Samuel Fisher (Quaker) facts for kids

Samuel Fisher (born 1605, died 1665) was an English Quaker who was known for his strong opinions and debates. He was a writer and speaker who challenged common religious ideas of his time.

Early Life and Education

Samuel Fisher was born in Northampton, England, around 1605. His father, John Fisher, worked as a hatter. Samuel went to a local school and then studied at Trinity College, Oxford, starting in 1623. He earned his first degree in 1627. He then continued his studies at New Inn Hall, getting his master's degree in 1630.

Fisher held strong Puritan beliefs, which were about making the Church of England simpler and purer. For a short time, he worked as a chaplain, helping a nobleman with religious matters. During this period, his Puritan views became even stronger.

Becoming a Preacher

In 1632, Fisher became a lecturer in Lydd, Kent. He was known as a very powerful speaker and quickly became a leader among the Puritans in that area. He later received a presbyterian ordination, which meant he was officially recognized as a minister by a Presbyterian church.

While in Lydd, Fisher became interested in the ideas of some Anabaptists. Anabaptists believed that only adults should be baptized, not babies. Fisher even let them use his church pulpit to speak, but the church leaders stopped him.

Around 1643, Fisher decided to leave his position as a lecturer. He joined the Baptists, a group that also believed in adult baptism. He was re-baptized as an adult and started supporting himself by farming. He became an active member and later a minister for a Baptist group in Ashford, Kent, by 1649.

In that same year, he had a big debate about infant baptism with several other ministers. More than two thousand people watched this discussion! He also debated with Francis Cheynell in Petworth, Sussex, in 1651. Over three years, he took part in at least eight other debates. He wrote books to explain his beliefs, including one called Baby-Baptism meer Babism.

Joining the Quakers

In 1654, two Quakers, William Coton and John Stubbs, visited Lydd and stayed at Samuel Fisher's house. They talked with him and convinced him that the Quaker way of life was true. Soon after, Fisher joined the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. He became a Quaker minister, likely before he met George Fox, a founder of Quakerism, in 1655.

Speaking Out for Beliefs

Samuel Fisher was not afraid to speak his mind. On September 17, 1656, he went to a meeting of Parliament. When Oliver Cromwell, a powerful leader, said that no one in England had been unfairly put in prison, Fisher tried to speak up. He was stopped before he could finish, so he later published what he wanted to say. He also tried to speak to Members of Parliament during a special church service.

Fisher was very active in Kent, where he faced rough treatment in 1658. In 1659, he was pulled out of a meeting in Westminster by his hair and beaten.

In May 1659, he traveled to Dunkirk with Edward Burrough. When the local leaders told them to leave, they refused. The authorities then simply asked them to be calm. After a few days of trying to talk with monks and nuns without success, they returned to England.

The next year, Fisher and Stubbs made a journey to Rome. They walked over the Alps and shared their Quaker beliefs with several important cardinals. They also handed out Quaker writings. Surprisingly, they were not bothered or warned by anyone. When Fisher returned, he was dressed well. Some people thought he might be a Jesuit (a Catholic priest) and was getting money from the Pope. He was put in prison and faced more difficulties.

Later Life and Writings

In 1660, Fisher had a debate with Thomas Danson in Sandwich, Kent. Later that year, he was put in Newgate Prison. For the rest of his life, he mostly stayed around London, where he was a very successful preacher.

In 1661, he was put in Gatehouse Prison, Westminster, and treated badly. In 1662, he was arrested again and sent to Bridewell Prison for attending a meeting that was not allowed. He was sent to Newgate Prison again for refusing to take oaths (promises). He stayed there for over a year. During this time, he wrote a book called 'The Bishop busied beside the Business.' For part of this time, he was in a very small room with other prisoners, so small that they could not all lie down at the same time.

Soon after he was released, he was arrested again in Charlwood, Surrey. He was sent to the White Lion Prison, Southwark, where he was held for about two years. During the terrible Great Plague of London (a widespread illness), he was temporarily let out. He went to the house of Ann Travers, a Quaker, in Dalston, near London. He died there from the plague on August 31, 1665.

Samuel Fisher's writings were important Quaker books for more than a hundred years. William Sewel, a historian, said Fisher was "clever and skilled in ancient poets and Hebrew." William Penn, a close friend and famous Quaker, praised Fisher's calm personality and humble nature.

Samuel Fisher's Works

Samuel Fisher used a special writing style that was easy for many people to understand. It was described as having a lively, popular feel.

One of his important works was Rusticus ad Academicos (1660). This book was a strong criticism of the traditional church and university teachings. It showed Fisher's deep knowledge of the Bible. In this work, he suggested that people might not agree on how to understand the Bible, which was a very new idea at the time.

Some of Fisher's other works include:

• Baby-Baptism meer Babism, 1653. This book argued against baptizing babies.
• Christianismus Redivivus, 1655.
• The Scorned Quaker's True and Honest Account, 1656. This explained why he spoke out for his beliefs.
• The Burden of the Word of the Lord, 1656.
• Rusticus ad Academicos, 1660.
• An Additional Appendix to the book entitled "Rusticus ad Academicos" 1660.
• Lux Christi emergens, oriens, effulgens, ac seipsam expandens per universum, 1660.
• One Antidote more against that provoking Sin of Swearing, 1661.
• Ἀπόκρυπτα ἀποκάλυπτα, Velata Quædam Revelata, 1661.
• Ἐπίσκοπος ἀπόσκοπος; the Bishop Busied beside the Businesse, 1662.

These and other works were collected and printed together in 1679 under the title The Testimony of Truth Exalted.