Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-08


words of John: II baptise you with wa,
ter, but there cOmeth one after me who
shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost
ana with fire." We're held to dispense
with baptism in water. and teach it's
iutiilty DO this in remembrance of.
me, was held to mean a spiritual
share in the grace of God, and not the
ceremony OF the eucharist. But both
| these Quaker readings were uudoubt-.
eddy due to the use of these two rites
by the Established Church. and to do
inherently was TO do well. The adj
vice OF James. that women should not
speak in meeting. was thrown out bv
the idea that each person was directly
inspired of the Holy Ghost; no dis
| tinction between. that given to men and
women was possible. The literal rem
dering OF resist not evil with evil"
caused the non-resistance practice of
/ the Friends, and their opposition to
| war.
The supported ministers now common
| among the Friends are made possible
/ by the absence of a creed which allows
| the inspired individuals of a congrega-
ton to adapt their system to new
needs. The Discipline provides the de-
| tails TO: recognizing as a minister.
any member man or woman who has
shown marked fitness and ability in
preaching, instruction or PASTORAL
aerk. No special training has been.
or is now thought necessary, though
| education is an admitted advantage.
A supported ministry is against all
history of the Friends. But it had to
come said a Friend. who did most 10
get the new system recognized. 'Pas-
toral work by the members elders
and oVerseers didn't keep up the con-
gregation. We were dying out for lack
OF methods suited to the times, and the
paid minister was the only means of
safety. AS with ministers, so with
baptism and the eucharist. They are
not widely approved, but where they
| answer the desires of a congregation,
the latter is left free to decide the mat
ter"
Monthly, quarterly and yearly meet
inSs compose the organization of the
society. The monthly meeting, which
| mas direct executive control of the
members, holds property, etc, includes
one or more separate congregations.
| RE Boston meeting has but one The
! ministers, elders and Overseers in each
congregation have charge of all its in
forests and the monthly meeting re
| ccgni7es" new ministers, expels deiin-
uu"1t members, and authorizes mar
| iiaSes. II also reports to the quarterly
| islHC ting. which includes several month
y ceilings, and this in turn to the
yc';:ly meeting, which has final au-
ttGrity in appeals and matters of doc
trnc, and oversees mission and other
organized work. New England Yearly
Meeting contains about sixty congre-
cations. The quarterly and yearly
meetings are made up of delegates, but
any member within the territory of the
meeting has q right to attend and
speak.
Members who forsake the proper
standard of Quaker conduct are la
bored with the overseers of each con-
their cases are reported to their
monthly meeting, which may then
disown them. A member 50 disowned
may take an appeal to the quarterly,
and then to the yearly meeting. whose
decision on all doctrinal points is final.
Among the Friends today, nearly all
|
fragrant misbehavior. either in per-
sonal conduct or business matters.
Outside of general faithfulness to the
theories of the church, the main en-
phasis is on every day conduct. One
of the eight queries which are read
three times year in the monthly and
quarterly meetings, gives a character
istic test. 1t is this: DO you fire.
quently inspect your affairs and set
tie your accounts? Are you just in
your dealings. punctual to your prom
ises and prompt in the payment of
your debts: careful to live within your
income. and avoid involving yourselves
in business beyond your ability to
manager - 3
Il The manufacture of liquors and the
habitual use of them are forbidden;
the proper education of children and
the needs of the poor are to receive
careful attention. And while the over
seers have special charge of laborlng
with brothers in error. the ministers
and elders of each congregation have
a care for its general spiritual PROS
perity.
Il Nowhere does the change to modern
Quakerism show more plainly than IN
the monthly meetings. for to these
used to be fntrusted all the grinding
msistence upon form that came near
discriminating the Friends altogether.
These meetings were organized by
Fox, in the first place, to head off GER
tain eccentric Qufkers, led by John
| Perrot. who insisted that the hat
should be worn even during the sun
Iday meetings unless the wearer was
specially inspired from within to take
it off This was logic gone mad, and
had to be stopped, along with other
excuses among the early Quakers'
'lWhen persecution had rubbed into
them the virtues of uniformity. and
| after F'ox's death. the monthly meet
Iings set about making all the Friends
| conform to the outward dress and
manner of the early members. Then
ityranny began. First everything
Twain and needless was forbidden
out of this came the idea that posi-
4 tive ugliness and discomfort were the
| only safe things, until finally brass
pots. chaises. carpets and the use OF
/ tea were under one condemna ton OF