The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-08
FRIENDS SOCIETY
NEEDED NOW As AT
ORIGIN, SAYS. Grub

Friends have . real message for the
multitudes who are crying out for
reality in religion; for Christianity.
that recognizes human brotherhood.
and worth Of personality, Edward A.
Grub. NJ. A.. o. London Yearly Meet
ing. said in an address on 1.-The Mes.
sage and Mission of the Society OF
Friends" at the closing session OF the
preliminary London. conference in the
North A street Friends church, Sun
day afternoon. DR.. Alexander c. Pur-
dy, Of Earlham College. also spoke.
ITO many people 1t seems that the
>main purpose Of the church today Is to
support the existing order Of society,
Winch they feel to be fundamentally
wrong. For these people the Friends
have q message, but It must spring
from personal experience and be CIV
en- by life as well as word" said Mr..
Grubb.
Mr.. Grub pointed out that the
founders Of the Society Of Friends had
no thought of establishing a new sect,
that they were attempting to bring
back the whole church from error to
truth" doctrine they had not learn
ed from men or even from the bible,
but which they believed had come to
them directly from God as q reveal.
ton to their souls.
Early Church United.
The early Quakers were absolutely
united in the proclamation of this d.
rect revelation from God to each hui.
man soul. and it was with this mes.
sage burning In their hearts that they
went throughout England; to the
American colonies; to most of Europe
and even to the Sultan Of Turkey.
[ Their message was much more than
espreachfng the gospel in the ordinary
sense. 1t drove them to oppose slay-
cry, and all wrong and injustice
among men which hindered the light
from shining and distorted the human
spirit. 1t was their assurance of q
higher light that led them to oppose
war.
The mission and message of the
Quakers is needed as greatly today
as at the foundation time of the So.
ciiety of Friends, different as the sit
uation is, from the seventeenth cen.
fury. the speaker pointed out.
Stands for Spiritual Element.
What Friends have stood for from
the first Is the reality and supremacy
OF the spiritual element in the world,
and second, the reality of human
brotherhood and Its supremacy over
all that divides man from man. This
applies to the relation not only of
nation to nation, but Of class to class
within each nation.
"A great conflict was iminent when
the first steps OF Quakerism were
taken. This conflict rested largely
with the Christian church to decide
whether 1t should be waged on the
material plane or the spiritual. II
1t were a conflict for material goods
it would he one Of violence and blood.
disappointment. But if it were a
struggle from the Acknowledgement OF
all the human spirits it might be
peaceful and lasting in it's Issues.
Many among the possessing class
would recognize that the freeing of
human personality was a right thing
to aim at, and would be found on the
side of the dispossessed. Materialist
socialism, even in France, was al
ready disappointing its advocates, who
had nothing to fall back upon but the
.Catholic church with its denial OF
= liberty.
What was needed was a religion
that necessarily made for democratic
cnanSe ana spiritual freedom. ANS
the Friends sought to offer. Theil
mission was not only to exalt them
selves but to help in bringing dis
ordered world into the peace of God,
said Mr.. Grub.
Or. Purdy Also Speaks.
"The Message and Mission OF tn,
Society of Friends" was presented b!
DR.. Purdy, who pointed to the fac
that the early Friends made thei
testimony against war, and slavery
for simplicity, honesty and socia
justice, not by chance but as logica
result Of experience which became
their message. Friends of today will
reproduce the spirit OF the early days
not by copying the things they did, blu
by seeking as genuine n religious ez
,perience, said DR.. Purdy.
THE message of the Society o
Friends has always been that mai
may know God directly within tn
limits of his own personality withou
the Intervention Of priest or rite"