The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-01
2OOTH ANNIVERSARY
GREAT EVENT IN QUAKERIsM TO BE
CELEBRATED NEXT YEAR.
In 1905 the Friends Established Their
EccIesiasticaI Jurisdiction for New
England on Long Island.


country, and one which is closely connected
with an event of peculiar interest to the
Society of Friends
Next year, 1895, will mark the two-hun-
dredth anniversary Of the establishment OF
an ecclesiastical jurisdiction older even
than Old Trinity itself-the settling Of the
New York Yearly Meeting separate
and independent body from the New Eng
land Yearly Meeting.
The plain people, so long prosecuted in
Massachusetts, began to gather on Long
island away back in the last quarter of the
seventeenth century, and strangely differ.
ent from now must have been John Y. Nc
Kanes late bailiwick when the first Quaker
meeting was held at Gravesend, in the
house of Lady Deborah Moody, to whose
family the town then belonged by letters
patent Their numbers increased, and
meetings were established at Westbury,
Flushing, oyster Bay and many other
points. But during those early years the
Friends were in the jurisdiction of the
New England Yearly Meeting, and it was
not until 1895 that the New York Yearly
Meeting, which includes all the members
in this State, in western Connecticut, in
Vermont. and in that part of the Province
of Quebec north of the last mentioned
State was set off as body by itself
The Friends are already talking of a
fitting celebration of the two-hundredth
birthday of the meeting, but no plans
have yet been adopted. Some favor hold
Ing the ceremonies in Flushing, where the
old meeting house stands and where the
first Yearly Meeting held. Others
think 1t more fitting TO hold it in this
city, where two events in the society's
history can be observed at once This
other anniversary occurred this year, and
that of iss5 IL marks the transfer of the
Yearly Meeting in 1894 from Flushing to
this city. No observance of the centennial
year attempted during the sessions
of the Yearly Meeting, which closed re-
TWO BODIES OF FRIENDS.
Two bodies called Friends now represent
in this country the sect which George
Fox founded in England over $50 years
ago. The doctrine of the timer light"
was their guiding principle; that Christ,
the light of the wirld, inspires every man,
shows him his condition as a sinner and
his need of a Savior and soon the gospel
Of his heart bears witness to its truth and
enables the repentant sinner to believe in
Christ as his Savior. The Friends further
OF the Holy Spirit in the heart of every
believer. making known to him the will
of God and giving him ability to do that
All the peculiarities which have set
apart the Quakers from the worlds peo-
Of belief They had no regular preachers;
each one taught the faith as the inner
equal before God. They would take no
oaths; they were told not TO take the
Lords name in vain They opposed war;
themselves. They had forms, no bap-
tism or celebration of the Lords Supper,
be lost in the ceremonial They wore
plain dress as protest against the lux
apS ne , ag ana Of the the uSe or OF orv
pronouns further set them apart
The interior OF Quaker meeting house
fifty. years ago on First day-the old
Quakers never said Sunday-presented a
scene In sharp contrast to any other
without any Ornament Whatever. IN
painted beams and pillars supported the
roof Plastered walls and paint came
later. Through the center was a fence
like partition so arranged with sliding
shutters that the room could. when de-
Ing places. On one side sat all the woman
Friends: on the other the men. Hard, I'M
comfortable benches were, in rows on each
side, unprovided with cushions save as the
infimities Of some old Friend entitled him
to individual privilege. In front: facing
the others. We're the high Seats a row
Of two three. the rear one being the
highest. and the others each being a step
lower than the one above. On these seats
sat the elders and those who had been ac-
cepted as teachers of the faith.
INWARD CONTEMPLATION
Inside the stiffness was only broken as
meeting time approached by the soft rustic
of the silk dresses of the women or the
hushed football of the men. Nothing broke
the quiet for long time. All faces wore
the air of inward contemplation. 1t was a
hard time for FESTIVE boys. who liked to
congregate on the back seats, where fur
tive attempts at carving on the backs of
the seats and quiet conversation in dumb
show sometimes served TO pass away the
time Then the voice of some Friend would
be heard. Beginning in ordinary tones, the
utterance would soon rise into the peculiar
sfng-song" of the sect-very fascinating
ana appropriate when used by
but grating on worldly ears
when in the nasal twang of some fervent
man eXhorter. This finished perhaps some
one would offer prayer Some old Quakers
stood up at these times. perhaps re-
moved their hats 1t was seldom that more
than two or three spoke. Occasionally
some one whom the spirit had never moved
before would get up, say a few words in
an almost inaudible voice and sit down
one old Quaker whom the writer knew
used TO rise, humble some text from the
Bible and subside into his seat While il
was TO be supposed that all spoke only as
the spirit prompted, those who were pro-
ak, or who aired peculiar views, generally
received quiet intimation TO be more sure
or the prompting before they spoke. But
the Friends were long-suffering in these
aftitcuons-as in everything else.
As the time approached for closing the
meeting the boys. and perhaps the women
whose dinners were cooking at home, kept
their eyes on the high seats. A clasp of
each other on the high seat across the par
tition ended the services, and, with hand
shaking, the soft rustic of the silk dresses
and the less subdued footballs preceded the
quick emptying of the house.
II is curious fact that Quakerism has
never hourished in any large city in Amer
lea except in Philadelphia. That city was
founded by the Quakers, and for many
years they controlled its affairs. In this
city, seventy-five years ago, they took a
prominent part in municipal government
But their numbers have decreased, here and
in the East: many have gone West and
some have Joined other churches. In In
diana there are now two yearly meetings
with large number of members. Iowa has
meeting; one has just been established in
Oregon. and one is TO be set off in California.
The Gazetteer puts the total membership
In the world at about 100000.
SPLIT IN THE SECT
Unitarian views caused the one great
split in the sect. those holding them being
now known as Hicksites. and, in this city
belonging to the meeting which is held in
Rutherfurd place. The original body the
Orthodox Friends. meet i'm Twentieth street
opposite Granercy Park. Both held their
yearly meetings during the past two weeks
That OF the Hicksites has always been held
here. The Orthodox Friends have in pre-
ViOuS years generally met in POughkeepsie
or some other large interior town. The
yearly meeting is attended by delegates
from the whole district. These delegates
are chosen by the quarterly meeting. which