And dear brethren and sisters, unto this our tender salutation, we are concerned in brotherly love, and true tender heartedness, to add and impart unto you some account of the decease of our dear and elder brother in Christ, and his Church's true and faithful servant and Minister, George Fox; whom it has pleased the Lord to take unto himself, as he has divers other of his faithful servants and ministers of late time; who have faithfully served out their generation, and finished their testimony and course with joy and peace. Howbeit, Oh dear brethren and Friends! that so many worthies of Israel, and serviceable instruments in the Lord's hands, are of late taken away and removed from us, so soon one after another, appears a dispensation, that deeply and sorrowfully affect us, and many more, whose hearts are upright and tender toward God, and one another in the Truth. The consideration of the depth, weight and meaning thereof, is very weighty upon our spirits,, through their precious life and testimony with us, as being of that same body, united to the one head, even Christ Jesus; in wich we still, and hope, ever shall have secret comfort and union with them, whom the Lord has removed, and taken to himself out of their earthly tabernacles and houses, into their heavenly and everlasting mansions.
This said our dear brother, George Fox, was enabled by the Lord's Power, to preach the Truth fully and effectually, in our public Meeting at Grace Church Street, London, on the eleventh day of this instant 11th month, 1690: after which he said, I am glad I was here; now I am clear, I am fully clear. Then he was the same day taken out with some illness or indisposition of body, more than usual; and continued weak in body for two days after, at our Friend Henry Goldney's house in the same court, close by the Meeting House, in much contentment and peace, and very sensible to the last. In which time he mentioned divers Friends, and sent for some in particular; to whom he expressed his mind, for the spreading Friends' Books and Truth in the world, and through the Nations thereof; as his spirit in the Lord's Love and Power was universally felt, and bent for Truth and Righteousness, and the making known of the Way thereof to the Nations and people afar off: signifying also to some Friends, that all is well; and the Seed of God reigns over all, and over death itself. That though he was weak in body, yet that the Power of God is over all, and the Seed reigns over all all disorderly spirits: Which were his wonted sensible expressions, being in the living faith and sense thereof, wich he kept to the end. And the thirteenth instant, between the ninth and tenth hour in the night, he quietly departed this life in peace; being two days after the Lord enabled him to publish and preach the blessed Truth in the Meeting, as aforesaid. So that he clearly and evidently ended his days in his faithful testimony, in perfect love and unity with his brethren, and peace and good will to all men; being about sixty and six years of age (as we understand) when he departed this life.
And in the sixteenth of this instant, being the day appointed for his funeral, a very great concourse of Friends and people assembled at our Meeting House in White Hart Court aforesaid, about mid day, in order to attend his body to our burying place near Bunhill Fields, to be interred, as Friends last office of love and respect, due on that account. The Meeting was held about two hours, with great and heavenly solemnity, manifestly attended with the Lord's blessed Power and Presence; and divers living testimonies given from a lively remembrance and sense of this his dear, ancient servant, his blessed ministry and testimony of the breaking forth of this Gospel Day; his innocent life, long and great travels, and labors of love in the Everlasting Gospel, for the turning and gathering many thousands from darkness to the Light of Christ Jesus, the Foundation of true faith; also of his manifold sufferings, afflictions, and oppositions, which he met withal for his faithful testimony, both from his open adversaries and false brethren; and his preservations, dominion, and deliverances out of them all by the Power of God: to whom the glory and honor was and is ascribed, in raising up and preserving this his faithful witness and minister to the end of his days; whose blessed memorial will everlastingly remain.
He loved Truth and Righteousness, and bore faithful testimony against deceit and falsehood, and the mystery of iniquity: and often, of late times especially, warned Friends against covetousness, earthly mindedness, against getting into the earth, and into a brittle spirit; and the younger sort, against looseness and pride of life, &c.
A few days before he died, he had a great concern upon his mind, concerning some, in whom the Lord's Power was working, to lead them into a ministry and testimony to his Truth; who through their too much entangling themselves in the things of this world, did make themselves unready to answer the call and leadings of the Power of God, and hurt the Gift, that was bestowed upon them, and did not take regard to their service and ministry, as they ought: and mentioned the Apostle's exhortation to Timothy, to take heed to his ministry, and to show himself approved, &c. And expressed his grief concerning such, as preferred their own business before the Lord's business, and sought the advancing worldly concerns before the concerns of Truth: and concluded with a tender and fatherly exhortation to all, to whom God had imparted the heavenly treasure, that they would improve it faithfully; and be diligent in the Lord's work, that the earth might be sown with the Seed of the Kingdom, and God's harvest might be minded by those, whom he had called and enabled to labor therein: and that such would commit the care of their outward concerns to the Lord, who would care for them, and give a blessing to them. However, this is not mentioned to encourage any to run unsent, or without being called of God.
