Quaking in my boots part 1

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 Does a Quaker really quake? Quakers are a religious group with roots going back to the seventeenth century. They are known as the Society of Friends, or Religious Society of Friends. Quakers have a deep sense of an individual’s connection to God, and that the “light of Christ” exists in everyone, which makes each person equal in value. Quakers are famous for their original ideas, sense of community activism, love of education, and pacifism. They were passionate abolitionists, supported women’s rights, and were conscientious objectors. Quakers invented Quaker furniture, known for its simple and straight design. They also founded several top colleges in the United States. Today Quakers number slightly over 200,000.

George Fox

The Quaker movement started in the 1650s. After the English Reformation, religion was in a great upheaval, and everyone was trying to decide their vision of God. George Fox founded the movement when pondering one day, he had a revelation-“there is one, even, Christ Jesus, who can speak to thy condition”. He took this to mean that the Lord had come to teach the people himself, therefore each person could access him directly.

Light of the World by William Holman Hunt 

He believed in a concept no other religion believed in, that the light of God existed in everyone, and therefore each person had direct access to this “inner light”. This concept didn’t sit well with people, who believed that a person still needed an ordained clergy to access God.

Quakers persecution

It didn’t agree with the established church as well, which thought that extensive rituals and intermediaries were needed to help people access God. The Quakers believed in a plain and simple dress, and they refused to take off their hats for anyone above their social station or anyone in authority. Because of these unusual beliefs, Quakers made a good target for persecution.

Shaking in their boots?

George was arrested many times for heresy, so much so that at one point he was spending more time in prison than out. During one of his court dates, George admonished the judge to “quake at the sight of the Lord”. The judge responded by calling him a “quaker”, and the name stuck. Over time the Quakers have taken what was meant to be an insult and made it a source of pride.

IField Friends meeting house

George was so passionate about his beliefs he kept writing pamphlets from prison and sending the magistrates letters on how to run the country according to the inner light. The clergy responded by accusing George of claiming to be Jesus Christ and tried to have him hanged as a blasphemer. George’s passion was so strong he was able to influence Oliver Cromwell himself, and instead of being hanged he just spent a lot of time in jail.

Title page of a book on Quaker persecution

George was a pacifist and believed in noncomformity when the situation called for it. He believed since the light of Christ was in everyone, then all men (and women), were equal. Since everyone was equal in the sight of God, he saw no reason to bow or remove his hat when he was in the presence of someone considered to be superior, acts that once again got him thrown in prison yet again.

Doorway in Newgate Prison

The persecution of the Quakers had very little to do with the uniqueness of their religion. Historians believe that the main source of the persecution was a grumpy King Charles who secretly wanted to reinstate Catholicism as the national religion. The King had a not so clean sexual history that he wanted God to forgive him for, and the Catholic religion was a way to achieve that goal.

Baptism of Augustine of Hippo as represented in a sculptural group in Troyes Cathedral (1549), France

To further this end, he schemed with France to ally against Holland, against a brand new alliance that England, Holland, and Sweden had just formed. Parliament found out and toughened up the Conventicle Act, which provided for swift and strong remedies against the growing problem of dissidents.

Medieval torture rack

This was bad news for King Charles, but it was also bad news for the Quakers.
The Conventicle Act didn’t affect the powerful Catholic church, but it made the smaller group of Quakers and easy target. Rather than being stomped out by the horrifying persecution, Quakers found that it increased their faith, because of their strong beliefs.

Magna Carta, one of the world's first human rights documents

Quakers came from every part of society, and since they were committed to equality for everyone, all were welcome. George Fox was poor, but his religion attracted people from all walks of society, including the socially and financially well off. Instead of disappearing or keeping their meetings secret, Quakers continued to hold their meetings openly. Their opposition of authority and adherence to their moral compass possibly gave Quakers a reputation as scrupulously honest.

Want to know more about the Quakers and their immigration to America? Check back for part 2 of the history of the Quakers. All pictures are freely found in the public domain and to the best of the writer's knowledge are copyright free.