The Missing Cross to Purity

A COLLECTION

OF

MANY SELECT EPISTLES TO FRIENDS,

OF

THAT ANCIENT, EMINENT, AND FAITHFUL MINISTER


OF JESUS CHRIST,

George Fox

Volume 1 Continued

250.-A warning to all to keep out of the vain fashions of the world, which lead them below the serious life; and not to fashion themselves according to the world

Friends,

Keep out of the vain fashions of the world;
do not let your eyes, minds, and spirits
run after every fashion (in apparel) of the nations;
for that will lead you away from the solid life
into unity with that spirit that leads to follow the fashions of the nations,
after every fashion of apparel that gets up.
But mind that which is sober and modest, and keep to your plain fashions,
that in this you may judge the world, whose minds and eyes are in,
'what they shall put on, and what they shall eat.'
And Friends who see the world so often altering their fashions,
if you follow them, and run into them, you cannot judge the world in that,
but rather the world will judge you.
Therefore, keep all in the modesty, and plainness,
and fervency, and sincerity, and be circumspect;
for those who follow those things, which the world's spirit invents daily,
cannot be solid;
and many fashions might be instanced,
both of hats, caps, and clothes of men and women that daily are invented,
which those who run into are near to the world's spirit,
and their eyes are gazing after them,
when they should be upon the Lord,
from whom they should receive judgment.
Therefore all keep down that spirit of the world that runs into so many fashions
to please the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.
And do not fashion yourselves according to your former lust of ignorance;
and let the time past be sufficient,
in which you have lived according to the lusts of men,
and the course of the world,
so that you may live the rest of your time to the will of God,
taking no thought what you shall eat,
what you shall drink, or what you shall put on;
that in this your lives may judge the heathen,
and that you may be like the lilies.
For you brought nothing into the world,
neither shall you take anything out.
And, therefore, while the eye is gazing after every new fashion,
and the mind and desire is thirsting to get it;
when it has it, it lifts up the mind,
and so brings under the judgment of those who are in the sober life,
and of the world also, and to be like them.
Therefore take heed of the world's fashions,
for fear that you be molded up into their spirit,
and that will bring you to slight truth,
and lift up the wrong eye, and wrong mind, and wrong spirit,
and hurt and blind the pure eye, and pure mind, and quench the holy spirit;
and through such foolish toys, and fashions, and fading things,
you may lose your conditions.
Therefore take heed of the world's vanity,
and do not trust in uncertain riches, neither covet the riches of this world,
but seek the kingdom of God, and the his righteousness,
and all other things will follow;
and let your minds be above the costly and vain fashions of attire,
but mind the hidden man of the heart, which is a meek and a quiet spirit,
which is of great price with the Lord.
And keep to justice and truth in all your dealings and tradings,
at a word, and to the form of sound words, in the power of the Lord
and in equity, in yes and no in all your dealings,
that your lives and conversations may be in heaven, and above the earth,
that they may preach to all that you have to deal with;
so that you may be like a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid,
and as lights of the world, answering the equal principle in all,
that God may be glorified in all things.
So that you may pass your time here with fear,
as pilgrims, and strangers, and sojourners,
having an eye over all things that are uncertain,
such as cities, houses, lands, goods, and things below.
Possess them as if you did not;
and those who marry, as if they did not;
yet as having a city, whose maker and builder is God,
and a possession of an inheritance that will never fade away,
in which you have riches that will abide with you eternally.

George Fox

251.

My dear friends in the truth and seed of God,
in which is purity and life,
let that flow from the head to the feet,
so that righteousness and justice may run down our streets like a stream.
For now Friends have become a people gathered in the holy name of Jesus.
Therefore all are to walk worthy of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus;
and as each has received him, so walk in him,
as becomes the gospel, which is the power of God,
which was before the devil was;
that in that your life may shine before men, to answer that of God in all,
that they may behold your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
And so, walk in the light as children of the light and of the day.
For you know that formerly we cried against the powers of the earth,
because judgment, and justice, and righteousness
did not run down their streets.
And now that Friends have become a great people,
shall not judgment, and justice, and righteousness run down our streets
like a stream and a flood, to drive away all the filth from among us.

And now that Friends have become a good savor in the hearts of all people,
they have a friend in their house who will plead for them;
by which Friends have been kept and preserved in the life,
to answer the friend in their house.
And God having given them his dominion and favor,
do not lose it, but rather increase it in the life;
for at first you know that many could not take enough money
in your trade 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 you, through the life, having come to answer that of God in all,
they say, 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 among those who are outside,
where is there a Quaker of such and such a trade?
So that they will deal with Friends before they will deal with their own.
Oh! Therefore friends, who have purchased this through great sufferings,
do not lose this great favor that God has given to you,
but that you may answer the witness of God in every man,
which witnesses to your faithfulness,
that they may glorify your Father on your behalf.

And now, friends, if there is any oppression, exaction, or defrauding
by making a prize, through the freedom that God has given you,
the world will see such, and say, the Quakers are not as they were;
therefore such should be exhorted to equity and truth.
And also, if any run into debt, and aim at great things,
and make a great show in the world of other's goods,
which comes to burden others,
and lift up themselves with that which is not their own,
and are not able to satisfy them, according to their time and word;
such hurt themselves, burden others, and oppress them,
and bring grief, and cause heart rising in them
to see such grown up by oppression;
therefore such must be exhorted to justice, equity, and righteousness,
and an even measure, to do as they would be done by.

And also, those who go under the name of Quaker,
who have gotten into the earth, and settle their nests there in ease;
such come to cry against Quakers' meetings,
saying, away with your forms; and will not come to our meetings,
and hurt others, by which the world gets occasion against the truth.
Therefore such must be exhorted,
for they never knew the purchase of the truth,
and if they did, they have sold it.
And, friends, do not forget the assembling of yourselves together,
as the manner of some is, and was;
for fear that there be an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God,
but exhort one another daily;
and so much the more, as the day appears,
showing the more light, the more day, the more building,
the more exhorting in the light, and in the spirit,
in fellowship with one another.
And those who do forsake the assembling of themselves together,
as the manner of some was in the apostles' days,
and is the manner of some now,
such grow more and more in the evil heart,
departing from the living God.
And this brought in the apostasy, which the apostates set up,
and all the whole body of trifling traditions.
Therefore those who are in the everlasting power of God
must exhort such to take heed and be wise.

And also, all such unruly spirits who have professed (falsely)
and gotten under the name of Quakers,
whose evil words corrupt good manners,
must be exhorted from house to house.

And also such young people, young women and men, who go in youthful ways,
and take liberty to go into pleasure,
and to play, and to alehouses and drunkenness;
which corrupt the earth,
which is one mark that they are dead while they live.
And these kill the just, and burden the righteous,
and cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of.
Therefore such must be exhorted to live in the truth,
and to come to that which will mortify that which leads to death;
so that truth may be adorned by them.

And also those who will not go to meetings, and cry against others who do,
and say, they are forms of men;
and one time they will not give the hand; [probably meaning to refuse to shake hands]
and another time they will keep on their hats when Friends pray,
and yet secretly they can go to bad houses, as several have done.
From these abominable things they must be exhorted and reproved.
And if they do not repent,
and come to judge and condemn those things that they have done amiss,
and live in that which condemns,
and give forth a paper to take their transgressions
and bad doings out of Friends' minds;
and to the people of the world manifesting their repentance;
if they do neither repent, judge, nor condemn,
nor give forth a paper against such bad actions,
which make the world speak evil of the truth and the right way,
then Friends must give forth a paper to the world,
to certify against them, for clearing the truth.
And it would have been better if such had never professed the name,
nor known the truth,
nor come among those who were gathered into the name of Jesus,
and into the form of sound words,
and into the son of God and godliness,
than to have gone into a form of their own,
which they have received, yes even from the worst of men;
who have by this come under the judgment of common, outward people.
And therefore Friends, all uncleanness, of all sorts,
and unrighteousness, and unfaithfulness,
and youthful ways of running out, and lifting up,
such must be exhorted and reproved;
so that truth and righteousness may flow,
through which you may keep that which you have bought,
and kept through great sufferings, and some to death;
that truth in all things may be adorned.

