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Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

John Wilbur and immediacy or The Way Not Mediated

Thinking out loud ...

Please read the 10 quotations below from Wilbur's Journal.

In the Journal of the Life of John Wilbur he writes:

"A disposition is making its appearance in divers places in this nation, and among Friends, to think very little of the cross of Christ, practically, and to plead for liberality, both of faith and practice; the perceptible influence of the Holy Spirit is mournfully deprecated by many members of our Society ; some of them in conspicuous standing, are now disposed to put the Scriptures in the place of the Spirit, and seem ready to hold them as the only rule of faith and practice, or guidance of Christians." pgs. 150-151

He goes on the speak of "a want of experience, and of the true knowledge of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." In quotation number three below, Wilbur suggests Gurney has turned from the early Quakers faith in "immediate revelation" to the "divinations of his own brain." This is the core of Wilbur's labor against Gurney. Gurney, and those who labored against Wilbur, gave space for the rational, abstract, or "creature." That is, he suggested, according to Wilbur, that "waiting upon God for the influence of his Spirit (see 1 below)" was not necessary but that the outward doctrines of the Scriptures are sufficent unto themselves.

Gurney represents a fundamental departure from the early Quakers experience of and faith in the immediate revelation or guidance of the inner Spirit. Resting in and waiting on the quickening of Divine Truth was a distinguishing characteristic of the early Quaker spiritual experience (see 9 below). In fact, the early Quakers were the restoration of the immediate revelation of the apostles:

"the testimony of Jesus, which is revelation, had been much withheld therefrom until our early Friends were prepared to receive it, and to walk faithfully by its guidance, as the rule of life, and thus this unspeakable blessing to the church was again restored" (see 9 below).

This renewal of the mind through focus on and faith in the direct and unmediated guidance of the Spirit is a turning from abstract or reflective thought for guidance or direction. It is not a bending of the mind toward external ideas, ideologies, institutions, doctrines, etc. for guidance, it is anchoring consciousness in the Spirit and being guided by immediate revelation in all things and activities in life.

This testimony to and focus upon faith in immediate revelation over faith in and focus upon outward ideological and institutional constructs is what is so captivating about Wilbur's struggle against Gurney. Being present in the Presence ,so that the mind is no longer a tool for the manipulation of abstract or outward thoughts (the carnal mind) and ideas but a conduit for the immediate guidance of the Spirit is a powerful testimony and one that speaks directly to and nurtures the Spirit within me. It is a giving up or dying of the self-conscious ago anchored in the sensual; toward the self-conscious ego anchored in the Spirit ... the Eternal.

It is no wonder Wilbur took issue with those who said the reading and belief in the written Gospel of Scripture was sufficient to salvation. Or the the Bible is the Word of God rather than the inner Spirit.

Immediate Revelation

Quotations from "Journal of the Life of John Wilbur"

1) I was led to speak of the ministry, — of the times and seasons, as well as of the immediate quickening of Divine Truth, as the only qualification for rightfully and profitably preaching the gos pel of Christ I had no information of there being any one present, who professed such a calling, but found afterwards, that there was a preacher there, who, it seems, felt very rest less under my testimony ; and he opened to me, next morning, his mind upon the subject, saying, that he was disposed to think such an one might leach the people properly enough,, without waiting upon God for the influence of his Spirit. The discovery of such a sentiment as this, entertained by a professed minister of our Society, was, indeed, a great grief tome. And I could but see, that if this should become general, our testimonies concerning worship and the ministry would be lost and trodden under foot of men ; for if our ministers abandon that patient, reverent, and silent waiting upon God, for strength and a renewed qualification, as well as for the matter to communicate, their offerings will certainly be no better than salt which has lost its savor ; and we should soon get into the form, without the power.

