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Two Years' Experience Among the Shakers

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Two Years' Experience Among the Shakers TWO YEARS' EXPERIENCE AMONG THE SHAKERSZ BEING A DESCRIPTION 0F THE Manners and Customs of that People, THE NATURE AND POLICY OF THEIR GOVERNMENT, Their n'A"Y0u0ll Intdboune with the 8piritum`|~ World, 'rnz owner AND Usms or __ cournsslon, THEIR INQUISITION, IH SHOIT, A COIDIIISID VIIW OP SIIAKERISM AS IT IS. BY DAVID R. ;A1v;soN. "There B nothing oovsnd, fhat lhsll not be nvealpd; neithex hi, thstihall not be known." -Jun: Cum. WEST BOYLSTON: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. _ 1848. - C ?3(»'i5.'~fg "1P~lD collfe *MAY I8 1911'" LIBRARY I . {(,4 ,_ Q A / V Ihahnd weordingh the Actor Cougnu, inth|yurl8AB, by Dum B.`L|l»ox in the 0l|rk'| Oiine of dm DistrlotCou-tot Muauhunttc. 'J ,f` 1 -I Q 'J :Y PREFACE. The following pages have been prepued with the view of throwing light upon the subject of Shakerism. The Shakers being a very secret as well as very sin- gular people, very little can be known of their inter- nal affairs and mysteries, except by those who have lived 'among them. And even the common members have little or no correct knowledge of the real policy of their government, or the origin of the mysteries they behold, and at which they marvel. The objec- tionable parts of the system are carefully kept from the view of visiters, and from their neighbors; and from those who join them from the world as long as practicable. in the the smill _ Many people world, viewing only ing and peaceful exterior of Shakerism, have along- ing wish to be connected with them, feeling that by so doing, they shall release themselves from the care and turmoil of life. But a very short experience, in almost every case, suliices them, and they withdraw. This is a costly and vexatious way of obtaining a knowledge of Shakerism; and to remove the neces- sity of such a course, is a principal object of this work. The works which have preceded this on the same subject, if not true in every particular, yet contain much more truth than I could believe prior to my expe- rience among that people. They contain some things 6 mance. which my own experience among that people does riot enable me to confirm ; yet as the authors of those works may have gone deeper into the hidden things of that kingdpm than I was able to do, I do not feel warranted in are untrue. saying they _ I have made no statements in the following work which I do not know or fully believe to be true, and can substantiate by indubitable evidence. It may not be improper to state also, that I have written with no ill feelings, or desire to injure that people. But on the principle that the public have a right to the facts developed in this work, and to comply with the numerous solicitations I have received for~such a work. Personally, I was treated by the ,Shakers with great kindness and consideration; and during the sicknes ' of my children, no efforts seemed to lbe spared on their part to render them comfortable, and procure their recovery. I take great pleasure in ac- knowledging this goodness of theirs, and most heartily reciprocate all their good feelings. And still feel a duty inexposing the whole truth. " Doubtless the "Lead will do as they have done in regard to other works on this subject: viz. use all the means in their power to prevent their subjects from reading it. Such is the policy of their govern- ment, and is necessary to their continuance as a peo- ple. D. R. L. INDEX. Compendium of the History of Shakerism, 9 Description of the village,-in name, . `/ Reasons for to . going the Shakers, § , . V' ow gheiruglovergment,eaut orit or te"Lead"ssuh. i ported, . 3 Birth of and the . 32 day Motliier Ann, Holy gave, _ The manner ofjakiug their meals, . Education, ....... (41,,46' .Communion with the spiritual world, . 50 Ceremony of anointing, ...... 50 Family meetings, a description of, .... 52 Mountain ground, fountain, monument, 6§ ' Heavenly meetmtgs-theDress or the occasion, _ . Written revelations given on the mountain, . Gifts, songs, unknown tongues, . Whirlin ilt, ,__.__ 85 David þÿ'l ¬a|¥ry'sgills, warring gills, . 88 Gift of Holy Mother Wisdom, .... 93 'l`he ..... Father and the Son, . 97 Cleansing gm and roaring song, . .... 105 A revelation concerning the personality of the devil, . 107 Annual fast, ..... 109 ~ Sacred Roll and Book, . _ lll Extracts from the Second . 124 seal of the proppart.et Jeremiah, . 129 TheTestifyingprop et .... 130 Testimony ofEllshaithe E even Angels, . 1 " " Harriet Goodwin, . 33 " " > Martha Van Vslin, ..... , 43 " " Allah Zilleh Potter, . , . £146 , " " Joseph Wicker, ....... 148 ~ " " Mary Ann Jennings, and aseal from the Lord Jehovah, 149 " " j Bengamin Seth Youngs, ..... - Remarks, ....... 1 Gifts of a miracle, . s . Confessionhealing,of ne, . 