Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-10
RELIGIOUS CHAOS
FORCED QUAKERS TO
SEEK HOME HERE
Elizabeth Harris Made
First Settlement in Vir-
ginia in Year 1856.
MET WARM OPPOSITION
FROM N0NCONFORMISTS
Freed Slaves in 1917 and Moved
to Western States to
Avoid War.
NY NANCY u. w1xsroS.

In the seventeenth century a re-
markable condition OF affairs existed
In England and Europe. In England.
especially. the men OF that time wer.
digging down to the roots OF things.
The human mind. awakened from the
sleep OF the Dark Ages. fastened on
all the problems that are inherent to
human neutrality-suspicious. which. even
At this day. arc not half solved. The
result was a great clash OF opinions
In politics, in science. In philosophy.
and IN religion. out OF all this con-
fusion there arose host OF religious
doctrines. each ciumoring for It's ri
Nals lie.
TO this social uphcava, and chaos
az beliefs we owe, in great measure.
many OF the FIRST substantial plansa-
lion settlements made In America.
When the Church OF England people
began to oppose the rur!tans in the
great valley OF the lower Trent. the
came thence TO Massachusetts Lay.
when. in Cromwcli's time. the Round
head abused the churchnan. tho lat
ter sought refuge IN Virginia. Like
wise. years later. the Catholic sought
religious tolerance in Maryland.
while the prosecuted Quaker found n
refuge in New Jersey and Pcnnsyl-
vania-
However. II was not alone In New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. that tho
quaker sought refuge. II IL claimed
mat Massachusetts was the first
american colony in which ouakerism
was preached. The second seems to
nave been Virginia, although there
~ little difference in the time OF It's
npp.arance In the colony OF Mary
land. The person 10 plant the stand
ard Of faith in the South was a wom-
an Elizabeth Harris. a native or Lon
don. q! her personal history little
Is known. She entered Virginia In
1856. and seems TO have remained
only about year. as she arrived In
England. on her return. IN 1867. "in
:: pretty condition." the old account
relates. II Ii clear from the letters
IT that period that Elisabeth Harris
known OF the character or standing
OF these converts. but that Elizabeth
harris was not unmindful. after her
her prosely;es in Virginia is also
clear from the fact, that II Is known
che wrote them many letters anu sent
them numerous books.
Women ns Preachers.
In connection with the mission OF
Elizabeth Harris II is interesting TO
recall that no church since the days
OF the apostles has allowed such
the Gospe! as has been allowed b.
the Quakers. or Friends. to use their
iightful name. Under their system
men and women arc looked upon as
have repaid this greater liberty ac-
corded them with unsurpassed zeal
and devotion. Some OF the most con-
F"cratcd and successful Quaker mis-
stonaries have been women. In COM
mon. long ago. the Quakcrs and the
Mc;hodists seem TO have realized the
fascination that might he cxerted by
the unprecedented cloQuence OF Il
; 'ncere woman, sspcaking or Preach
,'sed this idea with great effect in
the opening scenes of Adam Bede.''
soon after their appearance the
g!nia; or all the nonconformIsis
round in the colony in the seven
tecnth century they were the most
important from tho viewpoint OF
numbers. In th0sc days Virginia was
not land in which religious free
dom thrived. Loyalty was its cor
r"r-stone. and loyalty meant the
Church OF England. as we'll as the
King himself. who was its head. De-
votion TO the. established church in
Virginia had been greatly Increased,
since the first settlements. by the
crowd OF Cavaliers who had come
over to escape tho tender mercies.
political and religious. of the Puri-
tans. SO 1t can be easily understood.
the spirit of the times being what n
was. that dissenters had few privi-
icges in Virginia.
Dissent was a form OF revolt and
rebellion against all established
order. and unless checked with Stern
ness and determination, II was fell
that 1t might lead to universal disaf-
lection and us attendant horrors. an.
in l643 had given the Governor and
Council power to suspend and ST.
ienee" any minister who undertook
TO teach or preach without the ordi-
if ne still persisted he must be OK
polled from the province. 1t was
under this law that Quakers were
frs. punished.
Creed OF the Quakcrs.
In the creed OF tho Qunkcrs the
official mind OF the seventeenth CEN
tiry, which was nothing If not sus-
piciou,ss. =; seemed to find Justification
Of that day Quakerism seems dis
t!nctly characteristic. Men OF nil
classes. especially. religious seekers.
were in revolt against the established
these seekers what they were seek
ing. In theology the Qmaker's creed
was un-Puritan. but in cult, In form
and methods 1t was more than Puri-
tan.
AS has been said. the Quaker was
in reality the Puritan Of tho Purj.
tnns. He was an extremist, and thi,
brought him into conflict with the es-
tahlish led order. He bellewed that
lily revived. He recognized no dis
tinction between tho clergy and laity;
he refused to swear. for Christ had
said. Swear not at all': he refused 10
fight. for the religion Of Christ is n
religion OF love, not OF war; lle would
pay no tltnes. for Christ had said, aye
have freely received, freely give";; and
nc called no man master. Also he
rejected the dogmas of water, ban.
tlsm and the Puritan Sabbath, and
In addition to these he claimed that
Inspiration Is not limited to the writ.
ers Of the Old and New Testarnents.
but is the gift OF God to all moi,
who will accept 1t. In Interpreting
the Scriptures the Quakers held thai
men must be guided by tho same
spirit which guided their. authors.
Here are given most Of the cardinal
doctrines the Quaker's crend.
showing the points where they dif"
fered radically from other dissenters.
Add to this. the doctrine of the in.
ner light, the heavenly guide given
directly to inform or Illuminate the
Individual -eonscierloe. and we have