'voices of children are heard on the green'
I was struck by the following lines in Jerusalem because they reminded me of words I was familiar with in another context.
Jerusalem, Plate 55, (E 204)
"To be their inferiors or superiors we equally abhor;
Superior, none we know: inferior none: all equal share
Divine Benevolence & joy, for the Eternal Man
Walketh among us, calling us his Brothers & his Friends:"
To Quakers, those who belong (a loosely used term not signifying official membership) to the Religious Society of Friends, this has a familiar ring. One of our Testimonies is to Equality. Those of any age, sex, station, race, position, wealth, background, ability or disability: all are recognized as equally valuable to God and equally capable of manifesting His Spirit and responding to the His touch. We aim not to consider anyone superior or inferior, but all equal.
In the passage quoted Blake is speaking of the Eternals. But what he describes is the reality which Blake wants us all to experience - to 'equal share in that Divine Benevolence & joy', to know the 'Eternal Man who walks among us, calling us his Brothers & Friends.'
Quaker Equality Testimony on Page 2
Showing posts with label Quaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quaker. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Two Witnesses
In Milton (Erdman plate 22 [24] Lines 53-63: Blake referred to Wesley and a confederate, Whitefield, as the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3 As far as I know, Blake never mentioned Fox, but one may consider Blake's term in The Divine Image, 'Turk and Jew' in the nature of a quotation from Fox.
Condemning those Christians who deny the light Fox wrote, "you make a profession of Christ in his flesh, and will not own his light, which enlightens every man, which is the life in him, you are as bad or worse than the Jews, Turks, or Indians; for they will confess to that light which does condemn evil in them, but you make a profession, of Christ in the flesh, yet deny his light, which is life in him; and the Jews, Turks, and Indians, will confess to the light that does reprove them....." (from The Works of George Fox, Vol 5, p. 200)
Fox, and Blake as well, had only contempt for Established religious practices, ceremonies, dogmas, special days, etc.; for them the Spirit, the Light was what matters.
Two dissenters in two centuries provided a creative leavening that may have saved England from complete disorder and chaos. Things there were bad enough anyway. Religious dissenters beheaded England's king in 1651 just as Fox was beginning to
spread the Light of the Prince of Peace; he would "remove the cause of War", recognizing that of God in everyone.
Fox went to the steeple houses to denounce the hireling priests---and spent many a day in prison (something our poet fortunately escaped).
The 18th Century dawned; William and Mary brought a semblance of order into England, but political, economic and religious corruption abounded.
Wesley was born; he didn't denounce hireling priests; he just showed a better way. In that day the churches, the cathedrals, had minimal congregations; the average Brit would not dare to enter the place; it was reserved for the uppers, and virtually the entire population held the 'state church' in low regard. On Sundays ordinary men attended saloons, bear baitings, cockfights, you name it. Wesley went to these places, to the public square, to gathering places of miners and blessed them with the love of God. He preached to thousands in those places while a handful of pious souls went to the cathedrals. He saved England from a revolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All this was part of the backdrop in which William Blake was born and grew up; Wesley died in 1791 when Blake was 24.
In England Fox and Wesley were the foremost witnesses to the kingdom of God in the 17th and 18th centuries. Blake was the third one; in the 19th century.
Here are some attributes the three men shared:
anti-war
anti political and religious corruption
anti economic exploitation
for love
for peace
for food for the poor
for industry
for integrity
for Universal inclusion
Condemning those Christians who deny the light Fox wrote, "you make a profession of Christ in his flesh, and will not own his light, which enlightens every man, which is the life in him, you are as bad or worse than the Jews, Turks, or Indians; for they will confess to that light which does condemn evil in them, but you make a profession, of Christ in the flesh, yet deny his light, which is life in him; and the Jews, Turks, and Indians, will confess to the light that does reprove them....." (from The Works of George Fox, Vol 5, p. 200)
Fox, and Blake as well, had only contempt for Established religious practices, ceremonies, dogmas, special days, etc.; for them the Spirit, the Light was what matters.
Two dissenters in two centuries provided a creative leavening that may have saved England from complete disorder and chaos. Things there were bad enough anyway. Religious dissenters beheaded England's king in 1651 just as Fox was beginning to
spread the Light of the Prince of Peace; he would "remove the cause of War", recognizing that of God in everyone.
Fox went to the steeple houses to denounce the hireling priests---and spent many a day in prison (something our poet fortunately escaped).
The 18th Century dawned; William and Mary brought a semblance of order into England, but political, economic and religious corruption abounded.
Wesley was born; he didn't denounce hireling priests; he just showed a better way. In that day the churches, the cathedrals, had minimal congregations; the average Brit would not dare to enter the place; it was reserved for the uppers, and virtually the entire population held the 'state church' in low regard. On Sundays ordinary men attended saloons, bear baitings, cockfights, you name it. Wesley went to these places, to the public square, to gathering places of miners and blessed them with the love of God. He preached to thousands in those places while a handful of pious souls went to the cathedrals. He saved England from a revolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All this was part of the backdrop in which William Blake was born and grew up; Wesley died in 1791 when Blake was 24.
In England Fox and Wesley were the foremost witnesses to the kingdom of God in the 17th and 18th centuries. Blake was the third one; in the 19th century.
Here are some attributes the three men shared:
anti-war
anti political and religious corruption
anti economic exploitation
for love
for peace
for food for the poor
for industry
for integrity
for Universal inclusion
The Two Witnesses
In Milton (Erdman plate 22 [24] Lines 53-63: Blake referred to Wesley and a confederate, Whitefield, as the two witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11:3 As far as I know, Blake never mentioned Fox, but one may consider Blake's term in The Divine Image, 'Turk and Jew' in the nature of a quotation from Fox.
