The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-04-13
tfIom ne PhvsnoicgieaI Journal
SHAKER COMMUNITIES.

SHAKER COMMUNITIES.
THE Society Of Shakers originated in Englan,
in l770 but now they are exclusively c0nhnes
10 the UH,cd States where 10 1860 they la,
| eightsen Communities, with some 1000 adherenls
Theee are located Ia five Oflhe States, a. follows
New York, three Massachusetts,, four Connects
cut, one Ohio, four Kentucky, two Maine
two New Hampshire, two. These communities
are subdiyided into families of from two To eight
each Of which Is distinct, having and managing
iis own pccuniary aud temporal intercs,cs 81
that the. .fdHsitiss Ia Society DO no more have
| their property "in common than do the Societies
themselves, except as they are bound together by
the strong tics OF u common faiM.
Shakers nat tin soine sOrl) bc considered an
oiishooi from the Society u fricnds About the
year lIl5, some membcrs OF the Society Of Friends
who had become subjects o. the extensive religious
revival that followed the last great advent oil
Spiritualsm which occurred in the beginning o
the eighteenth century, formed Themselves into
. Society, Of which James and Jane wardley
were the lcadcrs Of this little Society Ann les
aud her parents were members. Their worship
was remarkable for great physical manifestations
aud spiritual illumination" going forth in ,h,
dances OF them that make merry, even ou The
Sabbath-day. This excited the opposition aud
persecution OF the orthodox professors Of ID,
Established Church who imprisoned Ann l.cc "a.
n Sabbath-brraker
In 1870, in prison, Ann protested 10 have
received special revelations, by the inspiration o
the same Chris, Spirit that had inspired Jesus ai
the time oi his baptism by John.
Ia vitture VI this manifestation, her followers
have ever since termed her .Ko,hsr ANn, aud they
call Jesus Father Jesas this with them) being
the marriage OF the Lamb, Ann being the
wife who had made herself ready" for the
spiritual Conjunction.
In l11S, Mother Ann aud eight followers by
the direct instruction from spirits TO each one OF
the company, emiSraic,. 10 America, aud settled
at WAiervliei, seven miles from Albany, " l. :
and, in 1919. violent rrig gions excitement added
greatly To the number OF her converts, and
Mother Ann instituted the Shaker Order, as now
existing
Between l7s7 aud 1913 eleven Shaker settle
menis were made AID sin &C that time seven
additional chufehts have been organized Gener-
ally two or Ihiec families, Of from fifty 10 two
hundred icrsons each, live near together
Everywhere their gardens ana buildings are
models Of uratucss. \ large dWelling-house,
divided through the ccnlct by wide halls, is
erected for each family the males occupying one
eide aud the females the other. They have one
excellent nUiiOn-ihai idcness Il II sin.
In their extensive gardens they raise nearly all
kinds "' herbs, fruits, flowers, and vegetables
They are especial famous for their brooms and
gArden-secds, keichup, aud appie-saucc They
N1S '"h NoAAst naA uNfaa hNQ ttrt
Community has school house for the education
OF the children they adopt
They believe IN spiritual manifestations, aud
exhibit their inspiration 10 most striking
manner, which has given them the apielaiion
Of Shaker
They have "a ministry, composed Of two brethren
and two sisters who have the Oversight, of one
or more Societies and each family IN every
Society has four elders, two brethren and two
sisters, who have the charge Of the family. The
iemPoFaliiies OF each family are cared for by two
deacons and two deaconcsscs The property OF
family Is held In common. The members OF
the Society are not permitted 10 marry.
The Shakers bold that God is dual, there being,
~ the Deity, an Eternal Father aud Mother tie
Heavenly Parents OF man and that the revelation
of God Is progressive. That God WAS trsl krc.-n
as Great spirit, TO Abraham then, 10 Moses
hs the Great ] am, the God Of Abrsham, Isa,,
aud jacob and finally 10 a select few. In the
Holy OF holIcs rs "JehOvah lie, SLc-Faihcr
and Mother. That the ;c,,i. ON Vi Christ was
also progressive, being hi,i huuwn only as ''ihe
Lord from heaven, = uuIckcnlue Spirit, visiting
Jesus then as bis guardian spirit making hii
known as Jesus Christ. Jesus 90, Auoinied liut
that, III the second appearing. or secuud influx
Of the thTisl.Spigt. 10 Ann uu4 he! follower.
Christ Is known ~ lhc Resurrection Orits ., Ia.
gcls, who Gwt.. 10 the high AID hu.y h,ayens
whcie nO gcuetaiiv, ur - oinau ever pcn,tla.
ted, " ever Viii, except thcs iiss through thu
valley vi the shadow " death NJ did Jesus and
Ann. BY this, the, mean that the reproductive
spirii ia nialc and female, beginning IN childhood
and ending 10 marriage i cruciicd, aud
heavenly spiritual union, ike that of Jesus aud
Ann. is formed.
Thus Christ OF Chris,-Sprii, was manifested
IN Jesus as Father, aud in Am ~ Mother the
Two Amounted Ones that stand hy las mcliaiors
between god aud mani :" the Lord OF the whole
earth.
The doctrines OF celibacy, non residence. non.
participation in earthly government. salvation
from sin, community OF goods, present revelation
and eternal progression, ihey claim to have
received from the Chrisi-Spri,s, with whom all
true Shakers are in perpetual rapport
They believe ia the existence Of ;out heavens
and four bells, In the spiri-worli. as having
stood, and still standing, like the substance TO
the shadow, in juxia-rclaiion to the four grand
Dispensations by which they distinguish one
period OF the religious spiritual progress VI the
race from another. The first three the An,edilu-
vian, the Mosaic the first (or Mile) Christian
Dspensaiions, have been and are in full tide Of
life, on the outward and inward carths and
these are all states and places OF probation
No; SO the fourth, or non-gcncrative heaven
where all good Shakers 60 as will also an those
In the other three heavens and bells, who shalt
ultimately receive the Resurrection or Christ.
faith, OF forsakiug all the rndimenial PRINCIPLES
and elements OF those three Dispcnsaiions, which
are of the ''lusis OF the flesh OF the eve, and OF
lise'-the family relation Of private property. Of
parents, brothers, sisters, kiih and kin-for a
celihaie and celestial property relation in the
inner heavens with Mcfs
Spiriiualism has encouraged the Shakers 10
hope for abundant accession To their ranks hut
In this hope they have been disappointed. and
their growth Is very slow Bai II Is fact
worthy os note, that they are the only people on
this continent. ifnoi in the world, who have
maintained for more than eighty Year, a system
ofliving Que OF the fundamental principles Of
which i Community u Property
L. 5. by Shaker. The writer Of the above
Is mistaken. We are not "disappoinied' ia
regard 10 the increase 10 our Order from among
the Spiritualisis. We feel more certain now thai
ever before ofAai as inal result - KyAN.
MocSr LEBANON, Cot Co. ~