The experience of being gathered by God leads into the experience of being guided by God. This was not just the experience of individuals, important though this is. The key to the development of Quakerism is the understanding of corporate guidance which tests and informs individual leadings. At the heart of this is the meeting for worship where Christ, the Inward Light, is present and is met. Fox often wrote that Christ has come to teach his people himself. From this teaching comes Quaker faith & practice.
The testimonies
Truth
'Truth' is a complex concept; sometimes the word is used for God, sometimes for the conviction that arises from worship, sometimes for the way of life.
Witnessing to Truth also involved preaching. Katherine Evans (d 1692) and Sarah Chevers were imprisoned for three years in the prison of the Inquisition in Malta, for their preaching.
And in the greatest of our afflictions we could not say in our hearts, 'Father, would thou hadst not brought us here!' but cried mightily to our God for power to carry us through whatsoever should be inflicted upon us, that the Truth of our God might not suffer through our weakness. And the Lord did hear us ... and carried us on with all boldness, and made our foreheads as flint ... that whensoever we were brought forth upon trial, all fear was taken away, that we stood as iron gates.
1662
Next: 19.37
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