And all those who are tattlers, busy-bodies, backbiters, and gossipers,
are to be exhorted to mind their own conditions,
so that they may live in the truth,
and not to draw others out to words, in which there is no profit;
that truth may flow, and the life may flow,
and the unity may increase in the spirit and power;
so that all may come to live in the gospel order,
which was before the devil, or enmity, or adversary was.

And all those who cry, 'Away with your laws, we will have none of your laws.'
To those who come to the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus,
which makes free from the law of sin and death,
and puts down that authority;
which life was before death and sin were, and remains when they are gone;
and in the life in Christ Jesus,
is the saints' fellowship and unity and bond of peace.
All those who cry against laws so much, are the sons of Belial,
and would be without the yoke of the law of the son of God.
Such always were the stirrers up of mischief and schism from the body,
and they took liberty to say anything;
as you may read in the book of Kings,
in the days of Jezebel, and in the days of Stephen;
and yet these who cry so much against laws,
yet they themselves live in the law of sin and death;
which they obey when they do evil;
who are without the understanding of the righteous law,
which the righteous live in and see.
Therefore, such must be exhorted and reproved,
if they go under the name of Quakers, and are not in the life.
So that justice, judgment, and righteousness
may flow as a river, and as a stream, and drive away all the filth from among us;
that nothing but the power of God,
and the life of truth, may rule among us;
that the living God, who has blessed you with his heavenly riches and mercies,
and largely manifested them among you,
may be in all things honored, magnified, and exalted.
To whom all belongs, God over all, blessed forever.
So that everyone may adorn the truth, and the gospel,
and mind the Lord's business above their own.
And everyone be tender of the glory of God,
and be careful, that in no way his name and truth be dishonored.

George Fox

So let this be read in all your men and women's meetings,
who are to take notice of all such things.
So no more, but my love in the universal seed of God,
who never sinned,
who is first and last, the top and cornerstone.

252.
To Friends in the ministry, scattered abroad in Virginia, Maryland, New England,
Barbados, and other plantations beyond the sea

To all you who minister abroad in those parts, this is the word of the Lord to you all:
live in lowliness of mind, and meekness of spirit, and pureness of heart,
and be examples in your lives, and chaste in your conduct,
in holiness of mind, that you may be a good savor
among the people where you come.
Let all ungracious, light, unseasoned expressions,
be kept out of your minds and mouths, which do not edify the new life;
and keep single to God, and single hearted to man,
and plain in all things, and low.
For it is the word of the Lord, and the light of God,
which prophesied and revealed
the dispensation of the gospel of Christ to people.
Be faithful in it, and walk answerable to it,
and to that holy gift or manifestation of prophecy.
And let none be lifted up with it, for life brings low, and down,
as you are kept in the holiness of it, and the wisdom of God;
through which you answer that of God in all.
This does not hinder the effect of that which you have to minister;
but the life is opened to receive it,
in walking and answering that which you have to minister;
though the contrary part may rise up against you.
Be at unity among yourselves,
so that you may not make sects nor schisms, nor stumble the weak.
For you know that cursed spirit which made rents
and got into the affections and uppermost part of people,
has buried the witness of God in many, and made open rents,
(which may break also into other ages against truth, and those who live in it),
which in time will wither and fade away, like grass upon the house top,
and their arrows will turn into their own bowels,
which are shot against the righteous, both of the professor and profane.
And so be valiant for the truth upon the earth,
abhorring all uncleanness and unrighteousness,
flying all youthful ways and fond affections below,
being kept above them, showing the new life to those who are in the old,
and a new conversation to them that are in the vain,
and gentleness to all the perverse,
and straightness to all the crooked,
and plainness to all the rough,
and lowliness to all the mountains of ungodliness and unrighteousness;
for the Lamb must have the victory.
And so you may be one another's crown, joy and rejoicing in the Lord,
and not one another's sorrow and grief.
And so that all who have run out may be brought to the witness of God,
(which first convinced them), and to the life to answer it;
through which you may come to have unity with God,
and with them in the eternal and everlasting life.
And some of you should take some of the eminent, true, good, and upright Friends,
and go and discourse with some of the heathen kings,
desiring them to gather their council and people together,
so that you may declare God's everlasting truth,
and his everlasting way of life and salvation to them;
knowing that Christ is the promise of God to them,
a covenant of light to the Gentiles, (which is the heathen),
who is also the new covenant to the Jews;
for you have been among the old, rotten hearted professors,
and seen the power of the Lord come over them.
So now turn to the Gentiles, to whom Christ is given for a covenant of light,
and of salvation, to the ends of the earth.
So that the light must be preached and sounded throughout all the heathen kings and princes' countries;
and therefore, as you feel and are moved, about six or more persons,
living in those parts near them, to go with you, as I said,
and desire the king to gather his council and subjects together,
that they may hear that which has been promised to them,
God's everlasting covenant of light,
and life, and salvation, to the ends of the earth.
And so, be faithful in his power, which was before the devil was;
who has darkened people, and set them against one another.
You having on the armor of light, which was before the power of darkness,
(and which must stand against them),
and having on the breastplate of righteousness,
that you may stand against all unrighteousness,
and the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God,
which was before the world was;
through which you may savor and discern in wisdom,
and in understanding you may judge,
and feel by the word of reconciliation
committed to God's servants, his sons, and his daughters;
which word of faith is now preached,
even the same which was among the apostles, which all must obey and do;
which reconciles to God, and to righteous men's spirits, and to one another.
So no more, but my love to you all in the everlasting seed of God that never changes.
For the word is the same now as it was in the beginning, in ages past, manifested over all;
which many thousands have received; Glory and blessing to the Lord God forever.
So be faithful, that you may be one another's crown,
and rejoicing in the Lord, going together in the love and fear of the Lord.
For Friends in Maryland were a pretty people;
and Friends, you have had large experience of that spirit that run into the hat,
(those who claimed and formed a sect based on keeping the hat on in prayer)
that it was not of God, which scatters to the world, (and begot none to God),
which is to be bruised by the seed of God,
Christ Jesus, who gathers to God.

George Fox

London, the 1st of the 7th month, 1667.

253.
To Friends in Holland.

Dear Friends,

In the everlasting power of the Lord God I salute all the faithful and upright,
among whom the Lord has joy and delight;
in everlasting power of God have you your unity, fellowship, and dominion.
And so friends, all sufferings of Friends, of whatever sort,
for conscience sake to Christ,
in Holland, in Germany, in Zealand, Gilderland, in the Palatinate,
in Freezland, Sweedland, Switzerland, and Bamburg,
send an account for what they have suffered, and by whom;
together with the examples of what has fallen upon the persecutors;
with their mittimuses and examinations,
send all these to London, to Friends there;
so that if any ambassadors or agents, out of any of those places, come to London,
Friends may make application to them;
for there are some Friends, who are ordered for the same purpose,
to take knowledge of such things.
And likewise, if any Friends have come over into those parts of the world,
and have not walked answerable to the gospel of truth,
but have walked scandalously and disorderly;
whether they have been those who have come over to minister,
or seamen, and factors, or merchants, or masters of ships,
by which the Lord God has been dishonored,
and his holy name blasphemed, by which his people are called.
And also all such who have not been faithful in their callings between man and man,
but have been deceitful in their callings,
and have been exacters, and have not been true to their word;
by such doings they cause the holy name of the Lord God,
and his righteous truth, to be evil spoken of.
That a list of all such may be gathered up, and sent over to London,
of those who are to receive them; and that if they condemn those things,
and have given forth a paper of condemnation against them,
if so, that we may have a copy of it also,
to take away the reproach of their transgressions from Friends.
And let the faithful Friends among you meet together,
to consider and take care about these things.

George Fox

254.

