The Missing Cross to Purity

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About this time the priests and professors were greatly opposed to the light of Christ Jesus. They denied it to be universally given to all men and denied the pouring out of the spirit on all mankind, by which the sons and daughters prophesied. They  tried very hard to darken the minds of people so that they could still keep them dependent on their teaching. For this reason I was moved of the Lord to issue the following lines for the opening of the minds and understandings of people and to manifest the blindness and darkness of their teachers:

To all you believers, priests, and teachers, who are in darkness, and do not know the spirit in prison, or the light that shines in darkness, which the darkness does not comprehend; but are the infidels, whom the god of the world has blinded, and to whom the gospel is hid. For though you have the four books of the New Testament referred to as the “gospels”, the true gospel is hidden to you; who are now wondering at the work of God, and do not believe that Christ has enlightened everyone that comes into the world. To you I offer some scriptures to read, which will prove your spirits, and try them, how contrary they are to the apostles' spirit, the spirit of Christ, and of the saints. "Christ went, and preached to the spirits in prison." 1 Pet. 3:19. He that reads, let him understand whether this was a measure of the spirit, yes or no, or the spirit without measure, which he ministered to? "For he whom God has sent, speaks the words of God; for God gives not the spirit by measure unto him." John 3:34. Here Christ had not the spirit given unto him by measure. The apostle said, "We will not boast of things without (or beyond) our measure." 2 Cor10:13. So here was measure, and not by measure. Christ, who received not the spirit by measure, told his disciples he would "send them the comforter, the spirit of truth, that he should guide them into all truth; for he should not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you." John 16:13-14. Mind, read, and learn; the comforter shall receive of mine, said Christ, and shall show it unto you; who has the measure, receives of his who has not by measure. The comforter, when he comes, is to reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, John 16:8. Now mind the great work of God; the spirit of truth, which leads the saints into all truth, which receives of Christ's, and shows it unto the disciples, who are in the measure, he shall reprove the world of sin, because they do not believe,.. The comforter, whom Christ will send, takes of his, and shows it to the disciples; the same reproves the world. Mind now, whether this is a measure, yes or no, which comes from him who received not His spirit by measure? He that leads the believer into all truth, reproves the unbeliever in the world, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He that is led into all truth sees what is reproved, by the spirit of truth that leads him. Christ said, " He shall take of mine, and show it unto you." Is this a measure, yes or no, from him whom God gave the spirit without measure unto?

Again the Lord said, both by his prophet, Joel 2:28 and his apostle in Acts 2:17-18. "It shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy." Look, you deceivers; here the Lord said, he will pour of his spirit; mark the word of the Lord's spirit upon all flesh. What! Young men, old men, sons and daughters, and maids, all these to have the spirit of God poured upon them? Here, say they, these deny the means then. No, that is the means. And the great and notable day of the Lord is coming, where it shall come to pass, that who ever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The God of the spirits of all flesh is known; and, said the apostle, who would not boast of things beyond his measure, "That which may be known of God, is manifest in them; for God has showed it unto them." Rom.1:19. By this which was of God manifest in them, they knew covetousness, malice, murder, deceit, and ungodliness; knew that the judgments of God were upon such things; and that they were worthy of death; not only those that committed such acts, but who had pleasure in them that did them. Therefore, said the apostle, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," … Now this of God manifests in them, which God showed unto them, by which they know unrighteousness, and God's judgments thereupon, and that they which commit such things are worthy of death; whether this be a measure, yes or no, which is of God, and which he has showed to them? What was that in them, that "did by nature the things contained in the law, which showed the work of the law written in their hearts." Rom 2:14-15. Mark, "written;" shall not this judge them that have the outward law, but are out of the life of it? The apostle said, "The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man with which to profit" 1 Cor 12:7. There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit; the manifestation of it is given to "everyman" with which to profit. Mark," To one is given by the spirit, the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit; to another faith by the same spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these work that one and the self-same spirit, dividing to every man individually as he will." Mark that, “to every man variously as he will."

Again, the apostle  said, "The grace of God, that brings salvation, has appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Titus 2:11-12. Now you that turn from this grace; which brings salvation, into lust, you deny it, and say, what teaches the saints, who by grace are saved, has not appeared to all men. Jude  said, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him," Jude 1:14-19. Here mark again; him that comes with ten thousands of his saints, to convince all of their ungodly deeds and hard speeches; here it is, ALL of their ungodly deeds; and ALL of their hard speeches; none left out, but ALL to be convinced and judged, the world reproved, by him who comes with ten thousands of his saints, and will reign, and be king and judge. And have not you all something in you, that does reprove you for your hard speeches, and your ungodly deeds, the ungodliest of you all, who live in your hard speeches against him, and against his light and spiritual appearance in his people.

