GEORGE FOX, founder of Quakerism, lived in England from 1624 to 1691. His father was a weaver, and Fox is thought to have been a cobbler’s apprentice and a shepherd.

George Fox’s life can be broken into three main stages

Stage 1

In 1652, at about 28 years old, he climbed Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England, and had a vision at the top of numerous people in need of ministry which led him to become a traveling preacher.

Stage 2

He experienced two visions on Pendle Hill, which revitalized him and convinced him of the spiritual course he was taking. After his experience on Pendle Hill, he felt comforted by the indwelling of Jesus Christ, who he believed could speak to his condition. Over the ensuing years, he travelled throughout the country attracting a large following, especially among artisans and peasants.. There are also anecdotal accounts of miracle healing attributed to him.

In 1649, he went to prison for his religious beliefs for the first time. Between 1649 and 1673, Fox went to prison eight times. In 1660, when the British monarchy was restored, anti-Quaker laws were passed.

Stage 3

In 1669, Fox travelled in the ministry to Ireland. He married English Quaker Margaret Fell the same year. Fox and Fell were married for 20 years , though often separated by prison and travel.

.In 1671, Fox attended the first yearly meeting convened in London. He then journeyed to Barbados, where many colonists, including Quakers, relied on enslaved people for labor. Although Fox opposed harm to enslaved people and advocated ending their periods of forced labor after three decades, he, like most Friends in that time, did not broadly condemn the practice of holding people in bondage.

n 1677, he joined Robert Barclay and William Penn on a trip to Germany and Holland. Throughout the 1680s he urged Parliament to oppose religious persecution, leading to the 1687 Declaration of Indulgence and the 1689 Act of Toleration.

In the last years of his life, Fox visited Quakers in the vicinity of London and wrote numerous pamphlets. He died at the age of 66.

Fundamental beliefs

A key revelation received by Fox is that Christ is present within, as an inward Light and teacher. Everyone can be taught directly by this same Light, “which lighted every man that comes into the world” (John 1:9 [KJV]). Fox emphasized that a measure of the Light of Christ is present like a tiny seed within each person, needing careful attention and cultivation. In most souls, the seed is choked or covered over. And another seed, from an unholy source, competes with the Light to grow and dominate inside each person.

Fox believed in the Inner Light as coming from God and thought of this as a source of religious authority above creeds and the Bible. Fox was biblically literate. He believed that each person could directly connect with God, without needing clergy to intercede.

In 1660, Fox drafted an early version of a declaration to British King Charles II in response to accusations that he and other Quakers were conspiring against the king, insisting that “the Spirit of Christ which leads us into all Truth will never move us to fight and war against any man with outward weapons, neither for the Kingdom of Christ nor for the kingdoms of this world.” This document became an important early statement of the Friends peace testimony

He refused commonly accepted customs such as removing his hat for those considered his social superiors and swearing oaths in court. Rejecting that honour stemmed from Fox’s conviction that everyone is equal before God. Fox eschewed oaths because he believed Friends should maintain such integrity that they always tell the truth.

A frequent comment of G, Fox is that The power of the LORD was overall,”

The latter refers to experiencing the power of God both within human beings and also outside of us, permeating everything.

The divine nature within a human being requires cultivation in order to grow to maturity.

This requires us to reflect and consider what practices we should seek to cultivate the divine nature within us

Fox suggested that Quakers arrange themselves into yearly, monthly, and quarterly meetings

Summary

He refused to follow commonly accepted customs such as removing his hat for those considered his social superiors and swearing oaths in court. Rejecting that honour stemmed from Fox’s conviction that everyone is equal before God. Fox eschewed oaths because he believed Friends should maintain such integrity that they always tell the truth.

A frequent comment of G Fox is that the power of the LORD was overall,”

The latter refers to experiencing the power of God both within human beings and also outside of us, permeating everything.

The divine nature within a human being requires cultivation to grow to maturity.

This requires us to reflect and consider what practices we should seek to cultivate the divine nature within us

Fox suggested that Quakers arrange themselves into yearly, monthly, and quarterly meetings

L. Sergius Ephson

Hill House Meeting. 2025.

References

  • Barclay, R. 1678, An Apology for the True Christian Divinity
  • Britannica; George Fox | Biography, Quakerism, Beliefs, Journal, & Facts
  • https://www.britannica.com › biography › George-Fox
  • Wikipedia George Fox
  • Marcel Martin The Radical Original Vision of George Fox