“I heard a voice which said, `There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition, and when I heard it, my heart did leap for joy.”
So they all lie in confusion; and are making provision for the
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, but not to fulfil the law and
command of Christ in His power and Spirit. For that they say they
cannot do; but to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, that they can do
with delight.
Now, after I had received that opening from the Lord, that to be
bred at Oxford or Cambridge was not sufficient to fit a man to be
a minister of Christ, I regarded the priests less, and looked more
after the Dissenting people.[K] Among them I saw there was some
tenderness; and many of them came afterwards to be convinced, for
they had some openings.
[K] The "Separatists"--especially here the Congregationalists and
Baptists.
But as I had forsaken the priests, so I left the separate preachers
also, and those esteemed the most experienced people; for I saw there
was none among them all that could speak to my condition. When all
my hopes in them and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing
outwardly to help me, nor could I tell what to do, then, oh, then, I
heard a voice which said, "There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can
speak to thy condition";[19] and when I heard it, my heart did leap
for joy.
[19] Compare this great passage where George Fox describes his
conversion with Paul's account of the spiritual _fiat lux_ in
2 Cor. 4: 6, "For God who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness [the first _fiat lux_] _hath shined in our hearts_ to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ."
Then the Lord let me see why there was none upon the earth that could
speak to my condition, namely, that I might give Him all the glory.
For all are concluded under sin, and shut up in unbelief, as I had
been; that Jesus Christ might have the pre-eminence, who enlightens,
and gives grace, and faith, and power. Thus when God doth work, who
shall hinder it? and _this I knew experimentally_.
My desire after the Lord grew stronger, and zeal in the pure
knowledge of God, and of Christ alone, without the help of any man,
book, or writing. For though I read the Scriptures that spoke of
Christ and of God, yet I knew Him not, but by revelation, as He who
hath the key did open, and as the Father of Life drew me to His Son
by His Spirit.
“I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.”
For in that day the Lord's power
began to spring, and I had great openings in the Scriptures. Several
were convinced in those parts and were turned from darkness to light,
from the power of Satan unto God, and many were raised up to praise
God. When I reasoned with professors and other people, some became
convinced.
I went back into Nottinghamshire, and there the Lord showed me
that the natures of those things, which were hurtful without, were
within, in the hearts and minds of wicked men. The natures of dogs,
swine, vipers, of Sodom and Egypt, Pharaoh, Cain, Ishmael, Esau,
etc.; the natures of these I saw within, though people had been
looking without. I cried to the Lord, saying, "Why should I be
thus,[L] seeing I was never addicted to commit those evils?" and
the Lord answered, "That it was needful I should have a sense of all
conditions, how else should I speak to all conditions!" and in this I
saw the infinite love of God.
[L] That is, why should I have suffered such troubles and
temptations.
I saw, also, that there was an ocean of darkness and death; but an
infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of
darkness. In that also I saw the infinite love of God, and I had
great openings.
Then came people from far and near to see me; but I was fearful of
being drawn out by them; yet I was made to speak, and open things
to them. There was one Brown, who had great prophecies and sights
upon his death-bed of me. He spoke only of what I should be made
instrumental by the Lord to bring forth. And of others he spoke, that
they should come to nothing, which was fulfilled on some, who then
were something in show.
When this man was buried a great work of the Lord fell upon me,
to the admiration of many, who thought I had been dead, and many
came to see me for about fourteen days. I was very much altered
in countenance and person, as if my body had been new moulded or
changed.[21] My sorrows and troubles began to wear off, and tears
of joy dropped from me, so that I could have wept night and day with
tears of joy to the Lord, in humility and brokenness of heart.
[21] For those who are interested in the psychology of George Fox
this is one of the most important passages in the Journal.
“When the Lord sent me forth into the world, He forbade me to put off my hat to any, high or low.”
I was to bring people off from Jewish ceremonies, and from heathenish
fables,[34] and from men's inventions and worldly doctrines, by which
they blew the people about this way and the other, from sect to
sect; and from all their beggarly rudiments, with their schools and
colleges for making ministers of Christ,--who are indeed ministers
of their own making, but not of Christ's; and from all their images,
and crosses, and sprinkling of infants, with all their holy-days (so
called), and all their vain traditions, which they had instituted
since the Apostles' days, against all of which the Lord's power was
set: in the dread and authority of which power I was moved to declare
against them all, and against all that preached and not freely, as
being such as had not received freely from Christ.
