Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-02
Shaker Meeting at Dandy.


Elder Frederick w. Evans, Of the
Mount Lebanon Shaker Society, preached
in the Union Church, Dandy Borough, on
Sunday forenoon, Feb. Goth. He was &C.
companied by three brothers and four sis
tiers of the fraternity, making eight in all.
1t was an occasion OF great interest to the
people Of this vicinity, and it is very sci.
dom an event occurs to call out so large
an audience, the church being filed to its
utmost capacity. 1t was an occasion Of
much interest, because but little is known
to the outside world Of this society, and
hence many came from distance to learn
something in regard to the Shakers. The
men were dressed similar to the early
Quakers, as were also the ladies, and with
the same Quaksr-like neatness and man
ners. Elder Evans in some brief prelimi-
nary remarks, said he was pleased to meet
80 many here, and stated the object Of
holding the meeting. He thought the
time had arrived when the world should
know more of the manners and customs
of the Shakers, and when the public
should know, as they ought, more of the
theology of this peculiar people, Know
ing it to be duty to do all the good they
could to their fellow men in the journey
of life, Withholding the knowledge of no
good thing-impressed with the convic-
ton that there lies within their power the
possibility of doing more good than here
tofore, and being urged continually, BY
friends of reform, to communicate to the
world of mind their ideas of life and hap
piness as viewed from their platform,
were the reasons for their taking the step
of appearing before them and soliciting
attention to their theological views, as
they had done in other places, and in all
the principal cities of the country.
The services then commenced with
singing by the Shakers, in which all
Joined, the men and women standing in a
line, facing the audience. This was fol-
lowed by other exercises in song. Elder
Evans then delivered an interesting and
instructive discourse, not combining him.
self, however, to any particular point, but
touching upon all the different points OF
their belief, and we wish we were able to
give it in full. but as we are not, we will
content ourselves with giving the outlines.
He not only considered the Shaker in a
religious point of view, but physically and
socially. He said the Shakers were a
"peculiar people" in view of their theolo.
CIV and forms of worship, but not in their
religion. There was distinction between
theology and religion; theology varied
with different denominations, but religion
never changes. In religion 1--WE do unto
others as we would have them do unto
US :" this was religion in whatever people
it was found; but theology is the means
of expressing our views. Every human
being had more or less religion, and were
related to each other in this respect. II
was our duty to love God and our fellow
men. Parents loved one another, and
their children, this was household religion
A particular form of theology does not
effect religion, for pure religion never
changed, and consisted in loving and
serving God, and those who lived such a
religious life was accepted of Him. The
heather world had religion, the same as
we have, for they love God and love one
another. He thought the lives of those
calling themselves Christians wonld not
compare very favorably with the lives Of
heather in many cases. The Shakers, al
though peculiar people in view OF their
Theology, yet they claimed religion with
other people, and with the various de-
nominations of Christians He then
briefly noticed some of the principal
points upon which their theology was
founded. He disagreed with some Chris
tians who claimed that a portion of the
people were aaved while the other por
ton was lost. He took Jesus of Nazareth
as the starting point and standard; he
taught the same theology as the Shakers
do. The life and character of Abraham
was then briefly sketched, showing the
character, manners and customs of the
people of those times. in which there
seemed to be a relation and reference tc
i Sha kerism.
!. In reality we were all idoiaters, and
idol worshipers. Idolatry was not YET
DESTROYED, the land was full of idols, il
which respect we were heathens, az much
as the people of former times. Men wor
shipped gold and silver, dress, and many
other things to which they bowed dowr
to, and this was the only God that some
had. But he believed by the increasing
manifestations of the spirit, at the presen
day, that this idolatry would be destroyed
and thought mankind was progressing
from the low to the higher forms of theol
ogy. He thought the prayers of idolater
were heard as much as those of Christians
because of their belief in something be
|, lieved as God. Idol worshippers hac
; more sense than what we give them credi
for; they merely believed idols to be (
medium through which to communicat'
with the God. This was spirit medium
and here the question came up what wa
Spiritualism If man die shall he liv,
again He showed that Spiritualism wa
very ancient, and that their belief in re
gard to it, agreed with that of moder'
Spiritushsts. Shakers are in fact Spirit
ualists, and in this portion of the dis
course, the Spiritual Philosophy of tn
nineteenth century was ably advocated
He said that for 1900 years Their
had been perpetual war between
science and theology, and science was get
ing the better of theology. Science wa
an orderly arrangement of facts. Spirit
ualism was science, as much so as &c
ology or astronomy belief in certain
, facts.
In regard to holding property in com
mon. he said that the earth should not b
divided among the people, it was com