In this condition his understanding came more and more to be opened, so that he saw how death in Adam had passed upon all men; but that by Christ, who tasted death for all men, a deliverance from it, and an entrance into God’s kingdom, might be obtained. Nevertheless his temptations continued, so that he began to question whether he might have sinned against the Holy Ghost. This brought great perplexity and trouble over him for many days; yet he still gave up himself to the Lord: and one day, when he had been walking solitarily abroad, and was come home, he became exceeding sensible of the love of God to him, so that he could not but admire it. Here it was showed him, that all was to be done in and by Christ; that he conquers and destroys the tempter, the devil, and all his works; and that all these troubles and temptations were good for him, for the trial of his faith. The effect of this was, that though at times his mind was much exercised, yet he was stayed by a secret belief; and his soul, by a firm hope, which was to him as an anchor, was kept unhurt in the dissolute world, swimming above the raging waves of temptations. After this, (as he relates himself,) there did a pure fire appear in him; and he saw that the appearance of Christ in the heart was as a refiner’s fire, and as the fuller’s soap; and that a spiritual discerning was given to him, by which he saw what it was that veiled his mind, and what it was that did open it: and that which could not abide in patience, he found to be of the flesh, that could not give up to the will of God, nor yield up itself to die by the cross, to wit, the power of God. On the other hand, he perceived it was the groans of the Spirit which did open his understanding, and that in that Spirit there must be a waiting upon God to obtain redemption.

About this time he heard of a woman in Lancashire that had fasted twenty-two days, and he went to see her: but coming there he saw that she was under a temptation: and after he had spoken to her what he felt on his mind, he left her, and went to Duckenfield and Manchester, where he staid awhile among the professors he found there, and declared to them that doctrine which now he firmly believed to be truth; and some were convinced, so as to receive the inward divine teaching of the Lord, and take that for their rule. This, by what I can find, was the first beginning of George Fox’s preaching; which as I have been credibly informed, in those early years, chiefly consisted of some few, but powerful and piercing words, to those whose hearts were already in some measure prepared to be capable of receiving this doctrine. And it seems to me that these people, and also Elizabeth Hooton, (already mentioned,) have been the first who by such a mean or weak preaching came to be his fellow believers: though there were also some others who, by the like immediate way, as George Fox himself, were convinced in their minds, and came to see that they ought diligently to take heed to the teachings of the grace of God, that had appeared to them. And thus it happened that these unexpectedly and unawares came to meet with fellow-believers, which they were not acquainted with before, as will be more circumstantially related hereafter.

But to return again to George Fox; it set the professors of those times in a rage, that some of their adherents hearkened to his preaching; for they could not endure to hear perfection spoken of, and a holy and sinless life, as a state that could be obtained here. Not long after he travelled to Broughton in Leicestershire, and there went into a meeting of the Baptists, where some people of other nations also came. This gave him occasion to preach the doctrine of truth among them, and that not in vain; for since he had great openings in the scriptures, and that a special power of the Lord’s workings began to spring in those parts, several were so reached in their minds, that they came to be convinced, and were turning from darkness to light, partly by his preaching, and partly by reasoning with some. Yet he himself was still sometimes under great temptations, without finding any to open his condition to, but the Lord alone, unto whom he cried night and day for help.

Some time after he went back into Nottinghamshire, and there it pleased the Lord to show him, that the natures of those things which were hurtful without, were also within, in the minds of wicked men; and that the natures of dogs, swine, vipers, and those of Cain, Ishmael, Esau, Pharoah, &c. were in the hearts of many people. But since this did grieve him, he cried to the Lord, saying, ‘Why should I be thus, seeing I was never addicted to commit those evils?’ And inwardly it was answered him, ‘That it was needful he should have a sense of all conditions; how else should he speak to all conditions?’ He also saw there was an ocean of darkness and death; but withal an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness; in all which he perceived the infinite love of God. About that time it happened that walking in the town of Mansfield, by the steeple-house side, it was inwardly told him, ‘That which people trample upon must be thy food;’ and at the saying of this, it was opened to him, that it was the life of Christ people did trample upon; and that they fed one another with words, without minding that thereby the blood of the Son of God was trampled under foot. And though it seemed at first strange to him, that he should feed on that which the high professors trample upon, yet it was clearly opened to him how this could be.

