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A copy of a Letter from George Fox to and concerning John Perrot.
And for John Perrott, before he goes to Barbados, he should give out a Paper to condemn all he hath spoken, written, and acted, to the grieving of the Children of God, and call in his paper, which saith, that putting off the Hatt in Prayer is in the curse and cursed, &c. and deny his paper of taking a strumper, or a Whore, or the Pox. For it is not Lambs Obedience, but the Ranters. And I do hear up and down a pitiful grief by Friends about a Book that he hath given out lately, numbering Friends with Presbiterians, Independents, Baptists, and Seekers, and others; and that he tells the world in it, That he hath more unity with such, than with many of the Quakers. O what a Cains spirit is this! to go tell the World, the Priests, Presbiterians, Independents, and Baptists, who have prisoned and persecuted many Friends to Death; and ruined many Families; to go tell such in print that he hath more unity with them than with some of the Quakers. O the foolishness, and ignorance and darkness! How hath a Cloud compassed him; quite out of wisdom and quite out of understanding: And now to go away beyond the Seas, as I fear he doth; and to publish such a book before he goes and blessed Friends with such as have persecuted them and murthered them. The way of the false Prophets. Surely if he had been wise, or sought for unity and love, which covers a multitude of sins, he would never have gone and told the world, if there had been any weakness amongst Friends. But this manifests his impatiency; for this is not the way of one that seeks unity, but a spirit that would give up the children of God to the Persecutor; which hath persecuted many of them to death and spoiled their goods. And so after he hath given out such a Book as this, to pass out of the nation; and also given out his Challenge to the Pope, doth not mind the Papers Answer. This is like his Dispute with the Baptists, he would bring Friends into the dirt by such pitiful raw Carriage; who saith his wife hath been indamaged Five hundred pounds since he went away: therefore his best way is to go back again to her, and not to throw his Excrements and Dung amongst Friends; who are in the power of Truth, who are of {Page 18} the Royal seed of God. My Love hath ever been to him, to have preserved him, and to keep him in the esteem of Friends; though he hath wickedly requited it. Give this to some that may read it to him, For Friends are pitifully grieved with this Book and a Book he hath written to Baptists, it’s strange that Friends suffer such things to creep forth into the Countrey, to load them and burthen them: and likewise to set Presbiterians, Independents, Baptists, and seekers, &c. Over them who have been a Suffering People. And now he is manifest what a suffering spirit he hath, and of his Unity which he spoke of when he came into England and at his Parting. Let Joseph Nicholson or any other read this to him; for my part I cannot own his going anywhere (for if I should, I should go against the Life of God, which I can never do) who hath made such work and makes such work and strife; Except it be to go his wife, who hath been so much endamaged by his being away. For Truth is another thing, and doth not lay open weakness to Persecutors. If there were a multitude of sins amongst the Quakers, if he had been in the Love, he would have covered them, and would not have laid down it for Doctrine XR1365.
G. F.
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