March 31 - Tremble and Quake

March 31 – Tremble and Quake

As the world challenged the church to allow freedom of worship, different denominations began springing up. While everyone believed that the Bible alone was the authority, no one was actually able to decide which interpretation was correct.

The Puritans didn’t like the teachings of the Anglican church, but while they still believed the clergy had a place within the church, one man did not. George Fox felt that there was too much formality within the church, even in the churches outside the Anglican Church.

He searched for answers and found them one day in 1647 when he heard a voice say to him, “There is one, even Jesus Christ, who can speak to thy condition.” (Notice how Jesus spoke to him in formal English? He’s good with words that way.)

Fox realized that the light of God was within himself and that all Christians had immediate access to God. They were all friends of God. He taught that if people would follow the light that God gave them, they could break free from sin.

There were a few rules that he set forth to become a participant in “The Friends,” but this group drew both aristocrats and commoners who worshiped and studied together. There were no clergy, but anyone could speak.

The Friends dressed simply, spoke the truth, opposed war, refused to pay a tithe to the state church and refused to bow to any man, even to tip a hat.

They placed great emphasis on freedom, which allowed for some abuse within the church. Fox ended up in jail and the judge began mocking the beliefs of the Friends. Fox told the judge that he should ‘tremble at the Word of God.’

The judge replied, “You are the tremblers, the quakers.” The name stayed with them.

Oliver Cromwell had offered tolerance to most religious groups during his rule, but not the Quakers. He thought they were honest and had integrity, but he didn’t like their demand for freedom. The movement grew, however as the teaching that each individual should experience Christ made itself known.