{Fifth Part 24} London, 4th Mon. 1678.
Friends,
All you that do make away, or over your Estates to the World, or your Servant; for fear of the Spoilers in time of Persecution, for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, and the Worship of God; First do not you Distrust and Despair of God Almighty, his Protecting and Delivering you with his Almighty Power? Secondly, Are you sensible that the Earth is the Lord’s and the Fulness thereof is the Lord’s, and that he giveth the Encrease, and that, how that he may Try you, whether your Minds are in the Creatures, or with him the Creator? And whether it is not a Greater thing to give up the Life and Soul, and to dye for the Lord Jesus, than to give up the Goods and Estates, and suffering the Spoil of the Goods for Christ’s sake and Worshipping of God? and whether or no they that cannot suffer the Spoiling of their Goods for God and Christ’s sake, Worship’s sake, can give up their Lives, and suffer for Christ, who hath dyed and suffered for you?
And whether or no they that make away their Estates to the World, lest they should lose them for the Worship of God, do not they distrust God of keeping them, whose they are indeed; and have more belief and trust in the World, than they have in God? And whether this Spirit, that doth so, is not the Spirit of the World, that doth lust to Envy, and not the Spirit of God and his Wisdom; but that which is Earthly, Sensual and Devilish, that would have its Liberty, and not the wisdom that is above, that is {Fifth Part 25} Pure, Peaceable and easie to be entreated? And whether he that will save his Life, and not lose it for Christ’s sake, doth not he think to be his own Saviour, and not Christ? And whether he that will save his Estate, and not lose it for Christ’s sake and the Worship of God, by making it away to the World in time of Sufferings, shall not lose it? And so whether it’s safer in this case to make away your Estates to the World, that cannot save its own, or to make or commend it into the hands of God, Creator of all, and Jesus Christ, by whom all things were made, who upholds all things by his Word and Power, and the Great Lord of Heaven and Earth, and all things therein; and which out of his hand a Sparrow shall not fall without the Will of him that made them?
George Fox.
Read this amongst Friends, and send a copy of it to Naylsworth.
The aforesaid Paper being read in the Mens-Meeting of Friends in the City of Bristol, William Rogers bore testimony against it in the meeting at the same time, as that which reached not his Conscience, coming from G.F. and had therefore a Concern upon him to write an Answer thereto, which follows.
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