The Osceola times., 1875-10-23
WHAT ARE SHAKERS.
An Editor Tells us About Ann Lee. her
rcrsee uttons and her POwer-BIcr Work
In the New World-Whaf shakers Isr-

bert Lomas; 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 n birthplace, the
daughter of poor, ignorant, but indus
trious blacksmith man who came hon.
estly by his ignorance, and as honestly
transmitted the bliss of ignorance to q
liargc family of children. At an early
day she claimed that she enjoyed visions
and as she matured these visions did not
cease She married Abraham Stanley
by whom she had four children, all OF
whom died when infants. She then
joined 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 Lomas saws
Her laundering testimony against the
lusts of the flesh aroused such bitter
hate that she was arrested, cast into Il
dungeon in which she could in nowise
straightcn herself and there left to starve,
her cell door not being opened for two
full weeks She came out in "A tolerably
good condition, but for some remark OF
hers, was again arrested and arraigncd
for blasphemy. Taken by the mob before
several ministers ofthe established church.
the mob asked permission to brand her
cheek and bore her tongue, the penalty
of the blasphemer. 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 seventy-two tongues
and dialects. These judges advised the
mob to let her 60 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 quarrced
among themselves after throwing few
harmless shots, and abandoned their
| wicked design. She was spiritually
directed to journey to America, where
she told her disciples, "God had a chosen
people, and where He was then preparing
the land for the setting up Of His
church"
They embarked upon a condemned
| vesscl-the Mariah, Capt. Smith, of New
York. The spirit had previously led
them forth in dances, and battles of
spiritual warfare shaking and bowling,
and other grotesque maneuvers. These
began on shipboard; the captain, enraged
| threatened to cast them all overheard if
the same was repeated. 1t was repeated,
and in the midst of a storm; and while
the captain was preparing to put his
| threat into execution, plank started
from the ships bow, and the waters
rushed in like food. All hands were
at the pumps, but many times their
number would not meet the necessity.
The captain, pale as death, informed all
of their inevitable fate, and bid them
prepare for the king Of terrors. cap
tain said Ann Lee, "there shall not
hair of our heads perish! see two an
gels 1T the mast, from whom ! received
this message" Then came "A mighty sea,
and the plank was secured in its place.
Persecution ceased on that vessel. The
shakers were indeed the captain of that
vessel the remainder of the voyage, and
we have the testimony of the captain
that, "had not that people sailed in his
vessel he neverwould have seen America
On the sixth day of August, IVA, they
| landed in New York. America was con-
vulsed with great dissatisfactions. Pass
| ing up Pearl street they came to IA house
at the door of which sat woman. Halt
ing, they stated they had come to preach
the everlasting gospel TO America, and
| that the Lord had directed them to that
house. They were cared for here until
they had homes of their own. Some
months after they passed up the river to
Albany. Here they were challenged,
being suspected as British spies, and al
though Mother Ann invariably predicted
the success of the American cause, vet,
because they would neither take thcoath
nor fight, they were cast into prison.
Although confined, they were treated
very kindly by the authorities of that
old Dutch city, and the posterity of their
keepers seem never to have learned 10 he
unkind to the peculiar people called Sha-
kcrs. Many expressed themselves with
horror at the idea of conlining religious
refugees in dungeons while the country
was struggling for liberty and conscience.
"The earth opened its mouth and helped
the women" in the person of governor
George Clinton, who released the persc-
cuted Shakers.
Our founder "fed into the wilder
ness and remained three years and a
half. She gathered many truth-loying
souls. She travelled extensively, meet
ing with prosecutions in the eastern
states almost too incredible to tell.
Having planted hep testimony upon a
pure and impershablc basis, establishing
q new mission of Jesus, by teaching and
example, making prominent purity of
life as an essential in the character of
christians, and attesting the truth, that
the soul of a woman is capable, of receiy-
ing the spirit of Christ equally well with
man, she departed this life, less than fifty
years old, having labored in this country
a little more than ten years. Such are.
indeed, the outlines Of one who was most
stubborn i'll support of principle-an
English disposition, whose bluflness was
turned to good account, and who suffered
nearly all things rather than let the right
90 down--an undaunted prophecies and
savior to her sexand race. The Shakers
do not worship Ann Lee, She was the
medium of revelations which to them
are exceedingly good We revere the
spirit with which she was baptized be-
cause its operations in the soul were
identical with those in Jesus. She was
|. with Us, the fulfillment of the prophecy
of Christian love, beheaded in Crom-
wells time: "Out OF thee, oh, Eng
land. shall a bright star arise. whose light