George Fox

“ In it walk; in which ye all have life.
"Be not amazed at the weather; for always the just suffered by the unjust, but the just had the dominion.
"All along ye may see, by faith the mountains were subdued; and the rage of the wicked, with his fiery darts, was quenched. Though the waves and storms be high, yet your faith will keep you, so as to swim above them; for they are but for a time, and the Truth is without time. ”

“ 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. ”

“ I am a follower of Him who said, 'My kingdom is not of this world,' and though these lies and slanders are raised upon me, I deny drawing any carnal weapon against the King or Parliament, or any man upon the earth. For I am come to the end of the Law, but am in that which saves men's lives. A witness I am against all murderers, plotters, and all such as would imbrue the nation in blood; for it is not in my heart to have any man's life destroyed. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Let all the laws of England be brought into a known tongue, that every Countryman may plead his own cause, without Attorney or Counsellor, or for money. Let men that fear God and hate covetousness decide and end things among People in all places, and let none do it for money and reward. Let it never be had in esteem among you, and away with the cap-men, and coys-men (as they are called) 1 and thirty shillings and twenty shillings, and ten groat fees, and this oppression, that makes people pay eight pence a sheet, for not above fifteen lines. ”

“ But here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints, who sees the destruction of them, Whore, Beast, Dragon, false Prophets, by the hand and Power of God; who knowes the Seed of God to Reign over all, who is the first and the last. ”

“ And you that deny revelation now a-days, can any of you know Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, without the Son or the Father reveal him, which is in heaven? nay, and if ye say ear, are not you such, that are thieves and robbers, and climb up another way than by the door Christ? for Christ tells you, 'no man knows the Father, but by revelation,' and is not all your talking of Christ, but imagination, and the revelation of flesh and blood, that deny the revelation of the Son of God by his spirit. ”

“ I was under great sufferings at this time, beyond what I have words to declare. For I was brought into the deep, and saw all the religions of the world, and people that lived in them. And I saw the priests that held them up; who were as a company of men-eaters, eating up the people like bread, and gnawing the flesh from off their bones. But as for true religion, and worship, and ministers of God, alack! ”

“ Therefore in love we warn you for your soul's good, not to wrong the innocent, nor the babes of Christ, which he hath in his hand, which he cares for as the apple of his eye; neither seek to destroy the heritage of God, nor turn your swords backward upon such as the law was not made for, i.e., the righteous; but for sinners and transgressors, to keep them down. For those are not peacemakers, nor lovers of enemies, neither can they overcome evil with good, who wrong them that are friends to you and all men, and wish your good, and the good of all people on the earth. ”

“ To the one the Lord will say, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;' but to the other he will say, 'Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:' so 'the wicked go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.' Matt. ”

“ For meetings were very large, Friends coming to them from far and near; and other people flocking in. The powerful presence of the Lord was preciously felt amongst us. Many of the world were reached, convinced, and gathered to the Truth; the Lord's flock was increased; and Friends were greatly refreshed and comforted in feeling the love of God. Oh the brokenness that was amongst them in the flowings of life! so that, in the power and Spirit of the Lord, many together broke out into singing, even with audible voices, making melody in their hearts. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Let all these things for money, preaching for money, and singing for money be laid aside. Let not preaching be a trade, nor the Word of God made Merchandize of, and let not the Law be sold nor bought. Let not them handle the Law that will not do justice without money; for those will not do justice, but will favour the rich for a fee, a gift or reward, which eates up the poor, and they will hold people in long suites, by which the cause of the just suffers and is often overthrown. ”

“ Dear, suffering lambs, for the name and command of Jesus; be valiant for His truth, and faithful, and ye will feel the presence of Christ with you. Look at Him who suffered for you, who hath bought you, and will feed you; who saith, 'Be of good comfort, I have overcome the world'; who destroys the devil and his works, and bruises the serpent's head. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Whilst I was under this spiritual suffering the state of the New Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven was opened to me; which some carnal-minded people had looked upon to be like an outward city dropped out of the elements. I saw the beauty and glory of it, the length, the breadth, and the height thereof, all in complete proportion. I saw that all who are within the Light of Christ, and in His faith, of which He is the author; and in the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which Christ and the holy prophets and apostles were in ”

“ 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. ”

