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THE LIBRARIES
Bequest of
Frederic Bancroft
1860-1945
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PROCEEDINGS
Centennial Anniversary
Miami Monthly Meetiii
WAYNESVILLE, OHIO
Month, 16-17, 1903
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COMMITTEE TO ARRANGE FOR AND HOLD FRIENDS COM-
MEMORATIVE SERVICES.
Davis Furnas, Chairman, Charles F. Chapman,
Margaretta K. Brown, Sec, Charles A. Brown,
William T. Frame, Edwin Chandler,
Mary Edwards, :, A. B'. Chandler,
Laura S. Dunham, Anna Kelly,
Seth H. Ellis, Anna O'Neall,
Viola K. Hawkins, Samuel Battin,
Jonathan B. Wright, Martha J. Warner,
Lillia Compton, Jesse Wright.
Charles A. Brown, Waynesville, O.,
Seth H. Ellis, Waynesville, O.
Presiding officers.
railroad secretaries.
Benjamin Johnson, Richmond, Indiana, Joseph C.
Ratliff, Richmond, Indiana.
FKKBS OF MIAMI GAZEXTE. WATlfESVIXJJE. OHIO*
/-■
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W 1
SIXTH DAY, 9 130 A. M.
CHARLES A. BROWN, WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
Almost an exact century ago the first monthly
meeting- of Friends north of the Ohio and west of the
Hocking river was formed by the regular process here
at Waynesville, and known as the Miami Monthly
Meeting.
We have met for a centennial commemoration of
this event, so deep in interest to all mem.bers of any
one of tlie numerous meetings which have sprung
from the original Ivliami meeting as their mother.
We welcome you here to-day to take part in our
exercises in celebrating this event, we hope in a worthy
and profita])le way. It is hoped that this may be a
season of spiritual uplift and unity. One of the most
pleasing things in the work of the committee having
the arrangements in charge, was that feeling of unity
between the branches which unfortunately became sep-
arated.
We meet in the utmost candor to celebrate our
common heritage in that brotherly and Christian spirit
which actuated the committee and in which we feel and
confidently hope all these meetings will be conducted.
We hope we have grown in that spirit, not merely
of tolerance, but of catholicity, in which we realize
that every earnest striver after the truth of God has
a measure of that truth.
If a brother in making a statement differs from
me, I should seek to find an element of truth in his
possession to add to my own, rather than to think I
6
posses it all. In that spirit we may proceed profitably
with our meetings.
The century that has passed has been a century
of progressive democracy. We may better express the
movement of the century as one founded upon the
thought, even though dimly comprehended, of the uni-
versal fatherhood of God and brotherhood of man.
The Society of Friends realized this thought beyond
other people of their day, and so strove to break down
class and priestly distinctions and privileges, and to
grant to all equal rights and opportunities, and to
honor each one only as he lived a life of simple right-
eousness.
George Fox and his followers advanced the
truth that revelation is in m.an rather than to man;
that any statement of truth is a mere jingle of
words to any one who does not comprehend that
truth, and that with each individual revelation takes
place as the truth is appreciated in his own conscious-
ness and becomes a part of his make-up, his character.
This is the current which is at the bottom of the
movement of progressive civilization, so rapid in the
past century, and in which we believe the Society of
Friends has held a foremost place.
We have met to consider something of the im-
press which the Society as a whole has made upon its
own members and upon the community at large. A
stranger came into this neighborhood, saw the more
quiet and orderly manner of life, and inquired its
cause. I believe it due to the Quaker influence.
We have met to commemorate something of the
spirit of the Quaker of the Olden Time as portrayed
by Whittier:
The Quaker of the olden time ! —
How cahn and firm and true,
Unspotted by its wrong and crime,
He walked the dark earth through.
The lust of power, the love of gain,
The thousand lures of sin
Around him, had no power to stain
The purity within.
With that deep insight which detects
All great things in the small.
And knows how each man's life affects
The spiritual life of all,
He walked by faith and not by sight,
By love and not by law ;
The presence of the wrong or right
He rather felt than savv-.
He felt that wrong with wrong partakes,
That nothing stands alone,
That whoso gives the motive, makes
; His brother's sin his own,
And, pausing not for doubtful choice
Of evils great or small
He listened to that inward voice
Which called away from all. w
******
This spirit of the early Friends which Whittier
has so beautifully described in these words is worthy
of our consideration.
SETH K. ELLIS, WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
I will request the privilege of deferring- my re-
marks until this afternoon's session, as the hour of
opening has been necessarily delayed.
'' HISTORY OF MIAMI MONTHLY MEETING
FROM 1803 TO 1828.''
CLARKSON BUTTERWORTH, WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
We have the promise for tomorrow afternoon,
somewhat on the Fundamental Doctrine of Quakerism,
"The Inshining and Inspeaking Spirit of God." This
has been as universal as the race of rational man.
"From the day that Adam heard the voice of the Lord
God in the Garden to this hour, the awful accents of
the Holy Spirit have been distinguished from all other
calls and voices."
I love to think that when the Prophet discovered
God's truth to be, 'T will write my law in their hearts
and they shall knov/ me," it was a clearer perception
than before, of an ever potent truth of the ages. That
the Light v/hich "liteth every man" has done so from
the beginning, and through all time has been the
mighty influence for good among all peoples — that
it did shine and 3^et shineth, even in darkness, though
the darkness has often "comprehended it not," knew
not what \vas guiding. And yet men have been prone
to idolatry, not easily perceiving that God is a spirit,
and tabernacles with men, is the authority and power
in the human soul v^'liich sets duty forth and insists
upon its performance.
I love to trace in history man's advancement,
under this enlightening and benign power and spirit,
from the ancient doctrine of "an eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth" to the nobler sentiment which
says "See that none render evil for evil unto any
man," and from the notion that "God is a man of
war," wreaking vengeance, to that grand perception
which exclaims "Praise ye the Lord, for he is good;
for his mercy endureth forever."
While this progress has been going on, sterling
men. Prophets of God, have arisen from period to
period, to call rulers and people from self-service,
gross oppression, and vile living to greater recogni-
tion of human rights and needs and to the great de-
mands of righteousness, leading on toward the recog-
nition of human brotherhood. — The king is no better
than the plowman who behaves as well as lie.
Alore than two and a half centuries ago, in Eng-
land, the times were ripe for such a prophet and
leader. Warring factions had long deluged the land
with blood, and human life and comfort were little
regarded. Whatever party chanced to be in the
ascendant oppressed the otlicrs, and religious persecu-
tion and intolerance prevailed widely. Priest and
ruler were self-seeking and profligate, and spiritual
wickedness in liigh places was a reproach to the na-
tion. Then the pure and innocent George Fox, by
no means the least of the prophets, recognizing the
power and authority of the "Indwelling and Inspeak-
ing Spirit of God," was impelled to proclaim it, and
to call men and women into obedience to its moni-
tions ; and multitudes, tired of the insincerity and
want of steadfastness which had been so nearly uni-
versal among the religious professors and teachers,
were scon gatliercd into fcllovv'ship v/ith the plain
true mian. They liad seen how the high dignitaries
of the church had joined in persecuting those differ-
ing from them in opinion, but as soon as the chang-
ing times put uppermost those of different views,
made haste to save their profits and emoluments by
change of religious pretensions ; and the "common
10
people" were glad to find something more stable, and
consonant with the witness for truth within them-
selves. Many of them found like call to service with
Fox, and, the soil being ready for the seed, went far
and v/ide through the nation and into other dominions
and the islands of the sea, and to the shores of Amicr-
ica, spreading their perception of the truth, and teach-
ing human equality, human rights, and human
brotherhood.
They set up meetings for religious comm.union
and worship and for the care of the church as there
seemed need of them, in all countries where they ob-
tained a foothold. Many migrated to these shores,
meetings were set up along the seaboard, and later
further inland, and the Friends and their simple demo-
cratic ways and views had a powerful influence in
shaping the free institutions of this country and over-
throwing human slavery therein.
In the latter part of the i8ch century two m. ms.,
Westland and Redstone, v/ere established in South
Western Pa,, and these united in composing Redstone
Q. M. — all subordinate to Baltimore Y. M. About
that time Friends in the slave states, not liking to rear
and leave their families under the influence of the
slave system, and hoping to better their material situa-
tion as well, began to migrate into the Territory N. W.
of the Ohio river. Settlements were made in Eastern
Ohio, and in the neighborhood of V/aynesville — the
latter, at least, coming largely or entirely from the
slave states — many from the m. ms. of Bush River
and Cane Creek in Newberry and Union counties.
South Carolina. Their settlement in the Miami
country w^as within the jurisdiction of Westland m.
ni. aforesaid. A little later, immigrants arrived from
the eastern parts of Pennsylvania, and from the east-
ern seashore states, and elsev;here.
11
On nth month, 20th, 1799, the famihes of Robert
Kelly, Abijah O'Ncall and James ]\Iills, from Bush
River m. m., settled near the site of Waynesville.
4, 25, iSoo, David Faulkner and David Painter ar-
rived from Hopewell m. m., Frederic Co., Va. George
Hav/orth, David Holloway and Rowland Richards
came the same year, and in that year Joseph Cloud,
(who later settled here himself), a minister from
Cane Creek m. m., N. C, came and held several meet-
ings among them which are believed to have been the
first Friends' meetings held in the original limits of
Miami m. m., which embraced all the territory north
of the Ohio River and v/est of the Hocking, extend-
ing indefinitely north and west.
Other Friends continued to arrive until 4, 26,
1 80 1, when a number collected together in a volunteer
m. f. w. at the dwelling of Rowland and Lydia Rich-
ards, which the aged and intelligent Mary Baily tells
me was near the center of the block in Waynesville,
bounded by Nortii, Third, Miami and Fourth streets,
and long owned afterwards by Xoah Haines and
family — a part still owned by a granddaughter, Anna
C. F. O'Xeall, and a part by Eliza Haines, widow of
Seth Silver Haines, youngest son of Noah. Twelve
families were represented at the meeting, consisting
of 24 parents and 47 children, all said to have been
living within one mile of the meeting place. The
membership of many of these v/as, or soon came to
be, certified to Wcstland m. m. aforesaid, about 300
miles away, but then the most suitable m. m. for the
Friends of this settlement, who maintained their afore-
said volunteer m. f. w. during that summer, and in
the following v/inter forwarded a request to that
m. m., for a recognized meeting to be granted them,
to be held on First-days and in the middle of the v/eek.
12
and 12, 26, 1 801, that m. m. adopted the following
minute —
'*A number of Friends being settled near the
Little Miami, request has been made for the privilege
of holding ms. f. w. on First- and Fifth-days of the
week. After weighty deliberation it appears to be
the sense of this m^eeting that a committee be appointed
to sit with them, inspect into their situation and judge
of the propriety of granting their request. Jacob
Griffith, Abram Smith, David Grave and Henry Mills
are appointed to the service, to report when called on
by this m.eeting."
The follovving minute of the same meeting bears
date 9, 25, 1S02. "The Representatives to the Q. M.,
[Redstone] report they all attended the same, and
that that meeting united in leaving this at liberty to
act in respeci: to the request of Friends near the Little
Miami as way may open in the truth. After diverse
sentiments were expressed it appeared the sense of
Friends that the request be granted till otherwise di-
rected. David Grave, Joseph Townsend, Abraham
Smith and Henry Lewis are appointed to write to the
PViends there on the occasion and forward the sub-
stance of this minute when opportunity offers." It
seemiS there were no reliable mails, and private con-
veyance had to be awaited.
The meeting was set up accordingly, and appears
to have used for a meeting house a log building which
had been erected for a dwelling by Ezckiel Cleaver,
maternal grandfather of the late Empson Rogers. It
stood on the N. E. corner of Third and Miam.i streets,
at or near the site of the present residence of Adam
Stoops. The logs for its construction were drawn
together with oxen by William O'Neall, then nine
years of age — son of Abijah and Anna (Kelly)
13
O'Neall, and father of George and the late Abijah
P. O'Neall.
The first marriage among the Friends here, was
that of Wilham Mills, son of James, to Mary, daughter
of Rowland and Lydia Richards, which was sol-
emnized by a Baptist minister, a method of marriage
at that time resorted to with the consent of Friends
concerned because the m. m. which might have been
consulted, was so quite out of reach. They became the
parents of ten children, of whom Elizabeth, the oldest,
was born lo, 4, 1803.
The first Friends' meeting house, built for that
purpose, at Waynesville, was on the S. W. corner of
Fourth and High streets, at or very near the site of
the present meeting house of Orthodox Friends. It
was probably erected after ])diami m. m. was estab-
lished — say in 1803 or 1804 — and was a log struc-
ture. I am inclined to the opinion that it was suc-
ceeded by a larger and better one of the same material
before Friends built their large brick meeting house
in 181 1 — the same in v/hich v;e are holding these
centennial exercises — on the West' side of Fourth
street, between High and IMiami.
^luch of the foregoing matter about Friends' set-
tlement and early meetings in these regions I have de-
rived from an unsigned but reliable publication, dated
2, 19, 1863, put forth by the late Achilles Pugh, an
Ortliodox Friend who had lived quite a v/hile in
Wa3'ncsville, and was an intelligent and capable man.
The m. f. w. aforesaid, autliorized by Westland
m. m. and Redstone Q. M., was of the class called
Indulged Meetings, and was held on trial, so to
speak.
By the forepart of 1803 the Friends settled about
Waynesville and neighboring regions haa become quite
numerous. Many of them were, or soon became,
14
members of Westland m. m. by certificates from else-
where. I have already given the names of some of
the earliest. Repeating some of them, I now give the
following nearly full list of all the families, and indi-
viduals vvho were parts of families, and some not in
families, who had arrived before lo, 13, 1803. First
— some who were certified to Westland m. m. by Bush
River m. m., S. C, 9, 25, 1802, viz. :
Abljah and Anna (Kelly) O'Neall, and children. 9 persons
Samuel and Hannah (Pearson) Kelly and chil-
dren 8
James and Lydia (Jay) Mills and children 10 "
Robert and Sarah (Patty) Kelly and children.. 6(?) "
Mary (Jay) Patty, wife of Charles Patty 1
Layton and Elizabeth (Mills) Jay and children.. 8 "
Ann Plorner, wife of Thomas Horner i "
Ellis Pugh and Phebe his wife 2 "
This partial list 45(?)
From Cane Creek, S. C, m. m. at dates prefixed :
12, 19, 1803 — Amos and Elizabeth (Townsend)
Cook, and family.
12, 19, 1803 — Levi and Ann (Fraizer) Cook,
and family.
4, 23, 1803 — Esther Campbell, Naomi Spray.
4, 23, 1803 — Samuel and Mary (Wilson) Spray,
and family.
4, 23, 1803 — Robert and Flannah (Wilson) Fur-
nas, and family.
5, 21, 1803 — Dinah (Cook) Wilson.
5, 21, 1803 — Jehu and Sarah (Hawkins) Wil-
son, and family.
5, 21, 1803 — Christopher and Mary (Cox) Wil-
son, and family.
5, 21, 1803 — Thomas and Tamar Cox.
15
This partial list about 40 persons. ]
Other names —
Ezekiel and Abigail Cleaver and family.
Samuel Linton and five children — Xathan,
David, James, Elizabeth (Linton) Satterthwaite, Jane
(Linton) Arnold.
Edward and Margaret Kindley and family.
John MuUin and family.
Benjamin and Llannah Evans and family. —
[This family, though settled here before the date
10, 13, 1803, produced to Miami m. m. in 6th mo.,
1804, a certificate from Bush River m. m. No doubt
there were numerous other Friends settled in this
corner of Ohio before the opening of Miami m. m.
who brought certificates to it later, and yet others
wdiom I have failed to mention, who had been certi-
fied to Westland m. m.J I would guess the total num-
ber of members in this partial list, named and un-
named, was not less than 75, making a total of fully
160.
By this time these felt the need of further meet-
ing privile.o^es, and about 6th month, 1803, or earlier,
through Westland m. m. asked of Redstone Q. AL
the establishment of their m. f. w. and the grant of a
p. m. and a m. m. Tliereupon said O. M. (iirected a
committee to sit with them and report their judgment
in the matter, and at the Q. M. held at Westland, 9,
5. 1S03, granted tlie request as the following minutes
indicate. —
1st. — "The Committee (excepting one) having
sat with Friends near Little Miami, report that after
weightily conferring together, did believe that it
might be right to grant their request — I\Ieeting for
worship to be held on First- and Fifth-days, Monthly
Meeting on the second Fifth-day in each month, and
the I'rcparative Meeting on the day preceding, to be
16
called Miami Monthly Meeting, which the Quarterly
Meeting unites with and appoints Thomas Grisell,
Mahlon Linton, Samuel Cope, Enoch Chandler, Jona-
than Taylor and Horton Howard to attend the open-
ing of said meetings at the time proposed in next
month, and confer with Friends and report where they
may think most suitable for the boundary of said meet-
ing to be."
2d. — "At Miami Monthly Meeting held the 13th
day of the loth month 1803, part of the Quarterly
Meeting committee being present. A copy of a min-
ute of Westland m. m. was produced to this meeting,
appointing" David Faulkner and Samuel Kelly to serve
in the station of Overseers of Miami particular meet-
ing" — [that is, of Miami m. f. w.j The extracts
[from the minutes] of our late Y. M. [Baltimore]
were produced and read. Our Friend Ann Taylor
produced a certificate to this meeting, dated the 17th
day of the 9th month 1803, expressive of the unity
of Concord m. m. with her visting Friends about the
]\iiamis, whose service among us has been acceptable.
The meetinjT concludes."
The first quoted minute above is a copy of a min-
ute of Redstone Q. M., entered in Miami m. m. book
in advance of its opening minute, and the further quo-
tations are the full minutes of the first sitting of Miami
m. m. itself, — men's department. They do not show
who served as clerk that day. This was a common
omission in many m. ms. The Concord m. m. which
had liberated Ann Taylor for religious labor here, was
a new one in Eastern Ohio, founded in 1801, and still
maintained.
At the next meeting, 11, 12, 1803, Representatives
from the p. m. were present, with its answers to the
1st, 2d and 9th queries which the m. m. adopted.
Samuel Linton was appointed Clerk, for the ensuing
17
year. (Most likely he had served at the opening meet-
ing. His wife, Elizabeth, had died in Penna., and he
brought a certificate for himself and his five children
from Bucks m. m. to Westland in 1802). Samuel
Spray and Samuel Kelly were appointed Representa-
tives to the ensuing O. M. at Redstone, and then the
2d meeting concluded.
At the 3d, held 12, 8, 1803, the first members were
received on certificate. Men's minutes do not show
whence it came, nor the date, but women's shov/ that it
was from Bush River m. m., S. C. It was for Jemima
Wright and her five children, following, — Jane,
Joshua, Jemima, Joab and Joel — every name in the
whole six beginning v/itli J.
At the date i, 12, 1804, I find the men made the
following minute — "By the miitute of the O. M. held
the 5th day of the 12th month last, it appears that the
rivers Ohio and 'Kockhocken' are to be the southern
and eastern boundaries of Aliami m. m."
The next month — 2, 9, 1804, some query ansvvers
were adopted and directed to be forwarded to the en-
suing Q. M. — [Redstone] *'if any way opens for so
doing." Samuel Spray, David Faulkner, Edv/ard
Kindley and Robert Furnas were appointed to unite
with a committee of women Friends in proposing some
persons for Elders. l\vo months later they proposed
Abijah O'Neall and Jeliu Wilson on the pari; of the
men. The m. ra. took the matter under consideration
and did not finally decide till 6, 14, 1S04, when the
nominations v/ere approved, and the matter submitted
to the O. M. [Redstone.] The commiLtee on the part
of the women had been Dinali Wilson, Lydia Rich-
ards, Hannah. Kelly and Margaret Kindley, and the
womien nominated were Dinah Wilson and Abigail
Cleaver, who were approved in 6th month by the wo-
men's meeting, and the Q. ]\i. was notified as in the
18
case of the men. It will be seen that Friends acted
with great deliberation, as was proper. These ap-
pointments were for life, or during good behavior, and
v/e may presume that they, and the members of the
committee who nominated them, were chosen from
the discreet and reliable members of the Meeting.
As a further recall of meritorious members I may
say that for the time before 2, i, 1807, other official
positions were conferred as follows :
Clerk — (after Samuel Linton) — 12, 13, 1804,
Robert Furnas. 2, 10, 1806, Samuel Test.
Assistant Clerk — 4, 12, 1804, and 8, 14, 1806,
Robert Furnas.
Overseer — (after 10, 13, 1803) — 9, 13, 1804,
Isaac Perkins, William Walker.
4, II, 1805 — For "Lee's Creek," Jesse George and
Jesse Baldwin.
7, II, 1805 — Asher Brown. ,
9, 12, 1805 — For West Branch, Jeremiah Mote.
1, 8, 1806 — For Caesar's Creek, Robert Furnas.
2, 13, 1806 — For Caesar's Creek, Robert Mill-
house.
4. 10, 1806 — For Elk Creek, Jesse Kin worthy
and Joseph Smith.
8, 14, 1806 — For 'Xee's Creek," Ennion Williams.
8, 14, 1806 — For "Todsfork," Francis Hester.
9, II, 1806 — For "Lee's Creek," Phineas Hunt.
10, 9, 1806 — Edward Kindley for Miami and Wil-
liam Williams for Clearcreek.
Representatives to Redstone Q. M. — (On several
occasions none were appointed because no way to go
appeared ) .
11, 10, 1803 — Samuel Spray and Samuel Kelly.
5, 10, 1804 — David Holloway.
II, 8, 1804 — Thomas Perkins, John Smith,
5, 9, 1S05 — John WilsoUj, Phineas Hunt.
19
8, 8, i8o5— Mordicai Walker, David Painter,
David Faulkner.
5, 8, i8o6 — John Stubbs, Samuel Spray, John
Sanders, Isaac Perkins.
8, 14, 1806 — Asher Brov/n, Samuel Spray,
Thomas Horner.
II, 13, 1806 — Joel Wright, David Horner.
Recorder of Births and Deaths — 9, 13, 1804 —
Robert Furnas.
Recorder of Marriage Certificates — 9, 13, 1804,
Robert Furnas, 5, 9, 1805, Levi Cook.
Ministry — 7, 10, 1806 — Samuel Spray's gift
therein acknov/ledged.
6, 12, 1806— Charity Cook liberated to visit
families.
10, 9, 1806 — Jacob Jackson liberated to visit the
m. m.'s branches.
By 2, I, 1807, 82 men had accepted appointments
on committees, ranging from one time to twenty-six
times, and if all the appointments of each are added
into one sum it makes 387.
Of all these
Samuel Soray had 26 Rowland Richards had. . . 8
Abiiah O'Neall "'^ )Isaac Perkins 8
Asher Brown 19 Georj^e Haworth 7
Jehu Wilson 18 Samuel Test 7
David Faulkner 15 Samuel Packer 7
Mordicai Walker 15 Joseph Cloud 7
Samuel Kelly 14 Amos Cook 6
Robert Furnas 13 David Holloway 6
Edward Kindley 10 John Hunt 6
John Stubbs 10 William Walker 5
John Smith 9 Andrew Hoover 5
Isaac Ward 9 William Lupton 5
Jonathan Wright
and each of the rest a smaller number.
