A
TESTIMONY
And
wholesome
Advice
concerning
MARRIAGE
.
MArriage
is
honourable
in
all
,
and
the
Bed
undefiled
,
and
it
is
Gods
Ordinance
,
and
is
not
to
be
forbidden
,
and
whom
God
joins
together
no
Man
is
to
put
asunder
;
and
this
is
the
Marriage
that
hath
a
Blessing
,
that
minds
Gods
Joining
,
and
Gods
Ordinance
;
and
the
people
of
God
were
to
practice
it
in
all
Ages
,
and
the
Faithful
did
observe
and
do
it
:
As
Abraham
,
the
Father
and
Pattern
of
the
Faithful
,
charged
his
chief
Servant
to
go
to
his
own
People
,
and
take
a
Wife
for
his
Son
Isaac
;
and
said
,
the
Lord
God
of
Heaven
and
Earth
shall
send
his
Angel
before
thee
;
and
his
Servant
(
at
Gods
appointment
)
took
Rebekah
,
and
Isaac
brought
Rebekah
to
his
Mothers
Tent
,
and
took
her
to
Wife
,
Gen.
24.
So
here
was
Gods
Ordinance
and
Gods
Joining
.
And
Isaac
did
not
go
contrary
to
God
and
his
Fathers
mind
to
take
a
Wife
of
the
Daughters
of
Canaan
,
nor
had
a
Priest
to
marry
them
;
and
Isaac
was
blessed
of
God
,
and
he
gave
him
Jacob
and
Esau
:
And
Esau
despised
his
Birth
right
,
and
married
of
the
Daughters
of
the
Hittites
,
which
grieved
his
Father
and
his
Mother
,
Gen.
26.
35.
So
Esau
went
from
Gods
Joining
,
and
grieved
his
Parents
,
and
Rebekah
said
to
Isaac
,
if
Jacob
take
a
Wife
of
the
Daughters
of
the
Land
,
such
as
these
be
,
what
good
will
my
Life
do
me
?
Gen.
24.
46.
So
here
you
may
see
the
great
care
of
Rebekah
to
preserve
her
Son
from
the
Snare
that
Esau
was
come
into
,
in
this
of
Joining
in
Marriage
with
other
People
;
and
Isaac
called
his
Son
Jacob
and
charged
him
,
and
said
,
thou
shalt
not
take
a
Wife
of
the
Daughters
of
Canaan
,
but
shalt
go
to
thy
Mothers
Kindred
,
and
God
Almighty
bless
thee
and
prosper
thee
,
Gen.
28.
And
Jacob
obeyed
his
Father
and
his
Mother
;
and
the
Lord
appeared
to
him
in
his
Journey
and
blessed
him
,
and
said
I
will
greatly
multiply
thee
,
and
will
be
with
thee
:
And
Jacob
said
if
God
will
bless
me
and
prosper
me
in
the
way
that
I
go
,
and
bring
me
to
my
Fathers
house
in
Peace
,
then
shall
the
Lord
be
my
God
,
vers.
21.
So
here
you
may
see
Jacob
minds
the
Lord
,
and
obeyed
his
Parents
in
his
choosing
a
Wife
;
and
the
Lord
blessed
him
abundantly
.
And
the
Sons
of
Jacob
could
not
suffer
their
Sister
to
marry
with
a
Stranger
though
he
was
a
great
Prince
.
And
the
Jews
which
were
the
Off-spring
of
Abraham
,
Isaac
,
and
Jacob
,
were
not
to
join
in
Marriage
with
other
People
;
as
it
is
written
,
thou
shalt
not
take
their
Daughters
to
thy
Sons
,
nor
give
thy
Daughters
to
their
Sons
;
for
they
will
turn
your
Hearts
from
the
Lord
after
other
Gods
,
Deut.
7.
3.
Jos.
13.
12.
So
here
you
may
see
,
according
to
Gods
Ordinance
,
there
is
a
power
in
Parents
in
giving
their
Daughters
in
Marriage
,
and
in
taking
Daughters
to
their
Sons
;
they
have
a
part
in
their
Children
to
give
and
take
in
case
of
Marriage
.
And
when
the
Jews
did
mix
in
Marriage
with
other
People
,
they
corrupted
them
,
and
drew
them
from
God
,
and
kindled
his
Anger
against
them
,
as
you
may
see
,
Numb.
25.
where
the
young
men
took
the
Daughters
of
Moab
,
which
kindled
Gods
anger
,
and
many
of
them
died
,
and
a
great
breach
was
made
till
Phinehas
stood
in
the
Gap
,
and
stopped
those
proceedings
,
and
turned
away
Gods
Wrath
;
and
these
went
from
Gods
Ordinance
and
from
Gods
Joining
,
and
went
from
the
good
example
of
their
Fathers
,
Abraham
,
Isaac
and
Jacob.
And
you
may
see
that
Solomon
a
wise
King
,
his
taking
of
Strangers
turned
his
Heart
to
worship
Idols
,
for
which
the
Lord
rent
the
Kingdom
from
him
,
only
left
him
a
Lamp
in
Israel
for
David
his
Fathers
sake
:
And
you
may
see
in
all
the
Passages
of
the
Jews
revolting
from
God
,
for
the
most
part
,
the
chief
reason
was
their
matching
in
Marriage
with
other
People
,
as
in
Nehemiah
and
Ezra
,
where
you
may
see
the
Jews
had
taken
Strangers
of
the
Daughters
of
Ashdod
,
which
grieved
the
Lord
and
his
Servants
Ezra
and
Nehemiah
:
So
here
you
see
they
went
from
Gods
Ordinance
and
Gods
Joyning
.
And
the
Apostle
saith
to
the
Church
,
be
not
unequally
yoked
,
a
Believer
with
an
Unbeliever
,
he
accounts
it
as
Light
and
Darkness
,
as
Christ
and
Belial
,
as
the
Temple
of
God
and
Idols
,
2
Cor.
6.
for
Believers
in
the
Light
of
Christ
Jesus
are
the
Called
of
God
,
and
the
Seed
of
Abraham
,
and
the
Temple
of
God
,
and
his
Sons
and
Daughters
,
and
are
Heirs
of
the
Promise
in
the
New
Covenant
,
and
are
Jews
in
Spirit
,
and
have
the
Circumcision
of
the
Spirit
made
without
Hands
,
and
are
under
the
Law
of
the
New
Covenant
which
God
hath
written
in
their
Hearts
;
and
such
cannot
Join
to
give
or
take
in
Marriage
,
with
any
Sect
or
sort
of
Persons
or
People
that
believe
not
in
the
Light
of
Christ
Jesus
,
with
which
he
hath
enlightned
every
Man
that
comes
into
the
World
;
nor
believe
not
in
the
Grace
of
God
,
but
turn
it
into
Wantonness
;
nor
in
the
Law
of
the
New
Covenant
which
is
written
in
the
Heart
according
to
Gods
Promise
:
And
do
not
worship
God
in
Spirit
,
but
in
some
form
,
without
the
Power
of
God
;
neither
have
received
the
Circumcision
of
the
Spirit
to
circumcise
their
Hearts
and
Ears
,
such
the
Seed
of
Abraham
must
not
Join
with
in
Affinity
of
Marriage
,
nor
take
their
Daughters
to
their
Sons
,
nor
give
their
Daughters
to
their
Sons
;
for
you
see
it
is
contrary
to
Gods
Ordinance
,
and
contrary
to
the
Spirit
of
Abraham
,
Isaac
and
Jacob
,
which
were
great
Fathers
and
Patterns
;
and
all
the
true
Believers
in
Christ
Jesus
are
to
follow
their
steps
in
the
New
Covenant
,
and
will
charge
their
Sons
and
Daughters
that
they
joyn
not
in
Marriage
with
any
,
but
amongst
their
own
People
,
that
are
Worshipers
of
God
in
Spirit
,
and
Children
of
such
Believers
as
be
of
Faith
and
Society
with
them
,
in
the
Worship
and
Service
of
God
;
and
such
Children
as
fear
God
,
and
are
reverent
and
obedient
to
Parents
,
which
all
are
obliged
to
by
the
Law
of
the
first
Covenant
,
and
by
the
Law
of
Christ
Jesus
,
and
by
the
Doctrine
of
the
Apostles
;
I
say
such
Children
will
keep
their
Parents
Charge
as
Isaac
and
Jacob
did
,
and
not
grieve
and
vex
their
Parents
as
Esau
did
his
Father
and
his
Mother
,
in
marrying
with
the
Daughters
of
Strangers
:
for
such
Parents
as
are
of
Isaac
and
Rebekah's
Spirit
are
much
concerned
in
this
Case
,
and
cannot
but
grieve
when
their
Children
joyn
in
Marriage
with
such
as
are
before
mentioned
,
and
give
away
their
believing
Parents
part
that
they
have
in
them
,
to
the
World
;
which
makes
Confusion
,
and
grieves
God's
good
Spirit
,
and
smites
their
Parents
with
Grief
,
and
such
as
smote
Father
and
Mother
in
the
time
of
the
Law
were
to
die
,
Exod.
