The 'Gentleman, Leveller, Quaker' John Lilburne Simon Webb
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the28 May 2021 | £2.00 Friend The ‘Gentleman, Leveller, Quaker’ John Lilburne Simon Webb WOODBROOKE.ORG.UK UPCOMING ONLINE COURSES FRI 28 MAY – THURS 8 JULY MON 7 JUNE – MON 19 JULY FRI 4 JUNE – THURS 15 JULY EVIL QUEENS HEAVEN ON EARTH: DON’T BE SCARED AND WICKED QUAKERS AND THE OF THEOLOGY STEPMOTHERS: SECOND COMING £54 VILLAINESSES IN £86.00 Theology is often seen as £54.00 THE BIBLE The first Quakers felt the a complicated, intellectual From Delilah to Jezebel, kingdom of heaven was exercise removed from ‘real scripture offers strong imminent, and had to adapt life’. But at its most basic it archetypes of villainesses. when their world did not is just ‘words about God’. In this course, we will transform in the 1650s. Here This course will introduce consider their stories and we will explore the vision you to the basic concepts how they appear in culture. that animated both Quakers and methods of theology, How can we understand and the early Christians. and empower you to use and transcend these What might heaven on earth them to speak your own narratives today? mean for us now? words about God. Find out more at: Find out more at: Find out more at: tinyurl.com/evilqueens tinyurl.com/heaven-on tinyurl.com/god-words 50% OFF FOR UNDER 35s – SEE WOODBROOKE.ORG.UK/BURSARY www.woodbrooke.org.uk [email protected] 0121 472 5171 Friends-Ad-21-May-2021-v3.indd 1 21/05/2021 17:03 the INDEPENDENTFriend QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843 28 May 2021 | Volume 179, No 22 www.thefriend.org News 4 COP26, YMG and more Rebecca Hardy Letters 6 Votes of conscience 8 Online hustings in North Wales Frances Voelcker Thought for the week 9 Love life Kate McNally Room for improvement 10 Quakers and the slave trade Elaine Green ‘Gentleman, Leveller, Quaker’ 12 John Lilburne Simon Webb Bee in the bonnet 14 Quaker structures Frances Voelcker Poem 16 Given Angela Arnold Friends & Meetings 17 ‘Our discipline and structures do not exist by themselves. The life of our Society is made up of the lives of its members. The faithfulness of our Society consists in the faithfulness of each and all of us. And none of us can expect ‘the Society’ to be more faithful, more committed, more loving, than we ourselves are prepared to be.’ From the introduction to chapter 18 of Quaker faith & practice for peaceful protest on the 2017 Yearly Meeting News several accounts: [It] Minute at Warwick sends an important ‘to examine our own [email protected] message to chief officers diversity’; the start of across the UK that revising Quaker faith & peaceful, safe protest in practice in 2018; and the support of racial justice first commitment to local Police apologise to trade. Despite complying and other important development workers in Quaker after unlawful with police instructions causes must be allowed. 2019. arrest to leave, and acting It shows that those who A Quaker arrested for independently, all four are campaigning for Quaker continues protesting during the were arrested, detained racial justice will not be witness to feminism January lockdown has and issued with Fixed silenced,’ she said. Quaker author Lucy- received an apology from Penalty Notices under The apologies followed Anne Holmes has the police, as well as what was later ruled as an a legal challenge and are interviewed fifty-one substantial damages. unlawful interpretation thought to be the first women from all over Ros Martin, from of the Covid regulations. time a police force has the world for a book Frenchay Meeting, In a statement agreed admitted it misapplied about sex. In Women was one of four people with the claimants, the coronavirus powers to on Top of the World – arrested by Avon and police said the arrests had ban protests. published in the US this Somerset police for been made on the basis Ros Martin said she month, following its UK demonstrating outside of ‘a misunderstanding plans to give the damages release in February – the Bristol Magistrates’ Court of the legal effect of the to charity. Hertfordshire Friend on 25 January. Along with regulations’ and admitted spoke to the women Paula Richardson, Taus all four ‘were unlawfully Paul Parker marks ten about ‘what they think Larsen and Rowland Dye, a r r e s t e d ’. years with BYM of during sex’ as part of the sixty-year-old Friend Ros Martin told Quaker Paul Parker has her longstanding witness acted in support of the the Friend that the written about his first to break down taboos ‘Colston Four’, the four arrests were ‘ludicrous’ decade as recording in discussing female defendants charged with and motivated by clerk of Britain Yearly sexuality. The Quaker criminal damage to the ‘intimidation and Meeting (BYM) in an successfully campaigned statue of Edward Colston, humiliation’. She said that article on the Quakers to end page three in The who traded in enslaved an inaccurate account of in Britain website. Sun in 2012-13 and has people. the arrests on the Avon Recalling ten Quaker since been using her Wearing masks and and Somerset police landmarks, starting with platform to discuss sex social distancing, Ros website had been taken the 2011 Canterbury and feminism. Martin and Paula down and replaced Commitment – when Lucy-Anne Holmes Richardson wrote with an apology. ‘My Yearly Meeting committed told the Friend that the messages of solidarity protest that morning was ‘to become a low-carbon, book was ‘an opportunity on the pavement in silenced by police officers sustainable community’ to have very real water-soluble chalk, manhandling me into a – he mentions milestones conversations about Taus Larsen arrived later police van, then into a such as the Sixth World how women actually feel playing music on a bike, police cell and then by Conference of Friends in about sex. So often female and Rowland Dye held trying to smear my good 2012 in Kenya, and the sexuality is presented by a placard highlighting name and character. This opening of The Light in men, so it was great to Bristol’s role in the slave is an important victory Friends House in 2015. hear a woman’s side of Describing 2020 as the the story. Aged between year Quakers went digital, nineteen and seventy- WORDS other key moments four, they share very include the 2013 decision intimately how they to become the first church navigate areas such as to divest from fossil fuels, sexual trauma, Female and the first same-sex Genital Mutilation, and ‘So often female marriages in 2014, ‘built gender reassignment on five years of work hormones, and describe sexuality is to get the law to match how they have been Quakers’ 2009 decision’. affected by menopause, He also mentions the illness and having a presented by men.’ 2016 Heritage project young family. One thing Quaker Lucy-Anne Holmes on her new book. with Historic England; that struck me is that 4 the Friend 28 May 2021 wherever the women Our readings were from NUMBERS were, they had not had Quaker faith & practice enough sex education.’ 26.08 and 25.04. As we The Quaker has been were about to leave we hosting Zoom workshops noticed two groups of and talks on topics such walkers coming towards 240,000 as: healing after sexual us – the first people we’d trauma; the ‘wheel of met all day – so we were The number of signatures Lucy-Anne Holmes gathered consent’; and talking to able to share the message. in her successful petition ‘No More Page Three’. children on the subject. Despite the chilly weather Each event has had it had been an uplifting However, we will print and Interfaith Relations around thirty to forty experience. Not simply copies for those with (QCCIR). The event on attenders. She is also “lifting our eyes to the particular need. Be sure to 29 April featured talks planning a podcast. hills”, but feeling at one indicate on registration if by Quaker theologians with the natural world.’ this applies to you.’ Rex Ambler, Janet Scott Newport Friends For Young Adults and Ben Wood, and was Journey to COP 26 Bookings to open for at YMG there will be introduced by Marigold Newport Quakers climbed Quaker Gathering online spaces to connect. Bentley, secretary for Fan y Bîg in the Brecon Bookings will soon Meanwhile, Children and QCCIR. Beacons last month, open for the 2021 Yearly Families sessions, Young Mark Lilley, clerk for as part of the Journey Meeting Gathering People’s Programme and QCCIR, said the remit to COP26 initiative, (YMG), which is themed Junior Yearly Meeting of the committee is to where people went on ‘For our comfort and will run in the final week explain the positions pilgrimages to celebrate discomfort: living equality from 2 to 6 August. The of BYM to ecumenical the natural world. Three and truth in a time of theme of all Children and partners and to bring out local Friends and two crisis’. Online sessions will Families sessions is ‘Let’s views from other churches guests climbed to the focus on Quaker work explore our world and and faiths into the life of summit on 10 April to for climate and racial find who we are’. Britain Yearly Meeting unfurl their recently- justice, as well as ongoing ‘Already a myriad of (BYM). crafted Newport Quaker discernment around special interest groups He said it is ‘sometimes banner, as well as Cardiff gender diverse people. have signed up to host challenging to express Extinction Rebellion’s ‘All Clare Scott Booth, small sessions on Quaker a Quaker position on Roads lead to COP26’ clerk for YMG, said: faith in action.