Dealing with Unsoundness of Doctrine 1824: Isaac Braithwaite Advises His American Friends

Abstract

DOCUMENTATION DEALING WITH UNSOUNDNESS OF DOCTRINE 1824: ISAAC BRAITHWAITE ADVISES HIS AMERICAN FRIENDS Larry Ingle* One of the notable aspects of the events leading up to the separations of 1827 and 1828 in five American yearly meetings was the role played by several English evangelical Quakers who traveled in the United States during the 1820s. A recently discovered letter from one of these Friends, Isaac Braithwaite1, written to John Griscome2, late in 1824 before Braithwaite himself had visited America, reveals his view of himself as an advisor to American Friends on the best way to deal with Elias Hicks, the leading opponent of the evangelical interpretation of Quakerism.3 As a supporter of orthodoxy which, among other things, meant a strict adherence to the good order provided by the Discipline, Braithwaite's willingness to advocate violating the stated prohibition against defamation and detraction in proceeding against Hicks suggests that as a leading evangelical he preferred to concentrate, as he phrased it, on "the far more *Larry Ingle is Professor ofHistory, University ofTennessee at Chattanooga. This article is part of a forthcoming larger study entitled "To Renew the Covenant, the Hicksite Reformation," research for which was made possible by a Faculty Research Committee grant from the University ofTennessee. 1 . Isaac Braithwaite (1781-1861) was publicly the quiet and retiring member of the Braithwaite couple. Strongly opposed to Hicks, he and his wife, Anna, sided with the extreme evangelicals in London Yearly Meeting during the 183Os. He accompanied her on her second and third visits to the United States in 1 825 and 1827. See Isaac Braithwaite, in the "Dictionary ofQuaker Biography," Quaker Collection, Harverford College. The letter cited is in the Quaker Collection of Haverford College. 2.John Griscom (1774-1852), who lived in New York where he was a prominent Quaker educator, chemist, and philanthropist, probably met Braithwaite on an earlier tour of Europe. He was deeply involved in the evangelical opposition to Hicks. For a brief sketch, see Rufus M. Jones, The Later Periods of Quakerism (London: Macmillan Co. , 1921), II, 687-90. 3.Elias Hicks (1748-1830), whose personality, preaching, and theological position was at the center ofthe controversy that divided Friends after 18 19, was a Long Island minister. See Bliss Forbush, Elias Hicks, QuakerLiberal (New York: Columbia University Press, 1956). 49 50Quaker History important part, namely that of unsoundness of doctrine." In this case Hicks, often depicted as a "liberal," is portrayed as one who would presume to "avail himself of the Disciplines's protection while Braithwaite, the more orthodox, was willing to sacrifice one of the pillars of the Society's stability to bring down his opponent. The letter is as follows. Kendal 12th Mo: 29, 1824 Esteemed Friend Jn" Griscom I hope by this time the Pacific has reached New York & the parcel for thee has been carefully delivered. I think my dearest Anna4 sent a copy ofher letter to Elias Hicks, to Ann Shipley,5 in which case thou will no doubt have seen it & I shall be glad to find it meets thy approbation.6 1 wished very much to have written a copy for thee, but really we had so much writing that it was very close work to get all accomplished that we did effect. The corroborating proofs which that letter contains will surely convince every one who is open to conviction of the truth & correctness of my Wifes [sic] statement of the conversation with EH. & with the other evidences which you have, as appears from the Pamphlets which have been published furnish ample ground for the Friends of the Monthly Meeting to which EH belongs to proceed in his case according to the good order of our Discipline. In my view any charge of Detraction should in this Instance be considered a minor point, & the exercise of fnds should be directed to the far more important part, namely that of unsoundness ofDoctrine. I look upon the present as a very awfully important time, & I am very anxious that every step which the sound members 4.Anna Braithwaite (1788-1859), wife of Isaac, was one ofthe leading and most controversial evangelical English ministers. She traveled to the United States three different times in the 1 820s...