Nor sinners rear a steeple;
'Tis kept by God's peculiar care,
For his peculiar people.
One faith, one union, and one Lord,
One int'rest all combining,
Believers all, with one accord,
In heav'nly concert joining.
"Far as the gospel spirit reigns,
Our souls are in communion;
From Alfred to South Union's plains,
We feel our love and union.
Here we may walk in peace and love,
With God and saints uniting;
While angels, smiling from above,
To glory are inviting."
Occasionally the book from which I am quoting gives one of those lively
brief verses to which the Shaker congregation marches, with clapping
hands and skipping feet; as these, for instance:
"I mean to be obedient,
And cross my ugly nature,
And share the blessings that are sent
To ev'ry honest creature;
With ev'ry gift I will unite,
And join in sweet devotion--
To worship God is my delight,
With hands and feet in motion."
"Come, let us all be marching on,
Into the New Jerusalem;
The call is now to ev'ry one
To be alive and moving.
This precious call we will obey--
We love to march the heav'nly way,
And in it we can dance and play,
And feel our spirits living."
In the newer collection, entitled "Millennial Hymns, adapted to the
present Order of the Church," and printed at Canterbury, New Hampshire,
in 1847, a change is noticeable. The hymns are more devotional and less
energetic. There are many praises of Mother Ann--such lines as these:
"O Mother, blest Mother! to thee I will bow;
Thou art a kind Mother, thou dost teach us how
Salvation is gained, and how to increase
In purity, union, in order and peace.
"I love thee, O Mother; thy praise I will sound--
I'll bless thee forever for what I have found,
I'll praise and adore thee, to thee bow and bend,
For Mother, dear Mother, thou art my known friend."
Or these:
"I will walk in true obedience, I will be a child of love;
And in low humiliation I will praise my God above.
I will love my blessed Mother, and obey her holy word,
In submission to my elders, this will join me to the Lord.
"I will stand when persecution doth around like billows roll;
I will bow in true subjection, and my carnal will control.
I will stand a firm believer in the way and work of God,
Doubts and fears shall never, never in me find a safe abode.
"When temptations do surround me, floods of evil ebb and flow,
Then in true humiliation I will bow exceeding low.
I will fear the God of heaven, I will keep his holy laws,
Treasure up his blessings given in this pure and holy cause.
"Tho' beset by wicked spirits, men and devils all combin'd,
Yet my Mother's love will save me if in faithfulness I stand:
No infernal crooked creature can destroy or harm my soul,
If I keep the love of Mother and obey her holy call."
Or this hymn, which is called "Parents' Blessing:
"My Father does love me, my Mother also
Does send me her love, and I now feel it flow;
These heavenly Parents are kind unto me,
And by their directions my soul is set free.
"They fill up my vessel with power and strength--
Yea, make my cross easy, my peace of great length;
My joy fall and perfect, my trouble but light,
My gifts very many in which I delight.
"I truly feel thankful for what I receive,
In each holy promise I surely believe;
They're able and willing to do all they've said,
And by my kind Parents I choose to be led.
"I love to feel simple, I love to feel low,
I love to be kept in the path I should go;
I love to be taught by my heavenly lead,
That I may be holy and perfect indeed."
I add another, which has the lively, quick rhythm in which the Shakers
delight. It is called "Wisdom's Path:
"I'll learn to walk in wisdom's ways,
And in her path I'll spend my days;
I'll learn to do what Mother says
And follow her example.
All pride and lust this will subdue,
And every hateful passion too;
This will destroy old Satan's crew
That's seated in the temple.
"Come, honest souls, let us unite
And keep our conscience clear and white,
For surely Mother does delight
To own and bless her children.
In Father's word let us go on,
And bear our cross and do no wrong,
In faith and love then we'll be strong
To conquer every evil.
"For love and union is our stay,
We'll be strong and keep it day by day;
Then we shall never go astray,
We'll gain more love and union.
Obedience will still increase,
And every evil work will cease,
We'll gain a true and solid peace,
We'll live in Mother's union."
