religion.    551

succession of ministry or order of bishops residing alternately at
New-Lebanon and Watervliet, in the State of New-York. The
societies in New-Hampshire are under the Episcopal jurisdiction
of a succession of ministry alternately resding at Canterbury and
Enfield.

We quote a few extracts of their religious faith. First that the
Deity is composed of two great and fundamental essences, viz.
power and wisdom, or male and female principles. For proof of
this, they quote Rom. i. 20.

“ That Christ has made not only his first, but his second appear-
ing. That these are both to be considered as emphatically spirit-
ual manifestations ; the first as seen in and through the mission of
Jesus of Nazareth, and the second as seen in the same manifesta-
tions through Ann Lee. Through these two manifestations, they
recognize a spiritual parentage, or the father and mother of the
new creation.

“That the object of these two appearings of Christ, first in the
male, and secondly in the female—was to make an end of sin, and
bring in everlasting righteousness ; to make an end of the world,
or order of the flesh perfected in the first Adam and Eve, that all
who would, might come into the order or dispensation of the new
creation, through regeneration, or the spiritual parentage of the
second Adam and Eve. Through this agency they believe a new
heaven and a new earth are being instituted, as seen in their order.
Hence celibacy is rigidly and tenaciously observed, in every
instance.

“ That the resurrection concerns the soul or spiritual body only,
and can have nothing to do with the natural.

Iu short the above leading points of doctrine would seem to indi-
cate a foundation, with no borrowed material, since Christ, or the
declension of the primitive church.

As in respect to their peculiar style of dress, they were not dis-
tinguished from other people in the early days of their organization,
nor would they be to-day only as they have retained the old style
of dress in puritan days, which everybody else has changed.

They have been noted for many years for their honesty, and
punctuality in all their business transactions, and by means of their
industry and frugal habits, they have accumulated a respectable
property, besides bestowing much for charitable purposes.

While we are not a full believer in the Shaker faith, nor in their