Friends,

Let your affections be set on things that are above;
for if they are on things below, then your minds, bodies, souls, and spirits,
will be brought into bondage,
and in that the evil will get into you and burden you,
which ought to be kept down by the seed of life;
and learn the true humility of Christ the second Adam.
And so all those who watch for the soul, must have the immortal eye;
for the soul is immortal;
and therefore all eyes must be kept above that which is mortal,
and out of it up to the immortal God,
whose dwelling is in the light.
And so mind the gospel, which is immortal,
and the government of him that never sinned nor fell,
and to know the increase of it daily, which has no end.
For the Lord is establishing his church in righteousness and truth,
whose church is without spot, wrinkle, and blemish, or any such thing.
And his people are a holy generation, and they are to stand up for holiness,
in which holiness they will see God among them;
and let everyone see that they keep their own vineyard clean.

Dear friends, mind the gospel, which is the power of God,
which was before the devil and old Adam were;
in this power is the comely order;
and out of this power are all the uncomely orders.
And so know the government of Christ, and the increase of which has no end;
and this governor and government was before the devil and old Adam was,
and will stand when all that is gone.

George Fox

255.

Dear Friends,

All who from the beginning have been convinced of God's truth,
but have returned to the world, or gone into drunkenness, swearing, pleasure,
and looseness, or to the old mass-house, or have sold the truth for a wife or husband,
and gone to the priests covertly to be married, contrary to the truth they have professed:
these all must be admonished to come to the light that first convince them,
and give forth a paper of condemnation, and send it to the priests,
and to those places where they have dishonored God, his truth and people.
And so to clear the truth, that none may make a jest of their transgressions;
by walking out of the truth, cause the blind to wander;
so that the house may be swept,
and you being a holy generation, may stand up for holiness in your generation,
as the wicked world stands up for unholiness.

George Fox

Surrey , the 10th of the 7th month, 1668.

256.

My dear friends,

Live in the wisdom of God, which is gentle and pure from above, and easy to be entreated;
all bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
And if any weakness should appear in any in your meetings,
it is not for any to lay it open and tell it abroad, this is not wisdom that does so;
for love covers a multitude of sins, and love preserves and edifies the body;
and he who dwells in love dwells in God;
for God is love, and love is not easily provoked;
and therefore keep the law of love,
to keep down that which is so provoked;
for that which is easily provoked has words, which are for condemnation.
Therefore, let the law of love be among you,
which is not easily provoked;
and this law of love being among you,
it will keep down that which is so provoked, and its words;
and so the body edifies itself in love.

George Fox

257.

Dear friends,

Be faithful in the service of God,
and mind the Lord's business, and be diligent,
so the power of the Lord will be brought over all those who have opposed it.
And all you who are faithful, go to visit those who have been convinced,
from house to house, that if it is possible you may not leave a hoof [person] in Egypt.
And so, everyone go seek the lost sheep,
and bring him home on your backs to the fold,
and there will be more joy of that one sheep than the ninety and nine in the fold.
And, friends, all take heed of sleeping in meetings, and sottishness, and dullness;
for it is an unsavory thing to see one sit nodding in a meeting,
and so to lose the sense of the Lord.
And it is a shame and a sadness both, and it grieves the upright and watchful,
who wait upon the Lord, to see such things;
and for the priests, people, and others, who come into your meetings,
and see you, who come together to worship God,
and to meet together to wait upon him, and to have fellowship in his spirit,
for you to sit nodding, it is a shame and an unseemly thing.
Therefore be careful and watchful, and let it be mended;
and mind the light and power of Christ Jesus in you,
and that will condemn all such things, and lead you out of, and above, such things,
and make you watchful one over another for your good.

George Fox

Let this be read in all your meetings

258

Dear friends,

My love to you is in the truth of God that does not change, ,
in that which is unfeigned and everlasting,
in the same power, and the same seed of life as ever was,
and was at the first going forth among you.
And so friends, the Lord in his everlasting and mighty power has moved some to go over in those parts
to declare his word of life and everlasting gospel.
And some have not walked afterwards as becomes the gospel,
both those who have declared it, and those who have received it;
by which there has been a stop to the progress of the truth and power of God,
so that it has not had its full course;
and by that, burdens have been brought upon the righteous and innocent,
and instead of stopping the mouths of the world,
they have opened them to speak evil of the truth and way of God.
And so, friends, this is the thing in short and plainness,
all who have come over into your plantations, and islands,
either to minister or plant, or as passengers to see the country,
or seamen, masters of ships, factors, or merchants,
who have dishonored the Lord God and his truth,
and have opened the mouths of the world to blaspheme God,
and to speak evil of his way and holy truth that the righteous live in;
such, I say, before mentioned, who have gotten into drunkenness,
or looseness in words and life, and have not been faithful in their dealings,
or have shown any immodest carriages,
or have gotten up into those things which the power of God did not set up in the beginning,
(which faithful Friends have continued in),
and have gone into sects and arguing,
which is out of the power of God which Friends are in,
who keep their habitations in Christ Jesus, in whom there is peace.
And all such likewise, who are gone into uncleanness,
and such who pretend to preach the gospel,
and are sat down in the earth, like Demas,
and have forsaken the gift of God,
and sit down in the earth, and esteem the earth before it;
and so set up their own business, and slight the Lord's.
And those who have gotten into the rotten principles of the Ranters,
who wear their hats when Friends pray;
who, out of the wisdom of God, would manifest a separation to the world,
and to show that they are not of the spirit, power, and mind, as Friends were in at the first.
As also, all those who raise false reports,
which are forbidden by the Lord among his people.
These things are to be searched out to the bottom,
so that righteousness and truth may flow, and have its passage through all hearts,
and all may come to the habitation which they had at the first;
and all that is contrary may come to judgment and condemnation.
For the house must be swept and cleansed of all the things mentioned above that have gotten into any,
that all may come up into the sanctified life;
for the Ancient of days is come, and the judgment is set,
and those who have kept their habitations witness this.
And therefore, friends, this is my advice to you,
I would have you gather up a list of all these things mentioned before,
in all your islands and plantations,
let them be searched thoroughly,
that what is for judgment and condemnation may be brought to it,
and that you may send an account to Friends in London of those who come from there,
that have been since scandalous in their conduct.
So that everyone may come to that which convinced them at first,
and to condemn their contrary actions.
And that papers may be sent to the world,
who have known their transgressions,
to clear truth and Friends, and to fetch it out of their mouths;
so that they may not feed upon anyone's transgressions;
that the miscarriages of some may not be charged on the body of Friends.

George Fox

259

My dear friends,

Be faithful in the truth which the devil is out of;
in which truth you have dominion over him.
And live in the power of God, which was before the devil was;
in which power of God, which is the gospel, is your fellowship.
And live in the light, which was before darkness was, and the power of it:
in which light also is your everlasting fellowship;
and in this you will know God's dwelling, which is in the light.
And dwell in the life, which was before death was,
and the devil, the power of it;
and in this life you will have dominion over death and the power of it.
And so you do well who take heed to the light, and walk in it;
and those who do evil do not take heed to the light.
And so walk in the light, as children of the light,
and you will have fellowship one with another,
and with the son and the Father.
And so mind the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls;
and that will keep your eyes and minds over all that which is not able to save,
and keep your feet on the top of that.
And so be of that good faith which gives you victory and access to God,
in which you all please God, and have unity with one another.
And so mind the seed of Christ, which is over all that which makes to suffer,
And was before that was, and will stand when that is gone which makes to suffer;
in that seed live, and know it your crown and life,
and in that you will be one another's crown and joy in the Lord God blessed forever.
And so keep your meetings in the name and power of the Lord Jesus Christ who never fell;
and the seed Christ reigns, in whom you have life,
who was with the Father before the world began.

