Great Mystery of the Great Whore Unfolded
George Fox wrote this fierce polemical treatise in 1659 during the height of early Quaker persecution, when the newly formed Religious Society of Friends faced imprisonment, fines, and violent opposition from both established churches and civil authorities. The work emerged from Fox's conviction that the various Christian denominations of his day had abandoned the authentic spiritual religion of the apostolic church in favor of empty forms, paid ministries, and alliance with worldly power.
Fox systematically identifies what he calls "the great whore" of Revelation with the corrupt religious establishments of England, including the Church of England, Presbyterian churches, and various dissenting groups. He argues that these institutions represent a fundamental apostasy from true Christianity, substituting human traditions, university-trained clergy, and elaborate ceremonies for the immediate guidance of the Holy Spirit that he believed should govern all genuine worship and ministry. The treatise methodically exposes what Fox sees as the contradictions between these churches' practices and New Testament Christianity, particularly their dependence on tithes, formal liturgies, and clerical hierarchies. Throughout, he contrasts this institutional corruption with the Quaker emphasis on silent worship, unpaid ministry, and direct divine revelation available to all believers.
The work became a foundational text in Quaker apologetics and influenced generations of Friends in their understanding of their relationship to other Christian bodies. Its apocalyptic interpretation of contemporary religious conflicts and its uncompromising critique of institutional Christianity reflect the radical separatist impulse that characterized early Quakerism.
Who should read this: Scholars of early Quaker history and seventeenth-century religious controversy will find this essential for understanding Fox's theological method and the polemical context that shaped early Friends. Modern readers seeking devotional or ecumenical material should look elsewhere, as the work's harsh sectarian tone and specific historical targets make it primarily of historical rather than spiritual interest.