SHAKERS AND RELIGIOUS MUMMERS 233 



class of minds have the power of persuading themselves, 

 as well as their followers, that they are, or have been, in 

 direct communion with the Almighty. This assumption 

 has its birth hi spiritual pride. It is often found in 

 religiously exalted minds, but never among profound thinkers. 

 A certain amount of selfishness, with a vulgar tone of 

 spirit, are its invariable concomitants. 



The members of the sect at Lebanon claim that Mrs. 

 Lee brought no fewer than 4000 persons to America 

 with her, and they came to avoid persecution. It is far 

 more probable that they came hither because land was 

 cheap and good, and because America has always been 

 the dust-heap to which all that was abominable in 

 politics and religion has found its way from the old 

 countries of Europe. They have no objection to be 

 called Shakers, but they term themselves the " United 

 Society of Millennial Christians." Their doctrines, so far 

 as I could understand them, are Christian love, com- 

 munity of property, strict industry of every member ; 

 with regard to the " outer world," peacefulness and law- 

 abiding; and, in a word, precisely the same rules as 

 those of the Mormons except on one point, for whereas 

 the lively Brigham could not do without his forty houris, 

 even lawful marriage is considered a deadly sin by the 

 Shakers. I have met with people who have puffed with 

 the lips on hearing of this rule, and said that they did 

 not believe that any community of men and women 

 mingling together in daily life would observe it. To 

 persons not accustomed to control and self-denial, it may 

 seem impossible that such a rule should be observed. I, 

 who have been among them, am quite as convinced of 

 their purity as I afterwards was of the gross immorality 

 of the Mormons. Notwithstanding that the sexes mix 

 together, to a certain extent at all events, I believe their 

 assertion that it has very rarely happened in their history 

 that it should become necessary to expel persons from 

 their community for a breach of this rule. 



