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.

WE are of the Royal Seed, Elect and Precious, before the World began, that which (ever) the Sodomites crucified, grieved and vexed by their unrighteous, ungodly Conversation, who li∣ved in Fulness and Pleasures, and abundance of Idleness. And we are of that Seed, that cannot serve the Wills and Lusts of Men, and bow and stoop to them; who are a People redeemed out of Kindreds, King∣doms, Peoples and Nations, who are of the Houshold of God, built up

together a spiritual House, whose Builder and Maker is God, and do reign upon the Earth, as Kings and Priests unto God; whom we serve Day and Night. And are of the Seed, that hath been slain from the Foundation of the World, which the Princes of the World and Coun∣cels, and the Great and Wise of the Earth crucified; who lived in the Form of Godliness of the Saints Words, but quench'd the Spirit in them∣selves, and being that Birth born of the Flesh, persecuted that which is born of the Spirit.

We are of the Seed, the Anointed, which the Powers of the Earth com∣bine, and take Counsel together against, whom God (we see) sitting in Heaven, laughs them to Scorn. We are the Royal Priesthood, who offers daily to the Lord the Spiritual Sacrifice; the Holy Generation, and the peculiar People, zealous of good Works, cloathed with the Zeal of Christ against the bad Works, and the Workers thereof. Therefore of all Nations, Peoples, Sects, Ways, Professions and Talkers of Religion are we hated, by them that are out of the Way and Power of God, though they profess Scriptures, Church-Worship and Ministry; yet such have crucified Christ, and the Lord of Glory. We are they, that witness the Promise of God fulfilled, and that do witness, that the Age is come, wherein God would shew forth his exceeding Riches and Kindness, which was wrought amongst the Apostles: We are the Anointed of God, and his Prophets, that he saith, Touch not; who are, as the Apple of his Eye; who for our sakes hath reproved Powers, and Thrones and Dominions, and rebuked them. We are the Preachers of Righteousness in the great City Sodom, wherein Christ was crucified, where the Life of the Prophets, and the Apostles and Holy Men of God lies slain, and Cursers, Swearers, Drunkards, Eaters and Drinkers, that rise up to play, in all Fulness, Wantonness and Prophaness profess their Words, and make merry over their Lives: And the Witnesses since the Apostles Days have been slain; the Woman in the Wilderness, the Lamb and his Wife shall be known, which is come up out of the Wil∣derness. So in this great City Sodom and Gomorrah, the False Church and the Whore are, where all the Abominations are, that made all the Nations drunk of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication; whereby the World is all on Heaps about Religion and Church-Worship, and the several Ways in Sodom's Nature, professing the Saints Words, imi∣tating Forms, killing and slaying one another about professing the Saints Words, but out of their Life. Which shews, that they are not of the Royal Seed, which saith, Love Enemies, that's the Royal Seed; and they that follow him, are of the Royal Priesthood, and holy People and Generation, amongst whom is the Royal Law of Love; whereby we cannot respect Mens Persons, for he who doth, is convinced of the Royal Law, to be a Transgressor. So every one of us, that is come to the Seed of God, that bruiseth the Serpent's Head, that led Man from God, who is the Prince of the World, the Prince of Darkness, and the Prince of the Air, the Father of Lies, a Murderer from the Be∣ginning, the Corrupter of Mankind, the Author of the Separation from God, and the Original of Sin, the Beginning of it, which led Man from his Dominion over the Handy-Works of God; which the Royal Seed Christ, destroys, and renews Man again in the Image of God, and brings him again to his Dominion over the Handy-Works of

God. And this Hundreds of Thousands are now witnessing; by which they come to be Kings, and redeemed from the Earth, and come to be made Kings upon the Earth in the Image of God, over the Handy-Works of God, in the Wisdom, by which they were cre∣ated. So, all Powers whatever, that are a Terror to Evil-Doers, that bear not the Sword in vain, to us are a Praise, that do well. And all Kings upon the Earth, that were Anointed by God, a Figure of our Christ, the King, the Anointed, he ends them all, and makes Kings to reign upon the Earth; amongst these Christ is King, wich Thousands witness, amongst these he is King, and all other Kings made by Man, and putting Man on Earthly Crowns, Earthly Man will put them off again, and un-King them, if they cross them: This is the State amongst them, in whom Christ reigns not, nor the true Magistrate obeyed, which is to the Evil-Doers a Terror. But since the Apostles Days all hath been in Confusion about Religion, Church and Worship, amongst them that have killed the Witnesses, and since the true Church went into the Wilderness, and the Witnesses have been slain, and the Man-Child caught up to God. So they, that have slain the Wit∣nesses, and killed the Saints, have been in all this Confusion; and the Witnesses are rising, and the Everlasting Gospel shall be preached again (amongst them, that have had the Words, but have slain the Life of the Prophets and the Apostles) unto all Nations, Kindreds and Tongues of them that dwell upon the Earth. So the great Professors of the World (which were the Jews) could not abide Jesus, the King, that he should reign; and where he is now in the Male and in the Female, he is King, and that makes Kings, among whom he is King. All in the Name of the mighty King of Kings is to be done, and then it is in the Power.

G. F.

Notes

• Epist. 172.
• The Houshold of God.
• The Royal Priesthood.
• The Anointed of God.
• Cursers, Swear∣ers, Drunk∣ards.
• Sodom and Gomorrah.
• The Royal Seed.
• The Handy-Works of God.
• Revel. 1.6.
• The Witnesses rising.