By George Fox
Friends,
Dwell in the power of life and wisdom, and dread of the Lord of life, and of heaven and earth, that you may be preserved in the wisdom of God over all, and be a terror and a dread to all the adversaries of God, answering that of God in them all, spreading the truth abroad, awakening the witness, confounding the deceit, gathering up out of transgression into the life, into the covenant of light and peace with God.
Let all nations hear the sound by word or by writing. Spare no place, spare no tongue, nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God. Go through the work, and be valiant for the truth upon earth; tread and trample down all that is contrary. You have the power, do not abuse it. you have the strength, presence, and wisdom of the Lord. Eye it, that with it you may all be ordered to the glory of the Lord God.
Keep in the dominion, keep in the power over deceit. Tread over deceit in that which lets you see to the world's end and to the utmost parts of the earth. Reign and rule with Christ, whose scepter and throne is now set up, whose dominion is over all to the ends of the earth. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, his throne an everlasting throne, his kingdom an everlasting kingdom, his power above all powers.
Therefore this is the word of the Lord God to you all: Keep in the wisdom of God, which spreads over all the earth and is pure from above, the wisdom of the creation, which is not destructive. For now shall salvation go out of Zion to judge the Mount of Esau. Now shall the Law go forth from Jerusalem to answer the principle of God in all, to hew down all inventors and inventions. For all the princes of the earth are but as air to the power of the Lord God, which you are in, and have tasted of.
Therefore live in it and do not abuse it. That is the word of the Lord God to you all. Keep down the low and take heed of false joys that will change.
Bring all into the worship of God: plow up the fallow ground thresh and get out the corn, that all people may come to the Beginning, to Christ, who was before the world was made. For the chaff has come upon the wheat by transgression. He who treads out the chaff is out of transgression and fathoms transgression. He sees the difference between the precious and the vile and can pick out the wheat from the tares and gather it into the garner. Thus he brings the immortal soul to God, from whom it came.
No one worships God but he who comes to the principle of God, which he has transgressed; no one is plowed up but he who comes to the principle of God in him, that he has transgressed. Then he does service to God, then the planting and the watering take place, and the increase comes from God. So the ministers of the spirit must minister to the spirit that has been in captivity in every one, so that with the spirit of Christ people may be led out of captivity up to God, the Father of Spirits, and do service to him, and have unity with him, with the Scriptures, and with one another.
This is the word of the Lord God to you all, and a charge to you all in the presence of the living God: Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you go, so 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 every one. Thereby you can be a blessing in them and make the witness of God in them bless you. Then you will be a sweet savor and a blessing to the Lord God.
Spare no deceit; lay the sword upon it; go over it. Keep yourselves clear of the blood of all men, either by word or writing or speaking. Keep yourselves clean, so that you can abide in your throne, and everyone have his lot, and abide in that lot in the Ancient of Days. And so the blessing of the Lord be with you and keep you over all idolatrous worships and worshippers. Let them know the living God. For teachings, churches, and worships that have been set up by man's earthly understanding, knowledge, and will must be thrown down with the power of the Lord God. For all this must be thrown down with that power that gave forth Scripture. Whoever is in that power reigns over it all.
This is the word of the Lord God to you all: God is worshiped in that which declares his will and brings the ground and pillar of truth to the Church in God. For now the mighty day of the Lord has appeared, and the arrows of the Almighty, which shall stick in the hearts of the wicked, have gone forth. Now will I arise, says the Lord God Almighty, to trample and thunder down deceit, which has long reigned and stained the earth. Now will I have my glory out of every one. The Lord God Almighty who is over all in his strength and power keep you to his glory, that you may come to answer that of God in every one in the world. Proclaim the mighty day of fire and sword, when the Lord will be worshiped in spirit and in truth. Keep in the life and power of the Lord God so that the inhabitants of the earth may tremble before you, that the Lord God's power and majesty may be admired among the hypocrites and heathen, and that in his wisdom, dread, life, terror, and dominion you may be preserved to his glory, and that nothing may rule or reign but power and life itself, and that you may be preserved in the wisdom of God.
This is the word of the Lord God to you all: The call is to come out of transgression now. The spirit bids, come! The call is away from all false worships and gods and from all inventions and dead works to serve the living God now. The call is to repentance and to the amendment of life, whereby righteousness may be brought forth to go throughout the earth. Therefore you who are chosen and faithful, who are with the Lamb, go about your work faithfully, and in the strength and power of the Lord. Be obedient to the power, for that will save you out of the hands of unreasonable men and preserve you over the world to himself. Hereby you can live in the kingdom that stands in power and has no end, where there is glory and life. GEORGE FOX
Launceston Jail, 1656
Text modernized from Fox's Journal.
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