USA > Ohio > Shakers of Ohio; fugitive papers concerning the Shakers of Ohio, with unpublished manuscripts > Part 4
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* MS. Autobiography of Issachar Bates, in author's possession.
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Barton said that he had been expecting that it would come about so in the end they were all filled with joy; this is what we have been praying for and now it is come."* Stone requested that they should attend the next camp-meeting soon to begin at Cane Ridge.
Malcolm Worley received the trio as divine messengers, and on March 27, became formally a Shaker. Malcolm declared "that his heavenly Father had promised to send help from Zion and I am glad, said he, that you are come."*
Richard McNemar had fully imbibed the idea that the Bible alone should he the resort for religious instructions. On the next day (March 23) the Shaker propaganda visited him. He "observed that he had never undertaken to build a church and if we had come for that purpose he would not stand in the way, his people were all free for us to labor with and he would go to. the Gentiles. We stayed that night with Richard and the next day which was Sabbath, we went to meeting with him. He preached much to our satisfaction. After he got through I asked liberty to speak a few words which was granted. I spoke but short after which Benjamin came forward and spoke and read the lettert which was sent from the church."
. On March 27, Bates started on foot to attend the camp- meeting at Cane Ridge, according to request. It was at this meet- ing where the first hostility was shown against the Shakers, by the new sect of Christians. It is thus told by Bates in his MS. Autobiography :
"I arrived at Barton Stone's on Saturday night and found many of the preachers there and a number of others. I was re- ceived with outward kindness and a number of the people felt very friendly but the preachers were struck with great fear and concluded that if I was permitted to preach that it would throw the people into confusion, and to prevent it they would counteract their former liberality and shut out all other sects from preaching at that meeting and that would shut me out. All this they did by themselves without the knowledge of the people, and the peo- ple, expecting that I would preach Sabbath morning, after much
* Ibid. tSee Quarterly, Jan., 1902, p. 253.
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conversation with the people, we took breakfast and went onto, the camping ground. Marshall and Stone preached first and preached the people back into Egypt. Stone told them to let no man deceive them about the coming of Christ, for they would. all know when He came, for every eye would see him in the clouds and they would see the graves opening and the bones. rising and the saints would rise and meet the Lord in the air whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (which is this little book that I hold in my hand) the Bible, and Marshall went on much in the same track. He warned the people not to. follow man. Keep your Bibles in your homes and in your pocket for in them you have eternal life. Don't believe what man says ; don't believe me for I have told lies. Thus they went on till they were covered with death and even the woods around us ap- peared to be in mourning. A great number paid but little at- tention to it, but were encircling me round, asking me questions and testifying at every answer that is eternal truth, that is the everlasting gospel and many other expressions of joy for the. truth. At length Matthew Houston took his turn of preaching, and he took this text : Let us go up and possess the land for we are fully able. And he had them across the Red sea in short order you may be sure; the woods began to clap their hands, the people skipping and jerking and giving thanks, and a great part of them interceded with the preachers to have me preach, but were put off for that day. After the exercises of the day was over I returned to Stone's again and stayed all night and had much conversation with a number of people. The next day I went on the ground again. There were some preaching and a little of everything that amounted to nothing. The people in- sisted on my preaching. At last eight men went to the stand and said I should preach, so to pacify them they told they would dismiss the meeting at 12 o'clock, and then I might preach, and they did so. Then I mounted a large log in front of the stand and began to speak, and altho the preachers and many others went to their horses to get out of the way of hearing, yet when I began to speak they all returned and all paid good attention. I spoke about one hour. The subject I was upon was to show the difference between the spirit and the letter, and when I got
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through and dismissed them they began the controversy; one ·cried spirit, spirit, all spirit, and another cried I bless God for the spirit, for it is all that will do us any good, and so the multitude were completely divided, so I left."
STANDING OF LEADING CONVERTS.
Owing to the spirit displayed towards those schismatics that afterwards became Shakers, the following may be given to show the estimation in which they were held previous to their final change in belief.