2) It is very evident, that if we should come to believe that the Scriptures, of themselves, are a sufficient guide in all the walks of a Christian life, then our silent, spiritual worship will ere long, sink into disuse, and our faith in the immediate renewing of the Divine Spirit, on every occasion of the ministry, will be exploded. This result is a consequence that must unavoidably follow such a faith concerning the Holy Scriptures, however excellent they are, in subordination to the Spirit which gave them forth. pg. 152

3) The above mentioned Friend [J.J. Gurney] has been visiting families in our Quarterly Meeting for a long time at intervals, and especially giving lectures on religious subjects ; which is a sort of new gift that has sprung up in these days, wherein the performer has more liberty to follow the divination of his own brain, than in speaking by immediate revelation, as the Spirit lays under a necessity and gives ability and utterance ; thus there is more room for the creature to take a part. pg. 199

4) The Hebrew and Greek languages being very limited, one word in them will sometimes embrace several significations, some of which will be in entire contrast with others ; this he (J.J. Gurney) has caught at, and then made use of those opposite senses to vary the present translation of the Scriptures, and to promote his purpose in undervaluing and contradicting the solid sense and judgment of our ancient Friends, that he may the more readily introduce and propagate Episcopalian doctrines. He tries to make out that the eating of the flesh, and drinking the blood of Christ, means a belief in his incarnation, thus lowering down that deep experience and blessed fellowship in spirit with the Lord Jesus, in his baptisms and sufferings, to a mere assent of the human mind — that the gospel which is preached in, or to every human being, means the outward preaching of the gospel doctrines, that is, the declaration of the atonement of Christ ; that the name of Jesus does not signify his power, but only to ask of the Father that he would grant our petitions, merely because of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ ; that therefore we are not to look for the immediate influence of the Spirit as a qualification to pray, but to push forward into this offering when ever we incline to it ; and many other changes he makes which I can call by no other name than perversions. He endeavors to make out that our primitive Friends were under mistaken views ; in order that he may, with more facility, lay waste our attachment to the doctrines and testimonies they held, and prepare us to embrace new schemes 'which will be more acceptable to the unregenerate man ; liberate us from the mortifying operation of the cross of Christ, and cause us, as a Society, to be more respected by the carnal, superficial professors of religion in the several denominations. pg. 229

5) But the liability of men and Christians to a declension and departure from the immediate government of Truth, as individuals and as a body, induced George Fox and his fellow-helpers to institute and establish a written discipline, both for the church and for the members, as a guide to the ordering of church government, and for the deciding of all questions that might after arise in the Society. pg. 268

6) In the enemy's attempts to destroy Quakerism in 1827, his army was nothing like so strong and formidable as at the present time ; for now, the whole body of professors, save a little remnant of our Society, are joined in concert against the doctrines of a religion immediately revealed to the mind and understanding of man. pg. 360

7) But how can any expect to be favored with the living spring and life of the gospel ministry who give their strength to those who are laying waste this blessed faith of the inward and immediate revelation of God's will to men, by upholding and defending those who have resorted to so many turnings and windings in order to weaken and dissipate our faith in this very doctrine — I say how can such expect to preach the gospel by the revelation of Jesus Christ, or in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power! How vain is the repetition of many words in our assemblies, (however good in themselves those words,) without the renewed anointing! pg. 432

8) The misgivings which an enemy has introduced into our Society of later time touching our faith in the inward light, life, and power of Christ the Lord, has done incalculable mischief both in your country and ours. It has undoubtedly caused hundreds of our ministers to let go their hold of the faith of immediate revelation, whereby there has been, (sorrowful to say,) a lamentable falling back from the spirit to the letter ; holding to the form, but practically denying the life and power ! This degeneracy has been seen and known not only by the living among us, but by other people also ; and it seems very strange how those ministers who have heretofore been favored to preach in demonstration of the Spirit and with power, can now be satisfied only to preach themselves, or to preach the letter. pg. 446

9) Next day we attended meeting at Croydon, and therein referred to Christ's exhortation to one of the churches, namely, " Hold fast that which thou hast," referring to the circumstance that there had been a direct intercourse between the heavens and the earth, through the days of the Patriarchs and the Prophets ; that God had continued to reveal himself through Jesus Christ, immediately to his creature man, but that the professing Christian church had become enveloped in darkness ; and since that time, by reason of the unfitness of its professors, the testimony of Jesus, which is revelation, had been much withheld therefrom until our early Friends were prepared to receive it, and to walk faithfully by its guidance, as the rule of life, and thus this unspeakable blessing to the church was again restored ; and how exceedingly essential is it for her that " she hold fast that which she hath." pg. 523

