A collection of many select and Christian epistles, letters and testimonies written on sundry occasions, by that ancient, eminent, faithful friend and minister of Christ Jesus, George Fox ; the second volume.

FRiends every where,

Dwell in the Power of the Lord God, which is without End, in which ye may all have Unity. And take heed of striving about Earthly things, which is the unredeemed Part, that is out of the Paradise and the Garden of God; but that with the Wisdom of God ye may come to be ordered, and order the Creatures by that, by which they were made and created, that by it ye may know your selves to be grverned. And after that Riches do increase, take heed of setting your Hearts upon them, lest they become a Curse and a Plague to you. For when ye were Faithful at the first, the World would refrain from you, and not have Commerce with you; but after, when they saw, ye were Faithful and Just in things, and Righteous and Honest in your Tradings and Dealings, then they came to have Commerce and Trade with you the more, because they know, ye will not Cozen them, nor Cheat them: Then ye came to have greater Trading, double than ever ye had, and more than the World. But there is the Danger and Temptation to you, of drawing your Minds into your Business, and clogging them with it; so that ye can hardly do any thing to the Service of God, but there will be crying, My Business, my Business; and your Minds will go into the things, and not over the things; and so therein ye do not come into the Image of God, in which is Domi∣nion. And so, when your Minds are got into the Riches, and cum∣bred therewith, ye go back into that ye were in before: And then, if the Lord God cross you, and stop you by Sea and Land, and take your Goods and Customers from you, that your Minds should not be cumbred; then that Mind, that is cumbred. it will fret, being out of the Power of God.

And all Friends, take heed of Jars and Strife, for that is it, which will Eat out the Seed in you; therefore let not that harbour in your Bosoms, lest it eat out the Good in you, and ye come to suffer in your own Particulars. Therefore dwell in Love and Life, and in the Power and Seed of God, which is the Honourable, Royal State. And all that Speak or Preach abroad, see, that ye be in the Life, and Power and Seed of God, which will Edifie the Body, and not in a brittle, peevisb, hasty, fretful Mind; but dwell in that, which keeps down the contrary, that that may speak, which edifies the Body in Love. And all take heed of vain Words, and Tatling idle Words, but every where shop such; that Love may continue in the Body, and that the Seed may spread over all, that Ʋnity may be kept. And all Friends every where, if Friends be Poor, and in Want, or in Prison, that ye may in Wisdom relieve and cherish shch. And all Friends every where, Stop the Deceit, that would devour and destroy, which is out of the Truth, and true Wisdom; which must be limited, that transgresseth the Spirit of God.

For since the Days of the Apostles, the true Church hath been in the Wilderness, and the Beast, false Prophet, Anti-Christ and false Church have ruled and reigned; amongst whom have been the many Names and Horns amongst the Apostate-Christians, who have professed themselves to be Elders. Amongst this Eldership have they had outward and earth∣ly Rulers, which have got up since the Days of the Apostles: But who come to Christ, who was and is the true Christians Hea, he is their Ruler; by whom all things were made. And when the Apo∣state-Christians went from the APostles Doctrines into the World, they set up many Rulers amongst them, and many Heads; when they went from the Seed of God in themselves, in the Male and in the Female, then they forsook their Head, Christ Jesus. And so, whosoever go from the Seed of God in themselves, and set up other Heads, they lose the One Head, which is Christ Jesus; and then come to be covered with Dark∣ness, and the Seed comes to be loaden, as a Cart with Sheaves: And then they forsook their Head, Christ Jesus. And so, whosoever go from the they go from the Seed in the Male and in the Female, which is the One Head. And then come up the Fightings about earthly things, and Warrings with Carnal Weapons about Earthly things and Self-In∣terest, and Man's Honour and Titles, and about their Churches and Religions, and Worships and Ministry, which have been set up since the outward Sword the Heathen, and one another; but Christ Je∣sus, the Prince of Life, fulfils the Law, and ends the outward Jews Types, Figures and Shadows, Ordinances and Carnal Weapons, who is the King of the whole Earth, who comes to save Mens Lives, yet slays and kills with the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of his Mouth. And the Apostles, who followed Christ, they wrestled not with Flesh and Blood; so all, who come to witness Christ to reign and to rule (who is the Prince of Life, that Saves Mens Lives) and follow him, do not wrestle with Flesh and Blood, nor seek to destroy Mens Lives. And here comes the Wisdom to be known, that is from above, that is pure and gentle, and easie to be intreated, that is not sensual, carnal and devilish. So in the time of the Law among the Jews there was Fighting outwardly; but in the time of the Gospel of Christ Je∣sus, who came to end the Law, they were to Love Enemies, and not to kill them; and love them that hate them, and not kill them. But in the times since the Days of the Apostles, in the Apostate-Christians time, they are crying up the outward Sword again; and this is the Dra∣gon's and the Beast's Power, the Prince of Death, which hath reigned since the Apostles Days. But who come to follow Christ, they come to reign (in Spirit) over all these Fighters with carnal Weapons, that are got up, since the Days of the Apostles. Therefore who are come now into the Power of the Lord God, and to the Seed that is Royal, who was the Elected, before the World began, keep your Meetings, and dwell in the Power of God, in which ye may know his Image, and come into it; with which ye may (Spiritually) reign, and have Dominion over all the World, and rule in it over them and their Vanities, and work them down without a Carnal Weapon, in the Power of God. So, keep your Meetings, both particular and in the general, in the Power of the Lord God, and dwell in the Life, and Power and Wisdom of the