I make no excuse for these quotations of Shaker hymns, for the books
from which they are taken have been seen by very few outside of the
order, and not even by all its members, as they are not now in common
use.
The Shakers have always professed to have intimate intercourse with the
"spirit world." Elder Frederick Evans says in his autobiography that
from the beginning the exercises in Shaker meetings were "singing and
dancing, shaking, turning, and shouting, _speaking with new tongues and
prophesying_." Elder Frederick himself, as he remarks, "was converted
to Shakerism in 1830 by spiritual manifestations," having "visions" for
three weeks, which converted him, as he relates, from materialism. He
adds:
"In 1837 to 1844 there was an influx from the 'spirit world,'
'confirming the faith of many disciples' who had lived among Believers
for years, and extending throughout all the eighteen societies, making
media by the dozen, whose various exercises, not to be suppressed even
in their public meetings, rendered it imperatively necessary to close
them all to the world during a period of seven years, in consequence of
the then unprepared state of the people, to which the whole of the
manifestations, and the meetings too, would have been as unadulterated
'foolishness,' or as inexplicable mysteries."
In a recent number of the _Shaker and Shakeress_ (1874), Elder James
S. Prescott, of the North Union Society, gave a curious account of the
first appearance of this phenomenon at that place, from which I quote
what follows:
"It was in the year 1838, in the latter part of summer, some young
sisters were walking together on the bank of the creek, not far from the
hemlock grove, west of what is called the Mill Family, where they heard
some beautiful singing, which seemed to be in the air just above their
heads.
"They were taken by surprise, listened with admiration, and then
hastened home to report the phenomenon. Some of them afterwards were
chosen mediums for the 'spirits.' We had been informed, by letter, that
there was a marvelous work going on in some of the Eastern societies,
particularly at Mt. Lebanon, New York, and Watervliet, near Albany. And
when it reached us in the West we should all know it, and we did know
it; in the progress of the work, every individual, from the least to the
greatest, did know that there was a heart-searching God in Israel, who
ruled in the armies of heaven, and will yet rule among the inhabitants
of earth.
"It commenced among the little girls in the children's order, who were
assembled in an upper room, the doors being shut, holding a meeting by
themselves, when the invisibles began to make themselves known. It was
on the Sabbath-day, while engaged in our usual exercises, that a
messenger came in and informed the elders in great haste that there was
something uncommon going on in the girls' department. The elders brought
our meeting to a close as soon as circumstances would admit, and went
over to witness the singular and strange phenomena.
"When we entered the apartment, we saw that the girls were under the
influence of a power not their own--they were hurried round the room,
back and forth as swiftly as if driven by the wind--and no one could
stop them. If any attempts were made in that direction, it was found
impossible, showing conclusively that they were under a controlling
influence that was irresistible. Suddenly they were prostrated upon the
floor, apparently unconscious of what was going on around them. With
their eyes closed, muscles strained, joints stiff, they were taken up
and laid upon beds, mattresses, etc.
"They then began holding converse with their guardian spirits and
others, some of whom they once knew in the form, making graceful motions
with their hands--talking audibly, so that all in the room could hear
and understand, and form some idea of their whereabouts in the spiritual
realms they were exploring in the land of souls. This was only the
beginning of a series of 'spirit manifestations,' the most remarkable we
ever expected to witness on the earth. One prominent feature of these
manifestations was the gift of songs, hymns, and anthems--new, heavenly,
and melodious. The first inspired song we ever heard from the 'spirit
world,' with words attached, was the following, sung by one of the young
sisters, while in vision, with great power and demonstration of the
spirit, called by the invisible.
"'THE SONG OF A HERALD.
"'Prepare, O ye faithful,
To fight the good fight;
Sing, O ye redeemed,
Who walk in the light.
Come low, O ye haughty,
Come down, and repent.
Disperse, O ye naughty,
Who will not relent.
"'For Mother is coming--
Oh, hear the glad sound--
To comfort her children
Wherever they're found;
With jewels and robes of fine linen
To clothe the afflicted withal.'
