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diff --git a/57926-0.txt b/57926-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d92efd --- /dev/null +++ b/57926-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2678 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57926 *** + + + + + + + + + + RELIGION OF LIFE SERIES. + + GLEANINGS FROM GEORGE FOX. + + + UNIFORM VOLUMES IN + Religion of Life Series. + + CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. + ISAAC PENINGTON. + GEORGE FOX. + SIR THOMAS BROWNE. + THE CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT. + WILLIAM PENN. + + Cloth, 1s. net. Leather, 2s. + net. + + + + + GLEANINGS + FROM THE WORKS OF + GEORGE FOX + + + BY + DOROTHY M. RICHARDSON + AUTHOR OF + "THE QUAKERS: PAST & PRESENT." + + + LONDON: + HEADLEY BROTHERS, + BISHOPSGATE, E.C. + + + + + Contents. + + + PAGE + INTRODUCTION 7-14 + + PART I. + NARRATIVE PASSAGES 17-28 + + PART II. + SPECIAL TESTIMONIES 31-90 + 1. BUSINESS LIFE 31 + 2. THE INWARD LIGHT 35 + 3. JUSTICE 41 + 4. MEETINGS AND MINISTRY 46 + 5. OATHS 64 + 6. RESPECTING PERSONS 66 + 7. THE SCRIPTURES 69 + 8. SIN 74 + 9. SLAVERY 81 + 10. WAR 82 + 11. WOMEN 84 + + PART III. + SOCIAL LIFE 93-109 + 1. SOCIAL LIFE 93 + 2. GENERAL EXHORTATIONS 103 + + + + + Introduction. + + + I. + +George Fox may be variously described. If we look at him from the +standpoint of orthodox Catholicism we shall see a heretical genius, a +man who tried to re-organise the church and succeeded in establishing a +sect--in defiance of the fact of the rarity of the religious and the +still greater rarity of the mystical temperament--upon a basis of +mystical opportunism, in a condition of divorce from sacraments, culture +and tradition. + +From the Protestant point of view he becomes the man who made a +temporarily successful attempt to undermine the authority of the +Scriptures; his failure being attested by the return of the majority of +the Quakers, from the third generation onwards, to biblicism--their +tacit throwing up of their earlier position with regard to the inward +light. + +The "free" churches find in Fox the collector and organizer of a type of +Christian believers whose shining record has so fully justified his +essential soundness and unity with the main purpose of Christendom that +minor differences may be ignored. + +Students of mysticism, Christian mysticism in particular, seeing Fox as +one in the long line of those who have adventured into the undivided +truth they find stirring within their own souls, have placed him amongst +the grand "actives" of European mysticism. + +Here and there an attempt has been made to disentangle the essential +distinction of the man himself from his relation to groups and abstract +ideas, and to show that distinctive character working itself out in his +life and writings, and in the varying history of the church he founded. + + + II. + +To the present writer George Fox appeals not only by the inherent +strength of his mystical genius, not only because amongst his fellows in +the mystical family he is, characteristically, the practical western +layman, the market-place witness for the spiritual consciousness in +every man, but also because he is, essentially, the English +mystic--because he represents, at the height of its first blossoming, +the peculiar genius of the English "temperament." He is English +particularism, English independency and individualism expressed in terms +of religion, and offering its challenge, for the first time, in the open +to all the world. This is his unique contribution to the evolution of +Christendom. + +His fellows and predecessors, the German mystics of the fourteenth and +seventeenth centuries, brought, it is true, the same message, the same +account of the pathway to reality as did Fox, but they brought it in a +restricted form. They were largely dominated by tradition, they +remained, most of them, within the official church, and those who did +not met secretly and laboured behind closed doors. It was in George Fox +that religious particularism, the outcome of the civilization whose +cradle was the little isolated homesteads upon the Scandinavian fiords, +reached its full flower. With him there re-appears in the form of an +experiment in everyday life, in the heart of the modern state, the truth +that dawned in Palestine sixteen hundred years before, the truth that +was side-tracked but never quite lost amidst the policies, expediencies +and jealousies of the official church, that has been clearing and +elaborating itself with increasing steadiness ever since the seventeenth +century, the truth that only in individuality carried to its full term +can we find the basis of unity. Unity amongst Fox and his followers is +the fruit and fulfilment of separateness. In order truly to love his +neighbour, a man must first love himself. He must achieve singleness of +soul, must discover that within him which is of God; that which "speaks" +with him only in the solitude of his inner being. + +The unit, with Fox, is never, except incidentally, the group; never, +except incidentally, the family; but the single human soul faced with +its individual consciousness, the germ of truth, goodness, beauty, +light, love, God, it bears within itself, the seed of God present in all +human kind. + +He stands for liberty, for trust and toleration in a day of unchallenged +religious and civil antagonisms and authoritarianisms. He stands for +love, for the essential harmony of the creation in a day when warfare +was the unquestioned and "divinely-appointed" method of settling +international differences, and litigation and debate the accepted +steersmen of private relationships. + + + III. + +This particularist genius and his fellows represent the keenest moment +in one of those periods in its religious experience when humanity +becomes aware of the wider life to which it belongs, when working on, +God-led and God-inspired, part blind, part seeing, making in dark and +desert places the uttermost venture of faith, suddenly, on an instant, +it finds God. + +A subsequent enormously enhanced fruitfulness, the amazing development +of "thought" and "science," our long sojourn amidst the great desert of +"facts," the final well-nigh despairing state of spiritual aridity that +synchronised with the neo-Darwinian mechanistic definitions of life, is +now once more in our day giving place to a home-coming, a new phase of +spiritual realization. + +It is just at this turning moment, in the dawn-light of this new +liberating contact, world-wide this time, free altogether from the +swathing bands of cloister and cult that we begin to have a clearer +understanding of the message of the mystics in general and in particular +of the challenge of our own George Fox. + + + IV. + +Fox's message found instant response from the heart of the most vital +religious life of his day. From the midst of the small isolated groups +who--surrounded by the institutional and doctrinal confusion following +immediately upon the decentralization of authority in the art and +science of the religious life, and persisting throughout the +post-reformation century--were feeling their own way to God, his +followers came forth. They, these friends of truth as they called +themselves, were to live out the first phase of the liberation of the +religious life. Dispensing with symbols and observances, they strove to +sink the whole personal life into the divine life and love they felt +stirring within them, to seek this perpetually, to let it flow out and +through all the circumstances of their daily commerce, to seek and +appeal to this alone, in all mankind. + + + V. + +If Fox had been only the liberator of the mystical forces moving and +quickening under the drying crust of official and authoritarian +theology, he would have left on the outward form of the religious life +of his country as little mark as did his great brother Boehme on his. +But he was more than liberator. He was also steersman. It was his +organizing genius that laid the foundation of a new religious culture; a +culture in which sacraments and symbols, politics and authoritarianism +should play no part--a culture which took no account of "persons," +"notions," or "theories," which put being before "knowing," intuition +before intellection, which dared to trust in and enquire of women, not +in name only, but in fact. + +The vitality of the society he founded is the test of the organizing +genius of this "madman." + +It has had its critical period. At the beginning of the eighteenth +century it sank into Quietism, and thence back to a pre-Quaker pietist +biblicism, in which the nature of Fox's contribution to religion--his +restatement, both in life and in church method of the immediacy, the +"originality" of the Christ-life, the life of God in man--was almost +lost to view. But the culture-ground, the means of grace, the Quaker +"method" of quiet waiting on God, the unflinching faith, remained +untouched, the little church survived and in due time revival took +place. To-day, in spite of the strong leaven of biblicism, the Quaker +church serves (as I have pointed out elsewhere)[1] as a sorting-house +for mystics and persons of the mystical type, and lies a radiating +centre of divine common-sense, of practical loving wisdom at the heart +of English religious life. + + + VI. + +What Fox did with the unconsciousness of genius, modern thought is +elaborating and explaining. "Experts" in all departments of knowledge +are at the confessional declaring their bankruptcy. Science admits her +helplessness to do more than collect and describe phenomena, and begs +implicitly to rank as a servant rather than a guide (thereby, +incidentally coming for the first time to her full height and value). + +[Footnote 1: "The Quakers; Past and Present." Constable & Co.] + +Metaphysic, come out at last from her academic seclusion to the light of +common day, points the way to the threshold of reality, declares that we +may possess and be possessed by it, not _via_ the intellect, but +directly by intuition. This reality that we ignorantly worship the +mystics have declared to us as goodness, beauty and truth. Fox called it +God in man, the life, the seed, the divine light latent in every son of +man, and once in the life of this planet fully and completely informing +a human frame. + + + + + PART I. + NARRATIVE PASSAGES. + + + NOTE. + + The reference "C.J." indicates the Cambridge edition of + Fox's _Journal_, compiled from original MSS. (Cambs. + Univ. Press. 1911); "Works," refer to the Philadelphia + edition of Fox's printed works. Punctuation, which + varies in the different editions and is almost lacking + in MSS. and of course in literal transcripts, has been + altered or inserted by the compiler, as seemed needful. + + + Narrative Passages. + + +Self-Revelation. + +Then the Lord gently led me along, and let me see His love, which was +endless and eternal, surpassing all the knowledge men have in the +natural state or can obtain from history or books, and that love let me +see myself as I was without him. I was afraid of all company, for I saw +them perfectly where they were, through the love of God which let me see +myself. I had not fellowship with any people, priests or professors or +any sort of separated people, but with Christ, who hath the key, and +opened the door of Light and Life unto me. I was afraid of all carnal +talk and talkers, for I could see nothing but corruptions and the life +lay under the burthen of corruptions. When I myself was in the deep, +shut up under all, I could not believe that I should ever overcome, my +troubles, my sorrows, and my temptations were so great, that I thought +many times I should have despaired I was so tempted. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., Vol. I, p. 12.) + + +The Inner Light. + +Now the Lord opened to me by His invisible power that every man was +enlightened by the divine light of Christ; and I saw it shine through +all; and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation to the +light of life and became the children of it; but they that hated it and +did not believe in it were condemned by it, though they made a +profession of Christ. This I saw in the pure openings of the light +without the help of any man; neither did I then know where to find it in +the Scriptures, though afterwards searching the Scriptures I found it. +For I saw in that light and spirit which was before the Scriptures were +given forth and which led the holy men of God to give them forth, that +all must come to that Spirit, if they would know God or Christ or the +Scripture aright which they that gave him forth were led and taught by. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., Vol. I., p. 35.) + + +A New Creation. + +Now I was come up in spirit through the flaming sword into the paradise +of God. All things were new and all the creation gave another smell unto +me beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness and +innocency and righteousness. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., Vol. I, p. 28.) + + +The Vision from the Hill-top. + +And so we passed on warning people as we met them of the day of the Lord +that was coming upon them, and as we went I spied a great hill called +Pendle Hill, and I went on the top of it with much ado it was so steep. +But I was moved of the Lord to get atop of it. And when I came atop of +it I saw Lancashire sea (and there atop of the hill I was moved to sound +the day of the Lord), and the Lord let me see atop of the hill in what +places he had a great people, and so on the hill's side I found a spring +of water and refreshed myself, for I had eaten little and drunk little +for several days. + + (C. J., 1652, p. 40.) + + +A Blow from a Bible. + +And I went out of the meeting to the steeple-house and the priest and +most of the heads of the parish was got up into the chancel and so I +went up to them and when I began to speak they fell upon me and the +clerk up with his Bible as I was speaking and hit me in the face that my +face gushed out with blood, that I bled exceedingly in the +steeple-house, and so the people cried, "Let's have him out of the +church" (as they called it) and when they had me out they exceedingly +beat me and threw me down and threw me over a hedge and after dragged me +through a house into the street stoning and beating me, and they got my +hat from me which I never got again and I was all over besmeared with +blood. + + (C. J., 1652, p. 36.) + + +A Mobbing. + +A company of rude fellows as fishermen and the like with their fishing +poles and the like fell upon me as soon as I was come to land, and beat +me down to the ground and bruised my body and head and all over my +shoulders and back that when I was sensible again I looked up and a man +was lying over my shoulders and a woman was throwing stones at my face +so I got up and I could hardly tell whether my head was cloven to pieces +it was so bruised. Nevertheless I was raised up by the power of God and +they beat me with their fishing-poles into the sea and thrust me into +the sea a great depth and thought to have sunk me down into the water; +and so I thrust up amongst them again and then they tumbled me in a +boat, and James Lancaster went with me and carried me over the water and +when I came to the town where the man had bound himself with an oath to +shoot me all the town rose up against me, some with muck forks and some +with flayles and forks and cried knock him on the head, I should not go +through the town and they called for a cart to carry me to the graveyard +and cried, Knock him on the head, but they did not, but guarded me a +great way with their weapons but did not much abuse me and after a while +left me, so when I came to some water I washed me. I was very dirty and +much bruised. + + (_Short Journal_, pp. 41, 42.) + + +A Night Among the Furze Bushes. + +And after a while I went to an inn and desired them to let me have a +lodging and they would not, and desired them to let me have a little +meat and milk and I would pay them for it but they would not. So I +walked out of the town and a company of fellows followed me and asked me +what news, and I bid them repent and fear the Lord. And after I was +passed a pretty way out of the town I came to another house and desired +them to let me have a little meat and drink and lodging for my money but +they would not neither, but denied me. And I came to another house and +desired the same, but they refused me also, and then it grew so dark +that I could not see the high way and I discovered a ditch and got a +little water and refreshed myself and got over the ditch and sat amongst +the furze bushes, being weary with travelling, till it was day. + + (C. J., (I.), p. 30.) + + +A Long Cold Winter. + +And so they committed me again to close prison, and Colonel Kirby gave +order to the goaler that no flesh alive must come at me for I was not +fit to be discoursed with by men. So I was put up in a smoky tower where +the smoke of the other rooms came up and stood as a dew upon the walls, +where it rained in also upon my bed. And the smoke was so thick as I +could hardly see a candle sometimes, and many times locked under three +locks. And the under-goaler would hardly come up to unlock one of the +upper doors; the smoke was so thick that I almost smothered with smoke +and so starved with cold and rain that my body was almost numbed, and my +body swelled with the cold. + + (C. J., II, p. 83.) + + +A Tortured Body. + +And I went to bed but I was so weak with bruises I was not able to turn +me and the next day they hearing of it at Swarthmore they sent a horse +for me and as I was riding the horse knocked his foot against a stone +and stumbled that it shook me and pained me as it seemed worse to me +than all my blows my body was so tortured; so I came to Swarthmore and +my body was exceedingly bruised.... + +And Judge Fell asked me to give him a relation of my persecution and I +told him they could do no otherwise they were in such a spirit, and they +manifested their priests fruits and profession and religion. + + (C. J., I., p. 61.) + + +A Meeting in a Steeple-house. + +He began to oppose me, and I told him his glass was gone, his time was +out, the place was as free for me as for him, and he accused me that I +had broken the law in speaking to him in his time in the morning and I +told him he had broken the law, then, in speaking in my time. And so I +called all people to the true teacher out of the hirelings, such as +teach for the fleece and makes a prey upon the people, for the Lord was +come to teach his people himself by his spirit and Christ saith, Learn +of me I am the way which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the +world, that all through him might believe, and so to learn of him who +had enlightened them, who was the light, and so had a brave meeting in +the steeple-house and the priest of the parish foamed like a pig through +rage and madness but the truth and the power of the Lord came over all +their heads. + + (_Short Journal_, p. 45.) + + +A Vision. + +And I saw a vision a man and two mastiff dogs and a bear and I passed by +them and they smiled upon me. + + (_Short Journal_, p. 71). + + +The Power of Truth. + +The justices whispered together and bid the goaler take us away and so +the goaler brought us away and almost all the people followed us out of +the court and it was a mighty day for the truth. And so when I came into +the goaler's house the goaler said, Gentlemen, you are all set at +liberty and you know I must have my fees, but give me what you will, +which a great service to the truth it was. And the sessions was just +like a meeting, truth had such an operation in people's hearts. + + (_Short Journal_, p. 106.) + + +A Consistent Sheriff. + +In the evening I was brought to the sheriff's house and the sheriff's +wife said that salvation was come to her house and all their family was +wrought upon by the power of the Lord and they believed in the truth and +this being the first day of the week the next seventh day the sheriff +himself spake the truth in a pair of slippers in the market amongst the +people. + + (_Short Journal_, p. 2.) + + +Unity with the Creation. + +And so after the meeting was done I passed away to John Audlands and +there came John Story to me and lighted his pipe of tobacco and, said +he, will you take a pipe of tobacco saying come, all is ours. And I +looked upon him to be a forward bold lad and tobacco I did not take, but +it came into my mind that the lad might think I had not unity with the +creation. For I saw he had a flashy empty notion of religion. So I took +his pipe and put it to my mouth and gave it to him again to stop him +lest his rude tongue should say I had not unity with the creation.... + +One Cocks met me in the street and would have given me a roll of tobacco +... so I accepted of his love but denied it. + + (C. J., I., pp. 44-45.) + + +An Airy Damsel. + +And the next morning there was a lady sent for me and she had a teacher +at her house. + +And they was both very light, airy, people and was too light to receive +the weighty things of God. And in her lightness she came and asked me +whether she should cut my hair. And I was moved to reprove her and bid +her cut down the corruptions in her with the sword of the spirit of God. +And so after I had admonished her we passed away; and, after, she made +her boast in her frothy mind that she came behind me and cut off a lock +of my hair, which was a lie. + + (C. J., p. 285.) + + +A Fat and Merry Captain. + +And this captain was the fattest, merriest, cheerfullest man and the +most given to laughter that I ever met with so that I several times was +moved of the Lord to speak to him in the dreadful power of the Lord and +yet still he would presently after laugh at anything that he saw; and I +still admonished him to sobriety and the fear of the Lord and sincerity. +And we lay at an inn at night and the next morning I was moved to speak +to him again, and then he parted from us the next morning. But he +confessed next time I saw him that the power of the Lord had so amazed +him that before he got home he was serious enough and left his laughing. +And the man came to be convinced and become a serious and good man and +died in the truth. + + (C. J., I., p. 203.) + + +A Highnotionist. + +And after the meeting was done the pastor came and asked me what must be +damned, being a highnotionist and a flashy man. And I was moved of a +sudden to tell him that which spoke in him was to be damned, which +stopped the pastor's mouth. And the witness of God was raised up in him. + + (C. J., I., p. 114.) + + +Burning a Witch. + +And from thence we went to Edinburgh again and many thousands of people +was gathered there and abundance of priests about burning of a witch and +I was moved to declare the day of the Lord amongst them and so went from +thence to the meeting and a many rude people and baptists came in and +there the baptists began with their logic and syllogisms but I was moved +in the Lord's power to thresh their chaffy light minds; and showed the +people after that manner of light discoursing they might make white +black and black white. + + (C. J., I., p. 297.) + + +Discerners of Spirits. + +And there came another company that pretended they were triers of +spirits; and I asked them a question: what was the first step to peace, +and what it was by which a man might see his salvation? And they was up +in the air and said I was mad. So such came to try spirits as did not +know themselves nor their own spirits. + + (C. J., I., p. 11.) + + +Prisoners Spreading the Truth. + +And when friends was got among the watches it would be a fortnight or +three weeks before they could get out of them again for no sooner had +one party taken them and carried them before the justices and they had +discharged them but then another would take them up and carry them +before other justices which put the country to a great deal of needless +cost and charges. And that which they thought to have stopped the truth +by was the means to spread it so much the more. For then friends was +continually moved to speak to one constable and to the other officer and +justice and this caused the truth to spread the more amongst them in all +their parishes. + + (C. J., I., p. 231.) + + +A Veiled Condition. + +When at any time my condition was veiled, my secret belief was stayed +firm, and hope underneath held me, as an anchor in the bottom of the sea +and anchored my immortal soul to its Bishop causing it to swim above the +sea, the world, where all the raging waves, foul weather, tempests and +temptations are. But O! then did I see my troubles trials and +temptations more clearly than ever I had done. As the light appeared, +all appeared that is out of the light; darkness, death, temptations, the +unrighteous, the ungodly; all was manifest and seen in the light. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., Vol. I, p. 14). + + + + + PART II. + SPECIAL TESTIMONIES. + + + I. + Business Life. + + +Prices. + +And is it not more savoury to ask no more than you will have for your +commodity[2]; to keep yea and nay in your communication, and here will +be an equal balancing of things and a consideration before you utter +words and a using of this world as though you used it not; and a +possessing as though you possessed not. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 100, slightly condensed.) + + +Honesty in Business. + +But at the first convincement when friends could not put off their hats +to people nor say you to a particular but thee and thou, and could not +bow nor use the world's salutations, nor fashions, nor customs. And many +friends being tradesmen of several sorts, they lost their custom at the +first. For the people would not trade with them nor trust them; and for +a time people that were tradesmen could hardly get money enough to buy +bread. But afterwards when people came to see friends, honesty and +truthfulness and yea and nay at a word in their dealing and their lifes +and conversations did preach and reach to the witness of God in all +people and they knew and saw that they would not cozen and cheat them +for conscience sake toward God; and that at last they might send any +child and be as well used as themselves at any of their shops. + +[Footnote 2: Bargaining was, hitherto, the universal practice.] + + (C.J., I., p. 138.) + + +The Reputation of Friends. + +Now that Friends are become a good savour in the hearts of all people, +lose it not but rather increase it in the life. For at first ye know +that many could not take so much money in your trade as to buy bread +with. All people stood aloof from you, when you stood upright and gave +them the plain language and were at a word. But now that through the +life you come to answer that of God in all they say that they will trust +you before their own people, knowing that you will not cheat, nor wrong, +nor cozen nor oppress them. For the cry is now where is there a Quaker +of such and such a trade? O, therefore, Friends, who have purchased this +through great sufferings lose not through great favour which God hath +given unto you. + +And now, Friends, if there be any oppression, exaction or defrauding by +making a prize, through the freedom which God hath given you the world +will say, The Quakers are not as they were; therefore such should be +exhorted to equity and truth. + + (_Epistle_, p. 231.) + + +Absorption in Trade. + +For when ye were faithful at the first, the world would refrain from you +and not have commerce with you; but after when they saw ye were faithful +and just in things and righteous and honest in your tradings and +dealings then they came to have commerce and trade with you, the more +because they knew ye will not cozen them nor cheat them. Then ye came to +have greater trading, double than ever ye had and more than the world. +But there is the danger and temptation to you of drawing your minds into +your business and clogging them with it, so that ye can hardly do +anything to the service of God, but there will be crying my business, my +business! and your minds will go into the things and not over the +things. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 126.) + + +Debt. + +And all, of what trade or calling soever, keep out of debts; owe to no +man anything but love. Go not beyond your estates, lest ye bring +yourselves to trouble and cumber and a snare; keep low and down in all +things ye act. For a man that would be great and goes beyond his estate, +lifts himself up, runs into debt and lives highly of other men's means; +he is a waster of other men's, and a destroyer. He is not serviceable to +the creation, but a destroyer of the creation and creatures and +cumbereth himself and troubleth others and is lifted up, who would +appear to be somebody; but being from the honest, the just, the good, +falls into shame. + + (_Works_, VII., pp. 194-5.) + + +In All Husbandry. + +So in all husbandry speak truth, act truth, doing justly and uprightly +in all your actions, in all your practices, in all your words, in all +your dealings, buyings, sellings, changings, and commerce with people, +let truth be the head and practice it. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 193.) + + + II. + The Inward Light. + + +Every Man. + +God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 68.) + +Let everyone keep his habitation and stand in his lot, the seed. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 30.) + + +The First Step. + +The first step of peace is to stand still in the light. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 16.) + +Oh wait upon God for his power, for there is a seed of God in thee. Oh +take heed of thy own wisdom, for that thou wilt find to be an enemy, or +the comprehending the things of God in thy mind. + + (C. J., I., p. 98.) + + +Waiting for the Light. + +Now if thou waitest in Christ and mindest him in thee (and then waitest +for his appearing) and keepest within and dost not follow Lo, here's +Christ, Lo, there's Christ, without thee, thou wilt have peace presently +and witness him, who is the substance of the prophets and apostles and +the Scriptures, made manifest in thee to guide to the father, the Lord +God of heaven and earth; and waiting for the spirit of the Lord within +thee to guide thy mind thou wilt find thy strength daily renewed. + + (C. J., I., p. 95.) + + +The Cleansing Light. + +Ye are sanctified through the obedience of the spirit. + + (C. J., I., p. 95.) + +This spirit circumciseth and puts off the body of sin. + + (_Ibid._) + +To that which doth command all these spirits where heats and burnings +come in, in that wait which cleans them down and cools. + + (C. J., I., p. 320.) + + +The Revealing Light. + +Who art thou that queriest in thy mind what is that which I feel that +condemneth me when I do evil and justifieth me when I do well, what is +it? I will tell thee. Lo! He that formeth the mountains and created the +winds and declareth unto man what is his thoughts, that maketh the +morning darkness and tradeth upon high places of the earth. The Lord, +the God of Hosts is his name. + + (_Journal Friends' Hist. Soc._, Vol. IX., p. 80, from a MS.) + +Though you see little and know little and have little, and see your +nakedness and barrenness and unfruitfulness and see the hardness of your +hearts and your own unworthiness it is the Light that discovers all this +and the love of God to you and it is that which is immediate, but the +dark understanding cannot comprehend it. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 24.) + + +The Regulating Light. + +Therefore have salt in yourselves and be low in heart. The light is low +in you and it will teach you to be low and to learn that lesson of Jesus +Christ to the plucking down all high thoughts and imaginations. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 90.) + + +The Discerning Light. + +Mind every one that which is of God in you, to teach you to walk to God +and before him; and as it teacheth you and enlightens your +understandings it will teach you how to direct others and so to judge of +things eternal so far as that is borne up in your understandings which +is eternal, and as everyone hath a measure, so every one to prove his +talent and not limit God to learned men (as hath long been) which have +learned but their natural languages, so their original ground and +religion is external, their word and light is external and their gifts +and preachings is an external gift and they go to you magistrates who +hath an external law to uphold them in their external ministry. For your +law doth alter and exchange, which is external. Now that which is +external, with it to judge things eternal cannot be, (but limit God). +For he that hath the first gift of God hath that which is perfect and +that which is perfect is eternal, and such hath a discerning to know the +gift of God from the gift of man. + + (C. J., I., pp. 96, 97.) + +Walking in this light it enlightens your consciences and understandings, +walking in it you have union one with another. For the light is but one +which will discover all imagined light, false worships, ways and +churches and draw you up to the church in God the fountain of light. + + (C. J., I., p. 97.) + + +Hating the Light. + +Wait all in the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withal, +that with the light you may see Christ Jesus from whence it comes and +may receive power from Christ who hath all power in heaven and earth +given to him which if ye have the light and do not believe in it which +ye are enlightened withal which light lets you see, mark, the light lets +you see your deeds whether they be wrought in God or no ... but hating +this light, which lets see it, will be your condemnation. + + (C. J., I., p. 83.) + + +Dwelling in the Light. + +Keep down, keep low, that nothing may rule nor reign but life itself. + + (C. J., Vol. I., p. 322.) + +All friends to be kept cool and quiet in the power of the Lord God and +all that is contrary will be subjected, the lamb hath the victory, the +seed is the patience. + + (_Ibid._) + +Oh therefore let not the mind go forth from God; for if it do it will be +stained, venomed and corrupted. If the mind go forth from the Lord it is +hard to bring it in again; therefore take heed of the enemy, and keep in +the faith of Christ. To live and walk in the spirit of God is joy and +peace and life; but the mind going forth into the creatures or into any +visible things from the Lord, this bringeth death. + +Now when the mind is got into the flesh and into death, the accuser gets +within and the law of sin and death gets into the flesh. Then the life +suffers under the law of sin and death, and then there is straightness +and failings. + +Take heed of conforming to the world, and of reasoning with flesh and +blood, for that bringeth disobedience. But the obedience of faith +destroyeth imaginations and questionings and all the temptations in the +flesh and buffettings and lookings forth and fetching up things that are +past. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., Vol. I., pp. 60-61, condensed.) + +And dwelling in the light, there is no occasion at all of stumbling, for +all things are discovered with the light. Thou that lovest it, here is +thy teacher. When thou art walking abroad it is present with thee in thy +bosom. Thou needest not to say lo, here, or, lo, there; and as thou +liest in thy bed it is present to teach thee and judge thy wandering +mind which wanders abroad, and thy high thoughts and imaginations and +makes them subject. For following thy thoughts thou art quickly lost. +But dwelling in this light it will discover to thee the body of sin and +thy corruptions and fallen estate where thou art. + +In that light which shows thee all this, stand. Neither go to the right +hand nor to the left. Here is patience exercised, here is thy will +subjected. Here thou wilt see the mercies of God made manifest in death. +Here thou wilt see the drinking of the waters of Shiloah, which run +softly. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 17.) + +So the son of God within riseth through death to destroy death in man. + + (C. J., I., p. 98.) + + + III. + Justice. + + +Laws against God. + +Now if a law be made over the conscience that is pure, that law is +against God. + + (C. J., I., p. 96.) + + +An Unjust Judge. + +How hast thou strengthened the hands of the evil doers and been a praise +to them and not to them that do well. How like a mad man and a blind man +didst thou turn thy sword backward against the saints, against whom +there is no law. How wilt thou be gnawed and burned one day when thou +feels the flame, and hast the plagues of God poured upon thee, when thou +beginnest to gnaw thy tongue for the pain, because of the plague. Thou +shalt have thy reward according to thy work. Thou canst not escape. The +Lord's righteous judgments shall find thee out the witness in thy +conscience shall answer it. + + (C. J., I., _Letter to Justice Sawrey_, 1652, p. 78.) + + +True Justice. + +None is worthy to have the name of a magistrate that is proud, peevish, +selfish, crabbed; or that is wilful or wicked or that is heady or +high-minded; for the higher power is to chain such from their intents +and mischievous ends that they would do and wrong the innocent with +their unrighteous intents; and such as touching judgment are blind, that +be perverse and full of ambition and pride, such forgets God and he is +not in their thoughts, these feel not the burden that the innocent bears +and groans under; for such as be there be in that nature that burdens +the just in particular and in the general; before whose eyes the fear of +God is not, who makes a prey upon the just.... + +So as ye all, magistrates, be kept in the fear of God and in the higher +power, in the true understanding and true wisdom which is pure, gentle, +from above, easy to be entreated. It will bring you to the true +instructions and there, being in them, it will bring you to instruct all +others wherever you come. + + (C. J., I., _Letter to the Long Parliament_, pp. 84, 85.) + + +Coercion. + +TO THE CHIEF MAGISTRATES, RULERS, ETC. + +And now I do in humility desire you to consider did ever Christ and His +apostles force any to be of his true religion and worship, and if that +they would not then to give forth orders to take away their goods and +their very beds and their corn which should make them bread, their +cattle which should help to maintain them and their cows which should +give them milk, their clothes they should wear to keep them warm and +their tools they should work withal to get their living? Did not Christ +on the contrary exhort Christians _to love one another_ and _to love +enemies_? + + (_Works_, VI., p. 272, 3.) + +While there is prejudice in the officers, judges, justices or rulers, +whilst he is passionate, out of the humbleness and humility, out of the +mercy, out of the patience, in the wilfulness, in the stubbornness, +sturdiness, highmindedness, minding the persons respecting that--under +this doth the just groan and under this doth the just feel the weight +which feels the want of the true measure and cries for the true measure +and puts up petitions to the lord who hears and answers the cries of the +oppressed and removes the oppressor and brings him to shame and contempt +though for a time he hath a day of honour and glory, but such, the Lord +of glory their day doth shorten, often in turning them out and cutting +them off bringing his righteous judgments upon them who rightly hath not +judged. Such, God measures their ways, God gives to them measure and +just weight according to their works. Therefore, all the rulers of the +earth be awakened with the measure of God, be awakened to righteousness +and to the measure of God. All take heed to give your minds up to God +whereby ye may stand all in God's counsel, to receive that from God +which shall never be shaken, whereby with it ye may answer that of God +in every man and be to the Lord a praise and a terror to the nations +about you; for true justice and judgment being set up and being in the +hands of such as have the true measure to reach that of God in every +man, then that of God in every man shall answer his measure and having +the true weight to weigh things aright that of God in every man shall +witness his weight to be just and his measure not too short, for he +gives to every man his due.... + +I am moved to charge all to be meek, to be humble, to be patient and not +to be rash nor to be heady nor to be fierce, but to be gentle and fear +before the Lord God whereby you may receive his wisdom. + + (C. J., I., _To the Long Parliament_, pp. 80, 81.) + + +Speedy Justice. + +And I also wrote to the judges what a sore thing it was that prisoners +should lie so long in goal, and how they learned badness one of another +in talking of their bad things and therefore speedy justice should have +been done. For I was a tender youth in the fear of God and I was grieved +to hear their bad language and was made often to reprove them for their +words and bad carriage each towards other. + + (C. J., I., p. 14.) + + + IV. + Meetings and Ministry. + + +Silent Ministry. + +My dear friends, keep your meetings, and ye will feel the seed to arise, +though never a word be spoken amongst you. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 115.) + + +Joining a Silent Meeting. + +So, friends, the word of the Lord to you all in all meetings you come +into when they are sitting silent. They are many times in their own. Now +a man when he is come out of the world he cometh out of the dirt, then +he must not be rash, for now when he cometh into a silent meeting, that +is another state; then he must come and feel his own spirit how it is +when he cometh to them that sit silent, for if he be rash then they will +judge him. When he had been in the world and among the world the heat is +not out of him for he may come in the heat of his spirit out of the +world. Now the other is still and cool, so his condition in that is not +to theirs, he may rather do them hurt, beget them out of the cool state +into the heating state if he be not in that which commands his own +spirit and gives him to know it. + + (C. J., I., p. 318.) + + +Silent Waiting. + +It is good for a man to bear the iniquity of his youth, he sitteth alone +and keepeth silence because he hath borne it upon him, now that which +hath acted iniquity might come into the silence before the just which +comes out of the iniquity doth come to reign and have dominion ... the +earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the +son of God, ... and is come to that condition that they do not know what +they should pray for but in spirit make intercession with sighs and +groans. + + (_Barclay MSS._, Vol. I, p. 110, slightly condensed.) + + +Stand Up. + +Stand up ye prophets of the Lord for the truth upon the earth; quench +not your prophecy, neither heed them that despise it. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 43). + + +The True Balance. + +Despise not the prophecy ... neither be lifted up in your openings, lest +ye depart from that which opened. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 43.) + + +Sitting Down Without Speaking. + +We had a general meeting of many thousands of people atop of a hill. +Heavenly and glorious it was. And the glory of the Lord did shine over +all. And there was as many as one could well speak over, there was such +a multitude. And their eyes were kept to Christ their teacher and they +came to sit under their vine, that a friend, afterwards Francis Howgill +in the ministry, went amongst them, and when he was moved to stand up +amongst them, he saw they had no need of words. For they was all sitting +down under their teacher Christ Jesus, so he was moved to sit down again +amongst them without speaking anything. + + (C. J., I., p. 137.) + + +Move Abroad in the Spirit of Obedience. + +Now when anyone shall be moved to go to speak in a steeple-house or +market, turn in that which moves and be obedient to it. Now that which +would not go must be kept down, for that same that would not go will get +up. And take heed that the lavishing part do not get up. For it is a bad +savour and must be kept down and be kept subject. + + (C. J., I., p. 321.) + + +Quenching the Spirit. + +Though many have run out and gone beyond their measures yet many more +have quenched the measure of the spirit of God and after become dead and +dull and questioned through a false fear; and so there hath been hurt +both ways. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 19.) + +Belief in the power keeps the spring open, and none to despise prophecy, +neither to quench the spirit, so that all may be kept open to the +spring, that every one's cup may run over. + + (_Ibid._) + + +Be Neither Hasty nor Backward. + +So every one stand in the power of the Lord that reacheth the seed of +God which is the heir of the promise of life without end, and none to be +hasty to speak for you have time enough. For with an eye you may reach +the witness. And none to be backward when you are moved, for that brings +destruction. + + (C. J., I., p. 320.) + + +Missing the Moment. + +Now none must ever go forth into words after they have moved and +quenched that which moved them. + + (C. J., I., p. 322.) + + +Danger of Impulsive Testimony. + +Now when the seed is up in every particular then there is no danger. But +now when there is an opening and prophecy and the power stirs before the +seed comes up, then there is something that will rash out and run out. +There is the danger and there must be the fear and the patience. + + (C. J., I., p. 321.) + + +Borrowed Testimony. + +Let no Friends go beyond their own measure given them of God, nor +rejoice in another man's line made ready to their hands. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 115.) + + +Concerning Judging in Meetings. + +Friends, do not judge one another in meetings, ye that do minister in +the meetings; for your so doing hath hurt the people both within and +without and yourselves under their judgment ye have brought. And your +judging one another in the meetings hath emboldened others to quarrel +and judge you also in the meetings. And this hath been all out of order +and the church order also. Now if you have anything to say to any, stay +till the meeting be done, and then speak to them in private between +yourselves, and do not lay open another's weakness. For that is weakness +and not wisdom to do so. For your judging one another in meetings hath +almost destroyed some Friends and distracted them. And this for want of +love that beareth all things; and therefore let it be amended. No more, +but my love. + + (_Works_, VII., pp. 114, 115.) + + +Recrimination. + +Friends, go not into the aggravating part to strive with it, lest ye do +hurt to your souls and run into the same nature. For patience must get +the victory and answers to that of God in every one which will bring +every one from the contrary. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 109.) + + +Strife and Debate. + +Where any goeth into the contention he is from the pure. For where any +goeth into the contention if anything by him before hath been begotten +then that doth get atop and spoil that which was begotten and quench his +own prophesy. So if he be not subjected with the power in the particular +which would arise into the strife, that is dangerous. + + (C. J., I., p. 319.) + + +Boasting and Vapouring. + +None must be light, out, wild. For the seed of God that is weighty and +brings solid and into the wisdom of God by which is the wisdom of the +creation known. Now that which runs into the imaginations and that part +standing in which the imaginations come up, the pure not quite come up +through to rule and reign, then that will run out, then that will glory; +and so he hath spoiled that which opened to him and will boast and +vapour, which is for condemnation. + + (C. J., I., pp. 319, 320.) + + +Heady Stuff. + +With the heart man doth believe, and with the mouth confession is made +unto salvation; first, he has it in his heart, before it comes out of +his mouth, and this is beyond that brain-beaten--heady stuff which man +has long studied, about the saints' words which holy men of God spake +forth as they were moved by the holy ghost: so the holy ghost moved them +before they came forth and spake them. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 19.) + + +Hypocrisy. + +For many are crept in unawares, who are self-ended, slow-bellies, who +love this world more than the cross of Christ, who are got high in the +form and have great swelling words which they can utter for their +advantage in earthly things, deceiving the simple therewith. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 60.) + + +Saying and Doing. + +For there are children of darkness that will talk of the light and of +the truth and not walk in it. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., I., p. 60.) + +All they which preached faith and made shipwreck of faith, were and are +still, denied. All such as preach the light and walk in darkness, and +preach the spirit (the fruits of which are love and peace) and are in +enmity, were never owned by God, nor Christ, nor good men, though they +may be called Christians. All such as cry, Lord, Lord, and preach +Christ, Christ, and do not his will, enter not into his kingdom +themselves, and into it they can bring none. They are deceivers of their +own souls and they may deceive others with their good words; but such +cannot be reconciled to God, neither can they bring others to +reconciliation with God. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 139, condensed.) + + +Keep down all Uncleanness. + +Keep your meetings in the power of the Lord God ... that all uncleanness +whatsoever may, by the power of the Lord, be brought down and rooted +out; and that such have no rule nor authority amongst you, though they +be never so fair or excellent of speech. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 128.) + + +They had Spoken Themselves Dry. + +Now they had had great meetings. So I told them that after they had had +such meetings they did not wait upon God to feel his power to gather +their minds together, to feel his presence and power and therein to sit +to wait upon him, for they had spoken themselves dry and spent their +portions and not lived in that which they spoke, and now they were dry. +They had some kind of meetings but took tobacco and drunk ale in them +and so grew light and loose. + +But my message unto them was from the Lord that they might all come +together again and wait to feel the Lord's power and spirit in +themselves to gather them to Christ, and to be taught of him who says, +learn of me. + +For after when they had declared that which the Lord had opened to them +then the people was to receive it, and the speakers, and they was to +live in that themselves. + +But when they had no more to declare but to go to seek forms without +life, that made themselves dry and barren, and the people. And thence +came all their loss. For the Lord renews his mercies, and his strength +if they would wait upon him. But the heads of them all came to nothing. +But most of the people came to be convinced. + + (C. J., I., pp. 22, 23.) + + +Before Utterance. + +Let all live in the seed and wisdom and fear, and consider before they +utter, that the light be up whereby all may be settled and they +themselves be washed. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 129.) + + +After Utterance. + +So if anyone have a moving to any place and have spoken what they were +moved of the Lord, return to their habitation again and live in the pure +life of God and fear of the Lord. And so will you in the life and in the +sober and seasoned spirit be kept and preach as well in life as with +words. + + (C. J., I., p. 319.) + +And when any have spoken forth the things of the Lord by his power and +spirit, let them keep in the power and spirit, that keeps them in the +humility that when they have spoken forth the things of God they are +neither higher nor lower, but still keep in the power, before and after. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 21.) + + +Elders. + +And ye that are led forth to exhort or to reprove, do it with all +diligence, taking all opportunities, reproving that which devours the +creation and thereby destroys the very human reason. For the truth doth +preserve every thing in its place. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 52.) + + +Simple-hearted Ones. + +And beware of discouraging any in the work of God. The labourers are few +that are faithful to God. Take heed of hurting the gift which God hath +given to profit withal, whereby ye have received life through death and +a measure of peace by the destruction of evil. + +And all take heed to your spirits. That which is hasty discerns not the +good seed. Take heed of being corrupted by flatteries. They that know +their God shall be strong. But take heed of labouring to turn aside the +just for a thing of naught, but know the precious from the vile, the +clean from the unclean. "These shall be as my mouth" saith the Lord, for +his work is great and his gifts diverse. And therefore all mind your +gift, mind your measure, mind your calling and your work. Some speak to +the conscience, some plough and break the clods, some weed out and some +sow, some wait that fowls devour not the seed. But wait all for the +gathering of the simple-hearted ones. