A SUMMARY vIEW of the MILLENNIAL CHURCH or
United Society of Believers, commonly called SHAKERS.
General Principles of their Faith and Testimony.
Published by the Shakers in 1823; Reprinted in 1848.  
    AUTHENTIC MANUSCRIPT – Table of Contents
       Transcribed from the 1848 Second Edition

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
This E-Text © 1998, 1999,  2013   Pass the WORD Services.
E-Text Copyright renews with each published update.

On-line at PTW: September 27, 1998
  Last update: August 26, 2013

“A Summary View of the Millennial Church”

Table of Contents

of the Second Edition of the Original Book,
Published by the Shakers in 1848

[NOTE: For your convenience, those portions of the book that are on-line may be accessed from this Table of Contents as well as from the book’s Descriptive Index.]

CONTENTS
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Preface
Introductory remarks, comprising a short review of the formation of Associations and Communities, EXCERPT

 

PART I.

Rise and Progress of the United Society, including some account of the First Witnesses.
Chapter

1

  

A short sketch of the state of Religion, and the operations of the Spirit of God, which led to the rise of the Society, and to the commencement of the present Testimony of the Gospel of Christ’s Second Appearing.

2

 Sketches of the Life of Mother Ann Lee: Her birth and parentage: her connection with the Society of James and Jane Wardley: her religious exercises and sufferings: her revelation and testimony: persecutions in England: Voyage to America.

3

 Circumstances connected with the settlement of Mother Ann, and her little Society in America; religious revival at New Lebanon; Commencement and Progress of the Testimony, followed by Persecution: Death of Mother Ann, etc.
4 Some further account of the Life, Character and Ministry of Mother Ann Lee.
5 A short account of the Life and Character of Elder William Lee.
6 Sketches of the Life, Character and Ministry of Elder James Whittaker.
Supplementary Article concerning Elder John Hocknell

 

PART II.

The Established Order and Religious Practice of the United Society.
1 Formation of the Society into a United Body, possessing a consecrated interest.
2 The established Order and Government of the Church.
3 The Government and Education of Children.
4 Progress and present state of the United Society.
5 Remarks on the Worship of God; the origin practice and reasonableness of Dancing, as an act of Divine Worship.

 

PART III.

The Nature of God and his Works of Creation.
1 The Attributes of God, their harmony and consistency manifested in God’s dealings towards his creatures: The idea of christian sinners wholly inconsistent with these attributes.
2 Concerning the Decrees of God, Election and Reprobation.
3 The Creation and Order of the Natural World, a figure of that which is Spiritual.
4 The Established Order of Times and Seasons in the Natural Creation, together with the Primeval State and Probation of Man.

 

PART IV.

The Fall, Loss and Depravity of Man, including God’s Progressive Work, and his dealings with Man in his Fallen State.
1 The cause, nature and effects of Man’s loss from God.
2 Objections against the preceding doctrines stated and answered.
3 The subject continued, in which further Objections are stated and answered, and the doctrine of Continence and Celibacy confirmed.
4 The figurative import of Circumcision, and other Ceremonies under the Law.
5 A few remarks on the nature and typical design of the Jewish Wars, showing that the Law could not decide the future state of the soul.
6 An Illustration of the progressive increase of the Work of God, from the creation to present time.

 

PART V.

The falling away of the Primitive Church; the Reign of Anitchrist, and progressive rise of the Witnesses of Truth; also the increasing nature of the Work of God, manifested by Divine Revelation.
1 The declension of the Primitive Church, and the progressive rise of Antichrist.
2 The period of the Reign of Antichrist and its effects, illustrated by the concurrence of Ecclesiastical History, and proved by the prophetic times of the Prophet Daniel.
3 The Rise and Progress of the Witnesses of Truth that prophesied during the long night of Antichristian darkness, together with a brief calculation of Prophetic Scriptures, alluding to these periods, and to the events.
4 A brief illustration of the Four General Dispensations of Divine Providence and Grace to Man, as pointed out by the Prophet Ezekiel’s Vision of the Holy Waters; Chap.47.  And also by St.John’s Vision of the Four Living Creatures or rather Four Living Spirits; Rev. Chap.4.
5 A brief illustration of the necessity of Divine Revelation, that man may know, and truly understand the character of the Divine Being, and the true order of his Works.

 

PART VI.

The Second Appearing of Christ.
1 Various opinions concerning the nature of Christ’s Second Appearing.
2 Second Coming of Christ not the appearance of the same Personal Being, but a manifestation of the same Spirit. This Illustrated by various Similitudes, which also point out the increasing work of his Kingdom.
3 The Second Manifestation of Christ not instantly universal, but gradual and progressive, like the rising of the sun.
4 The Manifestation of Christ in the Female.
5 Spiritual Regeneration and the New Birth.
6 Concerning Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

 

PART VII.

The Faith and Principles of the New Creation.
1 The Twelve Foundations of the Laws of Christ, exemplified in the Twelve Christian Virtues.
2 The Seven Moral Principles of the Church of Christ, as reduced to practice in the United Society.
3 Concerning Obedience.
4 The Confession of Sin.
5 The Resurrection..
6 Day of Judgment.
7 A few Remarks concerning the true nature of Perfection.
The Conclusion.
Supplementary Notes, from Professor Bush

 

A Note from “Shaker Manuscripts On-Line”:

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Index of Other:   Shaker Manuscripts On-Line

 

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