10) Although, my dear friend, I do sometimes nearly come to want, and necessarily so, for the frequently reminding me of whence all good cometh, as also of my own poverty and wretchedness, without the immediate supplies from the Fountain of all good ; yet when permitted to look back upon my late journey, and a little to realize the marvellous and gracious preservations of infinite goodness, amid the dangers which awaited us, by sea and by land, and through the enmity of false brethren, and subtleties of an enemy's assaults upon untried ground, I seem to be lost in admiration of the goodness of God, extended to an unworthy creature, and leading to language like some on record : " Give thanks unto the Lord, oh ! my soul, for his mercies endure for ever." pg. 553

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Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 7, 2013 at 5:42pm: You know, Jesus didn't talk about "two stones needed for a strong formation." He said that there was a rock to build on; and that anything built on that rock would hold up.

Early Friends worked to build on that level... but succeeding generations think we can build on top of them. What they found is still there; and the Bible will tell you about it, but isn't it.

Fox at one point was in front of a judge saying: ~"You want me to swear on the book that tells me not to swear." Trying to do without that book... Friends often forgot or rejected what it was meant to tell us. Trying to depend on the Bible, though, is another way people have sometimes lost sight of what it's about.

God is there., is here, has power, wishes us nothing but good. Can you trust that?

Comment by Lee Nichols on 12th mo. 11, 2013 at 1:58pm: Forrest,

I am afraid you expected more of the analogy of the two stones than was intended, but in another way you did not see the implications of it. The two stones of the foundation do not stand for different reality but different ways humans experience it. They are both God acting in the Spirit of Christ with one stone being our present experience of the Spirit, and the other being what we know of the Spirit’s actions in the past.

We are dependent on the Spirit, but saying we only recognize the immediate action of the Spirit does not free us from using our human intellect to make sense of the Spirit’s action. If you receive direction from the Spirit in human language, the message could be “Go to the store.” Now you have to decide what is immediate. Only the word store is immediate. You reach into the past and find “Go to” and combine it with “store”. What if the message was “Whenever you have money and your neighbor, the Smiths, have no food, go to the store.” You may honor that as an immediate message from Christ for several months.

George Fox had a journal in which he recorded his messages from Christ that he accepted through out his life and passed on to provide guidance to others as well. Even now we honor his writings as important to us because of the immediate work of the Spirit in his life although they are several hundred years old. The early Quakers and most Christians honor the immediate operation of the Spirit in the Scriptures as God’s unique description of the his plan to save humanity in Jesus the Christ. No writing since has been so honored.

A person’s ability to see in the Bible the true revelation of Jesus and the way this effects those who allow Him to be their Lord is not a test given by early Quaker writers to confirm the value of Scriptures but was a way to evaluate the nature of the spirit that was being honor by that person. If the Spirit in scripture was not experienced as the same spirit who was lord of the person in the present day, the present day spirit was to be consider false consequently the person was to repent and be renewed in the Spirit of Christ.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 11, 2013 at 5:08pm: I think you know I don't favor throwing out the intellect, or rejecting our human need to make sense of things. I simply consider it misused when people talk about "confirming" what we know presently by what someone else long ago was able to say.

I can confirm what some ancient person said -- but only to the extent that it matches what God enables me to understand by His ongoing presence. The Christian scriptures have certainly contributed to that understanding; they also contain many instances in which the writers simply got some aspects of the story wrong.

The overall thrust of what they're saying: that God is available to human beings in the present, has been working for a very long time to help people trust and understand His intention, matches my life and understanding so far... It does not, by the way, imply that anyone in the past understood God better, but rather the opposite, that we are able to start with their notes, and use them to see further.

Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 11, 2013 at 5:47pm: It's a question: Is the Bible like a math book or like a reference?

Many people think we have scriptures to use as a reference: ~Check your answer in the book, then you're done. But actually, our life is a real problem. The book shows us ancient people working their part of the human problem; we still need to work out our own.

Nobody uses a math book to learn answers; using it teaches us methods. Sometimes we can check an answer in the back of the book; but sometimes we find errata there. When we're directly working a problem, we might use the book to show us how -- but we recognize an answer as true after doing that work has led us to see directly.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 11, 2013 at 7:08pm: Dear Lee, you wrote

We are dependent on the Spirit, but saying we only recognize the immediate action of the Spirit does not free us from using our human intellect to make sense of the Spirit’s action.

