בית שׁוֹמְרִים—בית מדרש
House of Watchmen
—House of Studies—

Antarah, Sui Iuris, Proximus Amicus, WITNESSETH that—

This tract may be referred to as ‘Faith & Praxis.’

Article I.
The House

The physical premises (or ‘facility’) which has been established for Church business as of 1 November, 2024, is generally styled the House of Watchmen—House of Studies, or ‘House’ for short, and also supports the House of Assembly of the local congregation. It is also styled among its familiars as the Union Hall of Light Workers Utd. and functions in the nature of a Mission Fulfillment Center (MFC). The House is located upon a bank at a crossroads which is known as ‘New Syllabus Way’.  Lines of business are conducted, and congregations are convened, by and before the Autonomy of Antarah, Sui Iuris (‘In his own right’), Proximus Amicus (‘Next Friend’ [of the Sovereign]), Clericus Magnus (‘Grand Clerk’ [of the House]). The associate clerks, who are appointed by Clericus Magnus, are each called Clericus Minus.

This Officium Clericus Magnus, or the Office of Grand Clerk, is the registrar, custodian and superintendent of the House. This great clerk is the the administrative and ministering cleric the court of the Sovereign, the secretary-treasurer of the House, and Chancellor of its Exchequer. Aside: in this Court, only God (or His Assign) is judge. The clerk may also be Steward ex officio when acting as the legal trustee of the premises, the general hearing officer, and the chair of the House committee of the whole. Beyond these offices, the Lector of the congregation may be appointed as necessary from among the Members/Friends/Students. Aside: the hypothetical office of Clericus Maximus is held ex officio by the reigning Sovereign, whose name is generally styled IESUS NAZARENUS REX IUDAORUM.

Article II.
The Company

‘The Company’ is intended to be the receiver and administrator of the movable goods or wares of the clients. In each case the client, when they voluntarily decide to move their goods or wares, will settle such goods or wares with the Company’s officers at the local Branch Office to jointly settle on most advantageous form of liquidation or disposition (‘cleared’). Hence the Branch Office is called a ‘clearing house.’ Furthermore it is called a ‘safe house’ because it is privately managed and is secured with security.

Security is provided between two parties, one of whom seeks to deliver x to the other in receipt of payment. If a degree of time and/or space is required to settle the transaction, then an exchange or clearing counterparty intercedes to facilitate and reduce the risk involved in the transaction, thereby providing security to all parties involved. The dematerialization of security [instruments] requires a standardized clearing system, including secure depositories, custodians, and registrars, but material security is secured by its real property of physical materiality [the instruments]. Security is safekept in its physical form or in the form of electronic records of security held in custody accounts. In the context of this thing of ours, the House’s objective is to register all secured transactions on uniform consolidated instruments. It is these consols which underlie the system of battery which ground the House facilities, thereby facilitating the circulation of the local current C in the form of goods and services. By and through this system is the Autonomy of Antarah secured; therefore this office and its facilities may be referred to as His Secured Autonomy. Therefore it will always be the position of His Autonomy that His consols hold value in the form of the consideration written upon the face thereon. 

Article III.
The Society

This ‘Society’ is the gestalt and successor-in-interest of the ancient and sacred society of free-thinkers, truth-speakers, and light workers, being those who contemplate on the Mysteries of the Creation and the Redemption of Humanity, Earth, and Heaven, and study the Holy Scriptures and other inspired writings and traditions of all ages, being a faith-based and friendly society or association of practitioners and volunteers.

The Society practices and advocates for the Gestalt-Systemtheory of Organizational System Development in clinical-dialectical and academic-didactical settings.

Article IV.
The General Schedule

General Schedule of Occupational Regimentation is as follows:

REGULAR EXERCISE (0700)
—Pythagorean Walk—

Weighted or unweighted border patrol of Pythagorean District. BO north to Florida Ave, Florida east to H Street, H west to 6th street, 6th north Florida, Florida east to N. Capitol then south to BO. 

REGULAR EXERCISE (1600)
—Equilateral Walk—

Weighted or unweighted border patrol of Equilateral District. BO south to NY Ave, NY Ave west to 6th st., 6th north to Florida Ave, Florida east to NY Ave, NY west to BO.

Article V.
The Assurance Policy

The Society is bound by the core belief that there are many entities in Heaven and Earth, but that only one of them is the Creator thereof, and therefore worthy of worship, the worship of all other entities being idolatrous. God the Creator of Heaven and Earth has told us his name is YHVH (pronounced either “Yahweh,” “Yahowah” or “Jehovah”). This Supreme and Sovereign God is also called “The God,” that is, “Allah,” “El,” or “Elohim,” also being called “The Name,” that is, “HaShem.” ‘The Company’ and ‘The Society’ exist to glorify this name because He is our Heavenly Father who created us and He sent the One most like unto Himself, being his ‘Son,’ to give his life as a ransom for many in redemption of His children from the penalty of their sins. By the mouth of His prophets (the maa’kheru ‘truth-speakers, and djediw ‘those who speak’) he has instructed us to bear witness to his Most Gracious and Merciful Majesty.

We [The International Bible Students’ Association] continue to believe the following:

1. Both the Old and New Testament are Jehovah’s inspired words; the primary source of all Truth.
2. Man did not evolve but was created.
3. Jehovah created his only-begotten Son, Jesus. Jesus created all other things.
4. Jesus descended from heaven to earth and was born of Mary as a perfect human man, not as God in flesh.
5. God raised Jesus from death in a Spirit body, not in a physical body of flesh.
6. The Holy Spirit is Jehovah’s active power and force, not a person.
7. The Trinity is nowhere found or taught in the Bible.
8. Man is mortal and does not possess an immortal soul. The soul ceases to exist after death.
9. There is no hell of fire where the wicked are punished. “Hell” is from the same Greek and Hebrew words for “grave,” describing the sleep of death, not eternal torment.
10. We are now living in the “time of the end”.
11. Jesus returned and has been invisibly present on earth since the early days of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
12. The 144,000 of Revelation 7 are the anointed Bride of Christ in heaven.
13. Earth will never be literally destroyed or completely depopulated.
14. In the Kingdom, Christ will rule the earth in righteousness and peace.
15. By their faithfulness to God, the obedient of mankind will be granted what our original parents lost-everlasting life in human perfection on a paradise earth.
16. Since its humble beginnings, over 130 years ago, Bible Students all over the World have followed closely the Scriptural concept of Congregational Rule. This recognition of the local congregation as the highest earthly authority (Matt. 18:20) continues to be a significant difference between Bible Students and other Christian groups.
17. Bible Students hold a common belief in the doctrines mentioned above. However, because we have complete “liberty in Christ”, and no central organization, there are some differences in understanding on more detailed views. 

(https://www.internationalbiblestudents.com/about.html)

Congregations of Bible students throughout the world have been enjoying the freedom that is in Christ together since the 1870s. We have no organization beyond our small congregations, which are independently structured from one another, and yet cooperative in our search of and promotion of God’s truth. Our meetings are patterned after the early church and consist of prayer, praise and diligent study to learn through these the truth of God’s Word. We preach not ourselves but Christ. We substantiate nothing except by God’s Word. We make no laws, formulate no creed, deprive no person of his full liberty in Christ; but merely on every question quote the Word of the Lord, through the Apostles and prophets. We boast nothing, claim nothing of ourselves. We are content to voluntarily serve the Lord and His flock to the best of our ability – exacting no tithes, no “honor of men”, no confession of authority, no compensation; hoping merely for the love of the Lord and of all those who are His children and have His Spirit. So far from forming or desiring to form a new sect, we ignore all sectarian systems and their claimed authority; we recognize only the “one Lord, one faith and one baptism” of the Scriptures, and we fellowship as brethren every person who confesses faith in the “redemption through the blood of Christ.” We recognize as the true church all who profess a full consecration to the Lord, His will and His service – wherever they may be. Ephesians 4:3-6; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 12:23.

https://washingtonbiblestudents.com/

Article VI.
The Meeting of Friends

Minute of Public Service No. 1, Article II. April 15, 2024.

(a) Worship

1. Worship is silent and unprogrammed, and subject to the guidance of the Inward Teacher.
2. A period of time is used to center into an inward stillness. Spirit-led listening is perhaps the most important task of the worshipper.
3. Spoken messages come from the spiritual depth of one’s life and from the leading of the Inward Teacher.
4. To be absorbed, each message needs to be followed with a period of silence which allows for deepening.
5. When the vocal and silent ministry speak to the condition of those present and is developed and deepened in the Truth, a profound sense of spiritual community occurs that freshens and delights.  This is what we call a “gathered Meeting.”
6. Meeting for Worship ends after about an hour when the head of Meeting, on the facing bench, shakes hands with those nearby.  We then greet those sitting around us in a similar manner.

(b) Testimonies

1. Testimonies are what Friends call the ways we have found to live and act based on our beliefs. As a group, we find that listening to and following God leads to:
2. Integrity—living as whole people who act on what we believe, tell the truth, and do what we say we will do.
3. Simplicity—focusing on what is truly important and letting other things fall away.
4. Equality—treating everyone, everywhere, as equally precious to God; recognizing that everyone has gifts to share.
5. Community—supporting one another in our faith journeys and in times of joy and sorrowsharing with and caring for each other.
6. Peace—seeking justice and healing for all people; taking away the causes of war in the ways we live.
7. Stewardship (Care for the earth)—valuing and respecting all of God’s creation; using only our fair share of the earth’s resources; working for policies that protect the planet.