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 18.) + + +Tender Bubblings. + +All my dear friends in the noble seed of God who have known his power, +life, and presence among you, let it be your joy to hear or see the +springs of life break forth in any in which you have all unity in the +same feeling, life and power. And above all things take heed of judging, +ever, anyone openly in your meeting except they be openly profane, +rebellious, such as be out of the truth, that by power and life and +wisdom you may stand over them, and by it answer the witness of God in +the world, that such is none of you whom you bear your testimony +against. So that there in the truth stand clear and single. But such as +are tender, if they should be moved to bubble forth a few words and +speak in the seed and lamb's power, suffer and bear that that is the +tender. And if they should go beyond their measure bear it in the +meeting for peace sake and order, that the spirits of the world be not +moved against you, but that when the meeting is done then if any thing +should be moved of anyone to speak to them between yourselves or one or +two of you that feel it in the life and the love and wisdom that is pure +... so in this you have order, you have edification. + + (C. J., I., pp. 222, 223.) + + +Concerns to Travel Abroad. + +Now there is a great danger in travelling abroad in the world, the same +power that moves them is it must keep them. For it is the greatest +danger to go abroad except a man be moved of the Lord, by the power of +the Lord; for then he, keeping in the power, is kept in his journey and +in his work and it will preserve him to answer the transgressed and keep +above the transgressor. So now everyone feeling the danger to his own +particular in travelling abroad there the pure fear of the Lord will be +placed. For now though one may have openings when they are abroad to +minister to others, but as for their own particular growth is to dwell +in the life which doth open. And it will keep down that which will +boast; for the minister comes into the death to that which is in the +death and in prison, and to return up again into the life and into the +power and into the wisdom to preserve him clean. + + (C. J., I., p. 319.) + + +Paid Ministry. + +Now as concerning priests and teachers who will not preach without a sum +of money ... such the higher power silenceth that useth their tongue, +whose doubts is for outward maintenance and taking thought for that, +such are in the state of the Gentiles, the Kingdoms of the world and +seeking for that and not for the Kingdom of God, and the righteousness +of it first, which the other things follow. If this were found and a +word from the Lord received and his counsel stood in, people would be +turned from their evil ways, there would be no want for outward things. +But if they be priests and readers of the law to the people, then they +must have their pulpit of wood and a thing made ready to their hand and +boast in other men's labours. But this was not the practice of the +apostles. + + (C. J., I., p. 85.) + + +Consecrated Ground. + +So I declared to the people that I came not to hold up their idols, +temple, tithes nor priests but to declare against them and opened to the +people all their traditions and that piece of ground was no more holy +than another piece of ground and that they should know that their bodies +were to be the temples of God and Christ and so to bring them off all +the world's hireling teachers to Christ their free teacher and directing +them to the spirit and grace, and the light of Jesus that they might +know both God and Christ and the Scriptures. + + (C. J., I., p. 27.) + + +Business Meetings. + +Let all be careful to speak shortly and pertinently to matters, in a +Christian spirit and dispatch business quickly and keep out of long +debates and heats; and with the Spirit of God keep that down which is +doating about questions and strife of words that tend to parties and +contention. In the church of God there is no such custom to be allowed. +And let not more than one speak at a time; nor any in a fierce way, for +that is not to be allowed in any society, either natural or spiritual. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 309.) + +Friends ... keep to your proper, sound, plain language. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 85.) + +Now dear Friends I have sent an answer to that which William Rogers hath +wrote together full of lies calumnies and false reports under pretence +of queries, but are charges from his rattle head to please rattle +children with. + + (_Bristol MSS._, Vol. 20.) + +All Friends everywhere take heed of printing anything more than ye are +required of the Lord God. And all Friends everywhere take heed of +wandering up and down about needless occasions for there is danger of +getting into the careless words out of seriousness weightiness and +savouriness. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 128.) + + +Representatives. + +Now concerning those that do go to the Quarterly Meeting as +representatives, they must be substantial friends that can give a +testimony of your sufferings and how things are amongst you in every +particular meeting. So that none that are raw or weak, that are not able +to give a testimony of the affairs of the church and truth may go on +behalf of the particular meetings to the quarterly meetings, but may be +nursed up in your monthly meetings and there fitted for the Lord's +service. + + (_Epistles_, No. 264, 1669.) + + +Meeting Days. + +That is a creeping spirit that would go to alter the usual and constant +meeting days under pretence to prevent people from the corruptions of +observing a constant day. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 81.) + + +To all the Children of God in all Places in the World. + +Keep all your meetings in the name of the Lord Jesus that be gathered in +his name by his light, grace, truth, power and spirit, by which you will +feel his blessed and refreshing presence among you, and in you to your +comfort and God's glory. + +And now all friends, all your meetings, you do know that you have felt +both His power and spirit and wisdom and blessed refreshing presence +among you and in you to his praise and glory and your comfort so that +you have been a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. + +And although many loose and unruly spirits have risen betimes to oppose +you and them both in print and other ways, but you have seen how they +have come to nought. + +And therefore all to stand steadfast in Christ Jesus your head, in whom +you are all one, male and female and knoweth his government, and the +increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. + +And let no man live to self, but to the Lord, as they will die in him +and seek the peace of the church of Christ, and the peace of all men in +him, for blessed are the peacemakers. And dwell in the pure peaceable +heavenly wisdom of God that is gentle and easy to be entreated, that is +full of mercy; all striving to be of one mind, heart, soul and judgment +in Christ, having his mind and spirit dwelling in you, building up one +another in the love of God. + +And Christ is not divided, for in him there is peace. Christ saith, in +me you have peace and he is from above and not of this world. But in the +world below, in the spirit of it there is trouble. Therefore keep in +Christ and walk in him. Amen. + + (C. J., II., pp. 367-369, condensed.) + + +Interdependence. + +And the least member in the church hath an office and is serviceable and +every member hath need of another. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 347.) + + + V. + Oaths. + + +Oaths. + +Dear friends and brethren in all your words, in all your business and +employment, have a care of breaking your words and promises to any +people; but that you may consider beforehand, whether you may be able to +perform and fulfil both your words and promises, that your yea be yea, +and nay, nay in all things; which Christ hath set up instead of an oath +and swearing. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 219.) + +For swearing by Baal and swearing by the temple or swearing by the altar +or by the gift that was offered thereon; or swearing by the heavens or +by the earth or swearing by the head, these were all inventions. Christ +did not come to fulfil those vain and frivolous oaths that men +commanded, and practised but the oath which God had commanded, and cried +woe against them that were in the practice of those oaths which God +never commanded ... and so you may see all along it was the command of +the Lord and by His law and prophets that people were to swear by the +Lord and perform their oath unto him which was the true oath and +swearing which Christ forbad much more all other oaths.... + +So though swearing was lawful in the time of the law as other things and +offerings, in the time of the gospel is forbidden.... So we desire that +our testimony may be taken in truth and righteousness, without swearing. + + (_Works_, V., pp. 165, _et seq._, condensed.) + +So this is the word of the Lord God to you all, feel that you stand in +the presence of the Lord God. For every man's word shall be his burden. + + (C. J., I., p. 319.) + + + VI. + Respecting Persons. + + +Honour and Glory. + +And so as you honour God, with God shall you be honoured. But seek it as +eagerly as you will without him it will fly from you. Through flattery +you may obtain which will corrupt your judgment and let in upon you +everlasting dishonour. Wherefore turn to the Lord with your whole hearts +and seek his glory alone. + + (C. J., I., p. 134.) + + +Flattery. + +Take heed of being corrupted by flatteries. They that know their God +shall be strong. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 18.) + +Be not carried away by good words and fair speeches, nor the +affectionate part which is taken with them; but everyone have hold of +the truth in yourselves. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 155.) + + +Time-Serving. + +That selfish man-pleasing and daubing spirit must be put down with the +spirit and condemned with the light, else ye will presently be +ridiculous to the world and to all men and they will say ye are not as +ye were in the beginning. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 182.) + + +Honour. + +So you that are in place to rule and seek for honour, seek first that +which is honourable and none can hold you from honour. And know it is +the gift of God only to such as honour him and not themselves. Seek that +glory and honour that hath immortality and eternal life, which is +obtained of God by continuance in well-doing. Seek humility that goes +before honour, exalt justice, set up righteousness and truth in +judgment. Hold forth God's sword to all people under you and not your +own wills.... Seek first the Kingdom of God that he may rule in your own +hearts over your pride, over your passion, over lust, over covetousness, +over respect of persons and over all unrighteousness. So shall you set +up the higher power in you for every soul to be subject to, which that +of God in every conscience shall answer to. + + (C. J., I., pp. 132-133.) + +Boast not yourselves, none of you, but be watchful and meek and learn +the true humility which goes before the honour. For it is an honour for +a King to find out a matter and search it out. And let there not be an +eye in none of you nor an ear amongst none of you that will respect +persons or have persons respected. For in such cases there will be a +will that is brittle, earthly, changeable, wanting the patience to judge +rightly, selfish; and stubbornness and prejudice and siding to parties +more than to truth. And right judgment is blinded in these and the true +measure is wanting and the true weight to weigh withal. + + (C. J., I., p. 80.) + + +Hat Honour. + +So I asked him (if) he were the Governor and wherefore he cast the +friend into prison, and he said for standing with his hat upon his head +when the minister and the people sung. And I told him had not the priest +two caps upon his head, and if the friend should cut off the brim of his +hat then he would have but one; for the brim was to save the rain off +his neck and shoulders, and he cried, Away with these frivolous things +and then I asked him why he imprisoned the friend for frivolous things. + + (_Short Journal_, pp. 78, 79.) + + + VII. + The Scriptures. + + +The Word. + +In the beginning was the word and none knows this word but who are come +to the beginning. Now, all people and priests, who can witness this? Who +are come hither? Who are come hither into the beginning? What our hands +have handled and what our eyes have seen what was from the beginning. +The word of life this declare we unto you. Who know this word are pure +are made clean through the word, are washed by the word, are sanctified +by the word, are cut to pieces by the word and are divided asunder by +the word; and this word is a hammer beating down everything, that the +seed of God may rise up and come to the beginning; and all who know this +word are come into the beginning. It is as a fire burning up all +corruptions and this is the word that is nigh thee in thy heart; and +this is the word which all the prophets spoke from; and this is the word +that became flesh and dwelt among us (saith the Saints); and this is the +word of life which the apostles preached, the substance of all figures, +types and shadows and this is the word which makes all the Saints one, +that reconciles their hearts together to the Lord; this is the word by +which all things stand and remain, and are upheld by his word and power +and this is the word which doth endure forever; all who are born again +of the immortal seed witness this word with me. And now the word is made +manifest the same as ever was, which gathers together the hearts of +people, which divides asunder the precious and the vile and of twain +hath made one, and this is the word that lets see that all flesh is +grass and this is the word which was before any letter was written, and +all who have not this word put the letter for the word and are in Cain's +nature, envying and murdering running on swiftly to evil; and Cain's +sacrifice God doth not accept, and all the preaching and all the praying +and all your reading and all your singing and all your expounding and +all your churches and all your worships and all your teachers and all +your baptisms, which are invented from the letter, the carnal mind +invents them. All this is for the fire. Your profession must be gathered +together in bundles and cast into the fire, for they are the works of +the flesh proceeding from the first nature. And all you who live in the +first nature not knowing the word of God but only the letter, ye crucify +the just and yet get up into the just's place, quenching the light +within you. Now I witness it by the same word as ever was. They draw +people unto the letter and tell them it is the word and to hearken to +them who speak their vain imaginations of it. So they bear rule by their +means over the poor people, which the Lord was ever against. For God is +free and will have his people so and his gospel is a free gospel and his +mercies are free and his grace is free. His gospel is free to every +creature and his grace is free to every creature. His grace is not the +letter, his gospel is not the letter, his glad tidings is not the +letter, for many poor troubled souls may be under death and condemnation +and have the letter and these teachers of the letter, and there lie +wounded but no peace. + +So all people consider and see if you can witness your souls raised out +of death and you brought into the everlasting covenant. So who can +witness their souls brought out of death are come into the beginning, +but thou that hast nothing but the letter and art spending thy money and +thy labour and not satisfied, thou art following the greedy dumb dog +which can never have enough. + + (C. J., I., pp. 72-75, condensed.) + + +Jangling about the Scriptures. + +None upon the earth comes to witness the spirit of wisdom and of +understanding and a sound mind, but who first comes down to the witness +of God in him, the spirit of God which gave forth the scriptures, with +which he comes to have unity with God and scriptures and one another +with which spirit they worship him and all evil doers and transgressors +upon the earth go from the spirit of God in them and the light. + +And all janglings about religion upon the earth, and differences about +scriptures which the higher power goes upon, given forth from the spirit +of God, amongst teachers, professors and people and churches is that +they be out of the spirit of Christ the prophets and apostles were in, +that gave forth the scriptures, and the servants of God in which spirit +they had unity. For the fellowship is in the light, and the unity is in +the spirit, and that is the bond of peace amongst people. But people out +of that professing the scriptures and every one being exalted from the +measure of the spirit of God in him and boasts of other men's lives and +labours, are from the bond of peace which is in the spirit and so are in +the confusion. + + (C. J., 656, pp. 218-219.) + + +Knowing the Scriptures. + +And you that have the Scriptures from Genesis to the Revelations yet you +know them not with your natural spirit of understanding, nor by all the +tongues and languages since Babel; for none knew them but by the spirit +of inspiration that gave them forth. + + (_Works_, V., p. 246.) + +He that hath the son of God he hath life eternal; and he that had not +the son of God let him profess all the Scriptures from Genesis to +Revelation he had not life. + + (C. J., I., p. 136.) + + +Possessing the Scriptures. + +And ye are sanctified through the obedience of the spirit, and so come +to witness the scriptures pure and clear as they are without any mixture +as holy men possessed them and gave them forth, so holy men possess them +and give them forth again and witness them again. Oh, do not read these +things without, nor look at them to be hard, but at the love of God to +thee in showing thee thy condition. For all the scriptures were given +forth from an inward principle. + + (C. J., I., p. 96.) + + + VIII. + Sin. + + +Pleading for Unholiness. + +When I was in prison, diverse professors came to discourse with me; and +I had a sense, before they spoke, that they came to plead for sin and +imperfection. I asked them, Whether they were believers and had faith? +And they said Yes. I asked them, In whom? And they said, In Christ. I +replied, If ye are true believers in Christ, you are passed from death +to life and if passed from death, then from sin that bringeth death. And +if your faith be true, it will give you victory over sin and the devil; +for they said they could not believe that any could be free from sin on +this side the grave. I bid them give over babbling about the Scriptures +which were holy men's words, whilst they pleaded for unholiness. + + (_Journal_, 8th ed., II., p. 56.) + + +Perfection. + +There came a priest and some people with him to me and he asked me if I +was grown up to perfection and I said I was what I was by the grace of +God; and the common-prayer priest said it was a civil answer and he said +that if we do say that we have no sin, the truth is not in us; what did +I say to this? And I said if we say that we have not sinned we make him +a liar who came to destroy sin and take away sin and so there is a time +to see that people have sinned and that they have sin and to confess +their sin and to forsake it; and the blood of Christ to cleanse from all +sin. And it was asked him whether Adam was not perfect before he fell, +and all God's works were they not perfect? And the priest said yes. But +the priest said we might always be striving and this was a sad striving +and never overcome. But I told him that Paul that cried out against the +body of death after thanked God, through Jesus Christ who gave him the +victory; and there was no condemnation to them that was in Christ Jesus. +So there was a time of crying out and a time of praising. And the priest +said there might be a perfection as Adam and a falling from it and I +said there was a perfection in Christ beyond Adam and should never fall; +and it was the work of the ministers of Christ to present every man +perfect in Christ and for the perfecting of them they had their gifts +from Christ and they that denied perfection they denied the work of ... +(illegible) the gifts of Christ who was for that end for the perfecting, +broken. + + (_Journal Friends' Hist. Soc._, Vol. V., p. 170, from a Fox + autograph.) + + +A Customary Word. + +And to all ye that say, God give us grace and we shall refrain from our +sin, there ye have got a tempting customary word, for the free grace of +God hath appeared to all men and this is the grace of God hath appeared +to all men and this is the grace of God which shows the ungodliness and +worldly lusts. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 21.) + + +Temptation. + +Whatever ye are addicted to, the tempter will come in that thing; and +when he can trouble you then he gets advantage over you, and then ye are +gone. Stand still in that which is pure after ye see yourselves, and +then mercy comes in. After thou seest thy thoughts and the temptations +do not think but submit, and then power comes. Stand still in that which +shows and discovers, and there doth strength immediately come. And stand +still in the light, and submit to it and the other will be hushed and +gone, and then content comes. And when temptations and troubles appear +sink down in that which is pure and all will be hushed and fly away. +Your strength is to stand still after ye see yourselves. Whatsoever ye +see yourselves addicted to, temptations, corruption, uncleanness, etc., +then ye think ye shall never overcome. And earthly reason will tell you +what ye shall love; hearken not to that but stand still in the light +that shows them to you and then strength comes from the Lord and help, +contrary to your expectation. Then ye grow up in peace and no trouble +shall move you. + + (_Works_, VII., pp. 20, 21.) + +Never heed the wicked's tempest, storm nor hail, nor his instruments of +cruelty. Let not the back and the hair the cheek and the shoulder be +ever turned from him. + + * * * * * + +Look (over all the wicked's prisons) at the seed of God, Christ, which +was before they were, and will stand when they are all gone. + + * * * * * + +Let all haste and run for their lives into Adam that never fell, out of +Adam that fell. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 271.) + + +To All that be in the Fall. + +And I was moved to declare to the people how all people in the fall were +from the image of God and righteousness and holiness, and they was as +wells without the water of life, clouds without the heavenly rain, trees +without the heavenly fruit and in the nature of beasts and serpents, and +tall cedars and oaks, and bulls and heifers, so they might read this +nature within as the prophet described to people that were out of truth, +and how that they was in the nature of dogs and swine biting and +rending, and the nature of briars, thistles and thorns, and like the +owls and dragons in the night, and like the wild asses and horses +snuffing up, and like the mountains and rocks and crooked and rough +ways, so I exhorted them to read these without and within in their +nature and the wandering stars, read them without and look within all +that was come to the bright and morning star, so as their fallow ground +must be ploughed up before it beared seed to them, so must the fallow +ground of their heart be ploughed up before they bear seed to God. So +all these names were spoken to man and woman since they fell from the +image of God. And as they do come to be renewed again up into the image +of God they come out of the nature and so out of the name. + + (C. J., 1652, pp. 53, 54.) + +A place of repentance ye cannot find, though ye wash your altar with +tears, being in the stained life. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 211.) + +The Lord is coming upon the wicked in his thundering power, for they are +ripe. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 273.) + + +Discouragement. + +And, friends, though you may have tasted of the power and been convinced +and have felt the light; yet, afterwards, you may feel a winter storm, +tempest, hail (and be frozen), frost and cold and wilderness and +temptations, be patient and still in the power and still in the light +that doth convince you. Keep your minds unto God, in that be quiet that +you may come to the summer, that your flight be not in the winter. For +if you sit still in the patience which overcomes in the power of God +there will be no flying. For the husbandman after he hath sown his seed +he is patient, for by the power and by the light you will come to see +through and feel over winter storms tempests and all the coldness +barrenness, emptiness; and the same light and power will go over the +tempter's head which power and light was before he was. And so in the +light standing still you will see your salvation, you will see the +Lord's strength, you will feel the small rain, you will feel the fresh +springs. + + (C. J., I., pp. 224-225.) + + +Despair. + +Now to all you who are convinced and have your understandings +enlightened. Beware ye enter not in the temptation to lust after the +creature and give not way to the lazy dreaming mind for it enters into +the temptations. So there thou wilt be polluted with the pollutions of +the world; then thou wilt be tempted to despair and the devil there gets +power upon thee. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 56.) + + +The End of Sin. + +This spirit baptiseth into the one body and this spirit is the unity of +the saints though they be absent in body, yet present in spirit all +being made to drink into one spirit. And this spirit circumciseth and +puts off the body of sin. + + (C. J., I., p. 95.) + + + IX. + Slavery. + + +Enslaved Races. + +I am moved to write these things to you in all the plantations. God that +made the world and all things therein and giveth life and breath to all +is the God of spirits of all flesh and is no respecter of persons. He +hath made all nations of one blood. And he doth enlighten every man that +cometh into the world. And the gospel is preached to every creature +under heaven, which is the power that giveth liberty and freedom and is +glad tidings to every captivated creature under the whole heavens. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 144, condensed.) + + + X. + War. + +So the keeper of the house of correction was commanded to bring me up +before the commissioners and soldiers in the market-place and there they +proffered me perferment because of my virtue as they said, with many +other compliments, and asked me if I would not take up arms for the +Commonwealth against the King. But I told them I lived in the virtue of +that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars; and I knew +from whence all wars did rise; from the lust according to James his +doctrine. And still they courted me to accept of their offer, and +thought that I did but compliment with them, but I told them I was come +into the covenant of peace which was before wars and strifes was. And +they said they offered it in love and kindness to me because of my +virtue and such like, and I told them if that were their love and +kindness I trampled it under my feet. + + (C. J., I., pp. 11, 12.) + + +Strife. + +Come out of the bustlings you that are bustling and in strife one +against another, whose spirits are not quieted, but are fighting with +words, whose hearts burn against each other with a mad blind zeal, who +are up in your wantonness, lightness and pleasures who set the whole +course of nature on fire, among whom the way of peace and that which is +perfect is not known. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 124.) + +There is no one strikes his fellow servants but first he is gone from +the pure in his own particular. He goeth from the light he is +enlightened withal when he strikes. Then he hath his reward. + + (C. J., I., p. 318.) + +Peace. + +Seek the peace of all men. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 62.) + + + XI. + Concerning Women. + + +Marriage. + +For man and woman were helps-meet in the image of God and in +righteousness and holiness, in the dominion before they fell; but after +the fall in the transgression the man was to rule over his wife; but in +the restoration by Christ into the image of God and his righteousness +and holiness again in that they are helps-meet, man and woman, as they +were before the fall. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 39.) + +And there was a great marriage of two friends the next day, and there +came some hundreds of beggars. And friends refreshed them instead of the +rich. And in the meeting before the marriage I was moved to open to the +people the state of our marriages, how the people of God took one +another in the assemblies of the elders, and how God did join man and +woman together before the fall, and man had joined in the fall, but it +was God's joining again in the restoration and never from Genesis to the +Revelation did ever any priests marry any. + + (C. J., II., pp. 106-7.) + +DEAR RICHARD, + +With my love to thee and to thy wife and to all the rest of Friends in +the holy seed of life, now dear Richard Richardson I desire that thou +would search all the libraries concerning marriages, and what they do +say of them; and the Fathers and how they did before the monkish sort +came in in the Britons' time and when marrying with the priest came in. +So search histories and laws and see what thou canst bring out both good +and bad and which maketh a marriage and do what thou canst in this +thing, for it hath been upon me some time to write to thee of this thing +and did receive thy letter by R. Bartlett which I did let Thomas Lowson +see. It is a notable thing, so in haste with my love + + gff. + +Swarthmore, 8 mo., 16, 1679. + + (_Journal Friends' Hist. Soc._, Vol. I., p. 63, from MSS.) + + +Man, born of Woman. + +And some men may say man must have the power and superiority over the +woman, because God says, "The man must rule over his wife" and that "man +is not of the woman, but the woman is of the man." + +Indeed, after man fell, that command was; but before man fell there was +no such command. For they were both meet-helps and they were both to +have dominion over all that God made. And, as the apostle saith, "for as +the woman is of the man," his next words are, "so is the man also by the +woman; but all things are of God." + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 69.) + +What spirit is this that would exercise lordship over the faith of any? + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 97.) + +Women are heirs of life as well as men ... they must all give an account +of their stewardship and are to be possessors of life and light and +grace and the gospel of Christ, and to labour in it and to keep their +liberty and freedom in it as well as the men. + + (_Ibid._) + + +A Churlish Husband. + +You may see Abigail, that honourable woman's wisdom, how she saved her +family and her house from destruction. Yet she did not go to ask her +husband (old churlish Nabal) at home, but she who was innocent and wise, +took it upon herself; and you may see what a brave sermon she preached +to David, who heard her patiently. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 100.) + + +Unregenerate Sociology. + +And when the apostle spake to the Corinthians how that he would have +them to know that God was the head of Christ, and Christ was the head of +the man and the man was the head of the woman, and the woman was made +for the man and not the man for the woman and he is the image and glory +of God and she is the glory of the man, this the apostle spake to the +Corinthians who were not come to the state of Adam and Eve before they +fell. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 190.) + + +Women and Dish-washing. + +Now Moses and Aaron and the seventy elders, did not say to those +assemblies of the women, We can do our work ourselves and you are more +fit to be at home to wash the dishes, or such-like expressions; but they +did encourage them in the work and service of God, in those things which +God had commanded them in the time of the law. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 93.) + + +Restoration of Womankind. + +But this Coleman and others in their opposition asked me whether it was +not the command of God that a man must rule over his wife, and he would +rule over his wife; and did not the apostle say I permit not a woman to +teach, and where did we read of women elders and women disciples? and it +was an abuse to the elders to set up a women's meeting. + +But I told him and them that he and they was but an elder in the fall, +ruling over their wives in the fall; but he nor they must not rule over +widows and young women and other men's wives. And I showed him that +Dorcas was a disciple and the apostle commands that the elder women +should be teachers of good things to the younger, and though the apostle +said, I permit not a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man, as +also saith the law, for Eve was first in transgression and such teaching +as Eve taught her husband and usurped authority over the man is +forbidden. + +But the apostle also says that daughters and handmaids should prophesy +which they did both in the time of the law and gospel and man and woman +was meet helps before they fell, in the image of God and righteousness +and holiness; and so they are to be again in the restoration by Christ +Jesus. + +And thy ruling over thy wife and eldership is in the fall for thou art +in the transgression and not an elder in the image of God and +righteousness and holiness before transgression and the fall was, nor in +the restoration where they are helps meet in the righteousness and image +of God and in the dominion over all that God made. + + (C. J., II., pp. 262, 263.) + +Now, you women, though you have been under reproach, because Eve was +first in transgression, the promise was "The seed of the woman should +bruise the serpent's head." And this promise of God is fulfilled.... Now +here comes the reproach to be taken off women. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 141.) + + +The Testimony of Women. + +Let your women learn in silence, with all subjection; I suffer not a +woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but ask her husband +at home. That which usurps authority the law takes hold of, but if you +be led by the spirit, then you are not under the law. Christ in the male +and in the female is one which makes free from the law. "I will pour out +my spirit upon sons and daughters and they shall prophesy" and if they +will learn anything let them ask their husbands at home for it is a +shame for a woman to speak in the church which the law forbids; it is a +shame to suffer them to speak in the church. What? Came the word of God +out from you or came it unto you only? + +Paul, according to the measure given to him, in all his epistles +speaking in them of things of which some are hard to be understood, +which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own +destruction. + + * * * * * + +You that cannot own the prophesying of the daughters, the +women-labourers in the gospel, you are such as the apostle speaks of in +the same chapter, which serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but your own +bellies, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the +simple. + +Be ashamed for ever and let all your mouths be stopped for ever that +despise the spirit of prophecy in the daughters, and do cast them into +prison and do hinder the women-labourers in the gospel. + + (_Works_, IV., p. 104, _et seq._, condensed.) + + +Mothers in the Church. + +And the elder women in the truth were not only called elders, but +mothers. Now a mother in the church of Christ and a mother in Israel is +one that gives suck and nourishes and feeds and washes and rules, and is +a teacher in the church and in the Israel of God and an admonisher an +instructor and exhorter. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 41.) + + + + + PART III. + SOCIAL LIFE. + + + I. + Social Life. + + +Bringing up Children. + +Some among you breed up your children not as when you were in a +profession only, in such a rude, heady way that when they grow up they +do not matter you nor care for you.... In many things they are worse +than many of the world's, more loose, stubborn and disobedient ... so +that when they come to be set to prentice many times they run quite out +into the world.... Therefore while they are young restrain them ... in +all things keep your authority which is given to you of God. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 23.) + + +Youth. + +Youth if they be let loose are like wild asses and wild heifers, and +such many times bring a great dishonour to God by running into +looseness; which are more fit to be under rule and order than to rule; +and through a foolish pity of some they let up a great deal of airiness +and wildness. + + * * * * * + +Youth should be kept under a bridle and restraint and be nurtured and +trained up in the fear and wisdom of God, that the power of God and +God's truth may have its passage through all and over all, and all +lightness frothiness wildness and looseness may be kept down. + + (_Works_, VIII., pp. 24, 25.) + + +Behaviour of School-children. + +If any mar their books and blot their books through carelessness, let +them sit without the table as disorderly children. And if any one turns +from these things and mendeth and doeth so no more and then if any do +accuse them of their former action after they be amended, the same +penalty shall be laid upon them as upon them that is mended from his +former doings. And if any be known to steal let him write without the +table and say his lesson and show his copy without the bar. And all must +be meek, sober and gentle and quiet and loving and not give one another +bad word no time in the school nor out of it least. + +That they be made to say their lesson or show their copy-book to the +master at the bar and all is to mind their lessons and be diligent in +their writings. And to lay up their books when they go from the school +and their pens and ink-horns and to keep them so, else they must be +looked upon as careless and slovens, and so you must keep all things +clean, sweet and neat and handsome. + + (_Swarthmore MSS._, II., 2,123, Fox autograph.) + + +Apprentices. + +All the legacies that are given to the men's or women's meetings let +them be kept as a public stock for the setting forth of apprentices and +setting them up. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 343.) + + +The Children of the Poor. + +Now all you that do murmur against people that have many children and do +complain and say that they do fill your towns, cities and countries with +children; and many times you that do so complain have few or no +children, and you are afraid that they should come to want and then you +must be fain to relieve their necessities. And what then? What you do +give to the poor you lend to the Lord, and he will repay it to you +again, if they cannot. And this wanting mind is for want of faith in God +who gives the increase of all and is rich unto all that call upon him. +And the Lord would have you to take notice that children are the +heritage of the Lord. The Lord that doth increase the children of his +heritage he will take care for his heritage whether that murmuring, +complaining mind against poor people of having so many children, you +relieving them or no, he will take care for his heritage. + +Blessed be his name for ever. + +And that will be a happy day when they come to nurse Christ's chickens, +doves, lambs, babes and little children. + + (_Works_, VI., p. 204, _et seq._, condensed.) + + +Homeless Women. + +Friends to have and provide a house or houses where a hundred may have +rooms to work in and shops of all sorts of things to sell, and where +widows and young women might work and live. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 343.) + + +Care of the Aged. + +Have an alms-house or hospital for all poor friends that are past work. + + (_Ibid._) + + +Care of the Mentally Deranged. + +Friends to have and provide a house for them that be distempered and not +to go to the world. + + (_Ibid._) + + +Dangers of Ease and Plenty. + +And so, now you that are settled in those parts, who have had a +testimony from the Lord to bear to people of the truth, you should +spread abroad God's eternal truth; and have meetings (as I said before) +with the Indian Kings and people; so that all the earth may come to look +unto the Lord for salvation. For if ye should settle down in the earth +and have plenty and be full, and at ease for a time and not keep in the +power and service and spirit of God, you would quickly come to lose your +condition, as some did in Rhode Island when settled down in the earth +after a while, and then turned to jangling about it, and some ran out +one way and some another. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 306.) + + +Beware of Worldly Entanglements. + +O Friends, do not die from the good through the wantonness of fleshly +lusts, neither be choked with the cares of this life, nor fear the +shearers, neither let the heat scorch your green blade; but dwell under +the shadow of the Almighty who will shade you from the heat and cold. +Neither be cumbered nor surfeited with the riches of this world, nor +bound, nor straitened with them, nor married to them. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 152.) + +Every one strive to be rich in the life and in the Kingdom, and things +of the world that hath no end. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 197.) + + +Riches and Poverty. + +And in the old parliament's days many people that used to wear ribbons +and lace and costly apparel and followed junkettings and feasting with +priests and professors came to leave it off when they came to be +convinced of God's eternal truth and to walk and serve God in the spirit +as the apostle did, they left off their curious apparel and ribbons and +lace and their sporting and feasting with priests and professors and +would not go to wakes nor plays nor shows as they formerly had used to +do and would not wear gold nor silver nor lace nor ribbons nor make +them. + +And then the priests and professors raged exceedingly against us and +printed books against us and said that our religion lay in not wearing +fine clothes and lace and ribbons and in not eating good cheer, .... And +we told them that when they went to their sports and games and plays and +the like that they had better serve God than spend their time so vainly; +and that costly apparel with lace that we formerly had hung upon our +backs that kept us not warm, with that we could maintain a company of +poor people that had no clothes. + +And so our religion lay not in meats and drinks, nor clothes, nor thee +nor thou, nor putting off hats nor making curtseys at which they were +greatly offended because we thee'd and thou'd them and could not put off +our hats nor bow to them. And therefore they said our religion lay in +such things but our answer was, nay, for though the spirit of God led +into that which was comely and decent and from chambering and wantonness +and from sporting and pastimes and feasting as in the day of slaughter +and from wearing costly apparel as the apostle commands and from the +world's honour fashions and customs. But our religion lies in that which +brings to visit the poor and fatherless and widows and keeps from the +spots of the world, which religion is pure and undefiled before God, and +this is the religion which we own which the apostles was in above 1600 +years since, and do deny all vain religions got up since which are not +only spotted with the world but pleads for a body of sin and death to +the grave, and their widows and fatherless lies begging up and down the +street and countries. + + (C. J., I., pp. 285-286.) + + +Relationships. + +Knowledge and familiarity is as grass that withers; but the word of the +Lord endureth for ever. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 45.) + + +Idleness. + +None may stand idle out of the vineyard, and out of the service and out +of their duty; for such will talk and tattle and judge with evil +thoughts of what they in the vineyard say and do. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 283.) + + +Scattered Minds. + +Oh friends, look not out; for he that doth is darkened. And take heed of +lightness. Take heed of the world and of busying your mind with things +not serviceable. A wise man's eye is in his head, but a fool's eye is +gazing up and down. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 72.) + +People must not be always talking and hearing. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 45.) + + +Evil Humours. + +For all distractions, distempers, unruliness, and confusion is in the +transgression which transgression must be brought down before the +principle of God. + + (_Swarthmore Transcripts_, Vol. VII., p. 123.) + + +Judgments. + +Take heed of judging the measures of others, but everyone mind your own, +and there ye famish the busy minds and high conceits, and so peace +springs up among you and division is judged. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 60.) + + +Differences. + +All differences to be made up speedily that they do not fly abroad to +corrupt people's minds. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 328.) + + +Scandal. + +Let all reports be stopped that tend to the defaming one of another. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 328.) + + +Singleness. + +Keep single unto God and single-hearted to man and plain in all things, +and low. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 304.) + + +Love. + +Live in peace and love and patience with one another, for that doth +edify the body and strife doth not, but doth eat out the good. For the +body doth edify itself in love, in which there is nourishment and virtue +and life. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 22.) + + +Unity. + +Mind the light, that all may be refreshed one in another and all in one. +And the God of power and love keep all friends in power, in love, that +there be no surmisings, but pure refreshings in the unlimited love of +God, which makes one another known in the conscience to read one +another's hearts; being comprehended into this love, it is inseparable +and all are here one. And keep in the oneness and note them that cause +dissension contrary to the gospel ye have received, that one pure faith +may be held in all, to guide and preserve all in the unity of the spirit +and bond of peace; all one family of love, children of one father and of +the household of God. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 19.) + + + II. + General Exhortations. + +The dead make dead ways for the dead to walk in. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 28.) + +Hardness of heart is worse than an outward plague. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 274.) + +The hard-hearted are not sensible. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 116.) + +The throne of iniquity must be brought down, and the chamber of imagery +in every heart, for the Lord must have the heart. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 275.) + +Leave off all your bustling and come to Christ. + + (_Works_, V., p. 171.) + +Reason not with flesh and blood that shall never enter, take not counsel +with that which lies in thy bosom for that draweth thee nearer to carnal +things, and draws thee to consult with reason and so draws thy eye and +mind to visible things, and so wanders from going on thy journey. + + (_Swarthmore Transcripts_, IV., p. 566.) + +Man's pride is not the higher power. In humility we find a power above +pride, higher than oppression, higher than men's wills, higher than the +lusts of the eye, yea, higher than all that in man would exalt against +it. So we deny the lower that we may subject our souls to that which +excelleth and which is ordained of God. + +And to every ordinance of man we are subject for the Lord's sake. But +should we bow to the spirit of pride we should betray the Lord and give +his honour to another and that is not for the Lord's sake. So what we +see for the Lord and of him in every ordinance of man we subject to for +the Lord's sake, and what is against him for his sake we deny and with +him suffer under it as witnesses for him against it.... Is there +anything honourable in man but the image of God? + + (C. J., I., pp. 131, 132.) + +And so the Lord arm friends with his light and shield of faith that they +may stand in the daylight of the son of God and keep their first +habitation and hold Christ their head by which the body is united +together by bands and joints, from whom they receive their nourishment +and the love of God which edifies the body and unites it to Christ their +heavenly head, which all the apostate Christians being several bodies +without this head and not owning his light, grace and truth that comes +from him the head by which they should be joined and united. And +therefore are they like so many monstrous bodies without the heavenly +head, but what they have of their own making; so often their heads go +off their bodies. + + (_Bristol MSS._, V., p. 20.) + +Keep in the power of the Lord which will bring you over all to the fine +linen, the righteousness of the saints. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 239.) + +Pray to the Lord to give you dominion over all, and that in his power +and life and seed ye may live and reign. And all friends submit +yourselves to one another in the fear of God and be one with the witness +of God in all and look at that and that will keep you down from looking +at the bad, but looking at the good keepeth your minds over the bad, +with the Lord. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 75.) + +The saved will not suffer anything to rule that destroys. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 272.) + +Fear not the face of man, but fear and dread the Lord God, then his +presence and wisdom and counsel thou shalt have to throw down the +rubbish and quell all the bad spirits under thy dominion and fear them +about thee. Live in the Lord's power and life, then to thee he will give +wisdom and the pure feeling thou wilt come into whereby thy soul will be +refreshed.... Things all will be made plain before thee, for thee and to +thee from the Lord God. In what thou doth for the Lord God thou shalt +have peace and the blessing; and in that so doing all the sober +true-hearted people will be one with thee in all travails, sorrows and +pains.... And the helping arm and hand that stretcheth over all the +nations in the world thou wilt feel it. + + (Slightly condensed from a letter to Oliver Cromwell, C. J., I., + pp. 163, 164.) + +Church faith changeth, directory changeth, common prayer changes and +mass changes and here is the four religions got up since the apostles +days which they have fought for and killed one another about, but the +pure religion doth not change. + + (C. J., VI., p. 331.) + +The hireling is fled and flies because he was an hireling, whose +religion was for the summer; whilst the sun shined; but in a storm, a +tempest, a mist, or the sun clouded, their religion they flee from; his +flight is in the winter. So the day manifests all things. Our religion +is in the power of God before winter storms and tempests were; mists, +fogs or clouds. In the light which shines over them all is our religion +that does not change, in which there is fruit borne in the winter; by +which power of God all their religions are seen, which must have an end +and will have an end, which people run into. But in the power of God and +his righteousness and holiness which was before the fall was, live; +which power of God never alters nor changes in which is both life and +peace which remains for ever. + + (_Works_, VII., p. 225.) + +And so every one is to have oil in your lamps from the heavenly olive +tree, that your lamps may burn always both night and day in your +tabernacles, looking to your high priest who will feed your lamps with +heavenly oil. + +And every one have heavenly salt in yourselves to savour withal what is +earthly and what is heavenly, and what is from below and what is from +above and what is out of the truth and what is in the truth. + +And that everyone may keep their own vine in their own garden and their +own lily in their own field or orchard, which lily doth exceed Solomon +in all his glory. And every one have the word of faith in their hearts +and mouths to obey and do, which will sanctify and make you holy and +reconcile you to God. And every one have the anointing or unction within +you which you have from the Father or Holy One so that in it you may +continue in the Father and in the Son. + +And every one continue in the grace of God which will teach you how to +live and what to deny and will bring your salvation and establish you +upon Christ the rock and foundation from whence the grace does come. And +every one abide in the holy divine and precious faith which you do hold +in a pure conscience by which faith you do live and have the victory +over that which displeaseth God, and in this faith you do please God, +which Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven, is the author and finisher of. + +And every one that hath digged deep and found the pearl of great price +and hath sold all and purchased the field, then the field and pearl is +your own, such do know a thorough redemption. + +And all you believers in the light (which is the life in Christ) that +are become the children of light, walk in the light, and in Christ, as +ye have received Him. + +And every one mind the heavenly leaven that will leaven you into a new +lump. And every one keep the feast of Christ our passover, with his +heavenly unleavened bread in sincerity and truth. + +And every one mind the light that God hath commanded to shine out of +darkness and hath shined into your hearts, "to give you the light of the +knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, (your +saviour) that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of +yourselves," in this you are sensible of His heavenly treasure in your +earthly vessels. And every one have water in your wells and cisterns, +and heavenly fruit on your trees which God hath planted. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 209.) + +Christ saith to his disciples, go, teach all nations and go into all +nations to preach the gospel.... And God would have all men to be saved. +Mark, all men. + + (C. J., II., p. 149.) + +No true peace but in Christ. + + (_Works_, VIII., p. 224.) + + + Headley Brothers, Printers, Bishopsgate, E.C., and Ashford, Kent. + + + RELIGION OF LIFE SERIES + + Edited by + RUFUS M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT. + + Other volumes in this series: + + A Little Book of Selections from the Children of the Light. By + RUFUS M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT. + + Isaac Penington: Selections from his Writings and Letters. By + HENRY BRYAN BINNS. + + William Penn: Selections from his Writings. By ISAAC + SHARPLESS. + + Sir Thomas Browne. Selections from his Writings. By LEWIS + TOWNSEND. + + Clement of Alexandria: Selection from his Writings. By RUFUS + M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT. + + Cloth, 1s. net. Leather, 2s. net. + + + LONDON: + HEADLEY BROTHERS, + BISHOPSGATE, E.C. + + + + + Transcriber's Notes + + +The original spelling and punctuation were mostly preserved. In +partcular, "gaol" is consistently spelled as "goal", which was not +changed. A few obvious typographical and formatting errors were silently +corrected. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Gleanings from the Works of George Fox, by +Dorothy Miller Richardson and George Fox + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57926 *** |