Three Apostles of Quakerism: Popular Sketches of Fox, Penn and BarclayRhodes, Benjamin
History
Three Apostles of Quakerism: Popular Sketches of Fox, Penn and Barclay
Rhodes, Benjamin
Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690; Fox, George, 1624-1691; Penn, William, 1644-1718; Society of Friends
disorderly walkers, and when failing in this, disuniting them from the
body." ("Two Lectures on Macaulay's Portraiture of George Fox," pp.
40-42.) It speaks volumes for the sagacity of Fox that so little has
needed to be added to or altered in the Quaker polity since his day.
In 1666 the Barclays joined the society, and in the next year William
Penn was added to their number. The learning of Robert Barclay, and
social position and administrative ability of William Penn, were soon
appreciated by the leader with whom they worked so loyally.
In 1669 Fox visited Ireland, and in the same year he was married to
Margaret, widow of Judge Fell, of Swarthmoor Hall. She had been one
of his early converts, and was one of his most vigorous helpers. She
wrote almost as many letters, and printed almost as many appeals as her
husband; she visited the imprisoned, and sent relief to their families.
Her house was the home of all Quakers visiting the neighborhood, and
her purse was at the service of all who needed money to serve the
cause. Her judgment was reliable and her energy untiring; she was
the Countess of Huntingdon of the Society. She even endured long
imprisonments, and risked, and for a time endured, the loss of all her
property by premunire for the truth's sake. She was therefore a fitting
help-meet for George Fox. She had four daughters who were ministers in
the Society, and the whole family regarded him with reverence, except
the scapegrace elder son. He not only opposed the marriage, but with
the basest ingratitude, he endeavoured, after it was accomplished,
to turn his mother out of her own home; and he rests under at least
grave suspicion of being a party to the plot to have her sentenced to
premunire.[6]
[6] The penalties of this sentence were, to be put out of the King's
protection, to forfeit lands and goods to the King, and to be liable to
imprisonment for life or at the King's pleasure.
Fox acted throughout this affair with the greatest prudence and
magnanimity. He would not even be suspected of seeking worldly gain,
but carefully secured to his wife and her family, the property which
was hers before their marriage. No wedding could be more simple than
his own. "Afterwards," he says in his journal, "a meeting being
appointed on purpose for the accomplishing thereof, in the public
meeting-house at Broadmead in Bristol, [the site cannot now be
certainly determined,] we took each other in marriage.... Then was a
certificate, relating both the proceedings and the marriage, openly
read and signed by the relations, and by most of the ancient Friends of
that city, besides many other Friends from divers parts of the nation."
Evidently the ceremony caused considerable excitement. His wife was ten
years his senior.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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