The text of Fox's sermon on Firbank Fell has been considerably rearranged in the printed edition.


& there was many olde people yt went Into ye Chapell & looket out of ye
                                                        to see a man
windowes & thought it a strange thingeʌ to preach one a hill or mountaine
& nott in there chuch as they caled it soe yt I was made to open to
                                                        on wch it stoode
ye people yt ye steeplehouse & yt grounde ʌwas noe more holyer then
yt mountaine: & those temples & dreadefull houses of God as they
caled ym: was not sett vppe by ye commande of God ʌnor Xt nor there
preists as Arons preisthoode & there temple was, nor there tyths
as theres was butt Xt was come whoe ended ye temple & ye preists &
ye tyths
| & Xt saide learne of mee & God saide this is my beloued Son
heare yee him for ye Ld had sent mee with his euerlastinge
gospell to preach & his worde of life to bringe ym of all these
temples tyths preists & rudiments of ye worlde yt had gotten vppe
since ye Apostles days : & had beene sett vppe by such who
had erred from ye spiritt & powr ye Apostles was in /
X soe that they might all come to know Xt there teacher there
Councelor there sheaphearde to feede ʌ ym & there bishope to ouersee
y[m]| &
there prophett to open to ym: & to know there bodys to
bee ye temples of God & Xt for ym to dwell in
And soe I opned ye prophetts & ye figures & shadows & turne[d]
ym to Xt ye substans. & then opned ye parablles of Xt & ye
thinges yt had beene hid from ye beginninge & shewed ym ye
estate of ye Epistles how they was written to ye elect: & ye
state of ye Apostacy yt has beene since ye Apostles days & how
ye preists had gotten ye scripture & are not in yt spiritt wch
gaue y.m foorth: whoe makes a trade of there words: & haue
X putt ym: Into chapter & verse & how yt ye teachers & preists
now was founde in ye stepps both of ye false prophetts cheife preists
scribes & pharisees such: as both ye pXtrophetts Xt & his Apostles
cryed agst: & soe are Judged by ye prophetts Xt & ye Apostles
spiritt & all yt was in it coulde not owne y:m
And soe turninge yee people to ye spiritt of God & from ye darknesse to
ye light : yt they might beleiue in it & become children of ye light
& turneinge them from ye powr of Sathan w.ch they had beene
vnder to God & yt with ye spiritt of truth they might be ledd
Into all ye truth of ye prophetts Xt & ye Apostles words:

 


















[page 74]                                     directing all to the Spirit
of God in themselves; that they might be turned from the Darkness
to the Light, and believe in it, that they might become the Child-
ren of it: and might be turned from the Power of Satan, which
they had been under, unto God; and by the Spirit of Truth might
be led into all Truth, and sensibly understand the words of the Pro-
phets
, and of Christ, and of the Apostles; and might all come to
know Christ to be their Teacher to instruct them, their Counsellor to
direct them, their Shepherd to feed them, their Bishop to oversee
them, and their Prophet to open divine Mysteries to them; and might
know their Bodies to be prepared, and sanctified and made fit Temples
for God and Christ to dwell in. And in the openings of the heaven-
ly Life, I opened unto them the Prophets, and the Figures and Sha-

[page 75]

dows, and directed them to Christ, the Substance. Then I opened
the Parables and Sayings of Christ, and things that had been long
hid; shewing the intent and scope of the Apostles Writings, how
that their Epistles were written to the Elect. And when I had
opened that State, I shewed also the State of the Apostacy, that hath
been since the Apostles days; how the Priests have gotten the Scri-
pture (but are not in that Spirit, which gave them forth) and have
put them into Chapter and Verse, to make a Trade of the Holy Mens
Words: And how that the Teachers and Priests now are found in the
steps of the false Prophets, Chief Priests, Scribes and Pharisees of
old, and are such, as the true Prophets, Christ and his Apostles cried
against, and so are judged and condemned by the Spirit of the true
Prophets, and of Christ, and of his Apostles; and that none, who
was in that Spirit, and guided by it now, could own them. Now
there were many old People, who went into the Chappel, and looked
out at the Windows; thinking it a strange thing, to see a Man preach
on an Hill or Mountain, and not in their Church (as they called it;)
whereupon I was moved to open to the People, ‘That the Steeple-
house
(and the Ground whereon it stood,) was no more holy, than
‘that Mountain; and that those Temples, which they called the
dreadful Houses of God, were not set up by the Command of God
‘and of Christ; nor their Priests called, as Aaron‘s Priesthood was;
‘nor their Tithes appointed by God, as those amongst the Jews were:
‘but that Christ was come, who ended both the Temple and its Wor-
‘ship
, and the Priests and their Tithes; and all now should hearken
‘unto him: for he said, Learn of me; and God said of him, This is
‘my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased
; hear ye him. So I de-
‘clared unto them, that the Lord God had sent me to preach the
Everlasting Gospel and Word of Life amongst them; and to bring
‘them off from all these Temples, Tithes, Priests and Rudiments of
‘the World, which had gotten up since the Apostles days, and had
‘been set up by such, as had erred from the Spirit and Power, that
‘the Apostles were in. Very largely was I opened at this Meeting,
and the Lord‘s Convincing Power accompanied my Ministry, and
reached home unto the Hearts of the People; whereby many were
Convinced that day, and all the Teachers of that Congregation
(who were many) were Convinced of God‘s everlasting Truth that
day.