Elias Hicks
Elias Hicks: Quaker Minister and Social Reformer
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Elias Hicks was born as Elias Hicks in 1745 to a family of modest means in Windham, New York. He is commonly known as "The Waterman" due to his skill in water management.
Birth and Death Dates
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Hicks was born on July 17, 1745, and died on February 22, 1830.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Elias Hicks was an American Quaker minister and social reformer. He served as a prominent leader in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) for over five decades.
Early Life and Background
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Hicks' family moved to Long Island when he was a child. His father, Thomas Hicks, was a farmer and a respected member of his community. Elias Hicks received a basic education but never attended college. Instead, he developed a love for reading and learning through self-study. In his early 20s, Hicks joined the Quakers, which would later become a defining aspect of his life.
Major Accomplishments
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Hicks' most significant contribution to society was as a Quaker minister. He rose through the ranks within the Society of Friends, becoming one of its most influential leaders in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Hicks played a key role in maintaining the unity of the Quakers during a period of internal strife. His advocacy for peaceful resolution to disputes between colonies earned him recognition as a champion of American independence.
Notable Works or Actions
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Hicks' dedication to his faith led to significant writings and public declarations on topics such as spiritual equality, social justice, and education. He believed in the importance of treating all individuals with respect, regardless of their background. This commitment extended beyond the Quaker community; Hicks advocated for the abolition of slavery throughout the United States.
Impact and Legacy
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Hicks' legacy extends far beyond his work within the Quakers. His unwavering commitment to social justice and equality has inspired generations of reformers and advocates. Elias Hicks was among the first to speak out against the institution of slavery in public forums, influencing others to follow suit. His leadership played a pivotal role in shaping American history.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Hicks' emphasis on spiritual equality and his commitment to social justice have made him one of the most remembered figures within the Quaker community. As a champion of peaceful resolution, he continues to inspire efforts toward conflict resolution today. His life's work serves as an example of what it means to live according to one's convictions, even in the face of adversity.
Quotes by Elias Hicks
And the law of God is written in every heart, and it is there that he manifests himself; And in infinite love, according to our necessities, states, conditions. And as we are all various and different from one another, more or less, so the law by the immediate operation of divine grace in the soul, is suited to every individual according to his condition.
...the more strictly and faithfully every man and woman lives up to the guidance and teaching of this Inward Anointing - and never turns aside to the right hand or left for the precepts and traditions of men - the more instruction and help they afford one another.
I delight not in spreading any thing mysterious, for I consider it all lost time; but the things that all of us can see and know if we will.
People talk about revelation, and say it has ceased; but what ignorance it bespeaks, when man knows not the least thing on earth without revelation.
We have met on a solemn occasion, and in this crowded assembly there is one thing that appears important, that is, for every one of us to be still, that if any thing should he said, every one may the better hear.
Just as a son, to be a son of man, must be of the same nature and spirit of his father; so with the sons of God, and so it will be with all who are born of the spirit of God.
But if we continue in sin, and rebel and harden our hearts, we shall become so inured and fixed in it, that it will be natural, and we shall choose it from time to time.
There was nothing then but the revelation of the spirit-of God that could make any of the Israelites understand and believe that he was their proper Messiah.