Again, the apostle, writing to the Gentiles, said, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Eph 4:7. Now mark, here is the measure of the gift of Christ, "who lights every man that comes into the world," John 1:9. "that all men through him might believe. He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that believes not is condemned,... And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world," John 3:18-19. Now every man that comes into the world being enlightened, one loves it, and brings his deeds to the light, that with the light he may see whether they be are prompted by God; the other hates the light, "because his deeds are evil;" he will not bring his deeds to the light, because he knows the light will reprove him. So he that hates the light, with which Christ has enlightened him, because he knows the light will reprove him for his evil deeds; and therefore he will not come to the light.
 
Again, the Lord by his prophet said concerning Christ, "I will give him for a light to the Gentiles that he may be my salvation to the ends of the earth." Isa 49:6. And what are the children disobedient to – that is those disobedient children who walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the "spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, what are the disobedient to?" Eph 2:2. Mark and read yourselves, who, being disobedient, walk according to the course of this world, according to the power of the prince of the air; mark, I say, what it is that all such are disobedient to? He that has an ear, let him hear. The apostle Paul said to the Colossians, "The wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience." Col 3:6. Come, you believers, let us see, is not this something of God that is disobeyed? Is it not what is of God manifest in them, which God has showed them, which lets them see God's judgments are upon such, when they act unrighteously? Is not this the measure of God, the spirit that is in prison, and the spirit of God that is grieved?

And you professors, come, let us read the parable of the talents, and reckon with you, and see who it is that has hid the Lord's money in the earth? Come, you that have gained, enter you into your master's joy. Go, you that have hidden the Lord's money in the earth, into utter darkness; "take it from him, and give it to him that has; "every man shall have his reward; for the Lord has given to "every man according to his ability." Mat 25:15. Mark that, "To every man according to his ability." Read this, if you can. Now is the Lord coming to call every man individually to account, to whom he has given individually, according to their ability. Now the wicked and slothful servant, who hid the Lord's money in the earth, will be found out; and the Lord's money will be taken from him, although he has hidden it. To him the Lord's commands have been grievous; but to us they are not, who love God and keep his commandments. "And,"  said the apostle to the Romans, "I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." Rom 12:3. Read and mark, here is a measure of faith.
 
"And," said another apostle, "as every man has received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Pet 4:10. "For the grace of God has appeared to all men." Now the good stewards can give their account with joy; but you bad stewards, who turn from the grace of God into lust, you will be counted with the rest; you shall have your reward. "But," says the world, "must everyone minister as he has received the gift?" Yes, say I, "but let him speak as the oracles of God; and let him do it as of the ability which God gives," 1 Pet 4:11. John in the Revelations  said, "They were judged every man according to their works." Rev 20:13. Christ  said, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of that in the day of judgment." Mat 12:36. "You that name the name of Christ, depart from iniquity." 2 Tim 2:19. " The son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Mat 16:27. He who is gone into a far country, and has given talents to everyone of you, according to your several abilities, "will render to every man according to his deeds." Rom 2:6. "And further I say unto you, if any man has not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life, because of righteousness." Rom 8:9-10. So let the light, which comes from Christ, examine; for the Lord is appearing. You that have received according to your ability, smite not your fellow servant. And think not that the Lord delays the time of his coming. Be not as they that said, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die."

The apostle tells the Ephesians, that unto him "this grace was given to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ." Eph 3:9. Read and understand everyone with the light which comes from Christ, the mystery; which will be your condemnation, if you don’t believe in it. This is to all who stumble at the work of the spirit of God, the manifestation of the light, "which is given to every man to profit with the rest." Come, you professors, who stumble at it; let us read the parables. "A sower went forth to sow; and some seed fell on the highway ground, and some on stony ground, and some on thorny ground; the seed is the word, the son of man is the seeds man. He that has an ear, let him hear." Mat 13:3-43. Now look, all you professors, what ground are you? And what you have brought forth? And whether the wicked seeds man has not got his seed into your ground? "He that has an ear, let him hear it." And come, read another parable of the householder hiring laborers to go into the vineyard, and agreeing with every man for a penny. Mat 20:1-20. Every man is to have his penny; the last that went in, as well as the first; "and the last shall be the first, and the first shall be last; for many are called, but few are chosen. "He that has an ear, let him hear." There is a promise spoken to Cain. "That if he did well, he should be accepted." Gen 4:7. And Esau had a birthright, but despised it. Yet it is not "of him that wills," Rom 9:16, "but by grace you are saved." Eph 2:8. And stand still, and see your salvation. Ex 14:13. And you that are children of light, put on the armor of light, that you may come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God; unto a "perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that you will no longer be children, tossed to and fro." Eph 4:13.

