{
    "componentChunkName": "component---src-templates-static-page-tsx",
    "path": "/quakers",
    "result": {"data":{"numPublished":{"books":{"en":184,"es":58}},"audioBooks":{"totalCount":66},"mdx":{"body":"var _excluded = [\"components\"];\nfunction _extends() { _extends = Object.assign ? Object.assign.bind() : function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n/* @jsx mdx */\n\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"About the Quakers\",\n  \"path\": \"/quakers\",\n  \"description\": \"The early Quakers arose in the mid 1600’s in England. Dissatisfied with lifeless religion, outward forms and ceremonies, their hearts longed to experience the true life and power of New Testament Christianity. They came to see that the same Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins also appears by His Spirit in our hearts, and that, when yielded to, His heavenly light and grace becomes our salvation as it purifies and truly changes us from within. Friends Library exists to freely share their precious writings in e-Book, audio, and paperback formats.\"\n};\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\nvar Lead = makeShortcode(\"Lead\");\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n    props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, _excluded);\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(Lead, {\n    mdxType: \"Lead\"\n  }, \"If you haven\\u2019t listened to our introductory audio explaining who the early Quakers were, we recommend you start by clicking the play button below:\"), mdx(\"iframe\", {\n    className: \"mt-6 sm:mb-20\",\n    title: \"Introduction to the Early Quakers\",\n    width: \"100%\",\n    height: \"166\",\n    scrolling: \"no\",\n    frameBorder: \"no\",\n    src: \"https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F242345955&color=6C3142&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&show_artwork=false&show_teaser=false&locale=en\"\n  }), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Who were the early Quakers?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The birth of the Religious Society of Friends (called Quakers) is usually attributed to\\nthe preaching and ministry of George Fox (1624-1691) in England, and indeed, Fox was made\\na mighty instrument in the hand of the Lord for the turning of hearts and the opening of\\nblind eyes to the true nature, light, and life of Christianity. But the incredible\\nspiritual awakening and recovery of true Christianity that took place in the 17th century\\ncannot be attributed to the work or teaching of any man. Truth be told, there were many\\nthousands of believers at this time in history (from all persuasions and backgrounds) who\\nhad become disillusioned with the many man-centered and lifeless sects of Christendom, and\\nwho were crying out for the true light, life, and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Many were\\nwandering from place to place, giving ear to pastors, priests, and scholars, and still\\ngroaning under the burden of inward pollution and spiritual darkness, longing for the\\nliving waters that were promised to His true disciples. Finding room in these hearts for\\nHis implanted Word, the Lord Himself raised up, gathered, and purified a people to worship\\nHim in Spirit and Truth, to testify against all unrighteousness and idolatry, and to call\\nthe world back to the Christianity of the first Apostles, to the everlasting covenant of\\nlife and light in the Lord Jesus Christ.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Not only George Fox, but hundreds of other ministers were raised up by the Lord and sent\\nall over Europe, the American colonies, and elsewhere, preaching the true gospel in the\\ndemonstration of the Spirit and power. What did they preach? They preached true repentance\\nfrom the dark and corrupt nature of man, and from all dead works of the flesh, \\u201Cturning\\nmen from the darkness to the light and from the dominion of Satan to God.\\u201D They preached\\nChrist as the \\u201CLight of life,\\u201D the \\u201Ctrue Light that enlightens every man,\\u201D apart from whom\\nnobody can truly see, understand, or experience the things of God\\u2019s kingdom. Indeed, this\\nspiritual light that \\u201Cshines in the heart to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory\\nof God in the face of Christ\\u201D is the only way that the true gospel can be distinguished\\nfrom the dead opinions, notions, and traditions of men. They preached true freedom from\\nsin and darkness, and an experienced victory over the law of sin and death that reigns in\\nthe natural, fleshly man. They were not content to sit down short of God\\u2019s many promises\\nto \\u201Ccleanse the inside of the cup and dish,\\u201D and to \\u201Cpurify the conscience from dead works\\nto serve the living God.\\u201D Instead they learned and took up the cross of Christ, which is\\nthe power of God to crucify and subdue the man of flesh and the power of sin and death\\nthat reigns in him. Faithfully they clung to the cross as a heavenly lifeline, knowing\\nthat Second Man could not reign in power and peace wherever the first man remained\\nuncrucified. They preached Christ the living substance and fulfillment of all old covenant\\nshadows and testimonies. And as Christ was revealed and formed in their hearts, they\\nwitnessed a worship in Spirit and truth in the new (inward) temple of God, and a ministry\\nto the Lord\\u2019s body that was the outworking of His indwelling life.