“ As for the affairs of truth in this land and abroad, I hear that in Holland and Germany, and thereaway, Friends are in love, unity, and peace: and in Jamaica, Barbadoes, Nevis, Antigua, Maryland, and New-England, I hear nothing, but Friends are in unity and peace. The Lord preserve them all out of the world (in which there is trouble) in Christ Jesus, in whom there is peace, life, love, and unity. Amen. My love in the Lord Jesus Christ to all Friends everywhere in your land, as though I named them. ”

“ 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. ”

“ It takes its kingdom with entreaty, and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life. It is conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it; nor doth it murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth, but through sufferings; for with the world's joy it is murdered. I found it alone; being forsaken. I have fellowship therein, with those who lived in dens and desolate places in the earth; who through death obtained this resurrection, and eternal, holy life! ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ When the Lord God and His Son Jesus Christ sent me forth into the world to preach His everlasting gospel and kingdom, I was glad that I was commanded to turn people to that inward Light, Spirit, and Grace, by which all might know their salvation and their way to God; even that Divine Spirit which would lead them into all truth, and which I infallibly knew would never deceive any. ”

“ 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. ”

“ But he became a reformer, not to secure his own rights or to get a better jail to lie in, but to establish the principle of human rights for all men. He went calmly to work to carry an out-and-out honesty into all trade relations, to establish a fixed price for goods of every sort, to make principles of business square with principles of religion. By voice or by epistle he called every judge in the realm to "mind that of God" within him. He refused ever to take an oath, because he was resolved to make a plain man's "yea" weigh as heavy as an oath. ”

“ 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 ... ”

“ I am in the love that fulfils the law, which thinks no evil, but loves even enemies; and would have the King saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth, and be brought into the fear of the Lord, to receive His wisdom from above, by which all things were made and created; that with that wisdom he may order all things to the glory of God. ”

“ 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. ”

“ If thou bear the sword in vain, and let drunkenness, oaths, plays, May-games, as setting up of May-poles, with the image of the crown atop of them, with such like abominations and vanities, be encouraged or go unpunished, the nation will quickly turn like Sodom and Gomorrah, and be as bad as those men of the old world, who grieved the Lord till He overthrew them. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Then, again, his Journal is one of the best sources in existence for the historical study of the inner life of the Commonwealth and Restoration periods. There were few hamlets so obscure, few villages so remote that they did not have their streets traversed by this strange man in leather who always travelled with his eyes open. He knew all the sects and shades of religion which flourished in these prolific times. He never rides far without having some experience which shows the spirit and tendencies of the epoch. ”

“ Was not thy house full of rude people, and thou as rude as any of them, at our examination; so that I asked for a constable or some other officer to keep the people civil? But if thou art my accuser, why sittest thou on the bench? It is not the place of accusers to sit with the judge. Thou oughtest to come down and stand by me, and look me in the face. ”

“ Let your light shine among the Indians, the blacks and the whites, that ye may answer the truth in them and bring them to the standard and ensign that God hath set up, Jesus Christ. Grow in the faith and grace of Christ that ye be not like dwarfs, for a dwarf shall not come near to offer upon God's altar. ”

“ Then I went to the castle among the soldiers, who beat a drum and called the garrison together. I preached the Truth amongst them, directing them to the Lord Jesus Christ to be their teacher, and to the measure of His Spirit in themselves, by which they might be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. I warned them all that they should do no violence to any man, but should show forth a Christian life: telling them that He who was to be their Teacher would be their condemner if they were disobedient to Him. ”

“ Hardly ever before has there been so much wickedness at liberty as there is at this day, as though there were no terror nor sword of magistracy. Such looseness doth not grace a government, nor please them that do well. Our prayers are for them that are in authority, that under them we may live a godly life in peace, and that we may not be brought into ungodliness by them. Hear and consider, and do good in thy time, whilst thou hast power; be merciful and forgive; that is the way to overcome and obtain the kingdom of Christ. ”

“ The larger truth involved in his experience soon becomes plain to him, namely, that he has found a universal principle, that the Spirit of God reaches every man. He finds this divine-human relation taught everywhere in Scripture, but he challenges everybody to find the primary evidence of it in his own consciousness. He points out that every hunger of the heart, every dissatisfaction with self, every act of self-condemnation, every sense of shortcoming shows that the soul is not unvisited by the Divine Spirit, To want God at all implies some acquaintance with Him. ”