Condemning those Christians who deny the light Fox wrote, "you make a profession of Christ in his flesh, and will not own his light, which enlightens every man, which is the life in him, you are as bad or worse than the Jews, Turks, or Indians; for they will confess to that light which does condemn evil in them, but you make a profession, of Christ in the flesh, yet deny his light, which is life in him; and the Jews, Turks, and Indians, will confess to the light that does reprove them....." (from The Works of George Fox, Vol 5, p. 200)
Fox, and Blake as well, had only contempt for Established religious practices, ceremonies, dogmas, special days, etc.; for them the Spirit, the Light was what matters.
Two dissenters in two centuries provided a creative leavening that may have saved England from complete disorder and chaos. Things there were bad enough anyway. Religious dissenters beheaded England's king in 1651 just as Fox was beginning to
spread the Light of the Prince of Peace; he would "remove the cause of War", recognizing that of God in everyone.
Fox went to the steeple houses to denounce the hireling priests---and spent many a day in prison (something our poet fortunately escaped).
The 18th Century dawned; William and Mary brought a semblance of order into England, but political, economic and religious corruption abounded.
Wesley was born; he didn't denounce hireling priests; he just showed a better way. In that day the churches, the cathedrals, had minimal congregations; the average Brit would not dare to enter the place; it was reserved for the uppers, and virtually the entire population held the 'state church' in low regard. On Sundays ordinary men attended saloons, bear baitings, cockfights, you name it. Wesley went to these places, to the public square, to gathering places of miners and blessed them with the love of God. He preached to thousands in those places while a handful of pious souls went to the cathedrals. He saved England from a revolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All this was part of the backdrop in which William Blake was born and grew up; Wesley died in 1791 when Blake was 24.
In England Fox and Wesley were the foremost witnesses to the kingdom of God in the 17th and 18th centuries. Blake was the third one; in the 19th century.
Here are some attributes the three men shared:
anti-war
anti political and religious corruption
anti economic exploitation
for love
for peace
for food for the poor
for industry
for integrity
for Universal inclusion
Condemning those Christians who deny the light Fox wrote, "you make a profession of Christ in his flesh, and will not own his light, which enlightens every man, which is the life in him, you are as bad or worse than the Jews, Turks, or Indians; for they will confess to that light which does condemn evil in them, but you make a profession, of Christ in the flesh, yet deny his light, which is life in him; and the Jews, Turks, and Indians, will confess to the light that does reprove them....." (from The Works of George Fox, Vol 5, p. 200)
Fox, and Blake as well, had only contempt for Established religious practices, ceremonies, dogmas, special days, etc.; for them the Spirit, the Light was what matters.
Two dissenters in two centuries provided a creative leavening that may have saved England from complete disorder and chaos. Things there were bad enough anyway. Religious dissenters beheaded England's king in 1651 just as Fox was beginning to
spread the Light of the Prince of Peace; he would "remove the cause of War", recognizing that of God in everyone.
Fox went to the steeple houses to denounce the hireling priests---and spent many a day in prison (something our poet fortunately escaped).
The 18th Century dawned; William and Mary brought a semblance of order into England, but political, economic and religious corruption abounded.
Wesley was born; he didn't denounce hireling priests; he just showed a better way. In that day the churches, the cathedrals, had minimal congregations; the average Brit would not dare to enter the place; it was reserved for the uppers, and virtually the entire population held the 'state church' in low regard. On Sundays ordinary men attended saloons, bear baitings, cockfights, you name it. Wesley went to these places, to the public square, to gathering places of miners and blessed them with the love of God. He preached to thousands in those places while a handful of pious souls went to the cathedrals. He saved England from a revolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All this was part of the backdrop in which William Blake was born and grew up; Wesley died in 1791 when Blake was 24.
In England Fox and Wesley were the foremost witnesses to the kingdom of God in the 17th and 18th centuries. Blake was the third one; in the 19th century.
Here are some attributes the three men shared:
anti-war
anti political and religious corruption
anti economic exploitation
for love
for peace
for food for the poor
for industry
for integrity
for Universal inclusion
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Forgiveness for Evil
Blake: 1. "Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise"
(GP-SexesPrologue2; E259|)
2. "There is not one Moral Virtue that Jesus Inculcated
but Plato & Cicero did Inculcate before him; what then did
Christ Inculcate: Forgiveness of Sins This alone is the
Gospel & this is the Life & Immortality brought to light
by Jesus."
"Forgive us our sins." Quakers don't like to think about
sin, but you must become aware of your sins before
forgiveness can happen. Can you say you haven't sinned
today? this week? I once knew a lady who believed that
she was living above sin; I wondered! Blake said, "There
is none that liveth & Sinneth not!" closely paralleling
Psalm 53:1.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"
Blake did not abrogate good and evil. He abrogated the
ideas of good and evil propagated by the conventional
church-- a very different thing. In MHH he identified
with the devil's party (and even gave that appelation to
John Milton), but it was the ventilation of an angry
young man furious at the hypocritic holiness of a
destructive ruling political and religious establishment.
His poetry is full of good and evil, unfortunately more
evil than good, much like Isaiah and the other 'big men';
but like they did, he interposed among the pages of
imprecations some gems of the purest, crystalline
goodness -- no! holiness itself.
People think that the Last Judgment is the greatest Evil,
or at least the great misfortune (yet to come), but Blake
said that the Last Judgment is the greatest blessing
that can come to us, as often as it happens, especially
when we forgive ourselves or someone else.