Under date of Cane Ride, April 2, 1805, Stone wrote to Richard McNemar as follows :
"MY DEAR BROTHER RICHARD: - I never longed to see any person so much. If I was not confined in this clay tabernacle, I should be in your embraces in less than an hour. The floods of earth and hell are let loose against us, but me in particular. I am seriously threatened with impris- onment and stripes, I expect to receive for the testimony of Jesus. Ken- tucky is turning upside down. The truth pervades in spite of man - Cumberland is sharing the same fate-the young preachers, some of them, will preach Jesus without the covering put on him by the fathers - the scribes, the disputers of this world are gnashing upon us - Brother Matthew Houston has clean escaped the pollutions of this world -and "he and his people are going on to perfect holiness in the fear of God - a few more will soon follow -come over and help us, is the cry made to us from every part .- Brother Purviance is gone to Carolina, to preach the Gospel there, by the request of some there. In a few weeks I start to fulfill a long daily string of appointments to Cumberland -by request I go- I have appointed two commissioners among many Christians, on the heads of Little and Big Barrens - Brother Dooley is among the Cher- okees again - his last route there was successful - some poor Indians received the Gospel - he was solicited to return - he is truly an apostle .of the Gentiles - some few are getting religion amongst us. The churches thus quid dicam? Nescio: What shall I say? I know not, my heart grieves within me. Certain men from afar whom you know, inject ter- ror and doubt into many; and now religion begins to lament in the dust among us. Some as I suppose will cast away the ordinances of Baptism, the Lord's Supper, etc , but not many as yet. Most dear Brother, inform me what you think of these men among us and 'you, from a distant re- gion. Thank God, he gave me his word .*
* The italics were originally in Latin, unquestionably to prevent Bates from understanding the same.
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Letters show the substance and faith eats it. We all want to meet with you shortly. But by reason of my absence to Cumberland - Brother Purviance to N. Carolina, Brother Houston in Madison, we cannot meet on Turtle Creek, nor sooner than third Sabbath June, and that in Ken- tucky. Brothers Marshall and Houston parted from us yesterday. We- administered the Lord's Supper at Cane Ridge the day before - many communicants - much exercise - I am pushed for time to write to you - We have five students of the Bible, all but one know the language, full: of faith, and of the Holy Ghost -just ready to preach. They all fled from the Presbyterians, to their grief, pain and hurt. Brother Stockwell exceeds expectation and is beloved and useful. Our Apology is yet living and working, and tearing down Babylon in Virginia. It was reprinted there to the great injury of Presbyterianism. It is also reprinted in Georgia. We are just publishing a short tract on Atonement -I will send you one soon. This truth has unhinged the brazen gates already .-. I am hurried - pray for me - farewell. .
By Friend Bates."*
B. W. STONE.
As to the estimation in which Malcolm Worley was held,. witness the following, dated Springfield (Springdale, near Cin- cinnati), March, 1804:
"Forasmuch as our brother, Malcolm Worley, has made- known to us the exercises of his mind for some time past,. expressive of a Divine call to labor in word and doctrine; and we being satisfied, from a long and intimate acquaintance with him, of his talents, both natural and acquired, being such as, through the grace of God, may render him useful; and con- sidering that the way of God is above our ways, it therefore seemed good to us, with one accord to encourage our brother to the work, whereunto we trust the Holy Ghost is calling him ;. and we do hereby recommend him to the churches scattered abroad, to be forwarded to his calling, according to the mani- festation of the Spirit given to him to profit withal. Signed in. behalf of the Presbytery, B. W. Stone, Clk."+
PERSECUTING THE SHAKERS.
It is foreign to our purpose to follow the Shaker mission- aries' peregrinations. Their success was phenomenal. In rapid succession they swept into their fold the churches at Turtle Creek,
* Kentucky Revival," p. 85. t Ibid, p. 46.
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Eagle Creek, Straight Creek, Shawnee Run, Cabin Creek, etc., besides converts at various points. They made it a point to follow up the camp-meetings, where they invariably made acces- sions to their number. Richard McNemar joined the Shakers April 24; to the camp meeting at Eagle Creek, Adams County, Ohio, held the first Sunday in August, 1805, repaired both Ben- jamin S. Youngs and Issachar Bates; they converted many ; among whom was Rev. John Dunlavy; followed by Matthew Houston in February, 1806. Nearly every member of the Tur- tle Creek church followed McNemar into Shakerism. This gave them a solid foundation as well as numbers. Their landed in- terest became large. To this they added the estate of Timothy Sewell at a cost of $1,640.
