Whittier Friends School
A Quaker School
6726 S. Washington Avenue
Whittier, CA 90601
(562) 945-1654
An excerpt from his Journal [George Fox (1624-1691) is generally known as the father of the Quaker movement in England.] That all may know the dealings of the Lord with me, and the various
exercises, trials, and troubles through which he led me in order to prepare and
fit me for the work unto which he had appointed me, and may thereby be drawn to
admire and glorify his infinite wisdom and goodness, I think fit (before I
proceed to set forth my public travels in the service of the Truth), briefly to
mention how it was with me in my youth, and how the work of the Lord was begun
and gradually carried on in me, even from my childhood.
I was born in the month called July in the year 1624, at Drayton-in-the-Clay in Leicestershire. My father's name was Christopher Fox; he was by profession a
weaver, an honest man, and there was a Seed of God in him. The neighbours
called him "Righteous Christer." My mother was an upright woman; her maiden name was Mary Lago, of the family of the Lagos and of the stock of the martyrs.
In my very young years I had a gravity and stayedness of mind and spirit not unusual in children, insomuch that, when I have seen old men carry themselves lightly and wantonly towards each other, I have had a dislike thereof risen in my heart, and have said within myself, "If ever I come to be a man, surely I should not do so nor be so wanton."
When I came to eleven years of age, I knew pureness and righteousness; for while I was a child I was taught how to walk to be kept pure. The Lord taught me to be faithful in all things, and to act faithfully two ways, viz. inwardly to God and outwardly to man, and to keep to "yea" and "nay" in all things. For the Lord showed me that though the people of the world have mouths full of deceit and changeable words, yet I was to keep to "yea" and "nay" in all things; and that my words should be few and savory, seasoned with grace; and that I might not eat and drink and make myself wanton but for health, using the
creatures in their service, as servants in their places, to the glory of him
that hath created them; they being in their covenant, as sanctified by the Word
which was in the beginning, by which all things are upheld; wherein is unity
with the creation... ...At another Time it was opened in me that God, who made the world, did not dwell in temples made with hands. This, at the first, seemed a strange word because both priests and people use to call their temples or churches, dreadful places, and holy ground, and the temples of God. But 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 people's hearts; for both Stephen and the Apostle Paul bore testimony that he did not dwell in temples made with hands, not even in that which he had once commanded to be built, since he put an end to it; but that his people were his temple, and he dwelt in them... And I had great openings concerning the things written in the Revelations; and when I spoke of them, the priests and professors would say that was a sealed-up book, and would have kept me out of it, but I told them Christ could open the seals, and they were the nearest things to us, for the Epistles were written to the saints that lived in former ages, but the Revelations were written of things to some.
After this, I met met with a sort of people that held that women have no souls, adding in a light manner, no more than a goose. But I reproved them and told them that was not right, for Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior."... ...And there was a young woman that was to be put to death for robbing her master; and judgment was given and grave made for her and she carried to execution. I was made to write to the judge and to the jury about her, and when she came there though they had upon the ladder with a cloth bound over her face, ready to be turned off, yet they had not power to hang her (as by the paper which I sent to be read at the gallows may be seen), but she was brought back again. And they came with great rage against me into the prison. Afterwards in the prison this young woman came to be convinced of God's everlasting Truth.
And I also writ to the judges what a sore thing it was that prisoners should lie so long in gaol, and how that they learned badness one of another in talking of their bad deeds, and therefore speedy justice should have been done. For I was a tender youth and dwelt in the fear of God. I was grieved to hear their bad language and was made often to reprove them for their words and bad carriage towards each other... The examination of George Fox before the Judge at Lancaster concerning the Oath of Allegiance 1663 George Fox was called before Judge Twysden, being a prisoner at the place... Judge: What! do you come into the Court with your hat on? Then the gaoler took it off. George Fox: Peace be amongst you all. The hat is not the honour that came down from God. Judge: Will you take the oath of Allegiance, George Fox? George Fox: I never took an oath in my life, covenant, not engagement. Judge: Will you swear or no? George Fox: Christ commands me not to swear at all, and the Apostle James likewise. I am [no heathen], but a Christian, and should show forth Christianity. Do you not know that the Christian in primitive times refused swearing in the days of the ten persecutions, and some of the martyrs in Queen Mary's days because Christ and the apostles had forbidden it? Have you not experience enough how many men at first swore for the King and then against the King? Whether must I obey God or man, I put it to thee, so judge thee. Judge: I will not dispute thee, George Fox. Come, read the oath to him. And so the oath was read. Judge: Give him the Book. And so the man that stood by me held up the Book and said, "Lay your hands upon the Book." George Fox: Give me the Book in my hand (which set them all a-gazing, as a hope I would have sworn; then when I got the Book in my hand, I held it up and said) it is commanded in this Book not to swear at all. If it be a Bible, I will prove it. And I saw it was a Bible, and I held it up, and then they plucked it out of my hand again, and cried, "Will you swear? Will you take the oath of Allegiance, yea or nay?" George Fox: My allegiance to the King lieth not in oaths, but in truth and faithfulness, for I honour all men, much more the King, but Christ saith I must not swear, the great prophet, the savior of the world, and the judge of the world; and thou sayest I must swear; whether must I obey Christ or thee? For it is in tenderness of conscience that I do not swear, in obedience to the command of Christ and the Apostle, and for his sake I suffer, and in obedience to his command do I stand this day. And we have the word of a King for tender consciences, besides his speeches and declarations at Breda. Dost rthou own the King? Judge: Yes, I own the King. George Fox: Then why dost thou own his speeches and declarations concerning tender conscience? (to the which he replied nothing; but I said), it is in obedience to Christ the savior of the world, and the judge of the world, before whose judgment seat all must be brought that I do not swear, and I am a man of a tender conscience. And then the judge stood up. Judge: I will not be afraid of thee, George Fox, thou speakest so loud, thy voice drowns mine and the Court's; I must call for three or four criers to drown thy voice; thou hast good lungs. George Fox: I am a prisoner here this day for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, that made in heaven and earth, and for his sake I suffer, and for him do I stand this day; and if my voice were five times louder, yet should I sound it out, and lift it up for Christ's sake, for whose cause sake I stand this day before your judgment seat, in obedience to Christ's command, who commands not to swear, before whose judgment seat you must all be brought and give an account. Then he was moved and looked angrily at me. Judge: Sirrah, will you take the oath? George Fox: I am none of thy sirrahs, I am no sirrah, I am a Christian. Art thou a judge and sits there and gives names to prisoners? It does not become either thy gray hairs or thy office. Thou ought not to give names to prisoners. Judge: I am Christian too. George Fox: Then do Christian works. Judge: Sirrah, thou thinkest to frighten me with thy words (and looked aside and said, "I am saying so again."). George Fox: I speak in love to thee. That doth not become a judge, thou oughtest to instruct a prisoner of the law, and the Scripture, if he were ignorant, and out of the way. Judge: George Fox, I speak in love to thee, too. George Fox: Love gives no names. Judge: Will thou swear? Wilt thou take the oath, yea or nay? George Fox: As I said before, whether must I obey God or
man, judge thee. Christ commands not to swear, and if thee or you, or any
minister, or priest here will prove that ever Christ or the apostles,
after they had forbidden swearing, commanded they should swear, then I will
swear.
And several priests being there never one appeared or offered
to speak... |