Church History, Volume 3 (of 3)Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
History
Church History, Volume 3 (of 3)
Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Church history
§ 170.7. =New Quaker Sects.=--The =Jumpers=, who sprang up among
the Methodists of Cornwall about A.D. 1760, are in principle
closely allied to the early Quakers (§ 163, 4). They leaped
and danced after the style of David before the ark and uttered
inarticulate howls. They settled in America, where they have
adherents still.--The =Shakers= originated from the prophets of
the Cevennes who fled to England in A.D. 1705. They converted
a Quaker family at Bolton in Lancashire named Wardley, and the
community soon grew. In A.D. 1758 Anna Lee, wife of a farrier
Stanley, joined the society, and, as the apocalyptic bride,
inaugurated the millennium. She taught that the root of all sin
was the relationship of the sexes. Maltreated by the mob, she
emigrated to America, along with thirty companions, in A.D. 1774.
Though persecuted here also, the sect increased and formed in the
State of New York the _Millennial Church_ or _United Society of
Believers_. Anna died in A.D. 1784; but her prophets declared
that she had merely laid aside the earthly garb and assumed the
heavenly, so that only then the veneration of “Mother Anna” came
into force. As Christ is the Son of the eternal Wisdom, Anna is
the daughter; as Christ is the second Adam, she is the second
Eve, and spiritual mother of believers as Christ is their father.
Celibacy, community of goods, common labour (chiefly gardening),
as a pleasure, not a burden, common domestic life as brothers
and sisters, and constant intercourse with the spirit world, are
the main points in her doctrine. By the addition of voluntary
proselytes and the adoption of poor helpless children the sect
has grown, till now it numbers 3,000 or 4,000 souls in eighteen
villages. The capital is New Lebanon in the State of New York.
The name Shakers was given them from the quivering motion of
body in their solemn dances. In their services they march about
singing “On to heaven we will be going,” “March heavenward, yea,
victorious band,” etc. Like the Quakers (§ 163, 6) they have
neither a ministry nor sacraments, and their whole manner of life
is modelled on that of the Quakers. The purity of the relation of
brothers and sisters has always been free from suspicion.[516]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account