So long as the inroads were made upon the domain of the Christian Church, the discomfiture was greatly enjoyed by the other denominations. The Christians were grieved, chagrined, exasperated and early became aggressive, and took every measure to withstand the storm that presaged ruin to their cause. When the Shakers began to make visible success in other folds, then all united to put them down. Methods of the most questionable kind were resorted to. In the very year of their beginning at Turtle Creek (now Union Village, Warren Co., Ohio), the Shakers had their windows broken, their orchards cut down, their fences cast over, and their buildings burned. Four days after his conversion (April 28), Richard McNemar undertook to hold a camp meet- ing at Turtle Creek. On that day "a great body of blazing hot Newlights with John Thompson (then stationed at Springdale) a preacher at their head determined to break down all before them. Thompson mounted the stand and began his preachment and undertook to show how they had been imposed on by deceivers and how much he had borne with one Worley and now these East- ern men had come to tell us that Christ had made his second ap- pearance, (pause), but they are liars, they are liars, they are liars. Now I will venture to say that the tumult at Ephesus was no greater than was at this place, for about half an hour it was one steady cry glory to Jesus, glory to Jesus, glory to Jesus and almost every other noise ; this must be the cause of their giving so much glory to Jesus this poor suffering witnesses were proved
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out to be liars that they might have the privilege of enjoying the pleasures of their fleshly lusts for a season. I stood on a log hard by alone, for Elder John nor Benjamin was not there, at that time I was ordered back to hell from whence I came and called all the bad names that they could think of, after the noise began to cease . I stepped off the log and passed through the multitude and as I passed they cried out, see how his conscience is seared as with a hot iron, he does not regard it all."*
It will not be necessary to follow this dark picture any farther. There was that to rouse the passions of such as cared more for an ism than for the spirit of Jesus Christ. But after years have rolled away and all incentives to malice obliterated, it is to be expected that the vision should no longer be obfuscated. Years after Barton Stone did not hesitate to libel them: "John Dun- lavy, who had left us and joined them, was a man of a penetrative mind, wrote and published much for them, and was one of their elders in high repute by them. He died in Indiana, raving in desperation for his folly in forsaking the truth for an old woman's fables. Richard MeNemar was, before his death, excluded by the Shakers from their society, in a miserable, penniless condition, as I was informed by good authority. The reason of his exclusion I never heard particularly; but from what was heard, it appears that he had become convinced of his error. The Shakers had a revelation given them to remove him from their village, and take him to Lebanon, in Ohio, and to set him down in the streets, and leave him there in his old age, without friends or money."t
I called the attention of the Shakers of Union Village to the above citation. They had never heard of the charges before. Eldress Jane Cowan, of South Union, Ky., probably the best informed historian in their order in the West, was exceedingly indignant. Richard . McNemar was ever a trusted man among them and died, full in the faith, at Union Village, September 15, 1839. The old church record says of him in noticing his death : "One of the most zealous and loyal believers who ever embraced the gospel in this western land, altogether more than ordinary intelligent." For more complete particulars see Maclean's "Life of McNemar."
* MS. Autobiography of Bates.
+ Biography of B. W. Stone, p. 63.