Good certainly triumphed in Blake's last hour. We're told
he was singing when he died; he obviously heard - or
anticipated - the Heavenly Choir.
Ah those golden bells! even though we never dared to
believe it.
Such are the Gates of Paradise"
(GP-SexesPrologue2; E259|)
2. "There is not one Moral Virtue that Jesus Inculcated
but Plato & Cicero did Inculcate before him; what then did
Christ Inculcate: Forgiveness of Sins This alone is the
Gospel & this is the Life & Immortality brought to light
by Jesus."
"Forgive us our sins." Quakers don't like to think about
sin, but you must become aware of your sins before
forgiveness can happen. Can you say you haven't sinned
today? this week? I once knew a lady who believed that
she was living above sin; I wondered! Blake said, "There
is none that liveth & Sinneth not!" closely paralleling
Psalm 53:1.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"
Blake did not abrogate good and evil. He abrogated the
ideas of good and evil propagated by the conventional
church-- a very different thing. In MHH he identified
with the devil's party (and even gave that appelation to
John Milton), but it was the ventilation of an angry
young man furious at the hypocritic holiness of a
destructive ruling political and religious establishment.
His poetry is full of good and evil, unfortunately more
evil than good, much like Isaiah and the other 'big men';
but like they did, he interposed among the pages of
imprecations some gems of the purest, crystalline
goodness -- no! holiness itself.
People think that the Last Judgment is the greatest Evil,
or at least the great misfortune (yet to come), but Blake
said that the Last Judgment is the greatest blessing
that can come to us, as often as it happens, especially
when we forgive ourselves or someone else.
Good certainly triumphed in Blake's last hour. We're told
he was singing when he died; he obviously heard - or
anticipated - the Heavenly Choir.
Ah those golden bells! even though we never dared to
believe it.
Forgiveness for Evil
Blake: 1. "Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise"
(GP-SexesPrologue2; E259|)
2. "There is not one Moral Virtue that Jesus Inculcated
but Plato & Cicero did Inculcate before him; what then did
Christ Inculcate: Forgiveness of Sins This alone is the
Gospel & this is the Life & Immortality brought to light
by Jesus."
"Forgive us our sins." Quakers don't like to think about
sin, but you must become aware of your sins before
forgiveness can happen. Can you say you haven't sinned
today? this week? I once knew a lady who believed that
she was living above sin; I wondered! Blake said, "There
is none that liveth & Sinneth not!" closely paralleling
Psalm 53:1.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"
Blake did not abrogate good and evil. He abrogated the
ideas of good and evil propagated by the conventional
church-- a very different thing. In MHH he identified
with the devil's party (and even gave that appelation to
John Milton), but it was the ventilation of an angry
young man furious at the hypocritic holiness of a
destructive ruling political and religious establishment.
His poetry is full of good and evil, unfortunately more
evil than good, much like Isaiah and the other 'big men';
but like they did, he interposed among the pages of
imprecations some gems of the purest, crystalline
goodness -- no! holiness itself.
People think that the Last Judgment is the greatest Evil,
or at least the great misfortune (yet to come), but Blake
said that the Last Judgment is the greatest blessing
that can come to us, as often as it happens, especially
when we forgive ourselves or someone else.
Good certainly triumphed in Blake's last hour. We're told
he was singing when he died; he obviously heard - or
anticipated - the Heavenly Choir.
Ah those golden bells! even though we never dared to
believe it.
Such are the Gates of Paradise"
(GP-SexesPrologue2; E259|)
2. "There is not one Moral Virtue that Jesus Inculcated
but Plato & Cicero did Inculcate before him; what then did
Christ Inculcate: Forgiveness of Sins This alone is the
Gospel & this is the Life & Immortality brought to light
by Jesus."
"Forgive us our sins." Quakers don't like to think about
sin, but you must become aware of your sins before
forgiveness can happen. Can you say you haven't sinned
today? this week? I once knew a lady who believed that
she was living above sin; I wondered! Blake said, "There
is none that liveth & Sinneth not!" closely paralleling
Psalm 53:1.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:"
Blake did not abrogate good and evil. He abrogated the
ideas of good and evil propagated by the conventional
church-- a very different thing. In MHH he identified
with the devil's party (and even gave that appelation to
John Milton), but it was the ventilation of an angry
young man furious at the hypocritic holiness of a
destructive ruling political and religious establishment.
His poetry is full of good and evil, unfortunately more
evil than good, much like Isaiah and the other 'big men';
but like they did, he interposed among the pages of
imprecations some gems of the purest, crystalline
goodness -- no! holiness itself.
People think that the Last Judgment is the greatest Evil,
or at least the great misfortune (yet to come), but Blake
said that the Last Judgment is the greatest blessing
that can come to us, as often as it happens, especially
when we forgive ourselves or someone else.
Good certainly triumphed in Blake's last hour. We're told
he was singing when he died; he obviously heard - or
anticipated - the Heavenly Choir.
Ah those golden bells! even though we never dared to
believe it.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
SPIRITUAL CAUSE
Synchronicity is a term Carl Jung coined to describe events which seemed to be connected in an acausal manner. That three men from different backgrounds in whom I'm particularly interested, found their final resting place together impresses me as synchronistic. Buried close to the same location in London are George Fox, who died in 1690; John Wesley, who died in 1791; and William Blake who died in 1827. George Fox and William Blake are buried in the Bunhill Fields Burying Ground and John Wesley is buried just across the street behind his home.