George Fox

260

Dear Friends,

If the truth makes you free, then are you free indeed.
So then there are none made freemen, except by truth;
and all who are freemen, they are made free by the truth, they are God's freemen;
they are free citizens, they are freeholders of an everlasting inheritance,
and free in an everlasting kingdom; and they are free heirs of salvation;
and they are free in the heavenly city Jerusalem which is from above;
and they are free in the power of an endless life, which was before death was.
So they are not captives, they are not bondsmen, they are not servants, nor slaves.
But (mark) free men and free women.
And what has made them free men, and free women, but truth?
For if the truth has made you free, then are you free indeed,
So, free to worship God in the spirit and in truth, (which the devil is out of),
to serve the Lord God in the spirit and in the new life.
They are above the serpent, and from under his control;
and from under the control of old Adam, and his beggarly rudiments,
and will-worships, and false righteousness.
Truth makes free from all these; and makes free to be partakers of Christ Jesus,
and of his blood, and his spirit, and mind;
who is the prince of peace, and prince of life;
and makes free to be partakers of the divine nature and precious faith;
and to be members of the true church, and gospel fellowship,
and power of God, which was before the devil was.
So stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made you free,
free from the devil, dragon, and serpent, and all slavery and servitude.
For free men walk in their freedom;
for it is the truth that makes them free, and so to triumph in glory.
And so, if the truth has made you free, then are you free indeed;
free from all the will-worships, and from all the windy doctrines;
from all the evil inventions, traditions, imaginations, and notions,
and rudiments of Adam in the fall, who are from truth;
and free from the devil, who is out of truth.
So it is plain, none are free except by the truth, and all in the truth are free men.
And all out of the truth, are slaves in old Adam, and slaves to sin and satan,
and to his will-worship, and to their own self-righteousness,
and to their rudiments, doctrines, and traditions;
serving various lusts, pleasures, and corruptions,
and serving the creatures more than the Creator, who is God blessed forever,
and serving the desires of their own minds;
and so as slaves are kept in bondage;
all in prison all in the bonds of death and jaws of death;
for those who are out of truth are not free men.
Though they are high priests, and readers, preachers, and expounders,
as the great high priests, and the lofty Pharisees and scribes were,
professing the scriptures, yet not in the truth, and so not freemen.
For they are in malice and envy, like Cain; oppressors, like Pharaoh;
raging persecutors, like Nebuchadnezzar and the Jews;
as wild as Ishmael, as profane as Esau;
all those are found out of the truth,
fasting to smite with fists of wickedness, lifting up bloody hands,
mingling their sacrifices with the blood of the persecuted,
praying to the magistrates for persecution.
All this is out of truth, and not in the freedom;
so not free men, but doing the devil's lusts and service, as the Jews did.
And so, if the truth makes you free, you are free indeed;
you are free from all those things above mentioned.
The truth makes free from envy, and from profaneness, and from wildness,
and from wickedness, and from the bloody hands.
Free from the fasts of those who hang down their heads like a bulrush,
free from the persecuting spirits,
free from the false prophets, deceivers, seducers, antichrists;
and all antichristian false prophets, deceivers, and seducers,
are satan's bond slaves, vassals and bondmen;
and being chained with his oars in his galleys,
they carry his wares, and do his work up and down the world; which is the sea.
But truth makes free from all these,
free from the hypocrite's hope, which perishes; free from Nebuchadnezzar's fury.
and it makes free from the wild heifer's nature, and from the dog, swine,
horse, viper, cockatrice, serpent's nature, and from the spider and his web;
and from the oak and cedar, and the bramble and briar, and bear, and lion.
The truth makes free from all these, and brings man and woman into the image of God.
And so, if the truth makes you free, then are you free indeed.
And the truth is Christ, and Christ is the truth,
which makes you free from all falsehood,
and makes you free from the world, which lies in wickedness and unrighteousness;
by which you come to be free men of the world which has no end.

'And a highway shall be there, and a way,
and it shall be called The way of holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it.'
Mark,' the unclean shall not pass over it.' Isaiah 35:8
This way, which is called the way of holiness, was spoken of by prophecy;
and this way is Christ, who is the way of holiness,
who is above the unclean, and destroys it, and the ground of it, the devil;
and so the unclean cannot pass over this way of holiness.
This is our way, who are in scorn called Quakers, that is, Christ.
And this way of holiness shall be for the way-faring men,
though fools, yet they shall not err in it;
where no lion, nor ravenous beast, nor lion's whelp shall go on it.
All the ravenous beasts are without, in the way of the world, without Christ and God.
But the redeemed shall walk in this way of holiness, Christ Jesus;
and the ransomed of the Lord shall walk in this way of holiness;
and those who return from the way of the world to Zion,
shall walk in this way of holiness with singing and everlasting joy upon their heads.
And those who walk in this way of holiness, Christ Jesus,
shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:8-10
And all who walk in this way of holiness,
their deaf ear is unstopped, and their blind eye is opened.
And the lame man here shall leap like a deer,
and the dumb man's tongue shall sing.
And here he shall see waters gush out of the rock,
and streams out of the desert, in this way of holiness.
And here he shall see in this way the parched ground become a pool,
and the thirsty land full of springs;
and in the habitation where dragons once lay,
shall be grass with reeds and rushes, which begin to spring. Isaiah 35:5-9
Glory be to the Lord forever.
And this way of holiness, which the prophets prophesied of, is Christ Jesus, the way,
who said of himself, "I am the way;"
and he is over all the fallen ways, and before the way of the serpent;
glorified with the Father, before the world began.
And this is the way of the wayfaring men,
who have been way-faring up and down from religion to religion,
from worship to worship, from one people to another,
from one minister and teacher to another,
and could not sit down in any of their ways,
but way-fared, traveled and sought.
And now, glory be to the Lord forever,
thousands of these way-faring men have come to find their way, Christ Jesus,
and, though fools, yet they shall not err in it; that is, they shall not err in their way.
They shall not err in Christ Jesus,
for there is no error in him, for he was before error was;
for Christ the way, destroys the devil and his works, the ground of all error;
So though they are called fools, (these way-faring men),
by all the sons of Adam, who have set down in their own rudiments,
and have persecuted these way-faring men as fools,
because they would not sit down with them in their rudiments, worships,
self-righteousness, and national church, which national powers have established;
yet those way-faring men walk on in their way, Christ Jesus,
where, though fools, yet they shall not err in the way, Christ Jesus,
though they are called fools by all the sons of Adam,
who are in their own ways and rudiments;
yet those fools shall not err in the way, Christ Jesus,
though counted fools for Christ's sake.
And they see how all the wise men in old Adam mixed with the wisdom of the serpent,
how they are all in their own ways, worships, and religions;
and all the sects in it, how they are like tradesmen,
plucking from one church to another, and getting customers,
and drawing people from one another's church to their own ways;
and tearing one another to pieces,
to get people from one another's church to themselves.
And so are like lions, and ravenous beasts against one another,
to get from one another's church to maintain themselves;
and thus they seek the people's, not the people;
and feed themselves, and not the flock;
for they are out of the way Christ, and sit down in their own ways.
But for the way-faring man, is the way of holiness;
for him who is way-faring and seeking up and down for his beloved.
'I sought my beloved by night, and the watchmen smote me.'
Did not the way-faring man go to the Papists and say,
'You watchmen of the night, did you see my beloved?'
What is your beloved more than another's beloved, they said.
What is your religion, more than another's religion?
Or your profession, more than another's profession?
So the Papists smote and wounded the way-faring men.
The way-faring man did not ask the Papists for their beloved;
for the Papists had a beloved, a mass-book;
but he asked them for his own beloved, Christ Jesus.

Well, the next watchmen were the Common-prayer-men [Episcopalians] of every parish.
The way-faring man went to those watchmen of the night,
and said, did you see my beloved?
They stormed at the way-faring man,
and said, what is your beloved more than another's beloved,
and your religion more than another's religion?
They smote him, and wounded him also.
Well, the next watchmen of the night were the Presbyterians;
they were also the watchmen of some people;
the way-faring man went to them,
and said "you watchmen of the night, did you see my beloved?"
And they were exceeding angry,
and said, "what is your beloved more than another's beloved,
and what is your religion more than another's religion?"
He did not ask them for their beloved;
for he knew they had a beloved, their directory.
And these watchmen smote the way-faring men,
and punished some, spoiled some of their goods, and killed some,
(as some in New England), because they would not follow their beloved,
as the Papists and others had done before them.

The next watchmen were the Independents and Baptists,
the wayfaring man went to them also;
for they were the watchmen of some people,
and said to them, you watchmen of the night, did you see my beloved ?
And these watchmen of the night were also exceeding angry, and said,
what is your beloved more than another's beloved,
and your way more than another's way,
and your religion more than another's.
And these watchmen of the night smote cruelly.

