Journal

George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, or "Friends

of the Truth," was born at Drayton, Leicestershire, in July,

1624, and died in London on January 13, 1691. His "Journal,"

here epitomised, was published in 1694, after being revised by

a committee under the superintendence of William Penn, and

prefaced for the press by Thomas Ellwood, the Quaker. Fox

rejected all outward shows of religion, and believed in an

inward light and leading. He claimed to be divinely directed

as he wandered, Bible in hand, through the country, denouncing

church-worship, a paid ministry, religious "profession," and

advocating a spiritual affiliation with Christ as the only

true religion. He was imprisoned often and long for "brawling"

in churches and refusing to take oaths then required by law.

Fox wrote in prison many books of religious exhortation, his

style being tantalisingly involved. The one work that lives is

the "Journal," a quaintly egotistic record of unquestioning

faith and unconquerable endurance in pursuit of a spiritual

ideal through a rude age.

_I.--His Youth and Divine Calling_

I was born in the month called July, 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.

In my very young years I had a gravity and staidness of mind and spirit

not usual in children. When I came to eleven years of age I knew

pureness and righteousness. The Lord taught me to be faithful in all

things, inwardly to God and outwardly to man, and to keep to "Yea" and

"Nay" in all things.

Afterwards, as I grew up, I was put to a man, a shoemaker by trade, who

dealt in wool, and was a grazier, and sold cattle, and a great deal went

through my hands. I never wronged man or woman in all that time; for the

Lord's power was with me, and over me to preserve me. While I was in

that service, it was common saying among people that knew me, "If George

says 'Verily,' there is no altering him."

At the command of God, on the ninth day of the seventh month, 1643, I

left my relations, and broke off all familiarity or fellowship with old

or young. I went to Barnet in the month called June, in 1644. Now,

during the time that I was at Barnet a strong temptation to despair came

upon me. Then I thought, because I had forsaken my relations, I had done

amiss against them. I was about twenty years of age when these exercises

came upon me, and I continued in that condition some years in great

trouble. I went to many a priest to look for comfort, but found no

comfort from them. Then the priest of Drayton, the town of my birth,

whose name was Nathaniel Stephens, came often to me, and I went often to

him. At that time he would applaud and speak highly of me to others, and

what I said in discourse to him on the week days he would preach of on

the first days, for which I did not like him. This priest afterwards

became my great persecutor.

After this I went to another ancient priest at Mancetter, in

Warwickshire, and reasoned with him about the ground of despair and

temptations; but he was ignorant of my condition, he bade me take

tobacco and sing psalms. Tobacco was a thing I did not love, and psalms

I was not in a state to sing. Then I heard of a priest living about

Tamworth, but I found him only like an empty, hollow cask. Later I went

to another, one Mackam, a priest of high account. He would needs give me

some physic, and I was to have been let blood. I thought them miserable

comforters, and saw they were all as nothing to me, for they could not

reach my condition. And this struck me, "that to be bred at Oxford or

Cambridge was not enough to make a man fit to be a minister of Christ."

So neither these, nor any of the dissenting people, could I join with,

but was a stranger to all, relying wholly upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was now opened in me "that God, who made the world, did not dwell in

temples made with hands," but in people's hearts, and His people were

His temple. During all this time I was never joined in profession of

religion with any, being afraid both of professor and profane. For which

reason I kept myself much a stranger, seeking heavenly wisdom and

getting knowledge from the Lord.

When all my hopes in them were gone, then--oh, then--I heard a voice

which said, "There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy

condition." And when I heard it my heart did leap for joy, and the Lord

stayed my desires upon himself.

_II.--Preaching and Persecution_

Then came people from far and near to see me, and I was made to speak

and open things to them. And there was one Brown, who had great

prophecies and sights upon his death-bed of me. He spoke only of what I

should be made instrumental by the Lord to bring forth. And I had great

openings and prophecies, and spoke of the things of God.

And many who heard me spread the fame thereof, and the Lord's power got

ground, and many were turned from the darkness to the light within the

compass of these three years--1646, 1647, and 1648. Moreover, when the

Lord sent me forth, he forbade me to "put off my hat" to any, high or

low. And I was required to "thee" and "thou" all, men and women, without

any respect to rich or poor, great or small. But, oh, the rage that then

was in the priests, magistrates, professors, and people of all sorts;

but especially in priests and professors! Oh, the scorn, the heat and

fury that arose! Oh, the blows, punchings, beatings, and imprisonments

that we underwent!

About this time I was sorely exercised in speaking and writing to judges

and justices to do justly; in warning such as kept public-houses for

entertainment that they should not let people have more drink than would

do them good. In fairs also and in markets I was made to declare against

their deceitful merchandise, cheating, and cozening; warning all to deal

justly, to speak the truth, to let their yea be yea, and their nay be

nay. Likewise I was made to warn masters and mistresses, fathers and

mothers in private families, to take care that their children and

servants might be trained up in the fear of the Lord; and that they

themselves should be therein examples and patterns of sobriety and

virtue.

But the earthly spirit of the priests wounded my life, and when I heard

the bell toll to call people together to the steeple-house it struck at

my life; for it was just like a market-bell to gather people together,

that the priest might set forth his wares to sale.

_III.--In Perils Oft_

Now as I went towards Nottingham on a first-day, when I came on the top

of a hill in sight of the town, I espied the great steeple-house, and

the Lord said unto me, "Thou must go cry against yonder great idol, and

against the worshippers therein." When I came there all the people

looked like fallow ground, the priest (like a great lump of earth) stood

in his pulpit above. Now the Lord's power was so mighty upon me that I

could not hold, but was made to cry out.

As I spoke, the officers came and took me away, and put me into a nasty,

stinking prison, the smell whereof got so into my nose and throat that

it very much annoyed me. But that day the Lord's power sounded so in

their ears that they were amazed at the voice. At night they took me

before the mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs of the town. They examined me

at large, and I told them how the Lord had moved me to come. After some

discourse between them and me, they sent me back to prison again; but

some time after the head sheriff sent for me to his house. I lodged at

the sheriff's, and great meetings we had in his house. The Lord's power

was with this friendly sheriff, and wrought a mighty change in him; and

accordingly he went into the market, and into several streets, and

preached repentance to the people. Hereupon the magistrates grew very

angry, and sent for me from the sheriff's house, and committed me to the

common prison. Now, after I was released from Nottingham gaol, where I

had been kept prisoner for some time, I travelled as before in the work

of the Lord.

And while I was at Mansfield-Woodhouse, I was moved to go to the

steeple-house there, and declare the truth to the priest and people; but

the people fell upon me in great rage, struck me down, and almost

stifled and smothered me; and I was cruelly beaten and bruised by them

with their hands, Bibles, and sticks. Then they haled me out, though I

was hardly able to stand, and put me into the stocks, where I sat some

hours. After some time they had me before the magistrate, who, seeing

how evilly I had been used, after much threatening, set me at liberty.

But the rude people stoned me out of the town for preaching the word.

_IV.--A Willing Sufferer_

While I was in the house of correction at Derby as a blasphemer, my

relations came to see me, and being troubled for my imprisonment they

went to the justices that cast me into prison, and desired to have me

home with them, offering to be bound in one hundred pounds, and others

of Derby with them in fifty pounds each, that I should come no more

thither to declare against the priests. So I was had up before the

justices, and because I would not consent that they or any should be

bound for me--for I was innocent from any ill-behaviour, and had spoken

the word of life and truth unto them--Justice Bennett rose up in a rage;

and as I was kneeling down to pray to the Lord to forgive him, he ran

upon me, and struck me with both his hands. Whereupon I was had again to

the prison, and there kept until six months were expired.

Now the time of my commitment being nearly ended, the keeper of the

house of correction was commanded to bring me before the commissioners

and soldiers in the market-place, and there they offered me preferment,

as they called it, asking me if I would take up arms for the

commonwealth against Charles Stuart; but I told them I lived in the

virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars,

and was come into the covenant of peace which was before wars and

strifes were.

I then passed through the country, clearing myself amongst the people;

and some received me lovingly, and some slighted me. And some when I

desired lodging and meat, and would pay for it, would not lodge me

except I would go to the constable, which was the custom, they said, of

all lodgers at inns, if strangers. I told them I should not go, for that

custom was for suspicious persons, but I was an innocent man.