Fox's Grave
Wesley's Grave
Blake's Grave
Although these three men shared a passion for being in touch in a direct way with God, they were not associated in life. Blake expressed admiration for Wesley's witness to "Faith in God the dear Saviour who took on the likeness of men" (in Milton , Plate 22). They all 'dissented' from orthodox religious practice in distinctive ways. George Fox urged the practice of silent worship, John Wesley preached a religion of transforming experience, and William Blake used poetry and visual images to develop the Imagination and awaken the Universal Man. Their efforts to spread their own understanding of the best methods of cultivating a relationship with God, occupied the full effort of each. It seems particularly appropriate to me that one might visit the graves of all three within a few minutes and meditate on their similarities and differences.
William Blake expressed an idea close to the concept of synchronicity in these words from Milton, Plate 26:
"And every Natural Effect has a Spiritual Cause, and Not
A Natural: for a Natural Cause only seems, it is Delusion"
There is a Spiritual Cause for Fox, Wesley and Blake resting together.
Fox's Grave
Wesley's Grave
Blake's Grave
Although these three men shared a passion for being in touch in a direct way with God, they were not associated in life. Blake expressed admiration for Wesley's witness to "Faith in God the dear Saviour who took on the likeness of men" (in Milton , Plate 22). They all 'dissented' from orthodox religious practice in distinctive ways. George Fox urged the practice of silent worship, John Wesley preached a religion of transforming experience, and William Blake used poetry and visual images to develop the Imagination and awaken the Universal Man. Their efforts to spread their own understanding of the best methods of cultivating a relationship with God, occupied the full effort of each. It seems particularly appropriate to me that one might visit the graves of all three within a few minutes and meditate on their similarities and differences.
William Blake expressed an idea close to the concept of synchronicity in these words from Milton, Plate 26:
"And every Natural Effect has a Spiritual Cause, and Not
A Natural: for a Natural Cause only seems, it is Delusion"
There is a Spiritual Cause for Fox, Wesley and Blake resting together.
SPIRITUAL CAUSE
Synchronicity is a term Carl Jung coined to describe events which seemed to be connected in an acausal manner. That three men from different backgrounds in whom I'm particularly interested, found their final resting place together impresses me as synchronistic. Buried close to the same location in London are George Fox, who died in 1690; John Wesley, who died in 1791; and William Blake who died in 1827. George Fox and William Blake are buried in the Bunhill Fields Burying Ground and John Wesley is buried just across the street behind his home.
Fox's Grave
Wesley's Grave
Blake's Grave
Although these three men shared a passion for being in touch in a direct way with God, they were not associated in life. Blake expressed admiration for Wesley's witness to "Faith in God the dear Saviour who took on the likeness of men" (in Milton , Plate 22). They all 'dissented' from orthodox religious practice in distinctive ways. George Fox urged the practice of silent worship, John Wesley preached a religion of transforming experience, and William Blake used poetry and visual images to develop the Imagination and awaken the Universal Man. Their efforts to spread their own understanding of the best methods of cultivating a relationship with God, occupied the full effort of each. It seems particularly appropriate to me that one might visit the graves of all three within a few minutes and meditate on their similarities and differences.
William Blake expressed an idea close to the concept of synchronicity in these words from Milton, Plate 26:
"And every Natural Effect has a Spiritual Cause, and Not
A Natural: for a Natural Cause only seems, it is Delusion"
There is a Spiritual Cause for Fox, Wesley and Blake resting together.
Fox's Grave
Wesley's Grave
Blake's Grave
Although these three men shared a passion for being in touch in a direct way with God, they were not associated in life. Blake expressed admiration for Wesley's witness to "Faith in God the dear Saviour who took on the likeness of men" (in Milton , Plate 22). They all 'dissented' from orthodox religious practice in distinctive ways. George Fox urged the practice of silent worship, John Wesley preached a religion of transforming experience, and William Blake used poetry and visual images to develop the Imagination and awaken the Universal Man. Their efforts to spread their own understanding of the best methods of cultivating a relationship with God, occupied the full effort of each. It seems particularly appropriate to me that one might visit the graves of all three within a few minutes and meditate on their similarities and differences.
William Blake expressed an idea close to the concept of synchronicity in these words from Milton, Plate 26:
"And every Natural Effect has a Spiritual Cause, and Not
A Natural: for a Natural Cause only seems, it is Delusion"
There is a Spiritual Cause for Fox, Wesley and Blake resting together.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
HONORING GIFTS
Each one speaks according to the gifts he has received. The knowledge of this insight and of its corollary - that we recognize and respect the gifts of others as well as our own gifts - overcomes barriers among us. Here are four statement about the innate gifts from four sources. Out of their own unique gifts, each of these men express congruent ideas from varied perspectives. Let's listen to June Singer speaking of Carl Jung, and to statements from William Blake, George Fox, and Paul the Apostle.
Dr. Singer: from an Interview in 1998 - Complete Interview
"Jung’s great contribution to psychotherapy was his affirmation of the genius (daemon, guiding spirit) in every individual. He had the greatest respect for the individual, a trust in the authenticity of each person’s inner self-knowledge. Consequently he did not often assert his own views as an analyst, but rather worked to evoke the analysand’s own unconscious material and allow it to speak for itself. Trust in the unconscious, not a blind trust but the way you trust any teacher–you must find out for yourself what the wise person can teach you."
William Blake, Jerusalem, Plate 91
"Go, tell them that the Worship of God, is honouring his gifts
In other men: & loving the greatest men best, each according
To his Genius: which is the Holy Ghost in Man; there is no other
God, than that God who is the intellectual fountain of Humanity;
He who envies or calumniates: which is murder & cruelty,
Murders the Holy-one: Go tell them this & overthrow their cup,
Their bread, their altar-table, their incense & their oath:
Their marriage & their baptism, their burial & consecration:
I have tried to make friends by corporeal gifts but have only
Made enemies: I never made friends but by spiritual gifts;
By severe contentions of friendship & the burning fire of thought.
