- Margaret Fell
We
are a people that follow after those things that make for peace, love, and
unity; it is our desire that others’ feet may walk in the same, and do deny and
bear our testimony against all strife and wars and contentions…. Our weapons
are not carnal, but spiritual…. And so we desire, and also expect to have
liberty of our consciences and just rights and outward liberties, as other
people of the nation, which we have promise of, from the word of a king….
Treason, treachery and false dealing we do utterly deny; false dealing,
surmising or plotting against any creature on the face of the earth; and speak
the Truth in plainness and singleness of heart; and all our desire is your good
and peace and love and unity. 1660
- Mary Dyer
- Isaac Pennington
"We are also to be witnesses for God, and to
propagate his life in the world; to be instruments in his hand, to bring others
out of death and captivity into true life and liberty. We are to fight against the powers of
darkness everywhere, as the Lord calleth us forth.
"...our only controversy is with that which captives
and makes them miserable; for we fight not all with flesh and blood, but with
the principality and power which led from God, and rule in it against God, to
the poor creature's ruin and destruction.
"...we are not man's enemies, against no righteous
law, not against relations, not against governments, not against any thing in
the world that is good; but only against that which is evil and corrupt. And of a truth, the corruption of things God
hath shown us, and daily calls us forth after an immediate manner to witness
against."
(from "The Way of Life and Death made manifest, and
set before men)
- James Naylor
There
is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil nor to revenge any wrong,
but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its
hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation
and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end
of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in
thoughts to any other. If it is betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and
spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness, its life
is everlasting love unfeigned; and takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with
contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice,
though none else regard it, or can own its life. It’s conceived in sorrow, and
brought forth without any to pity it, nor doth it murmur at grief and
oppression. It never rejoiceth but through sufferings; for with the world’s joy
it is murdered. I found it alone, being forsaken. I have fellowship therein
with them who lived in dens and desolate places in the earth, who through death
obtained this resurrection and eternal life. (His last recorded words, 1660)
- Mary Fischer
“Now returned into England ... have I
borne my testimony for the Lord before the king unto whom I was sent, and he
was very noble unto me and so were all that were about him ... they do dread
the name of God, many of them... There is a royal seed amongst them which in
time God will raise. They are more near Truth than many nations; there is a
love begot in me towards them which is endless, but this is my hope concerning
them, that he who hath raised me to love them more than many others will also
raise his seed in them unto which my love is. Nevertheless, though they be
called Turks, the seed of them is near unto God, and their kindness hath in
some measure been shown towards his servants.”
- George Fox
"And when all my hopes in
[preachers and priests] and in all men were gone, so that I had nothing
outwardly to help me, nor could tell what to do, then, Oh then, I heard a voice
which said, 'There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy
condition.” (Journal)
"God,
who made the world, did not dwell in temples made with hands... the Lord showed
me, so that I did see clearly, that he did not dwell in these temples which men
had commanded and set up, but in people's hearts."(Journal)
Let
all nations hear the sound by word or writing. Spare no place, spare no tongue
nor pen, but be obedient to the Lord God; go through the world and be valiant
for the truth upon earth; tread and trample all that is contrary under…. Be
patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you
come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to
them. Then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of
God in every one; whereby in them you may be a blessing, and make the witness
of God in them to bless you. 1656
- William Penn
That
which the people called Quakers lay down as a main fundamental in religion is
this, that God through Christ hath placed a principle in every man to inform
him of his duty, and to enable him to do it; and that those that live up to
this principle are the people of God, and those that live in disobedience to it
are not God’s people, whatever name they may bear or profession they may make
of religion. This is their ancient, first, and standing testimony. With this
they began, and this they bore and do bear to the world. 1693
- Robert Barclay
Whoever can reconcile this, 'Resist not evil', with
'Resist violence by force', again, 'Give also thy other cheek', with 'Strike
again'; also, 'Love thine enemies', with 'Spoil them, make a prey of them,
pursue them with fire and the sword', or, 'Pray for those that persecute you,
and those that calumniate you', with 'Persecute them by fines, imprisonments
and death itself', whoever, I say, can find a means to reconcile these things
may be supposed also to have found a way to reconcile God with the Devil,
Christ with Antichrist, Light with Darkness, and good with evil. But if this be
impossible, as indeed it is impossible, so will also the other be impossible,
and men do but deceive both themselves and others, while they boldly adventure
to establish such absurd and impossible things.
- John Woolman
There
is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in different
places and ages hath had different names. It is, however, pure and proceeds
from God. It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion, nor excluded
from any, where the heart stands in perfect sincerity. In whomsoever this takes
root and grows, of what nation so ever, they become brethren in the best sense
of the expression. 1774
- Elias Hicks
My mind was
likewise largely opened to communicate with clear, rational demonstration, how
we all might by faithful attention and adherence to the aforesaid divine
principle (the Light Within) come to know and believe the certainty of those
excellent scripture doctrines of the coming, life, righteous works, sufferings,
death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our Blessed
Pattern and that by this Inward Light only, we are prepared for an
admittance into the heavenly kingdom when done with time.
- Elizabeth Fry
" I wish the state of enthusiasm I am now in may last, for today I FELT
there is a God. I have been devotional and my mind has been led away from the
follies that it is mostly wrapped up in” "Oh Lord, may I be directed what to do and what to leave undone”.
- John Gurney
As to the doctrine of original
sin, according to the acceptation of some professors of Christianity, that we
are Under the curse for the transgression of our first parents, I abhor the
idea, as it casts a great indignity on the Divine character to think that a
gracious and merciful God should condemn us for an act that was wholly out of Our power to avoid! I consider it very little
short, if any, of blasphemy against God. For I have never felt myself under
condemnation for any sin but my own.
- Lucretia Mott
- Levi Coffin
In the
winter of 1826-27, fugitives began to come to our house, and as it became more
widely known on different routes that the slaves fleeing from bondage would
find a welcome and shelter at our house, and be forwarded safely on their journey,
the number increased. Friends in the neighborhood, who had formerly stood aloof
form the work, fearful of the penalty of the law, were encouraged to engage in
it when they saw the fearless manner in which I acted, and the success that
attended my efforts....
- Susan B Anthony
Cautious, careful people, always casting about to
preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform.
Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be
anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in
season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and
their advocates, and bear the consequences...
Failure is impossible 1906
- Rufus Jones
Experience
is the Quaker’s starting-point. This light must be my light, this truth must be
my truth, this faith must be my very own faith. The key that unlocks the door
to the spiritual life belongs not to Peter, or some other person, as an
official. It belongs to the individual soul, that finds the light, discovers
the truth that sees the revelation of God and goes on living in the
demonstration and power of it. 1927
Live up to the Light thou hast and more shall be added to it.
ReplyDelete~ ... i forget who said that
Love has no tense: it is either now or never.
~ Caroline Stephen (19th C. British Quaker preacher/writer)