Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-18
Col. Needham's Lecture upon George Fox.

Col NeedhamS Lecture upon CeoiSo Ia
We copy the following notice of lecture
delivered by Col. Daniel Needham, Of Hart
ford, from the Vermont Standard. But little
is known among the people generally OF the
principles of the Quakers. The larger part Oh
the community confounding them with the
Shakers. But between the Shaker and the
Quaker the difference is asgreat as that between
the Protestant and the Catholic. The Shaker
protests against the domestic relation OF hus-
band and wife, parent and child the Quaker
entertains the most profound respect for thest
relations the Shaker, believes in singing and
dancing the Quaker in neither {; the Shaker
believes in Ann Lee and new revelation
through her the Quaker in the Holy Bible
and revelation through Jesus Christ
MEssRs EDIToR:-Thinking notice of Col
Ncedham's lecture upon George Fox. the foun
der of Quakerism, might be interesting to your
numerous readers, have written brief out
line, which | place Mt your disposal.
Having given graphic account of the pecll-
iarity of the times and circumstances in which
George Fox commenced his career, he remarked
that most every religious society which had
claimed the attention of mankind has had more
Or less merit; t',at in every religious sect might
be found those who in their life deny their pro.
fesscd faith but, that large majority of the
individual members of all christian denOmina-
tons are honest in their professions no candid
mind could question. He would accord tc
George Fox and his followers the same honesty
of heart and integrity of purpose that he would
claim for Luther and other early reformers
True, Fox was singular in bis views of religious
upon the church VIII, CHI had but recently emerged
from Romanisln und,r the guidanc, of Luther
Melancthon and Zwingle as rapidly falling back
into errors and superstitions of the time Of Lee
the tenth; thus, to him the broad brimmed hat
and the drab colored coat were but the nantes
tation of principle within; but those who
judge by appearances often mistake the hat fol
the head and the coat for the man. His eccen
tricity was to be attributed to his high appre
citation of individual accountability. He wal
not for imitation, not to initiate, but in ac
cordanca with his own convictions however fal
those convictions might lead him from the
views of friends and contemporaries He wat
a prodigy, it is true, so were the great who
preceded him, SO are they now. He who re
minds you of others bears the impress of imi
tation. Too apt to wrap ourselves in the cloak'
of others we disfgurc our own existence. Al
but the truly great take their ideals from 9th
ers; they fashion their own.
Advocating the oneness of the human famil,
he blamed for the slave the same rights en-
Logged by his MASTER and for woman the SAM
social and intellectual privileges that were tn
lprerogatives of the sterner sex. Well did h.
understand the affinity between oppression ant
Ignorance and that in order to liberate he mus
enlighten men.
He hesitated not to attack the civil tribunal
of England, proclaiming everywhere the high
minded injustice of their decisions. 1t is tru
the star chamber and high commissioned court
were abolished, but the spirit of Jelfreys con
trolled to great extent the decision of thos
which remained. 1t was more true in thos
days than in our own.
"Plate sin with gold
And the strong Of justice huress breaks =
Clothe it in rags, pigmy straw doth pierce t.'
He denounced the Inconsistency of the churc
in extorting tithes for the support of an extra,
agant clergy, who, as he thought, made a moe
of religion by their speculations in bishopri,
and vcarages. For these and similar denunci'
tions and a positive refusal to take oath whc
summoned before the magistrates, he and h
followers were cast into prison. The numb
of Quakuers thus incarceratcd in the prison
of England, at one time reached the enormor
aggregate of forty-two hundred. The Parli;
ment of England, subsequently, yielded to tn
request of the Quakcrs 80 far as to permit ther
to make affirmation rather than take oath
che courts. Fox was an eloquent advocate
peace and temperance, and the society whic
he founded has been from his time to the pre-,
ent, living example of the christian virtues
He travelled extensively in England, Hollan
and America and with so much power and e.
oquence did he carry conviction to the hear
and with so much distinctness did he pictul
retributive justice, that hundreds of his audi
ors would tremblc with fear as they listened |
his heart-stirring appeals and it was from tn
trembling that the word Quaker was given i
derision to the society the name Friend bein
the only one ever recognized by them. Fo
died in 1891 in the sixty-seventh year. of h
age. @.