A General Epistle TO ALL FRIENDS Who are Convinced of the TRUTH. With a Word of Exhortation to Friends, To be diligent in keeping their men's & women's Meetings, for the Service of Truth; With a Testimony to the same. Also, an Invitation to all that come to our Meetings to hear the Truth declared, not to rest in hearing, but to come into Obedience thereunto, that so their Souls may be saved.  
By Samuel Cater.  
LONDON, Printed by Andrew Sowle, and are sold at his Shop in Devonshire New-buildings, near Bishopsgate, 1680.   

A General Epistle TO ALL FRIENDS WHO ARE Convinced of the Truth.  
MY Dear and Wellbeloved Friends every where, who are the Called and Chosen of the Lord, to confess his Truth amongst men, and to bear his Name in Righteousness in the midst of this Crooked and Perverse Generation, amongst whom the Lord hath planted us, who know not the Lord, neither are they acquainted with the Operation of his Hand, neither can they perceive what the Lord is now a doing, who hath begun a great Work in the Earth, which none can know whilst they hate the Light, and live in Darkness, and rebel against God's good Spirit; from such the Vision is shut, and unto them the Book is sealed, and the Sun is set, and Night and Darkness is upon them: But unto you that fear the Name of the Lord, on you the Son of Righteousness is arisen, according to the Promise, blessed be the Name of the Lord our God, by which you come to see the Way of the Lord, which the Wayfaring man Travels to the Kingdom of God by, which Light and holy Spirit of Truth, the Lord is revealing his secrets to them that fear him, and making known the great Mystery of Life and Salvation to all them that are turned unto him, and in their Hearts and Souls more desire the increase of the Knowledge of the Lord, than any thing this World can or doth afford: And to obtain this their Desire, they are made freely willing to forsake Father and Mother, Wife and Children, House and Land, and all that is near and dear to them in this World, that they may obtain Peace with God, through Jesus Christ, while in this World, and in the World to come, Life Everlasting: Oh! blessed of the Lord are you, and shall you be forever, who continue in this Mind, who see a shortness and an Emptiness in all things without the Enjoyment of his Fullness, who feeds the Hungry Soul with Bread from Heaven, and gives of the Water of Life to them that thirst for it, through which the Lord refreshes the weary Soul, and strengthens the weak in their Journey, who are Travelling Heaven-wards.  
Oh! my dear Friends and Fellow-Travellers in this holy Way of the Lord, which God, through the Riches of his abundant Grace and Goodness, hath made known unto our Hearts and Souls, unto you it is upon me, in the Name of the Lord, to write to you all, in the tender Love of my God, and your God, whose powerful and pure Springs of divine Virtue at this time overcomes my Heart, and refreshes my Soul, by which my Heart is tendered before the Lord, and my Soul refreshed in my Bonds, in him, and in his pure Life, which even at this time moves upon my Heart, to write unto you in the tender Life and Love of our God, in which I have cause to believe it will be received by all that are in the same, in which I dearly salute you all, from the least stir of this pure Life, to the greatest Growth therein; for in this Life and Love of God is our Unity forever, which was before Death was, and shall be the Fortion of a Remnant, when Death and Darkness shall be no more.  
And now unto you, my Dear and Elder Brethren, who have kept your Habitations in this pure Life, and grow up in it as Trees of Righteousness, whose Fruits are holy and Leaves healing, and whose Life is in the pure Love of God, in which you have been made serviceable unto the Nations, and a Blessing in the Hand of the Lord, unto the People; for by you many have been turned unto the Lord, and into the Right Way, that were travelling in a Wrong Way; and the Weak and Feeble, by you have been strengthened in the Way of God, who hath made you as Pillars in his House, and Overseers over his Flock, who do it Freely of a Willing Mind, for which you are worthy of double Honour for your Work's sake, which is not the Honour of Men, by any Flattery or outward Applause, but the Honour which cometh from God alone, in the pure Order of Life, in Honour, preferring you before, who are so in the Truth, who have been as Ensamples to the rest; and your Admonitions and Counsels have been Grave, Sound and Weighty unto the Younger in the Truth, and are of a good Savour and blessed Service to all that keep their Habitations in the Truth, and retain the Savour of Life, and bow to the Law of God, which is pure and Spiritual: But as for them that have cast off their first Love, and have lost Charity, which is the Bond of Peace, it is not to be heeded what they say, who are gone from the Simplicity of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, into Craft and Subtilty, they are gone from the Root; and although they may make a flourish for a time, yet a Withering will come upon them, and they shall be made to know, that God's Love is unto you that have and do keep your Habitation in the Truth, and also must acknowledge it, if ever they return unto him, from whom they have fallen.  