Then the way-faring men went to the private meetings
of the Manifestarians and Seekers;
and these watchmen fell to mocking, and scoffing, and railing,
and smiting with the tongue [attacking verbally], and thrust them out of their meetings.
And when it was asked them, if they saw the wayfaring man's beloved?
They scoffed at their beloved.
And so the way-faring men way-fared up and down
from watchman to watchman to seek their beloved;
and many were imprisoned and persecuted by some of these watchmen of the night.
And now, glory be to the Lord forever,
thousands of these way-faring men have found their beloved,
and have found their way, Christ Jesus, and a fool shall not err in this;
for there is no error in Christ Jesus, all the error is out of Christ, who is the way,
in which the way-faring men, though counted fools, yet shall not err.
And now my beloved is mine, and I am his;
we have come to the banqueting house, and his banner over us is love.
And the watchmen of the night told the way-faring men,
that there was not any way that did not have error in it;
and that all the religions, and worships, and churches erred.
And so the way-faring men way-fared up and down to find the way of holiness.
For all the ravenous beasts, and the lions' whelps trod in the way of error.
And all those night watchmen were among the ravenous beasts and the lions' whelps;
and so neither the watchmen nor ravenous beasts could pass over this way of holiness,
nor enter into it, which is the way for the way-faring men,
the way of holiness, where the fools shall not err;
which fools, all the wise men in old Adam, and the serpent's error, cannot see,
nor their ground, nor how they err in their own ways.
And this is the eye which the wayfaring man has opened in him, who sees his beloved;
and the way where the fools shall not err in.
And all shall come to this way of holiness, in which the fools shall not err,
which is the way of the way-faring men, into which all must come;
and out of the way of the serpent, and out of the way of old Adam in the fall.

And did not you watchmen of the night tell the way-faring men,
that the scriptures were not translated correctly that speak of a way of holiness,
and a 'way that the way-faring men, though fools, should not err in?'
For you watchmen of the night could not see this way of holiness;
for, do you not say, that a fool will err in every thing he does?
And was it possible there should be a way in which the fool should not err?
for you said, the wisest man that was, sinned;
and here have not you wise men of old Adam manifested your error and ignorance of the scriptures and the way of holiness,
which is the way-faring man's way;
for all error is in your own way, and there is no error in Christ, the way of holiness;
for way-faring men and the fools shall not err in it;
that is to say, they shall not err in Christ Jesus;
for he was before error was, and destroys the ground of it.
The outward Jew worshipped in his outward temple made with hands,
at outward Jerusalem, and they came up yearly to worship there;
and if they did not come up to worship at outward Jerusalem,
and keep the feast of tabernacles in the temple, there should be no rain upon them;
and their eyes were to rot out of their heads, and their tongues out of their mouths,
who fought against Jerusalem, as in Zechariah. 14:12
So the outward Jew had only one temple in the whole world,
and there they went to worship in it; and the priest had a chamber in the temple.
And when Christ came, he ended the priesthood, he ended the offerings,
and the temple, and the worship of the outward Jews in it;
and set up another worship in the spirit and in the truth;
for when the woman of Samaria, who came to Jacob's well, said to Christ,
how that our fathers worshipped in this mountain, where Jacob's well was,
and the well was made before Jerusalem was, or the temple either;
for Jacob died in Egypt, and afterward his sons came out of Egypt,
and built a temple in Jerusalem;
and so they set up a place of worship there after the well had been made;
so Christ said to the woman, 'The hour is coming, and now is,
that those who worship the Father must worship him in spirit and truth ;
and not at Jerusalem, nor at this mountain is God worshipped;
'For God is a spirit, and those who worship him,
must worship him in the spirit and in the truth:'
so then Christ set up his worship,
which was before the pope's, Turks', Common-prayer,
Presbyterian, Independent, and other worships were;
and the worship that Christ Jesus set up, was in the spirit and in the truth.
Now where is this spirit, and where is this truth?
Is it not within people?
So, as the Jew outward was to worship in the temple,
and there was but that one temple commanded of God to be built,
which Christ came to end, who set up his worship in the spirit and in the truth.
So seeing the true worship is in the spirit and in the truth,
and the truth is within you, in the inward parts,
the spirit of God is within you, you must not grieve, vex, nor quench it.
And so every man and woman in the whole world
must come to the spirit and truth in their own hearts,
by which they must know the God of truth, who is a spirit,
and to feel the spirit in their own hearts,
and in the spirit of truth to worship the God of truth, who is a spirit.

So now, since the outward Jew was to offer his sacrifice in the outward temple,
and nowhere else, which temple is now thrown down,
he is not a Jew who is one outward,
but he is a Jew who is one inward, in the spirit and in the truth;
and so, all you inward Jews, in the spirit,
you must worship in the truth and in the spirit.
And so, the inward Jew can worship nowhere except in the temple.
What temple?
It is not a temple that is made with hands.
The outward Jews worshipped in the temple that was made with hands;
but the inward Jew his worship is to be in the spirit, and in the truth,
and in a temple not made with hands.
So to worship in the spirit, and in the truth, is to worship in this temple,
and nowhere else.
And so, every man and woman in the whole world must worship in this temple.
What temple?
The temple that is not made with hands; where the spirit of truth is.
'Do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost;' that is to say, the holy spirit;
and so, every man and woman must be brought to truth in their own hearts,
and brought to the spirit of God in their own hearts.
This is the standing and perfect worship,
and it will stand when all the worships of old Adam are gone,
and when the Jews', and Turks', and christians' worships, who are not in the truth, are gone;
for this is a standing and perfect worship; the spirit of God is perfect.
And this is an universal worship,
and brings every individual man and woman to the spirit of God in their own hearts.
This makes no sect, but everyone in the spirit,
which is the bond of peace, is in the truth, which the enmity is out of;
and this spiritual worship is in the spirit and truth, Christ Jesus,
the spiritual man, the heavenly man, which the second Adam,
the Lord from heaven set up more than sixteen hundred years since.
And so, everyone is to be in it, and to walk in the truth, and in the spirit,
and to come to the truth in their own particulars.
For that spirit makes sects, which persecutes people for not following them;
but they are all to worship in that spiritual worship, which Christ Jesus set up;
and every son and daughter of Adam
is to come to the truth and spirit in their own hearts;
and so in that spirit and truth to worship the God of truth, who is a spirit;
for he seeks such to worship him.
And Christ persecuted no one for not following his worship;
but all are condemned by the spirit in their own selves, who grieve it,
and vex and quench it,
and all are condemned with the light and truth who hate it,
who will not come to it, but hate it.
So all those who persecute about religion run into heaps, and sects, and darkness,
and are condemned with the light.
And so none can worship the God of truth,
but those who come to the truth in their own hearts;
and none can worship God, who is a spirit,
but those who come to the spirit of God in their own hearts,
which mortifies sin and evil;
which spirit leads into all truth.
So everyone who is an inward Jew must worship in the spirit and truth;
and everyone must be brought to the temple that is not made with hands,
and to worship in the spirit which Christ set up, who is the spiritual man.
Carnal men may set up worships,
who do not have the same spirit and power the apostles had.
And such lead people into sects and heaps, and lead people out of the spirit,
and persecute one another about their worships,
which is not the way of truth, nor the command of Christ,
but on the contrary, 'to love one another.'
So all who worship in the spirit and truth,
come to the spirit and truth in their own hearts,
and love one another, and love enemies.
And so, the outward Jews' priests had chambers in the temple,
which priests, chambers, and temple, Christ has ended,
so let Christ Jesus now have a chamber in your temple,
to sanctify your temple, and cleanse your temple,
so that the glory of the Lord may fill your temple.
The Jews' priests were to cleanse the temple,
and when they had cast the rubbish out of it, the glory of the Lord filled their temple:
and so Christ, as I said before, has ended the Jews' priests' chambers and temple.
And so all you who are inward Jews in the spirit,
let Christ your priest have a chamber in your temple,
so that he may cleanse your temple, and cast the rubbish out of it,
which is come in by transgression,
who renews you up into the image of God,
which Adam and Eve were in before they fell;
so that the glory of the Lord may fill your temple.
And so as the outward Jew had only one temple to worship in,
the inward Jews must not have two; for then they make a sect,
and go from truth in their own hearts, and from the spirit of God.
And so to worship in the truth and in the spirit, is to worship in the temple.
So every man and woman come to this one temple.
Where is this one temple?
Where the spirit is in the heart, and the truth in the inward parts;
and this is the temple that is not made with hands;
‘do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the holy ghost?'
And so this is the true worship that Christ set up, in the spirit and in the truth;
every man and woman in the whole world must come to it,
the truth in their own hearts,
that by it they may know the truth, and the God of truth.
And by the spirit they may know God, who is a spirit,
and so worship him in the spirit and in the truth;
and this is the standing universal worship, which Christ the second Adam,
the Lord from heaven, the spiritual man,
set up more than sixteen hundred years ago,
when he denied the mountain worship, where Jacob's well was,
and the temple worship of the outward Jews at Jerusalem,
where they went to the outward temple yearly to worship.
And so all are to worship in the spirit,
and come to the spirit and truth in their own hearts;
and in that to worship the God of truth, who is a spirit, as Christ commanded.
And so by the spirit of truth, they come to Jerusalem, which is above,
which comes down out of heaven from God.
So this is a true, certain, standing, infallible, and perfect worship;
for truth and the spirit of God are certain, infallible, and perfect;
and so this worship is a certain perfect worship.
And so everyone, come to the truth in your own hearts, and to the spirit of God,
or else you cannot worship the God of truth, who is a spirit;
and every man in the whole world who worships,
who would find this spirit and truth, must go into this temple.

