Quakers have no set written creed, as we believe that new truths – or new understanding of old truths – can be revealed to us as we continue our spiritual journeys individually and with one another. Quakers have felt the importance of allowing room for new understanding to arise ever since their origin in the middle of the 17th century:

‘… Dearly beloved Friends, these things we do not lay upon you as a rule or form to walk by, but that all, with the measure of light which is pure and holy, may be guided; and so in the light walking and abiding, these may be fulfilled in the Spirit, not from the letter, for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.’

From a postscript to an epistle to ‘the brethren in the north’ issued by a Meeting of Elders at Balby, 1656

Our important basic beliefs and principles are traditionally expressed through sets of “Advices” and “Queries”. In the absence of strict creeds or dogma, these remind us of the Quaker testimonies and how we seek to express them through our lives. They are usually updated from time to time to ensure that the language used is sufficiently modern, and that current concerns are included.

Advices and Queries take somewhat different forms in different Quaker Yearly Meetings. In Ireland Yearly Meeting, they are contained in two documents: “General Christian Counsel” and “The Queries for Serious Consideration”. In nearby Britain Yearly Meeting, they are contained in a single document called simply “Advices & Queries”.