(from, Friends Meeting of Washington)

(c) Ecclesiastes

1. Friends or Quakers – either name will do as they have the same meaning – are the people who belong to Friends meetings or churches. These make up the ‘Religious Society of Friends.’
2. ‘Quaker’ was originally a nickname for the people who called themselves “Children of the Light,” “Friends of Truth,” or ‘friends of Jesus.” (John 15:15).  They were said to tremble or quake with religious zeal, and the nickname stuck.  In time, we also became known simply as ‘Friends.’
3. Quakers began in England around 1650 in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation.  In contrast to the formalism of the established church of the time, early Friends found they could experience God directly without the benefit of clergy, liturgy or steepled church.
4. Quakers do not have a creed.  No single statement of religious doctrine is accepted by all the diverse bodies that make up the Religious Society of Friends.  Most meetings accept a book of ‘Faith and Practice’ which states shared values, outlines a process for making decisions, and contains a uniquely Quaker feature, ‘Advices and Queries.’
5. Friends are united in stressing that an inward, immediate, transforming experience of God is central to our faith.  We turn to an inner guide or teacher for direction.  Many Friends identify this as the ‘Inner Light,’ the ‘Seed Within,’ or the ‘Christ Within’ [the ‘Inward Teacher’].  Some affirm their acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal savior while others conceive of the inward guide as a universal spirit which was in Jesus in abundant measure and is in everyone to some degree.
6. George Fox, a troubled and searching youth in 17th century England, underwent a profound religious experience that he described as a Voice answering his need: “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to Thy condition.”  Immediate, direct experience of God became the heart of his message and ministry, the beginning of the Quaker movement.
7. Love – of God and neighbor – is expressed in Quaker worship, witness, and our testimonies.  Our social attitudes and concerns, service, and programs of education and action are the fruits of our faith and the affirmation of the indwelling spirit and redemptive love.
8. The realization that there is the potential for good – and also evil – in all people makes Friends sensitive to human degradation, ignorance, superstition, suffering, injustice and exploitation.  Under a sense of concern (inner prompting, divine obedience or urgency) Friends are drawn to humanitarian callings and to programs of education, service and constructive action.
9. Many Friends today are pressing for social change by nonviolent means: reform of the criminal justice system and elimination of the death penalty; elimination of discrimination against minority groups and racial injustice; and an end to war.
10. Most Friends reject the sacraments in their outward forms – communion and baptism as practiced in most Christian churches.  We seek instead for the inward reality.  For us, all great human experiences are of a sacramental nature.
11. The Bible was very precious to early Friends, but to understand the scriptures, they saw that they must be read in the same Spirit as those who wrote them.  An early Quaker leader, Robert Barclay, said that the scriptures are only a declaration of the source and not the source itself.  Today, Friends exhibit a wide variety of relationships to the Bible and other religious texts.
12. Quaker testimony is best understood as the public witness of an inward faith of both individual and community. It is the consequence of one’s relationship to God and the outworking of that relationship in one’s life. Testimony is critical to the Quaker tradition as it is the practice side of “Faith and Practice,” a phrase you will see together often. Friends have always believed that what was most important was how faith was lived out collectively in the world. This praxis oriented perspective takes priority over doctrine or belief. For instance, early Friends did not practice baptism as an outward rite. Instead, Friends were called to live out their baptism in the world; show you are baptized by the Holy Spirit by the way you live your life. Witness and practice are good words today to help newcomers understand the meaning behind testimony.
13. Quaker scholar Pink Dandelion points out that among early Friends testimony was used in the “singular,” meaning that one’s whole life was to live out the consequence of their relationship with God in community. However, overtime testimony became pluralized (testimonies) and began to function more like lists of doctrines (protecting the boundary between Quaker community and those who are not Quakers), and eventually towards the individualization of “values.” It is less of a collective understanding and more up to each individual to decide how to practice their faith.
14. Today, you will often hear Friends use this pluralized language of testimonies referring to a broad range of Quaker beliefs and practices. Furthermore, a fairly recent simplification of testimony has resulted in the popular usage of the acronym “S.P.I.C.E.S.” standing for “Quaker values” such as Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. Regardless of usage, whether testimony, testimonies, or SPICES, the point is the Quaker commitment to “faith in action,” a living out and being a witness to what one believes.

(Source: https://quaker.org/testimony)

(last modified 24.11.13.10.43)