'The Lord said, he would make a new covenant, by "writing his law in people's hearts, and putting his spirit in their inward parts," whereby they should all come to know the Lord, by whom the world was made. Now everyone of you be sure the law is written in your hearts, and this spirit put in your inward parts, that it need not be said to you, "know the Lord:" but that you may witness the promise of God fulfilled in you. But, say the world and professors, "if everyone must come to witness the law of God written in their hearts, and the spirit put in the inward parts, "what must we do with all our teachers?" As we come to witness that, we need not any man to teach us to know the Lord, having his law written in our hearts, and his spirit put in our inward parts. This is the covenant of life, the everlasting covenant, which decays not, nor changes not; and here is the way to the Father, without which no man comes unto the Father. Here is the everlasting priesthood, the end of the old priesthood, whose lips were to preserve knowledge; but now, said Christ, "learn of me;" who is the high priest of the new priesthood. And, said the apostle, -- "that you may grow up in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, in whom is hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." So we are brought off from the old priesthood that did change, to Christ, to the new priesthood that does not change; off from the first covenant that does decay, to the everlasting covenant that does not decay, Christ Jesus, the covenant of light, from whom everyone of you have a light, that you might believe in the covenant of light. If you do not believe, you are condemned; for light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. "I am come as a light into the world," said Christ, "that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness, but have the light of life." John 12:46. "Believe in the light that you may be children of the light." You who do not believe in the light, but hate it because it manifests your deeds to be evil, you are condemned by the light. Therefore, while you have time, prize it. Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near; to avoid saying, "time is past;" for the rich glutton's time was past. Therefore, while time is not quite past, consider, search yourselves, and see if you be not they that hate the light, and so are builders that stumble at the corner stone; for they that hated the light, and did not believe in the light, did so in ages past. "I am the light of the world," said Christ, "who," the apostle said, "enlightens every man that comes into the world." Christ also said, "Learn of me;" and of him God said, "This is my beloved son, listen to him." Here is your teacher. But you that hate the light do not learn of Christ and will not have him to be your king to reign over you; him, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given, who bears his government upon his shoulders, who is now come to reign, who lights every man that comes into the world, and who will give to every man a reward according to his works, whether they be good or evil. So every man, with the light that comes from Christ, will see his deeds, both he that hates it, and he that loves it. And he that will not bring his deeds to the light, because the light will reprove him, that is his condemnation; and he shall have a reward according to his deeds. For the Lord has come to judge with you, and he looks for fruits; and now the axe is laid to your root; and every tree of you, that bears not good fruit, must be hewn down and cast into the fire.'  

George Fox

Having stayed some time in London, and visited the meetings of Friends in and about the city, and cleared myself of what service the Lord had at that time laid upon me there, I left the town and traveled into Kent, Sussex, and Surry, visiting Friends; among whom I had great meetings, and often met with opposition from Baptists and other jangling professors; but the Lord's power went over them.

We spent one night at Farnham, where we had a little meeting. The people were exceedingly rude; but at last the Lord's power came over them. After the meeting we went to our inn, and gave notice, 'that any who feared God might come to our inn to us.' Many rude people came along with the magistrates of the town with some professors. I declared the truth to them, and those people who behaved rudely were put out of the room by the magistrates. When they were gone, another rude company of professors came up, and some of the worst of the town. They called for firewood and drink, although we told them not to do it; they were as rude a people as I had ever met. The Lord's power chained them so that they did not have the power to do us any mischief; but when they went away, they left all the firewood and beer, which they had called for into the room, for us to pay for in the morning. We showed the innkeeper how unworthy it was to charge us; but he told us, 'we must pay it;' and pay it we did. Before we left the town, I wrote to the magistrates and heads of the town, and to the priests, showing them and him how he had taught his people, and laying before them their rude and uncivil carriage to strangers that sought their good.

