[revival] GEORGE FOX - Too RADICAL!! - Andrew Strom

GEORGE FOX - Too RADICAL!!

Andrew Strom:- A reader wrote to me recently about the radical
ministry of George Fox from centuries ago. Here was a man who
feared nothing, who walked the earth in leather clothes, who was
so against the organized religion of his day that he called church
buildings "steeple houses" and frightened off many a "hireling" in
the charge thereof - before preaching to the congregation himself!!
There has rarely been an anointed Reformer or Revivalist as radical
as George Fox.

As reader 'Tom' wrote to me:

"I have read a number of items on revival, but to my knowledge, no
one has referenced George Fox who lived in the 1600s in England
during a tumultuous time. He spent times in jail for his outspoken
faith and because he challenged the clergy of the day. His teaching
was the most practical and uncompromising I have encountered
on the matter of holiness and regeneration.

An interesting thing about him and perhaps the reason he goes
unnoticed, is that his ministry mirrors that of the book of Acts,
except that his foes are not Judaism but apostate Christianity.
In other words, his time is contemporary in many ways with ours.
Because of this, many may avoid him since he was entirely
separated from organized religion!"

GEORGE FOX - the HOLY RADICAL
-by David Smithers.

In the year of 1647, a large man with piercing eyes named George
Fox started preaching throughout the towns and villages of England.
He prayed and fasted often, traveling with no other companion but
his Bible. He proclaimed a gospel of purity, power and repentance.

When George Fox began preaching, many churches were dead
and bound in man-made traditions and formalism. When the Church
drifts into formalism, the world drifts into further ungodliness. The
methods and appearance of George Fox to some, seemed quite
offensive and extreme. It is sometimes necessary for God's
prophets to be unconventional in order to thoroughly awaken the
indifferent and hard hearted.

Soon after George Fox began to preach, he had a remarkable
spiritual experience that lasted fourteen days. A certain Mr. Brown,
while on his death bed prophesied many great things concerning
Fox. "When this man was buried," says Fox, "a great work of the
Lord fell on me." During this mighty baptism of the Spirit, Fox
received a remarkable gift of discernment. "He seemed to be able
to read the character of men by looking at them." Miraculous
healings also accompanied his ministry. Through prayer and the
laying on of hands, the sick were often healed and devils were
cast out to the glory of Christ. When George Fox preached men
would shake and tremble. "The name Quaker was given to Fox
and his followers because of the quaking of the men who came
to scoff but stayed to pray." This remarkable power seemed to
accompany the preaching of Fox wherever he went.

Fox preached that Jesus Christ is the author of a faith which
purifies and gives victory over sin. He fervently exhorted men to
pursue complete holiness rather than empty religious ceremonies.
As a result, he was often beaten, stoned and driven out of town.
It is estimated that perhaps no other man since the time of the
Reformation was persecuted and imprisoned as often as George
Fox. He usually went about the country on foot, dressed in his
famous suit of leather clothes, which it is believed he made
himself. He often slept outside under a tree or in some haystack.
Fox also often pointed out that what was commonly called the
Church was only a building. He boldly declared that only the
fervent believers of Christ were the living stones of the true Church.

"Above all George Fox excelled in prayer." It was his habit to wait
in silence for the movement of the Holy Spirit and then begin to
pray, causing whole congregations to be shaken and humbled
under the hand of God Almighty. "As he prayed the power of God
came down in such a marvelous manner the very building seemed
to rock." Through the ministry of George Fox, a glimmer of Apostolic
power was revealed to seventeenth century England. He was a man
of the Spirit in an age that emphasized theological and scriptural
accuracy at the expense of the power of the Holy Ghost. He always
stressed the importance of a Spirit filled life and refused to let dead
orthodoxy be a veil for the works of the flesh.

If we as believers are content with a gospel that merely comforts
our conscience and perseveres our traditions, then we are also
content to forsake the gospel of Christ and the Apostles. God
help us to truly seek the kind of praying and preaching that will
once again make men tremble in the presence of Jesus Christ.

From Fox`s Journal chapter 2

"Now I was come up in spirit through the flaming sword, into the paradise of God. All things were new; and all the creation gave unto me another smell than before, beyond what words can utter. I knew nothing but pureness, and innocency, and righteousness; being renewed into the image of God by Christ Jesus, to the state of Adam, which he was in before he fell. The creation was opened to me; and it was showed me how all things had their names given them according to their nature and virtue.

I was at a stand in my mind whether I should practise physic for the good of mankind, seeing the nature and virtues of things were so opened to me by the Lord. But I was immediately taken up in spirit to see into another or more steadfast state than Adam's innocency, even into a state in Christ Jesus that should never fall. And the Lord showed me that such as were faithful to Him, in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell; in which the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues thereof, may be known, through the openings of that divine Word of wisdom and power by which they were made."

