Early Friends wrote extensively about their movement, often in its defense. We offer a number of writings by William Penn to help modern Friends understand who we are and who we aren’t. We also offer more recent writings on Friends’ faith and practice.
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In the Will of God, Stand
There’s a moment in the life of a Christian when you finally yield fully to God. Adapted from a longer tract by Kenneth Morse, “Conversion: Is it Gradual or Instantaneous?” in 1943.
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Five Tests for Discerning a True Leading
How do we know when we experience a leading? We can test a leading and its rightness by looking to Scripture, offering it for community discernment, and taking time to allow the leading deepen.
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Detraction
Speak only good of people. Evil, even if true, is hurtful to the speaker, the hearer, and the person spoken about.
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Concerning the order and government of the church of Christ, No. 1 and No. 2
These two tracts describe the proper ordering and functioning of spiritual religious society from extracts of the writings of Isaac Penington.
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A Question of Authority
The tendency to rely on human leadership comes from people who are not “hearing” the message that God wants to lead them directly.
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A Quaker View of the Christian Revelation
The experience of the living presence of Christ is the basis for Quakerism. The continuing presence brings about a new relationship between God and individuals, but also between God and his people as a group.
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A Key
Originally published in 1692, this tract was intended to explain Quakerism to those who did not know the truth about Friends. It is also a good introduction to new Friends and a refresher for old Friends.