Leaving that place we came to Basingstoke, a very rude town, where they had previously been very abusive to Friends. I had a meeting there in the evening, which was quiet; for the Lord's power chained the unruly. At the close of the meeting I was moved to put off my hat and to pray to the Lord to open their understandings. Based on this event they raised a report, 'That I put off my hat to them, and wished them good night,' which was never in my heart. After the meeting, we went to our inn, and I sent for the innkeeper as as I usually did; and he came into the room with us and showed himself a very rude man. I admonished him to be sober and to fear the Lord; but he called for firewood and a pint of wine, and drank it up himself; then called for another and called up half a dozen men into our chamber. At which point I told him to go out of the chamber and that he should not drink in our room; for we had sent for him to speak to him concerning his eternal good. He was exceedingly mad, rude, and drunk. When he continued his rudeness and would not leave, I told him, 'The chamber was mine for the time I lodged in it;' and called for the key. Then he went away in a rage. In the morning he even make an appearance, but I told his wife of his unchristian carriage towards us.

After this we went to Bridport, having meetings in the way. We went to an inn, and sent into the town a request to meet with those who feared God; A shopkeeper with a professor, who put off his hat to us, arrived.   When he saw we did not remove our hats to him, and we used thee and thou to him, he told us, ‘he was not of our religion;' and after some discourse he went away. After awhile he sent a message to us at the inn requesting us 'to come to his house so some people could speak with us.' Thomas Curtis went to his house. When Thomas arrived, he found the man with the priest and magistrates there, and they greatly boasted that they had caught George Fox, mistaking Thomas for me. When they recognized their mistake, they got very angry; yet the Lord's power came over them, so that they let him go again. Meanwhile I had an opportunity of speaking to some sober people that came to the inn. When Thomas had returned, and we were passing out of the town, some of the sober people came to us and said, 'The officers were coming to arrest me;' but the Lord's power was over them, so they had no power to touch me. There were some convinced in the town who were turned to the Lord, and have stood faithful in their testimony to the truth ever since, and a fine meeting is settled there.
 
Passing from there we visited Portsmouth and Pool, where we had glorious meetings; and many were turned to the Lord. At Ringwood we had a large general meeting, where the Lord's power was over all. At Weymouth we had a meeting; and from there we traveled through Dorchester to Lime, where the inn we went to was occupied by medicine peddlers; so that there was hardly any room for us or our horses. In the evening we drew up some queries concerning the ground of all diseases, and the natures and virtues of natural health remedies, and sent them to these medicinal quacks; letting them know, 'If they would not answer them, we would stick them on the cross in the market the next day.' This brought them down and made them cool, for they could not answer them; but in the morning they reasoned a little with us. We left the questions with some friendly people that were convinced in the town to stick upon the market cross. The Lord's power reached some of the sober people in that place, who were turned by the light and spirit of Christ to his free teaching.

We then traveled to Exeter; and at the Seven Stars, an inn at the foot of the bridge, we had a general meeting of Friends out of Cornwall and Devonshire; to which came Humphry Lower, Thomas Lower, and John Ellis from the Land's end, Henry Pollexfen, with Friends from Plymouth, Elizabeth Trelawny, and many other Friends. We had a blessed heavenly meeting, and the Lord's everlasting power came over all; in the meeting I saw and said, 'that the Lord's power had surrounded this nation as with a wall and bulwark, and his seed reached from sea to sea.' Friends were established in the everlasting seed of life, Christ Jesus, their life, rock, teacher, and shepherd.

The next morning, Major Blackmore sent soldiers to apprehend me; but I was gone before they came. As I was riding up the street, I saw the officers going proceeding to my office. So the wolf missed the lamb, and the Lord crossed their design, and Friends passed away peaceably and quietly. The soldiers examined some Friends after I was gone, 'what were they doing there?' but when they told them, 'they were in their inn, and had business in the city;' they left without further bothering them.

From Exeter I took meetings as I went, until I came to Bristol; and was at the meeting there. After it was done I did not stay in the town, but passed into Wales, and had a meeting at the Slone. There going to Cardiff, a justice of peace sent to me, desiring, 'I would come with half a dozen of my Friends to his house.' So I took a Friend or two and went to him, and he and his wife received us very civilly. The next day we had a meeting in Cardiff in the town hall; to which that justice sent about seventeen of his family. Some disturbers came there, but the Lord's power was over them; and many were turned to the Lord. There were some who had run out with James Naylor that did not come to meetings, to whom I sent word, 'that the day of their visitation was over;' and they never prospered after.
 
