Year: 1868

these wants he said that assuming to be true that
communion is held with the spirits of the other
are conflicting and are taken by all with great
deal Of caution. He believed In the Bible as coming
Divine interpretation in our race-that the heart Of
man answered to the heart OF man. that his soul
hankered after God. There are times OF spir-
and when he does not. In the Gospel Of Jesus he
found what was indeed a revelation to his soul
on on chrs An aed his so% anS save him
infinite Joy to know that the sins had been forgiven
for Jesus sake could never again be recorded against
him. IL gave him solution to all the questions that
tried his soul and he wished that all those assembled
could find the faith In Jesus. AS disciple OF
Jesus he believed that he had found the truth. In
what Jesus had done for his own soul and for the
souls Of his fellow men he felt that he had found q
solution to all the questions OF diculty. In closing
ing the divinity Of Christ, after which he said that
although they differed in certain dOgmas he never


heless believed that they all bore true allegiance to
Christ.


Another vocal effort by the Hutchinsons was in or
der here, after which Mrs. Rev. OLYMPIA BROWN, OF
she hailed this miscellaneous meeting as an omen OF
coming Christian love and to enable all denOmina-
IONS TO feel That they are one great family, all
laboring for one common object, one common hOme
Nothing OF the kind was ever more needed in such
an age as this when there are many inquiries and
She had been in the West and there witnessed con-
met OF secs but such gatherings as this would soon
hr. al ana Leave IN their sead true
the great need OF the world They could not afford
to denounce denominations, but they should fight
out Organization and denominations they could do
but little. She would as soon think Of doing away
wI cars eca%se weston can WAX s
nomination they could do without The Congrega-
tionalists, the Methodsts, the Universalists, the
Catholics, all represent great truths, and we
should honor them and pray for the great
brotherhood OF faith so we can work ef-
fectually, nobly and grandy in advancing the great
truths of Christ. muSt If
tain His large charity, which has animated the whole
world, and IN doing this we must retain den0mina-
tiOnalism. This question Is the practical One


Rev. JOHN WEISS, of WatertOwn Mass, was next


introduced. He endorsed warmly and eOquenty
was rapidly and surely onward. When he had fin
ished the Hutchins0ns closed up the forenoon ses-
sion with another Of their vocal entertainments.


At the opening of the afternoon session there was
the same large attendance nearly filling In every
part the spacious temple. The first matter was the
reading of report by William j. Potter secretary of
the association. The document was intended to
show the increase in religious feeling in the country
during the last twenty years or So It claimed that
thought there has been an increase in seekers Of re-
ligion OF five per cent In excess of the increase Of
freedom has been forbidden or restrained the
increase has TAILED to keep pace with the in
most liberal religionists who can claim the
largest gains: The Unitarian and Unversalist
thought have not increased so rapidly as the demo-
minatons before named The whole tendency, how
ever outside OF the churches is in the direction Of
free thought as Is proved by the Of religious
meetings In public halls, theatres &C There is also
tendency to combination and union among all re-
Tn many sects there are individuals, and sometimes
bodies, who DO not act heartily In the progressive
movements mover; Of freedom and fellowship; Those who
refrain or dscountenance such action however, are
generally In the minority.


AFTER reading his report Mr. Potter read letter
from the leading man In the free religious movement
Wh
great work OF religious propagation. The movement
IN America, the letter stated, afforded them mex
way Tor the foundation Of the great religious church
Of the world.


:. At this point Colonel t. W. H1aGMsoN, of New
Malcolm the expelled Baptist Of Rhode Island, for
ais manly and religious course In defiance Of the per-
s secutiSns rs Of oil the Baptiss Of the State. The
colonel said there was not Baptist there who would
recognize him as Baptist or who would exchange
pulpits with him.. Yet he was not dismayed, but
would continue IN future as in the past to show his
devei2pment ot courage and advocate the cause Of
Boston, was subsequently introduced She said that
she felt proud to witness the courage shown by Rev.
Mr. Malcom In advocating the belief OF his own con-
progress OF free religion in other countries from sta
tistics which she had gathered from correspondence
with her husband, now an active propagat0r Of the


Mr.. CHARLES G. BuRLRIGH followed. He de.
ciared In favor OF the fullest freedom OF thought In





whom he termed so far behind the times and 80
thoroughly welded TO old theories as not to give a
respectful hearing to those who have new ideas OF


Mr.. J. n. 8. PEBBLES, OF Battle Creek, Mich,
and Spiritual!s spoke briefly afterwards. Refer
ring 10 the fact that there does not exist anywhere
church erected by the Spirtuasts he explained that
believers In that faith felt that their souls were
more free In worshipping In open groves and public


Mr.. PINK, Of Brooklyn, N. Y, came next for q few
moments He said he was neither a Christian,
Mtdan
simply as mantle highest creature ever produced
by the Creator. He avowed himself In favor OF free
remarks were evidently as incomprehenslble to the
audience as to the reporters with perhaps the excep
ton that he believed In the purity OF body and soul


Mr.. AARON NJ. POWELL, editor OF the Anti -slare,y
Stdnddyd, who was next introduced said that-he
sent them. He claimed to stand upon the platform
human soul and act in obedience to the law OF


life and thus be led in the right direction. He still
beileved however, In the essential principles oil
Quakerism, claiming that the Quakers had done more
than any others towards advancing the nation and
in advancing public opinion and emancipating minds
from prejudices In closing he encouraged right
ment Of religion and independence Of thought.


An adjournment was then had until evening, when
there came crowd as large as any during the day.
The first bus1pess was an essay or report by Frank b.
Sanborn, OF Concord, Mass, on the Religious duty
Of philanthropy and social REFORM" which was as


Mr.. PRESIDENT AND BRETHREN OF THE AssocrA-
TIoN-.By the assignment OF your Executive Commit
tee 10 falls to my lot to open the discussion of OF
the most important questions which can present
itself In religious conference the question: namely
How Ear and m what degree Of magnitude we shall
recognize among our religious duties the claims OF
active philanthropy and OF social reformS
We might answer this question far As
the Association Is concerned by pointing to
tho fact that Its most honored representa-
tives and the great majority Of its members
known whenever they are known) as the early,
steadfast and sedevoted friends OF the poor and the
unfortunate, the sworn and constant foes OF oppres-
sion and wrong. There needs no argument to show
what view has been taken Of philanthropy by a
Phillips, an Emerson al rockingham, Hgginson,
or5y the devout women who, in this city and else
where, have for so many years befrtended the fugi
tive slave, the sick soldier, the untaught freedmen
and the poor OF everyiclass But 1t may be worth
While TO point out the nature OF the duty thus full
nfed and ITS paramount claims on all who are drawn
together by the ties ofsa common religion. Nor will
~ oe wholly supernuous, even In this assembly, to
Indicate some OF the most pressing demands for
Social reform which come to our attention when we
consider the community In which we live. What
ever may now be speculative opinions concern