And I passed in the Lord's power into Yorkshire, and came to Tickhill,

where I was moved to go to the steeple-house. But when I began to speak

they fell upon me, and the clerk took up his Bible and struck me in the

face with it, so that it gushed out with blood, and I bled exceedingly

in the steeple-house. Then the people got me out and beat me

exceedingly, stoning me as they drew me along, so that I was besmeared

all over with blood and dirt. Yet when I got upon my legs again I

declared to them the word of life. Some moderate justices, hearing of

it, came to hear and examine the business, and he that shed my blood was

afraid of having his hand cut off for striking me in the church (as they

called it), but I forgave him, and would not appear against him.

Then I went to Swarthmore to Judge Fell's, and from there to Ulverstone,

where the people heard me gladly, until Justice Sawrey--the first

stirrer-up of cruel persecution in the North--incensed them against me,

to hale, beat, and bruise me, and the rude multitude, some with staves

and others with holly-bushes, beat me on the head, arms, and shoulders

till they deprived me of sense. And my body and arms were yellow, black,

and blue with the blows I received that day, and I was not able to bear

the shaking of a horse without much pain. And Judge Fell, coming home,

asked me to give him a relation of my persecution, but I made light of

it--as he told his wife--as a man that had not been concerned, for,

indeed, the Lord's power healed me again.

_V.--Encounters with Cromwell_

When I came to Leicester I was carried up a prisoner by Captain Drury,

one of the Protector's life-guards, who brought me to London and lodged

me at the Mermaid, over against the Mews at Charing Cross. And I was

moved of the Lord to write a paper to Oliver Cromwell, wherein I

declared against all violence, and that I was sent of God to bring the

people from the causes of war and fighting to a peaceable gospel. After

some time Captain Drury brought me before the Protector himself at

Whitehall, and I spoke much to him of truth and religion, wherein he

carried himself very moderately; and as I spoke he several times said it

was very good and it was truth, and he wished me no more ill than he did

his own soul.

When I went into Cornwall I was seized and brought to Launceston to be

tried, and being settled in prison upon such a commitment that we were

not likely to be soon released, we were put down into Doomsdale, a

nasty, stinking place where they put murderers after they were

condemned; and we were fain to stand all night, for we could not sit

down, the place was so filthy. We sent a copy of our sufferings to the

Protector, who sent down General Desborough to offer us liberty if we

would go home and preach no more; but we could not promise him. At last

he freely set us at liberty, and in Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorsetshire,

and Somersetshire, the truth began to spread mightily.

After a little while Edward Pyot and I were moved to speak to Oliver

Cromwell again concerning the sufferings of Friends, and we laid them

before him, and directed him to the light of Christ. Afterwards we

passed on through the counties to Wales, and by Manchester to Scotland;

but the Scots, being a dark, carnal people, gave little heed, and hardly

took notice of what was said.

And when I had returned to London I was moved to write again to Oliver

Cromwell. There was a rumour about this time of making Cromwell king,

whereupon I warned him against it, and he seemed to take well what I

said to him, and thanked me. Taking boat to Kingston, and thence to

Hampton Court, to speak with him about the sufferings of Friends, I met

him riding into Hampton Court Park before I came to him. As he rode at

the head of his life-guards, I felt a waft of death go forth against

him, and he looked like a dead man. After I had warned him, as I was

moved, he bid me come to his house. But when I came he was sick, so I

passed away, and never saw him more.

After, I was imprisoned in Lancaster, but when I had been in gaol twenty

weeks was released on King Charles being satisfied of my innocency. Then

I was tried at Leicester and found guilty, but was set at liberty

suddenly. And at Lancaster I was tried because when they tendered me the

oaths of allegiance and supremacy I would not take any oath at all, and

there I was a prisoner in the castle for Christ's sake, but was never

called to hear sentence given, but was removed by an order from the king

and council. And afterwards I lay a year in Scarborough gaol, but was

discharged by order of the king as a man of peaceable life.

And on the 2nd of the second month of the year 1674 I was brought to

trial at Worcester, and during my imprisonment there I wrote several

books for the press, and this imprisonment so much weakened me that I

was long before I recovered my natural strength again, and in later

years my body was never able to bear the closeness of cities long.

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