The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-08-15
EMPORIA NEWS.
FRIDAY. AUGUST Is. 1873.
DOCTRINES OF THE FRIENDS CHURCH.
Proceedings Of a Meeting at Cotton.
1893 wood.

2 ing of Friends on the subject o
: general meetings, the Friends from
4: various sections convened at thei
r meeting house at Cottonwood, LyoI
E county, Kansas, on the LIST, I'd ani
;, Sd of 9Th month, 1873.
The afternoon of the I'd was Civ,
en- to explanations of Friends doc
trines on the subjects of Prayer
. War, Arbitration, Temperance, Mar,
riage and Worship.
, All these subjects were opened by
; Jonathan Wilson reading extracts
r from Friends authorized Book o.
. Discipline.
The importance of Prayer was
illustrated by reading several ap'
: propriate texts of Scripture, and
from the Epistle of George Fox
. Andrew Wooton farther explained
that the Friends as people believe
that the veil of the temple has been
rent and that we can have imme-
diate access TO the Father through
prayer. We haYe been brought
nigh to God through the blood of
Christ, and though He knows our
desires ere we express them, yet we
believe it our duty to approach him
in the name of Jesus.
The subject of War was then pre-
sented. Friends, as Society, be-
| lieve war lie unlawful for a Chris
tian, and inconsistent with the glor-
ious dispensation which was intro
duced by our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, and was ushered in with the
angelic song: GLORY to God in the
highestl On earth, peace, good will
toward men," Quotations of Scrip
ture we're also read to prove their
position on the subject of war.
And they not only have ever borne
testimony against war but they offer
to the world a remedy for war in
their system of arbitration, as shown
in the following extract from their
Book of Discipline:
when differences arise between
our members, the party who thinks
himself or herself agrieved should
calmly and kindly request the other
to comply with the demand, and if
this be disputed, the complainant,
or, if residing at too great a dis
lance, some Friend whom she or he
may authorize, should take with him
one or two overseers or other dis
Greet Friends, and in their presence
repeat the demand. If this step fail
of the desired effect, the parties
should be advised to choose a suit
able number of Friends as arbitra-
tors and mutually engage, by bond,
or other written instrument, to
abide by their determination.
Should this proposal be acceded to,
and arbitrators accordingly chosen,
they ought, as speedily as circum-
stances will permit, to appoint a
time and place and attend to the
business as speedily as possible,
giving the parties a fair and full
hearing in the presence of each
other, but listening to neither of
them apart, not suffering their own
sentiments to be known abroad till
they have fully diges ted the subject
and come to a clear conclusion,
which they should be careful to do
within the time agreed on"
Andrew Wooton and others more
fully explained these principles and
the good results growing out of
their observance in the past, from
which we condense the following.
We believe that if individual diff
culties are so easily settled by arbi-
tration, that all neighborhood and
national differences of all kinds may
as easily be disposed of by the same
rule, and the world seeing the bene-
fetal effects of this Tribunal of
Peace, have caught the thought and
raised the inquiry: What do these
people mean? And the inquiry has
gone on in the public mind result
ing In the Geneva Arbitration,
which has settled to the satisfaction
of both governments, one very
complex question, evidently saving
to both governments immense treas
ure and many thousands of lives,
besides untold suffering and degra-
dalton, which always follow in the
wake of war. Friends who have
been faithful in maintaining our
principles of peace in time of war
have been remarkably preserved.
Question-Why did the Savior
tell his disciplrs that he that hath no
sword to sell his garment and buy
one? Answered by Andrew Woo
ton, saying that this occurred Just
as they were leaving the garden of
Gethsemane, and when two were
produced by the disciples, the Lord
said it is enough; and as they pro-
ceeded to leave the garden they met
the soldiers. Peter drew his sword
and smote off the High breasts ser.
wants car. Jesus said to Peter,
'rPut up thy sword, for all they that
take the sword shall perish by the
sword" Then he reached forth his
hand and healed the wound. Again
Christ said. "My servants cannot
fight"
The following extract from the
Book of discipline, in regard to
Temperance was read:
/ ''It is our fervent desire tina
Friends in all quarters may be earn
, estly excited to suffer the affecting
, Importance of this evil, religiously
to impress their minds, and tina
monthly meetings may labor in The
spirit of love and tenderness Will
those who use ardent spirits as al
/, article of drink ia harvest or OIL
l0ther occasions, (the medical anC
mechanical use only exceptcd,) anC
4 also with those who sell or grin(
grain for distillation, or furnish
: fruit or other materials for that pur
lpose; and also such as aid the bust
4 ness furnishing vessels to prepar
II or hold such liquors, or arc concern
d ed in conveying it TO and from mar
;, ket, or vend, or In any wise aid tn
{ commerce of that article. And i
such labor prove inefficient to re
claim from the practice or encour
i agement of so degrading an evi
and after the hope of gaining sue
by brotherly treatment is over
monthly meetings may proceed I
:, disown them"
6, Friends belief aud practice
Is regard to the subject of marriag
was also fully set forth, which an
e. interested to know, may find j
their Book of Discipline. The
great care on this subject is believe
to prevent many unhappy marriage
#. and by comparison will be foun
Is that vary favv aenarations Of I'm,