William Penn's Introduction to George Fox's Journal Part 1
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Introduction Site Editor's Preface There are three versions of George Fox's Journal, now widely available for purchase or reading on the web: 1) The Nickalls version. A one large volume, abbreviated version of the official Ellwood two volume version; still for sale. 2) The official two volume version edited by Thomas Ellwood, and published many times, but of limited availability for sale. 3) The one volume Short Journal, edited by Penney, (with Rufus Jones commentary) and translated into several languages, widely available on the web, and still for sale. This is a seriously abridged version. Penney published the Short Journal, with a few text additions that he discovered in researching the remarkable Cambridge Journal. Penney went back to all the original handwritten manuscripts of George Fox and others who assisted. They found considerable material omitted from the official Quaker/Ellwood Journal, and published all in the 1911 the Cambridge Journal. However, the Short Journal is significantly lacking in the details of Fox's translation into paradise as well as avoids Fox's exposure of the conflicting doctrines of the mainstream Christianity of his day and more importantly, today. The Journal on this site is the full two-volume set published many times - the official Quaker Journal, edited by Thomas Ellwood. We have modernized the language; but you can view the original book, (see the Image Library). To make the Journal on this site even more interesting, we have included significant portions of the omitted text found in the Cambridge Journal. When reading the Journal on this site, you will occasionally see, {Text within braces}, denoting text from the Cambridge Journal. We have also included supplementary information from other sources, but they are well marked within. The history of the Journal, including comments by the publishers of the Cambridge Journal, as they speculate on all the reasons why certain text was changed or omitted, are included in an additional section with links into the Journal where the subject text is found. You may find interesting the three exhibits, including a photograph of one of the handwritten manuscripts of George Fox, also available on the sidebar. A JOURNAL OR HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE, TRAVELS, SUFFERINGS, CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCES AND LABOUR OF LOVE IN THE WORKS OF THE MINISTRY OF THAT ANCIENT, EMINENT, AND FAITHFUL SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST, GEORGE FOX PREFACE Being a summary account of the many dispensations of God to men, from the beginning of the world to that of our present age, by the ministry and testimony of his faithful servant George Fox, as an introduction to the ensuing Journal. By William Penn, George Fox's dear Friend, Brother in Christ, and admirer William Penn (1644-1718) William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and West Jersey, was an upper class commoner, highly educated intellectual of his age, who spoke five languages. In settlement of the King's debts to his father, he was granted by the King huge territories in the new world, what is now Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. He established colonies in the new world to escape the religious persecutions that Quakers were experiencing from the Puritan Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians in England and Europe; which colonies which had a significant influence on the later form of government adopted by the United States of America. His colonies featured full freedom of religion, fair trials, elected representatives of the people in power, and a separation of powers—again ideas that would later form the basis of the American constitution. Well ahead of his time, Penn wrote and urged for a Union of all the English colonies in what was to become the United States of America. He was also the first to propose the United States of Europe as a way to avoid the continual wars on the continent. Penn's father was Admiral Penn and the family the resided in Ireland while Cromwell was in power. The Admiral was a supporter of the deposed king's son, and as such was retired. He invited a Quaker preacher, Thomas Loe, to come to his home so that they might judge first-hand what their message was; young William was deeply impressed at 12 years of age. When the crown was returned to power, Penn's previous support catapulted him back into the Admirality, this time being knighted through the powerful support from King Charles II and his brother, the future King James II. At fifteen, Penn went to Oxford where he again heard the Quaker preaching of Thomas Loe, who held some meetings there. He was deeply impressed by their message, and he decided to join the Quakers. It was no part of his father's plan that his son should be a despised Quaker, and many efforts were made to turn him from that purpose. All of his father's efforts were without effect, for in William's twenty-fourth year he became a Quaker minister, and through a long life faithfully served his Lord and Master in England, Europe, and America. Before Admiral Penn died his views were very much changed, and he confessed that his son had been wise in choosing the service of Christ, rather than the applause of the world. For those of you interested, several of Penn's writings are on this site, in addition to a biography of his life - America's most famous Quaker. This preface is a wonderful book by itself, in that it not only testifies to George Fox's life in Christ, but also to the Light of Christ within each of us as the power to purify, and to the particulars of the character of the true Church of Christ. He also gives us a history of the true church up to his time. This preface has been updated, simplifying sentence structure and modernizing the language to make it more understandable; while preserving the melodious content of his powerful writing, which also testifies to Penn's own possession of Christ, in measure sufficient to perfection. _____________________________ Text in Light Blue or bold Light Blue can be "clicked" for backup in scripture or detail in writings. When you have clicked to the on-line Bible, you can change and update to see any Bible version that you prefer. THE PREFACE MANY have been the dispensations of God since the creation of the world, unto the sons of men; but the great end of all of them has been the renown of his own excellent name in the creation and restoration of man. Man restored, the emblem of himself, as a god on earth, and the glory of all his works. The world began with innocence. All was then good that the good God had made; and as he blessed the works of his hands, so their natures and harmony magnified him their Creator. Then the morning stars sang together for joy, and all parts of his works said Amen to his law. Not a discord in the whole order; but man in paradise, the beasts in the field, the fowl in the air, the fish in the sea, the lights in the heavens, the fruits of the earth. Yes, the air, the earth, the water, and fire worshipped, praised, and exalted his power, wisdom, and goodness. Oh holy sabbath! Oh holy day to the Lord! But this happy state did not last not long. For man, the crown and glory of the whole creation, being tempted to aspire above his place, unhappily yielded against command and duty, as well as interest and happiness; and so fell below it, losing the divine image, the wisdom, power, and purity in which he was made. By which, being no longer fit for paradise, he was expelled from that garden of God, his proper dwelling and residence; and was driven out, as a poor vagabond, from the presence of the Lord, to wander in the earth, the habitation of beasts. Yet God, who made him, had pity on him; for he seeing man was deceived, and that it was not of malice, or an original presumption in him, but through the subtlety of the serpent, (that had first fallen from his own state, and by the mediation of the woman, man's own nature and companion, whom the serpent had first deluded). In his infinite goodness and wisdom, God found a way to repair the breach, recover the loss, and restore fallen man again by a nobler and more excellent Adam, promised to be born of a woman. So that by means of a woman whom the evil one had prevailed upon man, so also by a woman should the nobler Adam come into the world, who would prevail against him, and bruise his head, and deliver man from his power. This was, in a signal manner, by the dispensation of the son of God in the flesh, in the fullness of time, personally and fully accomplished by him, and in him, as man's savior and redeemer. But the manifestation of Christ's power was not limited to that time; for both before and since his blessed manifestation in the flesh, he has been the light and life, the rock and strength of all who ever feared God; he had been present with them in their temptations, following them in their travels and afflictions, and supporting and carrying them through and over the difficulties that have attended them in their earthly pilgrimage. By this power, Abel's heart excelled Cain's, and Seth obtained the preeminence, and Enoch walked with God. It was this power that strove with the old world, and which they rebelled against, and which sanctified and instructed Noah to salvation.