We traveled from Cardiff to Swansea, where we had a blessed meeting; and a meeting was settled there in the name of Jesus. In our way there we crossed the river in a boat with the high sheriff of the county. The next day I went to speak with him, but he refused.
 
We went to another meeting in the country; where the Lord's presence was much with us. From there we went to a great man's house, who received us very lovingly; but the next morning he would not be seen; after our meeting someone had come to see him and had so estranged him that we could not speak with him again because he was so changed.

We passed through the countries, having meetings and gathering people in the name of Christ, to him their heavenly teacher, until we came to Brecknock; where we boarded our horses at an inn.  Thomas Holmes and John-ap-John traveled there with me, and John-ap-John was moved by the Lord to speak in the streets. I walked out a little ways into the fields, and when I returned, the town was in an uproar. When I came into the chamber in the inn, it was full of people, and they were speaking in Welsh. I desired them to speak in English, which they did; and we had a long discussion. After awhile they went away. But towards night the magistrates assembled in the streets with a multitude of people; and the magistrates told them to shout, which roused up the whole town; so for about two continuous hours the shouting was such a noise that it was beyond what we had ever heard; and when they had tired of shouting, the magistrates told them to keep on shouting . We thought it looked like the uproar referenced in Acts that occurred among Diana's craftsmen. This tumult continued until it was nighttime, and if the Lord's power had not limited them, they would have likely torn the house and us to pieces.
 
At night the woman of the house wanted us go to have our supper in another room; but discerning her plot, we refused. Then she tried to get us to let a half a dozen men come into the room with us, under pretence of discoursing with us. We told her, 'no person was to come into our room that night; neither were we going to meet with them.' Then she said we should 'dine in another room,’ but we told her that unless we ate in our room, we would have no supper. At length, when she saw she gave up trying to get us to leave our room, she finally served us supper in our room. So she and they failed in their plan; for they intended to harm us, but the Lord prevented them. The next morning I wrote a paper to the town concerning their unchristian carriage, showing the fruits of their priests and magistrates; and as I passed out of town, I spoke to the people and told them that they were a shame to christianity and religion.

From this place we went to a great meeting in a steeple-house yard; where was a priest, and Walter Jenkin, who had been a justice, and another justice. A blessed glorious meeting we had. There being many professors, I was moved of the Lord to open the scriptures to them, and to answer the objections which they stuck at in their profession, (for I knew them very well), and to turn them to Christ, who had enlightened them with which light they might see the sins and trespasses they had been dead in, and their savior who came to redeem them out of them, who was to be their way to God, the truth, and the life to them, and their priest made higher than the heavens; so that they might come to sit under his teaching.' We had a peaceable meeting and many were convinced and settled in the truth that day. After the meeting, I went with Walter Jenkin to the other justice's, who said to me, 'You have this day given great satisfaction to the people, and answered all the objections that were in their minds.' For the people had the scriptures, but they were not turned to the spirit, which would let them see that what had spoken them, the spirit of God, which is the key to open them.

From here we passed to Richard Hanborow's at Pontemoil where we had a large meeting. Another justice, and several influential people came to the meeting; their understandings were opened by the Lord's spirit and power and the light of Jesus Christ; and they were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ from where it came. There was a great convincement; a large meeting is gathered in those parts, and settled in the name of Jesus.

After this returning to England, we came to Shrewsbury, where we had a great meeting; and visited Friends all around the country in their meetings, until we came to William Gandy's, in Cheshire, where we had a meeting of between two and three thousand people, as estimated; and the everlasting word of life was held forth and received that day. A blessed meeting it was; for Friends were settled by the power of God upon Christ Jesus, the rock and foundation.

At this time there was a great drought; and after this general meeting was ended there, it rained so hard that Friends said they thought we should not travel because the waters would be so high. But I believed the rain had not occurred beyond the ground, which Friends had traveled as they had come that day to the meeting. The next day in the afternoon, when we turned back into some parts of Wales again, the ways were dusty, and no rain had fallen in the area. {It was generally noted among people, that whenever I came to visit them, I brought rain with me, and it had been so for many years.}
 
{When Oliver Cromwell, in a very great drought, set forth a proclamation for a fast for rain throughout the nation for rain; it was observed, that as far as truth had spread in the north, there were pleasant showers and rain enough; yet the south where truth had not spread, in many places, was almost ruined for lack of rain. At that time I was moved to write an answer to the protector's proclamation in which I told him, 'If he had come to own (acknowledge) God's truth, he would have had rain; and that drought was to them a sign of their barrenness and want of the water of life.'}

{Overseas, if there was a drought, they generally looked forward to a Quaker general meeting in the area because they knew they would then have rain. As they received the truth and became fruitful unto God, they also received from Him their fruitful seasons.}

About the same time I wrote the following paper to distinguish between the true and false fasts.

