Josiah Parker Papers Letter 2

Virginia Loudon County 12th Mo. 25th 1807

Cousin

Our manner of intimacy from early life hath paved the way for lasting imprefsions and in as much as it was recommended to the primative believers to provoke one another to love and good works we think it still incombent on us who make the same profefsion to follow the same rule of faith and practice and as I entertain no suspicision of any animosity between us, I can the more cheerfully send thee & family a small token of my love: and inform that my health is as good as common and prity comfortable in all respects tho much of my time lately I neither eat or Sleep much: my travel both of body & mind is laborious the part of the country where I now am is very [rough?]; being near the blue mountain and the state of affairs amongst our friends not lefs so, rustisity and ignorance as well as carnal care and dwarfishnefs prevails to a sorrowfull degree; perhaps I never saw a time; when in my apprehension, I was more in ___ hope than in the present journey; and had it not been for a precious degree of that calming word of divine consolation; that hath at time of deep proving intervened and said peace be still, my faith had failed but no one ever had more cause to magnify that power of divine love than I have; and in retrospect, my exercised mind [how?] in gratitude to the Father of sure mercies for the preservation of my Life till present day where in I can speak well of his name.

The meetings of friends in Virginia in divers places are discontinued and in others consequently will be the case as they are reduced to a very small number; and too generally speaking many [deficiencies?] prevail, the want of Christian zeal is very obvious amongst those inconspicuous stations, I often mourn (tho I’ve nothing to boast of) when I behold those who should be [a] way mark to the people Siting at ease as if all was well while they must see if they would that our Christian testimonies are trampled upon within their own province, but alas! what cannot carnal lukewarm profefsors bear with rather than labour after a right quallification for true usefullnefs in the Church I lately pi--hed an Elder; who takes his seat in the gallery so clost on the the subject of Spirituous liquors that the poor weak creature acknowledged he had no part ____ in the testimony friends were endeavouring to ____ on that account, I do not wish to expose those who do not believe as we do in those respects; yet I am fully perswaded that no one who is in the practice of using Spirituous liquors or allowing it to be frequently hand about in their families are in any fit state to be useful in our religious society; for ---ely it is in my heart to say that the Lord hath a controversy with his people on account of that evil; I wish all friends who have the cause at heart to labour faithfully as they may be enabled by the holy author of eternal salvation that we may be deliver’d from this great destroyer and bane both of civil and religious society. __ may very seriously observe that not one of our organizations make any advance in religious usefulnefs who indulge themselves as before mention’d. Ive frequently had occasion to remark as I’ve pafsed along; a [lustful?] intercourse between friends and others in many respects very different in their profefsions. I do not consider our society so much favoured above all the families of the earth as to be above a charitable sentiment yet I am fully persuaded that friends have suffered great lofs by Joining with dispositions and sentiments that are impure and not according to the pattern shown Mofes on the mount; a little swinging from the Crofs is a sign of departure from that zeal and -ertitude our worthy predessors were engaged to support at the hazzard of all they pofses’d in their world or even their liberties and lives also if call’d for, that very pertinent precept remains in full force; that whosoever loves anything in this world better than the dear Redeemer is not worthy of him; neither are those who deny him before men worthy to be owned of him before his Father and the holy Angels; yet without a constant watchful care how liable are we to deny him in conduct before men can the men of the world _____ seek honor one of another; time would ____ me to write of all that grieve me which I behold taking root among this highly favoured people; the aged groveling in the earth; the youth flying in the air, the walls broken down; and we are in great distrefs; to Nehemiah’s cause too few subscribe; while many [his?] at the great deviations and backsliding of the house of Fox Penn or Barkley; or those that should have been the chosen of the Lord to have carried on the great cause of truth and righteousnefs.

Wm. Flanner

Envelope:

Waterford Dec. 26.
Josiah Parker
Murfreesborough P. O.
No.Carolina No.Hampton Co.