Quakerism Beliefs

Liberty can be defined as having freedom from control and restriction. A person who has liberty is not restricted, by the government, more than the people around him, and has the ability to do anything or think any idea that others around him or her can. As the Quakers fought to attain liberty and free themselves from the oppressive restrictions of the Puritan Government they did so with little aid from government entities.
The Quakers were a relatively new sect of Christianity that was formed by George Fox, who for forty years was their most important leader. The core beliefs of Quakerism were based on the doctrine of Inward Light. Adherents of Quakerism believed that the spirit of God was within them and guided their actions. This idea that …show more content…
They were not able to receive the aid of the government because the government was the group that directly opposed them. The Quaker community fought for their liberty by constantly criticizing the Puritans for practicing martyrdom. An example of them protesting against the Puritan Government was when Humphrey Norton penned a letter to John Endecott, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, stating that Mr. Endecott would face a terrible fate and associated the persecution of Quakers with the crucified Christ. Humphrey, a Quaker missionary, protested and attacked the mistreatment of the Quakers by his own accord using the themes of martyrdom and the Quaker prophecies. He did not write the letter with the aid of the government and in contrast was trying to target and attack them. An example of the use of more violent rhetoric is Edward Wharton, who stated to authorities before being arrested for defying his banishment “surely the Lord will visit you for the Blood of the innocent, and your day is coming.” Edward Wharton acted entirely without the aid of any government force. He protested the harsh persecution solely with the support of other Quakers and instead criticized the government. Another example of speaking out against the Puritans was Thomas Maule, who, greatly dissatisfied with the Puritans’ treatment of witches and Quakers, wrote the Truth Held Forth and Maintained According to the Testimony of the holy Prophets, Christ and his Apostles recorded in the holy scriptures declaring all of the sins of the Puritans. Maule wrote his book without the influence of any government. His book directly criticized the Puritans and opposed their beliefs. Throughout the fight for Quaker liberty various members of the community spoke out against the Puritan Government. They did not receive help from the government because the group