QuakerInfo.com Forum

[Chip]

Somewhere, I think it was George Fox but I'm not sure, someone described their desire and willingness to be among the first, small number who would stand as pacifists and peacemakers in a world where such stuff doesn't go over well. The point was that waiting for the Kingdom would not bring the Kingdom about and that there needed to be those who would stand forth and be what we're called to be.
Can anyone direct me to this writing?
Thanks
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Take what is given
Give what is taken

[Laurence17]

A very helpful thought.

Thanks
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Abwoon : divine progenitor, breathing mindfulness through poor in spirit and the resonating realm of ruach

[BillSamuel]

No. The Quakers were certainly not first here. The pre-Constantinian church opposed participation in violence in any form. While this was no longer the norm after Constantine, there was always a remnant of Christians who retained this view.
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Bill Samuel, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Co-Coordinator, Friends in Christ

[Chip]

Bill, I see that I haven't put the question clearly. There is a bit somewhere that was written by Fox or someone. I remember that it was a part of a larger writing but I don't remember if it was a book, essay or what. At any rate the writer explained his pacifism in a fallen and messed up world. His point was that waiting for the Kingdom would not bring the Kingdom about and that there needed to be those who would stand forth and be what we're called to be. I'd like very much to find that bit of writing.
_________________
Take what is given
Give what is taken

[BillSamuel]

OK, Chip, this was a very important part of the early Quaker witness although I can not point you to the specific quote you seek. It also, of course, is a point made by many others in the body of Christ.
_________________
Bill Samuel, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Co-Coordinator, Friends in Christ

[Patrocles]

But early Quakers might have looked at themselves as the one and only remnant, or mightn't they? I suppose that they didn't know anything about contemporary Anabaptists or Bohemian Brothers, nor about church history. And in 17th Century Britain civil war both sides were definitely not peaceminded.

[Dan]

I don't believe our Quaker forefathers were ignorant as to other groups and peoples who held to a belief in nonresestance. In fact, most of the English Quakers were well educated and even people who were wealthy for the day and age in which they lived.
They knew about the anabaptists. I believe they may have easily been influenced by their teaching, though anyone with a clear mind would come to the same conclusions solely from scripture.
In fact, evidence shows that one of the early Quaker martyrs, Thomas Budd, had been educated to be a vicar in the Anglican church. Budd supposedly became an anabaptist and then became a Friend.

The Anglican church of the 17th century was not the Anglican church we see today. The Church of England at that time had great variance in ideals and teaching depending on the vicar and the community in which the church was located. The church was protestant, but that was the end of their cohesiveness. Some churches actually leaned in an anabaptist direction, many many of them were Calvinistic and would have today been considered Presbyterian. Others were less high church and these churches were easily led in the direction of Methodism when the Wesley brothers arose in the 18th century.

But again, it is from this background our forefathers came. They were not ignorant of other people and their teaching, neither do I believe were they arrogant in thinking they were the only ones who possessed truth.

Thy Friend,
Dan

[CelticNorth]

It would seem hard to circumvent any early Quaker thought regarding the peace testimony that is not Christ centered or based upon New Testament scripture, through which early Quakers most certainly attributed the Light and Spirit as being that of Christ. The Quaker peace testimony, in its entirty, begins there, it seems, and while the period of the English Civil War fragmented the Church of England and spawned other pacifist sects such as the anabaptist, the core teachings of Christ, the "rock", so to speak, is the origin of Quaker Pacifism. I often seek out pre-Christian pacifist textual referances in other faith traditions, leading up to the Chistian era, but have never see such a concentration of pacifist leadings as is seen in Christian literature. It is hard to argue that no matter which historical Christian tradition one originates from or belongs to, the peace testimony is certainly one that is Christ centered.