Hicks, ELIAS

Hicks, ELIAS, a celebrated American preacher of the Society of Friends, was born at Hempstead, Long Island, March 19, 1748. At the age of twenty-seven he was already a well-known preacher, and for many years he travelled through the States and Canada, receiving no compensation for his labours, and when not preaching labouring on his own farm. He was one of the first in his body to agitate against slavery. An able preacher, he exercised great influence among his co-religionists until his unitarianism, or denial of the divinity of Christ and a vicarious atonement, brought him into disfavour with orthodox Friends; but he published his own views with perseverance, and at the age of eighty still travelled and preached. The result of his labours was a schism of the society into two divisions, popularly known as Orthodox and Hicksite Friends (see FRIENDS). He died at Jericho, Long Island, February 27, 1830. See his Journal (Phila. 1828) and Letters (1834).