And now, all dear Friends, Brethren and Sisters every where, who are turned to the true Light of Jesus Christ, and believe therein, in it wait upon the Lord continually, that by it you may always see your way, in which you ought to walk, and feel God's Power to preserve you inoffensively before the Lord, and that you may be Harmless towards all men; for in this pure Light, Wisdom's Posts come to be known, whereby all are to wait for Counsel and Instruction, that attend daily upon God, and come to receive the Wisdom (that is above the Wisdom of the World) which is needful for every one to know; which Wisdom causeth the Face to shine, and the Hearts of them that receive it to rejoice in the Lord, who is the Fountain from whence it comes, for by it the Lord directs and guides in his own Way, that is Wellpleasing unto him, and in which our Hearts and Souls receive and enjoy true Peace with God, which none can take away from us, blessed be his holy Name: Also, in this the Lord prepares and enables all that receive it, and depend thereupon, and are guided thereby, to bear a faithful Testimony for the Lord in Times of Trials, Exercises and Sufferings; for although the Lord suffers his Children to be tried through manifold Trials and Exercises, which attend us for his Name and Truth's sake, yet his Lovingkindness he will never withhold from those that truly trust in him. And this, dear Friends, the Lord hath made us living Witnesses of, whereby a Remnant can say, through a good and comfortable Experience of the Lords Mercy and Goodness unto our Souls and Hearts, even as in days past, In all our Afflictions he is Afflicted: And the Angel of his Presence saveth us. And therefore have we cause to love the Lord, who hath heard our Cries; for by his Arm he hath gathered us, and by his Power he hath and doth preserve us; and in his holy Light, which is the Way of Life and Salvation, the Lord is leading and guiding of us unto his holy Hill and everlasting Rest, which is the Lot and Portion that the Righteous in all all Ages desired and sought after, whom God visited with the Day of his Mercy, in which their Souls rejoiced; as Christ said of Abraham, He saw my Day, and was Glad: And how greatly did Zacharias, Elizabeth and Mary rejoice and praise God, when he visited them? and Simeon and Hannah, with many more, when the Lord visited them with the Day spring from on high, they rejoiced in it, and spoke of it unto all that looked for Salvation, which Day was Christ, coming and appearing unto them; for in him and by him are all things received, that the Honest and Upright-hearted, that fear God, can desire; for he is the Seed of the Promise, that bruises the Serpent's Head, and overcomes Death, and brings Life and Immortality to Light, in the Soul that waits for it; for on him the Help is laid, who saves to the uttermost all that believe and obey him; for in him all Fullness dwells.  
And now, all  Friends, whom the Lord hath visited your Souls, as he did his Servants and Handmaids in days past, with the Day-pring from on High, this is the word of Exhortation that lives upon my Heart unto you, Oh! wait upon the Lord to see the Work of God, by Jesus Christ, wrought and made known in all your Hearts, that what is not of him, you may see overcome by him, and brought down by his Power into the Death, that so you may all, that are convinced by the Truth, witness a dying unto Sin, and come to live unto Righteousness through him; and having put off, as concerning your former Conversations, the old Man, with his Deeds; and having parted with your own Righteousness, which is the Pharisees Clothing, and put on the Righteousness of Christ Jesus, which is the Saints Clothing, you are thereby prepared to show forth the Praise of God, whilst you are here, and also shall thereby be prepared to enter into his Glory, where your Souls shall rest with the Lord, and partake of that Feast that he hath prepared for all that deny themselves and follow Christ, and forsake their own Wills and obey the Will of God; for you are they that have the Wedding-Garments, and having Oil in your Lamps, by which your Light shines before men, whereby God is glorified; for his Light doth not only shine in your Hearts, whereby it becomes your Guide, but it also shines through you unto others, that are yet in Darkness; whereby Christ's words come to be fulfilled, who said to them that believed in him, Ye are the Light of the World and the Salt of the Earth; for all that receive his Light and Grace into their Hearts, they are to Season the Earth by their Savoury Lives and Upright Conversations, by which we do reach to the good in all, and judge them that live in the Evil Conversation, whereby they shall be made in the Day of Visitation to confess, That the Lord is with us of a Truth, who hath called us to bear witness thereunto, and to confess his Name before men, although for it we do suffer, as the Servants of God did in days past, who have said, That it is not given