Fox was a holiness teacher of the genuine sort. If you read the above with discernment you will see that he claimed that those in Christ are sinless and are kept from falling. Because he claimed to be sinless he was hounded by carnal believers who said that no man but Christ was without sin.

If he came along on this forum today, how would he be received? Would he be told he was deceiving himself? Would he be snubbed instead of stoned?

Brenda

"most of his post wouldn't be replied to because they would be about holiness"

Thanks so much for your encouraging words Colin. It never ceases to amaze me how people can miss what preachers like Fox were really saying. Chambers is another. People believe what they want to believe and if a preacher is popular then they just accept them rather than really hear them. Holiness is a popular subject unless you get to the real message.

How long O Lord how long?

Yes indeed and the clearer the message the more the persecution and suffering, like that of Goerge Fox who was frequently repeatedly beaten and left for dead, but was enabled to rise up and carry on his way.

If we believe in sanctification by faith there is no limit to what we can do as our faith is in the everlasting power of God to do His will on earth as it is in heaven.

Colin, just out of interest, do you see the three stages that Fox taught ie three blessings rather than two?

Brenda

KJ I have studied his writings for many years, and what others thought about him at the time. He was certainly a prophet but then you would not see it as you don`t believe a man can walk perfectly. I guess one doesn`t if one continues to sin.

What exactly do you mean by "Yet some of his most basic teachings were contradictory to basic Biblical Christianity."

We only see in scripture what the Lord reveals to us and it is only those who stand on the Holy hill who see Him face to face and have more than the surface meaning of scripture opened.

Fox knew the scriptures inside out and quoted them all the time.He believed that they must be revealed to us through the Holy Spirit and not through our minds alone. How do you know what you read is the truth? There is something more than just mans mind involved and without that light there is no understanding like the way the Jews did not understand although they knew the scriptures well.

So how about sayng where he was wrong over certain scriptures? If you have only read him superficially I would remedy that before taking anyone on who knows his teaching inside out and has compared it with scripture very closely.

Well, a lot depends on how you interpret his `coming up through the flaming sword`. Some insist it was when he was `saved` and others say it was when he was baptised in the Spirit as a `second blessing`. I believe the later, as he had gone though that `dark night of the soul` thing that many describe before they came to the end of themselves and saw that they were living the Christian life in their own stength and became desperate and like Fox sought for help on how to stop sinning but found none (well that is, during a time of dryness in the church when this doctrine is not taught.)

So if like me you consider that he was baptised with the HS at that point, we read that he came up to the state of Adam in his innocency then God showed him a higher state where there would be no sin at all.

"But I was immediately taken up in spirit to see into *another or more steadfast state than Adam's innocency* even into a state in Christ Jesus that should never fall. And the Lord showed me that such as were faithful to Him, in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell; in which the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues thereof, may be known, through the openings of that divine Word of wisdom and power by which they were made"

This idea of three stages has been known before though in the holiness movement two stages were mostly experienced. It has been traditionally known as the `triplex via` for obvious reasons and has been taught at times through church history but not very often. The third stage of union with Christ, is what is described by Fox of sharing in the same nature as Him ie holiness or entire sanctification whereas the second stage is sanctification or illumination.

Man being as he is however, will mostly deny any further stage and think he has achieved the most he can. It is generally when he meets another who is much further on than he that he will open his mind.

This happened with Fox as people were amazed at his discernment to know what was in a mans soul. He could read them immediately just as Christ had done and was never beaten in a debate. Many at the time recognised he had outstanding spiritual qualities.

Brenda

Jimmy

"Compare what he taught to what the holy apostles and prophets of our faith taught. Compare his actions to theirs. Think critically."

Well I do find that the early Quakers including Fox acted like the apostles in that they provided for themselves rather than accept tithes and payments from their fellowships. Fox was a cobbler and kept himself this way. Most if not all ministers of the gospel today do not follow this example and take where they should be giving freely. Do you preach for nothing?

And another thing, they did not call themselves King-something, refusing to accept even legitimate titles saying all men were equal nor would they say something that was not strictly true which is why they would not go to plays or the theatre. Honesty was very important to them, so there was not a King Paul nor a King George. And this is the group of people that you wish to disparage.

You sound very young on the sermons on your site. I think it would serve you well to think before you speak and be a little more humble.

Brenda

Colin

My understanding of the state IN Jesus Christ that can never fall is that, it is in this state that one can never fall which I cannot see it mean anything else but sinlessness, that is, falling to temptation while in this state, but it is possible to leave this state as evidenced by Peter after Pentecost but he was restored through Paul showing him his sin. This is being born again ie in the state where one does not sin which I do not see to be the same as when first comes to Christ, which most say is saved, but in my understanding and that of Fox`s, it is only in the third stage, which you have put as `the more excellent way` that man is saved from his sin in actuality and not merely positionally. Other than that, you are not getting into the kingdom.