The Quaker Protestant denomination came out of a tumultuous time in the history of the English Church. The church formally known as the Religious Society of Friends was founded in the middle of the 17th century and is marked by a lack of hierarchical structure.
Here are five things that led to the development of the Quaker Protestant Christian denomination in the country today:
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1.
The ideas of George Fox - George Fox believed that the faithful could have contact directly with the Holy Spirit and did not need the intercession of a priest or church leader. This was a radical idea for the English environment in which he lived, that had been vacillating between the authorities of the Catholic Church in Rome and the Church of England.
2.
Becoming outlaws in England - In England, religious practices of Quakers and other small Christian sects were outlawed by Parliament. Quakers were persecuted for not participating in the Church of England.
3.
Freedoms available in North America - Many Quakers left England and headed to North America to escape attacks on their faith. The first arrived as early as 1656. They still found persecution in the colonies, most notably Massachusetts.
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4.
The founding of Pennsylvania - The British Colony of Pennsylvania was founded as a safe haven for Quakers by William Penn. Penn had acquired a land grant from King Charles II. He set up a colony in 1681 with the land that guaranteed religious freedom and safety for all, including Native Americans.
5.
The Great Separation - Beginning in a Philadelphia yearly meeting in the 1820's, the Quaker Protestant group was divided into two main groups: those who wanted to stick with an emphasis on the authority of the Bible and those who wanted to focus on the "inner light." Similar splits occurred in several other meetings.
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