New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-08
YEARLY MEETING or PROGRESSIVE
FRIENDS.
....,,.oos.ooe Of The n. Y. Tribune.

C,u,.popdsnoe Of The n. y. Tribune.
HAmoRToS, Chester Co., Penn, June 8, 1855
Observing your habit of reporting the doings oil re'
eous bodice venture to send you brief accoun. Oh
the sixth yearly meeting Of Progressive Friends w1icn
vss terminated last evening, after session Oh 'oui
6.ys. The meeting was held in the neat little cnspei
At Ionrvood about a mile from this village, anu was
attended By crowds Of people from nf0t 10 Ias'. IL
opened on sunday June 80. An hour oe,o1e 'e "
tae meeting house holding from ooo 70 IVY PsoPsl
WA Lad 10 II, utmost capacity, whle thousands
," esbis 10 cain admission, thronged the adjoining
ysrd In the afternoon the crowd was greatly In
SSrss,e5 II ia ssd that 900 vehicles OF various
go .e,e on the ground. They lined every avenue
If snnSosoh 10 the meeting house, extending in
diys1,Sons more than half mile, and presenting pic
tgresous appearance. The order and courtesy of the
o-ord were remarkable. There was, indeed, no
breach OF the decOrum appropriate the time and the
occason No officer Of the law present, and none
vss necessary, TO insure this result.
The meeting was conducted in manner somewhat
peculiar. Three Clerks two men and one womsn)
were the only officers They exercised, however, the
powers usually Conferred upon President, keeping
order in the dscussions and putting questions to vote
a. the proper time.
The meeting on Sunday morning was called to order
by Mr.. johnson Of NewYork, one Of the Clerks, who
briefly congratulated those present upon the auspi-
cious circumstances under which they had met, and
upon the progress Of the religious movement Of which
the meeting formed q part, and expressed the hope
that their proceedings would be characterized by
spirit of boldness and charity in the utterance of
truth Another of the Clerks (HeDrettsW w. Johnson
then read the call under which the meeting had
yened which Of the most unrestricted character
inviting the friends Of truth, purity and progress,
without regard to theological opinions, to come TO-
getbsr for mutual cooperation and associated effort
. in the development Ct the religious life, without
q rencbing, In the smallest degree, upon individual
" freedom of thought and action" TO laid one
another in the search for truth; TO testify, occs
" sion may require, against every form of organized
and DODulgY RiCkeQDeeS. 70 aDDlV the
"cples Of justice and morality impressivey taught
"and exempifed by Jesus of Nazareth, TO every nsu
"tiop, custom and law Of men, however sanctioned by
" authority or made venerable by time The other
Clerk, Joseph A. Dugdae, then illustrated and sg-
pszed the breadth Of the Socetys platform by read
ing appropriate and harmonious selections from the
Sacred Books of the HndOos the Chinese, the Per
sisns and the Mohsmmedans, and from the Jewish
and Christian Scriptures remsrking by way OF pref
ace that Progr Friends acknowledged no book
or parchment as an authoritative fnalty, or nfabe
revelation Of the Divine will, but accepted the TRUTH,
through whatever channel 1t might come.
The Rev. Theodore Parker of Boston, who was
present. by invitation, was then introduced. After
Offering up most touching and impressive prayer he
. The Progressive Development OF the Idea OF God
in the Books of the Bible His views of this sub
Jet ore so well known that l shall not attempt to
present them here. In the afternoon he delivered
another equally striking sermon upon 1.-The Eccle-
sastical Idea of God and its Inadequscy TO the
Waits Of Science and Religion He handled the
popular theology with great freedom but 10 manner
10 way oistsseiul, presume to the Listening crowd
The still larger multitude outside the house was ad
dressed botn in the morning and the afternoon, by
CHARLES e. Bureigh, the wellknown Antl-Slsyery
champion, who Is now, if am not mistaken, the pas
tor Of proessedy unsectarian congregation in Cum
uington Mass. was not among his hearers on TINS
occs,ion, but / am assured that his utterance was
powerful commanding the earnest attention OF the
crowd. Others also spoke TO the OUTSIDE muttuue'
but / am not able to give their names
The crowd on Monday was somewhat diminished,
but st too .-sat for the capacity OF the house Let
ten were received from several corresponding podies
and from various indiv,ou..s sympa'nlziog WIZ the
movement. Among the latter 1 NV nensoH '"0
rames Of the Hon. j. K. Giddngs, VIM. Lloyd Gari.'
sos the Rev. Samuel May, r., the Rev. Jas. Freeman
Clarke the Rev. T.W. Higginson, and Chas. X. Whip
pe author of the rejected tract The SESSIONS OF TINS
day we're each signallzed by fresh discourse from
Theodore Parker, the whole meeting spontaneously
desiring to hear all that bis strength would permit
him to utter so long as he could be present. Inc
topic OF the mornings discourse WAS the same as
that Of the previous afternoon; that OF the after-
nOon: {" The Souls Normal Delight in the Infinite
Coz" The three first of Mr.. PaikeI's sermons, and
perhaps the last ALSO will be published with tue pro-
ceed.Dgs Of the meeting. They certslrl made very
powerful impression upon al who heard them-espe-
osy the last, which, more than the others, was a.
Creased to the heart rather than to the intellect
Those who dissent ever widely from some OF the
pecularities of Mr. Parker's theology would have
been constrained listening to this discourse, to pay
tier tribute Ct admiration TO the evident sincerity AMI
depth OF hie rellglOus cOnvlcllons.
tuesday and Wednesday Mr.. Parker being no
Logger preeentl were devoted chiefly to the consdera-
OI of those topics of practical reform which engage
the sympathy of this religious body viz: Slavery,
Caste War Intempsrance, Coequality of Women,
Tobacco SectaIisnisn, The Great Revival Treat
ont of Criminals, and Education. On sD these sub:
eCts the views of the Society, which, as you will
scarcely need to be informed, of the most radical
sOr were Get forth in a series of Testimonies COM
psctly and theoretically worded, which will be pub
lshed in due tne An essay on PUBLIC WORSHIP,
from TIE pen Of Charles X. Whpple of Boston, was
received with marked favor and ordered to be pub
listed with the proceedings of the meeting. Andrew
Jackson Davis and bis wife Mary +. Davis were
present the last two days not however as apostles OF
Modern Spiritua ian, expected by some, but IS
Interested lees in the practical reforms above emu
usrsted. Mr.. Davis delivered very acceptable and
suggestive discourse upon The Fraternity of Ideas,
and Mrs Davis spoke with great ability upon " The
" Legal and Political Disabilities Of Woman" The
debates though very earnest and marked by some
differences OF opinion, were yet very kind and fra
itrpal You would have been amused, think, by the
morbid tear exhibited by lest Progressive
Fneros notwithstanding their intense radio alsm and
the wel.gusrded simplicity of their organization,
should after all degenerate into sect. reasonable
degree of caution in this direction Is undoubtedly very
wholesome; but think that this newest Of the re-
lgious bodies is in danger of impsrlng its moral
power by not recognizing with sufficient distinct
mesa the religious element IN human nature.