21.
15.
for
Parents
have
a
great
Power
and
part
in
their
Children
,
as
in
Numb.
30.
3
,
4
,
5.
If
a
Daughter
in
her
Fathers
House
unmarried
make
a
Vow
or
Promise
,
her
Father
hath
power
to
break
it
or
establish
it
:
and
you
may
see
,
1
Sam.
2.
3.
&
chap.
old
Eli
did
not
use
his
Power
to
restrain
his
two
Sons
from
their
Wickedness
,
for
which
the
Lord
cut
off
the
Arm
of
Eli
,
cut
off
his
Family
from
the
Priesthood
;
and
Believers
are
a
Royal
Priesthood
to
offer
to
God
spiritual
Sacrifices
.
So
they
are
to
use
their
utmost
Endeavours
to
restrain
their
Children
from
running
into
the
World
,
which
lies
in
Wickedness
;
or
into
their
Fashions
or
Familiarity
,
which
often
doth
great
hurt
,
as
Jacob's
Daughter
,
in
visiting
the
Daughters
of
the
Land
of
Canaan
,
was
defiled
:
So
Friends
are
to
be
careful
to
watch
over
their
Children
,
for
their
preservation
from
those
things
which
Youth
is
prone
to
fall
into
to
their
great
hurt
;
for
we
were
but
a
few
at
the
first
when
God
called
and
chose
us
to
be
his
People
;
and
now
there
is
a
young
Generation
sprung
up
of
young
Men
and
Women
,
many
of
them
sprung
from
the
Loins
of
true
Believers
,
and
many
of
them
runs
into
the
Pride
and
Fashions
of
the
World
,
and
take
Wives
and
Husbands
of
the
World
,
and
go
to
the
Teachers
of
the
World
to
be
married
;
and
so
go
from
Gods
Ordinance
and
Gods
Joining
:
And
men
of
the
World
see
that
Friends
are
a
thriving
People
in
their
outward
Substance
,
which
makes
them
seek
after
Friends
Children
to
marry
with
them
:
And
some
Friends
,
when
their
Rebellious
Children
have
so
done
,
(
through
Indulgence
and
Affection
to
their
Children
,
more
than
the
publick
good
)
have
given
them
Portions
:
And
this
encourageth
the
World
to
seek
Friends
Children
in
Marriage
,
and
encourageth
wanton
Children
to
consent
to
them
,
by
which
means
a
breach
is
made
upon
our
Youth
,
to
the
wounding
and
grieving
the
Spirits
of
the
Faithful
that
are
Abrahams
Children
,
and
are
of
the
same
mind
with
Isaac
and
Rebekah
,
and
cannot
give
their
Children
in
marriage
to
other
People
upon
any
account
:
But
are
willing
to
give
their
Children
the
same
liberty
as
the
Elders
of
Israel
did
to
the
Daughters
of
Zelophehad
,
who
might
marry
to
whom
they
pleased
in
their
own
Tribe
.
