Conservative Friend

An Outreach of Stillwater Monthly Meeting of Ohio Yearly Meeting of Friends

Quotations on the Inward Light from Scripture

  • “And God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.“  Genesis 1:3

  • “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.  The true light, which enlightens everyone,was coming into the world.”  John 1:4-9

  • “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.”  John 3:19-21

  • “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ’I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”  John 8:12

  • “..While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”  John 12:36

  • “...I have come as light into the world that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”  John 12:46

  • The parable of the talents and the trustworthy servants, Matthew 25:14-30

  • “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.  For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.  But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”  Hebrews 6:4-8

  • “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.  So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  Romans 13:12

  • “For God, who said, ’Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  2 Corinthians 4:6

  • “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, ‘Awake O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”  Ephesians 5:8-14

  • “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.  Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.”  1 John 2:9-10

  • “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.”  Revelation 21:23-25

  • “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The lord is the stronghold of my faith; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

  • “Thy steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds...for with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light do we see light.”  Psalm 36:5,9

  • “Arise, shine; for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.  And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”  Isaiah 60:1-3

  • "You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:14-16

  • “This then is the message, which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all: if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.”  1 John 1: 5-7.

  • “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father  which is in heaven is perfect.”  (Matt. 5:48).

Quotations on the Inward Light from Friends

  • "Mind the Word of God, you Children of the Light, who are in the Light that comes from the Word.”  George Fox, Ep. 138, p.108,;7.133, in George Fox on the Light of Christ Within, by Joseph Pickvance.

  • “None are converted to God...but as they come to know the Light within, Christ, who is the Way to God.”  George Fox, The Great Mystery, p. 292, 3.467, in George Fox on the Light of Christ Within, by Joseph Pickvance.

  • “I have already touched upon their fundamental principal, which is as the cornerstone of their fabric; and indeed, to speak eminently and properly, their characteristic, or main distinguishing point or principle, viz. The Light of Christ within, as God’s gift for man’s salvation.  This, I say, is as the root of the goodly tree of doctrines that grew and branched out from it...”  William Penn,  The Rise and Progress of  the People Called Quakers, p. 26, republished 1838.

  • “The Light is your Teacher.”  George Fox, The Gospel Truth Demonstrated, p. 20; 4.38, in George Fox on the Light of Christ Within, by Joseph Pickvance.

  • “As we believe in the Light as Christ commands...become children of the Light so we are out of all their sects for the Light was never of them.” George Fox, Ann Cat., No. 85E, in George Fox’s Conception of the Church, by Lewis Benson.

  • “You will say Christ saith this, and the apostles say this, but what canst thou say?  Art thou a child of light and hast thou walked in the light, and what thou speakest is it inwardly from God?”  Margaret Fell, quoting George Fox.  Citation?

  • “When we speak of the seed or light we understand a spiritual, celestial, and invisible principle, a principle in which God dwells as Father, Son, and Spirit.  A measure of this divine and glorious principle exists as a seed in all men which by its nature draws, invites, and inclines the individual toward God.  Some call this the vehiculum Dei, or the spiritual body of Christ, the flesh and blood of Christ,which came down from heaven, and on which all who have faith are fed and nourished with eternal life.  This light and seed witnesses against and reproves every unrighteous action.”  Barclay’s Apology in Modern English, ed. Freiday, p. 85

  • “Secondly, by this Seed, Grace, and Word of God, and Light, wherewith we say every man is enlightened, and hath a measure of it, which strives with them in order to save them, and which may, by the stubborness and wickedness of man’s will, be quenched, bruised, wounded, pressed down, slain, and crucified; we understand not the proper essence and nature of God, precisely taken,which is not divisible into parts and measures, as being a most pure and simple being, void of all composition or division, and therefore can neither be resiisted, hurt, wounded, crucified, or slain by all the efforts and strength of men; but we understand a spiritual, heavenly and invisible principle, in which God, as Father, Son, and Spirit, dwells: a measure of which divine and glorious life  is in all men, as a seed, which of its own nature draws, invites, and inclines to God; and this we call vehiculum Dei, or the spiritual body of Christ, the flesh and blood of Christ, which came down from heaven, of which all the saints do feed, and are thereby nourished unto eternal life.  And as every unrighteous action is witnessed against, and reproved by this Light and Seed, so, by such actions, it is hurt, wounded, slain, and resiles or flees from them, even as the flesh of man flees from that, which is a contrary nature to it.”  An Apology for the True Christian Divinity, p. 120, by Robert Barclay.

