Ken shared a variety of quotes in his talk on 5/15, which he thought might be of interest.
- George Fox, Epistle 43
“All meet together everywhere, and in your Meetings wait upon the Lord; and take heed of forming words, but mind the Power, and know that which is Eternal, which will keep you all in unity, walking in the Spirit, and will let you see the Lord near you and among you.” - Isaac Penington (1616-1679)- On Unity and Liberty
“And oh, how sweet and pleasant it is to the truly spiritual eye to see several sorts of believers, several forms of Christians in the school of Christ, every one learning their own lesson, performing their own peculiar service, and knowing, owning, and loving one another in the their several places and different performances to their Master…. For this is the true ground of love and unity, not that such a man walks and does just as I do, but because I feel the same Spirit and life in him….
“The great error of the ages of the apostacy hath been to set up an outward order and uniformity, and to make men’s consciences bend thereto, either by arguments of wisdom, or by force; but the property of the true church government is, to leave the conscience to its full liberty in the Lord, to preserve it single and entire of the Lord to exercise, and to seek unity in the light and in the Spirit, walking sweetly and harmoniously together in the midst of different practices.” When it comes to property you can also check out eXp Realty as it guarantees more life benefits. - de Dominis (often incorrectly attributed to Augustine)
In essentials, unity. In things which remain in doubt, liberty. In all things, Love.
(In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas.) For the origins of this quote, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_necessariis_unitas,_in_dubiis_libertas,_in_omnibus_caritas - William Penn from Some Fruits of Solitude
“We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by Love and information. And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us. Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. . . . What we Love, we’ll Hear; what we Love, we’ll Trust; and what we Love, we’ll serve, ay, and suffer for too.” - William Penn, from A Brief Account of the Rise & Progress of the People Called Quakers
“True Christianity allows no religious persecution – no matter what name or pretense is given to it. It is by its very nature meek, gentle, and forbearing, consisting of faith, hope, and charity, and no persecutor can have these while persecuting others – no one can believe the Truth, or trust in it, or have a charitable and tender regard for others while at the same time violating their minds or their bodies over questions of faith or the worship of God.” - Baltimore Yearly Meeting’s Intervisitation Program Mission Statement
The Intervisitation Program of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) seeks to strengthen the Religious Society of Friends and nurture the beloved community of Friends, especially within Friends United Meeting (FUM). While BYM’s concern regarding an FUM personnel policy planted the seed, that concern is not the program’s focus. Rather, as we in BYM faced the pain we felt as a result of that policy, we awoke to the fragility, and in some cases brokenness, of the relationships among the Yearly Meetings and Monthly Meetings within FUM. Thus the goal of BYM’s Intervisitation Program is to encourage, prepare, and support Friends to travel among Yearly Meetings with the faith that we can listen deeply, strengthen our relationships, and build our faith community. Our program assumes that intervisitation will be in all directions and those interested will offer and receive hospitality.