Chapter IV: Part III: Social Life

I.
Social Life.

Bringing up Children.

Some among you breed up your children not as when you were in a profession only, in such a rude, heady way that when they grow up they do not matter you nor care for you.... In many things they are worse than many of the world's, more loose, stubborn and disobedient ... so that when they come to be set to prentice many times they run quite out into the world.... Therefore while they are young restrain them ... in all things keep your authority which is given to you of God.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 23.)

Youth.

Youth if they be let loose are like wild asses and wild heifers, and such many times bring a great dishonour to God by running into looseness; which are more fit to be under rule and order than to rule; and through a foolish pity of some they let up a great deal of airiness and wildness.

* * * * *

Youth should be kept under a bridle and restraint and be nurtured and trained up in the fear and wisdom of God, that the power of God and God's truth may have its passage through all and over all, and all lightness frothiness wildness and looseness may be kept down.

(_Works_, VIII., pp. 24, 25.)

Behaviour of School-children.

If any mar their books and blot their books through carelessness, let them sit without the table as disorderly children. And if any one turns from these things and mendeth and doeth so no more and then if any do accuse them of their former action after they be amended, the same penalty shall be laid upon them as upon them that is mended from his former doings. And if any be known to steal let him write without the table and say his lesson and show his copy without the bar. And all must be meek, sober and gentle and quiet and loving and not give one another bad word no time in the school nor out of it least.

That they be made to say their lesson or show their copy-book to the master at the bar and all is to mind their lessons and be diligent in their writings. And to lay up their books when they go from the school and their pens and ink-horns and to keep them so, else they must be looked upon as careless and slovens, and so you must keep all things clean, sweet and neat and handsome.

(_Swarthmore MSS._, II., 2,123, Fox autograph.)

Apprentices.

All the legacies that are given to the men's or women's meetings let them be kept as a public stock for the setting forth of apprentices and setting them up.

(_Works_, VII., p. 343.)

The Children of the Poor.

Now all you that do murmur against people that have many children and do complain and say that they do fill your towns, cities and countries with children; and many times you that do so complain have few or no children, and you are afraid that they should come to want and then you must be fain to relieve their necessities. And what then? What you do give to the poor you lend to the Lord, and he will repay it to you again, if they cannot. And this wanting mind is for want of faith in God who gives the increase of all and is rich unto all that call upon him. And the Lord would have you to take notice that children are the heritage of the Lord. The Lord that doth increase the children of his heritage he will take care for his heritage whether that murmuring, complaining mind against poor people of having so many children, you relieving them or no, he will take care for his heritage.

Blessed be his name for ever.

And that will be a happy day when they come to nurse Christ's chickens, doves, lambs, babes and little children.

(_Works_, VI., p. 204, _et seq._, condensed.)

Homeless Women.

Friends to have and provide a house or houses where a hundred may have rooms to work in and shops of all sorts of things to sell, and where widows and young women might work and live.

(_Works_, VII., p. 343.)

Care of the Aged.

Have an alms-house or hospital for all poor friends that are past work.

(_Ibid._)

Care of the Mentally Deranged.

Friends to have and provide a house for them that be distempered and not to go to the world.

(_Ibid._)

Dangers of Ease and Plenty.

And so, now you that are settled in those parts, who have had a testimony from the Lord to bear to people of the truth, you should spread abroad God's eternal truth; and have meetings (as I said before) with the Indian Kings and people; so that all the earth may come to look unto the Lord for salvation. For if ye should settle down in the earth and have plenty and be full, and at ease for a time and not keep in the power and service and spirit of God, you would quickly come to lose your condition, as some did in Rhode Island when settled down in the earth after a while, and then turned to jangling about it, and some ran out one way and some another.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 306.)

Beware of Worldly Entanglements.

O Friends, do not die from the good through the wantonness of fleshly lusts, neither be choked with the cares of this life, nor fear the shearers, neither let the heat scorch your green blade; but dwell under the shadow of the Almighty who will shade you from the heat and cold. Neither be cumbered nor surfeited with the riches of this world, nor bound, nor straitened with them, nor married to them.

(_Works_, VII., p. 152.)

Every one strive to be rich in the life and in the Kingdom, and things of the world that hath no end.

(_Works_, VII., p. 197.)

Riches and Poverty.

And in the old parliament's days many people that used to wear ribbons and lace and costly apparel and followed junkettings and feasting with priests and professors came to leave it off when they came to be convinced of God's eternal truth and to walk and serve God in the spirit as the apostle did, they left off their curious apparel and ribbons and lace and their sporting and feasting with priests and professors and would not go to wakes nor plays nor shows as they formerly had used to do and would not wear gold nor silver nor lace nor ribbons nor make them.

And then the priests and professors raged exceedingly against us and printed books against us and said that our religion lay in not wearing fine clothes and lace and ribbons and in not eating good cheer, .... And we told them that when they went to their sports and games and plays and the like that they had better serve God than spend their time so vainly; and that costly apparel with lace that we formerly had hung upon our backs that kept us not warm, with that we could maintain a company of poor people that had no clothes.