He who would see the Divinity must see him in his Children
One first, in friendship & love; then a Divine Family, & in the midst
Jesus will appear; so he who wishes to see a Vision; a perfect Whole
Must see it in its Minute Particulars;"
George Fox, Journal
"...So, Friends, come into that which is over all the spirits of the world, fathoms all the spirits of the world, and stands in the patience; with that, ye may see where others stand, and reach that which is of God in every one. Here is no strife, no contention, out of transgression; for he that goeth into strife, and into contention, is [away] from the pure spirit...."
Paul, Letter to the Ephesians
4:11-13 - "His 'gifts to men' were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by the "fullness of Christ".
4:14-16 - We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love."
The Baptism of Christ
.
Dr. Singer: from an Interview in 1998 - Complete Interview
"Jung’s great contribution to psychotherapy was his affirmation of the genius (daemon, guiding spirit) in every individual. He had the greatest respect for the individual, a trust in the authenticity of each person’s inner self-knowledge. Consequently he did not often assert his own views as an analyst, but rather worked to evoke the analysand’s own unconscious material and allow it to speak for itself. Trust in the unconscious, not a blind trust but the way you trust any teacher–you must find out for yourself what the wise person can teach you."
William Blake, Jerusalem, Plate 91
"Go, tell them that the Worship of God, is honouring his gifts
In other men: & loving the greatest men best, each according
To his Genius: which is the Holy Ghost in Man; there is no other
God, than that God who is the intellectual fountain of Humanity;
He who envies or calumniates: which is murder & cruelty,
Murders the Holy-one: Go tell them this & overthrow their cup,
Their bread, their altar-table, their incense & their oath:
Their marriage & their baptism, their burial & consecration:
I have tried to make friends by corporeal gifts but have only
Made enemies: I never made friends but by spiritual gifts;
By severe contentions of friendship & the burning fire of thought.
He who would see the Divinity must see him in his Children
One first, in friendship & love; then a Divine Family, & in the midst
Jesus will appear; so he who wishes to see a Vision; a perfect Whole
Must see it in its Minute Particulars;"
George Fox, Journal
"...So, Friends, come into that which is over all the spirits of the world, fathoms all the spirits of the world, and stands in the patience; with that, ye may see where others stand, and reach that which is of God in every one. Here is no strife, no contention, out of transgression; for he that goeth into strife, and into contention, is [away] from the pure spirit...."
Paul, Letter to the Ephesians
4:11-13 - "His 'gifts to men' were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by the "fullness of Christ".
4:14-16 - We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love."
The Baptism of Christ
.
HONORING GIFTS
Each one speaks according to the gifts he has received. The knowledge of this insight and of its corollary - that we recognize and respect the gifts of others as well as our own gifts - overcomes barriers among us. Here are four statement about the innate gifts from four sources. Out of their own unique gifts, each of these men express congruent ideas from varied perspectives. Let's listen to June Singer speaking of Carl Jung, and to statements from William Blake, George Fox, and Paul the Apostle.
Dr. Singer: from an Interview in 1998 - Complete Interview
"Jung’s great contribution to psychotherapy was his affirmation of the genius (daemon, guiding spirit) in every individual. He had the greatest respect for the individual, a trust in the authenticity of each person’s inner self-knowledge. Consequently he did not often assert his own views as an analyst, but rather worked to evoke the analysand’s own unconscious material and allow it to speak for itself. Trust in the unconscious, not a blind trust but the way you trust any teacher–you must find out for yourself what the wise person can teach you."
William Blake, Jerusalem, Plate 91
"Go, tell them that the Worship of God, is honouring his gifts
In other men: & loving the greatest men best, each according
To his Genius: which is the Holy Ghost in Man; there is no other
God, than that God who is the intellectual fountain of Humanity;
He who envies or calumniates: which is murder & cruelty,
Murders the Holy-one: Go tell them this & overthrow their cup,
Their bread, their altar-table, their incense & their oath:
Their marriage & their baptism, their burial & consecration:
I have tried to make friends by corporeal gifts but have only
Made enemies: I never made friends but by spiritual gifts;
By severe contentions of friendship & the burning fire of thought.
He who would see the Divinity must see him in his Children
One first, in friendship & love; then a Divine Family, & in the midst
Jesus will appear; so he who wishes to see a Vision; a perfect Whole
Must see it in its Minute Particulars;"
George Fox, Journal
"...So, Friends, come into that which is over all the spirits of the world, fathoms all the spirits of the world, and stands in the patience; with that, ye may see where others stand, and reach that which is of God in every one. Here is no strife, no contention, out of transgression; for he that goeth into strife, and into contention, is [away] from the pure spirit...."
Paul, Letter to the Ephesians
4:11-13 - "His 'gifts to men' were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by the "fullness of Christ".
4:14-16 - We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love."
The Baptism of Christ
.
Dr. Singer: from an Interview in 1998 - Complete Interview
"Jung’s great contribution to psychotherapy was his affirmation of the genius (daemon, guiding spirit) in every individual. He had the greatest respect for the individual, a trust in the authenticity of each person’s inner self-knowledge. Consequently he did not often assert his own views as an analyst, but rather worked to evoke the analysand’s own unconscious material and allow it to speak for itself. Trust in the unconscious, not a blind trust but the way you trust any teacher–you must find out for yourself what the wise person can teach you."
