Hand, and hid them under his Pavilion; because his hand is not shortened, but his arm is stretched forth still, because to us he is known a Deliverer in the time of trouble, therefore can we stand still and see his Salvation.  
And therefore am I bold to declare, That the Lord is risen for the Redemption of his People, and is making way for his ransomed Ones to pass over; but Pharaoh and his Host are to be cast into the Sea of God's wrath: for those that fear the Lord, are his Promises made known unto, and his Secrets are made known to those that fear his Name; but to the proud, and haughty, and to those that forget God, and turn their backs at his Reproof, and will none of his Counsel, such will our God sweep away with the besom of destruction; for the worker of Iniquity will not be able to abide his Presence in that day: Therefore (O King) consider what thou art doing, for the Lord hath long waited upon thee to be gracious, and many precious Warnings have been handed to thee through the Servants of the Lord; yet that doth not clear me in the sight of my God: therefore (O King) return, return, and repent, and harden not thy heart, as in the day of provocation, against that secret witness of God, which reproves thee secretly when no mortal eye seethe. Therefore, if they were to be cast into utter darkness, who did not visit the Servants of the Lord, and who did not  them, and who did not feed them when they were in Prison; what will become of those who cast them into Prison, and cause them to go hungry through their hot Persecution? I say, it were better for a millstone to be hanged about their necks, and they cast into the midst of the Sea, than that they should offend one of the little ones that put their trust in the Lord. Therefore (O King) lay it to heart, for these Warnings are not come forth in vain; for to that of God in thy Conscience do I defer my Cause, and let it plead for us when we are out of sight: for if Fire should be for us prepared, the ashes of our bones would rise as a witness against thee to plead the innocency of our Cause before thee. Therefore in love to thy Soul are these lines given forth, that a stop may be put to the Persecution of the Saints; And so whether thou wilt hear or forbear, I have cleared myself in the sight of my God concerning thee, etc.  
ANNE GILMAN.  
THE END.