1 Community of property, . .... 69 4- A plan for those who would throw of the yoke, . Keepin children inst the wish of nts, @7 Case ofRobert Jertisns' children, and petition to the Lodge of Odd Fellows, . 11? ' of . Manner treating those who wish to leave them, . Case of Jane Ann Weed, . of Williams and . Story Mary William Wright, _ " " Are the Lead pure from the sin of oarnality ? . Foundllngs, . , . 200 Principal doctrines.-Second Advent . 201 " / Do the Lead" believe in the pretended revelations? . 206 Community of property. Conclusion. 2177 lf* A COMPENDIUM ' or 'ras C HISTORY OF SHAKERISM. _ ANN LEE was the founder of the Society called Shak- ers. She was born in Manchester, England, Feb. 29, 1736. Her father was a blacksmith, a poor man with a large fam- ily. Ann was married to Abraham Stanley, who had serv- ed his apprenticeship with her father, before she was 18 years of age. By him she had four children. Three of them died in infancy; the other at the age of _six years.- After embracing the doctrine of celibacy she was separat- ed from her husband, and resumed her maiden name. He joined himself to another woman. When it is said that Ann Lee was the founder of Shak4 erism, the statement requires some qualification. She did not originate the whole system. Many of its peculiarities may be traced back nearly two hundred years, to a remark- able religious revival which took place in France, among " the protestants, or, as they were then called, Huguenots," who were then much persecuted by the Catholics. Great numbers of the subjects of this revival, made pretensions to very extraordinary and supernatural inspirations. They pretended to be endowed with all the apostolic gifts :-- prophesying, healing, raising from the dead, speaking in unknown tongues, falling in trances, trembling, shaking, having various spasms or agitations of the body, dw. " These are know; by the appellation of The French 10 nrsronv or sruxlsnrsu. Prophets." They were of both sexes, and of all ages, from six years old and upwards. This revival occured about the year 1668. Many of these fied to England to escape persecution. In 1747 these peculiarities were revived in England by James Wardley and his wife, Jane, and others, who organ- ized themselves into a society. These were principally from the denomination of Quakers, and therefore they were, at first, called Shaking Quakers. Matrimony was allowed among them at this time. They held the doctrine of the confession`of sins. And Jane Wardley was called Mother by the other members of the society. Ann Lee joined this society in 1758, being in her 23rd year of age. By her zeal and energy she gained consid- erable influence in the society, and the aged " Lead," James and Jane Wardley, finally resigned their otlice in her favor. The apostolic gifts to which Shakers now pre- tend, the various agitations of the body, the confession of sins, the idea of a Spiritual Mother, &,c., doubtless origi- nated with the French prophets, and have been handed down to the presegt day. But the doctrine of total-absti- nence from sexual coition, their doctrine of the second Ad- the and of their vent, organization government societyI originated with " Mother Ann and the elders with her." She, and those of her followers whose circumstances en~ abled them to do so, emigrated to America in 1774. The nunes of those who came with her were Abraham Stanley, (her husband) Wm. Lee, her brother, Nancy Lee, her lieice, Mary Partington, James Whitaker, John Hocknell, and James Shepherd. J. Shepherd and A. Stanley, after~ wards withdrew from them. The remaining six establish- ed Shakerism in America. They arrived in New York on the 6th of August. Soon after, by the advice of some be- nevolent Quakers, they proceeded- up the North river to Watervliet, then called Niskeyund;` here they purchased the spot where they have maintained a society to the pres- ent diy. John Hocknell was the only one among them at this time who was possessed of any considerable amount of nwroav or Inaxnrusu. ll property; and to his property the society is indebted for its infantile support. Alter purchasing at Watervleit, they returned to New York, and Hocknell returned to England for his family. During the absence of Hocknell the other members were employed at their various occupations. Ann and her husband in New York, Wm. Lee, Shepherd and Whitaker, in Albany. .Hocknell returned ih Dec. 1775, accompanied by his family, and John Partington and fam- ily. The ensuing Spring, the working members of the so- ciety repaired to Watervleit and laid the foundation of their settlement, where the other members joined them in the Autumn of 1776. Here they remained in obscurity for the space of three or four years, when an opening was made for their eiforts by means of a remarkable revival in New Lebanon, N.
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