The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-06-12
THE FRIENDS.



meeting took up the following business:
On calling the roll of delegates all answered
to their names but three. The meeting de-
cided to omit calling the roll at all the sessions
till the last day. Samuel Miles expressed a
'concsru" to visit the Women's meeting
Liberty was granted.
Reports from the Quarterly Meetings were
made, giving the neurology for the last year, as
follows:
NEUROLOGY OF YEARLY MEETING.
Anna Mott Elder, Rhode Island Mo. Meeting,
died 9th mo- 17th 1876, aged LIS years IL months IL
days.
Hannah Dame. Elder, Rhode Islaud Mo. Meeting,
died mo. Sd, 1877 aged 70 y. 5 mo- days.
Deborah Rowland, Elder, died 9TH mo- 27th 1876,
aged 81 years.
Perez Peck, Elder, died eth mo. 18TH 1876, aged SO
y. emo.
aged So y mo. 10 days. All of Greenwich monthly
meeting.
Stephen A. Chase, Elder, and member of Salem
monthly meeting, died 18th mo. 26th, 1876, aged toy
Abjah johnson, minister and member of Weare
monthly meeting, died 9th mo. 9th, 1876 aged 77y.
Eunce Sawyer, Elder and member of the same
monthly meeting, died 4th mo. 2ls, 1877, aged 96 y.
26 days.
ford monthly meeting, died 8th mo. 9th, 1876
Mary Shove, minister and member of the same
monthly meeting, died 9Th mo. 9th. 1876, aged 90
mo. days.
Joseph Taber, Elder and member of Sandwich
monthly meeting, died II mo- I'd, 1876 aged II y. II
George Amy Elder and member Of New Bedford
monthly meeting, died 18th mo. 1st 1876, aged II y
days.
meeting, died 18th mo- 2lst, 1876, aged CT mo. 10
days.
Nicholas Sanford, minister and member of Dur
ham monthly meeting, died 10th Sd mo. aged u y
mo. 16 days
Hannah Crossman, a minister and member Of
China mo- meeting died 10th month 3D. 1876, aged S6
Otis Halves, Elder and member of the same meet
ing, died IL mo- 26tb, 1876, aged SO y. IL months.
Cynthia Butfum, Elder and member of Berwick
monthly meeting, died 9th, I'd mo. aged 7y.7
months.
Lydia Taylor Elder and member of Sydney month
ly meeting, died 9Th, I'd mo- aged 77y. months.
The assistant clerk reported that in the
Yearly Meeting there are 108 ministers and 225
elders.
A communication was received from the
women's meeting stating that they were
united in the prospect of Samuel Miles visit
ing their meeting, and that the present was
suitable time. Jas. Taylor was requested to
accompany him. Suitable remarks, suggested
by the reports were made by Eli Jones, Will
liam Thomson, William Jacob, Amos Ken
worthy, Chas. Tabor, Obadiah Chace, and
Lemuel Jones.
The queries and answers were then read and
occupied the remaining time of the session.
The afternoon session was also devoted to
this business. From summary the condition
Of the Society, through the Yearly Meeting, is
very prosperous.
The women's meeting was occupied at both
sessions with the queries and answers. These
queries relate to the condition of the different
smaller meetings" and are of no particular
interest, save to those especially concerned.
Last evening there was public meeting at
City Hall, on the subject of education. Au-
gustne Jones of Boston, introduced the speak
er of the evening, Hon. Pliny e. Chase, Pro-
lessor Of Philosophy in Haverford College, Penn
sylvania. Prof. Chase gave a very exhaustive
lecture on the present aspect of moral and in
tellectual culture, an abstract of which follows.
He was followed by VIM. Forster Mitchell OF
Lynn, and Francis T. King of Baltimore, advo-
eating more liberal education among the
Friends, and endorsing the lecture. The meet
ing was closed with brief remarks by William
whitehall of Canada
The first American college and the Society of
Friends were founded in the same year, Q635)
and have thus grown up together. The one
adopted as its motto "Christo ct Eccles@," the
other preached "The mystery that hath been
hid from ages and generations. which is Christ
in you the hope of glory" Neither has at all
times perfectly fulfilled the trust given'to it,
but making such allowance as Christian char-
ty requires, both have made high attachments.
No Christian denomination has ever made
higher profession than the Society of Friends.
None, therefore, has greater reason to ask itself
its professions, and whether it has been faithful
in the performance of all its duties. You have
gathered tonight to push these inquiries in a
special direction, to see whether the Spirit of
your testimonies upon the subject of education
have been carried out. George Fox sought to
establish schools to instruct "boys and girls in
whatever things were civil and useful in crea-
tion." The Society may point with satisfaction
to the schools under their charge, and to the in
tellectual vigor which has always characterized
the Society. But when you compare the con-
dition of your schools with those of other de-
nominations, you must confess that you have
been outstripped in the race. Harvard is one
of the leading universities of the world. Ha-
dents by hundreds the other by tens. The old
er college does not look with contempt on its
younger sister, but has always welcomed her
students to its halls, opening the doors SO wide
~ as to claim no superiority in standing. Nor
has there ever been abuse of these privileges.
If you believe that you have any special duties
in the service that Harvard has adopted for its
motto, Haverford has laid foundation EOn
which you may safely build. You see every
where the thriving colleges of other denomina-
tions, but the Friends keep strangely aloof.
The competition and the wordy warfare be-
tween the partzans of the different sectarian
colleges inspired confidence and respect, that
paved the way for the present spirit of toler-
ance. When that tolerance degenerates into
indifference, the last days will be worse than
the first Drop everything that is denomina-
tional, and yon will have left, some vague
philosophical abstraction, that will give no sat-
isfaction. The absolute" of the metaphys-
clan, the Supreme" of the scientist, the "All'
Of the pantheist represent conceptions towards
which the mind is irresisti0ly driven, but at
which all meaning is lost. That which is void
of relation cannot be made the subject of
thought by beings who think only under relA.
tions
we see that God would cease to be Almighty,
if He had not power to reveal Himself in re-
lations of love and sympathy to His intelligent
creatures in whom, He has implanted q desire
for love and sympathy. The maxim, 'Tn es-
sentias, unity; in non-sssentials, liberty; in
all things, charity, seems to be accepted by
all Christian denominations The sects of the
past about whose distinctive creeds no one
troubles himself now. have done grand work
and though the present Sects may be united in
Universal Church, each will have done its
work in presenting truth in some new aspect,
and have assisted in laying the foundations for
the Broad Church of the future, in which the
Friends may, perhaps, be reg arded as the first
COMMITMENTS.
What are these essentials of doctrine? HUI
man responsibility for violation of moral law,
human inability to know or do anything with
out divine grace, redemption from sin, or con-
demnation through the wlful rejection of the
offerings of divine love. There will always be
a large class. who acknowledge Omnipotent
ruler whom they delight to worship as their
Heavenly Father, but through fear of ''dividing
the substance" they hesitate to speak in terms
that might be interpreted as claiming knowl
edge Of mysteries beyond their comprehension.
There will always be much larger class, who
are so filled with a sense of their own weak
ness that they yearn after more intimate rela-
tons with their Creator. There will always be
third class, rejoicing in the belief that God is
a spirit, who is to be worshipped in spirit and
in truth, who will ever guide them spiritually,
and who requires nothing but simple child
like obedience to their perceptions of duty. In
each class there will always be some, who,
like the Friends believe that the most desira-
BILE development of our moral faculties can
only be attained through the studv and ac-