And so worship God in the spirit and truth, who is a spirit;
and this spirit gives an understanding to know God,
who is a spirit, and the truth,
and to know the God of truth,
who is to be worshipped in the spirit and truth,
who is God blessed forever. Amen.

George Fox

261

Friends,

To call men 'masters' or 'gracious lord,' and putting off the hat to them,
and the man's scraping with his foot, and the woman's making a curtsy;
not giving and observing these titles and fashions,
does not break the law of Christ, nor of God,
who respects no man's person, but they are the customs of nations that are vain;
and the great manners and civilities that lie among Christians,
are in saying you to one man, and the man's putting off his hat,
and scraping with his foot, and the woman's bending her knees;
and in these and such like things lie their civilities,
their honor, and manners, and well-breeding, as they call it.
But the right manners are to keep people from evil words,
which corrupt good manners, and God's law;
and Christ respects no man's person.
And man and woman in their not doing, nor scraping,
and bowing, are not unmannerly, nor uncivil;
for man was forbidden by the angel to bow to him,
but to bow to God, and to worship him,
and to bow at the name of Jesus,
who is called, the power of God, and the word of God;
for the angel said to John, he was his fellow-servant.
So servants were not to bow to one another;
and if they do, is it not reproved by the angel, and reproved by Christ,
he seeking honor from one another?
For 'how can you believe, said Christ, who receive honor one of another?'
So it is a mark, that they are unbelievers, who receive honor from one another;
and they are like the Pharisees, who love the praise of men,
and are called of men master, and like the heathen, that will be called 'gracious lords.'
For, said he, you are all brethren,
and have one master and Lord, Christ Jesus, and one Lord, who is the creator of all.
For all things were made subject to man, and man subject to God;
all creatures were to fear and dread man and woman,
but men and women were to fear and dread God.
So all christians are to have one heavenly spiritual head, Christ Jesus,
and heavenly spiritual master,
and they all as brethren are to serve and worship him.
And the prophets and apostles used thou to God and Christ, kings and princes,
and great men and women, as you may see in the scriptures,
and they were never offended at it.
And you never heard in all the scriptures of any who feared God,
who were offended at any for saying thou to a single person,
and standing with their hats on,
(unless it was the Pharisees, who loved the praise of men),
as it is said in the book of Job,
‘If I give flattering titles to men, my maker would soon take me away.'
And so all their flattering titles, and loving the praise of men,
and seeking honor from one another,
comes from that ground that is out of truth,
in the image of the beast and the dragon, who will be worshipped;
but the angel would not be bowed down to by the servant of the Lord;
he says, God must be worshipped.
So those who worship the beast and the dragon, receive the mark from the dragon;
he brands them and marks them with his spirit, (out of truth),
and then he receives honor from them, and the vain glory they give to him;
but those who are sealed with the spirit of promise,
have their Father's mark in their foreheads;
these worship the living God, and are in his image and his likeness,
that he made them in the beginning,
and in the spirit of Christ Jesus, and those are Christ's.

George Fox

262

All Friends and people,

That is to be condemned in yourselves, which has led you from Christ,
from God, and from unity in the light;
I say, that is condemned by the light, and must be executed and killed,
and stoned with the living stone, and run through with the living sword,
and hammered down with the living hammer to pieces,
and burnt up with the living fire, and so made an end of.
For that which leads into looseness, whimsies, imaginations, false visions,
though it is condemned, yet, if it is not executed, it is in danger of rising again;
and if it rises again, and gets over you, it will be your ruler,
if it gets out of prison and is alive, and not executed.
For after a thing is condemned, such as drunkenness, adultery, fornication,
or any manner of looseness whatever, or running out from the spirit and light,
if it is condemned, and judgment passed upon it,
if it is not executed, there is danger of its reviving.
For after a thing is condemned, and judgment passed upon it, it is to be executed.
For you know, after a thief or a murderer is condemned and judged,
and has sentence passed upon him,
yet he is not executed that day; the execution comes afterwards.
And therefore, after condemnation or judgment is passed upon any inward evil,
or any outward action of evil,
let execution be speedily done with the living hammer,
and the living sword, and the living stone;
so that the living fire may burn it up and consume it.

No man after he has beaten his child, hates him ever afterwards,
but loves him, if he repents and changes;
so does the eternal Father.
And if a child falls down into the dirt,
he does not go and tumble him more into the dirt,
or into the ditch, and there let him lie in the dirt and ditch,
but takes him out and washes him;
and so does the heavenly Father,
who leads his children by his hand, and dandles them upon his knee.
And so, all who are called fathers or mothers in the truth,
their tenderness should be the same to all little children in the truth,
who can hardly go without leading,
so that sometimes may fall into the dirt and ditch, and slip aside,
and then be troubled, and cry.
To these there should be tenderness shown, and to wash them, and help them;
and love to such should be manifest;
for there is a difference between a stubborn, rebellious, and willful child,
and one who is penitent;
for those who know the will of their Father, and do not do it,
must have great chastisements; they must have greater stripes,
and they must look for (be sure to expect it) sorer stripes than the penitent one.
For Christ is manifest [revealed] in the flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh,
to all who witness Christ in them, male and female;
I say, Christ manifest in their flesh;
he condemns the sin that is in their flesh;
yes, and makes an end of sin, and finishes the transgression,
and brings everlasting righteousness into them.
But first he condemns the sin that is in their flesh,
the unrighteousness in their flesh, and ungodliness in their flesh;
the liar, the swearer, that is in their flesh;
the adulterer, the fornicator, the idolater,
and all sin, whatever it is, he condemns in the flesh.
So Christ is manifest in the flesh, to condemn the sin that is in the flesh;
everyone who witnesses Christ condemning sin in the flesh,
that they through Christ, who condemns sin in the flesh,
might become God's righteousness, and so God's new person [creature].
But the sin being uncondemned in the flesh, they are of the serpent,
of the unrighteous one, of the ungodly one, who adulterated from truth, they are his.
But the sin being condemned in the flesh, Christ is manifest in the flesh,
so that they become Christ's;
they are God's, and are in Christ,
who destroys the devil and his works, which are out of truth.
And these know the new life, which God is served in;
and these know the new earth, in which dwells righteousness;
and these know the old earth, in which dwell unrighteousness.
And these can bring forth things old and new.

