The World's Profession without Foundation

By George Fox

The Vials of the Wrath of God poured forth upon the Man of Sin, and upon all Professors of the World, who deny the Light of Christ, which he has enlightened every one withal, and walk contrary to it; with it they are condemned. The World's Profession without Foundation; with several precious Notes to great Men, and rich Men.

All the stated beliefs in Christ of the world are without ground, and without the true foundation; for the light is denied by the world, and hated. The professed believers, priests, and people, and all who hate the light; their deeds are evil, and they will not bring their works to the light, for fear that the light will reprove them; they know their deeds are evil. You will not bring your works, for fear that the light will reprove them. Drunkard, you know your deeds are evil; you will not bring your works to the light, for fear that the light will reprove you; there you have learned your condemnation, which is the light. Liar you know you should not lie, there you have learned your condemnation, the light. Swearer and railer, you know you should not swear, nor rail; the light within you lets you see that your deeds are evil, and makes you confess your deeds are evil. There you have learned your condemnation, the light. You devilish minds, who are hatching mischief, plotting together to do mischief in alehouses, and upon your beds, something in your consciences tells you that you should not do so. There you have learned your condemnation, the light. You cursed speakers, envious ones, quarrelers, fighters, stoners, wrathful, malicious ones, there is something in your consciences tells you, all this is of the devil. There you have learned your condemnation, in the light that Christ has enlightened you with, which lets you see that your deeds are evil, when you are sitting in alehouses, drinking, playing cards, playing shovel-boards, swearing by God, or your soul, or your faith, or cursing and provoking one another to wrath, fighting and abusing one another; so you are those that defile the flesh. There is something in your consciences that tells you, all this is of the devil. There you have learned your condemnation, which is the light that lets you see all the works of darkness.

Now therefore hearken to the light, which may lead you up to God the father of light; it lets you see that you should not lie, not steal, not commit adultery; you should not walk in unclean actions, and all you who do, you know your deeds are evil by the light in your consciences, which is your condemnation; the light in your consciences which should exercise it. All you wanton, lustful ones, sporting yourselves, who gather yourselves together to spend your time in vanity, there is something in your consciences that tells you, all that is folly, foolishness, and madness. Laughter is madness, said the prophet, and those who have grown solid and civil, denying such practices, their denial is counted madness with you, who live in folly. There is that in your consciences that lets you see your deeds to be evil; you have learned the condemnation, the light; and when the book of all consciences is opened, you will all witness what I speak. To that in your consciences I appeal; then the time will come that you will wish you had not been born into the world.

Now you easeful ones are at ease, and you professors [stated believers in Christ and the scriptures], priests and people have set your nests so high as though none could reach you; and all you conceited ones, who rest in your conceits; and you worldly ones, who are drunk with the cares of this life; and you covetous ones, who devour one another, for the creature, for the earth; the time is coming when the poor despised ones shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and a cry will be among all you, and a howling, a wishing you had never been born.

Liar, you are for the lake that burns. Unbelievers, you are for the lake. Drunkards and scorners, you are for the lake that burns, and shall never inherit the kingdom of God, who act such things. Drunkard, you have cast the law of God behind your back; and you that mind earthly things, your end is destruction, whose God is your belly, who glory in your shame, who live in the lust, drunkenness, gluttony, devouring the creation. A time will come, that you will wish you had never been born; for you have all known in your days that your deeds have been evil and that you have done contrary to the light in your consciences. There is your condemnation, the light; for you wicked will be as the chaff which the wind drives away, and all you proud will be as the stubble; the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

This is to be scattered among the ignorant, simple and blind people, led by the god of this world, and drunkenness, and lust, that the witness may arise in them, against these ungodly deeds, that they may be left without excuse, who have had a time, and a visitation and call to repentance. Now you have a time, prize it; you have light, which Christ has given you; to it I appeal, which lets you see all your evil deeds, hating it, it will be your condemnation. To all manner of people I speak, it will eternally witness for the Lord, and condemn you.

Some are drunk with drink, sitting together to invent mischief, to shed blood, to destroy the innocent. Another company, priests and people, have gotten together, drunk with rage and persecution, as drunk as the others are in rage and madness; plotting and inventing together against the righteous, to shed innocent blood; some you put into prison, and you are worse than common drunkards, for you stock, and cause the innocent to be imprisoned. Therefore awake all drunkards, and fear God, and turn unto the Lord while you have time.

Pharaoh you oppressor, Pharaoh you task master, Pharaoh you proud one, which lays  heavy burdens upon the innocent and righteous seed, and oppresses the just, plagues and woe is your portion, as was Pharaoh's, who taxes, and oppresses, and causes the just and righteous seed to labor under you; who binds with oaths, and compels to swear by that which is a declaration of Christ, who said, swear not at all; and, he who does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God, but is of the devil.