Then many people came far and near to see him; and though he spoke sometimes to open religious matters to them, yet he was fearful of being drawn out by them. Now the reason of people thus flocking to him might proceed partly from this: there was one Brown, who upon his death-bed spoke by way of prophecy many notable things concerning George Fox, and among the rest, ‘that he should be made instrumental by the Lord to the conversion of people.’ And of others that then were something in show, he said, ‘That they should come to nothing; which was fulfilled in time, though this man did not live to see it, for he was not raised from his sickness. But after he was buried, George Fox fell into such a condition, that he not only looked like a dead body, but unto many that came to see him he seemed as if he had been really dead; and many visited him for about fourteen days time, who wondered to see him so much altered in countenance.

At length his sorrows and troubles began to wear off, and tears of joy dropped from him, so that he could have wept night and day with tears of joy, in brokenness of heart. And to give an account of his condition to those that are able to comprehend it, I will use his own words: ’I saw,‘ saith he, ‘into that which was without end, and things which cannot be uttered; and of the greatness and infiniteness of the love of God, which cannot be expressed by words: for I had been brought through the very ocean of darkness and death, and through and over the power of Satan, by the eternal glorious power of Christ: even through that darkness was I brought which covered all the world, and which chained down all, and shut up all in the death. And the same eternal power of God, which brought me through those things, was that which afterwards shook the nation, priests, professors, and people. Then could I say, I had been in spiritual Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, and the grave; but by the Eternal power of God I was come out of it, and was brought over it, and the power of it, into the power of Christ. And I saw the harvest white, and the seed of God lying thick in the ground, as ever did wheat, that was sown outwardly, and none to gather it; and for this I mourned with tears.’ Thus far George Fox’s own words, of whom now a report went abroad, that he was a young man that had a discerning spirit: whereupon many professors, priests, and people came to him, and his ministry increased; for he having received great openings, spoke to them of the things of God, and was heard with attention by many, who going away, spread the fame thereof. Then came the tempter, and set upon him again, charging him that he had sinned against the Holy Ghost; but he could not tell in what; and then Paul’s condition came before him, how after he had been taken up into the third heavens, and seen things not lawful to be uttered, a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him, that he might not exalt himself. Thus George Fox, by the assistance of the Lord, got also over that temptation.

Now the 47th year of that century drew to an end, and state affairs in England grew more and more clouded and intricate; for the King not thinking himself any longer safe at Hampton Court, whither he had been brought from the army; he withdrew to the Isle of Wight, whilst the Parliament still insisted on the abrogation of Episcopacy, and would be master of the military forces: which the King not being willing to yield to, was now kept in closer custody, and no more regarded as a Sovereign, to whom obedience was due from the Parliament.

1648.

Under these intestine troubles, the minds of many people came to be fitted to receive a nearer way and doctrine of godliness, and it was in the year 1648, that several persons, seeking the Lord, were become fellow-believers, and entered into society with George Fox; insomuch that they began to have great meetings in Nottinghamshire, which were visited by many. About that time there was a meeting of priests and professors at a justice’s house, and George Fox went among them and heard them discourse concerning what the Apostle Paul said, He had not known sin, but by the law, which said, thou shalt not lust. And since they held that to be spoken of the outward law, George Fox told them, Paul spoke that after he was convinced; for he had the outward law before, and was bred up in it, when he was in the lust of persecution: but it was the law of God in his mind, which he served, and which the law in his members warred against. This saying found so much entrance, that those of the priests and professors, that were most moderate, yielded, and consented that it was not the outward law, but the inward, that showed the inward lust, which the Apostle spoke of. After this, he went again to Mansfield, where was a great meeting of professors and other people; and being among them, and moved to pray, such an extraordinary power appeared, and seized on the hearts of some in so eminent a manner, that even the house seemed to be shaken: and after prayer, some of the auditory began to say, ‘That this resembled that in the days of the Apostles, when on the day of Pentecost, the house where they were met was shaken.’

Not long after this, there was another great meeting of professors, where G. Fox came also, who hearing them discourse about the blood of Christ, he cried out among them: ‘Do ye not see the blood of Christ? Ye must see it in your hearts, to sprinkle your hearts and consciences from dead works, to serve the living God.’ This was a doctrine which startled these professors, who would have the blood of Christ only without them, not thinking that it was to be felt inwardly. But a certain captain, whose name was Amos Stoddard, was so reached, that seeing how they endeavoured to bear G. Fox down with many words, he said, ‘Let the youth speak, hear the youth speak;’ and coming afterwards to be more acquainted with G. Fox, he had an opportunity to be further instructed in the way of godliness, of which he came to be a faithful follower.