These variations are owing to several causes —
faithfulness, fitness for service, opportunities, place of
abode, and the time of arriving in the country.
20
I find that men's minutes show, by the same date,
(2, I, 1807) about 1,867 accessions by certificate, and
women accepted, of women and children, quite a num-
ber besides, of which men's minutes have no mention.
Meantime very few took certificates away. Men's
minutes show 30 apphcations for membership; nearly
all of which were accepted, while on the other hand
there were 17 disownnients, mostly for out-going in
marriage. There were about 21 marriages, and no
doubt the births largely exceeded the deaths.
The large increase in membership which the above
statements indicate was settled, not at Waynesville and
its immediate vicinity only, but in several places in
surrounding counties as well, and before the date
aforesaid Miami m. m. had indulged ms. f. w. as fol-
lows :
First — One *'for the Friends on Lee's and Har-
din's Creeks," in Highland County, near the present
Leesburg. It was granted 5, 10, 1804, and opened 5,
20, 1804. Merged later in Fairfield established m. f. w.
Second — One "for the Friends on Todsfork," at
or near the present Center, granted 4, 11, 1805, and
opened 4, 18, 1805, in the the present Clinton county,
in territory then in Warren count}', and so till 1810,
when Clinton county was organized.
Third — One at "West Branch" nearly two miles
s. s. w. of the present West Milton, in Miami County,
Ohio — granted 5, 9, 1805, and opened 5, 23, 1805,
about one mile v/est of the west branch of the Big
Miami — i. e. v/est of Stillwater.
Fourth — One at "Elk Creek," near the present
West Elkton, in Preble county, Ohio — granted 9, 12,
1805, and opened 9, 26, 1805. Merged later in the
established m. f. w called Elk Creek.
Fifth — "Caesar's Creek" — granted 10, 10, 1805,
and opened not far from the site of the present Caesar's
31
Creek meeting house, on the n. w. side of the creek,
about 7 miles nearly east of Waynesville, lo, 24, 1805.
Merged later in the established m. f. w. of the same
name.
Sixth — 'Turtle Creek." At or near the location
of the present Turtle Creek meeting house, in Turtle
Creek Township, Warren Co, about 5 miles s. w. of
Waynesville — granted 4, 10, 1806, and opened 5, 8,
1806. Merged later in Turtle Creek established m.
f. w.
Seventh — ''Clear Creek," "on the waters of
Paint," three-fourths of a mile west of the present
Samantha, in Highland County, Ohio — granted 7, 10,
i8c6, and opened 8, 3, 1806. Merged later in the es-
tablished m. f. w. of the same name — Clear Creek.
Eig]:th—'¥^\\ Creek"— for "the Friends of Fall
Creek on the waters of Paint," in Highland Co., near
the present Rainsboro — granted 9, 11, 1806, and
opened 9, 28, 1806. Merged afterwards in Fall Creek
m. f. W.J established.
Ninth — "Union" — for "the Friends near the
mouth of Ludlow's Creek," in Miami County, near
Ludlow Falls, and on the west side of Stillwater —
granted 10, 9, 1806, and opened 11, 2, 1806. Merged
later in L'nion m. f. w., established.
The Friends in all these places soon called for
established meetings, and got them, and p. ms. and
m. ms. were rapidly set up. With the concurrence
of IMiami m. m., 12, i, 1806, Redstone Q. M. estab-
lished West Branch, Center and Caesar's Creek ms.
f. w. and p. ms. with m. ms. at West Branch and
Center. The preparatives were opened— West
Branch, i, 15, 1807, Center, 2, 4, 1807, and Caesar's
Creek, 2, 5, 1807. The m. ms. were opened, West
Branch i, 17, 1807, and Center, 2, 7, 1807. The lat-
ter w^as composed of Lenter and Caesar's Creek Pre-
22
paratives, and was held alternately at the two places
except on one or two occasions, till Caesar's Creek, m,
m. was opened, 5, 26, 1810.
The boundaries of Caesar's Creek and Center p.
ms. (and the m. ms. were the same) — were recorded
as follows:
1st., Caesar's Creek — "Beginning at John Haines'
mill on the Miami, thence with the road towards Tods-
fork as far as the 8-mile tree, thence northwardly.
On the N. W. the Miami to its head, and onward in
the same direction." Was the mill of John Haines at
Waynesville? If so the S. boundary coincided nearly
with the present road fron-i that place 8 miles toward
Wilmington, the E. side was measurably parallel to the
Miami, and the settlement of Friends near Old Town,
and those on Massic's Creek and at Green Plain, v/ere
included, as subsequent occurrences testified.
2d — The boundary of Center m. m. was as fol-
lows: '^Beginning at Morgan Vanmeter's and from
thence with the road leading to Mad River." This is
all there is of it. I take it that the S. E. comer of the
included territor}^ was at Morgan Vanmeter's. He
was a very early settler in the county — Highland, quite
early — now Clinton at that part — and lived just E. of
Snow-Hill, across the creek, and about two miles N.
W. of the present New Vienna. The place was well
known in the early days. Roads began there and ran
in various directions — one "towards Mad River" as
aforesaid, and one called "the College Township road,'*
through Cuba and near Clarksville, and on westward
to the College Township in Butler county, and one
"through Oakland and Waynesville in Warren coun-
ty to Eaton in Preble county." I suppose the south-
em boundary of the Center meeting was quite convex
outwardly, so as to take in Springfield Friends in and
near the valley of Todsfork as far as Clarksville, and
23
terminated, somehow, at "the 8-miIe tree" aforesaid.
The east side took in the Friends at Grassy Run,
(Bloomington) and those of Seneca, (Jamestown),
and m.iist have terminated in an acute angle in the
eastern boundary of Caesar's Creek.
9, 7, 1807, Redstone Q. M. as in the cases fore-
going, estabHshed Fairfield, Clear Creek and Fall
Creek ms. f. w., and granted Fairfield and Clear
Creek p. ms. and Fairfield m. m. The Fairfield meet-
ings were at or near the site of the present Fairfield
meeting house, about i mile, nearly south, of Lees-
burg aforesaid, except, that the m. m. alternated for a
time, between that place and Clear Creek, near Sa-
mantha. It was composed of the two p. ms. afore-
said, of which Clear Creek was composed of Clear
Creek and Fall Creek ms. f. w. The m. m. was
opened 7, 18, 1807, and was the last m. m. — the 4th
one — granted by Redstone Q. M. in the original limits
of Miami m. m.
In 1807, upon the request of Miami, West Branch
and Center m. ms. Redstone O. M. presented to Bal-
timore Y. M. their petition for a Q. M., and Miami
Q. M. was accordingly granted in 1808, composed of
said m. ms. and Fairfield m. m., which latter had
been established meanwhile, and the Q. M. was opened
at Waynesville, Ohio, 5, 13, 1809, Representatives on
the part of the men being present from the m. ms.
as follows :
Miami — Isaac Pedrick, Asher Brown, John
Stubbs, Nathan Stubbs.
West Branch — Benjamin Iddings, William Nail,
Jeremiah Mote, Isaac Embree and Samuel Peirce.
Center — Jonathan Wright, Isaac Perkins, Samuel
Spray, Henry Millhouse.
Fairfield — Josiah Tomlinson, Ennion Williams,
Richard Barrett, Zebulon Overman.
24
Before 1828 other Q. M.'s were set up — viz. :
West Branch, set off from Miami Q. M. by Bal-
timore Y. M. in 181 1, and opened at ''West Branch"
6, 13, 1812.
Fairfield— Set off from Miami O. M. by Ohio
Y. M. in 1 814, and opened at "Fairfield," Highland
Co., Ohio, in 181 5.
Whitewater — Set off from West Branch Q. M.
and granted by Ohio Y. M. in 1816, and opened at
Richmond, Ind., i, 4, 1817.
Blue River— Set off from West Branch Q. M.
and granted by Ohio Y. M. in 181 8, and opened at
Blue River, near Salem, Washington Co, Ind., I, 16,
1819.
New Garden — Set off from West Branch O. M.
by Indiana Y. M. in \Z22, and opened at New Garden
meeting house near Newport, now Fountain City, In-
diana, I, 25, 1S23.
Westfield—Set off from West Branch and White-
water Q. Ms. by Indiana Y. M. in 1824, and opened
at West Elkton, Preble Co., O., 3, 19, 1825.
Center— Set off from Miami Q. M. by Indiana
Y. M. in 1S25, and opened at Center, Clinton Co., O.,
3, 13, 1S26.
I m-y add that Ohio Y. M. was set off from Bal-
timore Y. M. and opened in eastern Ohio, in 181 2,
and Indiana Y. M. from Ohio Y. M. in 1821, was
cpcned at Richmond, Ind., 10, 8, 1821.
Fc!'0v;ing the four m. ms. vv'hich united to com-
pose l^.Iianii O. I\I. as aforesaid, 34 other m. m.s. were,
by the same date set up, all descendents, so to speak,
of Miami m. m., and one was transferred from Short
Creek O. M., thus making 39 all told. I proceed to
(rive in Chronological order the names of the thirty-
five, following each by the dates of its grant and open-
ing so far as I have them, and the line of its ante-
25
cedents, or ancestry, back to Miami m. m. then its lo-
cation, and the name of the Q. M. which granted it,
underscorinof the latter in each case.
1. Whitewater — 8, 12. i8oq — 9, 30. 1809 — West
Branch, ^vliami. Richmond, Indiana. — Miami.
2. Elk. II, II, 1809 — 12, 2. 1S09. One step
back to Miami. At or near West Elkton, Preble Co.,
O. — Miami.
3. Caesar's Creek. 5. 12, t8io — 5, 26, 1810.
Center, Miami. On the N. W. side of Caesar's Creek,
about 7 miles E. of Waynesville. — Miami.
4. Mill Creek. 2, 0, 181 1 — 3, 23, t8ii. West
Branch, Miami. On Mill creek, in S. W. corner of
Monroe Tp.. IMIami Co., O. — Miami.
^. Fall Creek (Ohio). 5, 11, 181T — 6. 22. 1811.
Fairfield, Miami. "On the waters of Paint," near
Rainsboro, Highland Co., O. — Miami.
6. Darby Creek (Later Goshen). 11, Q, t8tt —
12, 21. 181 1. One step to Minmi. Near East Middle-
burg-, Zane Tp., Lojran Co., O. — Miami
7. Clear Creek. 11. id. 1812 — 12. 24, 1812.
Fairfield, Miami. Three-fourths of a mile westwarcl
of Snmantha, Highland Co., O. — Miami.
8. Union. 12, 12, 1812 — T, 2. 181;^. West
Branch, Miami. Near Ludlow Falls, Miami Co., O. —
Miami.
Q. Lick Creek, o, IT, 1 81 3 — 9, 2^, iSn.
Whitev/ater. West Branch. Minimi. Three miles S. E.
of Paoli, Orange Co., Ind. — West Branch.
10. New Garden. — , — , 3, K, iSit;.
Whitewater, West Branch. Miami. Near Fountain
City, Wavne Co., Tnd. — IVesf Branch.
IT. Cincinnati. 2. it. 181c; — '?. 16, i.^Ji;. One
step back to Miami. Cincinnati, Ohio. — Miami.
12. Blue River. 6, to, 1815 — 7, i. i^iq. Lick
Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Two miles
26
N. E. of Salem, Washington Ca, Ind. — West Branch.
13. Newberry (Ohio). 11, 2, 1816 — 12, 2,
1816. Fairfield, Miami. "On lower East Fork." At
or near present Martinsville, Clinton Co., O. — Fair-
field.
14. Lees Creek. 2, i, 1817 — 3, 5, 1817. Fair-
field, Miami. Near Lees creek, about one and a half
miles N. W. of New Lexington (Highland P. O.),
Highland Co., O. — Fairfield.
15. Silver Creek. — , — , 1817 — 5, 10, 1817.
Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Two miles W. of
Liberty, Union Co., Ind. — Whitczvater.
16. Alum Creek (Not a descendant of Miami m.
m.). Opened 10, 30, 1817 under grant of Short Creek
Q. M. and transferred to Miami Q. M., which accepted
it 8, II, 1821. Ten miles S of Mt. Gilead and four
miles E of Ashley, Morrow Co., O. — Short Creek.
17. West Grove. — , — , -2, — , 181 8.
Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Three miles N. W.
of Centerville, Wayne Co., Ind. — Whitezvater.
18. Springfield (Ohio). 1 1, 14, 1818 — 12, 26,
1818. Center, Miami. It alternated, after the first
two or three meetings, between Lytle's Creek and
Springfield. Opened at Lytle's Creek, and was com-
posed of Lytle's Creek and Springfield p. ms. Lytle's
Creek, three and a half miles W. S. W. of Wilming-
ton, and Springfield, on the N. W. bank of Todd's
Fork, five and seven-eighth miles W. of Wilmington,
both in Clinton Co., O. — Miami.
19. Springfield (Ind). — , — , i, — , 1820.
New Garden, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. At
or near Economy, Wayne Co., Ind. — Whitezvater.
20. Driftwood. 7, 15, 1820 — 8, 20, 1820. Blue
River, Lick Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami.
Eli Jay locates it in Bartholomew Co., Ind. — Blue
River.
27
21. Honey Creek. 7, 15, 1820 — 9, 9, 1820. Lick
Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. E. Side of
the Wabash, in Vigo Co., Ind., about seven miles
southward cf Terrc Haute. — Blue River.
22. Cherry Grove. 4, 7, 1821 — 5, 9, 1821. New
Garden, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Three or
four miles W. of Lynn, ten miles S of Winchester, Ran-
dolph Co., Ind. — Nezu Garden.
23. Green Plain. 8, 1 1, 1821 — 9, 22, 1821.
Caesar's Creek, Center, Miami. One mile N. of pres-
ent Selma, Clark Co., O. — Miami.
24. Westficld. 12, 8, 1821 — 12, 26, 1821. Elk,
Miami. About three and one-fourth miles W. N. W.
of Camden, Preble Co., O. — V/est Branch.
25. Chester. — , — , 1823 — 4, 23, 1823. White-
water, West Branch, Miami. At Chester, four miles N.
of Richmond Ind. — Whitczvatcr.
26. Milford. — , — , 1823 — 6, — , 1823. West
Grove, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Near Mil-
ton Wayne Co. Ind. — VVhitezvater.
27.' White Lick. 7, 19, 1823 — 8, 9, 1823. Lick
Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami. Jay says
Mooresville, Morgan Co., Ind. — Blue River.
28. White River, i, 24, 1824 — 2, 7, 1824.
Cherry Grove, New Garden, Whitewater, West
Branch, Miami. One mile E. of Winchester, Ran-
dolph Co., Ind. — New Garden.
29. Dover (Ohio). 8, 14, 1824 — 9, 4, 1824.
Center, Miami. Four miles a little E. of N. of Wil-
mington, Clinton Co., O. — Miami.
30. Springboro. 8, 14, 1824 — 9, 25, 1824. One
step back to Miami. It alternated between Springboro
and Sugar Creek and was composed of two p. ms.
with those names, the latter one and one-fourth miles
E. S. E. of Centerville, Montgomery Co., O., the for-
mer at Springboro, Warren Co. — Miumi,
28
31. Duck Creek. — , —,1826 — 7, 27, 1826. Mil-
ford, West Grove, Whitewater, West Branch, Miarni.
At or near Greensboro, Henry Co., Ind. — Whitewater.
32. Fairfield (Ind). 7, — , 1826 , — , 1826.
White Lick, Lick Creek, Whitewater, West Branch,
Miami. Eli Jay puts it in Morgan Co., Ind. — Blue
River.
33. Vermillion. 7, — , 1826 — 9, 2, 1826. Honey
Creek, Liick Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami.
On Vermillion river, in Vermillion Co., Ills., a few
miles southward of Danville. — Blue River.
34. Bloomfield. 7, — , 1827 ^, — , -. Honey
Creek, Lick Creek, Whitewater, West Branch, Miami.
At Bloomingdale, Ind. — Blue River,
35. Arba. — , — , 2, 20, 1828. New Gar-
den, Whitewater, W^est Branch, Miami. In S. E. cor-
ner of Randolph Co., Ind. — Nezu Garden.
Beginning; with Miami and continuing to about
eighth month, 1828, there were, of indulged meetings,
established ms. f. w. and p. ms., altogether about
220 if I have not blundered in counting.
Down to the same period the number of marriages
accomplished under the care of the m. m. was 132.
About 100 persons became members on request
and 175 were disowned, the latter chiefly for outgoing
in marriage.
I have very much more information concerning
the foregoing meetings, their subordinates and their
members, of their labors in the interest of good schools
and in the causes of peace, sobriety, human rights and
fair dealing, and of their benevolent work in behalf of
the Indians and Negroes, matters worthy of mention,
but the limits of this paper forbid more at this time.
" HISTORY OF MIAMI MONTHLY MEETING
"FROM 1828 TO PRiESENT TIME" (ORTHO-
DOX.)
ELI JAY, RICHMOND, INDIANA.
The topic assigned me, ''History of Friends From
1828 to the Present Time — Orthodox," is, I under-
stand, intended to embrace such Friends as trace their
church lineage, through one or many steps, to Miami
Monthly Meeting, established at Waynesville, Ohio,
one hundred years ago. I shall therefore treat of the
Friends, of the class designated, who have resided, or
are now living, west and north of the Hocking and
Ohio rivers, and vv^ho are now embraced in seven
yearly meetings in the territory extending from these
rivers to the Pacific coast.
In the beginning of 1828 all the Friends, in these
limits, belonged to one yearly meeting, Indiana, opened
at Richmond, Ind., in tenth m.onth, 1821. In the year
1827 its members numbered 13,945. They v/ere
grouped in eight quarterly meetings, subordinate to
v/hich were nearly forty monthly meetings, and al-
most tv/ice that number of meetings for worship. All
these meetings were in southv/estern Ohio, and east-
ern and southern Indiana ; four of the quarterly meet-
ings and the larger part of another being in Ohio, and
three and the smaller part of the other in Indiana.
After the Separation in 1828 all these eight quar-
terly meetings continued to report to the Indiana
Yearly Meeting, of which I am to speak, though sev-
eral of them with much reduced membership ; and all
are still prosperous quarterly meetings. About the
30
same may be said of the monthly meetings, just al-
luded to, and, as far as I have information, not more
than two or three were laid down as a result of the
Separation, nearly all of them being active organiza-
tions at the present time in the orthodox branch of the
Friends.
It is this body of the Friends thus constituted, at
that time, that I am to briefly trace the history of
through the intervening three-quarters of a century.
Let us first consider their growth and expansion as
to organizations, locations, and numbers. Perhaps it
will be best, for our present purpose, to follow the
line of development in the quarterly meetings. The
first addition made to the eight, existing in 1828,
which were Miami, West Branch, Fairfield, White-
water, Blue River, New Garden, Westfield and Centre,
was White Lick set off from Blue River Quarterly
Meeting, embracing Friends in west central Indiana
and opened in 1831. The next was Alum Creek taken
from Miami for Friends principally in Logan and Mor-
row counties, Ohio, in 1835. This quarterly meeting,
on its own request, became attached to Ohio Yearly
Meeting in 1856.
Then in 1836 was the opening of Western, now
Bloomingdale Quarterly Meeting, taken from the
western part of White Lick. This was followed by the
establishment of Spiceland Quarterly Meeting, at
Spiceland, Ind., in the western part of Whitewater, in
1840, and the next year, 1841, Northern, now Fair-
mount, for the Friends in Grant county, Indiana, was
set off from the northwest limits of New Garden Quar-
terly Meeting.
During the next seven years there was a great
emigration of Friends to Iowa, and in 1848 Salem
Quarterly Meeting, Henry county, Iowa, reckoned to
be in the limits of Bloomingdale Quarterly Meeting,
31
Indiana, was established. This was followed by the
opening of Union Quarterly Meeting in Hamilton
county, Indiana, set off from White Lick, in 1849, ^^^
the establishment of Concord, now Thorntown Quar-
terly Meeting, in 1S52, composed of monthly meet-
ings from both Bloomingdale and Northern Quarterly
Meetings. In 1854 a second quarterly meeting, Pleas-
ant Plain, was set up in Iowa, taken from Salem, fol-
lowed in 1858 by the opening of Red Cedar, now
Springdale Quarterly Meeting, in Red Cedar county,
Iowa, taken also from Salem, and, in the same year
Western Plain, now Bangor Quarterly Meeting, in
Marshall county, Iowa, set off from Pleasant Plain.
This made eighteen quarterly meetings in Indiana
Yearly Meeting. But the five quarterly meetings,
Blue River, White Lick, Bloomingdale, Union and
Thorntown, had requested for a yearly meeting of
their own, which, after due investigation, being al-
allowcd by Indiana Yearly jMecting and approved by
other yearly meetings, v^^as opened at Plainfield, Ind.,
in ninth month, 1858, with the name of Western Year-
ly Meeting. This left thirteen quarterly meetings In
Indiana Yearly Meeting. This number was increased
by the establishment of South River, now Ackworth
Quarterly Meeting, in Warren and Clark counties,
Iowa, in i860, set off from Pleasant Plain; and in 1862
the opening of Kansas Quarterly Meeting, nov/ Spring-
dale, composed of one monthly meeting belonging to
Whitewater, Ind., and one belonging to Ackworth
Quarterly Meeting in Iowa. These fifteen quarterly
meetings v/ere reduced to ten by the opening of Iowa
Yearly Meeting in ninth miOnth, 1863, composed of the
five Iowa quarterly meetings, Salem, Pleasant Plain,
Bangor, Springdale and Ackworth, at Oskaloosa,
Iowa.
To the ten quarterly meetings now left in In-
32
diana Yearly Meeting were added Wabash, taken from
Northern Quarterly Meeting in 1865; Walnut Ridge
in Rush county, Indiana, in 1867, taken from Spice-
land, followed by three quarterly meetings estab-
lished in Kansas; Cottonwood opened in 1868, Spring
River in 1869 and Hesper in 1870, and then Marion
Quarterly Meeting in Grant county, Indiana, in 1872,
taken from Northern or Fairmont Quarterly Meeting.
In 1872, Kansas Yearly Meeting, the usual approval
having been given, was also opened in the tenth month,
at Lav/rence, Kan., composed of the four Kansas
quarterly meetings, Kansas or Springdale, Cotton-
v/ood. Spring River and Hesper, with a membership
of 2,500.
Then followed the opening of the following quar-
terly meetings in Indiana Yearly Meeting: Winches-
ter, from New Garden in 1874; Vandalia, in southern
Michigan in 1887 f^O'"^ Wabash ; Dublin, from White-
water in 1888; Van Wert, at Van Wert, Ohio, from
West Branch in 1889; Long Lake, nov/ Traverse City,
in northern Michigan, from Winchester, Ind., in 1892;
and Eastern, by a division of Miami Quarterly Meet-
ing, also established in 1892 to be opened in 1893,
making eighteen quarterly meetings.