to us only to believe, but also to suffer: And the Apostle saith, Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer Persecution; which we see is now fulfilled in a Remnant, who love the Lord withal their Hearts; for there is many that profess Christ Jesus, that suffer nothing for him; but those that leave the Glory of the World, and the Sin-pleasing Pleasures of the Flesh, and follow Christ, they must and do suffer under them that live in it; and them that leave the Teachings of Corrupt and Carnal men, and wait to be taught of God, they must suffer; and they that bear a faithful Testimony against Idolatry, and the Superstitious Ways and Inventions that the Priests and People have invented, in their dark Imaginations, who make void the Command of Christ, through their Traditions, as their forefather's, the Pharisees, did the Law of God, so do they now, the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth; and they that Worship God therein, they must and do suffer by this Generation, as the People of God did under the Scribes, Pharisees and Persecutors in days past, who persecuted Christ, and called him, A Deceiver, and A Blasphemer; and who persecuted the Apostles, calling them, Vain Babblers, and such as turned the World Upside down, and drew People from their Temples, and were not subject to their Law: Which is the Cry of the Priests now, against those whom God hath brought forth in a Testimony against them; as the Upholders of Diana's Temple did, with all their Craftsmen, who were in a Rage against the Apostles, and cried one unto another, Sirs, You know that by this Craft we have our Living, and if we let these men alone, all men will follow them, and then our Craft will come to nothing; much like the way of the Proud, Covetous and Envious Priests.  
Now, concerning the Servants and Messengers of the Lord, unto whom God hath made known his Light and his Truth, which was before they were, and shall be when they shall be no more; for God is arisen, and is going on in his mighty Power, and by the strength of his own Arm he will overturn all that stand in the Way of his Truth, and that oppress his Seed, and offend his little Ones that believe in his Name, for whose sake the Lord is arisen to plead the Cause of his afflicted Ones; for by strength shall no man prevail: For because of Oppression of the Poor, and the Sighing of the Needy, the Lord will arise for Deliverance, and bring down the lofty City Babylon, and lay her Honour in the Dust; and her Merchants shall mourn, and her Lovers shall lament and bewail her, for the Misery that shall come upon her in the Day of the Lord determined: Which Day is dawned, in the Light of which, a Remnant see the Vision is near to be fulfilled, that was seen of Babylon's Torments and her Merchant's Misery, that shall come upon her, and them that Trade with her; in which Day the Righteous shall rejoice in the Lord, who hath saved and redeemed them out of her.  
And now, dear Friends, that are come out of Babylon, Sodom and Egypt, where the Righteous suffer, all be mindful of that Arm that hath brought you out, and by which the Lord is leading you unto Everlasting Rest: There is great cause to be watchful, and always to wait to feel the Lord's Power to preserve and keep you: For all that came out of Egypt did not enter into the Land of Promise, some fell short through Unbelief; and there was but four came out of Sodom, and one of them looked back; and twelve followed Christ, and one of them betrayed him; and how many hath the Enemy betrayed in our Day, some in one thing, and some in another, for want of Watchfulness unto the Truth, in which there is Preservation for all that love it, and are led and guided by it; For all Miscarriages and Dishonour that have been brought upon the worthy Name of the Lord, that is concerned amongst us, and wrong done to any Man, by any that has and do profess the Truth, and come amongst us, Truth is clear of it all, and is not to be blamed, but they, in that they have not stood in the Counsel of it, but have harkened to the Serpent, as Eve did, and as Cain did, and Judas did, and as all that forsake the Lord do, and that they know, who have in any measure known the Work of God upon their Hearts, by the Truth; they know that in that there is no Unrighteousness, but the Truth judges it all, and leads People out of all Unrighteousness, that obey it: And therefore, blessed of the Lord are they that obey the same, for they only do and shall enjoy the Comfort of it, and have true Peace in it; as Christ says, He that doth well cometh to the Light, and bringeth his Deeds to it; Whereby it appears that they are wrought in God, in whom the true Peace is, that Man cannot take away; and in which holy Light the true Teacher comes to be seen and known that cannot be removed into a Corner, but our Eyes, that God hath opened, see him near to teach and guide us in the Way, that is wellpleasing in his sight; and great is the Peace of all that obey him.  