William Blake, Jerusalem, Plate 91
"Go, tell them that the Worship of God, is honouring his gifts
In other men: & loving the greatest men best, each according
To his Genius: which is the Holy Ghost in Man; there is no other
God, than that God who is the intellectual fountain of Humanity;
He who envies or calumniates: which is murder & cruelty,
Murders the Holy-one: Go tell them this & overthrow their cup,
Their bread, their altar-table, their incense & their oath:
Their marriage & their baptism, their burial & consecration:
I have tried to make friends by corporeal gifts but have only
Made enemies: I never made friends but by spiritual gifts;
By severe contentions of friendship & the burning fire of thought.
He who would see the Divinity must see him in his Children
One first, in friendship & love; then a Divine Family, & in the midst
Jesus will appear; so he who wishes to see a Vision; a perfect Whole
Must see it in its Minute Particulars;"
George Fox, Journal
"...So, Friends, come into that which is over all the spirits of the world, fathoms all the spirits of the world, and stands in the patience; with that, ye may see where others stand, and reach that which is of God in every one. Here is no strife, no contention, out of transgression; for he that goeth into strife, and into contention, is [away] from the pure spirit...."
Paul, Letter to the Ephesians
4:11-13 - "His 'gifts to men' were varied. Some he made his messengers, some prophets, some preachers of the Gospel; to some he gave the power to guide and teach his people. His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for their service, that the whole body might be built up until the time comes when, in the unity of the common faith and common knowledge of the Son of God, we arrive at real maturity - that measure of development which is meant by the "fullness of Christ".
4:14-16 - We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the craft presentation of lies. But we are meant to hold firmly to the truth in love, and to grow up in every way into Christ, the head. For it is from the head that the whole body, as a harmonious structure knit together by the joints with which it is provided, grows by the proper functioning of individual parts to its full maturity in love."
The Baptism of Christ
.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fox and Blake
George Fox of course lived in the 17th
century; Blake in the late 18th and early
19th century. But what did they have in
common?
Anyone familiar with the Pendle Hill
pamphlets should look at
No 177: Woolman and Blake
Titus! Constantine! Charlemagne Luther:
what did all these men have in common?
Blake cited them as names of churches
(heavens), but what else did they have in
common? They were all involved in war!
Many Christians consider Constantine a
great hero because he legalized
Christianity in the Roman Empire. Less
well known is the fact that he ordained
(and required) uniformity of belief among
Christians. Thereafter it was the
non-orthodox who were illegal, a long line
of them going all the way down to Quakers
and beyond. What they all had in common
was insisting on a direct relationship with
God, not through a priest. Blake was one
of them!!
Why Luther? well he supported the
Protestant Princes' war against the Pope
(it was called the Thirty Years War). On
occasion he incited people to violence;
Blake virtually equated the state church
with war; he wrote:
"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
People don't allow themselves to be
oppressed en mass without resisting,
to be ruled by foreigners. Oh no!
In the New Age Blake looked
forward to the end of war:
"Empire is no more! and now the
lion and wolf shall cease."
Tell me what you think.
century; Blake in the late 18th and early
19th century. But what did they have in
common?
Anyone familiar with the Pendle Hill
pamphlets should look at
No 177: Woolman and Blake
Titus! Constantine! Charlemagne Luther:
what did all these men have in common?
Blake cited them as names of churches
(heavens), but what else did they have in
common? They were all involved in war!
Many Christians consider Constantine a
great hero because he legalized
Christianity in the Roman Empire. Less
well known is the fact that he ordained
(and required) uniformity of belief among
Christians. Thereafter it was the
non-orthodox who were illegal, a long line
of them going all the way down to Quakers
and beyond. What they all had in common
was insisting on a direct relationship with
God, not through a priest. Blake was one
of them!!
Why Luther? well he supported the
Protestant Princes' war against the Pope
(it was called the Thirty Years War). On
occasion he incited people to violence;
Blake virtually equated the state church
with war; he wrote:
"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
oppressed en mass without resisting,
to be ruled by foreigners. Oh no!
In the New Age Blake looked
forward to the end of war:
"Empire is no more! and now the
lion and wolf shall cease."
Tell me what you think.
Fox and Blake
George Fox of course lived in the 17th
century; Blake in the late 18th and early
19th century. But what did they have in
common?
Anyone familiar with the Pendle Hill
pamphlets should look at
No 177: Woolman and Blake
Titus! Constantine! Charlemagne Luther:
what did all these men have in common?
Blake cited them as names of churches
(heavens), but what else did they have in
common? They were all involved in war!
Many Christians consider Constantine a
great hero because he legalized
Christianity in the Roman Empire. Less
well known is the fact that he ordained
(and required) uniformity of belief among
Christians. Thereafter it was the
non-orthodox who were illegal, a long line
of them going all the way down to Quakers
and beyond. What they all had in common
was insisting on a direct relationship with
God, not through a priest. Blake was one
of them!!
Why Luther? well he supported the
Protestant Princes' war against the Pope
(it was called the Thirty Years War). On
occasion he incited people to violence;
Blake virtually equated the state church
with war; he wrote:
"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
People don't allow themselves to be
oppressed en mass without resisting,
to be ruled by foreigners. Oh no!
In the New Age Blake looked
forward to the end of war:
"Empire is no more! and now the
lion and wolf shall cease."
Tell me what you think.
century; Blake in the late 18th and early
19th century. But what did they have in
common?
Anyone familiar with the Pendle Hill
pamphlets should look at
No 177: Woolman and Blake
Titus! Constantine! Charlemagne Luther:
what did all these men have in common?
Blake cited them as names of churches
(heavens), but what else did they have in
common? They were all involved in war!
