Journal of the Life and Religious Labours of Elias Hicks

by Elias Hicks

My mind was deeply baptized into the weak state of society, and I laboured in the ability received to stimulate and encourage Friends to faithfulness and perseverance, that so all our precious testimonies for the Prince of Peace might be held up and exalted as a standard to the nations.

First day, the 30th. A silent meeting. The rest of this week spent in my family cares, except attending our fifth day meeting, which I sat in silence.

First day, the 7th of 5th month. I sat our meeting again in silence. The repeated seasons of rest that I have witnessed, since returning from my arduous labour in New-York, have brought to my remembrance the saying of the dear Master to his disciples, when they returned from the service they had been sent about, in visiting and preaching repentance to the Israelites, and healing their sick, &c.: “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.” I accounted it a favour, for which I was thankful to the bountiful Author of all our blessings.

No particular call to any religious service during this week, except in attention to our preparative meeting. Silent in the meeting for worship.

First day, the 14th. Indisposition of body prevented my attending meeting. I therefore spent the day quietly at home; and in reading a portion of Moshiem’s Ecclesiastical History of the Fifth Century, and which is indeed enough to astonish any sensible, considerate man, to think how the professors of that day could be hardy enough to call themselves Christians, while using every artifice that their human wisdom could invent to raise themselves to power and opulence, and endeavouring to crush down their opposers by almost every cruelty that power, envy and malice could inflict, to the entire scandal of the Christian name; and changing the pure, meek, merciful, and undefiled religion of Jesus, into an impure, unmerciful, cruel, bloody, and persecuting religion. For each of those varied sects of professed Christians, in their turn, as they got the power of the civil magistrate on their side, would endeavour, by the sword, and severe edicts, followed by banishment, to reduce and destroy all those who dissented from them, although their opinions were not a whit more friendly to real genuine Christianity, than the tenets of their opposers; for all were, in great measure, if not entirely, adulterated and apostatized from the true spirit of Christianity, which breathes peace on earth, and good will to man.

The rest of the week I spent in my family cares, except fifth day, which was the time of our monthly meeting; in which the women’s meeting brought forward, for our consideration and concurrence, requests to be joined in membership for eight individuals. Six of these were children, at the request of their father; another, a minor of about ten years of age, who appeared very desirous of membership: she sent forward her request, joined by her parents. The other was an adult of a promising aspect, the mother of several children. She had been brought up and educated in the Episcopal profession; but being favoured with an opportunity of attending Friends’ meetings, she was convinced of the truth as held by us; and cheerfully submitted to the cross, accounting the reproaches of Christ a greater treasure, than all the comfort and delights that could be found among her former associates in an outside pompous profession. Their requests were all admitted by the meeting; and it was, I think, a comfortable instructive season.

First day, the 21st. While sitting in our meeting my mind was led into a consideration of the testimony of the apostle John, where he assures us, agreeably to truth and right reason, that God is love, and that they who dwell in love, dwell in God, and God in them. My mind was opened to set forth to the people the excellency of this state and the certainty of its attainment, by all such as sincerely desire salvation; and in order therefor, are willing, through and by the leading and teaching of divine grace, which the apostle Paul assures us, agreeably to our own sensible experience, has appeared to all men, to forego all our selfish and creaturely inclinations, and to deny self; and by bearing our cross daily, come to a full crucifixion of the old man, with all his corrupt and ungodly deeds. We thereby come to know a putting on the new man, even Christ, or a salvation state, agreeably to another declaration of the same apostle, where he asserts: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new, and all things are of God.” I was likewise led to show the good fruits that would be the natural result of such a state, as certain as good fruit is produced by a good tree; for we should no longer love as man loves in his fallen state, from a selfish motive, self being slain; but we should love as God loves, with a disinterested love, and then we should love, not our friends and neighbours only, but our greatest enemies also; and we should become qualified sincerely to pray to God for them. We should then be brought to discover, that all such among Christians as pray for the downfall, or overcoming of their enemies by force of war, or by any other means than pure disinterested love, pray not in a Christian spirit, nor by the leading and influence of the spirit of God; but in their own spirit, and by the leading and influence of the spirit of antichrist. Therefore, such prayers are not heard, but are an abomination in the sight of a pure and holy God, who cannot behold iniquity with approbation. My mind was largely and impressively opened on the subject; and with solemn weight I left it upon the auditory, which was larger than usual: may it have its desired effect, is the sincere desire of my spirit.

Second day. I attended the funerals of two elderly men of Bethpage meeting. They were neighbours; and were both interred in the meeting’s burial-ground at the same time. One of them was a member; and the other was educated among Friends, but had lost his right. A meeting was held on the occasion, and there was a large collection of people. It proved a solemn, and, I trust, an instructive time to some present: may it fasten as a nail in a sure place.

The rest of this week, except the usual weekly attendance of our meeting, was spent in family cares, and in preparation for the attendance of our approaching yearly meeting. Indisposition in a branch of my family, prevented my attending the meeting for Ministers and Elders; but got to the city in time to attend the first day meetings. In the morning I was at Pearl-street, and in the afternoon at Liberty-street; and although the latter was pretty large, and in a good degree solemn, yet it was an exercising season to the living sensible members.