“Isivivinyo Esingcwele” SamaQuaker

NGO-JULY 1656, umkhumbi i-Swallow, owawusuka eBarbados eWest Indies, wama esikhumulweni saseBoston, eMassachusetts, ezweni manje eliyi-United States of America. URichard Bellingham, iphini lombusi wekoloni laseMassachusetts, wayala ukuba kuboshwe uMary Fisher no-Ann Austin ababekulo mkhumbi. Ezimpahleni zabo kwatholakala izincwadi eziyikhulu okwakuthiwa ziqukethe “izimfundiso zamambuka ezonakele nezihlambalazayo.”

Lezi zincwadi zashiswa esigcawini. Khona-ke laba besifazane baboshwa, bahanjiswa nqunu, babe sebehlolwa kufunwa ubufakazi bokuthi ababona yini abathakathi. Ifasitela lesitokisi sabo lavalwa ngcí, futhi kwaphela amasonto amahlanu behlala ebumnyameni. Noma ubani owayengase alokothe akhulume nabo wayezifaka engozini yokuhlawuliswa opondo abahlanu. Ekugcineni, uMary Fisher no-Ann Austin babuyiselwa emuva eBarbados.

Umbhali wemilando wangaleso sikhathi wabuza izimantshi: “Kungani ukufika kwalaba besifazane kunishukumise kangaka njengokungathi izwe lenu lithelekelwe ibutho elinamandla”? Empeleni, laba besifazane ababili “abayingozi” babeyizithunywa zevangeli zokuqala ezingamaQuaker ezaya eNyakatho Melika. Ayengobani amaQuaker, futhi kungani ayebhekwa njengosongo?

ISociety of Friends

AmaQuaker, noma inhlangano engokwenkolo okuthiwa iSociety of Friends, yasungulwa ngekhulu le-17 eNgilandi. Umsunguli wale nhlangano kwakunguGeorge Fox (1624-91), owazalelwa eLeicestershire, eyindodana yomaluki. Kuthiwa ngemva kokuzwa izwi eliyisimangaliso, uFox waphetha ngokuthi wayengakhuluma ngokuqondile noNkulunkulu futhi athole ukukhanyiselwa ngaphandle komlamuleli ongumuntu. Incwadi ethi A Religious History of the American People ithi: “Unyaka ongokomthetho okwamiswa ngawo iSociety of Friends ngu-1652.”

Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba iSociety of Friends ibizwe ngokuthi amaQuaker? Enye incwadi ithi amaQuaker (okusho ukuqhaqhazela) “ayeqhaqhazela ngaphambi kokuba athole isambulo esivela kuNkulunkulu.” Enye ithi “ayeqhaqhazeliswa inhlonipho ejulile ngobumsulwa bukaNkulunkulu obungapheli nobukhulu bakhe obungenakulinganiswa.” Injongo yamaQuaker kwakuwukuthola iqiniso elingokwenkolo nokuvuselela ubuKristu bokuqala.

Ukuze athole isiqondiso, ayethi athembele emoyeni ongcwele, kubaprofethi baseBhayibhelini, kubaphostoli bakaKristu ‘nasekukhanyiselweni’ kwangaphakathi, noma “izwi,” okwakugonyelwa ngokuthi liyiqiniso elingokomoya. Ngakho imihlangano ngokuyinhloko kwakuyinkathi yokubuthana kwamaqembu ayethula athi du, kuyilapho umuntu ngamunye efuna isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu. Noma ubani owayethola isigijimi esivela kuNkulunkulu wayekhuluma.a

AmaQuaker ayephishekela ubulungisa, ukwethembeka ngokungayekethisi, ukuphila okulula, futhi ayemelene nobudlova. Ayekholelwa nawukuthi wonke amaKristu, kuhlanganise nabesifazane, kufanele abe nengxenye enkonzweni. Njengoba ayebekela izinhlangano ezingokwenkolo inselele, egwema ubukhazikhazi nemicikilisho ethile ezinkonzweni zawo, futhi ethi aqondiswa izwi elingaphakathi hhayi isigaba sabefundisi, amaQuaker abangela ukwesaba nezinsolo kubantu. Okwakukhathaza kunakho konke kwakuyintshiseko yezithunywa zevangeli, eyayivusa intukuthelo, isuse izidumo zokuhlasela kwezixuku nokungenela kweziphathimandla.

ENgilandi, amaQuaker ayeshushiswa avalelwe nasemajele, kanti eNew England ayedingiswa, abulawe nokubulawa. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi kuka-1659 no-1661, izithunywa zevangeli uMary Dyer, uWilliam Leddra, uWilliam Robinson noMarmaduke Stephenson zalengiswa eBoston. Ezinye zazifakwa ozankosi, zibekwe uphawu ngensimbi eshisayo, noma zibhaxabulwe ngesiswebhu. Kanti ezinye zazisikwa izindlebe. Indoda okuthiwa uWilliam Brend yabhaxabulwa imivimbo engu-117 emhlane ngentambo ehuqwe ngetiyela. Naphezu konya olunjalo, isibalo samaQuaker sanda.

UWilliam Penn ‘Nesivivinyo Esingcwele’

Kusukela ngo-1681, ukuphila kwamaQuaker eNyakatho Melika kwashintsha ngendlela emangalisayo. Kulokho okwakubizwa ngokuthi “isivivinyo esingcwele” sobuciko bezombusazwe, uWilliam Penn (1644-1718), insizwa eyiNgisi eyayisanda kuguqukela kuyiSociety of Friends, wamisa ikoloni elalilawulwa futhi lisekelwe ezimisweni zamaQuaker. Ngenxa yokuthi wayemelene nempi futhi eyindodana yesikhulu sebutho lemikhumbi laseBrithani, uPenn ngokwakhe wayeke waboshelwa ukushumayela nokubhala izincwadi eveza imibono yakhe.

Ukuze ikhokhe imali eyayiyikweleta uyise kaPenn, iNkosi yamaNgisi yasikela uPenn isiqephu sendawo esikhulu eNyakatho Melika. Umthetho-sisekelo wasebukhosini wanikeza le nsizwa enguPenn cishe amandla angenamingcele okubusa leli koloni elisha, elabizwa ngokuthi iPennsylvania, okusho “Amahlathi KaPenn,” kukhunjulwa u-Admiral Penn. Lapho, abantu bazo zonke izinkolo babeyojabulela inkululeko engokwenkolo.

UPenn waqale wathumela umzala wakhe uWilliam Markham eMelika njengenxusa lakhe ukuze ayomakhela ubuhlobo obabuyoqinisa ukwethembeka kwedlanzana labaseYurophu ababehlala ezigodini zaleli koloni elisha futhi amthengele izwe kwaboMdabu baseMelika. Ngo-1682, uPenn wakhuphuka ngoMfula iDelaware ehamba ngomkhumbi futhi walibona ngokokuqala ngqá leli koloni lakhe. Wenza isivumelwano esingabandlululi nabantu bomdabu eShackamaxon (manje ebizwa ngokuthi iKensington, eyingxenye yePhiladelphia). Khona-ke, ebangeni elingaba ikhilomitha ukusuka eShackamaxon, wahlela indawo entsha yokuhlala wayeseyibiza ngokuthi iPhiladelphia, okusho “Uthando Lobuzalwane.” Yanda ngokushesha.

UPenn wabuyela eNgilandi wayesekhangisa ngaleli koloni lakhe elisha ekhuthaza abantu ukuba bathuthele kulo. Wabhala ngamazwe amahle anamahlathi, umfula ohlaba umxhwele, izilwane zasendle nezikhumba zezilwane. Wathembisa ukuthi uhulumeni omusha wawuzokhuthaza ukubekezelelana kwezinkolo nokuhlalisana ngokuthula. Wonke umuntu wayamukelekile—abahwebi, abampofu nabantu abanemibono emihle abamagange ukufaka isandla ekwakheni uhulumeni omuhle.

Ithemba lokukhululeka ezinkingeni zezenhlalo nezombangazwe zaseYurophu lakhanga amaQuaker avela eNgilandi naseNyakatho Ireland. AmaMennonite namaqembu ahlobene nawo asuka emazweni angaseMfuleni iRhine eYurophu alibangisa khona. Iningi lezifiki zokuqala kwakungamaQuaker, futhi uPenn wathi leli koloni lalibe nesiqalo esihle. Ngo-1683 wabhala: “Kuye kwaba nezingqungquthela ezimbili, . . . futhi kuye kwaphasiswa imithetho okungenani engu-70 ngaphandle kokuphikisana.” Nokho, lo muzwa wethemba wawungowesikhashana.