Oh, you earthly-minded men! Stop oppressing the poor; exalt not yourselves above your fellow-creatures, for you are all of one mold and blood. You that set your nests on high, join house to house, field to field, until there be no place for the poor, woe is your portion. The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. And you that have not so much of the earth, give over your murmuring, and reasoning, fretting, and grudging, for all your need, is the need of God. The righteous God is coming to give to every one of you according to your works. Now the works of you all must be tried; you that have appeared unto men beautiful outwardly, will be found in the generation of murderers, and you that have pretended to worship, your sacrifice will be found to be Cain's, which God has no respect to.

Oh, you high ones, which spread yourselves, appear fair, tall and strong! You know not God, nor yourselves to be oaks. Oh, you tall cedars! You know not yourselves to be so. The Lord has sent his servants to look for fruit in his vineyard among you, but it is full of wild olives, and wild grapes, that many are drunk with the juice of the wild grapes; and the vineyard is so full of briars and thorns, that the lambs and sheep cannot pass, but they are tangled among the briars and the thorns; and the land is as a wilderness, full of serpents; and the earth is overgrown with weeds and nettles, that there is no feeding for the lambs, until the earth can be dressed, and overturned.

Howl you vine-dressers! A day of howling is coming among you, who have been pretenders to the dressing of the vineyards, which are overgrown with weeds, and nettles, and thorns, and crooked ways. The lambs and sheep have been scattered and devoured among the briars and the thorns, and you have made no discerning between a lamb and a goat, a sheep and a wolf. Now the Lord himself is gathering his lambs and his sheep where they have been scattered in this cloudy dark day, and some are torn, and some are trampled upon with the horses of Pharaoh; but the Lord's hand is against you, and his sword drawn; the battle is begun, and the sword drawn, which must not be put up until it has made a separation in hewing down, and the Lord himself will have the praise, and the honor, and the renown, who rules over all.

Oh, how beautiful has your harlot been! Oh, how full is the land of enchanters! Oh, how full is the land of sorcerers, and witchcrafts! The mystery of her has deceived many through her whoredoms. Green was grass, and fresh was the flower, the bay tree spread itself, and the hawthorn, but the time is coming of fading; the flower will fade, and the grass will wither, and the whoredom and the enchanter must come to judgment. The Lord is risen, and rises as a swift witness against the enchanter, against the sorcerers, against the whoremongers, and the covetous. The glittering sword is drawn to hew down you fruitless trees that cumber the ground. You lustful fleshly ones, you have not seen yourselves to be these trees which cumber the ground. You heady high-minded ones, you have not seen yourselves to be these trees which cumber the ground. You who live in the flesh, you do not see yourselves to be these trees which cumber the ground. You scorners, you liars, you dissemblers, false hearts, you do not see yourselves to be these trees which cumber the ground; but the Lord is risen against you, the earth stinks with the dead that are upon it, and the pollution of the polluted. The Lord is risen with power, and sends forth to bury the dead, and to raise up the dead; all who are immortal, this may see, this may receive.

Repent, for the day of the Lord is coming. Awake you worldly ones, hearken to that in your consciences, which shows you sin and evil; that will guide you to God, loving it. Awake you drunkards, and lustful ones, who follow pleasures. Consider the ways you walk in; for you who act such things, must never inherit the kingdom of God. For you act contrary to that in your consciences, which will be your condemnation; pride, and ambition, selfishness, and self-will stands up, which the plagues of God are due unto. Silence all flesh, who live in your conceit and deceit, thieving and stealing in the night what the saints spoke, making yourselves drunk with it, and then sell it to drunkards, and then are jovial, eating and drinking with drunkards. Howl you drunkards, for you shall want the staff of bread; a day of howling is coming upon you; lay aside all deceitful merchandise.

And all you star-gazers, who are gazing among the stars, wondering after your imaginations, doing the works of darkness, in whom lodges the spirit of witchcraft.

Silence, and come down all you that ride so high, that do bestir you as Jannes did, and Jambres, at the coming of the children of Israel out of Egypt; through the fire and the sea, you cannot come.

Silence all presumptuous talkers of God, who see him not, but are presumptuous boasters, who live in envy, crossness, and perverseness, and vain contention, which proceeds from corrupt minds, who mind the earth, and earthly things, who are enemies to the cross of Christ, who glory in your shame, whose end is destruction, whose belly is your God, who do not see God, are not come so far as Moses; for Moses saw God face to face; and death reigns from Adam to Moses, and all that do not see God, death reigns in you. To that in your conscience I appeal, which Christ has enlightened you with, which calls you to repentance, which shows you your evil deeds, which will be your teacher, owning and loving it, and your condemnation, hating it. Now you have time, prize it; this is the day of your visitation.