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The Independent Messenger, a paper published weekly at Mendon, Massachusetts, by Rev. Adin Ballou, is devoted to the cause of Restorationism.

It ought also to be stated in connexion with this, that there are several clergymen who agree with the Restorationists in sentiment, who still adhere to the Universalist connexion. And if we were to present a complete list of those who believe that all men will ultimately be restored, we might enumerate many of the Unitarian and Christian clergymen. This sentiment prevails more or less among the laity of every sect. The Restorationists are Congregationalists on the subject of church government.

In relation to the trinity, atonement, and free will, the Restorationists' views harmonize with those of the Unitariaus.

In relation to water baptism, they maintain that it may be administered by immersion, suffusion, or sprinkling, either to adults or infants. They do not regard baptism as a saving ordinance; and they are rather disposed to continue this rite from the example of Christ and his apostles, than from any positive command contained in the New Testament. They maintain that the sacrament of the Supper is expressly commanded by Christ, and should be open to all believers of every name and sect; and while they admit that every organized church should have the power to manage its own private and local affairs, they recognise no power in any church to exclude believers of other denominations from the table of our common Master.

The difference between the Restorationists and Universalists relates principally to the subject of a future retribution. The Universalists believe that a full and perfect retribution takes place in this world, that our conduct here cannot affect our future condition, and that the moment man exists after death, he will be as pure and as happy as the angels. From these views the Restorationists dissent. They maintain that a just retribution does not take place in time; that the conscience of the sinner becomes callous, and does not increase in the severity of its reprovings with the increase of guilt; that men are invited to act with reference to a future life; that if all are made perfectly happy at the commencement of the next state of existence, they are not rewarded according to their deeds; that if death introduces them into heaven, they are saved by death, and not by Christ; and if they are made happy by being raised from the dead, they are saved by physical, and not by moral means, and made happy without their agency or consent; that such a sentiment weakens the motives to virtue, and gives force to the temptations of vice; that it is unreasonable in itself, and opposed to many passages of scripture.

SHAKERS.

BY THOMAS BROWN,
ORANGE CO., N. Y.

THE Shakers, or the Millennial Church, the subject of this article, hold that the Apostolic Church gradually degenerated, and finally became a church of Antichrist, under the favour and protection of Constantine, the Roman emperor; but, at the same time, profess to believe that God has, in every age, raised up witnesses to bear testimony against sin and the power of Antichrist; among these they claim to be, and profess to be of those known by the name of the French prophets who were raised up, and endued with the true spirit of prophecy; and that they were the two witnesses mentioned by St. John, who "after three days and a half," i. e. twelve hundred and sixty years, "stood upon their feet," i. e. were not slain or persecuted unto death.

The French prophets alluded to, first appeared in Dauphiny and the Cevennes in France, about 1688; in a few years, several hundred Protestants professed to be inspired; their bodies were much agitated with various operations: when they received the spirit of prophecy, they trembled, staggered, and fell down and lay as if they were dead; they recovered twitching, shaking, and crying to God for mercy for themselves and for all mankind, not only in their assemblies, but at other meetings. Three of their most distinguished prophets, namely, Elias Marlon, John Cavilier, and Durand Fage, left France about the year 1705, and repaired to London, where they also began to prophesy, with the like operations and ecstasies, as in France. In England they met with much opposition. Several of the prophets went from London to Scotland, and afterwards to Holland, where the magistrates committed them to prison.

James Wardley, a tailor by trade, and Jane, his wife, formerly Quakers, lived at Bolton, county of Lancashire, England, joined the French prophets in testifying against all the churches then in standing. About the year 1747, several other persons were added to them and

a small society formed without any established creed or particular manner of worship, as they professed to be only beginning to learn the new and living way of complete salvation, which had long been the subject of prophecy; and therefore they professed to be resigned, to be led and governed, from time to time, as the Spirit of God might dictate. The principal members were, beside Wardley and his wife, John Townley, of Manchester, and his wife, and John Kattis, who, it is said, was a scholar; but did not retain his faith. Wardley and his wife, Jane, conducted their meetings. Jane Wardley was called "mother," and to her confessions of sin were made. She had the principal lead in their meetings. In 1757, Ann Lee joined their society, by confessing her sins to Jane Wardley. Ann was born about the year 1735; at a marriageable age she entered the bonds of matrimony with Abraham Stanley; some years after joining the society, Ann united her testimony against "the root of human depravity;" and professed she had received the greatest gift; and from the year 1768 or 69, she was owned as the "spiritual mother," and took the lead of the society, thenceforth familiarly known as " Mother Ann." Their society, in the year 1772, numbered about thirty persons, though many more had joined it, but had fallen off. As the prospects of any further increase were gloomy, as the people in general disbelieved their testimony, Mother Ann, about that time, received a revelation from God to repair to America. She prophesied of a great increase and permanent establishment of the church and work of God in this country. Accordingly, as many as firmly believed in her testimony, and could settle their temporal concerns and furnish necessaries for the voyage, concluded to follow her; they procured a passage at Liverpool, in the ship Maria, Capt. Smith, and arrived at New York in 1774. Those who came with the "mother" were her husband Abraham Stanley, William Lee, James Whittaker, John Parlington, and Mary his wife; John Hocknell, James Shepard, and one Ann Lee, the "mother's" niece. In the spring of 1776 she went to Albany, thence to Niskeuna, now Water Vliet, eight miles from Albany, where a small society was established in Sept., 1776, and still exists. They own here about 2000 acres of good land, well cultivated, and divided into four farms, on each of which is a family, the whole amounting to about 80 persons of both sexes and all ages. From this society have grown several communities, one of which is established at New Lebanon, N. Y. The community here consists of about 600 members, divided into several orders and families. Another community is found in the State of New York, in Wayne county; another at Enfield, Connecticut; and two in Ohio, one at

Union village, in the county of Warren, thirty miles from Cincinnati, which contains nearly 600 members; and one at Beaver creek, in Montgomery county, six miles southeast of Dayton, which contains rising 100 members. In Kentucky there are two societies, one at Pleasant Hill, Mercer county, containing about 500 members; one in Logan county, which contains nearly 400 members. One society at West Union, Knox county, Indiana, with rising of 200 members.

Among their first, and distinguished converts were David Darrow, Valentine Rathbone, a Baptist preacher, Daniel Rathbone, and Reuben Rathbone. Valentine Rathbone renounced his union with the society within a few months after he had joined them, and soon published a pamphlet against their faith and practice.

Their number had been considerable at one time in the United States, but on the death of "Mother Ann," who died at Water Vliet, Sept. 8, 1784, they began to diminish. They live in communities, and are generally instructed to be very industrious, and to bring in according to their ability to keep up the meeting. They vary in their religious exercises; their heaving dancing, as it is called, is performed by a perpetual springing from the house floor, about four inches up and down, both in the men's and women's apartments, moving about with extraordinary transport, singing, sometimes one at a time, sometimes more, making a perfect charm. They sometimes fall on their knees, and make a sound like the roaring of many waters, in groans and cries to God, as they say, for the wicked world who persecute

them.

Their religious tenets are as follows: We believe that the first light of salvation was given or made known to the patriarchs by promise; and that they, who believed in the promise of Christ, and were obedient to the command of God made known unto them, were the people of God, and were accepted by him as righteous, or perfect in their generation, according to the measure of light and truth manifested unto them which were as waters to the ankles; signified by Ezekiel's vision of the holy waters (chap. 47). And although they could not receive regeneration, or the fulness of salvation, from the fleshly and fallen nature in this life; because the fulness of time was not yet come that they should receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, for the destruction of the body of sin, and purification of the soul.

:

But

* In 1828, the number of societies was sixteen; the number of preachers about fortyfive, members gathered into their societies, about 4500; those not received, 900; making in all about 5400.-EDITOR.

Abraham, called and chosen of God, as the father of the faithful, was received into covenant relation with God by promise; that in him, and his seed, all the families of the earth should be blessed. And the earthly blessings, which were promised to Abraham, were a shadow of a gospel or spiritual blessings to come. And circumcision, or outward cutting of the foreskin of the flesh, did not cleanse the man from sin, but was a sign of the spiritual baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire. Which is by the power of God manifested in divers operations and gifts of the spirit, as in the days of the apostles, which does indeed destroy the body of sin or fleshly nature, and purify the man from all sin, both soul and body. So that Abraham, though in the full faith of the promise, yet as he did not receive the substance of the thing promised, his hopes of eternal salvation was in Christ, by the gospel, to be attained in the resurrection from the dead.

The second dispensation was the law that was given of God to Israel, by the hand of Moses; which was a farther manifestation of that salvation, which was promised through Christ by the gospel, both in the order and ordinances, instituted and given unto Israel, as the Church and people of God, according to that dispensation which was as waters to the knees (Ezek. xlvii. 4); by which they were distinguished from all the families of the earth. For while they were faithful and strictly obedient to all the commands, ordinances, and statutes that God gave: they were approved of God according to the promise for life, and blessings were promised unto them in the line of obedience; cursing and death in disobedience, (Deut. xxviii. 12, 15.) For God, who is ever jealous for the honour and glory of his own great name, always dealt with them according to his word. For while they were obedient to the commands of God, and purged out sin from among them, God was with them, according to his promise. But when they disobeyed the commands of God, and committed sin, and became like other people: the hand of the Lord was turned against them; and those evils came upon them which God had threatened. So we see that they, who were wholly obedient to the will of God, made known in that dispensation, were accepted as just or righteous. Yet as that dispensation was short, they did not attain that salvation which was promised in the gospel; so that, as it respected the new birth, or real purification of the man from all sin, the law made nothing perfect (Heb. vii. 19); but was a shadow of good things to come, (1 Cor. ii. 17; Heb. x.) Their only hope of eternal redemption was in the promise of Christ, by the gospel, to be attained in the resurrection from the dead.

The third dispensation was the gospel of Christ's first appearance

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