In 1892, Wilmington Yearly Meeting was opened
at Wilmington, Ohio, with the usual approval. It was
com.posed of the three quarterly meetings, Miami,
Fairfield and Centre, having a membdrship of over
5,000.
Indiana Yearly Meeting is, at present, composed
of fifteen quarterly m.eetings, fifty-seven monthly
meetings and 140 meetings for worship. It has a
membership of 20,483, being an average of 1,365 mem-
bers to the quarterly meeting.
Time forbids tracing the development of the four
yearly meetings that have been set off from, and
established by, Indiana Yearly Meeting and the two
estabhshed by Iowa Yearly Meeting. Suffice it to say
that Western Yearly Meeting has a membership of
15,230, in Indiana and Illinois, in sixteen quarterly
meetings, the average to the quarter being 952; that
Iowa Yearly Meeting has a membership of 11,280 in
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska
and Colorado, in eighteen quarterly meetings averag-
ing 705 to the quarter; that Kansas has 11,214 mem-
bers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska in
thirteen quarterly meetings, averaging 862 to the
quarter; that Wilmington has 6,273 rnembers in Ohio
and East Tennessee in four quarterly meetings, aver-
aging 1,56s to the quarter; and that of the two yearly
meetings established by Iowa Yearly Meeting, Oregon
opened at Newberg, Ore., in 1893, has 1,662 members
in two quarterly meetings in that state, an average
of 831 to the quarter; and that California Yearly
Meeting, opened at Whittier, CaL, in 1895, ^^^^ 1,890
members in three quarterly meetings, an average of
630 to the quarter. This gives a total, in the seven
yearly meetings, of seventy-one quarterly meetings,
with a membership of 68,032, an average of 958 to the
quarter, that have, in this branch, grown from Miami
Monthly Meeting in the one hundred years just closed.
But mere numbers, in churches, whether of mem-
bers or organizations, are of no great value. It is the
Christian spirit that is the essential thing. What we
are the most interested in knowing is, what have these
thousands of Friends been doing the last seventy-five
years that is worthy of record. Have they been ful-
filling their high functions and discharging their sa-
cred obligations as a branch of the Christian Church?
When the risen Christ stood on the Mount of
Olives, ready to ascend to His Father, He told His
34
disciples inquiring concerning the coming of His
kingdom, *'Ye shall receive power, when the Holy
Spirit is come upon you ; and ye shall be my witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the uttermost parts of the earth." I think, it is the
truth to say that this enduement of power has been,
in a commendable degree, with this branch of Christ's
Church, and that in various ways, and according to
their opportunities, the members have striven to wit-
ness for Him. Under this anointing many devoted
ministers have humbly stood in their allotted places,
or gone forth under an apprehended call of the Mas-
ter, to witness for Him according to their capacity or
their mission. And men and women, with this qualify-
ing power have, in all the walks of life, illustrated, in
the family, in their business, and in whatever station
they have been placed, the law of justice, obligation,
duty, and righteousness, thus giving evidence that
they have been with Jesus, by following in His steps.
Meetings of worship have been regularly held
throughout their limits in which the services, whether
of the Spirit and in silence, or in vocal utterances, have
been for the strengthening and encouragement of those
attending; for the comfort and edification of those in
distress and doubt; for the instruction arid guidance
of the ignorant and inexperienced, and for leading
all into a fuller and better life, so that in humble de-
pendence on the Heavenly Shepherd they have received
the requisite qualifications for life's duties and re-
sponsibilities. Persons thus trained and disciplined
come to esteem right living — righteousness and peace
— more important than show and ceremony, and to
be true men and women, in the sphere in which they
are moving, whether it be regarded as a lowly or an
exalted one, as the proper aim of life.
These accustomed, like Friends, to believe in the
35
inspeaking voice of God in the soul, and in commun-
ion with the Father of spirits, may be expected to be-
come thoughtful for people in general, as well as
themselves, to seek after the best conditions of living
for humanity everywhere, and to have their hearts ex-
panded by a measure of that universal love that en-
ables them to greet all mankind as brothers'. Such are
the Lord's freemen, whom the Son has made free, and
are not slaves to prejudice, customs, or any narrowing,
perverting things. The spirit of Christianity is the
spirit of reform and improvement. No religious de-
nomination has more fully exemplified the reform spirit
than the Friends. Those who will carefully study the
attitude of the Friends in regard to slavery, intemper-
ance, and many other hurtful things will most cer-
tainly be convinced that a progressive improving spirit
has always characterized them. Though generally re-
garded as a very conservative body, they have always
shown themselves able to adapt themselves to the
changes and improvements called for by the times.
Said one a long time ago, ''The times have changed,
and we have changed with them." This, to a certain
extent, is the law of our being. Hence it is not to be
wondered at that the wonderful changes and improve-
ments of the last seventy-five years, which we all exult
in, have witnessed similar things in the Society of
Friends and that in outward, surface things they do
not seem to be as they were at the beginning of this
period. Let us hope that amid all changes and fluc-
tuations, in spirit and foundation principles they feve
not departed from the faith of the fathers.
In addition to the regular church w^ork of the
Friends, of Avhom I am speaking, in caring for their
own household of faith and bringing others to Christ
as the Savior of m.cri, their efforts in other collateral
work needs to be considered as an important part of
36
rtheir history. And first we may note their care for
•inferior races as the Indians and Negroes. The work
: for the Indians begun and carried on by Baltimore and
'Ohio Yearly Meetings in the early part of the last cen-
• tury passed into the hands of Indiana Yearly Meet-
ing at its organization in 182 1. This was principally
with the Shawnees, near Wapakoneta, Ohio, and was
continued by our branch after 1828. These Indians,
removing west, to the then Missouri Territory, in
1832 and 3, at their own request the work was resumed
with them in their new home in 1837. ^^ was con-
tinued there more than thirty years, or until the Shaw-
nees left Kansas and became incorporated with the
Cherokees, by a school for the education of their chil-
dren, and by such religious, social and economic in-
struction as way opened for.
When President Grant in 1869 offered Friends
the care of many Indian tribes, under the govern-
ment, the Central Superintendency was assigned to
Friends of our branch. The western Friends all
joined heartily in the work, and all the nine agents ap-
pointed were from the western yearly meetings.
When later Friends withdrew from their connection
Vv^ith the government, they still retained religious, mis-
sionary and educative work with some of the small
tribes in Indian and Oklahoma Territories. At pres-
ent they support ten mission stations amongst these
Indians at their own expense. In all this work our
Friends in the West have done their full share, and
furnished most of the active workers In the field.
The care of the colored people has always been
a marked feature of our Friends' work. Committees
of the yearly and quarterly meetings had general
care of those in their limits. Including the education
©f their children, and their protection from the injus-
tice they were subject to, on account of their color.
37
So successful were their labors that the committee of
Indiana Yearly Meetings in 1863, which then included
all the West, except Western Yearly Meeting, reported
**That few or any colored children in their limits were
without literary instruction."
At that time their work, under changed condi-
tions, assumed a new character. The progress of the
federal armies in our great civil war in the Missis-
sippi valley had brought thousands of ''Freedmen" into
their lines, and in their destitute condition appeals
were made to the benevolence of the North to come to
their relief. Governor Oliver P. Morton made a
special, personal request to the Friends in Indiana
to take up this work and give the needed assist-
ance. Prompt response was made by Indiana
Yearly Meeting. A judicious committee was appoint-
ed to have charge of the work. Large contributions of
money and needed supplies came in for the work, and
many agents were sent to look after the welfare of
these refugees. For several years this committee dis-
bursed large sums of money and needed supplies
through their agents in the field. As soon as their
physical necessities were relieved, attention was given
to schools and orphans' asylums amongst them.
Lauderdale, Miss., and Little Rock and Helena, Ark.-^
were the principal centers of the work. Later on
Friends' work was carried on in connection with the
Freedmen's Bureau to some extent. Their efforts
finally centered near Helena, Ark., principally on land
nine miles northwest of that city, which was donated
for the purpose by a regiment of United States col-
ored soldiers stationed at Helena, and in buildings
which the soldiers erected on the premises. It was
first an orphan asylum, but soon became a school, in
which character it still continues, largely engaged in
educating teachers for colored schools in the South,
38
i having the name of Southland College, and is under
the control of Friends of Indiana Yearly Meeting. It
has an endowment of $35,000, $25,000 of which was
given by an English Friend named George Sturge.
Other yearly meetings have had work amongst the
' colored people in other locations.
In the settling of Friends in the West they gave
• early attention to the education of their children and
. the support of schools, good for that time. Usually
'the school house stood near the meeting house, and
"though it might be a log structure, it was well patron-
Hzed by others as well as Friends. Before the days of
free public education, these Friends' schools were of
great service in their respective neighborhoods. Many
of them furnished opportunity for more advanced edu-
cation for those desiring it, and later became academies
of considerable note and usefulness. Many such acad-
emies are still found in Indiana, Iowa and Kansas.
In addition to these there are now six colleges
under the care of the seven yearly meetings before
iTientioned. Several of these are v/ell established in-
stitutions and well equipped for their work as small
colleges. Others were later in becoming established,
"but give promise of a successful career. There are
probably more than 1,000 students now attending
"these colleges, mostly doing work in a college course,
rand I believe all have some endowment.
In all these yearly meetings the Friends are well
organized in Bible schools on the first day of the week,
which are well attended. They are doing much work
in home mission lines among the destitute and unfor-
tunate, visiting prisons, jails and county asylums for
the help and encouragement of the inmates.
All these yearly meetings are engaged in for-
eign mission work, the fields of their operations be-
39
ing in Mexico, Alaska, Jamaica, Cuba, Palestine,
Japan, India and Africa.
Much attention has been given by the Friends in
these yearly meetings to the proper care of unfor-
tunates and criminals amongst us, in the establish-
ment of asylums, and in prison reform. Committees
appointed for that purpose have done much valuable
work in callingf the attention of lesfislators and state
officials to the need of reform schools for juvenile
offenders, for the separation of the sexes in prisons
and for rational and humane treatment of criminals
in our penitentiaries. This is especially true in the state
of Indiana, and, I doubt not, in some degree in other
states where many Friends reside.
Many other matters of history might be mentioned
in this connection, but time forbids.
Much might be said of the faults and shortcom-
ings of this branch of the Friends. In the democratic
constitution of Quakerism the authority rests in the
whole membership. And the perfection of government
is attained when what is done is the free and enlight-
ened judgment of the whole, as near as possible. But
when those occupying the position of leaders seek
to carry measures by schemes and devices some-
times characterized as "wireworking," and press meth-
ods and changes, prematurely and unduly, the har-
mony of the society is often much marred, and its
true life confused and deadened. In such ways
changes have been brought about with injurious re-
sults. Persons of clear convictions and sound judg-
ment have yielded to assumed authority rather than
appear in opposition, while others who have not been
able to fall in line have been set aside, because their
convictions and judgments have not been sufficiently
pliable. Hence there have come weakening of interest
in the work of the Church and a tendency towards
40
withdrawals, divisions and separations, and it has be-
come painfully evident that changes do not always in-
dicate true progress.
Leaders of course there will always be, those
whose superior ability and purity of character qualify
them to guide and control. This branch of the
Friends has had many such in the last seventy-five
years, men and women who have held their positions
by wisely and properly enlightening the understand-
ings of associates, and thus influencing their action.
Such are worthy of double honor.
The time for dinner having arrived, the last paper
on the morning program was deferred until the after-
noon. All in attendance were requested to register
their names and addresses. Luncheon was served in
the meeting house on the opposite side of the road, for
which a nominal sum of 20 cents was charged. This
was made possible because of the volunteer service of
many young people, whose pleasant and cheerful min-
istrations contributed much to the success of the under-
taking. The Presiding Officer, Seth H. Ellis, encour-
aged all to make good use of the noon hour in promot-
ing all possible sociability. At one-thirty P. M., he
called the Assembly to order and spoke as follows :
*' I find it incumbent upon me to make a few re-
marks by way of welcome. We certainly, all of us,
heartily welcome our home people who have left their
homes and come in this morning, and all who have
come from a distance to the old Mother-Church of
Quakerism for all this country. Some of you are here
for the first time for a great many years.
"In thinking over this matter, knowing that I had
been asked to say a few words, I thought I would
speak to some who could remember away back in the
years gone by, when they were children here, little
boys or girls, coming to this house or the one on the
other knoll, with father and mother to meetings which
were so richly enjoyed. We welcome you back to
those early memories of childhood. Some of you have
been told of this meeting place:
" * We have heard father and mother in their wes-
tern homes, tell of the times when they used to come to
meeting at Waynes ville ' — and you are glad to come to
this place of which your parents have told you of the
42
meetings. You have taken occasion to come back and
renew the old time feeHng. Some of you left in
young manhood and womanhood and went to the
West, and became involved in the business of life,
and you have to some extent, lost that child-like feel-
ing which you used to have when you came with father
and mother. You have felt glad to get back, and have
the old memories of childhood renewed. We welcome
you back to those associations. We are glad to wel-
come you to the trusting simple faith of your child-
hood days, that you had almost lost. It is our earnest
desire that it may be made a time of great spiritual up-
lift. We trust that every one feels glad to be here,
and I suppose every one does feel heartily glad to be
present, and you mxay rest assured that the home people
are glad you are here.
*'May the Lord bless us and give us a good time
that we will remember all the rest of our lives."
HISTORY OF MIAMI MONTHLY MEETING
HICKSITE — FROM 1828 TO 1903.
(DAVIS FURNAS, WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.)
In giving a history of Miami Monthly Meeting
it seems fitting to commence with a Hst of those who
held important offices from 1828 to the present time.
The list of names will recall to memory many
who were well known and stood high in the com-
munity, but are now almost forgotten.
From the records I learn that David Evans was
clerk of said meeting in 1828. Then followed in the
order given : Daniel Kinley, Samuel Silver, Jason
Evans, James M. Janney> David Evans, George Bar-
rett, David Evans. James M. Janncy, Jesse T. But-
terworth, James M. Janney, Jesse T. Butterworth,
Davis Furnas, Aaron B. Chandler, Clarkson Butter-
worth and Aaron B. Chandler.
The following list of Elders includes the names of
many valued friends : Amos Cook, James Hollings-
v/orth, Thomas Bispham, David Macy, Samuel Gause,
Mary Gause, Frederic Kinley, Moorman Butterv/ortli,
Elizabeth Satteruhwaite, Sarah Macy, Abigail Cleaver,
David Brown, Ruth Cook, Hannah Lukens, Rebecca
Strattan, Noah Haines, David Brown, Edward Hat-
tan, Rachel Hattan, Hannah L. Butterworth, James
M. Janney, Anna Haines, Eliza Pennington, Solomon
Gause, David Chandler, Mary Flinchman, Seth Fur-
nas, Elizabeth Burnett, Fanny Butterworth, J. Wood-
row Warner, Mahala Warner, Sarah Jane Chandler,
Jesse T. Butterworth, Elizabeth A. Davis, Lydia E.
Daniels, Zephaniah Underwood, J a b e z Thorpe,
44
Stephen Burnet, Anna Kelly, Clarkson Cause, Mary
Cook, Clarkson Buttervvorth, Thomas L. Frame, Eliz-
abeth Frame, Elizabeth B. Moore, Elihu Underwood,
Rebecca Daniels, Franklin Packer, Elizabeth G.
Packer.
Overseers were appointed in order, beginning
with Noah Haines and followed by a long list of
names of members for that office.
Abram Cook and Margaret Kinley were the only
recorded ministers in 1828 and there have been ten
others in the Monthly Meeting laboring as they be-
lieved truth directed.
The above gives the working order in a general
way during the past seventy-five years.
I will now endeavor to give a more particular
description of the meeting as I have known it during
sixty-five years, as I have been a constant attender
during that time. My parents took me to meeting
regularly during my childhood. My personal recol-
lection goes back to about 1837. Then the gallery
seats were well filled on both sides of the aisle, the
men on one side and the v/omen on the other, and
during all that time — seventy-five years — meetings
have been held without omission twice a week, and I
have learned they were similarly held from 1803 to
1828, so that for one hundred years the members of
Miami Monthly meeting have met twice a week for
social worship.
The elder members were the O'Heals, Kellys,
Cooks, Causes, Browns, Evans, Kinleys, Whartons,
Mills, Satterthwaites, Brelsfords, Strahls, Haines,
Chapmans, Harveys, Wards, Chandlers and Barnetts.
As I remember those of sixty-five years ago they
were scrupulously exact in dress and language.
They claimed that the peculiar dress of that day was,
to say the least, a partial safeguard to those who w^ere
45
thus attired ; that they would not indulge so freely
in questionable practices as if they were not known
by their dress and language to be Friends with the
reputation of being sober and orderly citizens.
Any departure in dress or address was cause for
concern and care and if the departure was persisted
in the overseers visited them. There was no com-
promising with misdeeds of any kind.
All marriages were to be solemnized according to
the order laid down in the discipline and if a Friend
•selected a companion who was not a member and
was married other than by consent of the meeting,
he must either acknowledge that he was sorry he had
violated the order or be disowned, and members were
also testified against for many other irregularities
that were considered innovations. It seems to us of
the present time a great loss to the society. In the
course of time the rigid enforcement of the Discipline
was somewhat abated and more leniency shown to
those who stepped a little aside from the strict ob-
servance of the letter.
As the years rolled on many of the worthies
passed into the great Beyond and some moved away
until the members of the meeting following 1828 are
all gone and many of their descendants, with the
spirit of adventure prevalent among them, have gone
to different parts and they may be found in almost
every state between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Many have lost the zeal of their fathers and
have adopted the customs and manners of those with
whom they associate. They have not time, as they
express it, with all their modern conveniences and
comforts, to attend meeting and participate in re-
ligious work as their ancestors with all their hardships
and inconveniences did.
I have called the fathers worthies, because I do
46
not believe I ever knew, and I doubt if there ever
was a greater number of persons associated together
who were more zealous for the right, and who said to
the world of mankind by their dress and language,
lives and customs, we are Friends. About 1865 this
meeting house, which vv^as built in 181 1, was re-
modeled and made more modern in appearance, and
at that time a First day school was established and
has continued without intermission, except about three
months during the winter of 1878, to the present time.
During the days of slavery the meeting was inter-
ested in the education and betterm.ent of the free
colored people and they also gave assistance in various
ways to the Indians. They still help maintain two
colored schools in the South and are doing what op-
portunity offers for the Indians.
, They have been laboring all these years in the
cause of temperance and reform and for peace and
arbitration in the place of war- and bloodshed.
But the zeal of the fathers does not seem to have
descended to the children in the fullness. Many have
become interested in other organizations, and have
thereby lost their allegiance to much that their fathers
labored for.
A pen picture of the older members as they sat in
meeting, if faithfully given, would be interesting and
you will parden me if I make the attempt.
My recollection when about ten years old w^as
of well filled galleries where the men all dressed in
the regular style adopted by Friends of that day,
with their broad-brimmed hats on their heads dur-
ing all the meeting hour, except when a minister arose
to speak he laid his hat aside until he had delivered
his discourse ; and the women with their uniform style
of bonnets and dress sat religiously quiet, except when
one of them was exercised in the ministry she always
47
removed her bonnet. When any one appeared in
suppHcation the whole congregation arose and re-
mained standing, the men turning their backs to the
suppHant and removing their hats until the prayer was
ended.
The custom of rising in time of prayer was aban-
doned some twenty-five or thirty years ago. The
dress of the elderly Friends was very uniform and
as they sat in their usual places they certainly made
a very interesting sight.
In conversation they were equally particular.
One would never hear the expression, as we some-
times now hear it, we had a good meeting last Sabbath
or Sunday. It would be last First-day, or else some
one would feel a concern that our testimonies were
being compromised in regard to plainness of speech.
Later, Friends have taken a somewhat different
course believing more in the spirit than in the form.
Yet the query is pertinent, is fidelity to truth and duty
as zealously adhered to as it was by our forefathers.
My thoughts go back to the customs of those
early days. I remember when there were no buggies
for persons to ride in. The young men and w^omen
did not go buggy riding but they did go to meeting.
How did they get there? Most of them went on
horseback and some on foot. Well do I remember an
old Friend who went regularly to meeting on horse-
back till he was past ninety years of age.
Some of the elder ones had carriages, or what
they called carriages, no springs under the beds. We
of to-day would call them jolt wagons, but they al-
ways found their way to meeting at a time, too,
when the roads at certain seasons of the year were
well nigh impassible ; and they had a great deal of
heavy work to do at home clearing away the forest
with no labor saving machines as we have now.
48
One of the customs of those early days among
the Friends if they had hired help was, when meeting
day came in the middle of the week for all hands to
quit work, saddle their horses and all go to meeting
together. No time lost by the hired help.
There were hitching racks erected all over the lot
where and above where the sheds are located at this
time and I have seen hundreds of horses hitched to
them on quarterly meeting days. Couples would come
riding together each on a horse, and sometimes two
on one horse. I have seen twenty or thirty couple
in procession, all enjoying themselves.
If perchance one young lady rode to meeting
alone it was the custom for some of the young men
present to take her horse and hitch it, and after
meeting he would bring it to the mounting place,
and generally his own also, and after seeing her
properly seated in the saddle he would accompany
her home, merely for company you know. In my
vounsrer days the bovs from five to fifteen vears of
age and sometimes older went to meeting in the sum-
mer time clad in homespun linen and barefoot, and
what of them. Changing the words of Burns a very
little we may say that
"Burdly chiels and clever hizzies
Were reared in such a way as this is."
Looking back over a period of sixty-five years
and noting the changes in everything, but more es-
pecially in the members of Miami Monthly Meeting
the query arises, are we of to-day with all the ad-
vantages of the present time, doing our work in a
spiritual way better than did those of the primitive
days and customs.
" WHAT QUAKERISM HAS DONE FOR THE
RECOGNITION OF WOMEN/'
MARY BATTIN BOONE, RICHMOND, IND.
[Read by George R. Thorpe.]
The history of women entered a new era with
the rise of the Society of Friends, for they formed
for themselves that which no other body of women
had, — a pubHc character.
From earHest ages women had been held in low
esteem, various reasons being assigned for placing
them on a plane inferior to men.
Three events in the history of Europe added im-
portance to womankind, and paved the way for the
recognition of their social, intellectual and business
equality: The introduction of Chivalry made their
physical welfare the care of men ; weakness must be
protected, and honor and humanity vv-ere character-
istics of this institution. With the Revival of Learn-
ing came recognition of their m.ental abilities, and
greater educational advantages were gradually per-
mitted. Most important, was the introduction of
Christian religion ; ''since all were equally account-
able for their own actions, and God v/as no respecter
of persons, so all, whether men or women, were of
equal importance in his sight." By the abolition of
polygamy women became the companions instead of
the slaves of men.
Though Christianity did mtrch for the elevation
of women, it remained for the Friends as a religious
body "to insist upon that full practical treatment and
60
estimation of them which ought to take place wherever
Christianity is professed."
It was beheved that the women of the Society
had adequate capacities, and were capable of great
usefulness, especially in the oversight of their own
sex, therefore they were given a share in the ad-
ministration of almost all the offices. One historian
says : ''No Church since the days of the Apostles
has allowed them such great freedom in the Gospel,
as has been allowed by Friends. Under their system
all are equal, and Quaker women have repaid this
greater liberty with an unsurpassed zeal and devotion."