"Given by inspiration, at North Union, August, 1838, ten years prior to
the Rochester Rappings.'
"The gifts continued increasing among the children. Among these were the
gift of tongues, visiting the different cities in the 'spirit world,'
holding converse with the indwellers thereof, some of whom they once
knew in the body. And in going to these cities they were accompanied by
their guardian angels, and appeared to be flying, using their hands and
arms for wings, moving with as much velocity as the wings of a bird.
"All of a sudden they stopped, and the following questions and answers
were uttered through their vocal organism:
_Question_--'What city is this?'
_Answer_--'The City of Delight.'
_Question_--'Who live here?'
_Answer_--'The colored population.'
_Question_--'Can we go in and see them?'
_Answer_--'Certainly. For this purpose you were conducted here. They
were admitted, their countenances changed.'
_Question_--'Who are all these?'
_Answer_--'They are those who were once slaves in the United
States.'
_Question_--'Who are those behind them?'
_Answer_--'They are those who were once slaveholders.'
_Question_--'What are they doing here?'
_Answer_--'Serving the slaves, as the slaves served them while in
the earth life. God is just; all wrongs have to be righted.'
_Question_--'Who are those in the corner?'
_Answer_--'They are those slaveholders who were unmerciful, and
abused their slaves in the world, and are too proud to comply with the
conditions.'
_Question_--'What were the conditions?'
_Answer_--'To make confession and ask forgiveness of the slaves, and
right their wrongs; and this they are too proud to do.'
_Question_--'What will be done with them?'
_Answer_--'When their time expires they will be taken away and cast
out, and will have to suffer until they repent; for all wrongs must be
righted, either in the form or among the disembodied spirits, before
souls can be happy.'
"And when the girls came out of vision, they would relate the same things,
which, corresponded with what they had previously talked out.
"Now, we will leave the girls for the present and go into the boys'
department. Here we find them holding meetings by themselves, under the
safe guidance of their care-takers, going in vision, some boys and some
girls, for the work had progressed so as to reach adults, and all were
called immediately into the work whose physical organizations would
possibly admit of mediumship. The peculiar gift at this time was in
visiting the different cities in the 'spirit world,' and in renewing
acquaintances with many of their departed friends and relatives, who
were the blissful and happy residents therein.
"But before we go any further we will let our mediums describe the first
city they came to after crossing the river.
"_Question_--'What city is this?'
_Answer_--'The Blue City.'
_Question_--'Who lives here?'
_Answer_--'The Indians.'
_Question_--'What Indians?'
_Answer_--'The American Indians.'
_Question_--'Why are they the first city we come to in the
spirit-land, on the plane, and most accessible?'
_Answer_--'Because the Indians lived more in accordance with the law
of nature in their earth life, according to their knowledge, and were the
most abused class by the whites except the slaves, and many of them now
are in advance of the whites in 'spirituality,' and are the most
powerful ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall
be heirs of salvation.'
"At another time these same mediums, fifteen in number, of both sexes,
sitting on benches in the meeting-house, saw a band of Indian spirits
coming from the 'Blue City' in the spirit world to unite with them in
their worship, and said, 'They are coming;' and as soon as the spirits
entered the door they entered the mediums, which moved them from their
seats as quick as lightning. Then followed the Indian songs and dances,
and speaking in the Indian tongue, which was wholly unintelligible to us
except by spiritual interpreters."
Some of the most curious literature of the Shakers dates from this
period; and it is freely admitted by their leading men that they were in
some cases misled into acts and publications which they have since seen
reason to regret. Their belief is that they were deceived by false
spirits, and were unable, in many cases, to distinguish the true from
the false. That is to say, they hold to their faith in "spiritual
communications," so called; but repudiate much in which they formerly
had faith, believing this which they now reject to have come from the
Evil One.