Many Christians consider Constantine a
great hero because he legalized
Christianity in the Roman Empire. Less
well known is the fact that he ordained
(and required) uniformity of belief among
Christians. Thereafter it was the
non-orthodox who were illegal, a long line
of them going all the way down to Quakers
and beyond. What they all had in common
was insisting on a direct relationship with
God, not through a priest. Blake was one
of them!!
Why Luther? well he supported the
Protestant Princes' war against the Pope
(it was called the Thirty Years War). On
occasion he incited people to violence;
Blake virtually equated the state church
with war; he wrote:
"How the Chimney-sweeper's cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
oppressed en mass without resisting,
to be ruled by foreigners. Oh no!
In the New Age Blake looked
forward to the end of war:
"Empire is no more! and now the
lion and wolf shall cease."
Tell me what you think.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Last Judgment
The concept of the last judgment has
driven millions of people out of the
Church, out of Christianity. A fair
number of these refugees from Christianity
have rejected Christendom, not necessarily
a faith in "the Good Lord"; they may pray
nightly but never go near a church.
Some of these "poor benighted souls" have
found refuge among Quakers, who deplore
war, but, more important, believe "there is
that of God in everyone".
The fortunate few, with or without Quakerism,
have found WB, who lampooned Christendom
unmercifully. Urizen,(pic) brought the law, but
who brought grace? Jesus the Forgiveness of
course.
With a few words from Blake's Vision of the
Last Judgment he brought that grossly
misunderstood concept to its merciful
conclusion:
"What are all the Gifts of the
Spirit but Mental Gifts whenever any
Individual Rejects Error & Embraces Truth a
Last Judgment passes upon that Individual."
(Erdman 562)
'Andrew and Simon Peter Searching for Christ'
We don't need to fight Evil (no, no, by
golly), but to reject the Errors that
clutter up our minds; we thus become those
"rich enlightened souls" who join WB in
Heaven.
driven millions of people out of the
Church, out of Christianity. A fair
number of these refugees from Christianity
have rejected Christendom, not necessarily
a faith in "the Good Lord"; they may pray
nightly but never go near a church.
Some of these "poor benighted souls" have
found refuge among Quakers, who deplore
war, but, more important, believe "there is
that of God in everyone".
The fortunate few, with or without Quakerism,
have found WB, who lampooned Christendom
unmercifully. Urizen,(pic) brought the law, but
who brought grace? Jesus the Forgiveness of
course.
With a few words from Blake's Vision of the
Last Judgment he brought that grossly
misunderstood concept to its merciful
conclusion:
"What are all the Gifts of the
Spirit but Mental Gifts whenever any
Individual Rejects Error & Embraces Truth a
Last Judgment passes upon that Individual."
(Erdman 562)
'Andrew and Simon Peter Searching for Christ'
We don't need to fight Evil (no, no, by
golly), but to reject the Errors that
clutter up our minds; we thus become those
"rich enlightened souls" who join WB in
Heaven.
The Last Judgment
The concept of the last judgment has
driven millions of people out of the
Church, out of Christianity. A fair
number of these refugees from Christianity
have rejected Christendom, not necessarily
a faith in "the Good Lord"; they may pray
nightly but never go near a church.
Some of these "poor benighted souls" have
found refuge among Quakers, who deplore
war, but, more important, believe "there is
that of God in everyone".
The fortunate few, with or without Quakerism,
have found WB, who lampooned Christendom
unmercifully. Urizen,(pic) brought the law, but
who brought grace? Jesus the Forgiveness of
course.
With a few words from Blake's Vision of the
Last Judgment he brought that grossly
misunderstood concept to its merciful
conclusion:
"What are all the Gifts of the
Spirit but Mental Gifts whenever any
Individual Rejects Error & Embraces Truth a
Last Judgment passes upon that Individual."
(Erdman 562)
'Andrew and Simon Peter Searching for Christ'
We don't need to fight Evil (no, no, by
golly), but to reject the Errors that
clutter up our minds; we thus become those
"rich enlightened souls" who join WB in
Heaven.
driven millions of people out of the
Church, out of Christianity. A fair
number of these refugees from Christianity
have rejected Christendom, not necessarily
a faith in "the Good Lord"; they may pray
nightly but never go near a church.
Some of these "poor benighted souls" have
found refuge among Quakers, who deplore
war, but, more important, believe "there is
that of God in everyone".
The fortunate few, with or without Quakerism,
have found WB, who lampooned Christendom
unmercifully. Urizen,(pic) brought the law, but
who brought grace? Jesus the Forgiveness of
course.
With a few words from Blake's Vision of the
Last Judgment he brought that grossly
misunderstood concept to its merciful
conclusion:
"What are all the Gifts of the
Spirit but Mental Gifts whenever any
Individual Rejects Error & Embraces Truth a
Last Judgment passes upon that Individual."
(Erdman 562)
'Andrew and Simon Peter Searching for Christ'
We don't need to fight Evil (no, no, by
golly), but to reject the Errors that
clutter up our minds; we thus become those
"rich enlightened souls" who join WB in
Heaven.
Friday, September 11, 2009
DIVINE BODY
"We are all co-existent with God, members of the Divine body.
We are all partakers of the Divine nature." William Blake
(quoted by Crabb Robinson in his diary)
Crabb Robinson Diary
I see a dimension of Christianity beyond following Jesus'
teaching on the Great Commandment, and the Last Judgment.
This is the dimension arising from the Resurrection and the
Incarnation. The message of Jesus could not be completed in
his physical lifetime, because it was to be a demonstration
of a new relationship between God and man. Jesus' promise
that his Spirit would live on and be available to his
disciples, was fulfilled in the empty grave, the post
crucifixion appearances, and at Pentecost (and ever since.)