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The early Quakers did not see themselves as a new Christian sect or denomination, but\\nrather as a return to the primitive Christianity of the Apostles, after a long and dark\\nnight of \\u201Capostasy\\u201D from the true Spirit and glory of the new covenant. In fact, for a\\ntime, they had no formal name for themselves, and simply called each other \\u201CFriends\\u201D\\nbecause of Jesus\\u2019 words in the gospel of John, \\u201CYou are My friends if you do whatever I\\ncommand you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master\\nis doing.\\u201D According to George Fox\\u2019s journal, the name \\u201CQuaker\\u201D originated with a\\nmagistrate named Gervase Bennet. \\u201CThis Bennet,\\u201D says Fox, \\u201Cwas the first person that\\ncalled us Quakers, because I bade them tremble at the Word of the Lord.\\u201D Thus the name\\nQuaker began as a way of ridiculing George Fox\\u2019s admonition, but soon became widely known\\nand used throughout the world, and was eventually accepted by the Society of Friends.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In our view, the work of the Lord in and through the original Quakers of the 17th century\\nwas indeed a return to the original life, light, power, and purity that the first\\nChristians experienced and proclaimed to be the gospel of Jesus Christ. These men and\\nwomen saw the Lord, grew up in His life, and like their Master, were hated, slandered, and\\npersecuted for it. However, as is often the case with genuine movements of the Spirit of\\nGod, their teachings and practices were quickly misunderstood, corrupted, and grossly\\nmisrepresented by the succeeding generations of those who bore their name. Doctrines and\\ntraditions can be handed down from one generation to the next, but the life of Christ must\\nbe born in, and experienced by, each individual soul. So it is that the Quakers of today\\nbear little or no spiritual resemblance to their forefathers. The life and light of Christ\\nthat once reigned in the hungry hearts of the 17th century has been almost entirely\\nforsaken, and the Society of Friends today is barely a shell of what was once perhaps the\\ngreatest spiritual awakening since Pentecost.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Explanations and Clarifications\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Even from the earliest days of their society, many of the principles and practices of the\\nQuakers have been greatly misunderstood and misrepresented. And today there exists a whole\\nhost of strange and untrue opinions and interpretations of their history and theology.\\nBefore exploring the many journals and other writings of early Quakers provided on this\\nwebsite, it may prove helpful to read through the information below.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Light Within\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The concept of spiritual light shining in the heart or conscience, is perhaps the most\\nwell-known principle of the Quakers. Sadly, very few today (even among those who still\\nbear the name) understand or rightly represent what the first Friends taught about this\\nessential subject.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When early Quakers spoke of this light, they were not referring to anything that belongs\\nto man by nature. \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"/friend/isaac-penington\"\n  }, \"Isaac Penington\"), \" writes:\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"\\u201CMan, by nature, is dead in trespasses and sins; quite dead, and his conscience is\\nwholly dark. That which gives him the sense of his death and darkness must be another\\nthing than his own nature, even the light of the Spirit of Christ shining in his dark\\nheart and conscience.\\u201D \\u201CMan is darkness, (Eph 5:8) and when Christ comes to redeem him,\\nhe finds him to be in darkness. Christ finds no light already in man to help him uncover\\nsin. Thus all the discoveries of sin that are made in the heart are by the light of\\nChrist, and not by any light of man\\u2019s nature.\\u201D\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In other words, natural man has absolutely no true light inherent in himself. There is\\nnothing intrinsically good, true, or pure in man in his fallen condition. It is therefore\\nnot the conscience itself that is, or that possesses, divine light (as many wrongly\\nassume). Paul writes, \\u201Cto those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both\\ntheir mind and their conscience are defiled.\\u201D Instead, it is Christ the Light sown as a\\nseed in the conscience that brings man to any knowledge of truth and, when obeyed, to the\\nsalvation of the soul.