Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

On the 27th of 8th month, 1828, we proceeded on our journey to Mount Pleasant, and attended on that day, their meeting in the middle of the week; it was large, by the attendance of many of the inhabitants who were not members of our society, and was, in the forepart, a solemn, quiet meeting; but the latter part of it was disturbed and its usefulness marred, by a long, tedious communication from a minister among those called Orthodox, who, after I sat down, publicly opposed and endeavoured to lay waste what I had said.

The next day we attended Short Creek meeting. Here also the meeting in the forepart, was truly a solemn season, in which I was favoured to open and declare many important truths of the gospel to the people, which brought a precious solemnity over the assembly, and many minds were contrited; but an opposition from the same person who caused the disturbance the day before, again took place, much to the dissatisfaction of the principal part of those assembled.

The next day being the sixth of the week, we attended an appointed meeting at Harrisville. Here we met with no interruption. This was a large crowded meeting, and very solemn and quiet. I had an open time among the people to declare many things, both old and new; setting forth the great declension of the professed Christian Churches, from the simplicity and integrity of the primitive disciples; and showing that it was all brought about by a departure from the only sure foundation of true and real Christianity, the light within, or spirit of truth, the immediate revelation of the spirit of God, in the immortal souls of men and women; the only and alone true teacher of the things of God under the gospel. And as a departure from this only sure guide, and turning back to the letter and external evidence, and building up, from these outward materials, many diverse systems of religion, in their own creaturely wisdom, brought confusion and anarchy into the Church, which enveloped it in a state of midnight darkness and death, as to the life and spirit of real Christianity; by which the worst of persecution, and the most cruel and sanguinary wars were introduced among Christians: so nothing short of a full and entire return to this only sure foundation and first principle, and placing an entire dependance thereon for our salvation, can ever produce a real restoration from the apostate state in which Christendom is at present involved. I was also led to lay before the people the inconsistency and hurtful tendency of Bible and Missionary societies; as believing them all to be set up and associated together in the will and wisdom of man, which never did, nor ever can, produce the righteousness of God, but tend to lead the mind down to a state of darkness and death, as a dependance on the letter and external evidence ever has, and ever will kill, as to the real spiritual life, agreeably to Paul’s doctrine: “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

The next day we had an appointed meeting at Westgrove. The day following being the first of the week, and 31st of 8th month, we attended Concord meeting; and the three following days attended meetings at St. Clairsville, Plainfield, and Wrightstown. These were all large satisfactory meetings, in which the gospel was preached to the people, and by the power attending, many hearts were broken and contrited; and a precious sense of the divine presence was felt to preside, to the comfort and encouragement of the honest-hearted; a sense of which inspired my mind with thanksgiving and gratitude, to the blessed Author of all our sure mercies.

On fifth day, the 4th of 9th month, we had an appointed meeting at a place called Stillwater. It was a very large comfortable meeting, and I had a full opportunity in an effective testimony, to ease my exercised mind among them, to the comfort and apparent satisfaction of the people, both Friends and others. The next day we rode back to Mount Pleasant, and the day following being the seventh day of the week, and 6th of 9th month, the yearly meeting opened with a meeting of Ministers and Elders. When the time came for meeting, Friends gathered to the gate which led into the yard where the meeting-house stood, and found it guarded by a number of men of the opposing party, who refused to let us in; and Friends had to hold their meeting in the open air, outside of the yard; but after the first sitting, adjourned to a school-house near by, and afterwards held the remaining sittings in a private room, in Israel French’s house.

The next day and first of the week, we attended Mount Pleasant meeting in the morning, and that held at Short Creek in the afternoon. In the morning meeting Elisha Bates and Anna Braithwaite made great opposition, endeavouring by long and tedious communications to lay waste what I had previously communicated, which very much disturbed many present. But the afternoon meeting was not interrupted, as none of those opposers attended.

On second day morning, the yearly meeting for discipline opened at the tenth hour. Not being present at this sitting, I was informed that great confusion and disorder took place; both Friends and those called Orthodox wished to retain possession of the meeting-house, and both parties went on with their business with separate clerks, for some little time, when the Orthodox adjourned their meeting to ten o’clock the next day, and left the house in the possession of Friends, who then proceeded quietly on with the business of the meeting until some time in the afternoon, and then adjourned to nine o’clock the next day; when they again met, and near the tenth hour a deputation from our opposing Friends came and demanded the use of the house, in the name of the yearly meeting of Ohio. Friends informed them that the yearly meeting was now sitting, and the doors were open, and they might come in; and after some further requisition for Friends to withdraw, and give them the entire use of the house, which Friends could not think right to do, as being entirely unreasonable, they then went away and did not give Friends any more interruption in that way. But they had recourse to the law and prosecuted a number of Friends, some in an action for a pretended trespass, for going into their own meeting-house, and some as rioters; and compelled them to leave their meeting and go before the magistrates, to answer for crimes they, without a just cause, had accused them of having committed. And a considerable number, it was said about thirty of their own principal members, such as Ministers and Elders, and other active members, left the sittings of their yearly meeting, and went to a town twenty miles distant, where they had compelled a number of Friends to attend, to be tried by the court then sitting, and were two days absent from the sittings of their meeting. After this they interrupted Friends no further, and Friends quietly proceeded with their business, and closed on sixth day.

We proceeded on our journey next day to Flushing, and the day after being the first of the week, we attended Friends’ meeting there; and as notice had been given of our intention to be there, the meeting was very large, more than the house could contain. At this meeting those styled Orthodox made great opposition; for as soon as I came near the meeting-house several of them met me, and desired I would not interrupt the meeting: and soon after the meeting was gathered, before it became fully settled, Charles Osborn, an Orthodox minister, kneeled in supplication and continued on his knees, I believe, more than an hour. It was truly a distressing scene, and it greatly disturbed the meeting; and very soon after he took his seat, he rose and began to preach, and continued for more than an hour. However, when he sat down, although the meeting was much wearied with his long and tedious communications, I felt the necessity of standing up and addressing the people, which brought a precious solemnity over the meeting; but as soon as I sat down, he rose again to contradict, and tried to lay waste my communication, by asserting that I had not the unity of my friends at home; which being untrue, I therefore informed the meeting that I had certificates with me to prove the incorrectness of his assertions, which I then produced, but he and his party would not stay to hear them, but in a disorderly manner arose and left the meeting; but the people generally stayed and heard them read, to their general satisfaction.

The next day we went to Cambridge, about thirty-seven miles; and the day following rode to Zanesville, twenty-four miles, and had an appointed meeting there in the evening, held in their court-house, a large room, but not sufficient to contain all the people who assembled. It was a very solemn instructive opportunity, and I parted with them under a thankful sense of the favour, and with peace of mind. The two following days we rode to Wilmington, and put up with our friend Warren Sabin, where we lodged the two next nights.