Isaac Penington: early Quaker mystic?
Ruth Tod reflects on the life, witness and words of Isaac Penington
Of all the early Quaker writers, Isaac Penington speaks most to my own experience and search. I believe that he, and others of his time, were practical mystics who had a deep awareness of the wisdom, love and mystery of God. The letters that Penington wrote to Friends around the country are full of advice and wisdom about connecting with this life-giving presence. His experience was not an adrenalin rush, nor even a moment of ecstasy, rather it was a very special sense of simplicity, stillness, joy and completeness in the presence of the spirit. Living in the loving power and presence of God led him to a deep understanding of the world and what action to take in it.
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