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Rebellious Quaker Women (1650-1660)' Catie Gill Loughborough University, C.J.Gill@Lboro.Ac.Uk Quaker Studies Volume 9 | Issue 1 Article 3 2005 'Ministering Confusion': Rebellious Quaker Women (1650-1660)' Catie Gill Loughborough University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/quakerstudies Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, and the History of Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Gill, Catie (2005) "'Ministering Confusion': Rebellious Quaker Women (1650-1660)'," Quaker Studies: Vol. 9: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/quakerstudies/vol9/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Quaker Studies by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 16 QUAKER STUDIES QUAKER STUDIES 911 (2004) [17-30] ISSN 1363-01 3X True Prospect for the Bishops, both published in 1663. R92, R99. AUTHOR DETAILS: Rosemary Moore is a retired teacher, currently an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Birmingham, and author of The Light in Their Consciences: early 'MINISTERING CONFUSION': Quakers in Britain 1646-1666, University Park, Philadelphia: Pennsylvania State REBELLIOUS QUAKERWOMEN (1650-1 660)' University Press, 2000. Catie Gill Mailing address: 25 Beech Drive, Shifnal, Shropshire TFll 8HJ, England. E­ University of Loughborough, England mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT This paper assesses the position of women within the Quaker community, concentrating on their ministerial roles. Female prophets and preachers were visible during the first decade of Quakerism, and the early years prove fruitful for exploration of women's experiences. In order to consider the difficulties women faced when taking a public role in support of Quakerism, some context on seventeenth-century attitudes to women will be provided. It will be argued that women had to challenge patriarchal notions that the 'weaker' sex should be silent, passive and obedient. In contrast to prevailing seventeenth­ century norms, the potential radicalism of the Quaker approach to gender can be demonstrated. Yet, the majority of this paper deals with evidence showing that women were chastised by other Quakers for apparently departing from the conventional female roles. Hence, this paper examines the co-existence of radical, egalitarian attitudes to gender alongside more conservative, and restrictive evaluations of women's ministry. KEYWORDS Women, 1650s, Preaching, Discipline The early successes of the Quaker movement, in the first decade of its history, were produced through its focussed evangelising campaigns, and, arguably, its ability to use print to consolidate its presence as a new religious force. Women were vocal, and committed, members of this new movement. Throughout the 1650s, particularly, they defied the expectations of the time by speaking in public (when women, as we will see in the course of this paper, were usually associated with private spheres, rather than public spheres), and, also, writing of their experiences for publication. Quaker women's activities have attracted the attention of historians and literary critics; rightly, studies reveal that Quakers were, in Phyllis Mack's terms, 'sympathetic to women and to feminine behav­ iour'. 1 The Quaker movement provided opportunities for expression, and some 18 QUAKER STUDIES GILL MINISTERING CONFUSION 19 of these will be outlined in this analysis of women's preaching and writing. Preaching women might have been empowered to act in part by ideals that Quakerism is justly viewed as an egalitarian movement, since it 'made possible overturned the conventional wisdom about godly ministers. As Quakers did not women prophets' challenge to their restriction to the private sphere' .2 believe that it was necessary for a preacher to have been 'bred at Oxford and Although Quakerism can be credited with having the vision to recognise the Cambridge', the ministry was open to anyone who believed that they had a talents of women, there is another side to the movement's approach to female gift! Many of the Quakers who will be examined asserted their right to Friends that bears some evaluation. A judgmental approach to women's ministry participate in public debates, often by addressing people who seemed, on the face exists alongside radical beliefs in the equality of all people. Evidence of inter­ of it, to have had more authority than they. For example, women preachers often factional disputes indicates that women were occasionally rebuked for their 'interrupted' ministers of the established church, and debated with their 'betters' forwardness in the public sphere. William Braithwaite, writing of early discipli­ on theological matters. Unlike some other seventeenth-century women who nary problems, observed that 'it must not be supposed that even in this first complained that their lack of education was an impediment to them, Quaker period the new fellowship was free from internal difficulties'.3 It is these women had no such compunction.10 Indeed, it has been observed that 'internal difficulties'that most reveal tensions between principle and practice. The 'forwardness' was a virtue in Quaker women's presentation of their voice in movement might allow that, in theory, each person possessing the ability to inter­ print." Since 'overturning' society's expectations dislodged ministers from their pret God's word could publicly communicate their insights, but in reality some elevated position, it is perhaps unsurprising that some complained 'it is a shame were deemed more capable than others. Letters from early Friends, commenting for women to speak in church.'1 2 It is just possible that acerbic comments, such on the progress of the ministerial campaigns, bring to the surface anxieties about as this attack on women by William Prynne written in 1655, reveal that their women's interpretation of God's word. Of the northern Quaker Mary Howgill, ministry was perceived as an incipient threat to the established clergy. for example, it was noted that 'she hath done hurt for she ministreth confusion By way of beginning to understand how openly Quaker women used their among friends so that some friends now will not appoint a Meeting for her'.' If spiritual gifts to criticise established authorities, the attitude of one preacher and the Quaker movement was in a sense capable both of valuing women and chas­ writer, Rebecca Travers, will be briefly examined. Travers sternly criticised the tising them, then the 'confusion' of values needs to be explored. people in StJohn Evangelist church, London, in a pamphlet published after they Quakerism was most inclusive and 'revolutionary' in terms of the way it gave had physically and verbally attacked her. The assault is described in For those that women a public role in publicising the movement's message, through preaching. Meet to T#Jrship (1659), in which Travers accuses the congregation of 'railing, Large numbers of women were not only converted (the Quaker word is tearing, thrusting, hailing and pushing me down.'13 Travers alleges that her 'convinced'), they also joined the ranks of the itinerant Quaker ministry in university-trained opponent, the Anglican minister, was a 'fool', and she main­ travelling where they felt they had a spiritual calling. Women were active in tained that she was the true messenger of God. Paraphrasing Isa. 29: 14-15, Oxford and Dartmouth, in London, Aylesbury and Banbury, in Weymouth, Tr avers declared that 'the Wisdom of the wise is turned into foolishness', there­ Plymouth and Carlisle, to name only a few of the places. 5 The women who by undermining the supposed superiority gained by university learning; and she evangelised in these places later wrote about their experiences as ministers of asserted, instead, that 'he that hides from the wise, reveals to the babes and God.6These spiritual journeys are very vividly recounted prophetic encounters, sucklings.'14This kind of inversion of truths universally acknowledged (that a man showing how the women could speak God's word authoritatively. In addition in the possession of a degree and a benefice was unquestionably a good minis­ to the self-authored texts by women in the ministry, there is also an extensive ter) was practised by Quaker women who challenged the supposed learning of body of writing indirectly about women. A text such as The West Answering to clergymen. the North (1657), for instance, presents a very varied image of women's public Valuing the spiritual talents of all was an essential part of Quaker theology; testimony. This overview of Quaker activities in Cornwall depicts preachers hence women presumed that their challenges to social superiors were biblically such as Anne Blacklyn, Katherine Evans, Hester Biddle, and Priscilla Cotton justified.Averring that 'there is neither male nor female here but they are all one engaging in the public ministry.'Yet the flamboyant role of the Quaker prophet in Christ Jesus; Margaret Fell made clear that the current of egalitarianism flow­ was not the only possible option for committed Friends. The T+CstAnswering to ing through Quaker writing resulted in the championing of equality. 15 The the North additionally indicates that women aided the movement by visiting measure of a Quaker's godliness was simply his/her ability to respond to God's Quaker prisoners, taking them food, and the text further demonstrates that even immediate presence. Hence, men had no greater
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