Little has ever become authentically known of the so-called "spiritual"
phenomena, which so profoundly excited the Shaker societies during seven
years that, as Elder Frederick relates, they closed their doors against
the world. Hervey Elkins, a person brought up in the society at Enfield,
New Hampshire, in his pamphlet entitled "Fifteen Years in the Senior
Order of Shakers," from which I have already quoted, gives some curious
details of this period. It will be seen, from the passages I extract
from Elkins, that he came under what he supposed to be "spiritual"
influences himself:
"In the spring succeeding the winter of which I have treated, a
remarkable religious revival began among all the Shakers of the land,
east and west. It was announced several months prior to its commencement
that the holy prophet Elisha was deputized to visit the Zion of God on
earth, and to bestow upon each individual those graces which each
needed, and to baptize with the Holy Ghost all the young who would
prepare their souls for such a baptism.
"The time at length arrived. No one knew the manner in which the prophet
would make himself known. The people were grave and concerned about
their spiritual standing. Two female instruments from Canterbury, N. H.,
were at length ushered into the sanctuary. Their eyes were closed, and
their faces moved in semigyrations. Their countenances were pallid, as
though worn by unceasing vigils. They looked as though laden with a
momentous and impending revelation. Throughout the assembly, pallid
faces, tears, and trembling limbs were visible. Anxiety and excitement
were felt in every mind, as all believed the instruments sacredly and
superhumanly inspired. The alternate redness and pallor of every
countenance revealed this anxiety. For the space of five minutes the
spacious hall was as silent as the tomb. One of the mediums then
advanced in the space between the ranks of brethren and sisters, and
announced with a clear, deep, and sonorous voice, and in sublime and
authoritative language, the mission of the holy prophet. The ministry
then bade the instruments to be free and proceed as they could answer to
God; and conferred on them plenary power to conduct the meetings as the
prophet should direct.
"After marching a few songs, the prophet requested the formation of two
circles, one containing all the brethren, the other the sisters. The two
mediums were first enclosed by the circle of brethren. They both were
young women between twenty and twenty-five years of age, and had never
before been at Enfield. They had probably never heard the names of two
thirds of the younger members. They moved around in these circles,
stopping before each one as though reading the condition of every heart.
As they passed some, they evinced pleasure; as they passed others, they
bespoke grief; others, yet, an obvious contempt; by which it seemed they
looked within, and saw with delight or horror the state of all. From our
knowledge of the members, we knew they passed and noticed them as their
works merited. Little was said to separate individuals in the first
meeting. In the second, we were requested to form six circles, three of
each sex, and those of a circle to be connected together by the taking
hold of hands; and in this manner to bow, bend, and dance. In this
condition an influence was felt, upon which psychologists and biologists
would differ. It would be needless to enumerate the many gifts, the
prophecies, the extempore songs, the revelations, the sins exposed, and
the hypocrites ejected from the society during this period of two
months. But, as near as we could estimate, four hundred new songs were
sung in that time, either by improvisation or inspiration, of which I
have my opinion. I doubt not but that many were inspired by spirits
congenial with themselves, and consequently some of the songs evinced a
fatuity and simplicity peculiar to the instrument. On the other hand,
many songs were given from spheres above, higher in melody, sentiment,
and pathos than any originating with earth's inhabitants.
"I recollect that the first spiritual gift presented to me was a 'Cup of
Solemnity.' I drank the contents, and felt for a season the salutary
effects. During the revival I became sincerely converted. I for a time,
by reason of prejudice and distrust, resisted the effect of the
impressions, which at length overwhelmed me in a flood of tears, shed
for joy and gladness, as I more and more turned my thoughts to the
Infinite. At last a halo of heavenly glory seemed to surround me. I
drank deep of the cup of the waters of life, and was lifted in mind and
purpose from this world of sorrow and sin. I soared in thought to God,
and enjoyed him in his attributes of purity and love. I was wafted by
angels safely above the ocean of sensual enjoyment which buries so many
millions, but into which I had never fallen. I explored the beauties of
ineffable bliss, and caught a glimpse of that divinity which is the
culmination of science and the end of the world. The adoration and
solemnity of the sanctuary enveloped me as with a mantle, even when
employed in manual labor and in the company of my companions. The
frivolity of some of my companions disgusted me. The extreme and
favorable change wrought within me in so short a time was often remarked
by the elders and members of the society; but the praise or the censure
of mortals were to me like alternate winds, and of little avail.
