this Society, by which their lives and manners became more generally known, together with some signal instances of the interposition of Divine Providence in their favor, the malicious efforts of their enemies became, by degrees, less successful. For there are but few, in the present day, who are willing to persecute an honest people for their religion, when once their real sentiments are well known; and, unhappily, those few are generally found among the most bigoted professors of some false religion: for true religion never produced any persecutors. But, unfortunately, there are many inconsiderate mortals to be found in every civilized country, who, having no principle of their own, readily become the dupes of designing bigots, and by them are often urged to acts of violence which would put even savages to shame.

These persecutions in the western states, produced inquiry and personal examination, which generally led to a knowledge of the truth: consequently the testimony of truth prevailed, and believers were multiplied. People of all classes, and various denominations, the high and the low, the rich and the poor flocked together, and seemed equally anxious to hear the testimony and become partakers of the way of life and salvation. In various places the preachers and their people, with equal zeal, embraced the testimony and took up their their crosses; and among the great numbers who set out to walk in the narrow way, were many respectable characters of different denominations.

The testimony has mostly prevailed in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, where Societies have been established. There are at present, five Societies in these three states. But many from other states have embraced the testimony, moved in, and become members of these Societies. There are two Societies in the state of Ohio; one at Union Village, in the county of Warren, about four miles west from the village of Lebanon, and 30 north by east from Cincinnati. This is the oldest and largest Society in the western states, and contains nearly 600 members. The other is at Watervliet, on Beaver Creek, in the county of Montgomery, about 22 miles north from Union Village, and 6 southeast from Dayton, which contains about 100 members.

There are also two in Kentucky; one at Pleasant Hill, in Mercer county, about 7 miles easterly from Harodsburg, and 21 southwesterly from Lexington, which contains between 4 and 500 members. The other is at South Union, Jasper Springs, in Logan county, about 15 miles northeasterly from Russellville, and contains between 3 and 400 members. The fifth and last is at West Union, Knox county, in the state of Indiana. It is situated on Busseron Creek, near its confluence with the Wabash, about 16 miles above Vincennes, and contains upwards of 200 members. There are also numbers in various parts of the United States, who

have embraced the faith of the Society, but whose circumstances have not, as yet, admitted of their being gathered into a regular body.

*

The number of believers contained in all the Societies, both in the eastern and western states, exceeds 4000. Two thirds, at least, of this number have been added since the commencement of the present century; and the number is gradually increasing.* Most of the Societies contain a number of large families; and each family is accommodated with one or more large and convenient dwelling-houses, and with shops and out-houses, for the convenience of carrying on the various branches of business pursued by the family. There is also, in each Society, a house for public worship, and an office or offices for the transaction of public busi

ness.

The principal employments of the people are agriculture, horticulture, and the various branches of domestic manufacture; of course the principal articles of consumption among them, are mostly of their own produce and manufacture; and their various mechanical branches furnish a variety of articles for market.

Temperance and chastity, plainness and simplicity, neatness, industry and good economy, are among those virtuous principles which actuate the people of the United Society, in all their temporal concerns, and which tend greatly to promote the health and prosperity of the Society, and insure the blessings of Divine Providence upon all their labors. And it is found by many years experience, that this manner of life is more conducive to the general health of the body, than any other with which we are acquainted and this experience has also proved, that fewer deaths have occurred in the Society, since its establishment, in proportion to the

* We are far from feeling a disposition to proclaim our numbers to the world; but the inquiries which are continually made by strangers, to ascertain our numbers, and the local situation of the different Societies in our communion, have induced us to give a statement of these particulars. We are, as yet, but a small people, and few in number, compared with the vast multitudes enrolled in the catalogues of other lenominations; but when we consider the testimony of Jesus Christ, that, "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto "life, and few there be that find it," we cannot but feel a sense of thankfulness for that mercy of God, which has called us to be numbered with the chosen few; and to us it is a matter of more importance to increase in the principles of peace and righteousness, than to increase in numbers. Yet we feel a firm reliance upon the promises of God, by the mouth of his prophets: "I will multiply them and they “shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be “small.—A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong "nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time." See Isa, Ix. 22, and Jer. xxx. 19.

number of people, than is usual among those who live after the common course of the world.*

CHAPTER V.

Remarks on the Worship of God: the origin, practice and reasonableness of Dancing, as an act of Divine Worship.

THE subject of religious worship has excited the attention of all nations, of all religions, throughout all ages of the world. Perhaps there is no subject on which there has existed a greater diversity of sentiment. Even among those who profess the christian religion, the great variety of opinions would seem to indicate to an impartial observer, that almost every different denomination believed in a different God, and expected to be saved by a different Savior, and to enjoy a different Heaven.

This great diversity of opinion, on a subject of such infinite importance to all, is certainly a most conclusive evidence of the great deficiency of the Spirit of God among christian professors, and of their ignorance of his true character and most acceptable worship. In former days, this diversity of sentiment was the occasion of great contentions and persecutions; but since the principles of civil and religious liberty have had a prevailing influence, and the spirit of persecution has lost its tyrannical power, modern christians profess great charity and forbearance towards each other; but still the same difference of religious sentiment prevails, and there are still many ways of performing religious worship.