And all dear Brethren and Sisters, whom the Lord hath Called and Chosen, in your several places, to be a kind of first Fruits unto him, to bear forth his Name in Righteousness, and show forth his Praise, and to be Instruments in his Hand to strengthen the Weak, and to support the Feeble, and to refresh the Bowels of the Poor, and to cloth the Naked, and to supply them that are in want, according to their Necessity, and your Ability, which is a Service acceptable to God, and is truly profitable unto Men, and is a Duty that Truth requires for all to be diligent in, that have of the Things of this World; and the Apostles commend them that were diligent in it, and laid it as a Charge upon them, that were Rich in this World, not to be unmindful of their Duty in that good Work, and which the Love of God constrains all the faithful to be mindful of, now in this our day and time; for says Christ, The Poor you have always with you. And now, that you may faithfully perform all those good Services which the Lord requires of you, according to your Ability he hath and doth give unto you, all be diligent to keep your men's and women's Meetings, that are set up in the Power and Wisdom of God, and is accompanied with the same, as there are many living Witnesses can, and do testify the same; even all that go to these Meetings, and keep them in the Simplicity of their Hearts and Souls, as hoping and believing they shall meet with that their Hearts and Souls desire, which is the Presence of the Lord, and them he doth not send empty away, as is well known to you, that according to the Integrity of your Hearts, he gives Wisdom and Counsel, whereby he fits both Men and Women, and prepares them to perform what Service he hath for them to do in the Meetings, in which Meetings they have a good opportunity to clear their Consciences. And case your minds one to another, when you have any thing lies upon you, and to stir up one another to the Performance of your Duties in your several Places and Callings, and to take notice of any that come amongst us, and do not answer Truth in their Conversations, that they in the tender Life and Love of God may be dealt withal, and all other things which concern our Testimony may, in the savour of Life, be performed and carried on, and the Poor may be relieved; and thus meeting in the Love of God, and being refreshed with the same in the performance of your Duties and Services, return to your Father again in Peace. And why any should be against either Men or Women, (for this, I know not) which love the Prosperity of Zion. and desire the Peace of Jerusalem; but on the contrary there is true cause to Rejoice, in that the Lord hath brought both Man and Woman into a true Capacity to serve him, and to be 〈…〉 one unto another in his holy Truth, by which he hath brought, and is bringing both Man and Woman out of the Fall, into Christ that never fell, in whom Male and Female are all one, in whom is the Blessing, and by whom all come to be restored again into their Services, both Men and Women, and made helpful one unto another, not only in the outward Creation and Concerns, but also in the labour of the Gospel and management of Truth's concerns; in which Work and Service, let all be diligent in the performance of it, as well Women as Men, all Eyeing your Head Christ Jesus, from whom your Supply comes: And all be diligent in keeping your Meetings, and let none be discouraged, because of any opposition you may meet withal, from those that set themselves against women's Meetings, because (they say) they see no Service in them; that is no Rule for you to walk by, and to neglect your Duties, because they see no Service in them; neither is it a sufficient ground for them that say so to oppose them, for such aught to be quiet, and wait upon God in the Simplicity of their Hearts, out of all prejudice and wilfulness, to know the Mind of the Lord in this matter, seeing, viz. that by the same Power of God, by which the Gospel hath been preached, women's Meetings were gathered and settled; and whosoever slights them, or the Service thereof, do and will come to loss thereby, for the Lord is with them, who hath made them a Blessing in his Hand: For the Testimony of the Lord's requiring and owning of them plainly appears, in that his Power and Presence hath been, and is, from time to time manifest amongst his Servants and Handmaids, when so met, as hath been largely testified unto by many ancient and faithful Servants of Christ, which is great encouragement to all that love Truth and Righteousness, and that do desire the prosperity of the Truth and of one another, therein to keep them, in the meek and quiet Spirit: and take heed of striving with them that are in the opposition, lest you hurt yourselves, and thereby burden the tender Life in yourselves, in which pure tender Life you shall outlive all Opposition, and that will die and whither; for all that have not Nourishment from the Root, which is Christ, will die of itself, which we have seen from time to time.  
