Some Quaker FAQs — Part 8

Remember the earlier question about Quakers as a gathered or called people? Robert Barclay presents one of the early expressions of that idea.

Barclay then makes a subtle pun on a hoary Catholic Latin dictum; “extra ecclesiam, nullas salus,” which meant, “outside the [Roman Catholic] church, there is no salvation”:

“Aside from this Church there can be no salvation, because this Church and its denomination comprehend all, regardless of what nation, kindred, tongue or people they may be, who have become obedient to the holy light and testimony of God in their hearts.”

The extent to which Barclay is turning this exclusivist notion on its head quickly becomes clear, in the truly radical passage which follows:

“Although they may be outwardly unknown to and distant from those who profess Christ and Christianity in words and have the benefit of the scriptures, yet they have become sanctified by their obedience and cleansed from the evil of their ways. For this is the universal or catholic spirit….”

In a sense, all Barclay has done is change the first letter of the term “catholic church”, from a capital “C”, designating a specific church (such as the Roman Catholic) to lower case, referring to something generic, something beyond or before specific denominational churches; but in this simple typographical change there is a world of difference.

To get a sense of the magnitude of this shift, simply compare Barclay’s conclusion with more exclusive views of the church.

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Loretta Lynch vs Carolina’s Anti-Transgender Law: She Means Business. Srsly.

Let us reflect on the obvious but often neglected lesson that state-sanctioned discrimination never looks good in hindsight. It was not so very long ago that states, including North Carolina, had signs above restrooms, water fountains and on public accommodations keeping people out based upon a distinction without a difference.

We have moved beyond those dark days, but not without pain and suffering and an ongoing fight to keep moving forward. Let us write a different story this time. Let us not act out of fear and misunderstanding, but out of the values of inclusion, diversity and regard for all that make our country great.

Let me also speak directly to the transgender community itself. Some of you have lived freely for decades. Others of you are still wondering how you can possibly live the lives you were born to lead.

But no matter how isolated or scared you may feel today, the Department of Justice and the entire Obama Administration wants you to know that we see you; we stand with you; and we will do everything we can to protect you going forward.

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Happy 188th Birthday Johannes Brahms!

Brahms’ music is not only beautiful, often profound, and richly enjoyable. It also saves lives:

The author William Styron is one example. Deep in the pit of depression in 1985, Styron came to the point of carefully planning to kill himself, with a shotgun, in a secluded spot near his home. But when he was driving, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody came on the radio. [**Note to grammar cops: I KNOW it’s supposed to be “Brahms’s”; but that construction both looks and sound dumb to me, and I choose to ignore it here.]

The melancholy beauty of this brief piece so touched Styron that he turned around, drove home, put away the shotgun and checked into a hospital. And he survived. His concise memoir of that ordeal, Darkness Visible, is an unforgettable reading experience.

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Some Quaker FAQs – Part 7

Q. What Did Early Quakers Say About Their New Church?

They said many things. Here are only three of numerous available quotes:

George Fox:

“John did bear witness to the light of Christ; the great heavenly prophet hath enlightened every man who cometh into the world withal; that they may believe in it, become the children of the light, and so have the light.”

William Penn:

“The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious and devout souls are everywhere of one religion; and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wear here make them strangers.”

John Woolman:

“There is a principle which is pure, placed in the human mind, which in different places and ages has different names. It is, however, pure, and proceeds from God. It is deep and inward, confined to no forms of religion nor excluded from any, where the heart stands in perfect sincerity. In whomsoever this takes root and grows, of what nation soever, they become brethren in the best sense of the expression.”

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