For those who are led by the spirit of God, are the sons of God;
those who are led by the spirit of the devil, are the children of the devil,
and they do his works, the works of their father;
just as those who are led by the spirit of God, do his works, the works of their father;
and all those who quench the spirit of God, and vex the spirit of God,
and grieve the spirit of God, and hate the light of Christ,
and walk despitefully against the spirit of grace, and turn it into wantonness,
and disobey the word of God in their hearts and mouths;
surely you all may see these are not the sons of God, and do not do the works of God;
though they may profess the scriptures from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation.
Neither does that birth know the scriptures,
for they are known by the spirit of God, the holy ghost,
which led the holy men of God to speak them forth;
by the same spirit they are known again.
And Christ, who was conceived by the holy ghost, born of the Virgin,
he is known by the holy ghost again,
which led the holy men of God to give forth scriptures;
which now leads into all truth.
And all those now, who despise revelations,
inspirations, prophecies, gifts, and talents,
they despise the spirit of God and his gifts.
Such are neither ministers of God, or Christ, nor his sons;
but are the sons of him [the devil] who is out of the true spirit that is of God,
in the darkness, Babel, and confusion;
who think they can do great matters with their languages,
and make a trade of the scriptures with them;
who cannot endure any people should come to the spirit that gave them forth;
for none can walk in the spirit who quench it, and vex and grieve it.
And none come into the church fellowship
who grieve, and vex, and quench the spirit of God.
For the fellowship is in the spirit, that is the bond of peace;
and none are led into all truth, but by the same holy ghost
who was in the holy men of God, who gave forth the scriptures of truth.
And all who are led by this spirit of truth,
are led away from the spirit of the devil, who is out of truth.
And all who are led by the spirit that is out of truth,
are the first birth of the flesh, and of that murderer;
who will persecute him that is born of the holy spirit of God, which leads into all truth.
But those who are led by the spirit that is out of truth,
are out of both the Father and the Son.
And those who are led by the spirit of truth, are the sons of God;
and here are both in the Father, and in the Son, and in the truth, which abides forever.
And here the heir, the son, inherits his possession,
his inheritance in the kingdom that never has an end.

The true hope, the true cross, the true faith,
the true worship, the true religion,
the true way, the true image,
and true fellowship have been lost since the apostles' days,
among those called christians, who are out of the life.
And those who have lost the cross of Christ, which is the power of God,
in which is the true fellowship,
they have set up a wooden or a stone cross,
so false crosses, and false christians.
Those who have lost the true hope, which purifies, as he is pure,
they have set up a purgatory to cleanse them when they are dead.
And others cry up a body of sin and death on this side of the grave,
with their hypocrite's hope;
and they have lost the true ministry,
and set up a false one, to preach up imperfection.
Now people were imperfect in old Adam before Christ came;
for the law made nothing perfect;
but the true minister, Christ in you the hope of glory, does make perfect,
both in the Apostles' days and now.
'Christ in you, the hope of glory,' said the apostle, 'whom we preach,
warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom,
so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.'
So the perfection is in Christ Jesus; the imperfection is in old Adam.
So this is the true hope that purifies,
which everyone who has it purifies himself, even as he is pure.
And everyone who does not have a possession of this hope,
pleads for impurity and imperfection,
and a body of sin and a body of death to their grave,
and a purgatory when they are dead.
These have a profession of the scriptures, like the Pharisees;
and the hypocrite's hope which shall perish.

And the true faith has been lost since the apostles' days;
the true faith which purifies the heart, which is the faith of God's elect,
which faith gives victory over that which separates from God;
in which faith you all please God;
which faith is the gift of God, and Christ is the author of it;
everyone look to him for it, for the finishing of it, who is the author of it.
In this faith all the saints have unity in that which gives victory over the devil;
for by the faith, which is the shield, they resist him and quench his fiery darts;
and they resist him who would defile them and make them imperfect,
and lead them into those things which would displease God.
And all who are out of this faith, they cry, no victory while we are upon the earth;
but they must have a body of sin to the grave, and a purgatory to cleanse them in;
these are all in the error concerning the faith;
these have made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience;
these are all in the dead faith,
and so cannot preach in the true and living faith of God's elect.
These are all out of unity; for the unity is in the faith, which gives victory over the devil.
These are out of the righteous life; in which the righteous lives by his faith.
'The life that I now live, is by the faith of the son of God;
yet it is not I, but Christ who lives in me,' said the apostle.
And all who walk in the faith of God's elect, which is the victory over the devil,
walk in unity over the enmity.

And the true worship has been lost since the apostles' days;
yes, the worship that Christ set up more than sixteen hundred years ago,
in the spirit and in the truth;
yes, in the spirit of God,
which was before the spirit of the devil was, who is out of truth;
and in the truth, which the devil is out of.
In this spirit, and in this truth,
God, who is a spirit, and the God of truth,
seeks that men should worship him in the truth;
and so every man and woman must come to truth in the inward parts,
and to the spirit of God within themselves,
if they are to be worshippers of God in the spirit and truth, which the devil did not abide in.
And this is the standing and perfect worship, in which there is unity in the truth;
for the enmity is out of it, and he cannot get into it.
Glory be to God forever!
And men who have erred from the worship that Christ set up,
more than sixteen hundred years ago,
they are away from the truth within, and the spirit of God.
And they have worshipped images by that unclean spirit;
they have worshipped the works of their own hands;
they have worshipped the dragon; they have worshipped the beast;
they have worshipped the creature; they have worshipped angels,
persecuted one another about their worships,
and they have persecuted the true worshippers.
These are in the blind zeal, who have hated the light.
And so none can worship God, who is a spirit,
unless they come to the truth in their inward parts,
and to the spirit of God in themselves;
by which spirit they must know God to be a spirit, and to worship him in the spirit.
They must know God to be the God of truth, and then worship him in the truth;
which the devil is out of, in the enmity, an adversary.
And this is the standing, perfect, infallible worship,
that Christ Jesus, the perfect, infallible man, set up more than sixteen hundred years ago.

And the true way has been lost since the apostles' days,
which Christ set up more than sixteen hundred years ago;
who said, 'I am the way to the Father; and no man comes to the Father, but by me.'
So no one comes out of old Adam, except by Christ, the second Adam.
No one comes out of darkness, except by Christ, the light;
no one comes out of death, and from under the prince of death, the power of it, except by Christ, the life.
So he is the way to God.
No one comes out of unrighteousness, except by Christ, the righteousness;
no one comes out of the wisdom below,
except by Christ who is the wisdom of God, which is from above.
And no one comes out of error and evil, except by Christ, the truth.
So he is the door and the way to God Almighty.
And no man comes to the Father, except by him.
No one comes out of captivity or prison, except by Christ the heavenly man.
And so, they having erred from Christ, the way,
they have set up so many ways in Christendom among themselves;
and fall out about their ways with one another, enmity being among them.
Now Christ is the way, which the unclean cannot walk in,
who was before the unclean way was; for he is over all the unclean;
and he is over all the perverse and crooked ways, and mountainous ways,
and evil and unrighteous, and ungodly ways; he is over them all.
And none come to this new and living way, Christ Jesus,
but who come to the grace of God in their hearts;
the spirit of God in their hearts.
So he is the new and the living way, who is the first and the last,
the beginning and the ending, set up from everlasting to everlasting.
And all who are out of this new and living way,
though they have all the scriptures, from the beginning of Genesis to the Revelation,
yet they are dead, and under the power of death;
which Christ the way destroys, through death, yes the power of death, the devil;
and was before death and his power was.
Here is the new and the living way.

And the true religion has been lost, and erred from since the apostles' days.
The religion that is pure from above, and undefiled before God,
which keeps from the spots of the world, which is to visit the widows and the fatherless.
Now those who are out of this religion have made many religions,
but they are spotted and defiled, and they cry up a body of death, and sin,
and imperfection to the grave, and a purgatory when they are dead.
And their widows, and their fatherless, and strangers go begging up and down their streets and highways;
so their streets and highways are judges against them and their bodies of death,
and their purgatories manifest their errors and ignorance from this pure religion,
which comes down from above, which is not of man's making;
but comes down from God, which is pure before God, and undefiled in his sight,
which keeps from the spots of the world. (Mark, the spots).
And these do not cry up a body of death, nor a purgatory when they are dead;
they are kept from the spots of this world.
So those are far degenerated from this pure religion from above,
(which is undefiled before God, which keeps from the spots of this world,
and leads to visit the fatherless, widows, and strangers),
whose religion is that they must have a body of sin and death to the grave,
and a purgatory when they are dead.
And their fatherless, and widows, and strangers must go a begging in the streets.
All these religions are from below, and of their own making, and not from above,
but of him who is out of truth.
And all those who come to this pure religion, that is from above, and come to receive it,
it must be by the spirit of God within, and the light of Christ within,
and his grace within, and his faith within.