And therefore, all dear Friends, go on and keep your Meetings in the Name and Fear of the Lord, that you may still feel his Power and Presence amongst you, and then it is no matter what any say against you; unto whose Power I commit you all, who desires your Prosperity as my own, who can, and do testify, that I have been truly refreshed with the Power and Presence of the Lord, both in men's and women's Meetings, by, and in which Power, the Lord hath laid a necessity upon me to bear my Testimony, That they are set up in the Power and Wisdom of God; and blessed are they that keep them in the same, and they that oppose them, oppose the Work of God, and will come to loss by it.  
S. C.   

AND now, dear People, who come into our Meetings, from time to time, and hear the Truth declared, and are convinced in your Judgements by it, and your Understandings closes with it, and many times your Consciences are awakened by the powerful preaching of the Word of Life, in which your Hearts are tendered, and the Eye of your Understandings then being opened, you thereby see yourselves, and feel something of the Preciousness of the Truth declared; but for want of bowing thereunto, withal your Hearts and Souls, and giving up to be led and guided thereby, the Enemy prevails again, whose work it is to darken the Mind and close the Eye, which God by his powerful Truth begun to open, whereby you may come to see the Way to Rest, and then comes the Savour of the Virtue which you felt whilst you were hearing the Truth, and whilst the Tenderness remained upon you, to be lost; whereby the Apostles words come to be fulfilled; Man hearing the Word and doth it not, is like unto a man beholding his natural Face in a Glass, and presently goeth away, and forgetteth what manner of man he was: so do many that hear the Truth forget or neglect to obey the same, without which no true and lasting Comfort can be enjoyed.  
Dear People, I do not write in this manner to accuse any of you, or because I would have you leave coming to our Meetings, no; the Lord knows, but to clear my Conscience, as a Friend to your Souls. I beseech you to lay hold of the Sceptre of God's Mercy, while it is held forth unto you, and come away to the Feast, while the Door is open. Oh! how have I seen, both in City and Country, some that have come to our Meetings, in the time of Truth being declared, their Minds bowed and their Hearts broken before the Lord, so that I have been ready to conclude, That surely this Man or Woman must needs cleave to the Lord with all their Hearts, and obey his Truth, which now they are so much affected with; but it hath too often proved otherwise, whereby Christ's words have been fulfilled, who says, That after the Word is received with Joy, the Enemy comes and takes the Word out of their Hearts; and some for the love of the World, and some for fear of Persecution, the good Seed, that begun to put forth, comes to be choked, and thereby they are made Unfruitful; But the Honest receive the Seed, which is the Truth, into their Hearts, and give up the strength of their desires unto it, they are made Fruitful unto God by it, and the Lord blesses them in it, and gives them Peace of Conscience in this World, and Assurance of Glory in the World to come, which is more precious and profitable, than all that can be parted withal for his sake: Oh! that you therefore may come to be found Doers of the Will of God, and not Hearers only, is the Desire of my Soul for you all; for this is the Day of your Visitation, in which the Lord is calling of you, and striving with you, to gather you unto himself; that so you may come to be made partakers of his Everlasting Riches that fadeth not away, which is the Portion I desire for your all, and which is the Feast you have been often invited unto, in the Name of the the Lord, by his Servants and Messengers. Oh! come away, for the Lord hath furnished his Table; and if you make Excuses, and will not come unto him, by turning unto his pure Light and Grace, which leads unto him, and obey the same, unto which you have been directed by his Servants, the Lord will be Displeased, and you, through your own Neglect, will be shut out; and a People the Lord will have, that shall partake of his free Mercies.  
So, dear People, prise your Time, whilst you have it, and whilst the Lord is striving, and Christ is knocking by his Convincements, by his Light in your Consciences, open unto him, that he may come in unto your Hearts, and that you by his Power may be prepared and enabled to serve the Lord, whilst you are in this World, that you may rest with all his Redeemed Ones, when Time shall be no more here; then shall my Desire be answered in writing to you in this manner, which is my true Desire for you all, who am  
Your True Friend, Samuel Cater. Elye Prison, where I am a Sufferer for my Obedience unto the Lord, under the Corrupt Wills of men, because I cannot for Conscience sake disobey the Command of Jesus Christ, nor join with the Priests in their Carnal and Dark Way of Worship, the 6th Month, 1680.  
THE END.