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Furthermore, there have been many sad misunderstandings and false conclusions derived from\\nthe Quakers use of the term \\u201Cuniversal\\u201D in reference to this gift of light. The word\\nuniversal was used by them to establish an intentional contrast with the prevalent idea of\\nthe time that God offers the saving knowledge of Christ to only a small, predestined few.\\nThe Quakers rejected the idea of individual predestination, and insisted that God offers\\nlife to all mankind through a measure of His light or grace that witnesses in the heart\\nagainst sin, and invites the soul to find salvation in Christ. It is this gracious, inward\\ninvitation that is universal. When received, followed, and obeyed, this light becomes the\\nlife and salvation of the soul. When rejected, the same light becomes man\\u2019s eternal\\ncondemnation. See John 3:19-21. Early Quakers were not at all proponents of universal\\nreconciliation.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Customs and Language\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"There were several accepted customs in the mid 1600\\u2019s to which early Friends could not\\nconform. The common dress of the day was very flamboyant, with an excess of useless lace,\\nribbons, flashy buttons, powdered wigs, etc. The normal greetings between peers involved\\nscraping the right foot backwards along the ground, bowing low while removing the hat, and\\nthen flattering one another with titles like \\u201Cyour Lordship,\\u201D \\u201Cyour Eminency,\\u201D etc. Early\\nfriends felt that these and other like customs tended towards vanity, pride, and the\\n\\u201Cfleshly honor which God would lay in the dust,\\u201D and so would not practice these things.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Moreover, at this time in history, the correct and plain use of \\u201Cthee\\u201D and \\u201Cthou\\u201D to a\\nsingle person was beginning to give way to \\u201Cyou\\u201D and \\u201Cyour.\\u201D Most modern English speakers\\nare unaware that the words \\u201Cyou\\u201D and \\u201Cyour\\u201D were originally plural pronouns used only to\\naddress two or more people, whereas \\u201Cthee\\u201D and \\u201Cthou\\u201D were used to address one person. In\\nthe 1600\\u2019s, it became fashionable (again, as a means of showing honor or flattery) to use\\nthe plural \\u201Cyou\\u201D or \\u201Cyour\\u201D in addressing people of higher social status, while \\u201Cthee\\u201D and\\n\\u201Cthou\\u201D were reserved for servants, children, or people of lower social or economic\\nposition. Early Friends stuck to what was then considered \\u201Cplain language\\u201D (using thee and\\nthou to every single person, and you and your to two or more), rather than showing\\npreferment by addressing certain individuals in the plural. These may seem like small\\nmatters to the 21st century reader, but it is remarkable how many thousands of Friends\\nwere insulted, beaten, imprisoned, and even hanged for refusing to conform to these\\noutward customs that serve no purpose besides flattering the fleshly man.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Silent Meetings\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Both from their own personal experience, and from many lamentable occurrences in church\\nhistory, early Quakers understood well the propensity of uncrucified flesh to seek to\\nlead, govern, and teach in things pertaining to the worship and service of God. The\\nnatural man is extremely quick to run into doctrines, opinions, practices, and traditions,\\nemploying his own carnal wisdom and ability in an attempt to build the church of God.\\nFriends saw clearly that this creates a false Christianity that stands in the will and\\nnature of fallen man, and which (like King Saul) seeks to offer the Lord the best of what\\nHe has already rejected and condemned.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Quakers were therefore extremely careful and intentional about waiting on the Lord in the\\nsilence of their flesh, and feeling after His life-giving Spirit, before they attempted to\\npray, preach, worship, encourage, or admonish in their meeting together. In the words of\\n\", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"/friend/robert-barclay\"\n  }, \"Robert Barclay\"), \":\"), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"\\u201CWhen assembled, the great work of one and all ought to be to wait upon God, and, in\\nturning away from their own thoughts and imaginations, to feel the Lord\\u2019s presence and\\nknow the \\u2018gathering into his Name\\u2019 where He is \\u2018in the midst\\u2019 according to his promise.\\nAnd as every one is gathered in this way, and met together inwardly in their spirits as\\nwell as outwardly in their bodies, there the secret power and virtue of life is known to\\nrefresh the soul, and the pure motions and breathings of God\\u2019s Spirit are felt to arise.\\nAnd from the Spirit, words of declaration, prayers, or praises arise, and the acceptable\\nworship is known which both edifies the Church and is well-pleasing to God. In this way,\\nno man limits the Spirit of God, nor brings forth his own contrived and gathered stuff,\\nbut everyone brings forth only what the Lord puts into their hearts, which is spoken not\\nin man\\u2019s will and wisdom but \\u2018in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and of\\nPower.\\u2019\\u201D\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It is important to clarify that silence was never a goal of Quaker meetings. The silencing\\nof the forward, fleshy mind, and the humble turning of the heart to the Lord, was rather a\\nmeans to an end, and a way to guard against the wisdom and religion of man while they\\nwaited for the pure and powerful influences of God\\u2019s Spirit to feed and govern His own\\nspiritual body.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Perfection\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Early Quakers are sometimes known for their teaching that believers can become \\u201Cperfect\\u201D\\neven on this side of the grave. The word perfect is one that can invite a lot of\\nmisinterpretation and imagination, and so it is important to understand exactly what they\\nbelieved in this regard. First of all, this perfection has nothing to do with fixing or\\nchanging the fallen fleshly nature. The nature of Adam is not repaired; it is\\nexperientially crucified through the inward cross, the power of God, so that the soul\\nbecomes progressively free from the law of sin and death, and governed by the law of the\\nSpirit of life in Christ Jesus. Therefore, the progress and perfection of the soul arises\\nfrom the birth and growth of the Seed of Christ within, and its victory (by degrees) over\\nthe body of death. Early Friends believed (and many experienced) that the heart could be\\nunited and subjected to the living Truth in such a way so as not to obey the suggestions\\nand temptations of the evil one, to cease from actual sinning, and in this sense be\\nperfect. However, they were always very careful to insist on the following two points: 1)\\nthat this kind of perfection always allows for continued spiritual growth. As Christ\\nHimself is boundless and eternal, so our growth in Him knows no limits or restrictions.\\nAnd 2) that there always remains the possibility of sinning wherever the heart and mind\\ndoes not diligently and watchfully attend to the Lord.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Persecution Against Early Quakers\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Jesus said to His disciples, \\u201CYou will be hated by all for My name\\u2019s sake,\\u201D and \\u201CIf the\\nworld hates you, you know that it hated Me before you.\\u201D The world\\u2019s hatred towards\\ndisciples of Christ is rarely experienced today, in part because of the prevalence of a\\ncross-less, flesh-friendly gospel. It is uncommon (at least in the western world) for\\nbelievers in Jesus Christ to suffer for the enjoyment of a clear conscience before God.\\nThis, however, was not the case when the Lord raised up the original Society of Friends.\\nThe first Quakers were despised, persecuted, slandered, beaten, imprisoned, and killed,\\nboth by magistracy and by the Christian sects of their time (Protestant and Catholic).\\nEarly Friends lived at a time when very little liberty was granted to citizens to believe\\nand worship as they saw fit. The Church of England was run by the state, and multitudes of\\nlaws were made and enforced mandating certain beliefs, specific meeting places and forms\\nof worship, and forbidding all others. Because of their refusal to conform to laws that\\nviolated their consciences in the sight of God, Quakers suffered cruel beatings and\\nwhippings, long imprisonments in cold, filthy prisons, cutting off of ears, banishment\\nfrom their native country, and even death. Between the years 1650\\u20131690, prisons in England\\nwere literally filled with Quakers who, for conscience sake, would not forgo meeting\\ntogether to worship God in the way they believed He required of them. Nor did they feel\\nfree to attend other compulsory religious services, pay obligatory tithes to persecuting\\npriests, or swear oaths of allegiance in disregard to Christ\\u2019s command in Matthew\\n5:34\\u2014\\u201CSwear not at all...but let your \\u2018Yes\\u2019 be \\u2018Yes,\\u2019 and your \\u2018No,\\u2019 be \\u2018No.\\u2019\\u201D\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"Early Quaker Beliefs\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"For more information detailing exactly what early Quakers believed\\u2014with many scripture\\ncitations\\u2014please see our page on\\n\", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"/what-early-quakers-believed\"\n  }, \"what early Quakers believed\"), \".\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","frontmatter":{"title":"About the Quakers","description":"The early Quakers arose in the mid 1600’s in England. Dissatisfied with lifeless religion, outward forms and ceremonies, their hearts longed to experience the true life and power of New Testament Christianity. They came to see that the same Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins also appears by His Spirit in our hearts, and that, when yielded to, His heavenly light and grace becomes our salvation as it purifies and truly changes us from within. Friends Library exists to freely share their precious writings in e-Book, audio, and paperback formats."}}},"pageContext":{}},
    "staticQueryHashes": ["142919622","353175597","3865072189"]}