Lord, that all Ʋncleanness whatsoever may by the Power of the Lord be brought down and rooted out; and that such have no Rule nor Authority amongst you, though they be never so fair or excellent of Speech: But let all such be brought under by the Power of the Lord God, who is to reign over it; that in the Sweetness and Unity ye all may be brought to be a sweet Savour to the Lord God, and in the Hearts of one another, and let no Ʋncleanness be amongst you. 'And all Friends every where, Take heed of Printing any thing more, than ye are required of the Lord God. And all Friends every where, Take heed of wandring up and down about needless Occasions, for there is Danger of getting into the Careless Words, out of Seriousness, Weightiness and Savouriness. And all Friends every where, Take heed of Wronging the World or any one in Bargains, or Over-reaching them; but dwell in the Cool, Sweet and Holy Power of the Lord God, and in Righteous∣ness, that it may run down amongst you; and that will keep you Low. And all Friends every where, Take heed of Slothfulness and Sleeping in your Meetings; for in so doing ye will be bad Examples to others, and hurt your selves and them. And all take heed of go∣ing up and down (to Minister) but as ye are moved of the Lord God, or to speak in Meetings, or any other Places; for Travelling to such is dangerous to lift them up, going amongst sttled Meetings, that are set∣tled. For there is Difference betwixt Friends going into the World, and of coming among them, that are come to Silent Meetings, and to feed there; for that which may be seasonable to the World, may not be to them. Therefore let all live in the Seed, and Wisdom and Fear, and consider, before they utter, that the Life be up; whereby all may be settled, and they themselves be washed.' And dwell in the Seed, that ye all may know Christ come to reign in you; so that all may be done and spoken by and in the Power of the Lord God, that is done and spoken, and not out of it: And in that ye will all have Ʋnity in the Record of Life, whereby the Power of God and the Seed of God may come up, which is Heir of the Blessing and of the Promise; that ye may come to know the Place, where there is no Curse, and the Lamb's Power, Throne, Life and Dominion. And in the Wisdom of God all dwell, that to him ye may be a sweet Savour, and a Blessing in the Hearts of all People; that nothing may rule nor reign amongst you, but the Seed it self, and the Life of God.

Let this be read in your Meetings.

G. F.

Notes

• Epist. 131.
• Striving about Earthly things.
• Trading and Dealing.
• Riches.
• Jars and Strife.
• Vain Words.
• Poor Friends and Prisoners.
• The false Church.
• Many Ruiers and Heads.
• Fightings and Warrings for Self. Interest.
• Love enemies.
• Ʋncleanness.
• Printing.
• Wandring.
• Over-reaching.
• Sleeping in Meetings.
• Ministry.