The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-09-23
WHAT ARE SHAKERS Z

tI..f--- n N.lf.-t Hgv .4y
An Editor Tells us About Ann Lee, her
Prosecutions and her Power--.Her Work
in the New Worid---What shakers Be-
lieve. r ...". Igsltr eE .sH1
The Albany Times publishes ser
mon recently delivered by Elder George
Albert Lomas, of the New Lebanon
Shakers, in which he gives sketch OF
Ann Lee and the first Shakers that left
England for the new world. Ann Lee,
from England, having Manchester as a
birthplace, the daughter of poor, ig-
norant, but industrious blacksmith-a
man who came honestly by his ignorance,
and as honestly transmitted the bliss OF
ignorance to large family of children.
At an early day she claimed that she en-
joyed visions, and as she matured these
visions did not cease. She married
Abraham Stanley, by whom she had foul
children, all of whom died when infants.
She then joined a society of Shakers, he1
husband, who had grown tired of her,
gladly giving his permission. Ann Lee
did not live q very peaceful life. Elder
Lomas 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
out in tolerably good condition., but
for some remark of hers, was again ar.
rested and arraigned for blasphemy.
Taken by the mob before several
ministers of the established church, the
mob asked permission to brand hel
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 adj
vised the mob to let her go in peace
but resolving themselves into execution
ers, they led her and the companions in
to valley to stone them to death.
Through Providential interference, they
quarreled amongthemselves after throw.
ing few harmless shots, and abandoned
their wicked design. She was spiritually
directed to journey to America, where.
she told her disciples, "God had 8
chosen people, and where He was ther
preparing the land for the setting up Of
His church"
They embarked upon a condemned
vessel-the Mariah, Capt. Smith, of New
York. The spirit had previously LED
them forth in dances, in battles OF
spiritual warfare, shaking and howling
and other grotesque maneuvers. These
began on shipboard; the captain, en-.
ragged, threatened to cast them all over.
board if the same was repeated. 1t was
repeated, and in the midst of storm
and while the captain was preparing tc
put his threat into execution, a plank
started from the ships bow, and the
waters rushed in like flood. All hands
were at the pumps, but many times theil
number would not meet the necessity
The captain, pale as death, informed al
of their inevitable fate, and bid then
prepare for the king of terrors. "Cap.
tain," said Ann Lee, "there shall moi
hair of our heads perish see two
angels at 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 oi
that vessel the remainder of the voyage
and we have the testimony of the captain
that, chad not that people sailed in his
vessel he never would have seen Ameri
ca !" On the sixth day of August, 1774
they landed in New York. America was
convulsed with great dissatisfactions
Passing up Pearl street they came to {
house at the door of which sat woman.
Hating, they stated they had come tC
preach the everlasting gospel to America
and that the Lord had directed them te
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 chal
lenged, being suspected as British spies
and although Mother Ann invariably
predicted the success of the American
cause, yet, because they would neither
take the oath nor fight, they were cas-
into prison. Although confined, they
were treated very kindly by the authori
ties of that old Dutch city, and the pos
terity of their keepers seem never tC
have learned to be unkind to the pecu
liar people called Shakers. Many ex
pressed themselves with horror at tht
idea of confning religious refugees il
dungeons while the country was strug
Cling for liberty of conscience. "Th'
earth opened its mouth and helped tn,
woman" in the person of Gov. George
Clinton, who released the persecuteC
Shakers.
Our founder " fed into the wilder
ness" and remained three years and (
half. She gathered many truth-lovine
souls. She travelled extensively, meet
ing with prosecutions in the Eastern
States almost too incredible to tell
Having planted her testimony upon {
pure and imperishable basis, establishing
q new mission of Jesus, by teaching an(
example, making prominent purity O
life as an essential in the character O
Christians, and attesting the truth, tina
the soul of woman is capable of receiv
ing the spirit of Christ equally well witt
man, she departed this life, less than fift,
years old, having labored in this countr.
little more than ten years. Such are
indeed, the outlines of onewho was mos
stubborn in support of principles
English disposition, whose blutfness wa
| turned to good account, and who suffere,
nearly all things rather than let the righ
go down-an undaunted prophecies an,
savior to her sex and race. The Shaker
do not worship Ann Lee. She was th
medium of revelations which to ther
are exceedingly good. We revere tn
spirit with which she was baptized, be
cause its operations in the soul wer
identical with those in Jesus. She was
with us, the fulfllment of the prophec
of Christian love, beheaded in Crom
wells time: "Out of thee, oh, Eng