Foreward
As Friends use this Faith and Practice, we should heed the admonition stemming from the Meeting of Elders held at Balby, England in 1656:
Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all with the measure of the light which is pure and holy may be guided, and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, —not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.
This edition of Faith and Practice of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is intended to be a guide for our members and all those who seek to understand in greater detail the ways we endeavor to apply our fundamental affirmations.
Early Friends proclaimed that from the beginning every person has been endowed with the capacity to enter directly, without mediator or mediation, into an empowering holy communion with God. They rejected, therefore, the assumption that this communion, which is essential to spiritual health, occurs primarily in the presence of designated persons in an established religious institution using sacred language and rituals. Friends, both in individual worship and in meetings for worship and for business, continue to experience the presence of the living God not only as awe and healing but also as guidance for conduct. Like the prophets of Israel they proclaim the unity of religious faith and social justice.
The Religious Society of Friends continues to affirm that refreshment of spirit and the ability both to know and do right come when families and individuals, in daily life and in meeting, trust in the Light that enlightens and empowers everyone who comes into the world.
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