[1687] - George Fox's Journal Pages 324-329

London, the 2nd of the 4th month, 1683.

Some time after the yearly meeting I went to Kingston upon Thames to visit friends; and while I was there, it came upon me to write the following epistle to friends in general, as a salutation of love, and to stir up the pure mind in them.

'Dear friends and brethren,

Who are turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, who are believers in the light, which is the life in Christ, and are become children of the light and of the day, grafted into Christ, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, and are gathered in the name of Jesus, in whom ye have salvation, and not in any other name under the whole heaven. For Christ Jesus saith, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matth. xviii. 20. So you being gathered in the name of Jesus, he is in the midst of you, a Saviour, a Mediator, a Prophet, a Shepherd, a Bishop, a Leader, a Counsellor, the Captain of your Salvation, who bruises the Serpent's head, and destroys the devil and his works. Therefore, brethren in Christ Jesus, exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For you are made partakers in Christ, if ye hold fast the beginning of your confidence steadfast to the end, Hebr. iii. 14. Therefore hear Christ's voice; for he is in the midst of you a teacher. Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, as there is in too many in this day of provocation and temptation. While it is to-day hear his voice, and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for eh is faithful that hath promised, and hath call you) not forsaking the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of some is: mark, "as the manner of some is," that did and do forsake the assembling of themselves together; but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day of light appearing. For if we sin willfuly after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifise for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, Hebr. x. Therefore it is good not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but exhort one another daily; for Christ si in the midst of his people a teacher and a prophet, who saith, "Learn of me, the way, the truth, and the life." We being many are one body in Christ, gathered in his name, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given us, whether they be prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith: and let those that minister wait on their ministry; those that be teachers on their teaching; and he that exhorteth on exhortation; he that gives, let him do it with simplicity; and eh that ruleth, with diligence; and eh that showeth mercy is to do it with cheerfulness.

Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one towards another, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulations, "be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good;" and, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, "live peaceably with all men;" Rom. xii. This is and was the practice of the church of Christ. And now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and are able also to admonish one another, Rom. xv. 13, 14. Here the church of Christ, in which he was in the midst, a teacher and the head of the church, were and are able through him to admonish one another. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which ye are also called into one body, to wit, of Christ. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, &c. Col. iii. "Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him; and above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

The apostle saith to Timothy, "Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling; not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. i. 8, 9 It concerns every one not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, who hath called them by his grace; and not to be ashamed of any of Christ's prisoners, and afflicted ones for Christ's and his gospel's sake, who abolishes death, and brings life and immortality to light through his gospel; you that believe in the light know it.

Peter saith in his general epistle to the church of Christ, "As every man," mark every man, "hath received the gift, so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God," so not of men. If any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God gives," so not of the ability of men's arts and sciences, "that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ," &c. For these gifts and grace come from Jesus into the hearts of the members of his church, whom he is in the midst of. And if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God, &c. Every true Christian hath the presence of Christ, who hath all power in heaven and in earth given him, to support them with his power, light, and life. Christ saith to his believers, "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to teh councils, and they will scourge you in the synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for my name's sake, for testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take not though how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in the same hour that ye shall speak: for it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord; it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord; for if they have called the master of the house Bellzebub, what will they do to his servant? Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, &c. A sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your heavenly Father, &c. The hairs of your head are all numbered, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. And whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed," &c. Matth. x. Again, Christ saith, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy angels," Mark viii. 38. And Christ saith to his disciples, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me: he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward.

Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward," Matth. x. 40, 41, 42. Here ye may see how Christ encourages his disciples, and them that receive them. And John saith, "Among the chief rulers of the Jews many believed in Christ; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue." John xii. 42. Too many such believers are now-a-days, who dare not confess Christ, lest they should lose the favor of men. But Christ encourages the faithful disciples, and told them, they would put them out of their synagogues; yea, and the time should come, that whosoever killed them would think they did God service. "These things," said he, "will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them," John xvi. 2, 3, 4. Here ye may see what Christ told his disciples should come to pass to them. And Saul, before he was converted, did compel the Christians to blaspheme, and make havoc of the church of Christ, Acts viii. and chap. 22 and 26.

Did not the beast in the Revelation compel both small and great to worship him and his image? And did not all worship it, but those who had their names written in the Lamb's book of life? Did not Nebuchadnezzar set up an image of sixty cubits high, and six cubits broad? And did not he cause a herald to cry aloud, "It is commanded that all people, and nations, and languages fall down and worship the golden image that Nebchadnezzar hath set up; and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shal the same hour be cast into the midst of the fiery furnace?" And were not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego cast into the furnace? Dan. iii. But God delivered them. Therefore it is good to be faithful to God and his worship in spirit and truth. The Jews agreed, that if any man should confess Christ he should be put out of their synagogue, John ix 22. So it was for Christ's sake they were excommunicated out of their synagogues. But, as it is written, "Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and a rock of offence; and whoso believes on him shall not be ashamed." So Christ is a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence to all the unbelievers in the light, which is the life in Christ, whether they be Jews, Christians, or Gentiles. The Jews did believe Christ was to come, from the scriptures, and the Christians believe he has come, by the scriptures, but do not believe in the light as Christ commands, and so do not become children of the light. Therefore ye that are believers in the light, and are become the children of light, walk in Christ, your way, life, and salvation.

'G.F.'