Concerning the true Fast and the False.

To all you that are keeping fasts, who "smite with the fist of wickedness, and fast for strife and debate;" against you has the voice cried aloud, like a trumpet, that you may come to know the true fast which is accepted, and the fast which is in the strife and the debate, and "smiting with the fist of wickedness;" which fast is not required of the Lord. "Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labor; behold, you fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; you shall not fast, as you do this day, to make your voice known on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen,"  said the Lord, "a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth under him? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?"

Consider all you that fast, see if it be not "hanging down the head for a day like a bulrush," and " fasting for strife and debate," and to “smite with the fists of wickedness, to make your voice to be known on high?" But a fast is not accepted with the Lord; unless it leads you from strife, from debate, and from wickedness; which is not the "bowing down of the head as a bulrush for a day," and yet live in tyranny and pleasure; this is not accepted with the Lord; unless the fast separates you from all these before mentioned. That which separates from “wickedness, debate, strife, pleasure, smiting with the fists of wickedness," brings to know the true fast, which" breaks the bonds of iniquity, and deals bread to the hungry; brings the poor that are cast out to his own house; and when he sees any naked he covers them, and hides not himself from his own flesh." Here is the true fast which separates from them, where the bonds of iniquity are standing, the heavy burdens of the oppressed remaining, and the yoke not broken; who deal not bread to the hungry, and bring not the poor to their own house; and see the naked, but let him go unclothed, and hide themselves from their own flesh. Yet such will make their voice to be heard on high, as Christ speaks of the Pharisees, who "sounded a trumpet before them, and disfigured their faces," to appear to men to fast; but the bonds of iniquity were standing, strife and debate were standing, striking with the fists of wickedness standing; those made their voice heard on high, who had their reward.
 
But what brings to the true fast, which appears not to men to fast, but unto the Father, "who sees in secret; the Father that sees in secret shall reward this openly." This fast separates from the Pharisees' fast, and them that “bow the head for a day like a bulrush." This is it which brings "to deal bread to the hungry, and to clothe your own flesh when you see them naked, to bring the poor to your house, and to loose the bonds of wickedness;" mark, this is the fast; and "to undo every heavy burden, (mark, again), and to let the oppressed go free;" this is the fast; and "to break every yoke." When you observe this fast, "then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then shall you call, and the Lord shall answer; you shall cry, and he shall say, here I am; if you take away from the midst of you the, the scorn for others, and wicked speech; and if work to the feed hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall your light arise in obscurity, and your darkness be as the noon day." The light brings to know this fast; and walking in it, this fast is kept; and he that believes in the light, abides not in darkness. And again, "The Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and make fat your bones; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isa. 58,v11. These are they that are guided with the light, which comes from Christ where the springs are.

And again; "They that shall be of you, (that keep this fast), shall build the old waste places, and you shall raise up the foundation of many generations; and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in." Isa. 58,v12. Now what gives to see the foundation of many generations, is the light which separates from all that which is out of the light: and they that go out of the light, though they may pretend a fast, and bowing down the head for a time; yet they are far from this fast, that does raise up the foundation of many generations, and is the repairer of the breach, and restorer of the paths to dwell in. That which does give to see this foundation of many generations, and these breaches that are to be repaired and restored, and paths to dwell in, is the light which brings to know the true fast; and where this fast is known, which is from wickedness, from debate, from strife, from pleasures, from exacting, from the voice that is heard on high, from the speaking of vanity, from the bonds of iniquity, which breaks every yoke, and lets the oppressed go free; here the health grows, here the morning is known, righteousness goes forth; the glory of the Lord is the rear guard, the light rises, the soul is drawn out to the hungry, and satisfies the afflicted soul; and the springs of living water are known and felt. The waters fail not here; the Lord guides continually, and the foundation of many generations comes to be seen and raised up; the repairer of breaches is here witnessed, the restorer of paths to dwell in.