When Jesus Christ was on earth, he prayed for his followers, that they might be one with him, as he was one with the Father. "As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be 66 one in us. us.” And again: "that they may be one, even as we are one."+ And the apostle Paul to the Ephesians, testifies that there is, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and "Father of all." If then there is but one God, one Lord, one faith and one baptism; and if Christ is one with the Father, and his people are one with him; how is it that those who profess to be his people, at the present day, are so divided into sects and parties? Surely Christ's true followers cannot be divided; they are one with him, as he is one with the Father.

Again: Jesus Christ testified, saying, "I am the way, and the

*The ancients reckoned a generation to last 30 years, and the moderns have generally agreed that the life of man has not increased From the commencement of the United Society, in the year 1780, up to 1300, the average ages of those who deceased at New Lebanon, and Watervliet, exceeded 50 years. Sinee that period to the present time, the averTho age ages of all that have deceased in these two societies, amount to about 60 years. there was, in the beginning, at least, an ordinary proportion of young children, and tho many children have since been gathered into the Society; yet only 5 have deceased under 10 years, and but 27 under 21 years of age

† John xvii. 21, 23,

Epb, iv, 5 6.

"truth, and the life."* He did not say, "I am one of the ways;" but, 66 I am the way." Again he said; "God is Spirit; and they "that worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth."+ How then is it possible that the One Spirit of God, which is in Christ, who teaches us to worship in spirit and in truth, should at the same time, teach christians so many different opinions, and direct and establish so many different ways of worship, as the result of these different opinions? Surely no true christian, who knows any thing of the Spirit of God, can ever suppose this to be the case; and if not, then we would ask, who has taught these opinions, and directed and established all these ways of worship?

The Spirit of God and of Christ, which is one, necessarily leads to a oneness, both in doctrine and in worship; but the various doctrines and modes of worship among the various sects of professing christians, instead of uniting souls in the Spirit of Christ, produce a contrary effect. They tend much more to scatter and divide; and hence the increasing divisions and separations that are continually taking place, from time to time, among those who call themselves christians.

"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." And so long as their systems of religious doctrine and worship are of human invention, so long will they worship in vain. The only worship which is, or ever can be acceptable to God, is that which is performed in obedience to his will. Therefore, the first object of every rational soul ought to be, to know the will of God, and to do it. "If any man will do his " will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.”||

In the early ages of mankind, after the fall, it does not appear that there was any established order of worship given; but, those whose hearts were turned to honor the living and true God, worshipped him by their obedience in those things which he commanded them. Thus Enoch, Noah, and the rest of the early patriarchs, served God; and thus Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the prophets, in after ages, served God. And tho they frequently offered sacrifices and burnt-offerings; yet it was done in obedience to the will of God; otherwise their offerings could not have been accepted.

After the children of Israel were brought out of the land of Egypt, they, as a body of people, a chosen generation, served God by their obedience to those ordinances which God gave to Moses for their protection. This was the established worship of the children of Israel; and this continued with all who were obedient to the will of God, till the coming of Jesus Christ. A short time previous to the ministration of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist was sent to preach repentance and baptize with water; and all who

*John xiv 6..

† John iv. 24.

Matt. xv. 9.

John vii. A

received his testimony, and were obedient to it, honored God by confessing their sins and receiving the baptism of water, which was a figure of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which was to follow, as the true baptism of Christ.

But during the dispensation of Moses, through all the law and the prophets, it is worthy of particular remark, that God would not accept the offerings of those who were disobedient, but severely reproved them by the mouth of the prophets. "Ah, sinful na66 tion, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children "that are corruptors! Bring no more vain oblations ;* to what pur66 pose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: "when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from 66 you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear."* These, and many other severe reproofs, clearly show that God would not acccept an offering from those who were disobedient and sinful, even tho the offering, in other respects, were conformable to his Divine Institution. And so it is in the present day; God never will accept any kind of offering, nor any manner of worship, from those who live in disobedience to his will, and knowingly commit sin.

When Jesus Christ came, he served God by doing his will in all things; he faithfully finished the work which the Father gave him to do. The apostles also, and the primitive christians, who were faithful to obey the law of Christ, worshipped God as they were moved and directed by his Spirit; and by their perfect obedience they found justification before God.

But as the Kingdom of Christ was not permanently established on earth, at that time, tho the work of his Kingdom was begun, and the foundation of his Church was laid, yet the time had not arrived, nor was the way prepared for a permanent establishment; therefore no particular order of religious worship could be fully established in that day; and indeed, if any such had been given, it would undoubtedly have shared the fate of those institutions which were given, that is, it would have been shamefully corrupted or utterly destroyed by the wicked works of Antichrist, which soon followed. But while the primitive christians stood faithful in their calling, they assembled themselves together, and worshipped God in prayer, vocal or silent; in praise and thanksgiving; in exhortations to faithfulness, and in feasts of charity, by which they expressed their love and union to each other; in prophesying and speaking with new tongues, and in such other acts of worship as they were led into by the operations of the Holy Spirit.

This various kind of worship, excepting perhaps some of the apostolic gifts, continued, mostly, with all the true witnesses, who followed the dictates of the Spirit of Truth, through all the long

* Iɛa. i. 4, 11, 13, 15.