George Fox,
With the Truth of God in my Heart, I have of late been greatly concerned, in the Remembrance of thee, in whom God appeared in the Beginning of the Day of Life, and reached unto us with his Word; who gave us Faith to believe, and to receive thy Testimony thou gave of his Light in our Hearts: which gathered us into Unity with him, and one with another, and made us of the Church of the First-Born, or of the First Fruits unto God; continuing many Years in Love and Good-Will one to another: But of late Dayes, the Concord we once had, seems much to be broken; and many Instruments, whom God hath wrought by, (and in great Love have laboured together, but) of late time have greatly Jarred: And the Cause God hath manifested to me; That it is not in Principles of Truth, nor in Christ’s Doctrine, nor in any Practice, which Truth in the Members of the Heavenly Body leadeth into; but about Prescriptions from thee, through the Blind Zeal of the Weak, to promote thy Orders. It may be feared, many do eye more the Orders from thee, than they eye the Lord in them; Accusing and Judging all out of the Truth, that {Fourth Part 78} practice not with all speed from them, using all Force they can devise, according to the Power they have, to compel all unto them: Censuring all Friends out of Unity, that come not to Practice with them; which is the greatest Penalty and Persecution they can inflict for want of Outward Power: And many Friends think it Godliness to Accuse and Condemn their Brethren about Outward Things, before the Accused with Truth be led into them. George, for the Love of God, and for his Peoples sake, open thy Mind plainly, what you intended by them: and make it known unto Friends, if thou intended Counsel unto the Church only, and no Compelling into the particular Things to Practice, but commending to God’s Witness, in all Consciences, to be led into the Exercise and Practice thereof, as every one is inwardly perswaded of God, in each particular, and not before: If thou so do, it would much clear Thee, and thy Orders, from being the Cause of Division; for Iniquity worketh in a Mystery in many, that think it Godliness to Accuse and Condemn their Brethren about Outward Things, as I said before, which was the Cause of great Strife in former Ages. But if thou open not thy Mind to Friends and deal plainly, and testify, Thou never intended, that any, who is Faithful inwardly to God, should either be Accused or Condemned about thy Orders; and so let thy prudent Care appear about these Things; the Breach amongst Friends and Brethren, is in great Danger to grow wider; and then, I fear, the Cause of Divisions will lye at thy Door, which God Almighty, in his Mercy, prevent, and raise Thee up to put a Stop unto; for the Enemy of Truth hath taken occasion from thy Orders, to work and beget a false Birth in many, even Night-Visions, and False Prophesies, as the Number of Accusations, and angry Proceedings about them of late declare, {Fourth Part 79} which was not before in our Age: Neither did heads nor horns of the Dragon appear, to cast down the Holy People, by lying against them, saying That they oppose the Holy Orders: And by approving of such Proceedings, is Satan let lose in our Time, to deceive; and all that see his Transformings, he casts Clouds out of his Mouth against them, to carry them away, and casts such to the Earth; wanting nothing to effect his Design, but the outward Power to carry them on to Kill: For his Wrath is against them that keep the Testimony of Jesus Christ; and such he accuseth of Fleshly Liberty, and Loose Walking, and of Being Separatists and Hereticks. George, I desire thee once again , to warn all Friends, that they neither Accuse nor Condemn one another any more, about the aforesaid Things: for if that do continue amongst Friends, it will cause a great Falling away, and God will visit with great Judgments that the Profession of Great Power and Church-Authority, will not save from, while the Accuser of the Brethren in such (that is deeply in it) is not cast down. It is not the Transforming of Satan into a Shape of Authority, and forming Power to fright the Simple into this or that Outward Observation we have waited for, nor laboured after; nor a Feigned Profession of overcoming Love in words, that can deceive us, (Blessed be God, for his Gifts of Light for ever more) when such are bitterly smiting their Fellow-Servants, and filling Mens Minds with False Accusations, that even our Holy Profession is defiled. What I desire of thee, is not for fear of more Accusations, nor False Prophecies; they do not move me from the Hope of the Gospel: But I desire it for Thy Good, and the Churches prosperity, and Peace. For an Image of the Government of Christ, consisting in Outward Prescriptions, attended with Force over the Inward {Fourth Part 80} Man, we never expected in this Gospel-Day, to bite and devour one another about; but the Inward and Peaceable Government of Christ, to govern the Members of his own body, (the true Church) into all Practices, according to Godliness. And we are bound to follow him, our Redeemer, who knits together in the Antient Unity, and breaks not the Holy Fellowship amongst Brethren. I have cleared my Conscience, (which was concerned in the Remembrance of thee) desiring thou mayst quit thy self with Truth in all Things, in thy latter Dayes, that thy End may be Crowned with True Honour.
Thy Friend in Truth,
John Wilkinson
POST-SCRIPT
What Spirit or Motion thy Prescriptions were from, is not my Concern; but I need not ask, Whether the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of Guile, Force, and Compelling have attended them, if Trees in our Age may be truly known by their Fruits.
The 9_th_. Month 76.
To this Letter John Wilkinson saith, he never received Answer; which, considering the Contents thereof, (and comparing it with what G.F. hath writ in Answer to his former Letter) is just occasion of Jealousie, that G.F. intended Compulsion, so far as he was capable, as well as Counsel; and that the Weight and Burthen of all the Ill Consequences attending the late Divisions amongst {Fourth Part 81} Friends, will lye at G.F’s Door; since he hath been so earnestly prest to give his Sense touching these things, which have occasioned Division; and yet hath either Impertienently done it, (as his Answer to John Wilkinson’s first Letter before-mentioned, doth manifest) or else hath not given Answer to the Parties concerned; Which is evident, not only form his not causing an Answer to be delivered unto John Wilkinson’s last recited Letter; but also, from the like Neglect unto William Rogers; who writ him Two large Letters, for the Clearing of his Conscience, &c.
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