  • “Now the Lord God hath opened to me by his invisible power how that every man was enlightened by the divine light of Christ; and I saw it shine through all and that they that believed in it came out of condemnation and came to the light of life and became the children of it, but they that hated it, and did not believe in it, were condemned by it, though they made a profession of Christ.  This I saw in the pure openings of the Light without the help of any man, neither did I then know where to find it in the Scriptures; though afterwards,searching the Scriptures, I found it.  For I saw in that Light and Spirit which was before Scripture was given forth, and which led the holy men of God to give them forth, that all must come to that Spirit, if they would know God, or Christ, or the Scriptures aright, which they that gave them forth were led and taught by.”  Journal of George Fox, Nickalls, ed. p. 33

  • “And the Lord answered that it was needful I should have a sense of all conditions, how else should I speak to all conditions; and in this I saw the infinite love of God.  I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.  And in that also I saw the infinite love of God.”  Journal of George Fox, Nickalls, ed. p. 19

  • “Now was I come up in spirit through the flaming sword into the paradise of God.  All things were new, and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter.  I knew nothing but pureness, and innocency, and righteousness, being renewed up into the image of God by Christ Jesus, so that I say I was come up to the state of Adam which he was in before he fell....  But I was immediately taken up in spirit, to see into another or more steadfast state than Adam’s in innocency, even into a state in Christ Jesus, that should never fall.  And the Lord showed me that such as were faithful to him in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was before he fell, in which the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues thereof, may be known, through the openings of that divine Word of wisdom and power by which they were made.”  Journal of George Fox, Nickalls, ed. p. 27

  • “For God is a God at hand, and the Most High he rules in the children of men.  So then this is the word of the Lord God unto you all; what the light doth make manifest and discover, temptations, confusions, distractions, distempers; do not look at the temptations, confusions, corruptions, but at the light that discovers them, that makes them manifest; and with the same light you will feel over them, to receive power to stand against them.  Which light discovers, the same light that lets you see sin and transgression will let you see the covenant of God, which blots out your sin and transgression, which gives victory and dominion over it, and brings into covenant with God.  For looking down at sin, and corruption, and distraction, you are swallowed up in it; but looking at the light that discovers them, you will see over them.  That will give victory; and you will find grace and strength; and there is the first step of peace.  That will bring salvation; and see to the beginning and the glory that was with the Father before the world began; and so come to know the Seed of God, which is heir of the promise of God, and the world which hath no end; unto the power of an endless life, which power of God is immortal, which brings up the soul, which is immortal, up to the immortal God, in whom it doth rejoice.”  Journal of George Fox, Nickalls, ed. p. 347-348

  • “The Light is one and the same, which enlightens every man that comes into the world, believers and unbelievers.”  George Fox, The Great Mystery, p. 39, 3.91, in, George Fox on the Light of Christ Within, by Joseph Pickvance

  • “...wicked men have the Spirit of God--’else how could they ‘quench it’ and ‘grieve it’ and ‘vex it’ and ‘resist the Holy Spirit’...Wicked men were enlightened by this Light--else how could they hate it?”  George Fox, Camden Journal ii63; 2.37, in, George Fox on the Light of Christ Within, p. 9, by Joseph Pickvance

  • “To sum up what they say upon the nature and virtue of [the Light], as contents of that which follows, the declare that this principle, is, First, divine.  Secondly, universal.  Thirdly, efficacious: in that it gives man, First, The knowledge of God, and of himself; and therein, a sight of his duty, and disobedience to it.  Secondly, It begets a true sense and sorrow for sin in those that seriously regard the convictions of it.  Thirdly, It enables them to forsake sin, and sanctifies from it.  Fourthly, It applies God’s mercies, in Christ, for the forgiveness of sins that are past, unto justification, upon such sincere repentence and abedience.  Fifthly, It gives, to the faithful, perseverance unto a perfectman, and the assurance of blessedness world without end.  William Penn, Primitive Christianity Revived in the Faith and Practice of the People Called Quakers, p. 9 republished 1829

Quotations on Light from Other Faith Traditions

  • He is the source of light in all luminous objects.  He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested.  He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge.  He is situated in everyone’s heart.  Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, 13:18, translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

  • “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.  The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp.  The lamp is in a glass.  The glass is as it were a shining star.  (This lamp is) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West,whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) though no fire touched it.  Light upon light, Allah guideth unto His light whom he will.  And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things.”  The Meaning of the Glorious Koran, 24:35, translated by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall.