Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-08-22

Scr ptures, must proceed from false igh's' =,
These being the doctrines Of the present ortho'
dox, BY them alleged TO have been held oy carry
Friends; Hendrckson proceeded to state ~nat
we're the doctrines Of the opposing party ne
ascrihes to Them.
.First-They believe Jesus Christ was
mere maa. divinely inspired, partak'ng more
largely Of inspiration than other men, out mat
Others, BY resorting to the same means ana e ::
ertious, NAV receive as greata measure VI o''
vine inspiration; that he, the apostles anu pro-
phets, cannot be and have not been SET ABOVE
other men; they disbelieve his partak'ng OF the
divine as we'll as the human nature 'na' "e 10
one and the same essence with God.
Second, they deny the doctrine oil the atone
ment. and contest that man may have access to
his God without any mediator; they contend
the crucifxon and sufferngs OF Christ, II 40
atonement at all, were an atonemcnt only tor the
legal sins of the Jews.
ThirL-They deny the divine inspiration OF
the Holy Scriptures, and hold that they CONTAIN
doctrines and injunctioDs which are incorrect,
and that they are mere shadow"
Stacy Decow, on behalf of the Hicksite par.
ty, in his answer to the bill Of interpeader filed
by Shotwell, studiously avoids detailed expo.
siton Of doctrines; alleging that 1.-THE Society OF
Friends acknowledge no head but Christ and
no principle Of authority or government IN the
Church, but the love and power OF God oper'
atins on the heart, and thence influencing
the Judgment, and producing unity Of feeling,
bro,herly sympathy, and coudescensions to each
other. The great fundamental principle OF the
Society, the divine light and power operating
on the soul, being acknowledged by all It's
members as the efectual bond Of union; the
right of each individual to Judge Of the true
meaning Of Scripture testimony relating to the
doctrines of Christianity, according to the best
evidence in his own mind, uncontrolled BY the
arbitrary dictation Of his equally fallible fellow
man, hath been as well tacitly as explicitly ac-
knowledsed BY the Society,"" lie alleges. that
the first difficulties and final separation grew out
of an attempt :. bv few individuals, (now OF the
Orthodox party) who had long been continued in
important stations, gradually and covertly at
tempting to assume and arrogate an authority
over their brethren never delegated to them. and
attempted to impose upon the Yearly Meeting
document in a form designed to operate as
wriYen creed. adapted to their peculiar views
and believed also to have been intended as an IN.
strument to attack some faithful, worthy fell
low members against whom they had conceived
personal offence. and subversive OF that freedom
of thooght and individual opinion. which the So
ciety Of Friends had al ways cherished and main
tanned as an unaiienable right"
Decrow further insists '.that the questions
and facts set forth by Hendrickson in the orisi-
nal bill in relation to the schism IN the Society Of
Trends and discrepancies among them in regard
to matters OF faith and discipline, If they exist,
as is stated, which he by no means admits, can
not lawfully or equitabIy affect the right Of the
fund belonging to the said Chesterfield Prepar-
alive Meeting-that the legitimate enquiry be.
fore the Court respects the right of property. and
that no Court have right to institute an inquest
into the consciences or faith of members Of re.
ligious societies or associations or subject them
to the ordeal of creed, prepared by those claim.
ing adversely, in order to disfranchise or de-
Drive them Of their legal rights" He further
describes the polity Of the Society OF Friends.
as being that Of "a pure Democracy, all its
members haviog equal rights as brethren and sis
tiers; neither ministers, elders overseers, clerks,
or other officers having any eminence over their
brethren, either in right, authority, rank or pri-
vilese''-and carries this principle Of equality
throus hout all the ramifcations Of their govern
ment. THAT all propositions, questions or
other matters properly submitted to any meet
Ing. was to be determined by the voice of the
majority present"
Each party gives his own version to the trans
actions i'm mediate'y preceding and subsequent
to the separation of the Yearly Meeting at Phi'a.
delph,a in 1927, IN which there is less collision
about facts, than about the motives and views
that led to the facts
Upon the matter thus presented to the Chan.
cellor, the parties were referred to Master, be.
fore whom all the facts considered material in
the cause were to be made manifest. In glanc.
ing over nearly thousand pages of evidence ia.
ken before the Master, we gather, that the prin.
cipal points endeavored to be maintained BY the
parties, were:
By the Orthodox- Their belief as set forth in
the answer and original bill of acknowledgements
identity with the belief Of early Friends-the
spurious character of the Hicksite doctrines, and
their repugnance to those entertained by early
Friends-that the separation OF the Society grew
out Of the attempt to spread these spurious SEN
timents on the one hand. and to suppress them
on the other-and that the Hicksites were IN.
sound, and unlike ancient Friends in belief, and
seceders by their own acts That the Society Of
Friends we're never, in their meetings, governed
BY the voice Of the majority, but by the sense Of
the meeting gathered bv the clerk.