Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1875-10-23
WHAT ARE SHAKERS!

An Editor Tells Is About Ann Lee, her
in the New shakers he
The Albany Times publishes a sermon
recently delivered by Elder George AL
bert Tomas; of the New Lebanon Shakers,
in which he gives a sketch of Ann Lee
and the first Shakers that left England
for the new world. Ann Lee, the founder
of the order, descended from England,
having Manchester as a birthplace, the
daughter of a poor, ignorant, but indus
trious blacksmith man who came hon
estly by his ignorance, and as honestly
transmitted the bliss of ignorance to a
large family of children. At an early
dav she claimed TT Size enjoyed visions
and as She matured tht.S Rs'oHs did not
cease. She married Abraham Stanley,
by whom she had four children, all of
whom died when infants. She then
Joined a society of Shakers, her husband,
who had grown tired of her, gladly giving
his permission. Ann Lee did not live a
very peaceful life. Elder Tomas says:
Her laundering testimony against the
lusts of the flesh aroused such bitter
hate that she was arrested, cast into a
dungeon in which she could in nowise
straighten herself, and there left to starve,
her cell door not being opened for two
full weeks She came III in a tolerablv
good condition, but for some remark of
hers, was again arrested and arraigned
for blasphemy. Taken by the mob before
several minister RS fthe established church,
the mob asked permission to brand her
cheek and bore her tongue, the penalty
of the b~lasphemer. The ministers asked
her to speak in unknown tongues-she
said she could not without the aid of the
spirit. The spirit moved and she spoke
for four hours in seyenty-twO tongues
and dialects. These judges advised the
mob to let her go in peace; but resolving
themselves into executioners, they led
her and the companions into a valley
to stone them to.death. Through provi
dental interference, they quarreled
among themselves after throwing a few
harmless shots, and abandoned theil
wicked design. She was spiritually
directed to journey to America, where
she told her disciples, God had a chosel
people, and where He was then preparin.
the land for the setting up Of Hi
church."
They embarked upon a condemned
vessel-the Mariah, Capt. Smith, of New
York. The spirit had previously lee
them forth in dances, and battles O
spiritual warfare, shaking and bowling
and other grOtesque maneuvers. Thes
began on %shipboard; the captain, enraged
threatened to cast them all overheard
the same was repeated. 1t was repeated
II in the midst of a storm; and Will
the captain was preparing to put hi
threat into execution, a plank starte,
from the ships bow, and the water
rushed in like a food. All hands wer
at the pumps, BAT many times thei
number would npt meet the necessity
The captain, pale as death, informed a
of their inevitable fate, and bid theI
prepare for the king of terrors. "CaI
tain" said Ann Lee, "there shall not
hair of our heads perish! | see two al
gels st the mast, from whom | receive
this message!" Then came a mighty Sc.
and the plank was secured in its plac,
Persecution ceased on that vessel. Tt
shakers were indeed the captain of thu
vessel the remainder of the voyage, an
We have the testimony of the capital
that, chad not that people sailed in h
vesselhe never would have seen America.
On the sixth day of August, IVA, the
landed in New York. America was co
vulsed with great dissatisfactions Pas
ing up Pearl street they came to a hou.
at the door of which sat a woman. Hal
ing, they stated they had come to preaC
the everlasting gospel to America, al
that the Lord had directed them to tn.
house. They were cared for here unit
they had homes of their own. Son
months after they passed up the river
Albany. Here they were challenge
being suspected as British spies, and a
though Mother Ann invariably predicte
the success of the American cause, We
because they would neither take the Oat
nor fight, they were cast into prise
Although confined, they were treatt
very kindly by the authorities of tn
old Dutch city, and the posterity of the
keepers seem never to have learned to
unkind to the peculiar people called Sh
kers. Many expressed themselves wi
horror at the idea of combining religiO
refugees in dungeons while the count
vas struggling for liberty and conscienC
''The earth opened its mouth and help,
the women" in the person of govern
George Clinton, who released the pers
cuted Shakers.
Our founder ''fed into the wilde
ness and remained three years and
half. She gathered many truth-lovil
souls. She travelled extensively, NEE
ing with prosecutions in the caste
states almost too incredible to te
Having planted her testimony upon
pure and imperishable basis, establish
new mission of Jesus, by teaching al
example, making prominent purity
life as an essential in the character
christians. and attesting the truth, tn
the soul OF a woman is capable, of recei
ing the spirit of Christ equally well wi
man, she departed this life, less than fit
years old, having labored in this count
a little more than ten years. Such a.
indeed, the outlines Of one who was me
stubborn in support of principle
English disposition, whose. bluffness W
turned to good account, and who suffer
nearly all things rather than let therig
go down-an undaunted prophecies al
savior to her sex and race. The Shake
do not worship Ann Lee. She was t
medium of revelations which to the
are exceedingly good. We revere t
spirit with which she was baptized, |
cause its operations in the soul we
identical with those in Jesus. She W
with us, the fulfllment of the prophe
of Christian love, beheaded in Gro
wells time: "Out of thee, oh, Ell
land, shall a bright star arise, whose Liz
and voice will make the heavens sha
and knock under with submission to t
blessed Jesus" The principle enun
ated by Ann Lee can be best REFER
to by answering the question: "W
are the Shakers?" The Shakers are
people whose line of conduct is in ayr
ment with certain Christian princip
introduced or revived by a goodly sort
a woman, Ann Lee, after their aim,
total extinction from the practice of
general heads of Common propert,
"Non-resistance !" "Celibaey in Lift
and distinction of Government
They believe God and Christ to be dl
affinities, father and mother. They
lieye Jesus became Christ or anoint