But that which added much to the Grief and Exercise of Friends, was, that some, who made a Profession of the same Truth with us, being gone from the Simplicity of the Gospel in a fleshly Liberty, and labouring to draw others after them, did Oppose the Order and Discipline, which God by his Power had set up and established in his Church; and made a great Noise and Clamour against Prescription: Whereby they easily drew after them such, as were loosely Inclined, and desired a broader Way, than the Path of truth to walk in. Some also, that were more Simple, but Young in Truth, or Weak in Judgment, were apt to be betrayed by them; not knowing the Depths of Satan in these Wiles: For whose Sakes I was moved to write the following Paper, for the undeceiving of the Deceived, and the opening the Understandings of the Weak in this matter:
All you, that do deny Prescriptions without distinction XR2750, you may as well deny all the Scriptures which were given forth by the Power and Spirit of God. For do not they prescribe, how Men should Walk both to God and Man, both in the Old Testament and in the New? Yea, from the very first Promise of Christ in Gensis, what People ought to believe and trust in; and all along, till ye come to the Prophets? Did not the Lord prescribe to his People, both by the Fathers, and then by his Prophets? did he not prescribe to the People, how they should Walk, though they turned against the Prophets in the Old Covenant, for declaring or prescribing to {Page 333} them the Way, how they might walk to please God, and keep in favour with him? And then after, in the Days of Christ, did not he prescribe and teach, how People should walk and believe? And after him the Apostles, did not the prescribe and teach, how People , how they might come to believe, and receive the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, directing unto that, which would give them the Knowlodge of God, and how they should walk in the New-Covenant in the Days of the Gospel, and by what way they should come to the Holy City? And did not the Apostles send forth their Decrees by faithful, Chosen Men (them that had hazarded their Lives for Christ’s sake) to the Churches, by which they were established? And so you, that deny Prescriptions given forth by the Power and Spirit of God, do thereby oppose the Spirit, that gave them forth in all the holy Men of God. And were there not some all along in the days of Moses, and in the days of the Prophets, and in the days of Christ, and in the days of his Apostles, who did withstand that, which they gave forth from the Spirit of God? And hath there not been the same since the days of the Apostles? And how many have risen, since Truth appeared, to oppose the Order, which stands in the Power and Spirit of God? who are but in the same Spirit, which hath opposed the Spirit of God all along from the beginning. And see, what Names or Titles the Spirit of God gave that Opposing Spirit in the Old Covenant, and also in the New; which is the same now, as was: for after the Lord had given forth the Old Covenant, there were some among themselves, that did Oppose; which were worse than publick enemies. And likewise after, in the days of the New-Covenant, in the Gospel-times, you may see, what sort did Oppose both Christ and the Apostles, after they came to some Sights of the Truth; and how they turned against Christ and his Apostles? And see, what Liberty they pleaded for, and ran into in the Apostles days, who could not {Page 335} abide the Cross, the Yoke of Jesus. And therefore we see, the same rough and high Spirit cries now for Liberty (which the Power and Spirit of Christ cannot give;) and cries imposition; and yet is imposing; and cries, Liberty of Conscience; and yet is opposing Liberty of Conscience: And cries against prescriptions; and yet is prescribing both in words and Writing: So with the Everlasting Power and Spirit of God this Spirit is fathomed, its Rise, Beginning and End; and it is Judged. And this Spirit cries, We must not judge Conscience, we must not judge Matters of Faith, and we must not judge the Spirits, nor Religions, &c. Yes: They that be in the pure Spirit and Power of God, which the Apostles were in, they Judge of Conscience, whether it be a seared Conscience, or a tender Conscience: They judge of Faith, whether it be a dead one, or a living one: They Judge of Spirits, and try them, whether it be of Hypocrites, or the true Hope, that purifies, even as God is pure: They Judge of Belief, whether it be that, which is born of God, and overcometh the World, or that which runs into the Spirit of the World, which lusts to Envy, and doth not overcome the World. And they Judge of Worships, whether they be Will-worships, and the Worship of the Beast and Dragon; or the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth. They Judge of Angels, whether they be fallen, or them that keep their Habitation. And they judge the World, that grieves and quenches the Spirit, and hates the Light, and turns the Grace of God into wantonness, and resists the Holy Ghost. They Judge of the Hearts, Ears, and Lips, which are Circumcised, and which are Uncircumcised. They Judge of the Ministers, and Apostles, and Messengers, whether they be of Satan, or of Christ. They Judge of Difference in outward things, in the Church or elsewhere; yea, the least Member of the Church hath Power to Judge of such {Page 336} things, having the One true Measure, and true Weight to weigh things, and measure things withal, without respect to Persons. And this Judgment is given, and all these things are done by the same Power and Spirit the Apostles were in. And also such can Judge of Election and Reprobations; and who keep their Habitation , and who not: And who are Jews; and who are of the Synagogue of Satan: And who are in the Doctrine of Christ, and who are in the Doctrines of the Devils: And who prescribes and declares things from a loose Spirit, to let all loose from under the Yoke of Christ, the Power of God, into Looseness and Liberty. And likewise can Judge and Discern, who brings People into the Possession of the Gospel of Light and life, over Death and Darkness, out of the glorious Liberty of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ and his faith, and Truth, and Spirit, and Light and Grace. For there is no true liberty, but in that; and that liberty answers the Grace, the Truth, the Light, The Spirit, the Faith, the gospel of Christ in every Man and Woman, and is the yoke to the Contrary in every Man and Woman. And that makes it rage, and swell, and puff up; for that is restless and unruly, and out of Patience, and is ready to curse his God, and that which reigns over him; because it hath not its Will. And it works with all Subtilty and Evasion with its restless Spirit, to get in and defile the Minds of the Simple, and to make Rapes upon the Virgin Minds. But as they receive the Heavenly Wisdom, by which all things were made (which wisdom is above that Spirit) through this Wisdom they will be preserved over that Spirit. And Christ hath given Judgment to his Saints in his Church, though he be Judge of all; and the Saints, in the Power and Spirit of God, had and have Power {Page 337} to Judge of Words and Manners, of Lives and Conversations, and Growth and States from a Child to a Father in the Truth; and to whom they are a Savour of Death, and to whom they are a Savour of Life: And who serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and preach him, and who preach themselves, and serve themselves: And who Talk of the light, and of Faith, and of the Gospel, and of Hope, and of Grace, and preach such things; and in their Works and Lives deny them all, and God and Christ, and preach up Liberty from that in themselves to that in Others, which should be under the yoke of Cross of Christ, the power of God. And so the Saints in the Power and Spirit of Christ can discern and distinguish, who serves God and Christ, and who serves him not; and so can put a distinction between the Prophane, and the holy. But such as have lost their Eye-salve, and their Sight is grown dim, lose this Judgment, Discerning and Distinction in the Church of Christ; and such come to be spewed out of Christ’s mouth, except they Repent: and if not, they come to Corrupt the Earth, and burden it, that it Vomits them out of it. And therefore all are Exhorted to keep in the Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus, and in the Word of Life, and the Wisdom of God (which is above that, that is below) in which they may keep their heavenly Understandings, and heavenly discerning; and so set the heavenly Spiritual Judgement over that, which is for judgement, which dishonours God, which leads into loose and false Li- Liberty; out of the unity, which stands in the heavenly Spirit, which brings into Conformity, and to be Conformable to the Image of the son of God, and his Gospel, the Power of God, (which was before the Devil was) and his truth (which the Devil is out of;) in which all are of one Mind, Heart and Soul, and come to drink into one Spirit, being baptized into one Spirit, and so into one Body, which Christ is the head of; and so keep one fellowship in the Spirit, and unity in the Spirit, which is the bond {Page 338} of Peace, the Prince of Princes Peace. And they that cry so much against Judging, and are afraid of Judgment, whether they be Apostate, Professors, or Prophane, they are the Most-judging with their censorious, false Spirits and Judgment; and yet cannot bear the true Judgment of the Spirit of God, nor stand in his Judgment. This hath been manifest from the beginning, they having the false Measures, and the false Weights: for none have the true Measure, and the true Weight, but who keep in the Light, Power, and Spirit of Christ. And now there is a loose Spirit, that cries for Liberty, and against Prescriptions; and yet is prescribing ways, both by Words and Writings. And the same Spirit cries against Judging, and would not be Judged; and yet is Judging with a wrong Spirit. And this is given forth in Reproof to that Spirit.
London the 9th of the 4th Month. 1678.
G.F.
[Source: A Journal or Historical Account of the Life, Travels, Sufferings, Christian Experiences and Labour of Love in the Work of Ministry, of that Ancient, Eminent and Faithful Servant of Jesus Christ, George Fox: Who departed this Life in great Peace with the Lord, the 13th of the 11th Month 1690, Vol. 2. 1709 edition pgs. 333-338]
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