What Can We Learn From The Quakers and Anabaptists

I've started ready a book "Prophetc lifestyle and the Celtic way" Andy and Jane Fitzgibbon. I live in Wales and keen on history. This book provoked interest, onthe prophetic lifestyle of the celts. Here are my own thoughts on on the "snippets of history" chapter.

There are two groups of interest to me maybe we can learn a few simple thigns about these movements God used in their day and time

The Anabapatists. They were a  People on the fringe as they say. They valued religious freedom, the seperation of church from state.  The idea of the church as a gathering of believers who were free to unite together as they will. to read the bible without a priest or pastor. They believed in the inspiration of God's word, the bible and did not seek after extra biblical revelation as some think.  The Anabaptists were quick to confirm that the immediate revelation was never in contradiction to the written revelation. The two belonged together. It was sometimes referred to as an "inner" and "outward" word (The inner church 1545 the writings of pilgrim marpeck 1978 pp418-416) "The inner word corresponding to the revelation of the Spirit and the outer to the revelation of the bible." (p67 Prophetic Lifestyle and the Celtic Way).

The Quakers: The breaking down of the church in England in the mid seventeenth century gave way to the Quakers. Many became seekers of God and sought to know him by experience as well as creed. Founded by George Fox (1624-91) an eccentric who  according to Fitz Gibbon never took off his hat, addressed everyone by the pronouns "Thee" or "Thou" and often visited a church to publickly denounce the preacher. He encouraged folks to seek the true light. Again he was a man of the word (bible) and taught that the words of God would never superseed the Word of God. They would meet in silence together and wait for the move of the Spirit before anything was said or sang. It was said that one man visited a quaker meeting and after some time, asked when the meeting would begin. "It already has" was the response.

 What do these two groups of seeker - pilgrims teach us? One that merely to have a set of tenets of faith without allowing the Holy Ghost to reveal the truths we seek, is pure folly. Is it true that todays Christian knows much of spiritual things yet very little of doctrine! Secondly we need to wait in his presence until his presence makes us a move in us. His presence will unlock revelation, I'm talking of truth that was hidden becoming truth that is known. A waiting on God until revelation shines through the window of the soul and illuminates the dark crevices of the understanding. I'm talking of practicing silence until one hears in the spirit a noise that no noise can make. A word that speaks to your situation and faith is aroused. A scripture that breaks your indifference and you know God has spoken. A direction that is given and hope arises in your situation.