"A week ago I returned from Stanford Quarterly Meeting held at
Hudson. All the English force was there save T. Shillitoe with a
large re-enforcement from New York, but they were headed by 15 men
and 25 women of the committee of Friends, and a great many attended
from the neighboring meetings, Coeymans, Rensalaerville, Saratoga,
&c. The city was nearly full. Anna Braithwaite and suite took
lodgings at the hotel. It was the most boisterous meeting I ever
attended. The clerks in each meeting were orthodox, but Friends were
favored to appoint others who opened the meeting. Anna Braithwaite
had much to say to clear up the charges against her in circulation
that their expenses had been borne by Friends, which she said was
false, and never had been done but in two instances, and mentioned
it twice or three times that her dear husband felt it a very great
pleasure to meet all expenses she might incur, and she would appeal
to those present for the truth of what she had said, and then Ann
Jones, Claussa Griffin, Ruth Hallock, Sarah Upton and some others
immediately attested to the truth of it. Oh, how inconsistent is all
this in a Friends' meeting. She also gave a long statement of the
separation at Yearly Meeting, but she was reminded of her absence at
the time, but she replied Ann Jones had informed her. She accused
Friends of holding erroneous doctrine and said Phebe I. Merritt did
not believe in the atonement for sin. Phebe said she denied the
charge, when Anna turning and looking stern in her face said, 'Did
thou not say, Phebe Merritt, all the reproof thou felt for sin was
in thy own breast?' Phebe then arose and was favored to express
her views in a clear way with an affecting circumstance that she
experienced in her childhood that brought such a solemnity over the
meeting that almost disarmed Anna of her hostile proceedings. She
stood upon her feet the while ready to reply but began in a different
tone of voice, and changed the subject, and very soon after, Ann
Jones made a move to adjourn when they could hold Stanford Quarterly
Meeting, which was seconded by several others and Friends in the
meantime as cordially and silently uniting with them in the motion.
They then retired without reading an adjournment, I afterwards
learnt, to the Presbyterian Conference room. I dined in company with
Willett Hicks, who said he was surprised to see so few go with them
after such a noble effort."
CHAPTER XX.
The Experience with T. Shillitoe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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