New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-11
DISCUSSIONS OF FRIENDS.
A DEBATE ON DoCTRINAL TEACHINGS
THIRD SESSION OF THE QUAKERs AT CHAPPA-
orA-ENCOI,RAGING REPORTS HEARD


QuA-ENCouRAGTNG REPORTS HEARD.
The third session of the Friends First Day
School Conference at ChappaQua met promptly at
93O yesterday morning. The meeting was opened
with the report from the Philadelphia yearly
meeting. the oldest and largest Of any In the So
ciety. and followed by that from Baltimore.
The reports were full of encouragement New
schools had been built. 1t was said. marked
feature in the Philadelphia schools. the report de.
clared, the large number Of adult classes al
most outnumberng that Of the children. One practi-
cal recommendation was made: The aovsabty OF
founding small circulating Libraries by all the
yearly meetings. The value OF the Friends pub
lications and the necessity OF each member having
them in his home also spoken OF by numer-
Friends. These publications consist Of The
Friends Intelligencer and Journal" Young
Friends Review THE Scattered Seeds" and
THE Schofeld Bulletin"
The Baltimore Yearly Meeting reported that the
first two periodicals mentioned were used In their
schools
The question OF doctrinal instruction In the
schools then came up. George NJ. Powell, Of Client.
said in reference to this: Much can be said In
favor of and much against doctrnal teaching.
When we consider the large number OF young peo-
pie who have left the society to join other orthodox
denominations we realize that IL Is only because
they have not understood our doctrines To a GER
tain point there Is undoubtedly wisdom In bringing
them before the notice OF young people. But
what is our doctrine? We have creed. Every
one can put his own construction on what he be-
lieves so here comes In the difficulty There should
be a clean definition of the Divine Light. What has
been the effect Of doctrinal teaching In other de-
nominations? A reverson against II. In Presby-
terrain church which l recently attended. this same
question arose. The remarkable question was
raised as to whether all their dissensons were not
,1..atau ttcaI mol iCi q n
were trying to force beliefs which many intelligent
Christian people could not accept What was the
result? All doctrlnal teaching was abolished. and
only the golden text taken and taught In reference
to the outside world Benevolent and ph1anthropi-
work was the result Now. | believe that II is
wise for a broader and clearer Interpretation OF our
principles: but avoid the danger OF teaching doc
trinal interpretations.
Further discussion was deferred until after the
manor which had been prepared by J. w Hutchin-
son OF this city on The Necessity Of 1mpressing
Friendly UNCONVENTIONAL Views Connected with
our Teaching" was read. Among other things he
said:
az 4 body OF peaceful moral people. so far as their
relations TO other denominations are considered DO
they not stand alone to-day as In the past are
they not considered peculiar people ~ .e,r ,, J
a wide difference between the special doctrine wnlcn
they hold in common ana INV wn aacgn 81 other de
nominations? Friends not accepting these doctrines
"A therefore,
Christian denomination yet we claim that the , prin
ciplcs and testimonies Of the society are lun rs
Christianity Of Jesus Christ Himself Is the Christian
ltv upon which Friends alone or almost alone nave
hat the views OF the Society OF Friends and nearly
all orthodox denominations upon the subject OF Kew
aihsr Of thu sose fyfa IN uphOns
~fh are "ca aT he OF the socaed
sacramen,s. and other forms and ceremonies as be-
or ceremonies. particularly so In the obser.
vance OF Holy Day believing that one day Is any
themselves and granted to others liberty OF opinion
end he right and duty OF every ONE TO
nc G the haye OF 1--WE testified in
Of free ministry that opposed war oppression
ni ng frs ,:'' day schools was defensive
one from the start They checked what was the
OF the society. but we have now arrived at the
point where We must change from passive: de.
fensive position and become an active. aggressive
force in building up the denomination and propa-
eating lis views and testimonies; and TO 90 this
is the necessity to-day as in the past Tor Friendly
teaching how important Is that the teschng
only to incte to NE o. uprehtness: but that
doctrines. testimonies ana views wv, ma. may
wherein they dirfer from the creeds and doctrines
of others Some may say that THIS VII, 'e nr,, 10
sessentialy liberal in its tendencies. grants the Ut
most fres9Gm in the o GHy Dt !"e spirit anu "
II Aas agreed TO devote part OF the afternoon
session TO the discussion OF the subject OF TINS
paper at which time many men ana womb e3
,,raaqscd their approval OF IT, Among those who adj
dressed the meeting were Marshall G. Powell OF
Ghent. Howard VI. Jenkins. OF Philadelphia; VII
Ian I jjou superintendent OF Swarthnore. COL
iegn. Mary Travilla OF Pennsylvania; Joel H9rteh'
or Philadelphia. and Jesse H. Holmes Oh ""S"'
inRton. 49,, -, ru,,,,, vear,v meet
NJ r, Execntive COMMITTEES reported that they had
accounted the invitation OF the Philadephii iedS
Meeting to hold the next general conference !" low
within its borders. -. ,,.,oo ,.as hold
In the evening a young peoples meeting "as nelu
Ta-daV the religious congress begins us Sessio"
win Aaron II. Powell presiding