And the image of God in them, which man and woman were renewed into by Christ,
has been lost since the apostles' days,
and therefore they have set up so many inventions of their own brain,
and outward images, and likenesses, and worship them;
for man and woman was in the image of God, before they fell.
And when they fell from the image of God,
they set up many images of God, and man, and other creatures,
of things in heaven and things in earth.
And when Christ came, he renewed man into the image of God again, and into his likeness;
but since the apostles' days they have lost this image of God, and this likeness;
and made a profession of Christ and the apostles' words, as the Jews did of the law,
and worshipped the works of their own hands, and images.
But now Christ is renewing man again into the image of God, as they were in the apostles' days;
yes, also I say, that Adam and Eve were in before they fell.
Yes, and in this image of God they will reign over all images and image makers,
either with hand or brain;
for they have made those images and likenesses by the evil spirit, that is out of truth,
which the spirit of truth leads out of, and above them, and from their works.
Glory to God forever, for his image and his likeness is led into by Christ Jesus,
and into Adam and Eve's state before they fell;
and not only into that state,
but into Christ Jesus who never fell.

And the true praying has been lost since the apostles' days;
for none can pray truly, except by the spirit of God, to God, who is a spirit,
or to Christ, who is a quickening spirit.
And all those who have erred from the spirit, cannot abide to hear talk of it;
and yet may have the scripture from Genesis to the Revelation,
and make prayers, and say them over, and give them to others to say over;
and so pray by the book, and that must help his infirmity;
and so have erred from the spirit, and from the true doctrine of the apostles,
who said, the spirit must help their infirmities; and they must pray in the spirit.
So all who grieve, and vex, and quench the spirit of God,
cannot pray in it to God, who is a spirit.
But they think to be heard by their much babbling,
and ask and pray, but do not receive.
And everyone must come to the spirit of God in themselves,
and to the light, and to the faith that purifies his heart,
and to the spirit of grace and supplication;
and by this his mind is to be turned towards Christ,
who prays to God, and asks in the name of Jesus,
and in the power, and light, and spirit of Christ.

And the true fellowship has been lost,
and sanctification, and belief, and the righteousness since the apostles' days.
For many have had the letter, but lost the life;
the belief, but lost the possession;
the profession, but lost the substance, Christ Jesus;
but the true fellowship is in the gospel, the power of God,
which was before the devil was.
And since men lost this power of God they have not known the scriptures aright,
but they have set up fellowships by that spirit which is of him who is out of the truth,
who have destroyed one another,
and persecuted those who are in the power of God, which is the gospel,
which was before the devil, and all the fellowships in old Adam were,
and will be when they are all gone.

Now the gospel fellowship is a perfect fellowship,
a pure and a holy fellowship, it is an everlasting fellowship;
for the power of God is everlasting,
it is over the Jews' fellowship in the outward things,
and the Gentiles' invented fellowships, and the fellowships of bread, water, and wine;
for these are no mysteries, the world's fellowship is no mystery,
the fellowship of bread, water, and wine is no mystery;
but the gospel fellowship is a mystery
and none see it, but those who come to the light of Christ, and to the truth in the inward parts.
For this is a standing fellowship, the gospel, the power of God;
and all fellowships out of it are imperfect and corrupt, where the body of death,
and sin, and their purgatory are pleaded for,
which fellowships below, men make, and are of men, and from men;
but the gospel is not of men, nor by men but of God, and from Christ.
So this fellowship is the church fellowship that is in God,
and the gospel fellowship is a pure fellowship,
which gospel brings life and immortality to light,
and expels away all that which darkens, and burdens,
and loads the soul, mind, spirit, and heart.
So this is glad tidings to the immortal soul,
which comes by the immortal power up to the immortal God,
where life and immortality comes to light,
and to shine over him that has darkened it.
Here is liberty to the immortal soul, mind, and spirit in the gospel, the power of God,
which is the gospel fellowship, which is a mystery,
(but bondage and darkness to the other),
so life and immortality are hidden from all those who make fellowships below,
and have their fellowships by men, and of men,
who are out of the power of God, the gospel;
and make fellowships of old authors, and make fellowships of the scriptures.
But being erred from the spirit, they do not know the scriptures, nor the power of God,
and there they are in strife and enmity in their fellowships,
and falling out about their bread and wine, some taking it one way, some another;
and falling out about their handiworks,
and plucking people from one another to themselves,
and not to Christ, nor his gospel fellowship,
which came not by men, neither was it of man.
So those who deny revelation cannot preach Christ until he is revealed,
nor can they preach the gospel until it is revealed.
And those who say revelations have ceased, they may as well say, there is no gospel;
and so have no Christ to preach, and are only ministers of the letter;
neither do they have the secrets of God to preach,
which are revealed to those who fear him.
And that is the spirit of darkness from the prince of darkness,
that is out of the fellowship of the gospel, where enmity is,
which speaks itself sufficiently abroad among all their fellowships;
and he cannot get into this fellowship of the gospel, the power of God,
which was before the devil was.

And the righteousness has been lost since the apostles' days;
therefore people have been found in their own self-righteousness and unrighteousness;
and therefore they are all found out of peace with God,
and with Christ, and with one another;
for where there is righteousness there is peace.

And sanctification has been lost since the apostles' days;
therefore both teachers and hearers are found in uncleanness,
and preach up the body of death, and sin, and a purgatory;
and so have forsaken him who should sanctify them, and make them clean.

And the sanctifying belief has been lost since the apostles' days;
for he who believes is born of God;
and he who believes in the light, may become a child of the light;
everyone that comes into the world is enlightened by Christ,
that they should believe in the light, as he commands them,
and so become children of the light;
and he who believes, overcomes the world.
And if there be no overcoming on this side of the grave,
as the world's preachers, made by men, say,
then there is no true believing on this side of the grave;
and therefore the world is not overcome in them;
and he who is their god, is of the world also.
For ‘he who believes, overcomes the world;
for greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.'
So this greater overcomes the less,
and he who believes passes from death, and sin, which brings death,
and the devil the power of death;
so becomes a child of light and of the day;
and of the light which was before darkness was, or the prince of it;
for this is the belief that overcomes the world;
which sanctifies the unbelieving husband, and the unbelieving wife,
else their children would be unholy, but now they are clean. 1 Cor 7:14. *
For this belief is greater than he that is of the world,
which overcomes him that would defile;
for this belief is Christ, which passes from death to life,
it takes away the root of sin and iniquity, which is complained of in the scriptures,
which they were born in, though they had the law, which made nothing perfect,
which took hold of their outward actions or branches;
but this belief makes the root holy,
and if the root is holy, the branches that spring from the root will be holy also.

*The 17th Century Protestants believed they were righteous, saved and justified by their belief in Jesus, but they denied they were sanctified (made holy), claiming that sanctification was impossible on earth. Fox is using the scripture of the believing spouse sanctifying their other half and their children to prove sanctification was possible on earth. But he is not saying the believing in Jesus immediately made the believer holy. Only believers become holy; only persistent believers become holy; only the obedient are believers; only the seekers are believers — that kind of believer is saved, purified, justified, and sanctified, while on earth. 20th Century Protestants are not beyond claiming instant sainthood.

And all you who preach up a body of sin and iniquity,
and that you must have a body of sin and death to the grave,
and a purgatory when you are dead.
Neither man nor woman of you believes correctly;
for the believing wife sanctifies the unbelieving husband;
and the believing husband sanctifies the unbelieving wife;
else their children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
So you have all erred from this sanctifying belief since the apostles' days.
But have made beliefs and creeds of your own,
and then say, there is no overcoming on this side of the grave.
You may as well say, there is no true belief.

George Fox

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