George Fox wrote in his Journal : ''God saw a
service for the assemblies of women in the time of
the law, about those things that appertained to His
worship, and service, and to the holy things of his
tabernacle ; and so they in his Spirit see now their
service in the gospel ; many things in these meetings
being more proper for the women than the men, and
they in the power and wisdom of God may inform the
men of such things as are not proper for them. For
in the time of the law the women were to offer as well
as the men; so in the time of the gospel much more
are they to offer their spiritual sacrifices ; for they are
all called, both men and women, and all things that
they do are to be done in the power of God."
When in 1666 George Fox was released after
three years* imprisonment, he found the Society had
greatly increased in numbers, and was in need of a
closer organization ; quarterly meetings had been es-
tablished, and at least two Yearly Meetings, or Gen-
eral Assemblies held ; the first Yearly Meeting was.
for religious purposes, the second one for business,
and was attended by men only. From county to
county George Fox traveled "setting up" monthly
meetings for men and women "to take care of God's
51
glory, and to admonish and exhort such as walkeii
disorderly or carelessly and not according to truth.'*
In 1673 and again in '"jy reference is made in Fox's
Journal to the opposition to Women's meetings;.
women preachers were tolerated, since no man could
tell through what channel the Lord might speak, and
there was Scriptural precedence, but these dissenters
denied any precedence for women's meetings; the-
earnest convictions of their leader finally prevailed^
and when the Society became fully organized, women^.
the same as men, held Monthly and Quarterly meet-
ings for the transaction of business, and were ap-
pointed elders and overseers ; they were not, however,
appointed as correspondents, arbitrators, legislators,
or on committees of appeal.
Wherever the Spirit led, they followed, thougli
they suffered privations, imprisonment, severe punish-
ment and even death.
Mary Fisher went alone from England to Ad-
rianople to deliver a message to Sultan Mohammed^,
refused his offer of an escort and returned in safety..
Anne Whitehead walked two hundred miles to the
prison where George Fox and others were confined
that she might minister to their Vv^ants.' Rebecca
Travers was another important m.inister, and one of
the first appointed by the Society to care for the poor
and afiiicted.
The picture of ignorant, wretched women, with-
out care for the present or hope for the future is called
to mind by the name of Elizabeth Fry, through whose
influence prison reform.ation was instituted. We need-
not repeat the story of Mary Dyar the only woman
who suffered martyrdom in the United States. The
number of women ministers was not large, but m.any
more went about visiting the sick, and imprisoned,.
518
distributing Friends' books and watching over the
women of the congregation.
''The execution of these public offices could not
but have an important influence on their minds. It
imparted to them a considerable knowledge of human
nature. It produced in them thought, foresight and
judgment. It created in them a care and concern
for the distressed. It elevated their ideas. It raised
in them a sense of their own dignity and importance
as human beings, which sets them above everything
tliat is little and trifling, and above all idle parade
and show.
"Their pursuits are rational, useful and digni-
fied ; and they may be said in general to exhibit
a model for the employment of time worthy of the
c'laracter they profess."
So wrote Thomas Clarkson nearly a century ago.
If a review of the past have no other effect, may it
lead us to pause and consider whether we of the
present generation are following that high ideal of
character which was formed by our Quaker ancestors,
v.'io suffered and died for the principles which we
now enjoy in peace and harmony.
" QUAKERISM AND SLAVERY.^
MAY PEMBERTON, WEST MILTON, OHIO.
(This paper was not submitted for pubh'cation.).
" QUAKERISM AND THE ORDINANCES."
DR. ROBERT E. PRETLOW, WILMINGTON, OHIO.
Quakerism was an insurrection against the bond-
age of externals. It was a revolution turning men's
hearts from systems back to sources.. It had in it
fhe germs of the highest democracy. It proclaimed
the equality of all men before God; and so did away
with the special privileges of kingcraft and hierarchy.
It leveled. But it did not drag down the king nor
degrade the priest. It leveled by elevating men up to
the level of kingship and priesthood — the high level
where men may walk erect in the glad consciousness
that they are the sons of God.
This elevation and emancipation of the individual
has had many marked effects upon conduct in civil and
religious life, but scarcely one which is more remarked
upon, and for which the Quaker is oftener called upon
to give his .reasons than his attitude toward the so-
called ordinances.
The ritualist points out to him that ever since
Christ was baptised of John in Jordan water baptism
has been practiced. The Quaker yields the point and
further' admits that it had been in vogue as a part of
fhe Jewish ritual for fourteen centuries before John.
The ritualist insists that the breaking of bread and
passing of the cup has continued since that supper in
the upper chamber. The Quaker grants his conten-
tion and follows its antiquity back to tlie early de-
velopment of the passover supper.
But the early Quaker had the uncomfortable habit
of asking himself and other people serious questions.
54
He had no more reverence for mere tradition than had
liis Master, the Man of Gahlee. (Would his modern
child were so). It was not enough for him that a
thing existed. Ought it to exist? On what was it
.-fcased? What was its purpose? What its effect?
Rome had already broken down under the weight
^oi its own ritualism. The Reformation under
Luther, and Zwingli, and Calvin had come. They"
had left the Romish church and most of the mass of
ritual which it had preserved and created. But, like
Rachel fleeing from the house of Laban, they brought
■with them in their exodus, some of the gods of the
'Old order. They still insist on the priestly office, to-
:;;g-ether with water baptism and the sacramental supper
administered by priestly hands.
The fundamental Quaker doctrine of the priest-
hood of all believers made necessary a thorough re-
-examination of the grounds on which ordinances
rested. Is the contention of the ritualist sound that
tliey rest on commands of Christ? The Protestant
churches are poor in ordinances as compared with
Rome. But one beside water baptism and the supper
has found foothold (and that but slight) among them
— i. e. the custom of ceremonial foot washing.
A moment's consideration may be given this, chiefly
for the light it may throw upon the others. (Jno.
.XIII. 12-15). "So when he had washed their
feet, and taken his garments and sat down again, he
said unto them, know ye what I have done unto you?
Ye call me Teacher, and Lord, and ye say well ; for
'SO I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher have
washed your feet ye also ought to w^sh one another's
feet. For I have given you an example that ye also
should do as I have done to you." Nothing could
iseem clearer or more mandatory if mere form has any
;place in Christianity. Yet with the exception of a
55
few insignificant denominations the whole Christian
world agrees with the Quaker interpretation that it is
not the specific act, but the spirit manifested that
is mandatory. Not so great weight of scriptural au-
thority, and that from Christ himself, can be cited for
any other observance ; yet none of the great historic
churches incorporate it into their systems.
Why should it not have equal place with baptism
and the supper? First. It was not a custom in gen-
eral use at the time of Christ and did not have the
v/eight of tradition behind it to give it sanction. Sec-
ond. In its tendency it was thoroughly democratic,
and did not lend itself to the designs of a ruling
priestly class to perpetuate their power. We can only
remark in passing that sacred mysteries have always
been the most potent means, in the hands of the priest-
hood, of holding the masses under control. This ex-
plains much of dogma and of history.
Surely, if ordinances in the hands of a man are to
determine the fact or character of our spiritual life the
authority for those ordinances should be unassailable.
If they are to be obligatory on the Christian church it
must be shown that they are definitely comm9,nded by
Christ, or that they have in themselves a saving moral
quality.
Are they commanded? What does Jesus say
about -baptism? (Mark 10:38-40) — Are ye able to
drink of the cup that I drink? or to be baptised with
the baptism that I am baptised with? * * And
Jesus said unto them the cup that I drink ye shall
drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal
shall ye be baptized." This was long after the baptism
of John and yet it is spoken of as existing and future.
(Mark 16-16) — "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be con-
demned." (Matt 28-19) "Go ye therefore and
6^
make (iisciples of all the nations, baptizing them into
the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy
Spirit.'' (Acts 1-5) 'Tor John indeed baptized with
water but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not
many days hence." (Acts 11-16) Peter quotes above.
Three of these cannot refer to water as Christ's bap-
tism, and in the other two it need not Christ never
used the word baptism where it must imply water,
nowhere save in Matt. 28-19 and Mark 16-16 where
it could by any possibility mean water, and nowhere
where a spiritual interpretation is not the most obvious
and natural.
John Baptist contrasted his baptism with that of
Christ. (Matt. 3-1 1) "I indeed baptize you in water
unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to
bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in
fire." So important is this contrast that all four of
the gospels record it.
According to scriptural authority, Christian bap-
tism is not material but spiritual. This baptism of
the Spirit, as the Quaker understands it, is not so
much an act as a state. It is in the present tense.
When Jesus speaks of the essentials 'of salvation it is
in the present tense. He that believeth and is bap-
tized shall be saved. Not he that has confessed and
has been baptized. So also Peter speaking of the
true baptism (not the putting away of the filth of the
flesh) says that it doth now save us. The baptism
then is continuous and progressive. There is no
spiritual life save as under the baptism of the Spirit
our lives are hid with Christ in God. Because we are
baptized into the name of Christ we have our justifi-
cation. Because we abide in Him and the baptismal
power of the Spirit continues to work in us we have
our sanctification. Because through belief and bap-
57.
tism there has been born in us the new life, which is
none other than the Hfe of Christ in the soul, we grow
in grace and bring forth first the blade, then the ear,
then the full corn in the ear. And all this not be-
cause we have been baptized, but because we are bap-
tized.
So the Quaker, because he finds his sufficiency in
the immediately imparted spiritual reality, and be-
cause he finds no scriptural warrants for the contin-
uance of the rite discards the ordinance of baptism.
Is there any better foundation for the ceremonial
observance of the supper? There are five narratives
of the last supper of Jesus with his disciples. Each of
the four evangelists records it; as does also Paul in
I. Cor. XL, ^.latthew, Mark and John give absolutely
no hint of any injunction for a continued observance.
The last two clauses of Luke XXIL-19 and all of
verse 20 are in the practically agreed view of scholars
a later interpolation. The accounts of Matthew and
Mark read rather like a valedictory than an introduc-
tion. So every vestige of command fades from the
gospels, and the sole authority left is the passage from
Paul. Even this seems to be permissive and tempor-
ary as to observance rather than mandatory and per-
manent. This view is still further emphasized by the
fact that John who wrote after the fall of Jerusalem is
utterly silent as to the ceremonial features of the feast.
Much light is thrown upon the subject, however,
both by a study of Paul, and by the words of Jesus
himself.
One of the two pre-eminent ideas in all Paul's
teachings is that of fcllozvship ; fellowship with Christ,
and with each other in His spirit. The word ''fellow-
ship" is used more by Paul than in all the rest of the
Bible. His vv-ritings overflow with the idea. A sin
against fellowship is, in his eyes, a cardinal sin. In
58
the liQ-ht of this fact let us examine the occasion of his
writing on the subject of the supper. The simple fel-
lowship meal Vvhich had been the spontaneous expres-
sion of brotherhood in the early church had degener-
ated at Corinth into a riot of individualism. Gluttony
and want were side by side. Each partook before
others of his own supply, regardless of his brother's
want, in flagrant violation of the spirit of fellowship.
Here is v/hat Paul denounces : "He that eateth and
drinketh eateth and drinketh judgment to himself if
he discern not the body." But what is the body ? Again
let Paul answer, "We are one bread, qne body." Paul
was evidently not concerned about the sanctity of a
ritual, nor the lack of reverence for the elements of the
eucharist, hut about the existence within the church of
cliques, and clans, and parties, and selfishness that
nilitates against fellowship.
It is one of the ironies of history that this effort
of the great anti-ritualistic apostle to put a check to
disorderly and unbecoming conduct should be made
the sole foundation for the greatest mystery ceremonial
of all the ordinances of the historic church.
But the words of Christ are clearer still on that
occasion at Capernaum when His disciples were per-
plexed over His statement, "Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life
in you." He removed all possible reference to rite or
cerem.onial. "Doth this cause you to stumble? It is
the Spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing;
the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are
life."
By the words of Christ himself we are shut up to
a spiritual interpretation. The material and the ritual-
istic are excluded. Quakerism then reverts to the phi-
losophy of Jesus and of Paul and sees in Love the life-
59
giving blood of her Lord, and in FcIIozi'ship His Spirit
embodied.
But why, accepting this high spiritual interpreta-
tion, and granting that these rites have no sufficient
warrant in Scripture, should we not with others retain
them as time-honored customs? Because they not
only lack Scriptural warrant, but are at variance with
the whole Quaker philosophy. Paul had to face the
same problem among the churches of Galatia, and in
the vehemence of his conviction wrote: "If ye receive
circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. Yea, I
testify to every man that receiveth circumcision that
he is a debtor to do the whole law. Ye are severed
from Christ ye who would be justified by the law. Ye
are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit by
faith wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircum-
cision, but faith working through love." The v/hole
question of ritual was here involved. The Christian
religion is a religion of moral and spiritual power.
There is no moral or spiritual quality in ritual. De-
pendence upon that which has no moral quality severs
from Christ. It not only fails to save, but in so far as
emphasis is laid upon it, it actually erects a barrier
against the powers of salvation.
Quakerism protests against the ordinances, not
that in themselves they are imm.oral or irrelis^ious, but
that they are unmoral and unreligious. The teach-
ing of a rite tends to content the mind with the outward
observance, and obscure from the hungering and thirst-
ing soul the boundless wealth of the spiritual experi-
ence. But Quakerism v/as not and is not a mere nega-
tion. It is a bold and unequivocal proclamation of the
spiritual kingdom of God, unencum.bered and unob-
scured by the outworn ceremonies of dead systems.
In the entire disuse of ordinances Fox and his fel-
60
low-workers completed the work begun by Luther and
his coadjutors ; and made the longest forward step in
the rehgious history of Christendom. They exhibited
the nearest approach to a realisation of the philosophy
of Jesus Christ which nineteen centuries have seen.
That we have sometimes sought to form a ritual
of our own, and taught as religion the cut of the coat,
the style of the bonnet, the use of certain grammatical,
or ungrammatical forms, and abstinence from the joy-
ous expression of our souls in song, but illustrates the
constant tendency of humanity to content itself on
lower planes, and make to itself Gods on its own levels.
The Quaker philosophy which freed us from the
traditionalism of ordinances will doubtless also be able
to free us from our own traditionalism and set us before
the world as a church which knows no other religion
than obedience to the Spirit of God.
"THE INFLUENCE OF FRIENDS ON THE
TEMPERANCE REFORM."
ESTHER PUGH, SELMA, OHIO.
In the very brief time allotted to me, in stating
the growth of this work among Friends I almost ex-
clusively confine myself to data obtained from the
records of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, for two
reasons: I was able to obtain thCvSe, and the develop-
ment in that Yearly Meeting was typical.
The echo of the footsteps of the first generation
of Friends — the truly "early" Friends — had scarcely
died av/ay, the first valiant evangehsts had scarcely
ceased their labors when a Chinese wall was built about
the church of their organization. The earnest mission-
ary spirit was turned to quiescence, the demarkation
between them and the world's people w^as so sharply
drawn that they did not mingle with the world. Whilst
thus keeping their skirts clean, they could make no
inroads with the reforms and innovations of which
the need was palpable and which they were competent
to start and foster. Hence it is that my subject is well
stated, the Influence of Friends. Influence is an in-
determinate elusive quantity, generally the' action of
greater or less causes for a length of time. It is woven
slow- ly .. of many tiny strands, as enlightenment and
conviction grow but there is never a loss.
As Friends could not join with the methods of
others they carried great questions simply among them-
selves.
Principles of human right and duty were discov-
ered and applied in their ov/n membership. They
62
cleared themselves of slavery, but little effort w^as given
to those outside, except by example. Yet the utter-
ances of Woolman and Eenezet, the apostles of anti-
slavery, show they had strong sentiment on the Tem-
perance question and had not the wrong of holding
fellow beings in bondage weighed so heavily upon the
church of that date, the needs of work in this direction
must have been pressed. But as its importance in-
creased came the work that there will be no reproach
among themselves. It is interesting to note that the
first efforts were just about at the point of the U. S.
government at control now, to advise against and pro-
hibit the sale among Indians. In 1687 a committee was
appointed to visit and advise an eminent minister who
was a merchant, to caution him against selling rum
to Indians or to Indian traders and the concern was
carried to the Yearly Meeting, and the following min-
utes made there 1687, 6th mo. " The practice of sell-
ing rum or other strong liquors, to the Indians cither
directly or indirectly, or exchanging rum or other
stfong liquors for any goods or merchandise with
them., considering the abuse they make of it is a thing
contrary -to the mind of the Lord, and a great grief
and burden to his people and a great reflection and dis-
honor to the truth, so . far as any professing it are
concerned ; and for the more effectual preventing this
evil practice as aforesaid, we advise that this, our tes-
timony, be entered in every Monthly Meeting book,
and every Friend belonging to said meeting subscribe
to the same," the first pledge of which I have been
able to obtain trace, since the days of the Rechabites.
There is one Monthly Meeting which has the record
at that date, signed by forty-nine members.
Year after year the Yearly Meetings " advised "
that none accustom themselves to vain and idle com-
pany, sipping and tippling of drams and strong drink
03
in Inns or elsewhere. For though such as use the evil
practice, may not suddenly be so far prevailed upon as
to be drunk to the greatest degree, yet they often in-
flame themselves thereby, so as to become like ground
fitted for the greatest transgressions. And some that
have had the example of virtuous parents have, from
such beginnings in corners, arrived to a shameless ex-
cess, to the ruin of themselves and their wives and
families, and to the scandal of the holy name whereby
they have been called." 1706.
In 1 72 1 is a most remarkable minute, being far
ahead of the times in its scientific aspect.
" It becomes the concern of this meeting to advise
and caution all of our profession carefully to watch
against this evil, when it begins to prevail among them
in a general manner, or more particularly at occa-
sional times, of taking it, the. frequent use whereof,
especially drams, being a dangerous inlet, the repeti-
tion and increase of them insensibly stealing on the
unwary, by wantonness in the young and the false and
deceitful heat it seems to supply the aged with ; so that
by long habit, when the true warmth of nature be-
comes thereby weakened and supplanted, the stomach
seems to crave strong spirits even to supply what they
have destroyed." In 1736 the advice was very pointed
on giving spirits to children and year by year the utter-
ances grew in intelligence and strength and comprehen-
siveness. The subject of giving " drams " at vendues
was strongly spoken against and followed up till there
was a state law passed forbidding the use on such oc-
casions. All through the i8th century the queries
grew more pointed, never, however, reaching total ab-
stinence, perhaps all walked as fast as they could. The
minute of 1777 was a decided gain, a point from which
to reckon, " This meeting is engaged to exhort and
admonish Friends to use great caution in that of dis-
tilling or ehcoufag!ng distillation or using distilled
liquors of any kind and in regard to the practice of de-
stroying grain by distilling spirits oiit of it, it is the
sense and judgment of this meeting, that practice
ought to be wholly discouraged and disused amorrg
Friends and that Friends ought not to sell their grain
for that purpose nor to use or to partake of liquors
made out of grain. Corisidering the difficulty and the
snares, both to our young people and to others, which
are attendant on that of keeping houses of public en-
tertainment, beer houses and dram shops, whereby the
reputation of Truth has -greatly suffered and in some
places the children and families of persons concerned
herein, have been brought into disgrace and loss, both
spiritually and temporally, it is tire united sense and
judgment of this m-eeting that Friends ought not to
give way to the desire of outward gain arising from
such employnients, but keep themselves clear thereof
by attending to the pointings of pure wisdom." But
the matter had reached the point of "moderation" in
medicinal use, which was a long goal.
In 1/88 dealing in liquors was made a disown-
able offepse in New England Yearly Meeting. In
2788 the minute of 1777 iii Philadelphia was endorsed
and recommended. In 1794 these advices of 1777
and . 1 788 \yere very ernphaticcilly reiterated, with
penalty affixed .fbr neglecting the provisions thereof,
"that they should not be employed in the service of
the Church, nor shoiild- their contributions be received
for its service.''. Thus the new century began far
in advance of the i8th and its utterances give no
quarter to rhoderatiou and all that ilk and the church
was really cleared and we know how dereliction would
shock us now. And ah aggressive spirit develofjed,.
A little later it was a friend in Ireland, William Mar-
tin, who urge4 upon Father Matthew to take up the
M
i
m
H
W
M
65
cause of total abstinence. "Oh, Theobald Matthew, if
thou would but take the cause in hand," he begged
again and again, till heart and conscience were taken
and thus the man was captured. He held solemn vig^l
and laid the case before the Lord till he was con-
vinced of his call and then he led the Roman Cath-
olic total abstinence movement. The estimate is that
5,000,000 signed the pledge under his ministration.
In the first month in Ireland there were 200,000
signers.
It was a Friend, Joel Stratton, who first moved
John B. Gough and who staid by till he was estab-
lished. In the campaign in Kansas David Tatum was
a host as a leader. In 1880 Elias Jessup polled 30,000
votes for Governor of Iowa, thus forcing prohibition
to the front so that in 1882 the prohibitory amendment
was carried by a majority of 27,000,
When that remarkable, that most distinctly divine
call came for women to arouse to the help of the
Lord against the mighty, the Quaker women recog-
nized it and volunteered for the war. Everything of
tradition, of education, of time-honored beliefs of the
application of the old doctrine of the direct call of the
spirit reached U3 and we realized our part. Friends have
been of the steadiest and most persistent workers in the
W. C. T. U. and the brethren have been true brothers-
in-law. Nineteen of our membership have been State
W. C. T. U. Presidents, many of these for a long series
of years, and many others prominent in the organiza-
tion, not now in membership with us»had received their
training in the Quaker church. And this proportion is
very large when we consider our small number.
Friends have been valued and valuable workers in
the W. C. T. U. in every position in which they have
been placed. For the last eight years a Friend has
been President of the National Temperance Society;
66
for many years a Friend, Aaron Powell, wrought val-
iantly with that Society with tongue and pen.
And to us, the smallest of the tribes of Israel,
has been committed the calling of an Interdenomi-
national Conference of religious bodies to consider this
tremendous question, and this call is meeting with
ready sympathy and thus will be another great effort
to drive the drink traffic from the land.
But I must retrace a little in the list of heroes.
In 1/74 Anthony Benezet wrote a pamphlet, antedat-
ing Dr. Rush by eleven years, of which the title was,
"The Mighty Destroyer Displayed in some account of
the dreadful Havoc made by the mistaken use as well
as the Abuse of Distilled Spirituous Liquors." Nor
must Vv^e forget the Quaker ancestry and the Quaker
training of Dr. Rush and Neal Dow, One of the
great examples of influence was when Dr. Rush put
forth his tract in 1785, the first real effort made to
bring the question of temperance to the front, it pro-
duced a most tremendous effect, so much so that
1785 is the date from which this reform counts.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOEL WRIGHT.
JESSE WRIGHT, SPRINGBORO, OHIO.
In the preparation of this brief biographical sketcli
of Joel Wright, I have devoted but little space to his
intimate private life, confining myself mainly to his
connection with, and his services in behalf of the So-
ciety of Friends, and I have kept in mind the fact that-
this occasion is not a family reunion, and so have
omitted a genealogy of the Wright family, making
only brief m.ention of Joel Wright's parents, John and
Elizabeth Wright, and a bare reference to his (Joel's)
immediate family, his wife and children.
In the spirit of Cromvv^ell's injunction to the
artist who was painting his portrait, I have endeav-
ored to avoid everything that might seem like
panegyric, leaving the character of the man to be in-
ferred from such incidents of his life as are here re-
corded.
Joel Wright was born sixth miOnth, 1750, in !vlen-
al'iin township, York, now Adams, county, Pennsyl-
vania. His father, John V/right, and Elizabeth his
v/ife, emigrated from Castleshane, County Monaghan,
Ireland, to Pennsylvania, sometime during the three
years from 1737 to 1740.
Of John Wright, the records tell us nothing espe-
cially noteworthy, though there is evidence tliat he did-,
not come over in the same ship with William Penn.
Some of his descendants of the present generation lay
much stress on the fact that lie vvas not born in Cork
or Tipperary, but that his family belonged to a colony
of Friends that emigrated from. England to the north
of Ireland about the close of the seventeenth century.
68
We may put it this way, John Wright was of good
^ old English stock, somewhat modified by Irish environ-
ment. Joel Wright was the youngest of ten children,
five born in Ireland and five in America.
That he made the most of the limited facilities
-for obtaining a good education that were accessable
to him is evidenced by the fact that he taught school
for many years and was considered so competent as
a surveyor, or, civil engineer as we say now, that he
was commissioned by the state government of Ohio to
survey and plat the Capital at Columbus. In the year
1798 a committee consisting of Evan Thomas, George
Ellicott, Joel Wright and Rees Cadwallader was ap-
pointed by Baltimore Yearly Meeting to visit the Wy-
andott Indians at Upper Sandusky in what is now
Wyandott county, Ohio, to confer with them as to
the best means to be employed by the Society of
Friends for the benefit of those Indians.
Gerard Brooke, Andrew Ellicott, Jr., and Philip
E. Thomas, by consent of the committee, accompanied
them on the trip. Joel Wright kept a diary of their
journey from Pipe Creek, Maryland, to Upper San-
dusky. Soon after they started on the return trip
he was taken sick and the homeward journey was
much retarded by his illness. The incidents of the
trip are taken partly from the diary kept by him (now
in possession of one of his descendants) and partly
from an account of the journey written by one of the
Friends that accompanied the committee and whicR
will be found in Friends Miscellany for tentE month,
1835.
On the ninth of fifth month, 1799, the party started
from Pipe Creek, Maryland, on horseback, on the
journey, a large portion of which was through an un-
broken wilderness. Rees Cadwallader was not with
them at the start, but joined them later.
69
Nothing- of special interest is noted until their
arrival on the eighteenth at Georgetown on the east
bank of the Ohio river. On the twentieth they crossed
over and for six or seven days made slow progress,
the streams, small tributaries of the Ohio and the-
Muskingum, were so much swollen by the heavy rains
that they could not be forded, so they felled trees in
such a way as to make footbridges and made their
horses swim over. As Joel Wright's diary relates,
"We felled the trees with our tomahawk." Tomahawk
is written plainly in the singular number.
On the evening of the twenty-sixth they camped
on the banks of the Tuscarawas and the next morn-
ing two Indians came over from the Aloravian Mission
called Goshen and took the party and their baggage
across in a canoe.
The Moravian Indians and their pastor, Seizber-
ger, treated them with much civility. Up to this point
Joel Wright had no doubt been a competent guide,-
but before venturing farther they employed an Indian
guide, Joseph White-eyes, to pilot them from Goshen
cO Upper Sandusky. With an Indian added to the
party we may be very sure that there was a corre-
sponding increase in the number of tomahawks.
About noon of the twenty-ninth they reached
Killbuck creek and found a very deep and strong cur-
rent. In less than three hours White-eyes had a bark
canoe ready to carry them over. On the thirty-first
they came to an Indian path leading from Pittsburg
to Upper Sandusky. They encamped for the night
near the home of a French Canadian v/ho had an In-
dian wife and kept some goods to trade with the
Indians.
On the third of sixth month they reached the
Sandusky river, the banks of which they followed ten.
or twelve miles, to Upper Sandusky, the end of their
70
long journey. Here they found that circumstances
were not very favorable to their mission. Chief Tarhie
was very drunk on the day of their arrival and "many
of the Indians" — to quote the diary — "had been, for a
considerable time, intoxicated with strong drink." But
by the morning of the fourth many of them had sobered
off, and Chief Tarhie v/as in a condition to receive
them, which he did in a friendly manner, and imme-
diately sum.moned a council of the chiefs to hear v/hat
the Friends had to say. He vv^as greatly pleased when
he learned the object of their visit, but the grand
council, which the committee had traveled so far to
attend, did not meet for two weeks and Chief Tarhie
was not authorized to make any definite arrangem.ents
previous to tliat time. The Friends decided that as
their stock of provisions v/as running low and the
Indians had very little to spare, it would not be pru-
dent for them to v/ait until the meeting of the grand
council. So about four o'clock on the afternoon of
the fourth they started on the return journey.
The hardships to which they had been exposed,
together v/ith bad water and an insufficient supply of
food had reduced them all to an emaciated condition
and Joel Wright v/as quite ill. They concluded to re-
turn by a different route, aim.ing to reach some of the
settlements that had recently been made on the Scioto.
On the evening of the seventh they reached Franklin-
ton on tlie banks of the Scioto, where an infant colony
was building houses, none as yet were enclosed, but
the party was received v/ith great kindness and sup-
plied with such provisions as they needed. They re-
mained here a fevv^ days to rest and recruit. Joel
Wrip-ht beine^ too sick to travel on horseback, a canoe
was hired and he and the writer of the journal from
which this account of the return journey is taken,
descended the Scioto to Chillicothe, where they arrived
71
on the night of the tenth. Here they remained until the
fourteenth, then started by the nearest practicable
route across Southeastern Ohio to Wheeling, which
they reached on the twentieth. From that point to
their homes in Pennsylvania and Maryland, the jour-
ney seems to have been an uneventful one. It is diffi-
cult for us in these days of vestibuled limited trains
to appreciate the hardships and exposure incident to a
journey of tv/elve hundred miles on horseback, of
which at least three hundred miles was through an
unbroken v/ilderness, inhabited by savages and wild
beasts.
Excepting Friends, people at that time, more gen-
erally than to-day, accepted the idea that **A good In-
dian is a dead Indian,'' and there were no doubt many,
even among Friends, v/ho raised the question whether
any amount of good likely to be accomplished by a
miission like this could justify the sacrifice. We may
"be sure tliese Friends had no misgivings, and in that
they had their reward.
In the capacity of surveyor, Joel Wright made
several trips across the Allegheny mountains about the
close of the eighteenth century, surveying large tracts
of land in the valleys of the Muskingum, Scioto, and
Miami rivers, and particularly in what was then called
the ''Miami country,'' with which he was so well
pleased that he located in Waynesville early in the
year 1806. As shown by the meeting records his
certificate from Pipe Creek Monthly Meeting in Mary-
land to Miami Monthly Meeting was dated third
month, fifteenth, 1806, accepted sixth month, twelfth,
1806. He seems to have been active in the business of
the Quarterly Meeting which was established fifth
month, thirteenth, 1809. His name appears on the
mjinutes of the Quarterly Meeting as a member of
many of the committees, and as the names of many
72
of his colleagues on these committees may interest
some who listen to the reading of this sketch, I will
quote from the minutes as follows :
Eighth month, twelfth, 1809, Joel Wright was
made one of the representatives to the ensuing Yearly
Meeting at Baltimore, with David Ballard, Henry
Steddom, William Walker, Isaac Perkins, Mordecai
Walker, Jonathan Wright, Jr., Joseph Cloud and
Joshua Ballanger.
Eleventh month, ninth, 181 1, he and Benjamin
Hopkins, Samuel Teague, Samuel Brown, Jonathan
Wright, Benjamin Farquhar, James Hadley, Jonathan
Saunders, Thomas Roberts, Joshua Pickett, Thomas
Talbott, Richard Brown, Robert Furness, Samuel
Spray, Enoch Pierson, Henry Yount, Josiah Tomlin-
son and Walter Kennedy, were appointed a commit-
tee to prepare a memorial concerning "Our beloved
Friend, John Simpson, deceased." This big commit-
tee prepared a memorial and it was submitted to the
Quarterly Meeting second month, eighth, 1812. It
was considered too lengthy and was referred to Joel
Wright, Samuel Spray and Benjamin Hopkins for
abridgement. It is to be hoped that this committee
used the blue pencil with discretion.
Joel Wright lived in Waynesville many years be-
fore his removal to Springboro, where he spent the
closing years of his life. While living in Waynes-
ville he was occupied in teaching school, surveying and
buying and selling land. A brief notice of some of
the real estate transactions to v/hich he was a party
may be of interest as showing the difference in prices
of land at the beginning and the close of the nineteenth
century.
In the year 1807 he and Abijah O'Neal bought of
J. Macher 1,040 acres of land for $1,500.
73
In 1808 he bought of Abijah O'Neal 285 acres
for $410.
In the same year he sold to David Pugh, Benjamin
Evans, Isaac Mills, David Harner, Samuel Test and
Benjamin Hopkins, trustees, outlot No. 14 in Waynes-
ville, "for the purpose of a meeting place, graveyard,
pasture lot, or such other purpose as they may apply it
to," consideration $80.
The trustees gave bond in the sum of $io,0(X) that
they would, on the requisition of the Monthly, Quar-
terly or Yearly Meeting, as the case might be, give a
good and sufficient deed for this property to such per-
sons as the Meeting might direct.
On this lot vvas built several years later the house
now occupied as a meeting house by Hicksite Friends.
Joel Wright was one of a committee appointed by
the meeting to examine the title to the land bought of
him by the meeting. The committee no doubt made a
careful examination of the county records and Joel
Wright as chairman could cheerfully report to the
meeting that the title was all right.
In 1819 he sold to Noah Haines, Frederic Stan-
ton, John Worrel, Thomas Swift and John Satter-
thwaite, trustees for the public burying ground at
Wa3^nesville, a tract of land for a public burying
ground forever and for no other purpose whatever,
consideration $30.
Fearing that I may trespass on the time of those
who follow me, I will close Vv^ith a brief reference to
some features of Joel Wright's private life.
He was married about the year 1773 to Elizabeth
Farquhar, daughter of \Villiam and Ann Farquhar, of
Pipe Creek, Maryland. Their children were Ann,
Allen, Rachel, Jonathan, Israel and Elizabeth. Eliza-
beth, the wife, died at Pipe Creek, Maryland, sixth
month, twenty-fourth, 1805.
74
In 1 8 14 he married Ann Bateman of Springboro,
Ohio. She survived him many years, dying in 1842.
Some of you may have a pardonable curiosity to
know how he appeared as lie went about among his
friends and neighbors in Waynesville and Springboro.
He was about m.edium size. He continued to v/ear, as
long as he lived, the costume that is familiar to us in
pictures of revolutionary worthies, long surtout, long
waistcoat with flaps over the pockets, knee breeches
with silver buckles, low-cut shoes with silver buckles
on the instep and a broad-brimmed beaver hat. During
the last few years of his life he was a marked figure
as he walked the streets of Springboro, the only man
dressed in this costum.e of .a bygone generation.
A full length picture of him would be a relic highly
prized by his descendants, but even if photography had
been in vogue at the time, I think that a snap shot ^
would have been the only chance for a picture of Joel
Wright. In common with many Friends of his time
he would probably have looked upon tlie startling nov-
elty in portrait making as a vanity of vanities.
He died at Springboro, Ohio, first month, thirty-
first, 1829, in his seventy-ninth year. He had lived a
long, busy, and it is not too much to say, useful life.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ROBERT
FURNAS.
(MARY F. frame,, WAYNESVILLE^ OHIO.)
In a little village in the extreme northwestern
part of England stands the meeting house in which
were married John Furnas and Mary Wilkinson.
Soon after their marriage they embarked for
America, landing at Charleston !^. C, some time dur-
ing the year 1762. In this beautiful Southland at a
place called Bush River, they commenced their early
married life. As years vvcnt by seven children were
born to bless their home. Robert, the subject of this
sketch, was their sixth child. He v/as born June 27,
1772. Very little seems to be known of his child-
hood and early manhood, save at tlie age of five
years he was left fatherless, and wlie:i ten years old
his mother died, leaving the eldest brother, then
seventeen years of age, as head of the family. And
no doubt it v/as under his care Robert grew to man-
hood. Belonging to the same quarterly meeting and
in the same part of the country, lived a young woman
by the name of Hannah Wilson, whose qualities and
general appearance seemed to have pleased Robert's
fancy, for in the year 1796 they were married by the
beatuiful ceremony of the Society of Friends under
the care of Cane Creek Monthlv Meetincr. Not far
from the place where they were raised they began
making a home for themselves. About this time,
owing to the agitation of the slavenv^ question, Friends
began to look around for som.e other location for a
home, and "fortunately in the providence of God the
fitting location was being prepared." The territory
76
north of the Ohio river having been by the Conti-
nental Congress dedicated forever to freedom and the
disturbance with the Indians having been closed by
''Wayne's Treaty" with them at Greenville, Ohio, the
southwestern part of the state was considered safe
for settlement. Thus the emigration of Friends began,
and in the year 1802 Robert Furnas came to this part
of the country on horseback to consider the possibil-
ities of making this a home for himself and family.
It took six weeks to complete the journey.
Finding this a good land and having decided upon
a location, he returned to South Carolina and began
preparations for the removal.
Some time during the next year with his wiie
and three small children, the youngest but six weeks
old, they left the land of their birth, and many anxious
friends for their long journey over mountains, across
rivers and through unbroken forests, until they reached
their destination, which was about three miles up the
river from cur novv' beautiful village of Vv^aynesville,
v/hich consisted then of but a few log houses.
He was a blacksmith by trade, but a man who
could turn his hand to most anything. There being
no physician in the neighborhood he was frequently
called upon to act as physician and surgeon. He also-
wrote wills and contracts of different kinds, for which
he refused remuneration.
Being ready in conversation, a bright mind and a
face that spoke of peace with God and man, with an
interest in the common things about him, he was good
company for old and young. Especially did boys love
to linger near him and listen to his accounts of
adventure and receive his loving counsel and tender
admonitions.
Above all he did not neglect the spritiual part
of his nature, but early in life interested himself in
77
e work of the Church. He was one of the first
jlerks of Miami Monthly Meeting, and was often called
upon to help decide matters of great interest to the
church.
It has been said of him he was neither forward
nor contentious, but when a question of great moment
was to be decided by the church he listened until most
all had spoken, then deliberately gave his judgment,
which carried such weight with it no farther dis-
cussion was needed.
He sat at the head of Caesar's Creek Meeting for
many years, attending its meetings twice a week, so
long as his physical strength would permit. At one
time a grandson made a calculation that the distance
traveled by him to and from his meeting would be
more than the distance around the globe.
Promptness was one of his strong characteristics.
On one occasion he could not find his hat, and rather
than be late to meeting went without it.
He was very plain in his dress and address.
When a new hat was purchased he always took off the
band and twisted it before replacing it, the general
supposition is he thought it much plainer that way.
He was indeed a remarkable man.
Having lived with his devoted wife for over sixty-
seven years, reared a family of eleven children seeing
them comfortably settled in homes of their own, finally
at the advanced age of ninety years, loved and re-
spected by all, he passed peacefully from works to
rewards.
After reading the above, the v/riter exhibited a beaver
hat (the head-dress of women Friends, preceding the plain
bonnet), worn after coming to Waynesville, by Hannah Wilson
Furnas, wife of Robert Furnas. The hat is now the property
of Hannah Mills, the only surviving member of their family
now in her eighty-seventh year.
78
Mary Frame also stated that the wedding dress was
still in existence and that the wedding hat was similar to
the one exhibited except that it was of fur.
Davis Furnas gave an interesting reminiscence of
one of his ancestors, who, with a companion, was cap-
tured by pirates.
When nearing Algiers he determined to escape by
swimming to shore from a long distance out. It seemed
impossible of accomplishment, and his companion
begged him to desist, but he succeeded in the attempt,
although fired upon by the pirates many times.
Old memories were stirred to such an extent that
more or less confusion was occasioned, and the re-
marks that were made could not be heard.
An interesting feature was the number of very
aged persons that were present, whose infirmities were
almost forgotten and v^dlose faces glowed v/ith anima-
tion as they lived over again the scenes of long ago. '
-EVENING SESION.-
TREND OF MODERN THOUGHT TOWARDS
QUAKERISM.
(by JONATHAN B. WRIGHT, HARVEYSBURG, OHIO.)
Theology is a progressive science. Every step of
its progress is at the cost of toil or sacrifice or blood.
The world wheels slowly towards the light. The time
comes tardily on, when the ''kingdoms of this world
shall have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of
His Christ."
The fact that the essential principles of Quak-
erism are one by one coming to be accepted by the
world, does not prove that the early Quakers dis-
covered the absolute Truth, oY had any monopoly on
Revelation : for they did neither the one nor the
other. But it does prove that the early Quakers, in
spite of many mistakes and much human infirmity,
made some marvelous discoveries in the line of. Truth,
and by virtue of these discoveries, forged ahead of
their age, two centuries or more: and the belated
world is but now coming up with them. Ah! what
a pity it would be, if the world coming- up, v/ould
have to discover that any of us are wrapped up in
mere verbiage, and names and externals, and are
strangers to the true inwardness of our inheritance.
Had we the time, it would be interesting- to in-
quire how they came to learn so much of that which is
eternally true. The answer would be found, partly
in the needs of their time, partly in the men and
women who were the leaders of the movement, and
80
especially in the one man first and foremost in the
Quaker movement.
It may be said that, in George Fox, God found
a man well fitted to become the instrument of renewed
and widened revelation to the world. His pious train-
ing, his serious disposition, his native piety, his great
earnestness, and his absolute honesty fitted him to
become the oracle of God. His nature was one of
marvelous depth, and he came to have an intensely
real and vital experience of the life of God in his
soul. He was a close observer of men, and possessed
a keen discernment of spirit, and a quick wit that
made him more than a match, any day, for the dile-
tante priests and the time-serving justices who some-
times crossed swords with him. He was remarkably
free from the prejudices of systematic theolog}'. He
was a constant and careful reader of the Holy Scrip-
tures, and he studied them under the conscious guid-
ance of the Spirit. His thought was broad and prac-
tical and judicious. His judgment was well balanced,
but he did not depend upon his own judgment alone:
but he sought the spirit-illumined counsel of his as-
sociates. For the Quaker movement did not depend
on Fox alone. He gathered about himself a band of
men and women like himself, and they sought the
light unitedly. And these associates of his, Penn, and
Barclay, and Pennington, and many others were men
of strong character, rugged honesty, and keen good-
sense.
These men were not free from error; but they
recognized the fallibility of human judgment, and
sought the united wisdom of the Church — not a
Qiurch that depended for authority on apostolic suc-
cession, but on the Unction from on High.
They were guided into the truth because they
went back reverently to the oracles of God, and sought
81
to interpret them by the iHriHiinating influence of the
Spirit that had inspired thcni, instead of by thiC aid
of scholastic logic.
They were guided into the truth because they
had let the Spirit come into their souls with sin-
destroying power. The crookedness, and the preju-
dice that rebellion against God brings, had been swept
away, and a child-like teachableness had taken their
place. They had obeyed from the heart, and so were
enabled to go on to know the Lord. They had faith-
fully done the will of God and so were able to know
of His doctrine. They were mellowed and ripened by
the turning and overturning of the Lord's hand upon
them. His dealings with them in their own indi-
vidual experience were such as to make them magnify
the name of the Lord. Tlieir ov«/n experience of God
opened tlieir understanding to behold marvelous things
in Llis character and in His Lav/.
They suffered bitter persecutions, but these had
the two-fold effect of sifting from their numbers the
hypocrite and the irresolute, and of reinforcing the
faith of the faithful.
They v/ere sometim.es troubled Vv'ith fanaticism,
but they had too much of the ballast of truth to be
much disturbed by it.
They were so practical in their religion tl:at it
cioth.ed itself in deeds, ratlier than in theories, and
their deeds were those of mercy and Icng-sufTering
and love. While their first thought was to be true to
the light and do their present duty, tliey so clearly
saw the needs of humanity, and the remedy for its
wrongs, that they almost invariably became reformers,
and there is scarcely a phase of moral or social re-
form in which the Quakers have not been pioneers.
They taught Dositively, that God would so keep
his children that they could lead lives free from sin.
82
and many seem to have lived in daily accord with their
doctrine. Their purity, their honesty, their kindli-
ness, their sturdy integrity, and most of all their love
for one another, made them seem worthy to be called
the "friends of God."
These are some of the reasons why the Quakers
learned so much of the truth, and why they have
exercised an influence in the world for crood, out of
all proportion to their numbers.
Let us now consider the thought of the world of
to-day, and its attitude tovv^ard the early Quakers and
their doctrines, and see if Vv^e will not be convinced
at once of a trend in that direction.
The change of front has not all come about by a
study of the Quakers or their writings. It has come
to many as it did to them, from a direct return to
God and His oracles, from the careful study of the
operation of His laws, and from the reception of His
grace, which is still as mighty and as active as it
was in the days of Fox.
God is no respecter of persons or of names and
the Quaker truths have sometimes become the prop-
erty of people where v/e Vv-ould least expect it.
The first man of the moderns I shall quote is
that nervous Scotchman, who has impressed himself
upon the English-reading v/orld as the most vigorous
thinker of the nineteenth century. In his "Sartor Re-
sartus," Carlyle says of George Fox:
''Perhaps the most remarkable incident in Mod-
ern History, says Teufelsdrockh, is not the Diet of
Worms, still less, the battle of Austerlitz, Waterloo,
Peterloo, or any other battle: but an incident passed
carelessly over by most Historians, and treated with
some degree of ridicule by others: namely, George
Fox's making to himself a suit of leather. This man,
the first of the Quakers, and by trade a shoemaker.
83
was one of those to whom under ruder or purer form,,
the Divine Idea of the Universe is pleased to mani-
fest itself : and across all the hulls of Ignorance and
earthly Degradation, shine through in unspeakable
Awefulness, unspeakable Beauty on their souls: who,,
therefore, are rightly accounted Prophets, God-pos-
aessed, or even Gods, as in some periods it has
chanced. * * * Stitch away, thou noble Fox::
every prick of that little instrument is pricking into
the heart of slavery, and World-worship, and the
I\Iammon-god. Thy elbows jerk, as in strong Swim-
mer-strokes, and every stroke is bearing thee across the
prison-ditch, Vv^ithin which Vanity holds her vvork-
house and Ragfair into lands of true liberty: were
the work done, there is in broad Europe one Free
Man, and thou art he !"
This is in marvelous contrast to the viev/s of many
of Fox's contemporaries, who regarded him as a
troublesome and impracticable fanatic, and in their
prejudice and narrowness could make nothing of him.
