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Christian Unity (the book) - The Maranatha Community

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<strong>the</strong> Church of England, in which a supreme place was given to <strong>the</strong> expoundingof <strong>the</strong> written word and discussion on it. But he was not allowed to interrupt<strong>the</strong> sermon.<strong>The</strong> issue Fox raised was, what was <strong>the</strong> ‘sure word of prophecy’ in 2 Peter 1.19(AV)? <strong>The</strong> actual words of <strong>the</strong> Bible, as <strong>the</strong> preacher held, or <strong>the</strong> Spirit’s voicespeaking in a person as Fox maintained? Fox and his followers, while notneglecting <strong>the</strong> Bible, emphasized ra<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> inner light or voice speaking withina person. It is said that Fox was as upright as a pine tree and as pure as a bell,and his immense courage and faith enabled him to endure manyimprisonments and assaults without bitterness and with forgiveness. At a timeof civil war he spurned violence in every form and refused a commissionoffered to him in Parliament’s Army.His followers, called ‘Quakers’ by a judge, a name that stuck with <strong>the</strong>m,preferred <strong>the</strong> term Friends or Seekers of <strong>the</strong> Truth. <strong>The</strong>y rejected forms orliturgies, instead depending on <strong>the</strong> Spirit of God to lead <strong>the</strong>m in worship; <strong>the</strong>yhad no clergy and put much store on silent worship. <strong>The</strong>y taught and preachedrighteousness and justice (even rebuking market stallholders for cheating <strong>the</strong>ircustomers), and created a tradition of social concern and action that has beena mark of <strong>the</strong> Friends ever since.But what can be said about <strong>the</strong>m in a <strong>book</strong> on <strong>the</strong> history of <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Unity</strong>?<strong>The</strong>y were certainly divisive in <strong>the</strong>ir origins and suffered much for <strong>the</strong>irexclusive view and practices. In recent years <strong>the</strong>y have entered intoecumenical activities, but as a non-confessional body which cannot share in<strong>the</strong> Church’s heritage of <strong>the</strong> Creeds. For this reason <strong>the</strong>y have not become amember of <strong>the</strong> WCC, though <strong>the</strong>ir body, <strong>The</strong> Britain Yearly Meeting, is amember of Churches Toge<strong>the</strong>r in Britain and Ireland. 66 <strong>The</strong> Quakers’ view of<strong>the</strong> Scriptures as secondary in authority to <strong>the</strong> inner light which is in everyoneis yet ano<strong>the</strong>r reason why <strong>the</strong>y could not accept <strong>the</strong> basis for <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Unity</strong>offered in this <strong>book</strong>.66See Quaker Faith and Practice, <strong>The</strong> Yearly Meeting of <strong>the</strong> Religious Society of Friends(Quakers) in Britain, 2005.Page 105

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