Isivivinyo Siyabhuntsha

Umthetho-sisekelo wekoloni likaPenn wawunikeza wonke umuntu inkululeko kanembeza. Ngakho, lapho kubonakala kudingekile ukuba kusetshenziswe ubudlova ukuze kulondolozwe umthetho nokuhleleka, ukumelana kwamaQuaker nobudlova kwakudala inkinga—eyaya ikhula njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka. Ekuqaleni, uPenn wagwema le mpikiswano ngokukhetha amasekela ayengewona amaQuaker, lawo ngokusho kwakhe, ‘ayeyoba nesandla esiqinile komakhelwane bethu ngezikhathi ezithile.’ Ngo-1689 amathuba okulwa nelaseFrance azibekela inselele ngokwengeziwe izimiso zamaQuaker zokumelana nobudlova.

Okwanezela kulezi zinkinga ukuthi isixuku esikhulu sezifiki, iningi laso elalingewona amaQuaker, saphanga izwe laboMdabu baseMelika. Ngakho njengoba amaQuaker ayeya eba iqembu elingasenagunya, kwaya ngokuya bukhula ubutha phakathi kwawo nabomdabu.

Igalelo lokugcina elaliqeda nyá igunya lezombangazwe lamaQuaker kwaba yilapho umbusi nomkhandlu wakhe bethi ayihlome ihlasele izizwe zabomdabu amaDelaware namaShawnee, ngo-1756. Ngenxa yalokhu, amaQuaker ahoxa ezihlalweni zikahulumeni, okwasho ukuphela kwesimiso sawo sokubusa. Sabhuntsha kanjalo-ke ‘isivivinyo sikaPenn esingcwele’ sobuciko bezombusazwe, ngemva kweminyaka engu-75 siqalile.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, intshiseko engokwenkolo yamaQuaker nayo yaqala ukwehla njengoba ingcebo yawo yayiqala ukwanda. USamuel Fothergill ongumQuaker wathi: “Njengoba umoya wawo wawusuthambekele kuleli zwe, [amaQuaker ayakhe lapha] ayengasenamandla okuqeqesha inzalo yawo ngemithetho nawo ngokwawo ayeseyikhohliwe.” Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwavela namahlelo.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uPenn nabasekeli bakhe babenemibono emihle kakhulu futhi baphumelela okwesikhashana; kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi abazange bayiqonde noma bayishaya indiva imfundiso kaJesu yokuthi yena nabafundi bakhe “abayona ingxenye yezwe.” (Johane 17:16) Ngakho-ke, noma yimiphi imizamo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yenziwa ngezinhloso ezinhle kangakanani, ehlanganisa inkolo nezombangazwe zaleli zwe ayisoze yazithola izibusiso ezivela kuNkulunkulu noma eNdodaneni yakhe. (Jakobe 4:4; 1 Johane 5:19) Ngenxa yalokho ayinakuphumelela.—IHubo 127:1.

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“UMBUSO WAMI AWUYONA INGXENYE YALELI ZWE”

Kungani uJesu asho lawo mazwi akuJohane 18:36? Impendulo iba sobala uma siqonda ukuthi uyini uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. UMbuso kaNkulunkulu, owawuyisihloko esiyinhloko semfundiso kaJesu, uwuhulumeni wezwe ophathiswe uJesu Kristu. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Luka 4:43) Kunokuba usebenze ngemibuso yabantu, lo Mbuso uyoyibhubhisa yonke le mibuso bese uba ukuphela kukahulumeni womhlaba. (Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14) Lesi yisiphetho uJesu akhuluma ngaso emthandazweni oyisibonelo lapho ethi: “Umbuso wakho mawuze. Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Izikhonzi ezilalelayo zalowo Mbuso ziyothola izinga lokuphila amadoda aqotho njengoWilliam Penn ayengenakukwazi ukuliletha—ziyojabulela impilo ephelele nokuphila okungenasiphelo endaweni enokuthula eyipharadesi.—Luka 23:43; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.

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Umhlangano wamaQuaker ePhiladelphia, ngawo-1800

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UMary Dyer owayengumQuaker eholelwa endaweni ayezolengiswa kuyo eMassachusetts Bay Colony

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AmaQuaker ngesikhathi eshiya elaseNgilandi, ngawo-1600

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UWilliam Penn enza isivumelwano naboMdabu baseMelika, ngo-1682

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Both pictures: © North Wind Picture Archives

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Boats: © North Wind Picture Archives; treaty: Brown Brothers