There is no subject in which tlie practice of the
churches in general is farther behind us than in the
use of the ordinances, and yet in most of the churches
it is freely conceded that tlie ordinances are but a
form of public confession, and have no saving virtue
or grace. And the most spiritually-minded people
everywhere, those Vv^ho have tasted most deeply of"
the good v/ord of life, are impressed with the non-
essential nature of these outward observances. And '
here and there v/e fmd a few who refuse and reject'
tliem.
The clear-bouled, saintlv Emerson was a ClCts-v-
man in a church which made it his duty to administer-
the rites of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And he
resigned his place and his salary, and; gave up preach-
84
ing "because he could not conscientiously continue to
administer them. He said:
"To me it is inconceivable that Jesus, whose
\Yhole life was a protest against formalism, could have
intended to fix upon the church ordinances to be per-
petually celebrated."
Is it any wonder, then, that Carlyle and Emerson
were bound to each other with an instinctive and ir-
resistible love?
Lyman Abbott, one of the most vigorous theo-
logical v/riters of America, said in regard to ''Foot-
v/ashing" : ''There is just as much ground in Scrip-
ture for observing this ceremony as there is for Bap-
tism." And by church affiliation Abbott is neither a
Dunker nor a Quaker.
In the Salvation Army we find the preachers,
like Paul, so busy with the problem of getting men
saved, that they seldom speak of the ordinances, though
'they feel free to administer them where there is a
special desire for them.
The Salvationists, moreover, are like us in another
respect, though their military ways and their push
■ and noise are in strange contrast with our method of
v/orking. They believe implicitly in the leading of
the Holy Spirit, and seek it constantly in their work.
An acquaintance of mine, once asked a quick-witted
Salvationist : "What is the difference between the
■'Quaker and the Salvationists?" His instant reply was:
"They believe in being moved by the Holy Spirit. We
believe in moving the Spirit."
Prof. James, of Harvard, an authority of an ex-
ceptionally high order, has recently published a philo-
sophical study of Religious Experience. In this book
he pays a fine tribute to the character and influence of
Pox aiid the early Quakers.
Pie finds two universal marks of religious ex-
85
perience; first, a feeling of wrongness, and second, a
feeling of need of something to remove the wrongness
and restore a right relation.
This was the beginning of George Fox's religious
experience : but he learned further by direct revela-
tion, that Jesus could speak to his condition. Stilt
further he learned that when he found that within
himself which would not keep sv/eet, God, in ansWer
to his call for help, came in and cast it out, and shut
the door.
He also found that the same Spirit that had con-
victed and pardoned, and cast out the vTongness,
would abide in his soul as a comforter and constant
guide.
These doctrines, which Georsi^e Fox came to re-
gard as fundam^ental to the religion of Christ, a,re,
most of them, now held as the common property of
the Christian Church. It may be true, that in many
places, they are held only as a theory; but that they
should be held at all is an advance.
That God communicates with men : first, in con-
victing of sin, and second, in comxforting after He has
pardoned is almost universally believed. That He
guides by the direct influence of His Spirit in the
heart of man, is recognized by the more spiritual porr
tion of the church, in all denominations. And by the
inner cult of the most deeply spiritual it is believed
and witnessed that God reveals Himself by teaching
in the inner consciousness of men, His own doctrine
and nature.
Thus the most essential and vital and precious
principle of Quakerism has become, not the common
property of the churches, but the personal possession
of those most deeply schooled in the ways of God,
among all Protestant Christians.
But to put my assertions to the proof, let me
86
quote a few passages from some modern religious
writers.
I quote first from an anonymous book, published
a few years ago by Harpers. The book is entitled:
^'God in His World," and has been credited, with
how much truth I cannot tell, to Henry M. Alden,
Editor of Harper's Weekly. The whole book, from
cover to cover, is pervaded Vv^ith the Quaker spirit. To
illustrate this a hundred quotations might be made.
I give but two :
''Only the Spirit comprehendeth the things of the
Spirit. The full significance of any Divine revelation
is only of spiritual discernment. The world without
us, and the world within us is a leading toward such
a revelation, a preparation therefor, a lisping of its
vocabulary. ''' ''' * It is the meek only who shall
inherit the earth. It is the open heart, the loosened
hand, v/hich receives the Divine Strength. We wait
upon the Lord. Instead of fighting sin with our own
puny force — which is after all, only a dalliance there-
with — v/e accept his life, and behold, the enemy is fled.
Sin is the business of a heart unoccupied by the divine
life."
"Our Christian life is, then, at once, a heavenly
enfolding, and an earthly unfolding, according to the
heavenly type — the image of the son. We con-
stantly awake in his likeness. He is not with us in
the body : but his Spirit he hath left with us to guide
us into all truth."
The great evangelist, Finney, constantly sought
and acknowledged the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
and often had openings and revelations of the divine
nature that filled him with amazement and unspeak-
able joy. Some of the greatest victories of his
triumphant career came when he had followed what
• he believed to be the special leading of the Holy
87
Spirit. And his teaching and influence were instru-
mental in bringing multitudes into a deeper knowledge
of the ways of the Spirit.
The same thing may be said of Moody in our
own generation, and now, since his death, still, the
m.en who are brought, as teachers to Northfield are
men of the Spirit — nearly all of them men who know
and joyfully proclaim the doctrine of the Holy Ghost.
One of these, widely known as a scholar, George
Adam Smith, gives a recipe for those preachers who
find preaching dull and lifeless work : "Resolve, first,
that you will never appear before your audience with-
out something that has cost you study ; and second,
that you will never attempt to preach without the Holy
Spirit/'
Horace Bushnell, the great Hartford preacher,
when about 45 years of age, had an experience which
he regarded as a personal discovery of Christ and of
God as represer.ted in him. To the people who knew
him best, he seem.ed a nevv^ man, or rather the same
man with a heavenly investiture. Or as he himself
explained it: 'T seemed to pass a boundary. I had
never been very legal in my Christian life : but now
I passed from those partial seeings, glimpses and
doubts, into a clearer knowledge of God and his in-
spirations which I have never wholly lost. The change
was into faith — a sense of the freeness of God, and
the ease of approach to Him."
It is not surprising that a man with Bushnell's
experience should^ have had a profound respect for
Friends and their doctrines. I shall give you two
quotations from his masterful argument, ''Nature and
the Supernatural."
"Led on thus by Fox, the Friends have always
claimed the continuance of the original gifts of the
Spirit in the Apostolic age, and have looked for them.
88 ' •
we may almost say, in the ordinary course of their
Christian demonstrations."
And again :
''Savanarola, the 'fanatic of history,' will emerge,
not unlikely, clad in the honors of a prophet. So
of Columbus, Fenelon, Fox, Franke, and a thousand
others who vvalked, consciously or unconsciously, by a
supernatural instigation. — They were nothing, it will
be seen, save by the secret inspiration, that bore them
on. And how many of God's little ones, living and
dying in obscurity, have yet done as great wonders in
His name, as if they had been teachers and heroes."
In 1892 Robert Horton, a devout Congregation-
alist preacher of England, crossed the Atlantic and
delivered a course of lectures on Preaching to the
Divinity School at Yale. These lectures were pub-
lished in a volume entitled ''Verbum Dei," or the
Word of God. The volume is full of the ideas and
doctrines of Quakerism. It teaches with great solem-
nity, that the Word of God comes to men now as it
did to the prophets of old. The theme of the book,
given in the author's own words, is this:
''Every living preacher must receive his message
in a comm.unication direct from God, and the constant
purpose of his life must be to receive it uncorrupted,
and to deliver it without addition or subtraction."
Flere are a few short quotations from the book:
"A good voice is invaluable if God speaks through
it. A commanding presence is a great help if God's
presence ccmniands it. The rich flow of language
may be fertilizing as Vvcll as charming, if the tide of
God is in it."
Again :
"All manner of sins may be forgiven a preacher,
— a harsh voice, a clumsy delivery, a bad pronuncia-
89
tion, an insufficient scholarship, a crude doctrine, an
ignorance of men ; but there is one defect which can
not be forgiven him, for it is a sort of blasphemy
against the Holy Ghost : It cannot be forgiven him,
if he preaches when he has not received a message
from God to deliver. ''' * * He is to get a mics-
sage from God before he speaks it — that is the re-
quirement. * * '•'' He is to climb Sinai with its
ring-fence of death, and on the summit speak face to
face with Him whom no one can see and yet live. He
is to push through the Wilderness, eating angel's meat
or nothing, and scale the crags of Horeb, where in a
great hollow shadowed by a liand, he may, through
earthquake, Vvdnd and fire, discern the still small voice."
Horton gives us one significant quotation from
Lowell,
"If chosen men could never be alone
In deep mid-silence, open-eared to God,
No greatness ever had been dreamed or done."
As to the subject of Slavery: there is now among
Christian people almost everyv\'here, as complete a con-
sensus of opinion that slavery is Vv'rong, as there v/as
once an agreement that slavery Vx'as right and founded
on the principles of religion and common sense. I
need take no time for quotation on that subject.
On the question of Peace, the world is yet far
enough away from the standard of Christ; yet it is
not so far away as it vv^as two hundred years ago.
In these tv/o centuries there has been a great change
for the better. We see abundant evidence of this in
the literature of the time.
The treatment of history has been revolutionized,
and the long and detailed descriptions of wars and
campaigns, and bloody battles, have been replaced by
studies of the habits and character of the people, and
90
the growth of government in power and purpose to
meet the popular needs.
Many of the poets have been caught at times by
the Spirit of Peace.
Even Tennyson, Enghshman that he was, and
therefore greatly appealed to by a light, sang of the
time,
"When the v.-ar-druni throbbed no longer, and the battle flags
were furled.
In the parliament of man, the federation of the \vorld.
There the common-sense of most shall hold a fretful realm
in awe.
And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapp'd in universal law."
Lowell tells us in his New England dialect and
shrewd Yankee Common Sense :
I
"Ez fur v,-ar, I call it murder.
There 3''ou hev it plain and flat.
I don't want to go no furder,
Than my testymen for that."
While Longfellow in his beautiful poem^ on "The
Arsenal at Springfield" says :
"Were half the power that fills the world with terror,
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts,
Given to redeem the human mind from error.
There v/ere no need of Arsenals and forts."
And Whittier, of course Whittier is a peace-man:
but the fact that Whittier is so widely read, and so
deeply loved is one of the surest signs that the liter-
ature of peace is becoming popular.
The novel is the kind of literature that specially
characterizes our own age. And the great novelists
are strong in their denunciation of war.
It is true, that there is in some a tendency to re-
vert to the description of battles : but even these show
91
up war in its horrors, as though they had been meant
to correct the fancy that would picture war in roseate
hues.
Thackeray, ^tHe great, .the gentle, thv^ .tender-
hearted, stands by common consent in the forefront
of the ranks of the novelists. In one of his "Round-a-
bout Papers" he speaks thus, after describing his visit
to Waterloo:
"Well, though I made a vow not to talk about
Waterloo, either here or after dinner, there is one
little secret admission that one must make after seeing
it.
"Let an Englishmian go and see that field and he
never forgets it. The sight is an event in his life; and
though it has been seen by millions of peaceable gents
— grocers from Bond Street, meek attorneys from
Chancery Lane, and timid tailors from Piccadilly, I
will wager that there is not one of them but feels
a glow as he looks at the place, and remembers that
"he too is an Englishman.
"It is a wrong, egotistical, savage, unchristian
feeling, and that is the end of it. A man of peace has
no right to be dazzled by that red-coated glory, and
to intoxicate his vanity with those remembrances of
carnage and of triumph. The same sentence that tells
us that on earth there ought to be peace and good-
will amongst men, tells us to whom glory belongs."
The theologians have changed their views as
m.uch as have the novelists and historians. Newman
Smith says:
"Christianity is not primarily a system of doc-
trines, arranged in rational order, but a system of
beings in right relation to God, and in harmony with
each other."
Let me give a quotation from jNIax Hark in his
'"Unity of Truth":
92
r
"Character is the sole standard of juidgment. The
brawny prize-fighter, strong as an ox, is less of a man
than the weakest child that cherishes mercy, tender-
ness, and pity in his heart : tlie mightiest conqueror,
sacrificing the lives of thousands of his fellow men to
his ambition is far less heroic and great, than the-
poorest woman who at the wash-tub sacrifices her
own comfort, health, and life itself for the suste-
nance and happiness of her family. This is no longer
mere 'pious sentimentality.' It is the sober verdict
of pure science itself. To live for others is the highest
manhood, to live onh^ for self is sinful and animal."
In the treatment of tlie question of the sacred
Scriptures, the views now taken b}' scholarly conserv-
ative critics remind one frequently of the vievv's, stated
so vigorously by Robert Barclay.
Although the preacjiers are slow to acknowledge
it, the women ail over Anierica at least, in church and
out of it, are rapidly coming to the place assigned
them by the Quakers.
A fevx^ years ago, I entered upon a new sphere of
duty in tiie school-room, and because it v/as new, I
expressed some doubt of my being able to succeed
in it. My superintendent said to me: *'Mr. Wright,
you can get along with these 3^oung people if you
can love them." And I learn that he was giving only
a concrete exam]jle of a fundamental principle in Ped-
agogy. For from Kindergarten to College, there can
be no true teaching and no genuine discipline with-
out the loving heart. You can not get along by pre-
tending to love. You must love and be ready tQ^
shovv^ your love by infinite patience and self-sacrifice.
The great doctors of Pedagogy teach us this doctrine,
which is one of the fundamental principles of Quak-
erism. And this, no doubt, explains the fact that
Quakers have long been noted for teachers of un-
93
usual success in their work. They have been prac-
ticing this principle from native kindhness of heart
long before its enunciation by the doctors of the
science. Their examnle has been conta^-ious. Al-
though there are few schools from which the rod lias
been banished, Ideating is not resorted to one-fiftieth as
often as it was seventy-nve years ago.
I have thus given you a few quotations from
my ovv'n limited reading, and almost wholly from my
ov/n private library, and had I time, I could give you
many more ; but it is sufiicient to convince us, I feel,
that the belated v/orld is rapidly coming on in the di-
rection marked out by the early Quakers, and that
principles held sacred by them, and for holding which
they v/ere persecuted and considered fanatics, are com-
ing to be the common possession of the rank and file
of our fel!ow-men.
Seth H.Ellis:
*Tt is our custom, generally, in such gatherings as
this, to allow opportunity for expression, and it seems
almost cruel to pass such papers and such truths as we
have had to-day and omit discussion.
"Discussion is the hammer which clinches truth,
and I am afraid v/e are going to lose lots of this by not
being able to thus fix it in the mind. But the commit-
tee was afraid to arrange for discussion lest something
mi<::ht arise to mar the harmonv of the occasion. This
fear does not seem to have been well grounded, but lack
of time vvill not now permit any departure from the pro-
gram as printed."
. TO WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
BY
Esther S, Wallace, Richmond, Indiana.
''It is with tender memories that I dedicate this
little poem to Waynesville, Ohio, the birthplace of
Emily Lathrop Stratton."
(A Prehide.)
When Man's journeying first began,
And Adam saw the moon and sun ;
The hills and mountains rising grand
The rivers sweeping through the land;
The grass so green, the waving trees,
The floating clouds and scented breeze ;
And animals that roam at will,
Beside the stream, or up the hill ;
The birds that cleft the air in flight,
And sang their songs by day or night ;
The twinkling stars, shining through the blu%
Proclaimed a force he never knew.
So pondering, Adam looked on high
And said "He lives there in the sky."
'Twas thus religion had its birth
And came to dwell upon the earth.
At last Man's inner being saw
The God of Nature, in His law.
And on rude altars made of wood
He v/orshipped Him he deemed so good.
No "Star of Bethlehem" Had they,
To guide them on its shining way;
But blindly on, from year to year.
They lived a life of hate and fear.
For track of blood, or ritual art,
Ne'er saved a soul or won a heart;
95
But earnest prayer and deeds of love
Does link this world to that above.
3ut, lo ! one hundred years ago,
Vmong the hills of Ohio;
V little church was planted here
»y humble hearts, in fervent prayer,
wnd you have kept alive the flame
'hey kindled here in Jesus' name.
\.nd so we celebrate this year
Vith loyal hearts and loving cheer.
A hundred years is but a day
To Him who spread the Milky-Way.
A hundred years is but an hour,
To Him who is Supremest Power.
In Nature's plan, a hundred years,
With all its hopes and joys and fears^
Is but a span, in which to grow ;
The ripple of life's ebb and flow
Washes the dust of Earth away
And bleaches white the fallen clay.
The same great hand created all.
The Ocean, and the Sand so small : .
But Ocean's surge, and billow's roar,
That come and go upon the shore,
Would over-sweep the fertile land,
But for the little grains of sand.
So we will like this Quakei band,
Unto the little grains of sand —
That keep within the bounds of sense
The surging sea of opulence :
That overrules the law of right.
And substitutes the one of might.
When Fox first knew the "Light within,"
Revealing Truth, reproving Sin,
He pondered long upon the theme,
The Christ-like robe, without a seam.
It hung about him like a cloud.
It importuned him, long and loud;
To make his revelation known,
From Peasant hut to Kingly throne,
Not Pope, Nor Priest, nor Bishop grand
Controls God's grace within his hand.
96
The common people, as of yore,
Looked gladly in this open door.
First they doubted, then they saw
The Glory of Divinest Law.
Truth so mighty traveled fast —
Held men's souls within its grasp.
The strong, the meek, alike were slain,
And prisons groaned with human pain,
Till far bej-ond in lands unknown
They found a refuge and a home.
No wiser man than V/illian Penn,
E'er sought to rule the hearts of men ;
From his wise counsel, still there lives
The grace to love, the law to give;
Until triumpliant notes were heard
And soothed men's hearts like song of bird;
Its echo reached the western wild
Where sturdy men, to lisping child.
Breathed from the breath of virgin sod
The priceless boon, to worship God.
The man is gone, the child grown gray,
Who first came seeking truth their way.
The virgin sod is richest loam ;
The cabin is a sumptuous home;
The cart, the stage, with rattling tire,
Lias given place to coach of fire, ^
That cuts the air like sparrow's v/ing
And speeds through space unwavering.
Till here within this fertile vale,
We bind a link that cannot fail.
A band of love, a chain of power.
Encircles us from this sweet hour:
And friend is friend, no matter where
He learned to lisp his childish prayer.
For Christ alone the gulf can span.
That separates the heart of man.
From all that's loyal, true and good,
Unto the human brotherhood.
Oh, Father, Lord ! To-day we make
A solemn pledge for conscience sake.
97
We dedicate ourselves anew
To only see the good and true,
In every friend we chance to meet,
In every human soul we greet.
For God is God, and Christ our King;
Let all created beings sing
A song of praise, an anthem grand,
That reaches souls in every land.
All creeds have fled,
All rituals dead;
And face to face
With Christian grace
Men speak the Word
And it is heard.
The law of love
From God above.
Is all the creed
That humans need
To banish fear.
And bring us near
The Christ divine,
That from all time
Gave men the right
To mind the light.
That shines within ;
And so doth win.
From dark and doubt.
And every route.
That leads astray,
From perfect day.
The eye to see, the ear to hear,
Falls softly on the listening ear,
That knows the voice of God within, •
Commending right, reproving sin.
And so this hundred years has brought
A larger life, a grander thought.
Men cease to fear and learn to love,
And round the "Great White Throne Above."
With heart to heart, and hand to hand,
A conquering host united stand ;
For God, and Truth, Supremest good,
Unto the human brotherhood.
98
A Church that meets the present need,
Must teach of love and not of creed ;
And make men feel that life, not death,
Brings God to them in every breath.
The "Broad-brim Hat" and "Coat of Gray,"
Have done their work, and had their day.
The tender Thee and proper Thou
Still blesses us, we scarce know how.
And out of all that wondrous Past
Oh may we gain our aim at last;
For all the grand, good gone before,
Has smoothed our path, and left the door
Ajar, where we the glory may behold,
The "half of which can ne'r be told."
The Silk Crape Cap and Kerchief white
Still hold sweet memory of the. right.
And Mother's dress of sober gray,
Grows dearer to us, day by day.
For, oh ! the love, the tenderness,
That came to us in Quaker dress.
AH honor, then, to those v/ho bore
The brand of hate, and stood before
Rulers and Kings, for conscience sake;
E'en to the gallows, and the stake.
Their work was bravely, nobly met.
They suffered much v/ithout regret.
And deemed it honor, to their God,
To tread the path their Master trod.
And Ye who come with firmer tread
Step lightly on our honored deac?
Reverently touch "The cloth of gold"
That holds them in its ample fold
And honor, praise and reverence give
To those who conquer while they live.
For all the world just now is rife
With seeking after higher life
And we rejoice the fact to know
That friends were first the seed to sow
That out of Silence cometh Power,
For grace and strength in every hour.
Only when God's voice is heard.
Can human lips e'en speak the word
99
That lifts men out of doubt and sin
Unto the Living Christ within.
Oh Christ! of God! _ Oh love divine!
We hail thee King, in every clime,
And give ourselves, both great and small,
' To live, to win, to conquer all.
And crov/n our "Lord the Lord of All."
The thoughts which were pressing for utterance
beamed through moistened eyes and found expression
in a soft and tender clapping of hands throughout the
audience.
HAS QUAKERISM A VITAL MESSAGE FOR
THE WORLD TO-DAY?
BY WILSON S. DOAN.
For 15CX) years the Jewish Church carried a mes-
sage. But when the veil of the temple was rent in
twain, that message in a large measure departed. The
Holy of Holies itself falls by the battering rams of the
army of Titus and like the Wandering Jew, the chosen
people are without a temple, without a land, without
a time and without a message.
"And thus forever with reverted look
The rnystic volume of the v/orld they read
Spelling it backward like a Hebrew book
Till life becomes a legend of the dead."
— Longfellow.
In the shadow of the pyramids, Greek philosophy
was born, and transplanted to Mars Hill it bore to
the world a message of art unparalleled, and litera-
ture that became the carrier of Christianity; nay,
more, it even bore the message of a personal God and
CI an immiortal soul; but after many wanderings for
a thousand years around the shores of the Mediter-
ranean it became retrospective. It closed the gates of
original inquiry. It lived upon its history rather than
its search for truth and the Greek had no longer any
message for the world and *'the last scene of all that
ends this strange eventful history is second childish-
ness and mere oblivion."
Daniel Webster as the champion of the idea of
a united federal government bore a message to the
101
republic that has imniortahlzed his name, but when
in the course of human events his countrymen de-
manded that he bear not only a message of federation
and union but also one of freedom and liberty> he
failed to bear that message and his fellow-citizen,
the distinguished V/hittier, wrote of him:
"Let not the land once proud of him
Insult him now
Nor brand with deeper shame
His dim dishonored brow.
But let its humbler sons instead
From sea to lake
A long lament as for the dead
In sadness make."
A nation, a man, a religious organization without
a message is dead. The telegraph wire encircles the
globe, the wire, battery, receiver, transmitter, all parts
of a modern telegraph system may be there, but what
is it v/ithout a message? Of no more use than when
the wire was the alloyed metal in the mountains.