I suggest it does.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 11, 2013 at 7:17pm: Dear Lee, The power of the immediate and living Presence is freedom from human intellect.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 12, 2013 at 11:22am: Dear Lee,

George Fox in his "The Great Mystery..." in an answer Samuel Eaton's "The Quakers Confuted" writes:

P. He [Samuel Eaton] saith, ' If they can but destroy all forms, the power will fall with it; for the form preserves the power,' page 37.

A. Contrary to the apostle; many 'have the form, but deny the power. ' The power preserves the form, sees the end of forms, and destroys them, and brings to see before forms were, where forms are not. For the apostles who lived in the power, denied the Jews' forms, and Gentiles' both, as we do now deny the Popish forms, and yours which you have invented and set up.

P. He [Samuel Eaton] saith, ' Outward teaching is the way and the means whereby the deep, and profound, and necessary truths of scripture come to be understood, but not immediate,' page 44.

A. So he hath denied the spirit to open the scriptures, immediate inspiration by the spirit, and it teaching; and set up an outward in the room of it. Here his spirit is tried again, gone out into the world. For salvation is immediate, and the means that bring to it, and none know the scriptures by outward teaching, but immediately by the Lord God.

I write to you in affirmation of the immediacy of the Spirit ... that, the sustained and living immediacy, is the transformation of and freedom from the human intellect. Knowledge is in the immediate and sustained experience of the Spirit; cleansing the conscience and consciousness of abstract human intellect which is "thinking about" rather than experiencing directly; rather than sustaining in all things and in all actions and events ... immediacy.

I understand and acknowledge that you do not acknowledge freedom from human intellect to make sense of the Spirit's action. It is affirmed otherwise in the immediacy of the Spirit. It is suggested here and affirmed, in the Light, abstract reflection is transcended ... the "sense" of the action is in the immediacy; not in thinking about the experience; which is no longer immediate experience. Human intellect is turning from immediacy sustained to abstraction.

Comment by Barbara Smith on 12th mo. 12, 2013 at 12:03pm: Keith - You said:

'I understand and acknowledge that you do not acknowledge freedom from human intellect to make sense of the Spirit's action. It is affirmed otherwise in the immediacy of the Spirit. It is suggested here and affirmed, in the Light, abstract reflection is transcended ... the "sense" of the action is in the immediacy; not in thinking about the experience; which is no longer immediate experience. Human intellect is turning from immediacy sustained to abstraction.'

I feel this IS Quakerism. The immediacy is what Fox experienced when he said "Christ has come to teach him people HIMSELF". Isaac Pennington was continually turning people from the intellectual to the experience itself. He called thinking ABOUT the experience "notions"and warned that that must be left in order to find the experience itself, which is God. Our intellectual minds are very active, maybe today even more than in the 16th Century, and it can be terribly difficult to say no to the tendency rationalize, add thoughts to, interpret, hypothesize about, etc. our experience of God or the Spirit. But you are so right that that activity is NOT the experience itself.

After many years of living on the rational side I was blessed by God with an in-filling of the EXPERIENCE of the Spirit that blew my socks off. There has been so much over the ages written about such experiences, but one of the things I will say is that it is all about KNOWING, not THINKING ABOUT. And it is generally devoid of words at all, though thoughts are dropped in to me in a pre-formed way. I hope that everyone will be willing to let go of the intellectual and seek the real thing. God waits at the door and knocks. We ony need to open the door.

thanks again for your posts,

Barb

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Comment by Forrest Curo on 12th mo. 12, 2013 at 12:17pm: A person can think, and think, and think about God -- without quite realizing that what he's been thinking of is a reality, is even the very Actuality of his life and everything he has to live it in.

But when that Actuality becomes apparent to him -- He may become 'liberated from the intellect' in the sense that it is no longer his master -- but he no more loses it than he loses his body. Everything remains except that he comes to see it in perspective. As my local F&P describes "Simplicity" : 'a life so centered in God that all things take their proper place.

Comment by Barbara Smith on 12th mo. 12, 2013 at 12:53pm: thanks Forrest. good thoughts. I especially appreciated "all things take their proper place." I have experienced this. Barb

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