New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-09
FRIEND ELIAS HICKS.
.ce,crs oF EARLY QUAKER HISTORY.

PASSAGES OF EARLY QUAKER HISTORY
4 QUAKER MARRIAGE IN THE LAST cENTURY-BOf-
HOOD OF ELIAS III Ks-IIIS COURTSHlP, MAR
RAGE AND FAMILY LTE-THE QUAKER MINISTRY
NOT A LIPR or CREATURE CoMFoRTs-DisrINCI-
I'VE DOCTRINES OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.
TO the Editor OF The Trf6une.
SIR: In the "Reminiscences OF Washlngtoh'
which appeared in The atlantic Monthly for Septom-
ber 1880 recOuuting the events OF flarrIsons Adj
minstraton, we are told that the Quaker congrcga-
ton at the capital was hopelessy DIVIDED owing
to the effective preaching of las Hicks, an old
man whose ago and peculiar cloauence gave him a
higher rank in the scale of Doemic dvines than his
power of reasoning could have done without such
aids"
When William Henry Harrison was inaugurated
in 1871, Elias Hicks had been dead abont eleven
years. He died in his eighty second year, having
been born IN 17iS.. on Long Island. Just before
his birth his father united with the Society OF
Friends, or Quakers. Elias says in his journal:
MY father was considered a. member anon
Friends at the time of my birth, which in that day
gave the privilege Of taking wife in the order
of Society, and that established my membership"
The order OF marriage at that time was ss follows
if we may judge by the recOllectiOns of an aged
Friend who formerly belonged to the Ncw-England
Yearly Meeting: The contracting parties appeared
in monthly meeting of the Society, and said
" With Divine permission and Friends appreciation,
intend marriage with =" Each repeated
the same form. Committees were appointed to sec
whether they had the consent of surviv-
ing parents. and whether they were clear. OF
other engagements These reporting favOraby,
the two cspOusing Friends again appeared i'll
monthly meeting to receive their answer. These two
occasions were more trying than the public mar
for Eren6s' hugiupSS meetings iaud
still are almost universally held by men and
women separately, the parties had first to 20 into
the mems meeting and thea into the wOmens almost
entirely alone. Soon after. the marriage was held
III a meeting open to the public and the said Will
lam Evans to borrow namcS), taking the sad Mary
Wright by the hand, did, on that solcnn occasion,
publicly declare that he took her. the said Mary
Wright to he his wIie. promising, with Divine as
sistance to he unto her FAITHFUL and aiectiouate
husband until death did them part" the prom
Use of the wife an equal one. The
two then signed the certifcate she, after the Gus
tom of marriage. taking the name of her husband
and II was then free for ali present TO sign II.
Elias tells lis that when he was about eight years
old his father settled on the south side of Long
Island. The shore aboundcd with fish and wild
fowl and the boy soon began 10 angle and shoot.
For these diversions he atterward felt condemned,
home. aud to prevent his joining " loose company
tor which ne hal frequent opportunities without hs
fathers KNOWLEDGE When about thirteen wears old
he was removed from his father control aud placed
with an elder br0ihrr. where he learned tossing VAIN
songs and to take delight il running horses Yer
ne adds that he had alwaVs regard for strict
honesty and such cOnGuc ~ comporied with p1lli"-
ness and good breeding. A. about seventeen he was
apprrutIced to a carpenter and joiner II SAYS that
although his master frequently attended Friends
meetings, vet he Gag .ry purrurd riches and was of
LITTLE use to him IN religions improvement. Their
work took them from place To place. and Elias saws
tat lie was thereby introduced INTO hurt
fnl COMPANY and learned 10 dance ard
ruIsuc ether VAN amuSem'nie. The last
time that he was at a dance he was brourn;
under great concern Of mud," AMI at length sat
down and Told the company tllat he was resolved TO
20 no further
When his apprenticeship was over he became
more acquainted with Friends. hut says thar lac
made slow progress in religious Improvement
until several Years after his marrIngc.
He BEGAN to feel thar hi, Amusement with ms gun
was not without sin. Tor although he often went
alone aud while waiting in stiffness for the coming
of tie .ow wa, ut um's taken mp IN divine me- lita-
tons yet when his acquaintance went with HIM
and 40 u,ciL. fowls appeared tLoy would spnrtlmes
IN watonmcss DESTROY small birds. II became apIIH-
clplc with nina not to Kill any creature but such
were noX orIs while living or uselnl whoa dad. In
Ia TWEEN. y-sccond year, having. to use his own
quaint language. gained intimate acquaintance
with Jeuiiua Seaman, Of rrIcho Uoug ls'anll. aud
his affection briug drawn toward nor he Coinmun-
icaed his views to her, and received from her cor
responding tx preston of ctIou. they accomplished
Their marriage at solemn meeting of fricnds III
III. HIS wife was not strong. vet they hv Il to-
g,thcr fifty-eght years. "In an unbrokcn boud of
cndcdrrd atioctlon which seemed, II possible To- IN
crease with time 10 the last moment OF her hir,'
said her widowed husband in letter to friend
OF their eleven children. nine lived to yc1Ts Of DIS
creion. but the four sons were weak, and not able
to walk after The ninth tenth years and all died
before tho age OF nineteen. Yet, we are told that
their innocent lives and resigned chrerluncss made
the care OF them pleasant. HIS wife beng an only
child. her parents invited hun. soon after their
marriage. to live with them and carry on the farm
THIS place became his home; he attended tho meet
ing at Jericho; aud beside the meeting house he
was buried at the close of his long aud uncvent-
full life.
BEGINNING HIS MINISTRY.
lie did not appear as n minister until about TWEEN
ty-seveD He did not speak when irst he felt an in
tnnati0n to do So But he says III his journal " II
was not long before felt an impressive concern To
utter q few words. which yielded to in great fear
and dread but oh. the JOY and sweet consolation
that my soul experienced n reward for this act Of
faithfuness" Elias made many religious journeys
during his life. sometimes attending regular meet
ings. sometimes appointing meetings and some
times Visiting and preaching in Friends families.
The journeys mentioned IN his journal number over
forty but they went beyond the limits of the
United States and Canada. or one as far rs Vir-
ginia he says that he was absent from home
about five months and two weeks, rode
about 1,G00 miles aud attended 143 meetings
The following passage shows bow Friends have
described their of mind. The meeting al
luded to was i'll New England: