honour of the truth they
profess.

And if he or she shall clear their profession and themselves, by sincere
acknowledgment of their fault, and godly sorrow for so doing, they are
received and looked upon again as members of their communion. For as
God, so his true people, upbraid no man after repentance.

This is the account I had to give of the people of God called Quakers, as
to their rise, appearance, principles, and practices, in this age of the
world, both with respect to their faith and worship, discipline and
conversation. And I judge it very proper in this place, because it is to
preface the journal of the first, blessed, and glorious instrument of
this work, and for a testimony to him in his singular qualifications and
services, in which he abundantly excelled in this day, and which are
worthy to be set forth as an example to all succeeding times, to the
glory of the most high God, and for a just memorial to that worthy and
excellent man, his faithful servant and apostle to this generation of the
world.

CHAP. V.

_Of the first instrument or person by whom God was pleased to gather this
people into the way they profess_. _His name George Fox_: _his many
excellent qualifications; showing a divine_, _and not a human power to
have been their original in him_. _His troubles and sufferings both from
without and within_. _His end and triumph_.

I am now come to the third head or branch of my preface, viz. the
instrumental author. For it is natural for some to say, Well, here is
the people and work, but where and who was the man, the instrument? He
that in this age was sent to begin this work and people? I shall, as God
shall enable me, declare who and what he was; not only by report of
others, but from my own long and most inward converse, and intimate
knowledge of him; for which my soul blesseth God, as it hath often done:
and I doubt not, but by that time I have discharged myself of this part
of my preface, my serious readers will believe I had good cause so to do.

The blessed instrument of, and in this day of God, and of whom I am now
about to write, was George Fox, distinguished from another of that name,
by that other's addition of younger to his name, in all his writings; not
that he was so in years, but that he was so in the truth: but he was also
a worthy man, witness, and servant of God in his time.

But this George Fox was born in Leicestershire, about the year 1624. He
descended o