We are the recipients of the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus
by becoming Incarnate (Spirit in Body) demonstrates that we
too are incarnated Spirits, bodies which are vehicles for
the indwelling Holy Spirit. "Members of the Divine body"
as brother William says.
The Angel of the Divine Presence
We Quakers are fond of saying there is "that of God in
everyone", which unites us as One Being.
DIVINE BODY
"We are all co-existent with God, members of the Divine body.
We are all partakers of the Divine nature." William Blake
(quoted by Crabb Robinson in his diary)
Crabb Robinson Diary
I see a dimension of Christianity beyond following Jesus'
teaching on the Great Commandment, and the Last Judgment.
This is the dimension arising from the Resurrection and the
Incarnation. The message of Jesus could not be completed in
his physical lifetime, because it was to be a demonstration
of a new relationship between God and man. Jesus' promise
that his Spirit would live on and be available to his
disciples, was fulfilled in the empty grave, the post
crucifixion appearances, and at Pentecost (and ever since.)
We are the recipients of the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus
by becoming Incarnate (Spirit in Body) demonstrates that we
too are incarnated Spirits, bodies which are vehicles for
the indwelling Holy Spirit. "Members of the Divine body"
as brother William says.
The Angel of the Divine Presence
We Quakers are fond of saying there is "that of God in
everyone", which unites us as One Being.
Friday, August 28, 2009
IMMORTAL GAIN
From a letter of consolation which Blake wrote to his
friend Hayley we read:
"good many other softenings to the whole--I know that
our deceased friends are more really with us than when
they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years
ago. I lost a brother & with his spirit I converse daily &
hourly in the Spirit. & See him in my remembrance in
the regions of my Imagination. I hear his advice & even
now write from his Dictate--Forgive me for expressing
to you my Enthusiasm which I wish all to partake of
Since it is to me a Source of Immortal Joy even in this
world by it I am the companion of Angels. May you
continue to be so more & more & to be more & more
perswaded. that every Mortal loss is an Immortal Gain.
The Ruins of Time builds Mansions in Eternity."
Blake's brother Robert as shown in the poem Milton.
Larry expressed the sentiment that, "every Mortal loss
is an Immortal Gain," at our Quaker Meeting recently.
Or perhaps he used this similar quote, "I verily believe
it Every Death is an improvement of the State of the
Departed." What a comfort to be confident as Blake was
that our loved ones have gone on to better things when
they leave us.
The Ascension
.
friend Hayley we read:
"good many other softenings to the whole--I know that
our deceased friends are more really with us than when
they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years
ago. I lost a brother & with his spirit I converse daily &
hourly in the Spirit. & See him in my remembrance in
the regions of my Imagination. I hear his advice & even
now write from his Dictate--Forgive me for expressing
to you my Enthusiasm which I wish all to partake of
Since it is to me a Source of Immortal Joy even in this
world by it I am the companion of Angels. May you
continue to be so more & more & to be more & more
perswaded. that every Mortal loss is an Immortal Gain.
The Ruins of Time builds Mansions in Eternity."
Blake's brother Robert as shown in the poem Milton.
Larry expressed the sentiment that, "every Mortal loss
is an Immortal Gain," at our Quaker Meeting recently.
Or perhaps he used this similar quote, "I verily believe
it Every Death is an improvement of the State of the
Departed." What a comfort to be confident as Blake was
that our loved ones have gone on to better things when
they leave us.
The Ascension
.
IMMORTAL GAIN
From a letter of consolation which Blake wrote to his
friend Hayley We read:
"good many other softenings to the whole--I know that
our deceased friends are more really with us than when
they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years
ago. I lost a brother & with his spirit I converse daily &
hourly in the Spirit. & See him in my remembrance in
the regions of my Imagination. I hear his advice & even
now write from his Dictate--Forgive me for expressing
to you my Enthusiasm which I wish all to partake of
Since it is to me a Source of Immortal Joy even in this
world by it I am the companion of Angels. May you
continue to be so more & more & to be more & more
perswaded. that every Mortal loss is an Immortal Gain.
The Ruins of Time builds Mansions in Eternity."
Blake's brother Robert as shown in the poem Milton.
Larry expressed the sentiment that, "every Mortal loss
is an Immortal Gain," at our Quaker Meeting recently.
Or perhaps he used this similar quote, "I verily believe
it Every Death is an improvement of the State of the
Departed." What a comfort to be confident as Blake was
that our loved ones have gone on to better things when
they leave us.
The Ascension
.
friend Hayley We read:
"good many other softenings to the whole--I know that
our deceased friends are more really with us than when
they were apparent to our mortal part. Thirteen years
ago. I lost a brother & with his spirit I converse daily &
hourly in the Spirit. & See him in my remembrance in
the regions of my Imagination. I hear his advice & even
now write from his Dictate--Forgive me for expressing
to you my Enthusiasm which I wish all to partake of
Since it is to me a Source of Immortal Joy even in this
world by it I am the companion of Angels. May you
continue to be so more & more & to be more & more
perswaded. that every Mortal loss is an Immortal Gain.
The Ruins of Time builds Mansions in Eternity."
Blake's brother Robert as shown in the poem Milton.
Larry expressed the sentiment that, "every Mortal loss
is an Immortal Gain," at our Quaker Meeting recently.
Or perhaps he used this similar quote, "I verily believe
it Every Death is an improvement of the State of the
Departed." What a comfort to be confident as Blake was
that our loved ones have gone on to better things when
they leave us.
The Ascension
.
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