The Journal of George Fox

The Journal of George Fox

Edited by John L. Nickalls

George Fox was born in Fenny Drayton, England (about 75 miles northwest of London) and lived from 1624 to 1691. He spent the major portion of his life publicly speaking about the free gift of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His travels covered the entire country of England, parts of Wales, Holland, Germany, Poland, and the American Colonies. George Fox has been credited with being the father of the denomination now known as the "Society of Friends" or "Quakers".

During his travels George Fox wrote many letters and maintained a journal of the activities he was engaged in. His writings or journal, which is his autobiography, was first published in 1694. This was three years after his death in 1691. It has been reprinted many times. This edition was published by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and the Quaker Home Service, Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in 1997. This volume contains 789 pages which includes a short article by Henry J. Cadbury, Ph.D., and Thomas Ellwood's conclusion. It is obtainable from Friends General Conference, 1216 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19017 and Quaker Home Service Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.

George Fox's preaching was considered very controversial by the established 'powers' of his day. Much of it is still considered controversial by today's denominational theologians. Geoffrey F. Nuttall, D.D., in his introduction to the book speaking about the persecution of George Fox states: "The reason why he was persecuted is more complicated; but in a word it was because he was a revolutionary, and a revolutionary in a religion at a time when religion dominated men's minds." He goes on to say, "Fox's endeavours were both the most extreme and the most keenly resented by those who were satisfied with the limits already reached. Fox was in no way peculiar, for instance, in belittling university education as equipment for the ministry." Geoffrey Nuttall later goes on to say, "Fox was not only steadfast in bearing testimony against the system of tithes, he wanted to abolish a paid ministry altogether; for he could find none in the New Testament. Oaths, likewise, were forbidden in the New Testament; then they were forbidden to Christians still; and if oaths in a court of law were an accepted foundation of contemporary society, so much the worse for contemporary society."

So we discover the primary points of controversy centered around these three Scripturally based issues:

"tithing" The collection of tithes to pay for the buildings and hireling priests George proclaimed was Old Testament and had been replaced with the "free gospel" of Jesus Christ.
"hireling priests" These were the university educated ministers, preachers and priests who were hired by the various congregations to "hear from God" for the church members.
"Swearing" or "Oaths" When asked to swear allegiance" George Fox always refused to do so. A typical answer was "I never took oath in my life of one side or the other, against or for myself, but did abide in Christ's doctrine, who saith 'swear not at all', and did suffer in that."

George Fox frequently, in his preaching, spoke about how the followers of established religions were denying the power of Christ while claiming to be His followers. He also passionately advocated a peaceful existence with all mankind, whether or not they believed as he did.

"refusing to bear arms" George Fox refused to "bear arms" against any person, power or activity on the basis that his "weapons were not carnal, but that his fight was spiritual." He remained "naked" meaning he never carried any kind of weapon like a pistol, rifle, knife or club.
"denying the power of the Scriptures" George proclaimed that when you had accepted the "free gospel" you then had what he often described as the "light with-in you." He proclaimed you needed no hireling priest to teach you or hear from God for you because this "light" which he sometimes called "the Holy Ghost" would teach you. George Fox, speaking about the meeting of a group gathered at Edward Hancock's residence, where he was much persecuted, wrote: "And I turned them to the spirit of God in themselves, by which they might know the Scriptures and be led into all the truth of them, and with spirit to know God; and in it to have unity one with another."
"refusing to 'doff his hat' to bestow honor upon other men" George Fox claimed tipping or "doffing" his hat to others bestowed undue honor upon them contrary to Scripture.

These points of difference between the preaching of George Fox and the hireling priests resulted in many physical attacks against the bodies of George Fox and his followers. It also frequently landed them in prison where they often had to endure extreme physical and mental punishment. This persecution came not just from the established church, but also the local and national governmental officials, and others he described as "ranters" and "professors." The "ranters" were individuals we today would call rioters. The "professors" were those who George said claimed to be Christians but denied the power of Christ and the Scripture. The ranters were typically urged to accomplish these acts of persecution by the priests who were afraid of losing their livelihood.

George Fox referred to any building owned or used by these "hireling priests" as "steeplehouses." He refused to call them churches because it is the "believers in Christ" who are "THE CHURCH" not the buildings.

The passion that drove George Fox can best be summed up by quoting a letter he had written to the King of England "to better inform him concerning our principle and us as a people." This letter was written in 1674 while he was being held in a prison cell for refusing to "take an oath of allegiance" while on trial. It also sets forth the beliefs of those who became Quakers.

"To the King.

The principle of the Quakers is the Spirit of Christ, who died for us, and is risen for our justification; by which we know that we are his. He dwelleth in us by his Spirit; and by the Spirit of Christ we are led out of unrighteousness and ungodliness. It brings us to deny all plottings and contrivings against the King, or any man. And the Spirit of Christ brings us to deny all manner of ungodliness, as lying, theft, murder, adultery, fornication, and all uncleanness, and debauchery, malice, and hatred, deceit, cozening, and cheating whatsoever, and the Devil and his works. The spirit of Christ brings us to seek the peace and good of all men, and to live peaceably; and leads us from such evil; works and actions as the magistrates' sword takes hold upon. Our desire and labour is, that all who profess themselves Christians may walk in the Spirit of Christ; that they, through the Spirit, may mortify the deeds of the flesh, and by the sword of the Spirit cut down sin and evil in themselves. Then the judges and other magistrates would not have so much work in punishing sin in the kingdom; neither then need kings or princes fear any of their subjects; if they all walked in the Spirit of Christ; for the fruits of the Spirit are love, righteousness, goodness, temperance, etc.

And if all that profess themselves Christians did walk in the Spirit of Christ, and by it did mortify sin and evil, it would be a great ease to the magistrates and rulers, and would free them from a great deal of trouble; for it would lead all men and women to do unto all others as they would have others do unto them; and so the royal law of liberty would be fulfilled. For if all that are called Christians did walk in the Spirit of Christ, by it to have the evil spirit and its fruit mortified and cut down in them, then, not being led by the evil spirit, but by the Spirit of Christ, the fruits of the good Spirit would appear in all men and women. For as people are led by the good Spirit of Christ, it leads them out of sin and evil, which the magistrates' sword takes hold upon, and so would be an ease to the magistrates. But as people err from this good Spirit of Christ, and follow the evil spirit, which leads them into sin and evil, that spirit brings the magistrate into a great deal of trouble, to the execute the law upon the sinners and transgressors of the good Spirit...

Now we are a people, who, in tenderness of conscience to the command of Christ and his Apostle, cannot swear; for we are commanded in Matt. v. and James v. to keep to 'Yea' and 'Nay', and not to swear at all; neither by heaven, nor by earth, nor by any other oath at all; lest we go into evil, and fall into condemnation...

If we could take any oath at all, we could take the oath of allegiance, as knowing that King Charles was by the power of God brought into England, and set up King of England, etc., over the heads of our old persecutors; and as for the Pope's supremacy, we do utterly deny it. But Christ and the apostle having commanded us not to swear,... we desire, therefore that the King would take this into consideration, and how long we have suffered in this case. This is from one who desires eternal good and prosperity of the King and all of his subjects in the Lord Jesus Christ. George Fox"