The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-03-07


ROBERT X. ToMLISsoE.
| have long thought that the words
spoken on occasions like this should not
be confined entirely to what is generally
termed preaching or sermon, but that
any friend should, with the consent of
the family, feel privileged to lay at the
side of the still Enclosed coffin and yet
life-like remains, the last and deepest tri-
butte of respect and affection. Holding
these views | address this assemblage to
day as an appreciative friend of the de-
ceased, rather than as spiritual or moral
teacher. Nevertheless, in order to do
full justice to the life and character of
our departed friend, brief inquiry as to
the essence and ground work of true re-
ligion is necessary.
Let me say at the outset, that many of
us who do not unite with any religious
organizations, do not, therefore, oppose
them. On the contrary we believe that
such organizations are necessity for the
preservation of high virtue and civiiza-
ton.
We recognize that before the great, ths
overwhelming themes of God and Eterni-
ty, of Death and Sin and Retribution,
the majority of mankind stand as little
children who must have some tangible
and visible support upon which to lean
some human or at least outward authori-
ty to guide them to truth and restrain
them from error. Such parental guild
ance and control the church or religious
meeting bencficently gives to the grown
and nngrown members of its charge.
And, as in the control Of children a great
er or less degree Of strictness and severity
is needed according to the character Of
the charge, so in religious organizations
greater or less degree of religious free
dom can be given according to the fitness
of its members for that freedom. Permit
-Sr5 carry inc illustration ong sep
farther
As a rule parents should guide aud
control their children, and children should
obey. But the child Jesus, tarrying be-
hind his parents on their return from
Jerusalem, is far from being the only ex.
ception to the rule. Almost every one
must have known cases where high and
conscientious thought, in advance of, or
at variance with that of the parents, has
excused child from complete obedience.
In olden times such disobedience, as for
instance uniting with creed differing
from their parents, would be visited with
seyerest punishment. But parents have
grown wiser. They have learned TO dis
tinguish between disobedience for con.
science sake, and willful or passionate
disobedience, and thus greater spiritual
liberty is given. Just thus, we look upon
the authority of relig ious organizations.
As a rule most persons-perhaps almost
everyone should belong to religious
body, and should obey, so far as possible,
its principles aud discipline. But there
ever has been and ever must be excep-
tions. When Luther, when Calvin, when
George Fox, refused obedience to the re.
ligious bodies of their day--when our
Pilgrim aud Quaker Fathers fled from re-
ligions prosecutions, then such disobedi-
ence was visited by the burning fagot,
by the slower tortures of the inquisition,
or what was perhaps almost as hard to
bear, by complete social oslracism. But
the world has grown wiser in this matter
also. We begin to recognize that there
may be disobedience for conscience sake
as well as from willful or lawless pas
sions. ''By their fruits ye shall know
them, and such dissenters are often as
exemplary as any in the community. We
begin to acknowledge that creeds aud dis
ciplines are, at least, partly human, and
therefore liable to error; and such errors
must sometimes be combatted from with
out. Lastly, we begin to realize that re-
ligious knowledge, like all other knowl-
edge, is growth; aud that the martyrs
and dissenters of one generation may be
the spiritual leaders of the next.
These, then, conceive to be the found.
alton principles Of true religion. Upon
the momentous questions that concern
humanity we should, first, strive for true
and satisfactory convictions. II accept
ance of the teachings of our parents or
the church is the best that can be doue--
and for most / firmly believe it is the
best--then rest in that. If direct and
personal examination aud Interpretation
of "The Written Word" can give higher
and more satisfactory faith, then receive
it. The "Friends" add to these sources
of instruction the "Voice Within
which / interpret to mean the admonitions
Of our better nature. accept the faith,
but would greatly widen it. l believe
that the scientist who seeks conscienti-
ously to discover the laws OF God through
the phenomena Of nature, is equally 10
the path to eternal truth. believe that
the philanthropic statesman, who eleyates
aud makes better his fellowmen, by wiser
and kinder laws, is also Gods servant
and expounder. But which ever way we
arrive at truth--by the teaching of others
through the written word, or from the
wider volume Of Gods Creation, we must
be faithful to Il in word and deed.
II these considerations are correct, then
must our departed friend have been a
deeply religions man. think never
knew one who sought more earnestly and