I believe that Quaker women protested against tythe laws and poverty
in the 16 hundreds or laater. Can you find me any information on this?
Dear deseven,
According to Meredith Baldwin Weddle, author of the book "Walking in
the Way of Peace - Quaker Pacifism in the Seventeenth Century" (Oxford
University Press, 2001), the tithe laws were aimed against the
Quakers, among other similar laws (see p. 32-3 op cit. The rest of the
book might be also of interest to those reading Quaker history).
Quaker women were indeed active in the protest against the laws in the
17th century. In 1659, Margaret Fell (1614-1702, who later, in 1669,
became George Fox's wife) led a petition, signed by 7000 Quaker women,
against the tithe (See: The Quakers in Chichester,
http://www.chichesterquakers.org/notes2.htm).
In her letter to the King (1660), she wrote against the tithe, as
being against Christ's teachings: "Christ said, a hireling was a thief
and a robber, and would fly because he was a hireling. And they are
maintained by tithes, contrary to Christ and the apostles' doctrine,
who said the priesthood was changed that took tithe s, and the law
also that gave them, and who witnessed Christ Jesus to be the
everlasting offering once for all, Who saith, "Such an high-priest
hath become us, which is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from
Sinners, and made higher than the heavens wh o in the days of his
flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications, with strong
cries and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death and was
heard in that he feared: though he was a son yet learned he obedience
by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (See:
MARGARET FELL'S LETTER TO THE KING ON PERSECUTION, 1660,
http://www.qhpress.org/quakerpages/qwhp/mf2king.htm).
You might be also interested in this article on the subject:
G.M. DITCHFIELD, "Parliament, the Quakers and the Tithe Question
1750-1835", in: _Parliamentary History_ 4, 1985, p. 87 (although I
haven't been able to gain access to it, and I am basing my
recommendation on the title).
I hope this answers your question. Except for the book above
mentioned, I used google to search for several terms, such as:
"quaker women" "against poverty"
"quaker women" tithe
"quakers OR quaker" tithe women petition
"quakers OR quaker" tithe women
tithe "margaret fell"
tithe "quaker OR quakers" "protested against"
And many others. If you need any clarification on this answer, please
let me know. I'd be pleased to clarify my answer before you rate it.
Fine gives me plenty to work with
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