Many are living witnesses, that the Lord raised him up by his Power, to proclaim the might Day to the Nations, and made him an effectual instrument in our day, to turn many from darkness to Light, and from Satan's power to God; and freely to suffer and bear all reproaches, and manifold persecutions, buffetings, halings, stonings, imprisonments, and cruelties, that were in the beginning, and for some time inflicted on him and others, for the Name of Christ Jesus. He was in his testimony as a fixed star in the firmament of God's power, where all that be truly wise, and that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars for ever and ever. He knew and preached the mystery of Christ revealed, the Life and Substance, and the Power of Godliness, above all shadows and forms: the Lord endued him with a hidden wisdom and life. He loved peace, and earnestly labored for universal love, unity, peace, and good order in the Churches of Christ: and wherever he met with the contrary, it was his great grief and burden. He was greatly for the encouragement of faithful laborers in the Lord's work; and it was a great offense and grief to him, to have their testimony weakened, or labors slighted through prejudice in any professing Truth.
And inasmuch as the Lord suffered him not to be delivered up to the will of his enemies and persecutors, who often heretofore breathed out cruelty against him, and designed his destruction; but in his own good pleasure to fairly and quietly take him away in his own time, when his testimony was so blessedly finished, and his work accomplished, that is all remarkable, and worthy of serious and due observation, as being by a special and divine providence and wisdom of God; to whom we ascribe the glory of all, and not unto man or creatures. Though we must needs allow, and own that good report and due esteem, which faithful elders, ministers, and servants of god and Christ have by faith obtained, to the praise of the blessed power, that upheld them in every age in their day; many whereof are even of late taken from the evil to come, and are at rest with the Lord, out of the reach of all envy and persecution, where the wicked cannot trouble them anymore.
And we must patiently bear out parting with them, our loss and sorrow on that account, with respect to their unspeakable gain: yet how can we avoid being deeply affected with sadness of spirit, and brokeness of heart, under the sense and consideration of such loss and revolutions, which we have cause to believe are ominous of calamities to the wicked world, though of good to the righteous? Did the death of plain upright Jacob, namely Israel, (who was as a Prince to God) so deeply affect both his own children and kindred, as that they made a great and exceeding sore lamentation for him; and even the Egyptians also, that they bewailed him for seventy day? And the death of Moses so deeply affect the children of Israel, as that they made great lamentation for him? And the Apostle Paul, when taking his leave of the elders of the Church of Ephesus, and telling them, they should see his face no more? If this did so deeply affect them, that they wept all abundantly, sorrowing most of all for these words, that they should see his face no more (with many more of this kind;) how then can we otherwise choose, but be deeply affect with sorrow and sadness of heart (though not as those, which have no hope) when so many of our ancient, dear, and faithful brethren (with whom we have had much sweet society) are removed from us one after another? (We pray, God raise up and increase much such!) Yet must we all contentedly point to the good pleasure and wisdom of the Lord our God in all these things; who taketh away, and none can hinder him, nor may any say unto him, what do thou? Yet we have cause to bless the Lord, that he has of late raised, and is raising up more to publish him Name in the earth: and we that yet remain, have but a short time to stay after them, that are gone; but we shall be gone to them also. The Lord god of life keep us all faithful to his Holy Truth, love, unity and Life to the end. He has a great work still to bring forth in the earth, and great things to bring to pass, in order to make way for Truth and righteousness, to take place therein; and that his Seed may come forth, and be gathered, and the Power and Kingdom of our God and of his Christ, made know and exalted in the earth, unto the ends thereof.
Dear Friends and brethren, be faithful, till death, that a Crown of Life you may obtain. All dwell in the love of God in Christ Jesus, in union and peace with him: to whom we tenderly commit you to keep and strengthen you, bless and preserve you to the end of your days. In whose dear and tender love we remain--
Your dear Friends and brethren,
| Stephen Crisp | Nicholas Gates | Daniel Monro |
| Geo. Whitehead | Francis Stamper | John Heywood |
| Fra. Camfield | John Vaughton | George Bowles |
| James Park | Gilbert Latey | William Robinson |
| John Elson | Charles Marshall | William Bingly |
| Peter Price | Rich. Needham | John Butcher |
| John Field | James Marshall | John Butcher |
| John Eldridge | James Martin | Benjamin Antrobus |
These names are since added, at the desire of the persons following:
| Sam. Goodaker | Amb. Rigg | William Fallowfield |