[34] By a clear spiritual insight Fox saw how large a
contribution both Judaism and Paganism had made to the historic
church. He went to work to carry the reformation to its logical
conclusion. To re-instate primitive Christianity was his aim.
Moreover, when the Lord sent me forth into the world, He forbade me
to put off my hat to any, high or low; and I was required to Thee and
Thou all men and women, without any respect to rich or poor, great or
small.[35] And as I travelled up and down I was not to bid people
Good morrow, or Good evening; neither might I bow or scrape with my
leg to any one; and this made the sects and professions to rage. But
the Lord's power carried me over all to His glory, and many came to
be turned to God in a little time; for the heavenly day of the Lord
sprung from on high, and broke forth apace, by the light of which
many came to see where they were.
[35] The real principles here involved were simplicity of life,
equal respect for _all_ men alike, and strict sincerity. It must
be confessed that these principles have sometimes been lost sight
of, and dress and language have sometimes become a form to those
who opposed all forms.
Oh, the blows, punchings, beatings, and imprisonments that we
underwent for not putting off our hats to men! Some had their hats
violently plucked off and thrown away, so that they quite lost them.
“Justice Bennet of Derby, was the first that called us Quakers, because I bid them tremble at the word of the Lord. This was in the year 1650.”
I told him I was in his power; he
might do what he would; but he said, "Nay," that he would have my
leave, and that he could desire to be always with me, but not to have
me as a prisoner. He said he had been plagued, and his house had been
plagued, for my sake. So I suffered him to lodge with me.
Then he told me all his heart, and said that he believed what I had
said of the true faith and hope to be true; and he wondered that the
other man, who was put in prison with me, did not stand it; and said,
"That man was not right, but you are an honest man." He confessed
also to me that at those times when I had asked him to let me go
forth to speak the word of the Lord to the people, when he refused
to let me go, and I laid the weight thereof upon him, he used to be
under great trouble, amazed, and almost distracted for some time
after, and in such a condition that he had little strength left him.
When the morning came he rose and went to the justices, and told
them that he and his house had been plagued for my sake. One of the
justices replied (as he reported to me) that the plagues were upon
them, too, for keeping me. This was Justice Bennet, of Derby, who was
the first that called us Quakers, because I bade them tremble at the
word of the Lord.[42] This was in the year 1650.
[42] This is the whole of our data for the origin of the name
"Quaker." Fox told the Justice to tremble at the word of the
Lord, and the Justice thereupon fixed the name "quaker" upon him.
There is probably, however, something back of this particular
incident which helped give the name significance. The editors of
the New English Dictionary (see the word Quaker) have discovered
the fact that this name for a religious sect was not entirely
new at this time. Letter No. 2,624 of the Clarendon collection,
written in 1647, speaks of a sect from the continent possessed
of a remarkable capacity for trembling or quaking: "I heare of a
sect of woemen (they are at Southworke) come from beyond the Sea,
called quakers, and these swell, shiver and shake, and when they
come to themselves (for in all this fitt Mahomett's holy-ghost
hath bin conversing with them) they begin to preach what hath
been delivered to them by the Spirit." It seems probable that
Justice Bennet merely employed a term of reproach already
familiar.
“Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone; whereby in them you may be a blessing, and make the witness of God in them to bless you.”
“The Lord showed me, so that I did see clearly, that he did not dwell in these temples which men had commanded and set up, but in peoples hearts . . . his people were his temple, and he dwelt in them.”
“Why should any man have power over any other mans faith, seeing Christ Himself is the author of it?”
“I dont think there has been an increase yet, but Im sure there will be. Im also sure there will be an increase in gas thefts from parked vehicles and things of that nature,”
“People have no clue there are 100-percent or 97-percent down mortgages they can qualify for. What the buying public needs to do is sit down, put a financial plan together and see what products are available out there.”
“Youre not financing the mortgage insurance and you build equity faster.”
Sing and rejoice ye children of the day and the light; for the Lord is at work in this thick night of darkness that may be felt: and the Truth doth flourish as the rose, and lilies do grow among the thorns and the plants atop the hills, and upon them the lambs doth skip and play.
Be still and cool in thine own mind and spirit.
I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.
Why should any man have power over any other mans faith, seeing Christ Himself is the author of it?
“Sing and rejoice ye children of the day and the light; for the Lord is at work in this thick night of darkness that may be felt: and the Truth doth flourish as the rose, and lilies do grow among the thorns and the plants atop the hills, and upon them the lambs doth skip and play.”
