2024 marked the 400th anniversary of the birth of George Fox in 1624. It was George Fox's ideas and writings which led to the emergence of the Society of Friends, popularly known as the Quakers. This is the story...

George Fox

George Fox read and devoured the Bible, and he knew it thoroughly. Biblical principles moulded his beliefs and practices, yet he also witnessed many practices in other churches which he considered quite liberal or unbiblical. He felt that Christian life and practice should be simpler, based on the actual teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. He believed that Christians should live an ethical life ruled by the highest biblical, moral principles, and be guided by the Holy Spirit and the conscience.

Preacher

From 1647, George Fox became an itinerant preacher especially in the English Midlands and then the northern counties of England. He did not believe in the Apostolic Succession but felt that preachers were directly ordained by the Holy Spirit.

Quaker communities grew in Britain and beyond leading to the creation of the Society of Friends, although from 1650 they were soon nicknamed the Quakers, because they were said to "tremble at the word of God". Early Friends met on hilltops, in people's houses or in barns, and the first meeting houses were built in the 1670s.

Quaker ideas soon spread beyond England. In 1669, Fox preached in Ireland, and from 1671 to 1673 he went to Barbados and English colonies in North America. Later he visited northern Germany and the Netherlands.

Quaker Values

In many ways the Quakers were the first fundamentalists, in the positive sense of getting back to the fundamentals of the teachings of Jesus. They stressed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and rejected the need for outward religious rites and hierarchy. The Quaker values which made them stand out from other Christians were peace, honesty, equality and moderation - not that other Christian did not practice them, but because the Quakers took them to another level. For many people in the 17th century Quakers were considered radical extremists, for taking the teaching of Jesus seriously.

Peace

George Fox was born in Leicestershire in England, where he grew up as a Puritan, in the era leading up to the English Civil War which lasted from 1642 to 51. Growing up he witnessed war and was disgusted by it. During the English Civil War people who called themselves Christians had fought on both sides, both thinking they were in the right. The whole thing made a mockery of the Augustinan 'Just War' theory when both sides felt that they had their own 'just' reasons for the conflict. In 1651, George Fox was offered an army commission but refused it, because he did not support armed conflict.

When Jesus said: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44), Quakers thought Jesus meant it literally. When the Bible said "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), Quakers thought that was a commandment to be taken seriously. When Jesus was called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) they thought there was a good reason for that.

In 1660, George Fox and other early Quaker leaders wrote to King Charles II that: "All bloody principles and practices we do utterly deny, with all outward wars, and strife, and fightings with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world."

Ever since, the Quakers have not volunteered for armies, and when conscripted for military service are conventionally conscientious objectors. Quakers have worked behind the scenes in many conflicts seeking peace and reconciliation, and as a result are usually respected by all sides in a conflict.

Honesty

For Quakers when Jesus said: "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matthew 5:37), they believed that he meant it, and they took it literally. As a result, they believed in being absolutely honest and trustworthy in all personal, community and business dealings.

When it came to swearing oaths in court they took literally what Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-36: "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black."

In principle an absolutely honest person has no need to swear an oath, because their reputation as a person of honesty and integrity should be enough guarantee for the value of their words. The logic goes that if you swear an oath to tell the truth in one circumstance, it implies that you think it might be acceptable to not tell the truth in some other circumstances. Therefore, the Quaker principle is not to "swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God" when appearing as witnesses in court.

Friends also extended their notion of integrity to their business practices. Quakers in business decided to set fair prices that customers could recognise as honest and fair. Quaker merchants could be trusted not to exploit customers. Their Christian morals led them to insist on fair prices and paying off debts. Quakers also pioneered pension schemes for retired staff, and lobbied for better employment laws. They also believed in ethical banking and charging fair interest rates. Two famous British banks were founded by Quakers: Barclays was founded in 1650, and Lloyds was formed in 1765.

Equality

Paul wrote in Galatians 3:26-29: "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. " Quakers thought that Paul meant this and took it literally. When Peter explained that we are all consecrated priests "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9) - what theologians call "the priesthood of all believers" - Quakers actually put that into action and had no priesthood and everyone was equal.

Quakers had no distinction between clergy and laity, there was no hierarchy and all Christians were equal in their meetings. Quakers had no distinction between male and female, and they treated men and women as equal in their meetings. Although British Quakers are not known for preachers today, in their early days there were many male and female preachers. The Society of Friends was the first British Christian tradition to fully recognise the validity of female preachers.

George Fox became uncomfortable with slavery after visiting Barbados in 1671. "Slave and free" might have been equal in the Friends' meeting houses, but Quakers became increasingly morally horrified by the idea of slavery itself. As such they were the first modern religious movement to condemn slavery, and actively engaged to end it. In 1744, they decided that you could not be a Quaker, and also enslave another person. They were involved in anti-slavery movements in the UK and the US.

Moderation

Quakers also practise moderation. When Paul wrote "Let your moderation be known to all men" (Philippians 4:50), Quakers took this seriously and thought that it was meant literally. Likewise when Paul wrote "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery" (Ephesians 5:18). Quakers objected to drunkenness, and many were teetotal. In the Victorian era they promoted temperance. Some of their business people tried to develop alternatives to alcoholic drinks, and promoted drinking chocolate instead. As a result, a number of famous British chocolate companies were started by Quakers particularly Cadbury's of Birmingham, Rowntree's of York, and Fry's of Bristol.

Quaker Lifestyle

Writing in 1656, George Fox wrote: "Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come; that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them..". His idea was that you should witness and preach with your actions, and if necessary, use words. The witness of a Christian's integrity and honesty should be so clear that it would be obvious to anyone.

Freedom of Religion

George Fox died in 1691 and he was buried at Bunhill Fields, the non-conformist burial ground in London. Not many years later in 1689, Quakers and other English Dissenters were given the freedom to worship under the Act of Toleration. From then on, they were able to legally and openly build their own meeting houses without fear of persecution.

Legacy

The Quakers have always been small in numbers compared to other Christian traditions, but their influence and impact on society has been important, positive and well beyond their size.