So
Friends
must
use
their
godly
endeavours
,
according
to
the
utmost
of
their
Power
,
to
stop
the
gap
of
such
proceedings
that
their
Arm
be
not
cut
off
as
old
Eli's
was
.
And
you
may
see
before
the
Flood
,
when
the
Sons
of
God
married
with
the
Daughters
of
Men
,
how
it
grieved
God
.
And
is
it
not
all
one
when
Friends
marry
with
other
People
,
and
some
Friends
Children
are
surprized
and
hurt
and
spoiled
,
their
Parents
allowing
them
to
go
into
the
Finery
and
Fashions
of
the
World
,
and
to
visit
and
company
with
proud
People
,
as
Jacob's
Daughter
did
with
the
Daughters
of
Canaan
,
by
which
opportunity
she
was
ensnared
.
So
Friends
are
to
prevent
such
things
to
the
utmost
of
their
Power
,
and
stop
the
breach
that
is
made
upon
us
by
these
things
,
that
you
may
inherit
Phinehas's
Portion
,
an
everlasting
Priesthood
in
Christ
our
High-Priest
,
and
the
Covenant
of
Peace
in
Christ
Jesus
,
in
whom
there
is
Peace
,
which
is
the
desire
of
your
true
Friend
.
W.
E.
The
aforegoing
Paper
was
read
in
the
Men
and
Womens
Meetings
,
being
assembled
together
in
a
weighty
Sence
of
Truth
,
and
Friends
having
good
Vnity
with
it
,
have
added
thereto
the
following
Testimony
.
Dear
Friends
every
where
in
this
Nation
,
and
elsewhere
,
WE
being
met
together
in
the
Name
and
Fear
of
the
Lord
,
and
his
Presence
and
Power
being
with
us
;
it
was
represented
by
several
Friends
,
and
that
under
a
weight
and
burden
of
Spirit
,
that
of
late
great
hurt
hath
happened
among
Friends
,
through
several
young
People
going
to
the
Priest
to
be
married
,
and
taking
Husbands
and
Wives
among
the
World
,
which
hath
been
sometimes
occasioned
through
too
much
Indulgence
of
Parents
towards
their
Children
,
and
sometimes
through
the
stubbornness
of
Children
towards
their
Parents
,
and
not
hearkning
to
their
Counsel
.
Now
Friends
,
the
Lord
having
established
it
as
a
Principle
,
that
those
that
profess
his
everlasting
Truth
,
should
neither
go
to
a
Priest
to
be
married
,
nor
take
Husbands
or
Wives
from
among
the
World
,
that
are
not
of
us
;
it
fell
weighty
upon
Friends
to
consider
of
some
way
according
to
the
Truth
,
as
much
as
in
them
lay
,
to
endeavour
to
prevent
such
Practices
for
the
future
:
And
in
order
thereunto
,
after
a
serious
debate
and
several
weighty
Testimonies
in
that
case
(
both
of
Men
and
Women
)
Friends
concluded
on
the
following
Advise
and
Counsel
;
desiring
that
Friends
in
their
respective
places
and
stations
will
in
diligence
put
it
in
practice
.
First
,
That
all
Parents
,
both
Men
and
Women
,
take
care
to
educate
their
Children
in
the
awe
and
fear
of
the
Lord
,
according
to
the
Principles
of
the
blessed
Truth
,
taking
care
to
restrain
them
from
such
Company
and
Acquaintance
that
may
allure
them
from
the
way
of
Truth
,
into
the
Vanity
of
the
World
;
and
likewise
to
restrain
them
in
any
other
things
that
may
have
a
tendency
to
draw
their
Minds
from
the
fear
of
the
Lord
,
and
from
the
sence
of
his
blessed
Truth
:
That
so
through
the
sence
of
the
Truth
in
themselves
,
it
may
so
ballance
their
natural
Affections
,
that
they
may
rightly
see
the
states
and
conditions
of
their
Children
,
as
to
give
that
wholsome
Advice
and
Counsel
that
may
answer
the
Witness
of
God
in
them
.