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John Dunlavy was long the preacher for the Shaker com- munity at Pleasant Hill, Ky. On June 3, 1826, he arrived at: the Shaker community of West Union in Knox county, Indiana, on a visit. On September 8th he was taken sick with bilious- fever and died on the 16th. On the 17th David Price was dis- patched to Union Village as a bearer of the sorrowful news, and - on the 18th William Redmond started on the same mission to Pleasant Hill. His death was greatly lamented by the various communities. Summerbell, in his "History of the Christians A. M. 4004-A. D. 1870, Cincinnati 1873," seizes the libel of Stone and gives it a fresh start (p. 533), although living less than twenty-five miles from Union Village at the time he copied the statements from Stone, and by next letter could have informed himself. He further calls Shakerism "Only Romish monkery broken loose from popery." Notwithstanding the estimation in which the Shakers were held - as quoted above - Summerbell thinks it best to slur them and others - "Those who went to the - Shakers were too much inclined to fanaticism; and had they re- mained would have caused trouble, while Thompson and those who returned to the sects would not have followed the word of truth in baptism (Summerbell was an immersionist), a duty in which they would soon have been tested." David Purviance ("Biography of David Purviance," p. 146), speaks of Richard McNemar as being vain or "lifted up," after the separation in 1804. "I also discovered some of the same detestable pride in John Dunlavy. They were not content to abide in the simplicity of the truth. They became fanatics, and were prepared for an overthrow, when the Shakers entered in among us and swept them off with others who were led into wild enthusiasm." "I have thought there might be something providential in the com- ing of the Shakers, although some honest and precious souls were seduced and ruined by their means; yet a growing fanati- cism was drawn out of the church, which threatened the most. deleterious effects" (p. 148).
SHAKER ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS.
When all the facts are confronted it is not singular that Shakerism should have been so successful in the West. There:
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were certain regnant elements in operation among the revival- ists that were congenial to the believers in Ann Lee. Dancing was introduced among the revivalists in 1804; the Church in general taught that the second coming of Christ was yet in the future; a community of goods could be derived from the New Testament; religious fanaticism was the order of the day; a high sense of morals and implicit faith were specially taught. The Shakers danced in their religious exercises ; they taught that Adam and Eve were the father and mother of the natural man while Jesus and Ann Lee were the father and mother of the spiritual family ; they held all goods in common; the early Shak- ers were given to fanaticism; they practiced strictly the high- est morals and were devout in their worship. If they taught that God was dual,* that was not a greater credulity than the doc- trine of a triune God. The simplicity of their manners would impress favorably those who opposed prevailing fanaticism.
SHAKER INFLUENCE. .
The early Shakers of the West possessed members repre- senting all the various professions and trades. There were scholars and theologians among them. It would be no exag- geration to say that it possessed the flower of the Western Pres- · byterian Church, one of whom wrote a book, which has ever re- mained a standard of authority among them. I refer to John Dunlavy's "Manifesto;" written in 1815, published in 1818, at Pleasant Hill, and republished in 1847 in New York. It is a royal octavo of 486 pp. The great standard work of the Shakers -"Christ's First and Second Appearing" - is a western pro- duction, and first published at Lebanon, O., in 1808; the second edition at Albany, in 1810; the third at Cincinnati, in 1823, and the fourth in Albany, in 1856. It is a royal octavo of 631 pp., and was principally written by Benjamin S. Youngs. It was originally published under the sanction of David Darrow, John
* Theodore Parker prayed to "Our Father and Mother in Heaven." I heard the same utterance in the Universalist church, Galesburg, Ills., many years ago.
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Meacham and Benjamin S. Youngs .* The publications of the western Shakers have been quite extensive. A bibliography of Shaker literature is appended to Axon's "Biographical No- tices of Ann Lee," but this I have never seen. The books I possess, written by Shakers, number 30 bound volumes and 50 pamphlets, most of which were presented to me by Eldress Cly- mena Miner, who stands second in the ministry in the Sisters' lot, of the Western Societies.
While the Shakers own great possessions yet their number is greatly reduced, and their days appear to be numbered. No ef- forts are now made either to increase their membership or ex- tend their literature. They have most thoroughly demonstrated that men and women can live together as a band of brothers and sisters.
The western ministry is appointed by that at Mount Lebanon in New York. It has not always been wise. The making of Elder Slingerland both first in the ministry and trustee was most disastrous. The particulars are too painful to narrate. It was . a case of imbecility on the one side and sharpers on the other. Suffice it to say that of the $316,000 obtained for the North Union property, every dollar of it was lost. Nearly $200,000 more went into wild cat speculation. The leaders of Union Vil- lage prayed the Eastern ministry for redress, but in vain. As a last recourse the law was appealed to, and finally a new ministry was appointed, which has all the appearance of an intelligent con- servatism. Through the stubbornness of Harvey L. Eads, for- merly chief in authority at South Union, $80,000 was lost at one time. The finances of Pleasant Hill are not in good condition.
