, founder of the society of quakers, was born at Drayton, in Leicestershire,
, founder of the society of quakers, was
born at Drayton, in Leicestershire, in 1624. His father
was a weaver, who seems to have taken great pains in
educating his son in the principles of piety and virtue.
He was, at a proper age, apprenticed to a dealer in wool,
and grazier, and being also employed in keeping sheep,
he had many opportunities for contemplation and reflection. When he was about nineteen years of age he experienced much trouble and anxiety on observing the
intemperance of some persons, professing to be religious,
with whom he had gone to an inn for refreshment; and on
the following night he was persuaded that a divine communication was made to him, urging him to forsake all, and
devote his life to the duties of religion. He now quitted
his relations, dressed himself in a leathern doublet, and
wandered about from place to place. Being discovered in
the metropolis, his friends persuaded him to return, and
settle in some regular employment. But he did not remain with them many months; determining to embrace an
itinerant mode of life. He fasted much and often, walked
abroad in retired places, with no other companion but the
bibje, and sometimes sat in the hollow of a tree for a day
together, and walked in the fields by night, as if in a state
of deep melancholy. He occasionally attended upon public teachers, but did not derive that benefit from them that
he looked for: and hearing, as he supposed, a voice exclaiming, “There is one, even Christ Jesus, that canspeak to thy condition/' he forsook the usual outward
means of religion; contending, that as God did not dwell
in temples made with hands, so the people should receive
the inward divine teaching of the Lord, and take that for
their rule of life. About 1648 he felt himself called upon
to propagate the opinions which he had embraced, and
commenced public teacher in Manchester, and some of
the neighbouring towns and villages, insisting on the certainty and efficacy of experiencing the coming of Christ in
the heart, as a light to discover error, and the knowledge
of one’s duty. He now made more extensive journeys, and
travelled through the counties of Derby, Leicester, and
Northampton, addressing the people in the market-places,
and inveighing strongly against injustice, drunkenness, and
the other prevalent vices of the age. About this time he
apprehended that the Lord had forbidden him to take off
his hat to any one; and required him to speak to the
people in the language of thou and thee; that he must
not bend his knee to earthly authorities; and that he must
on no account take an oath. His peculiarities exposed
him to much unjustifiable treatment, although it must be
allowed that he sometimes provoked harsh usage by his
intemperate zeal. At Derby the followers of Fox were
first denominated
” quakers,“as a term of reproach, either
on account of the trembling accent used in the delivery of
their speeches, or, because, when brought before the
higher powers, they exhorted the magistrates and other
persons present
” to tremble at the name of the Lord."
In 1655 Fox was sent prisoner to Cromwell, who contented himself with obtaining a written promise that he
would not take up arms against him or the existing government; and having discussed various topics with mildness
and candour, he ordered him to be set at liberty. Fox
probably now felt himself bold in the cause, re-commenced
his ministerial labours at London, and spent some time in
vindicating his principles by means of the press, and in
answering the books circulated against the society which
he had founded, and which began to attract public notice
in many parts of the kingdom. Notwithstanding the moderation of Cromwell towards Fox, he was perpetually
subject to abuse and insult, and was frequently imprisoned
and hardly used by magistrates in the country whither he
felt himself bound to travel; and more than once he was
obliged to solicit the interference of the Protector, to free
him from the persecutions of subordinate officers. Once
he wrote to Cromwell, soliciting his attention to the sufferings of his friends; and on hearing a rumour that he
was about to assume the title of king, Fox solicited an
audience, and remonstrated with him very freely upon the
measure, as what must bring shame and ruin on himself and
his posterity. He also addressed a paper to the heads and
governors of the nation, on occasion of a fast appointed on.
account of the persecutions of the protestants abroad, in
which he embraced the opportunity that such appointment
offered, of holding up, in proper colours, the impropriety
and iniquity of persecution at home. The history of
Fox, for several years previously to 1666, consists of
details of his missions, and accounts of his repeated imprisonments. In this last-mentioned year he was liberated
by order of the king, and he immediately set about forming the people who had embraced his doctrines into a compact and united body: monthly meetings were established,
and other means adopted to provide for the various exigences to which they might be liable.