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Title: Gleanings from the Works of George Fox
Author: Fox, George, Richardson, Dorothy M. (Dorothy Miller)
Language: English
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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.
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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.
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