A candid study of the Shakers evokes one's sympathy and admiration. I confess it would be a pleasure to me to realize that the halls of the Shaker villages teemed with human life as they did at the time of my earliest recollection. Thousands have gone forth from these communities schooled in the purest morals and implicit faith in the Divine Being. Shakerism has been productive of good. As such it must receive the enconiums of the just.
* Thomas Jefferson pronounced it the best ecclesiastical history he had every read.
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OTHER SECTS.
The revivalists to a greater or less extent were fanatical,. but time mellowed the trenchant words, and a deeper spiritual. outlook was observed. In religious thought the various con- ferences differ-that known as the Miami is reputed to contain the broadest minds. The religious paper-published at Dayton -"Herald of Gospel Liberty," is rather conservative in its tone. While the church, as a body, rejects the doctrine of the trinity, yet nowhere has it paved the way for the Unitarian denomina- tion. In the whole state of Ohio there are but three churches, viz., Cincinnati, Cleveland and Marietta, none of which has more than a local force. The handing over of Antioch college proved. . to be a failure, owing to the want of a constituency. Yet the: measure of this church is most potent. Backed by Harvard col- lege and with the impetus of an unrivaled ministry in education and intellect, its advocates have gained renown in all depart- ments of knowledge. Its literature stands almost alone. It keeps abreast with human thought. All clergymen, west of the Alle- ghenies, may receive, gratis, an installment of their books, which has been largely accepted. What influence this may have could not even be approximated.
UNIVERSALISM.
Although there is a large per cent. of the clergymen of the Christian sect that accepts the doctrine of universal salvation, yet it has nowhere paved the way for the Universalist church. In short, there has always been an antagonism between the two. The Universalist church in Ohio, like the Unitarian, has been practically a failure, although tremendous efforts have been put. forth to gain and maintain a footing. The first preacher in the. state was Timothy Bigelow, who removed to Palmyra in 1814. The first organized church was in Marietta, in 1816, now merged into the Unitarian. The first conference in the Miami country was at Jacksonsburg, Butler county, in November, 1826, at which were James Alfred, Jonathan Kidwell and Daniel St. John. The "Register" for 1903, gives for the state 42 ministers and 80
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churches, 34 of the latter being in the Miami country. The efforts to maintain a religious periodical have all been failures, as the following list demonstrates: "The Lamp of Liberty," Cincin- nati, 1827; "The Star in the West," Cincinnati, 1827-1880; "The Glad Tidings," Columbus and Akron, 1836-1840; "The Univer- salist Preacher," Dayton, 1839-1841 ; "Ohio Universalist," Cleve- land, 1845-1846; "The Youth's Friend," Cincinnati, 1846-1860; "The Universalist Advocate," Centreburg, 1849; "Western Olive Branch," Cincinnati, 1849-1850; "The Guiding Star," Cincin- nati, 1871-1880. Nor has the denomination generally been much more successful. The Rev. Dr. Richard Eddy, in his "Modern History of Universalism," appends a list of periodicals, showing that out of 181 journals only four are still in existence, viz., two family, one juvenile, and one Sunday school. Eddy's biblio- graphy, for and against the doctrine of universal salvation, com- piled in 1886, enumerates 2,096 titles. This does not embrace the literature in other departments. What that bibliography may be I am unable to ascertain.
While it has been foreign to my intention to comment on the subject of doctrine, for that must require some temerity, be- cause it is treading on delicate ground, I will here, however, transgress the rule for this reason: The Universalist church . boasts it stands for that phase of Christianity that represents all who believes in the ultimate salvation of all. If their boasts be true, then they should either have no written creed, or else one which would cover all believers in the Bible who accept the sal- vation of all. This church is the only one of the liberal sects that has a written creed. In the year 1803, the following creed was adopted, known as the Winchester Profession :
ARTICLE 1. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain a revelation of the character of God and of the duty, interest and final destination of mankind.
ARTICLE II. We believe that there is one God, whose nature is Love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness.
ARTICLE III. We believe that holiness and true happiness are in- seperably connected, and that believers ought to be careful to maintain order and practice good works; for these things are good and profitable unto men.
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