Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

First day, the 12th. Attended Pearl-street meeting in the forenoon and afternoon. Both meetings were much hurt by a long, tedious and lifeless communication in each, by a Friend, not a resident here, who attended those meetings at this time. It very much shut up my way, and was, I apprehend, a great loss to the meetings; as it very much hurt the solemnity. In the course of this week I sat with twenty-nine families; and attended Pearl-street meeting on fourth day. After this I rode home, in order to attend our own monthly meeting, and returned on seventh day to New-York. On first day, I attended Pearl-street meeting in the forenoon, and Liberty-street in the afternoon, both comfortable seasons. In the course of this week, I sat with seventy-seven families.

First day, the 26th. Attended Pearl-street meeting in the forenoon and afternoon, and an appointed meeting at Liberty-street in the evening. They were large full meetings; and through the condescending goodness of Israel’s Shepherd, they were eminently favoured. My mouth was opened in each, to preach the gospel in the demonstration of truth, to the comfort, edification and instruction of many who attended, as appeared by their solemn and satisfactory deportment; and I was truly thankful that I had been enabled to get through this day’s exercise, to the peace of my own mind, which I esteem the best treasure.

Second day. Sat with five families in the city, and in the afternoon crossed the ferry to Brooklyn, and visited three families of Friends in that neighbourhood, they being members of Liberty-street meeting. I also had an appointed meeting in the evening, for the inhabitants of Brooklyn. It was well attended, and proved an instructive favoured season, gratefully to be remembered.

Third day. Rode to Manhattanville, and visited the families of Friends in that place, and three families on the way; and returned to the city next morning, and attended Friends’ preparative meeting in Pearl-street. It was the time for answering the queries; and it proved an exercising meeting, Friends having too generally got in the habit of making use of words which rendered their answers evasive, and not giving a direct one to the question; by which the deficient members were very much covered; and which tended rather to set them at ease, than to stir them up to more diligence and care. My mind was deeply exercised, things appearing very much out of order with many in this city; and the number of the faithful very small. I endeavoured to discharge myself faithfully among them, and found peace in my labour.

In the afternoon, I had a select opportunity with the Ministers, Elders and Overseers. In this opportunity, I, in a good measure, relieved my mind from a burden I had been under for some time, respecting Friends in those stations. In the evening I had an appointed meeting in the east part of the town, principally among those not in membership with us. It was held in a large, commodious building, erected for the purpose of educating the children of such poor people as did not belong to any society of professed Christians. There was at this time a school held in it, consisting of nearly four hundred such children. The expenses were defrayed by the charitable donations of the citizens at large. It is a benevolent institution, and well conducted. The meeting was large, consisting, as was supposed, of a thousand people; to whom the truths of the gospel were largely opened, comforting and instructing many minds, and administering reproof to the lukewarm, the licentious, and immoral. A general solemnity spread over the meeting; and we parted under a deep and humbling sense of the unmerited favour.

Fifth day. Attended the preparative meeting at Liberty-street, which was a comfortable meeting. The queries appeared to be answered with much more consistency than at the other. The afternoon and evening spent in the family visit; as also the two following days.

First day, the 2d of 4th month. I attended Pearl-street meeting in the morning, and that at Liberty-street in the afternoon; and public notice being given of my intention of attending the latter, it was large. I also had an appointed meeting in the evening at Pearl-street, which was also very large. They were all seasons of favour, especially those at Pearl-street, wherein truth reigned, and the people’s minds were solemnized, and the faithful comforted and made glad together, under a grateful sense of the continued mercy, and longsuffering loving kindness of Israel’s Shepherd to the workmanship of his holy hand.

Second day. Sat with four families in the forenoon; and, in the afternoon, had an appointed meeting at Flatbush, near the west end of Long Island, where no Friends live. The inhabitants were mostly Dutch people, the descendants of the ancient Hollanders: they had but little acquaintance with us or our principles. The meeting was held in their court-house. A respectable number collected, and behaved quietly, becoming the occasion. Our gracious Helper was near, furnishing doctrine suited to their states and conditions; which had a reaching and salutary effect upon many minds; and through the prevalence of the power of truth, which rose into dominion, divers hearts were broken and contrited. We parted from them with thankful hearts, and returned to the city that evening.

Third day. Attended the meeting of Ministers and Elders, composed of the select members of the monthly meetings of New-York and Flushing. It was a solemn, and, I hope, a profitable time. The next day the monthly meeting of New-York was held, in which I was favoured to close my visit to Friends there, in an opportunity with the members generally together, both male and female, select from others. At this meeting I discharged myself fully to the peace of my own mind, and, I trust, to the comfort and encouragement of the faithful; and at the same time administered reproof and correction to the lukewarm, and unsound members, and strength to the weak and feeble-minded. The Lord was supplicated in behalf of his people, that he would still strive with them, both in mercy and judgment, as he may see meet, in his matchless wisdom and loving kindness, and not give his heritage to reproach, lest the people without be led to inquire, where is their God.

Fifth day. I turned my face homeward, having a meeting at Newtown Kilns, at the eleventh hour, and another in the town at evening. They were favoured seasons; although the latter was somewhat interrupted at the close, by a hireling minister, of the Presbyterian persuasion, who took some exceptions to the doctrines delivered respecting water baptism, imputative righteousness, and the hire of ministers. The arguments he advanced in support of these appeared very weak, being unfounded and fallacious; and the scripture passages which he quoted to prove his positions, were in direct opposition thereto. For his proof of water baptism, he made use of the doctrine of the apostle Paul; and especially that part wherein he thanks God that he had baptized but a very small number, positively asserting, that Christ sent him not to baptize; therefore, if so great a minister as Paul had no commission or authority to baptize, that is with water, who had converted so many to the Christian faith, and set up and established many churches, in parts where no other of the primitive ministers had yet travelled, surely he could not think it needful, or otherwise he must have fallen very far short of fulfilling his ministry; but if we conclude, as I apprehend we are all bound to do, that Paul, as he himself asserts, was not a whit behind the chiefest of the primitive apostles, we may then safely conclude that water baptism has no part in the commission of a gospel minister, and consequently is no part of the gospel dispensation, but was only made use of in condescension to the weak state of the Jewish believers, in the same way as circumcision was made use of by Paul. Indeed it is abundantly evident, that the rituals of the law were continued for many years by many of the Jewish Christians. It is clear, however, that it was all in condescension to the weak state that the believers were in, through the force of tradition and custom. Having been long in the use of outward shadows and types, the way did not open to shake them all off at once; but as the light of the glorious gospel should arise, they would gradually recede and give place to the substance, just as when the sun rises above the horizon, all the shadows of the night flee away.