When David was king and v/aited between the Gates
of the City and his watchmen on the housetops look-
ir.g for some messenger to bear the king word a^ to
whether his son survived or perished, the watch^nen
saw one coming afar off and called to the King', "Be-
hold, a messenger," and David said he bringeth good
tidings, but Absalom was already slain and the young
man fromi the scene of battle — the messenger — knev/
it not, and was without a message.
Is the Society of Friends a messenger without
a message? Have we ceased to seek new truth? Is
our view all retrospective? If so, v/e are the wire
Vvdthout the electricity. We are the potter's wheel turn-
ing without the clay, we are a ship v/ithout a rudder
or helm or compass, driftwood on the ocean of human
102
history. If we are without a message we are not
the growing tree with its myriads of cells all teeming
with life, with its leaves, its flowers and its fruits, but
we are the petrified tree. *'I am the true vine and
my father is the husbandman, every branch in me
that beareth not fruit, he taketh away."
"A life of nothing, nothing worth,
From that first nothing, e're his birth
To that last nothing under earth."
Our forefathers bore vital messages to this world.
Their souls were on fire with them. When the first
dawn of the springtime of the reformation came, Wick-
lilfe, Chaucer and Erasmus were like the first green
blades in the springtime, coming upward from the cold
earth of creed and dogma, looking upward under the
warming ra3^s of the rising sun of righteousness. But
on and on the plant grew, nurtured by the rays of
increasing knovvdedge and intelligence, until it became
in the person of Luther and Calvin, a mighty tree.
But the springtime, under the heat of great re-
ligious discussions, changed into the warmth of sum-
mer and the tree of the reformation brought forth
its flower in the persons of Fox and Penn and Bar-
clay. Heretofore it had been a battle of creeds, one
creed breaking another by force of legislative enact-
ment or force of arms. But the Quaker came with
a message of absolute emancipation. It was a mes-
sage declaring unconditional liberty — not to Catholic,
not to Presbyterian, not to Episcopalian, not to Pur-
itan, but to every man. It broke the chains that bound
the human intellect. It rent in shreds from top to
bottom, the veil of creed before the Ploly of Holies
of every human heart and left man his ov/n priest to
stand before the mercy seat of his ov/n heart and to
follov/ the Divine Li^lit that burns between the cheru-
103
bim of the human conscience upon the one side, and
the human judgment on the other, God Immanent, in
the human soul. It was the message that declared :
"One faith alone, so broad that all mankind
Within themselves, its living witness find
The soul's connnunion with eternal mind ''
The spirit's law, the inward rule and guide
Scholar and peasant, lord and serf allied."
— Whittier.
They bore the message of freedom, of liberty, of
intelligence and of knowledge. The founding of
Miami monthly miCeting upon this spot a hundred years
ago was a message written in the hardships of pioneer
life against human slavery and the ring of the pioneer's
ax in the primeval forest as it echoed on these hill-
sides was as much a protest for freedom as the roar
of the cannon at Gettysburg and at Appomattox. It
was a message that helped to make it possible for the
Northwest Territory, for Ohio and Indiana, for Il-
linois, Michigan and Wisconsin to say what New
York or Pennsylvania, what the New England states
cannot say. We never were in bondage, we were
free born.
But has no spark of this fire divine come along
the line to you and me? Has the fire ceased to burn
tipon the altar? Sometimes it helps us to see our mis-
sion to eliminate. The telegraph is made for one
m.essage, the telephone for another, the post for
another and there are some that must be borne by
freight. So with God's messengers, they are not all
designed to carry the same message. The Salvation
Army has a great and vital message. Its work in our
great cities is v/orthy of the highest praise. It is
bringing the message of salvation to many a lost soul,
souls lost to society, souls lost to friends, lost to
church and to home and to their creator. But I
104
have never believed that the Society of Friends in any
of its branches was designed to carry this message.
To save lost souls is a great messaee, but it is not
the only message. Let the Salvation Army and Rescue
Mission and our Doors of Hope carry their message,
but the vital message of Quakerism of to-day is not
to save the lost souls, but it is to keep souls from
being lost.
A wrecking crew is very essential v^dien some boat
is on the reefs and rocks, but the shipyard that sends
out the great boats ready to bear the commerce of
the world is certainly much more useful to society.
Every meeting of the Society of Friends should be
not so much a soul-saving station as a character build-
ing ship-yard, sending forth from her doors and from
her schools and colleges, young men and women whom
you know will not make shipwrecks on life's voyage.
Whatever may be our idea of the evolution of the
Christian religion or of the evolution of the Chris-
tian civilization and of human society, one thing is
sure: Humanity has been building a stairway from
the bottomless pit of savagery, up through the ages,
step by step, to the sweetness of the civilization of the
twentieth century. The vital message of Quakerism
in the past has been to add steps to that stairway,
lifting civilization higher and higher.
When George Fox and his followers broke the
bonds of dogma and creed and bore a message of un-
conditional religious liberty to the world, Christianity
leaped forward five hundred years ; two hundred and
fifty years have passed by and the Christian world
everywhere is longing to accept it. It is making its
inroads into the heart of the Catholic Church itself
and mankind everywhere is learning as Oliver Wendell
Holmes said of Whittier:
105
"Not thine to lean on priesthood's broken reed
No barriers caged thee in a baggot's fold
Did zealots ask to syllable thy creed
Thou saidst *Our Father' and thy creed was told."
When William Penn came with his message of
liberty and his idea of a representative government
as witnessed by his holy experiment on the banks of
the Delaware, he added a long and high step to the
stairway of human progress and set upon the top
thereof the torch of liberty, the light of which has
encircled the globe. When Mary Dyer, from the scaf-
fold on Boston Common on which she died, sent forth
the message to the general court of Massachusetts Bay
Colony, that your laws of intolerance must be re-
pealed, King Charles upon his throne heard it in fear
and the next provincial charter he granted gave to
the world the first legal establishment of religious
liberty, given at the request of Mary Dyer's husband,
before the throne.
These are steps in this stairway that lead from
earth to heaven ; they are established forever and the
last heir of all the ages shall travel over them, in joy.
But the stairvvay is not finished ; it will never
be finished until it reaches the far-off heights of the
Elysian Fields, when "the knowledge of the Lord shall
cover the earth as the v/aters do the sea." We have
some vital messages and some definite steps in this
stairway, on human progress that we must lay or
another shall take our crown.
Civilization has grander steps to build than have
ever been built. We are far from the golden rule.
The world has not yet learned what is the greatest
heroism. Our heroes of war, our Custers and our
Hobsons are called our bravest and most patriotic men.
We spend more for arms and preparations for war
than for the higher education of our youth. We cul-
106
tlvate this great remnant of barbarism and we do it
in the nanie of the extension of com.merce and civi-
lization. We do it in the name of humanity, we call
it "taking up the white man's burden" and *'the Anglo-
Saxon's mission" and even more we do it in the name
of the extension of the Kingdom of the Prince of
Peace. Never did the times call more loudly than
now for some organization to teach our young men
that it is a braver thing to live a brave life in a
"black coat than to die a brave death in yellow leggins
and jacket. To teach that it is a more patriotic
service to be turning the Vv^heels of somiC factory or
follov/ing the plow cr honestly dealing in merchandise
than to be drilling in an arm.y post or sailing on a
man of war. Five years have scarcely passed since in
the name of humanity, the popular press, with the
yellow journals in the land, the politician and pro-
fessional military man, under the guise of war for
hum.anity, caused this nation to turn its back on
the record of a century and traniple under foot the
fundamental principles of our revolutionary fathers
and I am sorry to say that many pulpits joined in
this clam.or. Quakerism has a higher m.essage of civi-
lization for the world than that. It has a message
of higher patriotism than ever came from San Juan
Plill or Manila Bav. The messagfc of Quakerism is
for a higher civilization, not only in the Philippines
and South Africa, but a higher civilization in Wash-
ington and London and truer representatives of pa-
triotism in Congress and in Parliament. Ours is a
message cf peace. While other pulpits pray for the
success of arms and send up their thanks for victory
through the smoke of battle, we will erect within
our borders no altar to the *'god of war," but within
our hearts we shall build an altar to the Prince of Peace
and upon it there shall never be any bloody sacrifice.
107
We shall declare the message of Charles Sumner,
''There is no peace that is not honorable, there is no
war that is not dishonorable." We shall teach the
world in the language of Longfellow :
"Were half the power that fills the world with terror
Were half the wealth bestowed on camps and courts
Given to redeem the world from error
There were no need of arsenals and forts."
Never was such need of this message to the world
and never such promise of fruitful harvest as now.
Take up the prophetic declaration : ''Beat thy swords
into plow shares and thy spears into pruning hooks'*
and the twentieth century will see the fulfilment of
this phophecy. The statesmanship of such men as
Charles Sumner and John Bright and James G. Blaine
shall be the anvil upon which that sword shall be
beaten and the peace-loving songs of Whittier and
Longfellow and Tennyson shall be the hammer that
shall fall in strokes of sweet cadence upon that anvil
and Andrew Carnegie's Temple of Peace and the
Church shall be the smilh-shop, and the Mighty Arm
of Jehovah shall complete the v/ork. ,
All the battles for freedom have not yet been
v/on. There are certain inalienable riglits that are in-
lierent. Among these are the rights to follow any
lawful line of trade and commerce and upon the other
side the inalienable right tO' labor. We live in an age
of combination v/hen there is too much danger of
individuality being lost. The business mian has formed
a partnership, and the partnership has fonned a cor-
poration, and the corporation lias formed a trust ; and
every step has moved us farther from the individual
and in too m.any cases by this rem.oval we get away
from the hum.an conscience and from the sym.pathy
cf the human heart and cheapen the value of human
108
life and make man a machine whose only value is the
number of nails he can drive in a day or the number
of bolts he can make at the forsje.
These organizations are but the natural outgrowth
of our industries. They are part of the evolution of
society and they will remain, and should remain ; but
they must be taught their proper place. Let the
Church, let the Society of Friends teach the corpora-
tion and teach the trust the true lav/, ''Whatsoever
ve v/ould that men should do to you, do ye even so to
them."
The combination of capital upon the one hand
is met by the union of labor on the other and the
individual in the union of labor is lost as much as
he is in the union of capital. Ever since that far-
off day, when in the language of Elizabeth Brown-
in"f ''God's curse became a blessin?::" and the edict of
heaven was "in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat
bread," every man has tiie inlierent and individual
right of labor and is entitled to its reward. The
crimes tiiat have been committed in the name of labor
in the last decade, cover almost the whole catalogue
from provoke to riot, murder and treason. Men have
been denied, in the name of labor, the right to labor
while their children suffered for bread. Their homes
burned over their heads, fathers and brothers are
murdered and the press at large is silent upon the
question. The labor union is also a part of the evolu-
tion of human society. It will remain and should re-
main, but it must learn the message that Quakerism
has been repeating these two and a half centuries,
the absolute supremacy of the individual. When labor
will cease to be at war with labor and when capital
has learned the golden rule then labor will cease to
be at war with capital and that fundamental principal
of Quakerism shall be established in human society.
109
The supremacy of the individual. Bear them this
message :
To right's eternal law, the beggar at the gate
Tlie toiler in the field
The tradesman with his ware, and the great magnate
All alike must yield
Our grandfathers hy their votes and testimony
by day and by that faithful old "Quaker carriage"
carrying some fugitive toward the north star by night,
v/ere solving the question of slavery. They joined
in the union of forces that removed that dark stain
from the emblem of our country. But there is a
slavery worse than that of the body, there are chains
stronger than those made of iron. When Abraham
Lincoln was candidate for United States senator, he
made that distinguished speech before the Republican
convention of Illinois that has immortalized his name.
**This nation cannot live one-half slave and one-half
free." It is equally true to-day that this nation can
not live one-half drunk and one-half sober. The saloon
or the church must go.
In 1848 when William H. Seward was governor
of New York, he came to Cleveland to make a speech.
He knew full well the ideas of the people of the
W^estern Reserve and to the consternation of his po-
litical friends, he declared, ''Slavery is wrong and there
is but one w^ay to right it, and that is to abolish it,
and you and I must see to it that we do it." What-
ever may be your idea of temperance there is one
thing sure, the saloon as an institution is wrong and
there is but one way to right it, and that is to pro-
hibit it. This is a vital message the Society of Friends
should bear. Let not our conscience be lulled into a
sleep of indifference. Levi Coffin, Lucretia ]Mott, the
Society of Friends at large, bore no uncertain mes-
110
sage upon the slavery question. Our great cities, i
often ruled in the interests of breweries, are in the |
bondage of vice and the thralldom of greed. We are '\
unworthy of the heirship that is cast upon us if we j!
do not inscribe upon our banners, *'The saloon must ''
go," and like brave soldiers march over the rough hills !|
of prejudice, scorn and ridicule until we plant that
banner upon the ruins of every brewery and saloon .
from ■ Maine to the Philippines ; let us bear that ;
message, not on election day alone, but on every day in
the year. It is a message of education, it is a mas- j
sage of morals, it is a message of good society, it is {
a message of good business as well as a political and ';
reliofious messac:'^ '
i^iuus message. j
This, Oh, This, is a fight for humanity's sake ^ ,|
Oh land of freedom, awake, awake, ^ i
And drive from thy shores this curse and this woe '|
And write in thy statutes, "the saloon must go." " \
)
Time forbids that I mention the message we ,'
should bear to the inferior and down-trodden races of j
the earth as well as the great message of intelligence j
and knowledge we should bear to the young men and j
young women within our borders who are to help ;
shape the destiny of the twentieth century. The j
message of universal brotherhood and the message of j
increased knowledge and intelligence must go hand in j
hand. Suffice it that I sum it all in one picture. I ]
see a church that was not born to die, in it are the J
elements of everlasting life, like the pillars of Jason j
and Boaz of, Solomon's Temple, it stands for strength i
upon the one side and beauty upon the other. Be- i
hold it ! the intuitive knowledge of God in the human '
soul is its foundation, righteous lives are its walls, earth j
is its beams and heaven its rafters, conscience is the un- ]
stained window through which the light of truth \
Ill
enters, inspired intelligence is its pulpit, the sweet
cadence of lives lived in harmony with the will of their
Creator is its music, each one who enters its portals
is its priest, convictions of the human soul are its
creed, and the freedom of thought its dogma, the olive
branch of peace is its adornment, and justice its pil-
lars, the human heart its altar, and the atmosphere that
envelopes and permeates it is love. Let philosophy dig"
deep, we will gladly go with it to the bottom; it
will never dig deeper than our foundation, God in the
human heart. Let science climb from peak to peak in
the realms of knowledge, hand in hand we will go with
it, knowing that all truth wherever found, is divine.
Creed and dogma and skepticism by such a message
will be robbed of the very ground on which they stand
ana shall go down into oblivion
"Unwept, unhonored and unsung."
Scth H. Ellis :
"We have with us to-night the President of Earl-
ham College, from whom I am sure we will all be glad
to hear."
Robert L. Kelley, President of Earlham College,
said in part :
*'I did not come here to make a speech and it would
be quite unpardonable for me to occupy much of your
time.
*'It is a time for reminiscences and for individuals
v/ho can connect old times with the passing times, for
those who knovv^ something of the foundations of Quak-
erism. * * * I have the honor to stand for the
educational principles of Quakerism in this time in
which we live. May I say to you, Friends, that we,
who are engaged in educational work, have very many
opportunities to go out in the various fields of labor
and proclaim the principles of Quakerism. We are
glad to do so and are glad of the reception we get
when we give the world our Quaker ideals of educa-
tion. Fhave thought, as those who have founded it
have come before my mind, that we younger men are
not entitled to the credit we get. We are very much
indebted for those ideals we are proclaiming to the
fathers and mothers who established the meetings here
upon this ground. We are simply formulating again,
■and stating in slightly different words those grand
ideals which had their foundation in the institutions
founded by our forefathers here. I take this oppor-
tunity to put the credit where it belongs, and insist
that the ideals of the guarded education did not place
education before the building of character, but that
113
character and conscience first, is an idea we have bor-
rowed from the fathers."
Professor J. B. Wrigjit, Harvcysbiirg, O. :
Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee to-night, as
we bow down before Thee in silent worship. We thank
Thee for the blessed inheritance that has come to us
as the children and grandchildren of the men and
women who 'knew God' and followed and obeyed Him
in the early days here. And we thank Thee that Thy
Spirit is just as ready to operate in the world now as
then; that Thou art just; and that our opportunities
are just as great as theirs were then. We thank Thee
that this inheritance is not in name only. Grant that
these, our meetings before Thee from time to time to
consider the richness and blessedness of our inheritance
may be the means of grace in Thy hands to quicken
in us the same spirit of consecration and cordial devo-
tion ; that we may come into a deeper knowledge of
Thee and a better understanding of Thy will concern-
ing us. We know it is a blessed thing to be led of
God. Grant that we may grovv^ in grace and in power.
And to Thy name will be ascribed all the glory now
and forever. Amen !"
Sefh H. Ellis :
"It is proper now for us to close our session that
we m.ay have peaceful rest."
_ SEVENTH DAY, 9 45 A. M.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF SAMUEL
. LINTON.
MARY BAILEY, JR.^ WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
Samuel Linton was born in Bucks county, Penn-
sylvania, twelfth month, seventeenth, 1741.
His first ancestor v/ho came to America was John
Linton. While he was a student at Oxford, England,
he was sent with a company of soldiers to visit a
Quaker meeting to ascertain if anything was said
against the Church of England. While there he was
so impressed v\ath the simplicity, faith and earnestness
of the Friends that he became a convert to their re-
ligion and engaged in the ministry for a number of
years. He v/as an associate of William Penn's, both be-
fore and after he came to this country. Desiring
more freedom and the privilege to worship God as
their consciences dictated, he and his wife came to
America in 1792. ITis son, Benjamin Linton, Samuers
father, vv^as a learned and able man and noted astron-
om^er.
Sam.uel Linton was raised on a farm and learned
the weaver's trade.
In 1775 he married Elizabeth Harvye. They
had three sons and two daughters, David, Nathan,
James, Elizabeth and Jane. In 1802, about four years
after his v/ife's death, he with his five children left
115
his Eastern home and started in a wagon for Ohio.
They came over the mountains to Pittsburg, where
he bought a raft, on which they floated down the Ohio
to Cincinnati, thence they came by wagon to Waynes-
ville. Here he purchased a very humble home, with
some farming land, and followed his trade with much
success. He soon became a prominent m^an in the
community. He had strong muscles, which counted
for much in the pioneer days in a heavily v/ooded
country, and he had a vigorous and practical mind to
direct the labor of himself and others in the Vv'ork of
opening up a home in the wilderness.
The bountiful crops grown en the new, rich soil,
and the increase of herds and flock soon enabled him
to extend a hospitality that seemed instinctive. The
latch string of his home was always out. Any man
with an honest face and no place to lay his head that
night was welcome. Nevvly arrived emigrants from
the old hom.e in the East would be taken in and fed
and lodged until a Icr?- cabin could be Dut ud to shelter
them. Traveling miinisters could tell iii their journals
of a warm welcom.e at Samuel Linton's.
A committee of Friends appointed by an Eastern
Yearly Meeting to visit the Indians on the border rest-
ed themselves and their horses and went on their vv-ay
rejoicing. And all this because the man was v/illing to
spend himself for others.
In 1804 he bought nve hundred acres of kmd on
Todd's Fork, three m.iles northeast of Wilmington,
where the next year he and his family located.
He was a true and valuable member of the Society
of Friends, and his descendants to the present genera-
tion have kept up the traditions, of the famnly in that
respect.
He and his family were members of Westland
Monthly Meeting in Pennsylvania until IMiami Month-
116
ly Meeting was organized, of which he was the first
clerk. Then, after they moved to Todd's Fork, Center
IMonthly Meeting was estabhshed, and they became
members of it.
He was a good, kind father, an intelHgent and
far-seeing man. Ke had a hvely interest in national
politics and a clear understanding of the general gov-
ernment's policy toward the new states and territories
in the West. From his letters, written after he came
to Ohio, to friends in Philadelphia, we see he took"
•great interest and pleasure in the peace and happiness
of the settlement in the West.
These letters, v/hich were written in the years
1S04 to 1810, contain much interesting and well-written
history of the early inhabitants and their progress and
the condition of national afi^airs. Many passages of
his published correspondence show a keen sense of
humor.
His second son, Nathan, was appointed County
Surveyor when Clinton county v/as organized, which
office he held for forty years. In assisting the cause of
education he v/as forem.ost and took an active part in
the opening of public highways in his neighborhood.
Ke was among the first to introduce and encourage
th.e growtli of fine wool, and the propagating of choice
in; it.
He had a clear and active mind and was authority,
at eighty years of age, for all county surveys.
Nathan Linton was a consistent friend and had
th.e respect of all honored citizens.
Samuel Linton died the twenty-seventh of twelfth
month, 1823, at the home of his daughter, Elizabeth
Satterrhwaite, at Waynesville, Ohio.
Honest, truthful, self-reliant, helpful to others, he
left a namic that his descendants should cherish as an
heir-lcom.
ABIJAH O'NEALL.
ELLA E. KEYS, Vv'AYNESVILLE, OHIO.
While looking: backward that v/e mav better tin-
dcrstand and appreciate Miami Monthly Meeting, it
may be seen that a large amount of credit is due to
Abijah O'Neal, the grandfather of George T. and the
late Abijah P. O'Neall.
He is described by a contemporary as being five
feet eight inches high and round-shouldered and hav-
ing a stout v.-ell-knit frame, light brown hair, gray
eyes, long upper lip and strong square jaw. His head
was massive, requiring a number eight hat. He had a
broad well developed forehead and a face that dis-
played great firmness. Such indeed v/as his ciiaracter
that to propose w^as to do. " He might break but he
did not bend.''
He had some peculiarities. He chose not to sleep
on feathers but instead preferred a bed of fresh clean
straw. At a tim_e v/hen the use of spirituous liquors
was almost universal he v/as strictly abstemious. He
never drank tea or coffee and never used toba.cco.. He
wore his hair closely clipped and always had four holes
cut in the crov/n of his hat. The explanation of this
habit was that ever after the brutal assault during the
Revolution, he suffered much from nervous headache
and wdshed a palliative.
Abijah O'Neall was born near Winchester, Va.,
Jan. 21, 1762. When seventeen years old he removed
118
to South Carolina and settled on Bush River, now
Newberry district, where the family passed through
the bloody scenes of the Revolution, many times suffer-
ing alike from both Whig and Tory. Only his relig-
ious faith and strong parental control kept young
O'Neall, a passive non-combatant, byt he was not
exempt from brutal outrage. In January, 1781, when
Gol. Tarleton was moving against the Patriotic forces,
which resulted in the Battle of Cowpens, January 17,
1 78 1, the British forces vv'ere encamped on the O'Neall
lands, and Abijah was taken before a number of Eng-
lish officers, who demanded information as to the posi-
tion and number of Morgan's army, but he would not
give it. When the officers found they could not get by
threats or persuasion the desired information, they as-
saulted him with their swords until his scalp hung in
tatters from his head and he was left but little better
than dead. In an insensible condition he V\^as carried to
the home of John Kelly, whose daughter, Anna, proved
the good angel who nursed him back to life and
eventually into health, and whom he rewarded by a
lifetime love and devotion, their marriage being solem-
nized according: to the rites of Friends in Bush River
]\ieeting, Dec. 19, 1784.
