Margaret Fell is known as the founder of Religious Society
of Friends. Think on this a moment how
important a person that she was. It was
her salvation experience that led her to start having meetings in her home. These meetings didn’t have a particular
agenda instead the members once inspired by God would share stories. The meetings did not have a pastor instead it
was an experience in which people had an opportunity to individually learn
about God through the Bible. We know
this group today in a lot of circles as the Quaker.
Margaret Fells was born in England. She married Thomas Fell and became the lady
of Swarthmoor Hall. Several years later
she went to a revival of George Fox. It
was at this revival that Margaret had her conversion experience. She came home and started inviting friends to
her house. It was this simple action
that the Religious Society of Friends began.
The group believed that Jesus was not in the external environment
helping the saved. Instead, Jesus was
internal. They believed that Jesus was a
light that inspired Christians to experience God in a new way.
We have to remember that this was a split from the Anglican
Church. This split led to great deal of
suffering for those that believe the new form of Christianity. See you have to understand at this time the
head of the Anglican Church was the King.
Those that stood against the Anglican Church were also standing against
the King. This was something that upset
the King and he took measures to squelch this new way of thinking.
He began arresting members of the group. Margaret felt that she had to put a stop to
this. She when to the King and began
asking for the release of those that were being imprisoned. She did this for a long period of time. She was a thorn in the side of the King. He finally agreed to release them and
promised that he would not do anything against the group.
That promise did not last.
He actually started arresting people and throwing them in jail and
taking their property. Margaret pleaded
again for their arrest. The Quakers
believed that no one should take an oath.
This belief came straight from their interpretation of the words of Jesus.
Margaret was brought to trial and asked to take an oath that she would stop the
meetings. She refused to make the oath
even after she was asked over and over again.
The king had her imprisoned because she failed to make the oath.
Once she was released she went straight back to holding
meetings in Swarthmoor. Her Oldest son
did not approve of her conversion. It is
shocking to know that her very own son turned her in for holding meetings. This
led to her second arrest. After a year
she was finally released and went straight back to holding the meetings.
We have to remember
that Margaret Fell felt the calling in her heart to spread what she had
experienced. It is amazing that a simple
revival led to the formation of the Quakers.
We have to always remember that Margaret is a woman who started a new Christian
Church. This proves that there is a need
to recognize the influence of Christianity.
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