"Two years thus passed, in which my highest enjoyments and pleasures
were an inward contemplation of the beauty, love, and holiness of God,
and in the ecstatic impressions that I was in the hollow of his hand,
and owned and blessed of him. Still later in life I retained and could
evoke at times the same profoundly religious impressions, contaminated,
however, by other favorite objects of study and attachment. Even the
expression of my countenance wore an aspect of deep, tender, and
benignant gravity, which the reflection of less holy subjects could not
produce. It was my delight to pray fervently and _tacitly_, and this
I often did besides the usual time allotted for such devotion. (Vocal
prayer is not admissible among the Shakers.) I loved to unite in the
dance, and give myself up to the operations of spirits even, if it would
not thwart my meditative communion with God and with God alone. Though
instruments or mediums were multiplied around me, dancing in imitation
of the spirits of all nations, singing and conversing in unknown
tongues, some evincing a truly barbarian attitude and manners, I stood
in mute thanksgiving and prayer. At times I was asked by the elders if I
could not unite and take upon me an Indian, a Norwegian, or an Arabian
spirit? I would then strive to be impressed with their feelings, and act
in conformity thereto. But such inspiration, I found, was not the
revelation of the Holy Ghost. It was not that which elevated and kept me
from all trials and temptations. But my inward spontaneous devotion was
the kind I needed. I informed the elders of my opinion, and they
concurred in it, only they regarded the inspiration of simple and
unsophisticated spirits as a stepping-stone to a higher revelation, by
virtue of removing pride, vanity, and self-will, those great barriers
against the accession of holy infusions."
* * * * *
"In the fall of that season this revival redoubled its energy. The gifts
were similar to those of the spring previous, but less charity was shown
to the hypocrite and vile pretender. It was announced that Jehovah-Power
and Wisdom--the dual God, would visit the inhabitants of Zion, and
bestow a blessing upon each individual as their works should merit. A
time was given for us to prepare for his coming. Every building, every
apartment, every lane, field, orchard, and pasture, must be cleansed of
all rubbish and needless encumbrance; so that even a Shaker village, so
notorious for neatness, wore an aspect fifty per cent more tidy than
usual. To sweep our buildings, regulate our stores, pick up and draw to
a circular wood-saw old bits of boards, stakes, and poles that were fit
for naught but fuel, and collect into piles to be burned upon the spot
all such as were unfit for that, was the order of the day. Even the
sisters debouched by scores to help improve the appearance of the farm
and lake shores, on which were quantities of drift-wood. Thus was passed
a fortnight of pleasant autumnal weather. As the evenings approached, we
set fire to the piles of old wood, which burned, the flames shooting
upward, in a serene evening, like the innumerable bonfires which
announce the ingress of a regal visitant to monarchical countries.
Viewed from the plain below, in the gray, dim twilight of a soft and
serene atmosphere, when all nature was wrapped in the unique and
beautiful solemnity of an unusually prorogued autumn, these fires,
emerging in the blue distance from the vast amphitheatre of hills, were
picturesque in the highest degree. How neat! How fascinating! And how
much like our conceptions of heaven the whole vale appeared! And then to
regard this work of cleansing and beautifying the domains of Mount Zion
as that preparatory to the visitation of the Most High, is something
which speaks to the heart and says: 'Dost thou appear as beautiful, as
clean, and as comely in the sight of God as do these elements of an
unthinking world? Is thine heart also prepared to be searched with the
candles of him from whom no unclean thing is hidden?'
"The following words were said to have been brought by an angel from
Jehovah, and accompanied by a most beautiful tune of two airs:
"'I shall march through Mount Zion,
With my angelic band;
I shall pass through the city
With my fan in my hand;
And around thee, O Jerusalem,
My armies will encamp,
While I search my Holy Temple
With my bright burning lamp.'"