8o QUAKER ASPECTS OF TRUTH 



strong in the Society of Friends when that Society was 

 first founded by George Fox* 



But, unlike the Primitive Church, we Friends have 

 retained our simple mode of worship, and have not 

 resorted to any artificial methods of binding our members 

 together. More than that, we have burnt our boats 

 behind us, for we have renounced all creeds and dogmas 

 and sacerdotal rites, and also a paid clergy and a priestly 

 hierarchy. Indeed, we have renounced all those things 

 which the Church found so essential to bind her members 

 together when the sense of brotherhood was lost. So 

 that when our sense of brotherhood ceases to be real, 

 there is nothing else that we can fall back upon, and we 

 must, of necessity, go to pieces like a house of cards. 

 Indeed, this is exactly what has happened in a great 

 many places. When the sense of brotherhood has been 

 lost, the meeting has ceased to exist ; and this surely is 

 the best thing that could happen to it, for when a thing 

 ceases to be real, the best thing that can happen to it is 

 that it should cease to be. It is no use keeping up the 

 form of worship when the spirit of worship has been 

 lost. But I cannot imagine any better means for the 

 realisation of human fellowship in divine communion 

 than that of meeting together as we do, and as the 

 Apostolic Church did, without any social or religious 

 distinctions, to worship God in Spirit and in truth. 

 No one is appointed to conduct our services, for One 

 is our Master, even Christ, and all we are brethren. 



Believing, as we do, that He is present at our gather- 

 ings, we feel that we have no need of any other president 

 or conductor. Under Him every worshipper has an 

 equal share of responsibility for the ministry of the 

 meeting. Indeed, every one must take an active part 

 in the ministry, for we Friends recognise a ministry of 

 silence, which we believe to be quite as important as the 

 vocal ministry, and this ministry of silence is incumbent 