Secondly
,
If
any
Friends
do
perceive
that
their
Children
are
under
such
a
Temptation
,
as
to
go
to
a
Priest
to
be
married
,
or
to
take
one
of
the
World
to
Husband
or
Wife
;
if
they
will
not
hear
that
counsel
and
advice
,
which
in
the
fear
of
the
Lord
they
give
them
;
then
let
them
inform
Friends
,
that
they
may
deal
with
them
in
the
order
of
the
Gospel
,
that
so
,
if
possible
,
they
may
be
preserved
out
of
the
snare
,
or
the
greater
weight
of
Judgment
may
be
laid
on
them
by
their
Parents
in
particular
,
and
Friends
in
general
.
Thirdly
,
If
notwithstanding
the
advice
and
counsel
of
Parents
and
Friends
,
any
young
People
do
fall
into
the
aforementioned
evils
;
we
desire
and
advise
all
Parents
to
keep
very
strictly
to
the
principle
of
Truth
in
themselves
,
in
their
conduct
towards
their
Children
,
which
we
believe
will
restrain
them
from
passing
by
that
act
of
great
Disobedience
unto
themselves
in
particular
,
and
the
Lord
and
his
Truth
in
general
,
until
such
time
that
Friends
,
through
their
true
Repentance
receive
them
into
Vnity
again
:
And
further
,
we
believe
that
it
will
best
answer
the
Truth
,
for
●arents
to
withhold
giving
such
disobedient
Children
any
outward
Portion
,
until
such
time
they
be
reconciled
to
Truth
and
Friends
as
aforesaid
;
for
the
withholding
that
may
be
instrumental
to
cause
them
to
enter
into
a
consideration
of
their
Disobedience
to
the
Lord
and
their
Parents
,
from
whence
true
Repentance
may
spring
,
and
not
only
so
,
but
it
may
be
an
occasion
to
prevent
others
from
falling
into
the
same
Snare
,
and
may
put
a
stop
to
some
of
the
World
in
seeking
after
our
Children
on
that
account
.
Fourthly
,
We
do
desire
that
Friends
in
every
place
will
have
such
a
watchful
Eye
over
one
another
in
the
fear
of
the
Lord
,
that
if
they
see
any
Parents
negligent
in
their
duty
,
by
too
much
indulging
their
Children
in
those
things
that
Truth
doth
not
allow
,
that
they
admonish
them
of
it
in
the
Love
of
God
,
and
Sence
of
Truth
,
that
so
things
may
be
kept
well
amongst
us
.
Fifthly
,
As
in
the
weighty
Sence
of
the
blessed
Truth
we
have
given
our
advice
and
counsel
in
this
particular
.
So
in
the
same
Sence
we
advise
and
counsel
Friends
in
the
general
,
that
in
all
things
they
walk
as
becomes
the
Gospel
,
taking
heed
that
in
no
respect
they
give
way
to
any
liberty
which
the
Truth
doth
not
allow
of
;
for
that
is
so
far
from
the
true
Christian
liberty
that
it
hath
a
tendency
to
imbondage
the
Soul
again
,
as
the
Apostle
said
,
Hold
fast
the
Liberty
wherewith
Christ
hath
made
you
Free
,
and
be
no
more
entangled
with
the
Yoak
of
Bondage
.
And
as
the
Lord
hath
set
Limits
and
Bounds
in
his
Truth
,
our
preservation
doth
consist
in
keeping
within
the
bounds
of
it
;
in
which
we
may
expect
the
Blessings
and
Mercies
of
the
Lord
to
rest
upon
us
,
and
to
be
multiplied
unto
us
and
our
Children
,
to
the
Praise
of
his
Name
for
ever
.
Given
forth
at
the
National
Men
and
Womens
Meetings
,
Assembled
together
in
Dublin
the
10th
day
of
the
Third
Month
,
1680.
Signed
in
behalf
of
the
said
Meetings
,
By
Alexander
Se●●
.
THE
END
.