A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. HavilandHaviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Religion
A Woman's Life-Work — Labors and Experiences of Laura S. Haviland
Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith)
Freed persons; Haviland, Laura S. (Laura Smith), 1808-1898; Underground Railroad
record, as a warning to young Christians to shun the depth of despair
into which I tank through unfaithfulness and unbelief. "By grace ye are
saved, through faith." Increasing faith, strength, and peace, with
restored health, was my rich experience.
ANTI-SLAVERY WORK.
Our family, with others, united with Elizabeth Margaret Chandler, who
organized in our neighborhood the first anti-slavery society in our
State. This was unsatisfactory to the ruling portion of our Society, as
it had cleared its skirts many years ago by emancipating all slaves
within its pale. Elizabeth M. Chandler was of the Hicksite division of
Friends, and as Presbyterians and other religious denominations came
into our anti-slavery society, meetings were frequently opened with
prayer, and that was thought to be "letting down the principles of
ancient Friends." And the subject of slavery was considered too
exciting for Friends to engage in, by many Friends of that day. I began
to query whether it would not be a relief to me, and also to my
friends, to become disconnected with that body, as I saw clearly my
path of duty would not be in accordance with the generality of our
Society. After making it a subject of earnest prayer, I became settled
as to the course to pursue, and concluded to unburden my heavy heart to
my parents as I had done, to my beloved companion, which I did after
our Sabbath meeting. We mingled our tears together. Father referred, to
the same proscribing spirit they exercised over me in my early
experience, that was now exercised over them. Father and mother wished
me to defer sending in my request to become disconnected with our
Society, as they, too, might think best to pursue the same course. This
was a severe trial for each of us. Father had been an acknowledged
minister of the Gospel nearly thirty years, and mother occupied the
station of an elder nearly the same time. We, too, had become active
members in this branch of the Christian Church. But the conclusion was
fully reached within two months after our little conference over this
important step, and the following letter of resignation was sent to our
business meeting:
"We, the undersigned, do say there is a diversity of sentiment existing
in the Society on the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, the
resurrection of the dead, and day of judgment, justification by faith,
the effect of Adam's fall upon his posterity, and the abolition of
slavery, which has caused a disunity amongst us; and there being no
hope of a reconciliation by investigation, ministers being told by
ruling members that there is to be no other test of the soundness of
their ministry but something in their own breasts, thus virtually
denying the Holy Scriptures to be the test of doctrine;--we, therefore,
do wish quietly to withdraw from the Monthly Meeting, and thus resign
our right of membership with the Society of Friends."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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