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 light which is pure
and holy may be guided; and so in the Light walking and abiding, these
things may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth,
but the Spirit giveth life.
The [Quaker] Elders at Balby: 1656
This manual of Faith and Practice of Baltimore Yearly
Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends is composed of statements of
faith and of advice on organization and practice considered relevant for
this present time. It is issued in the expectation, however, that another
generation of seekers on the road toward Truth will make changes.
Introductory Statement
The Religious Society of Friends holds as the basis of its
faith the belief that God endows each human being with a measure of the
Divine Spirit. The gift of God's presence and the light of God's
truth have been available to all people in all ages.
Friends find this manifestation of God exemplified in
Jesus of Nazareth. The Divine Spirit became so wholly Jesus' own that his teaching,
example and sacrificial life reveal the will of God to humanity.
As within ourselves we become conscious of the same Spirit
(the "Inward Light" or the "Christ
Within"), and as we submit ourselves to its leadings, we also are enabled to live in conformity to the will
of God.
Love, the outworking of the Divine Spirit, is the most potent
influence that can be applied in human affairs, and this application of love to
the whole of life is seen by the Society of
Friends as the core of the Christian gospel.
The immanence of God implies that all persons are
children of the Divine and brothers and sisters one of another. All have the capacity
to discern spiritual truth, and to hold direct communion with
God. No mediator, rite, or outward sacrament is a necessary condition of
worship. Inspiration and guidance may be realized through
meeting with others in group worship where vision is made clearer by the shared
experience of those present.
The Society of Friends has no formal creed. Over the years
Friends have made many attempts to set down the nature of their
faith. Some of these statements, like the letter of George
Fox to the Governor of Barbados in the 17th century or the
Richmond Declaration drawn up by one group of Friends in the late 19th, have been grounded in
Christian orthodoxy. Others, like the writings of Isaac
Penington in the 17th century or of Thomas Kelly in the 20th, have a close kinship with
the insights of mystics of many ages and many religious traditions.
None speaks for all Friends or for all times. We are a religious
fellowship based on common religious ideals and experiences rather than on
creed or liturgy.
Each person must prayerfully seek individual guidance and must
follow the Light found within. Each will be helped by studying the
developing interpretations of God in the Bible and the ideas of the great
spiritual leaders of all faiths. Especially will help be found as one ponders
the life and the teaching of Jesus.
All seekers who in spirit and in truth try to find and follow the will
of God and who are in sympathy with the principles and practices
of Friends, we welcome to our fellowship.