But all such as are out of the light which the prophets were in, with which they saw Christ, and such to be in fasts where was strife, where was wickedness, where was debate, where was "bowing the head like a bulrush for a day," lifting their voice on high, and the bonds of wickedness yet standing, the burdens unloosed, the oppressed not let go free, the yoke not broken, the nakedness not clothed, the bread not dealt to the hungry, and this foundation of many generations not raised up; until these things before mentioned be broken down, on such the light breaks not forth as the morning, and the Lord hears them not. Such have their reward; their iniquities have separated them from their God, their sins have hid his face from them that he will not hear, their hands are defiled with blood, and their fingers with iniquity; whose lips have spoken lies, and tongues have muttered perverseness. "None calls for justice, nor any plead for truth; they trust in vanity and speak lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider's web; he that eats of their eggs, dies, and what is crushed breaks out into a viper; their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works." Mark and take notice: "Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands; their feet run to do evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, wasting and destruction are in their paths; the way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their doings. They have made them a crooked path; whosoever goes therein shall not know peace;" mark, such go from the light, therefore is judgment far off, neither does justice overtake. Here is obscurity, here is the walking in darkness, here is the groping like blind men, as though they had no eyes, and their stumbling at noon day in desolate places, like blind men. Here is the roaring like bears, and mourning sorely like doves; here judgment is looked for, but there is none, and salvation is put far off; for the light is denied, which gives to see it. But here is the multiplying of transgression, and their sins testifying against them, and the transgression that was within them, and their iniquities which they knew in transgressing and lying against the Lord, speaking the things they should not; when they knew by that of God in them, they should not speak it. So departing from the way of God, speaking oppression, revolting, conceiving and uttering forth from the heart words of falsehood; here judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off; truth is fallen in the streets, and equity cannot enter. Yes, truth fails; and he that departs from evil, makes himself a prey! The Lord saw it, and it displeased him. These are such as are in the fast which God does not accept; and are not in the true fast, whose" light breaks forth as the morning;" but these are such as are in the false fast, who grope like blind men.
 
That which gives to know the true and false fast, is the light, which gives the eye to see each fast; where the true judgment is, and the iniquity stand not, nor the transgressor, nor the speaker of lies; but that is judged and condemned with the light, which makes it manifest. And those who are in this fast, when they call upon the Lord, the Lord will answer them, "Here am I." Here truth is pleaded for and falsehood flies away. But they who are out of this fast in the perverseness, their tongues uttering perverse things, are stumbling and groping like blind men, out of the light, in the iniquity which separates from God, who hides his face from them that he will not hear; going from the light, they go from the Lord and his face. So this is it which must be fasted from, for this it is which separates from God; and here comes the reward openly, which condemns all what' is contrary to the light; injustice, iniquity, transgression, vanity, and what brings forth mischief; which hatches the serpent eggs, and weaves the spider's web; he that eats of these eggs, dies. Mark, “what is crushed breaks out into a viper. “Mark again," their webs shall not become garments; neither shall they cover themselves with their works of vanity; acts of violence are in their hands. “This is all from the light, in the wickedness.” Their feet run to do evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of vanity; wasting and destruction is in their path. “This is all far from the light. Again, “the way of peace they know not, there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crooked paths, whosoever goes therein shall not know peace." Mark; who goes in their way, that know not the way of peace, shall they know peace! "Whose path is crooked, where there is no judgment in their goings;" take notice, "no judgment in their goings;" this is all from the light, which manifests what is to be judged; where the covenant of peace is known, where all what is contrary to it is kept out. All who live in those things contrary to the light, in the false fast, may mark their path, and behold their reward; who are out of the light, stumbling and groping like blind men. They that be in the true fast are separated from all these; their words, their actions, and fruits, and their fast; but to those whose fast breaks the bonds of iniquity, whom the Lord hears, and to whom righteousness springs forth, and goes before them, the glory of the Lord is their rear guard.'

George Fox

We passed into Wales through Montgomeryshire, and so into Radnorshire, where there was a meeting or multitudes so large it was like a siege of a massive army. I walked a little aside while the people were gathering; and John-ap-John, a Welshman came up to me, and I asked him to go to the people; and if he had anything upon him from the Lord to say to them, he might speak in Welsh, thereby gathering more together. Then Morgan Watkins came to me, who had become loving to Friends and said, “The people are as numerous as an army, and the gentry of the country have come in.” I asked him to also go up there and leave me; for I had a great travail upon me for the salvation of the people. When they were well gathered, I went into the meeting and stood upon a chair for about three hours. I stood a pretty good while without speaking; after some time I felt the power of the Lord go over the whole assembly; and his everlasting life and truth shined over all. 'The scriptures were opened to them, and the objections they had in their minds answered. They were directed to the light of Christ, the heavenly man; that by it they might see their sins, and Christ Jesus to be their savior, their redeemer, their mediator, and come to feed upon him, the bread of life from heaven. Many were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to his free teaching that day; and all were bowed down under the power of God; so that even though the multitude was so great that many sat on horseback to hear, there was no opposition. A priest sat with his wife on horseback, heard attentively, and made no objection. The people parted peaceably, with great satisfaction; many of them saying, they never heard such a sermon before, nor the scriptures so opened. For the new covenant was opened, and the old, and the nature and terms of each, and the parables were explained. The state of the church in the apostles' days was set forth, the apostasy since laid open, and the free teaching of Christ and the apostles was set atop of all the hireling teachers; and the Lord had the praise of all, for many were turned to him that day.

