the authority of persecuting the true witnesses of God wherever they could be found; because the testimony of these witnesses stood in opposition to their antichristian dominion, and was a testimony of condemnation to their false religion; and thus the power of the holy people was scattered.

3. But when the persecuting power of Antichrist began to be weakened by that memorable division in his kingdom, occasioned by what is called The Reformation, then a way was opened for man to contend for his long lost liberty. From that period many men of rational and discerning minds began to assert the rights of conscience, and to contend for civil and religious liberty; and henceforth liberty of conscience continued to gain ground until the latter part of the seventeenth century, when it was so far understood and acknowledged, that the witnesses of God began to live and stand up in the life and power of their testimony.

4. About this time, many religious revivals broke out in various parts of Europe, particularly in France and Germany, and continued, with different degrees of light and power, for many years. Liberty of conscience was proclaimed in England about the year 1689, and the subject excited public attention, and gained considerable influence in many other parts of Europe. This was an event highly favorable to those honest souls who were hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and who had hitherto groaned under the despotic and persecuting power of ecclesiastical tyranny, while they earnestly sought the pure and undefiled religion of the Prince of Peace.

5. The remarkable revival which happened about this time in the province of Dauphiny and Vivarais, in France, excited great attention. The subjects of this work were wrought upon in a very extraordinary manner, both in body and mind; nor could the violent agitations of their bodies, nor the powerful operations of their spirits, which appeared in the flaming and irresistable energy of their testi"mony, be imputed to any thing short of the mighty power of God, with which they were evidently inspired. Persons of both sexes and all ages, were the subjects of these divine inspirations. Men, women, and even little children, were wrought upon in a manner which struck the spectators with wonder and astonishment; and their powerful admonitions and prophetic warnings were heard and received with reverence and awe."

6. They testified that the end of things drew nigh, and admonished the people to repent and amend their lives. They gave warning of the near approach of the Kingdom of God, the acceptable year of the Lord; and in many prophetic messages, declared to the world that those numerous scripture prophecies concerning the new heavens and the new earth; the kingdom of

the Messiah; the marriage of the Lamb; the first resurrection, and the new Jerusalem descending from above, were near at hand, and would shortly be accomplished.

7. They also testified, with great power and energy of spirit, against those false systems of religion, and that antichristian dominion, which had borne such extensive sway among mankind, and predicted their certain downfall and destruction. They also declared that when all these false systems of human invention, and all the deceitful and abominable works of man should be pulled down and destroyed, there would be but one Lord, one faith, one heart and one voice among mankind And they also declared that these things would be wrought upon man by spiritual arms, proceeding from the mouths of living witnesses who, by the inspiration of the spirit, should be sent forth as laborers in the vineyard.

8. These people, like all other true witnesses of God, were rejected by the unbelieving world as false prophets, and their testimony greatly perverted and misrepresented. And probably too, as often happens in times of great outpourings of the divine Spirit, there were individuals found among them into whose hearts Satan found means to infuse a false testimony, with a view to dishonor the true testimony of faithful witnesses, by associating with it the dictates of his own lying spirit.*

9. Unbelievers, who slight every manifestation of true light, will often take occasion by the false predictions of such individuals, to reject and misrepresent the whole as unworthy of credit. Hence it was said, they predicted the immediate fulfilment of their prophecy, and stated the precise time of its accomplishment, which was evidently not given them to understand. But the candid believer will readily discern between truth and falsehood, and pay that respect to the true manifestations of the Spirit of God which their importance deserves.

10. But even admitting that those who were in the genuine spirit of that work, did state the time for the accomplishment of these predictions at three years, as has been frequently asserted, what conclusion can be drawn from thence to falsify these predictions? It is well known that St. John stated the time for the reign of antichrist at forty and two months, which, according to the usual calculation of expositors, is now generally supposed to mean 1260 years, taking each prophetic day for a year, as is usual in explaining the language of prophecy.

11. Calculating then by this rule, their three years or thirty-six months, allowing but thirty days to the month, amount to 1080 pro

*So it was of old. "When the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan came also among them." Job, ii, 1.

↑ See Rev. xi. 2, and xiii, 5.,

phetic days; but allowing 365 days to the year, they make 1095 days, or so many natural years. And if these prophets did, in truth, state the time for the full accomplishment of all their predictions at three years, can any one deny that this is the true calculation? Or dare any one affirm that these things will not be accomplished in 1080 or 1095 years from the date of their prophecy? It is the divine spirit of their testimony, and the real accomplishment of their predictions at which we look; not at the false coloring and evident misrepresentations which have been put upon them by the unbelievers of their times. That the work has already commenced we ourselves are witnesses; but how long before it will be fully accomplished, must rest with that Almighty Being who has already begun the work, and will complete it in his own due time.

12. Notwithstanding these witnesses of God met with much opposition from the unbelieving world and were continually persecuted 'by the wicked; yet they greatly increased in numbers, and boldly continued their testimony for many years; so that their prophetic warnings extended over the greatest part of Europe.

