The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-07-14

ter a century Of quiet existence, the
Shakers, or, as they call themselves,
the United Society of Believers in
Christ's Second Appearance, are tax
ing the aggressive. No longer salts
fed with living alone in their peculiar
way, they are determined to make
others acquainted with their views
and correct erroneous prepossessions
respecting them. The Canterbury IN.
H. family is the first in the field, We
believe. It numbers among it's mem
bers Mr.. James Hartley, graduate
of Oxford, and formerly one of the
editors of the London Telegraph. If
any one can defend the Shaker tenets
with ability, his antecedents would
seem to point him out as a prominent
champion. Shakerism. though now
mainly confined to the United States,
is of English origin. 1t started among
some members of the Society of
Friends near Manchester, England.
in 1747. Among them were the pa
rents of Ann Lee, since known to the
denomination as Mother Ann. The
original disciples danced and trem-
bled in their worship, and claimed the
gift of tongues. They were persecu-
ted somewhat by their unbelieving
neighbors. La 1770 Ann Lee claimed
to, receive divine revelations, which
form the substance of what is now be-
lieved by her followers. In 1774 she
emigrated to this country with several
others, as was alleged. by command
bany, N. Y, and their numbers were
much increased from the participants
in a sort of religious revival which
was accompanied by violent physical
manifestations. Mother Ann died in
1884. Before her death she had pro-
mulgated the idea that the faithful
ought to dwell in communities. and
soon after her departure Joseph Mea-
cham, formerly Baptist preacher,
began to carry her ideas into effect.
There are now dozen or fourteen of
these families or societies in different
parts of the Union. The inmates are
sober, hard working people, hold
ing their property in common, yet
keeping it under careful management.
They worship, as they say, with
both soul and body, dancing with
regular feature of their religious ex-
ercises. They hold to the Immediate
agency and influence of angels, and
, the departed spirits of their brethren
and sisters. Their creed is peculiar,
embracing the quality OF God. He is
the Eternal Father and Mother Of all
angelic beings, being revealed in the
| latter characteristic in 177O, through
Ann Lee. The fourth cycle then be-
gan. The first made God known only
as a spirit; the second or Jewish re-
vealed Him as the Jehovah, and the
third, inaugurated by the advent of
| Jesus, proclaimed Ills Fatherhood
The second appearing of the Christ
within sin unto salvation" took place
through Ann Lee. Neither Jesus
nor Ann, but the principles they pro-
claimed, are the foundation of the
church. They believe in four heay-
ems and four .hells, corresponding
4 with the four cycles, the first three Of
both being probationary. The fourth,
however, has only been reached, thus
far, by Christ and Ann Lee, but will
eventually be attained by all good
Shakers, and by those inmates of the
lower heavens and hells who shall
make good use of their light after
death. Celibacy is enjoined on all
saints The children of this world
are still allowed to use marriage solely
for the perpetuation of the race, but
the members of the communities
must be above all this. What may be
said in regard to the peculiarly of the
above views, the practical effect OF
Shakerism in assuring the destruction
of the race should it's tenets ever at
tain universal adoption. will seem a
REDUCTIO AID ABSURDUM. The mass
of people will be content that the
brethren and sisters shall lead their
prosaic and Industrious lives, but will
not be inclined to Join them unless
their own situation is positively disa-
greeable The communities want none
but sincere and reputable members
and these they are not likely to get in
very large numbers. While human
nature remains as it is, marrying and
giving in marriage will be more popu.
lar than celibate existence.