I went from there to Leominster, where there was a great meeting in a close; many hundreds of people being gathered together. There were about six Congregational preachers and priests among the people; and Thomas Taylor was with me, who had been a priest but had now become a minister of Christ Jesus. I stood up and declared about three hours; and none of the priests were able to open their mouths in opposition; the Lord's power and truth so reached and bound them. At length one priest went off about a bow shot from me; he drew several of the people after him, and began to preach to them. So I kept our meeting, and he kept his. After awhile Thomas Taylor was moved to go and speak to him; this caused him to stop, and he the people he had drawn off came to us again. The Lord's power went over them all. At last a Baptist that was convinced said, " Where is priest Tombs? Why does he does not come?' This Tombs was priest of Leominster. Now some people went and told the priest, who came with the bailiffs and other officers of the town. When he arrived, they set him upon a stool over against me. I was speaking of the heavenly, divine light of Christ with which he 'enlightens everyone that comes into the world; to give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus their savior.' When priest Tombs heard this, he cried out, 'That is a natural light, and a made light.' Then I desired the people to take out their bibles, and asked the priest, ‘Whether he did affirm that the light of Christ was a created, natural, made light, which John, a man sent from God, bore witness to, when he said," In him, (to wit, in the word), was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1,v4. Do you affirm and mean, I said, that this light here spoken of was a created, natural, made light?' He said, yes. Then I showed by the scriptures, that the natural, created made light is the outward light in the outward firmament, proceeding from the sun, moon, and stars. ‘And do you continue to state,’ said I, 'that God sent John to bear witness to the light of the sun, moon, and stars?' 'Then,' said he, ‘Did I say so?' I replied, 'Did you not say it was a natural, created, made light, that John bore witness unto? If you do not like your words take them back, and change them.' Then he said, 'That light, which I spoke of, was a natural created light.' I told him, ‘He had not at all changed his position; for that light which I spoke of, was the very same that John was sent of God to bear witness to; which was the life in the word, by which all the natural lights, as sun, moon, and stars, were made. "In him, (the word), was life, and that life was the light of men.” I directed the people to turn to the place in their bibles, and recited to them the words of John, 'In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.' (So all natural, created lights were made by Christ the word.) 'In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and that was the true light which lights every man that comes into the world.' And Christ said of himself; John 8:12. ,’I am the light of the world;' and bids them' believe in the light.' John 12:36. And God said of him by the prophet Isaiah 49:6. ‘I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the ends of the earth.' So Christ in his light is saving. And the apostle said, 'The light, which shined in their hearts, was to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ;' which was their treasure in their earthen vessels. 2 Cor4:6-7.

When I had thus opened the matter to the people, the priest cried to the magistrates, 'Take this man away, or else I shall not speak any more.' 'But,' I said, ‘priest Tombs, don’t deceive yourself, you are not in your pulpit now, nor in your old mass-house; but we are in the fields.' So he was fidgeting to leave; and Thomas Taylor stood up, and undertook to prove our principle by Christ's parable concerning the sower. Mat 13. Then the priest said, 'Let that man speak and not the other.' Tombs then proceeded to spew doctrinal nonsense for awhile; until the Lord's power caught him again, stopped and confounded him. Then a Friend stood up and told him that he had sued him for tithe eggs and other Friends for other tithes; for he was an Anabaptist preacher, yet had a parsonage at Leominster, and had several journeymen under him. He said, ‘Tombs had a wife, and he had a concubine; his wife was the baptized people, and his concubine was the world.' But the Lord's power came over all, the everlasting truth was declared that day, and many were turned by it to the Lord Jesus Christ, their teacher and way to God. That meeting was of great service in those parts. The next day Thomas Taylor went to this priest, reasoned with him, and overcame him by the power of the word.

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