Chapter II: Part I: The Essentials of Quakerism

BY WILLIAM C. BRAITHWAITE

PAGE
Introductory 11

The early Quaker movement 13

Its two great characteristics,—intense sincerity and
the experience of the living presence of Christ 14

“Seekers” were especially receptive to the message of
George Fox 14

Edward Burrough’s description of experience 16

The heightened personality that came to the “Children
of the Light” 20

Quakerism a religion of the prophetic and apostolic
type, in contrast with the priestly and institutional
type 21

The Church should be a living fellowship of
disciples at work for the Kingdom of God,
_plus_ Jesus Christ Himself, in whose Spirit
they become together “one flock, one
Shepherd” 23

The vital nature of such a fellowship 24

Our position not negative but positive 25

Quakerism a “religion of life” 25

The supreme question for the Church, How can we
foster life? 26

Cheap substitutes for life 29

A religion of life must devote itself to vital
processes and vital relations; chiefly,
Loyal discipleship 30
Inspired leadership 31
Warm fellowship 33
Loving service 35
Steady spiritual growth 36

Methods and machinery, organization and Church
discipline have only a subordinate value to these
prime factors of health 37

The life must be allowed free expression; the form
must be kept plastic 38

The physiologist tells us that living matter is
always soft and jelly-like, permitting of the free
play of molecular interchanges 38

Fit the clothes to the man, not the man to the
clothes 40

Expansion that comes where the Spirit of God has been
allowed freely to work upon groups of disciples
without being limited by organization and tradition,
_e. g._ Foreign Missionary Work, Adult School
movement, Quakerism in Western States 40

Church-arrangements, important in themselves, should
be regarded as machinery through which the life can
work,—the life of the individual which we call
personal responsibility, of the group, which we call
fellowship, and above all the Divine vitality, which
we call spiritual power and spiritual guidance 41

Above conclusion illustrated from the way in which
these vital forces come into play in the various
forms of Friends’ meetings 42

The evangelistic service and its needs 43

The meeting for worship, its great value and its
needs 44

The teaching meeting and its needs 46

Quakerism, at its best, always the product of vital
forces and the producer of vital relations 47

Its dependence upon the earnest seeking spirit 48

Craving to-day for reality in religion and life 49

Atmosphere of large-hearted charity and brotherly
confidence needed 50

Quakerism, essentially, a religion of sincerity,
answered by the incoming of the living Christ 51

Hopes confronting us to-day,—the craving after truth,
the meaning and worth of personality, woman’s place
in the world, the reign of law in international
affairs, the regeneration of social conditions, the
hope of Christ for the whole world 52

The Quaker Church called to be in the vanguard of
progress with respect to all these 53

Duty of personal witness for truth, based on a living
experience of it 53

Conclusion 54