ABSTRACT
Like many early Christian groups, Quakers sought advice from scripture as they searched for guidance in handling organizational and theological issues. It was natural that Quakers looked to the early church-particularly to the writings of Paul, champion for Protestants-to find answers to their theological and practical questions. As described in Chapter 2, Quakers, as an answer to Seekers’ questions, provided a plausible example of Apostolic Christianity that was revered in the mid-seventeenth century by sectarians of various backgrounds. Like so many other religious communities facing persecution, Quakers looked back to the early Christians as a model of how to behave in times of crisis. Paul and other biblical figures provided examples for how one should stay strong when persecuted, how to spread information among distant congregations, and how to keep the faithful in line when they were challenged by authorities or struggling with internal strife. Furthermore, their early existence as an epistolary community gave them the basis of seeing themselves as the direct ancestors of Apostolic Christianity, since the first Christians operated in a similar manner.