And so our religion lay not in meats and drinks, nor clothes, nor thee nor thou, nor putting off hats nor making curtseys at which they were greatly offended because we thee'd and thou'd them and could not put off our hats nor bow to them. And therefore they said our religion lay in such things but our answer was, nay, for though the spirit of God led into that which was comely and decent and from chambering and wantonness and from sporting and pastimes and feasting as in the day of slaughter and from wearing costly apparel as the apostle commands and from the world's honour fashions and customs. But our religion lies in that which brings to visit the poor and fatherless and widows and keeps from the spots of the world, which religion is pure and undefiled before God, and this is the religion which we own which the apostles was in above 1600 years since, and do deny all vain religions got up since which are not only spotted with the world but pleads for a body of sin and death to the grave, and their widows and fatherless lies begging up and down the street and countries.

(C. J., I., pp. 285-286.)

Relationships.

Knowledge and familiarity is as grass that withers; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 45.)

Idleness.

None may stand idle out of the vineyard, and out of the service and out of their duty; for such will talk and tattle and judge with evil thoughts of what they in the vineyard say and do.

(_Works_, VII., p. 283.)

Scattered Minds.

Oh friends, look not out; for he that doth is darkened. And take heed of lightness. Take heed of the world and of busying your mind with things not serviceable. A wise man's eye is in his head, but a fool's eye is gazing up and down.

(_Works_, VII., p. 72.)

People must not be always talking and hearing.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 45.)

Evil Humours.

For all distractions, distempers, unruliness, and confusion is in the transgression which transgression must be brought down before the principle of God.

(_Swarthmore Transcripts_, Vol. VII., p. 123.)

Judgments.

Take heed of judging the measures of others, but everyone mind your own, and there ye famish the busy minds and high conceits, and so peace springs up among you and division is judged.

(_Works_, VII., p. 60.)

Differences.

All differences to be made up speedily that they do not fly abroad to corrupt people's minds.

(_Works_, VII., p. 328.)

Scandal.

Let all reports be stopped that tend to the defaming one of another.

(_Works_, VII., p. 328.)

Singleness.

Keep single unto God and single-hearted to man and plain in all things, and low.

(_Works_, VII., p. 304.)

Love.

Live in peace and love and patience with one another, for that doth edify the body and strife doth not, but doth eat out the good. For the body doth edify itself in love, in which there is nourishment and virtue and life.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 22.)

Unity.

Mind the light, that all may be refreshed one in another and all in one. And the God of power and love keep all friends in power, in love, that there be no surmisings, but pure refreshings in the unlimited love of God, which makes one another known in the conscience to read one another's hearts; being comprehended into this love, it is inseparable and all are here one. And keep in the oneness and note them that cause dissension contrary to the gospel ye have received, that one pure faith may be held in all, to guide and preserve all in the unity of the spirit and bond of peace; all one family of love, children of one father and of the household of God.

(_Works_, VII., p. 19.)

II.
General Exhortations.

The dead make dead ways for the dead to walk in.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 28.)

Hardness of heart is worse than an outward plague.

(_Works_, VII., p. 274.)

The hard-hearted are not sensible.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 116.)

The throne of iniquity must be brought down, and the chamber of imagery in every heart, for the Lord must have the heart.

(_Works_, VII., p. 275.)

Leave off all your bustling and come to Christ.

(_Works_, V., p. 171.)

Reason not with flesh and blood that shall never enter, take not counsel with that which lies in thy bosom for that draweth thee nearer to carnal things, and draws thee to consult with reason and so draws thy eye and mind to visible things, and so wanders from going on thy journey.

(_Swarthmore Transcripts_, IV., p. 566.)

Man's pride is not the higher power. In humility we find a power above pride, higher than oppression, higher than men's wills, higher than the lusts of the eye, yea, higher than all that in man would exalt against it. So we deny the lower that we may subject our souls to that which excelleth and which is ordained of God.

And to every ordinance of man we are subject for the Lord's sake. But should we bow to the spirit of pride we should betray the Lord and give his honour to another and that is not for the Lord's sake. So what we see for the Lord and of him in every ordinance of man we subject to for the Lord's sake, and what is against him for his sake we deny and with him suffer under it as witnesses for him against it.... Is there anything honourable in man but the image of God?

(C. J., I., pp. 131, 132.)

And so the Lord arm friends with his light and shield of faith that they may stand in the daylight of the son of God and keep their first habitation and hold Christ their head by which the body is united together by bands and joints, from whom they receive their nourishment and the love of God which edifies the body and unites it to Christ their heavenly head, which all the apostate Christians being several bodies without this head and not owning his light, grace and truth that comes from him the head by which they should be joined and united. And therefore are they like so many monstrous bodies without the heavenly head, but what they have of their own making; so often their heads go off their bodies.

