The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress of the Christian People Called Quakers. William Sewel
who were much increased in number since the year 1646, were now set up in several places.
George Fox was now come up to quite another state than formerly he had lived in; for he knew not only a renewing of the heart, and a restoration of the mind, but the virtues of the creatures were also opened to him; so that he began to deliberate whether he should practise physic for the good of mankind. But God had another service for him; and it was showed him, that he was to enter into a spiritual labour; and also that those who continued faithful to the Lord, might attain to a state in which the sinful inclination was subdued. Moreover, the three great professions in the world, viz. physic, divinity, (so called,) and law, were opened to him, whereby he saw that the physicians wanting the wisdom of God, by which the creatures were made, knew not their virtues: that the lawyers generally were void of equity and justice, and so out of the law of God, which went over the first transgression, and over all sin, and answered the Spirit of God that was oppressed in man: and that the priests, for the most part, were out of the true faith, which Christ is the author of, and which purifies the heart, and brings man to have access to God. So that these physicians, lawyers, and priests, who pretended to cure the body, to establish the property of the people, and to cure the soul, were all without the true knowledge and wisdom they ought to possess. Yet he felt there was a divine power, by which all might be reformed, if they would receive, and bow unto it. And he saw also, that though the priests did err, yet they were not the greatest deceivers spoken of in the Scriptures; but that these great deceivers were such, who, as Cain, had heard the voice of God, and who, as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their company, were come out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, and had praised God on the banks of the sea shore; and who being come as far as Balaam, could speak the word of the Lord, as having heard his voice, and known his Spirit, so that they could see the star of Jacob, and the goodliness of Israel’s tents, which no enchantment could prevail against: these that could speak so much of their divine experience, and yet turned from the Spirit of God, and went into the gainsaying, these he saw would be the great deceivers, far beyond the priests. He saw also that people generally did read the Scriptures, without having a true sense of them; for some cried out much against Cain, Ishmael, Esau, Corah, Balaam, Judas, &c. not regarding that the nature of these was yet alive in themselves; whereby they always applied to others that nature, in which they themselves lived.
The Lord had also opened to him now, that every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ; and he saw that they that believed in it, came out of condemnation, and became the children of the light: but they that hated it, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it, though they made a profession of Christ. All this he saw in the pure openings of the light. He also saw that God had afforded a measure of his Spirit to all men, and that thereby they could truly come to serve the Lord, and to worship him; and that his grace, which brings salvation, and had appeared to all men, was able to bring them into the favour of God.
And on a certain time, as he was walking in the fields, he understood that it was said to him: ‘Thy name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, which was before the foundation of the world.’ This he took to be the voice of the Lord, and believed it to be true. Then he felt himself powerfully moved to go abroad into the world, which was like a briery thorny wilderness; and he found then that the world swelled against him, and made a noise like the great raging waves of the sea: for when he came to proclaim the day of the Lord amongst the priests, professors, magistrates, and people, they were all like a disturbed sea. Now he was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, that they might receive Christ Jesus; for he saw, that to as many as should receive him in his light, he would give power to become the sons of God: and that therefore he was to turn people to the grace of God, and to the truth in the heart; and that by this grace they might be taught, and thereby obtain salvation; since Christ had died for all men, and was a propitiation for all, having enlightened all men with his divine saving light, and the manifestation of the Spirit of God being given to every man to profit withal. He now being sent thus to preach the everlasting gospel, did it with gladness, and endeavoured to bring people off from their own ways, to Christ, the new and living way; and from their churches, which men had made and gathered, to the church in God, the general assembly written in heaven, which Christ is the head of; and from the world’s teacher’s, made by men, to learn of Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life; and of whom the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him;” and off from the world’s worship, to the Spirit of God in the inward parts, that in it they might worship the Father, who seeks such to worship him.
Now he found also that the Lord forbade him to put off his hat to any man, high or low; and he was required to Thou and Thee every man and woman without distinction, and not to bid people Good Morrow or Good Evening; neither might he bow or scrape with his leg to any one. This was such an unusual thing with people, that it made many of all persuasions and professions rage against him; but by the assistance of the Lord, he was carried over all, and many came to be his fellow-believers, and turned to God in a little time; although it is almost unspeakable what rage and fury arose, what blows, pinchings, beatings and imprisonments they underwent, besides the danger they were sometimes in of losing their lives for these matters: so indiscreet is man in his natural state. For here it did not avail to say, That the hat-honour was an honour from below, which the Lord would lay in the dust, and stain it; that it was an honour which the proud looked for, without seeking the honour which came from God alone; that it was an honour invented by men in the fall, who therefore were offended if it were not given them; though they would be looked upon as church members, and good Christians; whereas Christ himself said, “How can ye believe, who receive honour of one another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” That it was an honour, which in relation to the outward ceremony, viz. the putting off the hat, was the same which was given to God; so that in the outward sign of reverence, no distinction, or difference was made betwixt the Creator and the creature; nay, that the saying of you to a single person, went yet a degree further; for not only kings and princes formerly among the Heathens and Jews, had not been offended at it when they were Thee’d and Thou’d, but experience showed that this still was the language wherewith God was daily spoken to, both in religious assemblies, and without. But all these reasons found little entrance with priests, magistrates, and others: bitter revilings, ill usage, and shameful abuses, were now become the lot and share of those who for conscience-sake, could no longer follow the ordinary custom: for though it was pretended that the putting off of the hat was but a small thing, which none ought to scruple; yet it was a wonderful thing, to see what great disturbance this pretended small matter caused among people of all sorts; so that even such that would be looked upon as those that practised humility and meekness, soon showed what spirit they were of, when this worldly honour was denied them. But all this served to strengthen the fellow-believers more and more in their plain carriage, and made them live up faithfully to the convincement of their conscience, without respect of persons.
In the meanwhile the troubles of the land continued. We left the King in the foregoing year in the Isle of Wight, in effect unkinged. Some time after the Duke of York, second son to the King, being then past fourteen years of age, fled to Holland, disguised in woman’s apparel; and his eldest brother the Prince of Wales, who two years before fled to France, came now to Helvoet-Sluys in Holland, and went from thence with some English men of war, whose commanders were for the King, to the Downs in England, with intention to take the ships coming from London. He also published, by the spreading of a declaration, that he came to release his father. Now there was also a negociation on foot between the King and the Parliament, and there seemed some hopes of an accommodation; had not the army, the chief instrument in breaking down the royal power, opposed it, by calling for justice against all those who had wronged the country, none excepted. This broke off the treaty, several suspected members were turned out of the Parliament, and the King was carried to Windsor about the time called Christmas; and it was resolved henceforth to send no more deputations to him, nor receive any from him, who now was no more named King, but only Charles Stuart: a very strange turn of mundane affairs, and a mighty evidence of the fluctuating inconstancy thereof. But things made no stand here, for it was concluded to bring him to a trial; and the Parliament appointed General Thomas Fairfax, and Oliver Cromwell, Lieutenant General, with more than an hundred other persons, to be his judges. These being formed into a court of justice, the King was conducted from Windsor to St. James’s, and from thence brought before them in Westminster Hall,