13. About the year 1706, a few of them went over to England, where they renewed their testimony; and through the ministration of the same spirit to others, many were united to them; so that in a short time they became very numerous, and their testimony became extensive and powerful. Being commissioned by the Divine Spirit, and sent only as witnesses to warn a sinful world of approaching events, they formed no regular societies, and established no churches; but faithfully executed their office and delivered the messages which were given them, and thus finished their work, and left the event to God. And though the greater part, after having finished their testimony, soon died away; yet many of them maintained their confidence through life, and a portion of them, who still retained the power of their testimony, in a greater or less degree, and having full faith in its accomplishment, stood as living witnesses of God, and, like faithful watchmen of the night, waited the approaching dawn.

14. About the year 1747, a small number who were endowed with the spirit of these witnesses, were led by the influence of the Divine Spirit to unite themselves into a small society, in the neighborhood of Manchester, under the ministry of James and Jane Wardley. These were both sincerely devoted to the cause of God, and were blest with great manifestations of divine light. James was greatly gifted in public speaking; and was remarkably clear, solid and powerful in his testimony against sin. Both he and his wife possesssed great meekness and humility, were very plain and decent in their dress and deportment, and unassuming in their man

ners.

15. This infant society practiced no forms, and adopted no creeds as rules of faith or worship; but gave themselves up to be led and guided entirely by the operations of the Spirit of God. Their meetings were powerful and animated, attended with remarkable signs and operations, and with the spirit of prophecy and divine revelation. The manifestation of divine light in visions and revelations, raised in them the warning voice of God against all sin and every evil work. They boldly testified, that the second appearing of Christ was at hand; and that the church was rising in her full and transcendant glory, which would effect the final downfall of Antichrist. They affirmed that the work of the great day of God was then commencing, and would increase until every promise of] God should be fulfilled.

16. Sometimes, after sitting awhile in silent meditation, they were seized with a mighty trembling, under which they would often express the indignation of God against all sin. At other times they were exercised with singing, shouting and leaping for joy at the near prospect of salvation. They were often exercised with great agitations of body and limbs, shaking, running and walking the floor, with a variety of signs and operations, and swiftly passing and repassing each other, like clouds agitated with a mighty wind. No human power could imitate the wonderful operations with which they were affected while under the influence of these spiritual signs. From these exercises, so strange in the eyes of mankind, they re- ¦ ceived the appellation of Shakers, which has been the most common name of distinction ever since.

17. These various and extraordinary operations, together with the singularity of their lives, and their powerful testimony against the wickedness of the world around them, naturally exposed them to much persecution. Their houses were often beset by mobs, their windows broken, and their persons shamefully abused. But they bore these things patiently, and fearlessly continued their assemblies and their testimony. Their meetings, which first began at Bolton, near Manchester, were afterwards held alternately at Bolton and Manchester; and occasionally at Cheshire, Mayortown, and other places in the vicinity of Manchester.

18. They continued to increase in light and power with occasional additions to their number, till about the year 1770, when by a special manifestation of Divine light, the present testimony of salvation and eternal life was fully revealed to Ann Lee, and by her to the society. As this extraordinary woman, concerning whom so much has been reported and published abroad in the world, was the distinguished personage to whom Christ revealed himself in his true character, in this day of his second appearing, it will be necessary, in

proceeding with this work, to give some account of her life, character and ministry.

CHAPTER II.

Sketches of the life of Mother Ann Lee: her birth and parentage: her connexion with the society of James and Jane Wardley: her religious exercises and sufferings: her revelation and testimony: persecutions in England: voyage to America.

1. ANN LEE was the daughter of John Lee, of Manchester, in England. She was born February 29th, 1736. Her father was by occupation a blacksmith, and tho' poor, he was respectable in character, moral in principle, honest and punctual in his dealings, and industrious in business. Her mother was esteemed as a religious and very pious woman. They had eight children, five sons and three daughters. Their children, as was then common with poor people in manufacturing towns, were brought up to work instead of being 'sent to school. By this means Ann acquired a habit of industry, but could neither read nor write. During her childhood and youth, she was employed in a cotton factory, and was afterwards a cutter of hatter's fur. She was also, for some time, employed as a cook in the Manchester infirmary, and was peculiarly distinguished for her faithfulness, neatness, prudence and economy.

2. In her childhood she discovered a very bright and active genius, was remarkably sagacious, but serious and thoughtful, and never addicted to play like other children. In early childhood she was the subject of religious impressions, and was peculiarly favored with heavenly visions. As she advanced in years, she was strongly impressed with a sense of the great depravity of human nature, and of the odiousness of sin, and especially of the impure and indecent nature of sexual coition. She often expressed her feelings to her mother concerning these things, and earnestly desired that she might be kept from the snares of sin, and from those abominations which her soul abhorred.

3. But not having attained that knowledge of God which she early desired, and finding no one to strengthen and assist her in the pursuit of that true holiness which she sought after, nor even to encourage her to withstand the powerful example of a lost world, (her mother having deceased while she was yet young,) she grew up in the same fallen nature with the rest of mankind, and through the importuni