(_Bristol MSS._, V., p. 20.)

Keep in the power of the Lord which will bring you over all to the fine linen, the righteousness of the saints.

(_Works_, VII., p. 239.)

Pray to the Lord to give you dominion over all, and that in his power and life and seed ye may live and reign. And all friends submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God and be one with the witness of God in all and look at that and that will keep you down from looking at the bad, but looking at the good keepeth your minds over the bad, with the Lord.

(_Works_, VII., p. 75.)

The saved will not suffer anything to rule that destroys.

(_Works_, VII., p. 272.)

Fear not the face of man, but fear and dread the Lord God, then his presence and wisdom and counsel thou shalt have to throw down the rubbish and quell all the bad spirits under thy dominion and fear them about thee. Live in the Lord's power and life, then to thee he will give wisdom and the pure feeling thou wilt come into whereby thy soul will be refreshed.... Things all will be made plain before thee, for thee and to thee from the Lord God. In what thou doth for the Lord God thou shalt have peace and the blessing; and in that so doing all the sober true-hearted people will be one with thee in all travails, sorrows and pains.... And the helping arm and hand that stretcheth over all the nations in the world thou wilt feel it.

(Slightly condensed from a letter to Oliver Cromwell, C. J., I.,
pp. 163, 164.)

Church faith changeth, directory changeth, common prayer changes and mass changes and here is the four religions got up since the apostles days which they have fought for and killed one another about, but the pure religion doth not change.

(C. J., VI., p. 331.)

The hireling is fled and flies because he was an hireling, whose religion was for the summer; whilst the sun shined; but in a storm, a tempest, a mist, or the sun clouded, their religion they flee from; his flight is in the winter. So the day manifests all things. Our religion is in the power of God before winter storms and tempests were; mists, fogs or clouds. In the light which shines over them all is our religion that does not change, in which there is fruit borne in the winter; by which power of God all their religions are seen, which must have an end and will have an end, which people run into. But in the power of God and his righteousness and holiness which was before the fall was, live; which power of God never alters nor changes in which is both life and peace which remains for ever.

(_Works_, VII., p. 225.)

And so every one is to have oil in your lamps from the heavenly olive tree, that your lamps may burn always both night and day in your tabernacles, looking to your high priest who will feed your lamps with heavenly oil.

And every one have heavenly salt in yourselves to savour withal what is earthly and what is heavenly, and what is from below and what is from above and what is out of the truth and what is in the truth.

And that everyone may keep their own vine in their own garden and their own lily in their own field or orchard, which lily doth exceed Solomon in all his glory. And every one have the word of faith in their hearts and mouths to obey and do, which will sanctify and make you holy and reconcile you to God. And every one have the anointing or unction within you which you have from the Father or Holy One so that in it you may continue in the Father and in the Son.

And every one continue in the grace of God which will teach you how to live and what to deny and will bring your salvation and establish you upon Christ the rock and foundation from whence the grace does come. And every one abide in the holy divine and precious faith which you do hold in a pure conscience by which faith you do live and have the victory over that which displeaseth God, and in this faith you do please God, which Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven, is the author and finisher of.

And every one that hath digged deep and found the pearl of great price and hath sold all and purchased the field, then the field and pearl is your own, such do know a thorough redemption.

And all you believers in the light (which is the life in Christ) that are become the children of light, walk in the light, and in Christ, as ye have received Him.

And every one mind the heavenly leaven that will leaven you into a new lump. And every one keep the feast of Christ our passover, with his heavenly unleavened bread in sincerity and truth.

And every one mind the light that God hath commanded to shine out of darkness and hath shined into your hearts, "to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, (your saviour) that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of yourselves," in this you are sensible of His heavenly treasure in your earthly vessels. And every one have water in your wells and cisterns, and heavenly fruit on your trees which God hath planted.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 209.)

Christ saith to his disciples, go, teach all nations and go into all nations to preach the gospel.... And God would have all men to be saved. Mark, all men.

(C. J., II., p. 149.)

No true peace but in Christ.

(_Works_, VIII., p. 224.)

Headley Brothers, Printers, Bishopsgate, E.C., and Ashford, Kent.

RELIGION OF LIFE SERIES

Edited by
RUFUS M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT.

Other volumes in this series:

A Little Book of Selections from the Children of the Light. By
RUFUS M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT.

Isaac Penington: Selections from his Writings and Letters. By
HENRY BRYAN BINNS.

William Penn: Selections from his Writings. By ISAAC
SHARPLESS.

Sir Thomas Browne. Selections from his Writings. By LEWIS
TOWNSEND.

Clement of Alexandria: Selection from his Writings. By RUFUS
M. JONES, M.A., D.LITT.

Cloth, 1s. net. Leather, 2s. net.

LONDON:
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Transcriber's Notes

The original spelling and punctuation were mostly preserved. In partcular, "gaol" is consistently spelled as "goal", which was not changed. A few obvious typographical and formatting errors were silently corrected.