The journal of George Fox, vol. 1 of 2 : $b Being an historical account of his life, travels, sufferings, and Christian experiences.Fox, George
Religion
The journal of George Fox, vol. 1 of 2 : $b Being an historical account of his life, travels, sufferings, and Christian experiences.
Fox, George
Fox, George, 1624-1691
“What a world is this! how doth the devil garnish himself! and how
obedient are people to do his will and mind! They are altogether so
carried away with fooleries and vanities, both men and women, that
they have lost the hidden man of the heart, and the meek and quiet
spirit; which with the Lord is of great price. They have lost the
adorning of Sarah; they are putting on gold and gay apparel; women
plaiting the hair, men and women powdering it; making their backs look
like bags of meal. They look so strange, that they can scarce look at
one another, they are so lifted up in pride. Pride is flown up into
their head, and hath so lifted them up, that they snuff up, like wild
asses; like Ephraim, they feed upon wind; and are like wild heifers,
who feed upon the mountains. Pride hath puffed up every one of them:
they are out of the fear of God, men and women, young and old; one
puffs up another. They must be in the fashion of the world, else they
are not in esteem; else they shall not be respected, if they have not
gold or silver upon their backs, or if the hair be not powdered. But
if he have store of ribands hanging about his waist, and at his knees,
and in his hat, of divers colours, red, white, black, or yellow, and
his hair be powdered, then he is a brave man; then he is accepted, he
is no Quaker, because he has ribands on his back, and front, and
knees, and his hair powdered. This is the array of the world. But is
not this from the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, or the pride
of life?
“Likewise the women having their gold, their patches on their faces,
noses, cheeks, foreheads; having their rings on their fingers, wearing
gold, having their cuffs double, under and above, like unto a butcher
with his white sleeves; having their ribands tied about their hands,
and three or four gold laces about their clothes; this is no Quaker,
say they. This attire pleaseth the world: and if they cannot get these
things, they are discontented. But this is not the attire of Sarah,
whose adorning was the hidden man of the heart, the ornament of a
quiet and meek spirit. This is the adorning of the heathen, not of the
apostle, nor of the saints, whose adorning was, not wearing of gold,
nor plaiting of hair, but a meek and quiet spirit; which was and is of
great price with the Lord. Here was the sobriety and good ornament,
which was accepted of the Lord. This was Paul’s exhortation and
preaching; but we see, the talkers of Paul’s words live out of Paul’s
command, and out of the example of Sarah; and are found in the steps
of the great heathen, who comes to examine the apostles in his
gorgeous apparel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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