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Archiver > QUAKER-ROOTS > 2002-04 > 1018030962


From: Brad and Sheila Knowles <>
Subject: [Q-R] Quaker/Methodist Connection
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2002 12:24:48 -0800


After reading all of the possible explanations on why a Quaker would
become a Methodist, I feel that the real reason has not been mentioned,
hence I'll add my two cents worth.

If you look at the form of worship or the church government they are as
dissimiliar as they can get; almost opposites in the extreme. The
answer I believe, lies in their basic spiritual core belief. John
Wesley taught that there were two basic "works of grace"; the first
would be what we call today being "saved" or "born again". The second
Wesley call "entire sanctification" in which the believer could have the
Holy Spirit residing within a person and guiding and directing the
believer in all aspects of life. The "sanctified" believer could and
should "wait upon the spirit" for direction in their life. The
Methodists taught this Wesleyan doctrine until about 1910 when it
started to be de-emphasised, causing the Nazarenes and Wesleyans to
split off to continue the doctrine. From what I've read, this was
essentially the same thing as George Fox's "inner light" which was the
basic spiritual foundation of the Quakers. (I believe that Methodism
today makes very little mention of "sanctification", hence this
commonality would not be evident today.) .Thus the reason for Quaker's
migrating to the Methodists was the individual spiritual commonality
that existed in the later part of the 1800's, rather than any corporate
commonality.

I have found this connection in my own family. After 200 years of being
Quaker's, they switched about 150 years ago to being Methodists.


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