The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-30
The Coming Friends General Meeting
at IfrI tOl.

AN EXPLANATION By A VOLUNTEER.
\ The Society Of Friends, a small body Of
\Ghristan professors in Vermont, with
Niger numbers in New York and other
States has decided to hold a general
meeting for gospel service at Bristol, to
commence on the 18th Of Aug, and prob
kably continue three or four days. See
Advertisement in this paper The com.
hitt.e having charge Of the meeting in
Ivaes the Inhabitants generally to attend
Several Of thu ministers from other States
are expected.
But some MAJ inquire, Who are these
Friends And what are their principles .?
Ii they are Orthodox in their religion,
why cannot they .lingle with orthodox
churches that have been long at work iu
that section, Instead Of holding meetings
10 their own peculiar way? The answer
is, lu their religious principles, they re.
gard themselves orthodox, strictly SO
aud yet not more so than their breiheru
III other branches of the Church OF
Christ. believing with the apostle, that
there is a diversity of gifts, but the same
spirit. The, feel bound to exrress,as OPP
portunities offer for it, their conviction
hat the influence of the Holy Spirit is
mostly more important than the peculiar
gift by which nc works And taking the
Holy Scriptures as their outward rule OF
aith and practice, they may seem to at
tach more importance to certain portions
of the Glad Tidings. while other believers
are concentrating their attention on 9TH
or portions; and this the friends aim to
do-so give their Interpretation not in IA
debating and controversial spirit, but
that Liberty" which the Gospel gives,
and in tina: "plainuess Of speech 1t re-
quires.
Uuder the impression that the specta-
Gle the church militant is presenting the
world, especially to unbelievlng men,
producer much less conviction, and still
less conversion in beholders from the Toss
unity observable in it, than it is designed
to, and ,could accomplish if it were more
thoroughly united. The Friends are I'M
believing the sentiments which is gaining
favor on other congratulations-that 1t Is
the unquestionable duty Of the members
of the church. at large, to search for
ground on which they can agree, rather
than that no which to differ. And with
out entertaining a doubt of the soundnes'
OF their own principles, they are willing
to pnt shoulder to shoulder with Other
Christian bell vers, in the Lords vine
yard, and as the Lord may please to d.
rect under the conviction that "God is nc
respecter of persons" and that "the har
vert. iudeed,is great, hut the laborers ar,
few" In essentials unity, in MONIES
sentials liberty, in all things Charity.
In this ,pirit let us labor aud pray TO
the bringing souls to Christ, and the Lore
will sssuredly pour out his blessings oil
our Efforts. Remembering too, that :'th'
better we do Christ's work, the more IN
educated. neglected, or debased mind
will be drawn to try and serve Him will
us. He sought out the lame, the halt
The blind. the rough as well as the equal
able, the intelligent and the refined. Tn
work Of the Christian Worker Of tn,
present day. cannot differ widely from
that With the Lords favor these gen
eral meetings are designed to operate OF
the same direction.
Many general meetings have been hell
in other States, and it is believed that al
OF them have been been profitable occa
: sion. Men and women have attende
{ them to their comfort-going with heart
I oppressed, and aching under sense @
+. doubt that the Lord could possibly par
. don such rebellious sinners, have com
away rejoicing 10 the belief, that III
h Lords ear had not grown heavy, that
, could not hear the prayers Of repeDtin
:. sinners, nor his arm shortened, that
:. could not save all that so approache
n him. Under the the belief that the rise
Lord is daily fulfilling his promises, au
that where two or three are gathered tt
c gether in his name looking to him for il
e struction, there is he in the midst {
u them, and under the assurance that
l. We conform to bis conditions in this ger
e eral meeting, We shall also receive h
o blessings. Let US go.
l. Henry MILES.
NL.- I'll. % 1870