The following years of Abijah O'Neall's life were
busy ones yet he never ceased to be inflamed by what
he considered the great wrong of human slavery and
the ills of rearing a family under its blighting influence.
His wife was by inheritance a large slave holder. The
Ordinance of 1787 and the opening for settlement of
the territory north of the Ohio river, opened a new
field for those who vv^shed to escape from evils which
they could not control. In May, 1798, Abijah left
home on horseback to hunt for a future abode. His
tour of exploration occupied about two months. In
autumn, he and his brother-in-lav.^, Samuel Kelly,
119
bought of Dr. Brown, 3,1 loj acres of land lying on
th^ east side of the Little Miami river, north of
Caesar's creek, near the town of Waynesville, which
then contained but seven families.
Abijah and his wife had much trouble in freeing
their slaves. The laws of South Carolina would not
allow a master to release a slave without giving bond
that the slave should not become a public charge and
that he should not be submissive to the laws through
the commission of a crime. All could not give such a
bond and m.any were not willing to do so. Those freed
caused much trouble, Abijah having to make three
trips to South Carolina on account of their misdeeds
and general worthlessness.
In the late summer all arrangements being com-
pleted, Abijah went before Bush River Monthly Meet-
ing'-, of which he v/as a member and asked for a cer-
tificate of membership. After due deliberation the
membership committee declined to grant the request
and gave as a reason for so doing, " The expressed
desire w^as not that of a sane man. The desire to take
his family from their home and friends into the wilder-
ness was so unreasonable as to show of, itself an un-
balanced mind and the request could not be granted."
Abijah denounced them in no measured terms as being
hypocritical. That the stain of human blood was on
their souls, that the Almighty would visit them v/ith
sw^ift and sure punishment for their hypocrisy, that
their meetinp- would be scattered to the four winds,
that the members would seek an asylum elsewhere and
their land be left as desolate as the plains of Arabia
was a prediciion which v/as fulfilled. In less than ten
years from a membership of one hundred families,
but eleven of the crisfinal members remained. Over
two hundred persons of whom had united with the
120
meeting at Waynesville and in a few years the doors
of the meeting were closed forever.
Near the close of September, 1799, ^^^^ family
train started and completed the journey in forty-two
days. The route pursued from Newberry was by way
of Greenville, through Saluda Gap, to Ashville, N. C,
along the French Broad River, past Bald Mountain,
to Greenville, Tenn., via Cumberland Gap, Lexington,
Ky., Cincinnati, and Lebanon to Waynesville. Prac-
tically the same road remains the great thoroughfare
of travel from the southeast to the northwest to-day.
The families that immigrated with them were
Jesse and David Pugh, William Mills, Robert Kelly,
Isaac Perkins and tv\^o others, all being members of
Bush River Monthly Meeting.'
On arrival at Waynesville the family moved into
a cabin Vv^hich stood where Michael Liddy now resides.
During the winter some rude improvements were made
on the property where William Frame now lives. It
then became the O'Neall hom^e and they, the first set-
tlers east of the Little Miam.i.
The family now being permanently located in
their new home, Abijah turned his attention to the
improvement of the country and the people with whom
his lot was cast. He was an excellent and hence a
very busy surveyor. After providing for the imme-
diate physical wants of his family he attended to their
moral and intellectual wants. In 1802 he caused a
school for liis and other children to be taught in his
own house by Joel Wright who also taught in 1804,
1805 and 1807. Abijah was very kind hearted and
gave a helping hand to all who needed assistance.
Fie died suddenly in the prime of his life and
full strength of manhood. May 11, 1823. His remains
were laid to rest in an unmarked grave near the north-
east corner of the Friends' graveyard.
121
He was a strong-willed, self-reliant man, one born
to be master of himself and of others, a leader among
men, and a controller of events.
To-day our praise is due him for the services he
rendered the vicinity during his life and the descend-
ants he has left to continue the work he loved.
"Can we forget that brave and hardy band
Who made their homes first in this western land?
Their names should be enrolled on history's page
To be preserved by each succeeding age.
"They were the fathers of the mighty west,
Their arduous labors Heaven above has blessed ;
Before them fell the forest of the plain,
And peace and plenty follov/ in the train ;•" \
•^ . SAMUEL KELLY, SR. m
(mACEL WILSON^ SELMA, OHIO.)
About 1750 there emigrated from Kings county,
Ireland, Timothy Kelly, his two sons, Samuel and
John and his daughter, Abigail.
They were of good famiily and wealthy, but the
young men were too independent and energetic to sub-
mit to the rule England had imposed upon the little
isle, and seeing trouble in the distance came to Amicrica
in search of entire freedom and peace.
They settled in South Carolina on the Wateree
river near the present site of the City of Camden.
Five years after coming to Amxcrica John Kelly,
father of the subject of this sketch, married Mary
Evans. She was of English descent, although born
in Pennsylvania, and quite an able woman both
physically and mentally.
In 1762 the brothers moved to the District of
Newberry on the Bush river and helped to found what
is now Bush River Friends' Meeting.
John settled on the south and Samuel on the north
side of the river and the old place, Springfield, was
kept by the Kelly's until Judge O'Neall's death in
1863. Slave holding was not then against the Disci-
pline of the Friends' Church and John Kelly, Sainiiel's
father, owned quite a number, among them a young
man whom he promised to liberate at his death ;
so this slave, to hasten his release, poisoned the water
of a spring which his master particularly liked and
caused his death in two weeks.
This sad occurrence left the care of affairs to the
123
mother and two elder sons, Isaac and Samuel, who
were appointed executors. Isaac, as the elder son,
inherited the estate, but three weeks after his mar-
riage with Merris Gaunt and soon after his father's
death, he died, leaving the inheritance to Samuel.
After his mother's death, Samuel was left in sole
charge of the family and having raised and educated
them all, he divided the property equally among them.
Samuel was six feet high, broad shouldered and
well proportioned. He had the same clear Irish skin
as his ancestors, the sam.e honest blue eyes, straight
nose, full forehead and auburn hair. He v/as always
an active man, even in his old age, and he and his
saddle horse Charlie v/ere a common sight to his
friends.
On New Year's day, 17S8, at the age of tv/enty-
seven, he married Hannah Pearson, an English girl,
daughter of Samuel and Mary Pearson, of Virginia.
They were the devoted parents of eight children:
Mary, Vvdio was married to Andrev/ Vv^nittacre ; Isaac,
who died at the age of thirty; Jolm, vvho married
Mary O'Neall and" died at the age of thirty-four;
Timothy, who married Avis Sleeper; Samuel, who
first married Achsah Stubbs, three years after her
death married Ruth Ann Cause and five years after
her death Sarah Pine. He it is whom some of the
older Friends m.ay remember and three of whose four
children vv-e still find in our midst. The next child
v/as Moses, who was killed by a falling log two years
after they came to Ohio. Then Moses, Jr., vvdio was
born in Ohio and married Abigail Satterthwaite, and
Anna, v/ho died in her thirtieth year. Anna Kelly,
Samuel's sister, was married to Abijah O'Neail, about
whom Vv^e have just heard and he and Samuel pur-
chased from Dr. Jacob Roberts Brov/n the option on
his three-thousand acre military claim, said to be sit-
124
uatecl on the Little Miami river near Waynesville.
Before starting to locate the claim, Samuel determined
to rid himself of a great weight, namely, the owning
of slaves, so he and his sister liberated all of their
human property but tv/o old ones, whom they brought
to Ohio with them and cared for the rest of their
lives.
In September of 1798, Samuel and Abijah O'Neall
started on horseback on their nine hundred mile ride.
Clothing for themselves and food for all, were car-
ried on the backs of pack horses. Their journey was
comparatively uneventful, and after hastily looking
over most of -the claim, they returned home, well
pleased, and bought the land.
Abijah was able to start for his nev/ home the
next year, but Samuel's business kept him from going
until September of 180:.
They had both asked for their certificates of
membership to start a Meeting in the west, but were
refused because their friends, or rather neighbors,
said no sane men vv^ould choose such a home for their
families ; their answer was that they only went to
prepare a Vv^ay for the rest of the Meeting, and from
v/hat Judge O'Neall says, v/e knov/ how true this
answer was, for "The exodus begun by Abijah O'Neall
in 1/99 aiKi Samuel Kelly in 1801, was followed so
rapidly that Bush River Meeting melted away, like
frost on a May morning, and in the lapse of the next
six vears the Meeting which he had frequently seen
attended by five hundred Friends had practically
passed out of existence and in a few years more its
doors were closed forever."
With Samuel Kelley came several of his neighbors,
making quite a train across East Tennessee, by way of
the Cumberland Gap, through central Kentucky, cross-
ing the Ohio at Cincinnati. Samuel led the way on
125
horseback, picking out the best road and finding the
most suitable places to ford the rivers and camp,
while the wagon with his family and most valuable
goods v/as driven by Wilk Furnas, at the head of the
train.
They met m^any difficulties, the hardest being the
crossing of the Clinch mountain. Some places were
so steep that it seemed almost im.pcssible for a single
horse to climb, but by putting tv/o or three teams to
one wagon, they m.anaged to reach the top, only to
fmd that the danger had just begun. Of course no
ordinary brake would hold on such a slope, so they
used stout ropes, and by tying them to the wagon
and then taking a wrap around a tree, they could
let the wagon down as slowly as they wished. After
forty days' travel they at last reached Waynesville.
Their ftrst winter was spent with Abijah
O'Neall, but early in the spring their new dwelling
was completed and they soon made it an ideal home,
a home where all who went felt better and richer for
having lived where love, peace and a Christian spirit
dwelt continually and shed their influence over all.
Until the Meeting house Vv^as built, it was in this
fitting place that the little body of Friends held their
silent comimunion with the Father or listened to the
earnest plea of one of its members.
Here Samuel and his wife lived, united in their
happiness until July of 1839, when at seventy-four
years of age, the mother and wife v/as called to a
higher duty and later, in 185 1, at the age of ninety-
one years, the father followed.
So passed away a true Quaker pioneer, one re-
markable for his kindness and hospitality, one whose
great moral and physical strength helped to elevate
all who knew him.
Seth H. Ellis :
"What a grand thing it is that God does not put
it upon 3'oung men and women of to-day to cross those
m.ountains. I thought I would ask at the close of
these papers how many in the audience are descendants
of these brave pioneers ?"
There were present in the audience at this time as
follows :
Descendants of Joel Wright, seven.
Descendants of Robert Furnas, tVv^enty-six.
Descendants of Sammuel Linton, thirty.
Descendants of Elijah O'Neall, five.
Descendants of Samuel Kellev, six.
THE WORK OF FRIENDS FOR PEACE AND
ARBITRATION.
(prof. ELBERT RUSSELL, EARLHAM COLLEGE,
RICHMOND, INDL\NA.)
There is an inherent difficulty in the task set me
at this time. That influence which, for lack of a bet-
ter term, we call Quakerism, has been almost without
exception a purely spiritual force. It has not been
embodied in great ecclesiastical organizations nor ex-
pressed by means of political or military power. It is
difficult to describe the achievements of such a force.
Its work is so intangible that the historian cannot
say with certainty that any outcome is due solely
to its influence ; he cannot point with pride to un-
questioned, tangible results. The peace work of
Friends has, for the greatest part, consisted in keep-
ing in operation those forces and influences that have
tended to give a truer conception of Christianity, to
enhance the feeling of brotherhood among men, and
so to create an abhorrence of war. How shall we
say when and where this influence, working often un-
conscious of its origin, has mitigated the horrors of
warfare or serve to prevent strife. How often has
it not been the influence that led to results for which
others got the credit when war was averted or peace
hastened? Of this much we may be sure from the
very nature of the case, viz., that the net results of
the work that Friends have done in the world in behalf
128
of peace and arbitration, are far more numerous than
any record outside God's judgment book will ever
sliovv. We shall content ourselves to-day with re-
viewing briefly the tangible work done by Friends and
the influences set in motion by them looking toward
the promotion of the reign of peace among nations.
The first orreat contribution of the Friends to the
cause of peace vv^as their refusal to bear arms or fight.
This is the best known part of their testimony against
war, and has given them the name of non-residents.
But this is only the negative aspect of their attitude.
It only comes out Vv^ith any emphasis in time of war,
and then its force has alv/ays been lessened by the fact
that as a practical attitude it looks so much like the
attitude of treason or of cowardice. Of course the
world has come to recognize that the Quaker's refusal
to fight arises from higher motives and has learned
to respect his conscience, but the time of war is not
the time when men are best prepared to appre-
ciate the truth of their position. In time of peace this
testimony of non-resistance is not possible, and some
more effective way of teaching the world the evil of
war is necessary for those times when m.en's preju-
dices are not strengthened by the passion and heat of
conflict and when the reason is more open to con-
viction.
Yet I would not underestimate the power of such
■examples nor the influence for good of this practical
demonstration to the world that Christian character
is something incompatible with that of the warrior and
that men mav live without fi^rhtincr even in times of
carnage, and even so maintain their lives and rights
jn the midst of armed opposition and persecution.
Such action starts discussion, compels men to review
the grounds on which they insisted that fighting is
129
often a Qiristian duty and thus opens their minds
to the light of peace.
Our opposition to war is but incidental to our
conception of the Christian Hfe. The first Friends
did not specially attack war as an organized evil, but
simply eschewed it as part of the devil's work, all of
which they "denied." When George Fox was offered
the position of captain of a band of militia, he re-
fused, because he lived "in the power of that life which
removed the cause of all war." Fox and his fol-
lowers found war inconsistent with the teachings of
Jesus Christ. They could not conceive Him — the
Love incarnate — shedding his fellow's blood. Con-
sequently they neglected and opposed war as they
did everything springing from human selfishness and
hatred. This return to and revival of the position
of the first disciples of Jesus has had a powerful in-
fluence on the tliought of the Christian v/orld and is
coming more and more to be shared by other spiritually
minded people. In as far as the world can be brought
to the spiritual experience of the Friends, must war
cease, because from the truly converted man the
impulse to war and the spirit of it must disappear.
In a third way Friends have powerfully promoted
ideas of peace. In the minds of a large part of the
world militarism and patriotism are inseparable.
They think a man can not be a good and service-
able citizen of a country, if he will not bear arms in
its defense. Friends have done much to teach the
possibility of a patriotism that is neither national
clannishness on one hand nor militarism on the other.
They have called attention to the fact that the
Quaker virtues are the ultimate basis of good citi-
zenship ; that no free government can exist unless
it be founded on the conscientious rectitude, integrity,
justice, and loyalty of its citizens; that the most
130
dangerous foe to a people, against which no armies
can defend it, is its own viciousness; that the gov-
ernment of a free people like the kingdom of God, is
within men, rests ultimately on a moral and spiritual
basis. To demonstrate by example the value to a
country of an upright, unselfish citizenship, to make
men see that patriotism may exist without warfare,
that the true interests of a country are best promoted
by the pursuits of peace, and that moral and spiritual
warfare waged against vice, ignorance and sin of men,,
v/hether at home or abroad, removes the causes that
commonly lead men to carnal warfare — this is by no
means the least service of Friends to the cause of"
peace.
We turn from these to some more tangible and
outward phases of the work of Friends for peace and
arbitration, some which are easier for the historian
to seize upon, and which v\^ill more readily satisfy
men who are clamorous for definite results.
One naturally thinks first of William Penn and
his ''holy experiment" in civil government. Among
the three Friends, Fox, Barclay and Penn, who gave
impulse and shape to the Quaker movement, it was the
latter's task to shape its civil and political forms and
ideals. Though he was the son of an English admiral,
and himself destined for the army, when he became
a Friend he learned to lean upon a higher power
than that of the sword. Through the debt of Charles.
Stuart to his father, Penn received his unique oppor-
tunity to put into practical operation his ideal of a
non-military state. This experiment was worked out
in Pennsylvania. The circumstances were not aus-
picious. The age was a warlike age. The colony
was not wholly made up of Quakers, whose convic-
tions were opposed to Vv^ar, and who knew the higher
powers of the spiritual life. Men of warlike train-
131
ing and beliefs, attracted by the liberty of government-:
and belief guaranteed in the new colony flocked to it^
The Indians with whom Penn had first to deal, were-
neither civilized nor predisposed to treat kindly the-
white men who were intruding themselves on their
lands. The stories of the cruel and exterminating
wars which had been waged by the white men in
New England and Virginia had made them suspicious :
and hostile. But Penn succeeded in winning their
confidence, and made with them, the only treaty "that
was never sworn to and never broken." Wars raged"'
on either side of the colony, but as long as the-
Indians identified it with the Quakers it was at peace
with them and they with it. Lord Baltimore, Vv'ho--
had founded Maryland on the south, became engaged^"
in a dispute with the proprietor of Pennsylvania about
the boundary. To uphold his own contention and
rights he invaded Pennsylvania vath an arm3^ But:
he found no one to fight. Only peaceful hamlets and"
quietly grazing flocks met him, and unable to settle-
the matter in this way, he returned home. As part;
of his system of government, Penn established boards
of arbitration in every county of his colony as a better
v/ay of settling differences between citizens of the
commonwealth than by resort to the courses of law.
Pennsylvania was a non-mjlitar}^ governinent dur-
ing the life of Penn and that of his sons. This condi-
tion lasted some seventy years as a v/hcle, until the
growing pressure of the non-Ouaker majority and the-
excitement of the imminent French and Indian war^
led the Quakers to refuse longer to serve in the as-
sembly whose policy it could no longer approve. But
the exoerim-cnt lasted lonof enouHi to demonstrate
certain truths that have had a lasting influence on the
form of governm.ent and policy of this country. It ■
demonstrated the practicibility of government that docs- ;
132
not ixst on military force, even in dealing with savage
tribes like the Indians. It demonstrated that an army
;:for the defense of the territory and honor of a coun-
try is not necessary. Lord Baltimore's invasion could
do no harm to a country that woiild not fight. It
vshov/ed the practical value of the principle of arbi-
tration. Penn's charters were the model upon which
the constitution of the Commonwealth was made and
it in turn powerfully influenced the Constitution of the
United States. The fact that we have never been
a military people, have been comparatively free from
military policies and ambitions, have had no appreci-
able standing army, have been slow to engage in the
quarrels of other nations, and have so largely used
the method of arbitration to adjust our difficulties to
other countries — these facts are due in part to the
practical influence of Penn's experiment in Penn-
sylvania.
Penn's other great contribution to the cause of
peace is his "Plan for the Present Peace of Europe."
One cannot say with certainty how much influence
this plan of Penn's has had on the thought of the
v/orld. Certainly the experience of Penn entitled him
to be heard on such a subject, but he produced it
during the time when he was under a cloud because
his enemies had smirched his reputation and caused
him to lose, temporarily, the control of his province
;and to retire from public life. Yet it is known that
three Friends, two of them Stephen Grellet and Wil-
' liam Allen, had frequent intercourse with Czar Alex-
•ander T of Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth
-century and discussed with him the question of main-
taining the peace of Europe. William Penn's work
must have shaped to a great extent the ideas which
'Ihey;^ presented to the emperor on the subject. This
...is all ihe more significant when v/e remember that it
133
was a grandson of Alexander's brother who caUed the -
Congress which estabhshed the Hague Court.
Penn's plan, presented in his "Essay for the
Present and Future Peace of Europe," was briefly as
follows. I quote from the address of Philip Garret
before the American Friends' Peace Conference:
'The main feature of the essay was an imperial
Diet or Parliament, which was to sit once in one,,
two or three years, before which sovereign assembly
should be brought all differences depending between
one sovereign and another that could not be made up
by private embassies before the session began.
The Diet was to represent the nations of Eurppe
and he proceeds to particularize by naming the num-
ber of representatives from each nation. There were ■
only six from England, v/hile Germany v/as assigned
12,'^France lo, Spain lo, Italy 8. =!= * * He goes
en to say, '' And if the* Turks and Muscovites are taken
in, as seemis but fit and just, they will makeio apiece
more." "Sweedland" and Poland Vv'ere each to li^ve
four, altho the half-barbarous Muscovites have swal-
lowed or partitioned the latter out of existence since.
If any power Vv^ould not submit to the award of
this Diet, 'the other nations were to unite and compel
submission. This sounds v/arlike, but Penn believed,
I suppose, that there v.'ould be little occasion for such
use of force.
Some mention should be made ox the organized
work of Friends both in propagating principles of
peace and arbitration, and in influencing the policy
of the government and in opposing legislation that
would put the country on a military basis, or make
military service compulsory. This lias been consist-
ently and generally done by the various Yearly Meet-
ings and their subordinate meetings, largely through'
committees appointed and kept for the purpose.
134
Perhaps the most powerful single agency in this,
'country in promoting sentiment in favor of peace and
^arbitration is the American Peace Society. It was to
Friends that it has had to look for the capable man
who has made it the force it has become. His states-
manlike studies, papers and addreses on this question
liave certainly been among the most potent forces
making for peace in this country in recent years.
Not only have Friends as individuals stood before
^ Jdngs and presidents, petitioned parliaments, suffered
in guardhouses or rotted in foul prisons and suffered
' the loss of all things as a testimony against war, but
'they have done patient, constructive, organized work
vfor the cause of peace.
Hovv^ever they have differed on other subjects,
Friends have been disposed to abandon their tendency
"to separation and isolation in dealing with this ques-
'tion and to seek that power v/hich comes from united
V effort. For a number of years the Peace Association of
Friends in America has been doing most efficient work
'by the publication and dissemination of literature and
the promotion of peace meetings and addresses to
mrouse and educate the thought of the times.
We should not pass this phase of the question
without mentioning the work of the Lake Mohcnk
Conference on Peace and Arbitration, which tho made
Tip mostly of men who are not Friends, yet owes its
inception to a Friend and meets annually as the guest
.of Albert Smiley at Lake Mohonk, N. Y.
We have found much to commend in the atti-
' tude and v:ork of Friends on this very important
•subject. May I not close by calling attention to two
<■ or three great needs, some striking wants of our work
rat this time? The Christian Endeavor Society an-
nounced as part of its program a few years ago "war
; against war." Compared with the other movements that
135
it has launched, this one has gone pitiably lame, largely
because it lacked leaders and writers who had deep
and honest convictions on this subject. Most who
have tried to write for this cause for them have felt
called upon to spend time in defending war as right
for Christians under some circumstances rather than
to show how inconsistent it is with the spirit of Jesus.
Friends ought to have the men who can command
the respectful hearing of the Christian v/orld wdio could
embrace this opportunity to j^ive the C. E. the much-
needed ammunition and drill for this war against war.
Friends have also too generally abstained from
taking active part in the political affairs of our coun-
try. We have followed the example of the Penn-
slvania assemblymen who abandoned Penn's experi-
ment rather than that of Penn himself, who dared to
believe that there was a place in the counsels of our
nation for men believing in peace. It is not good peace
policy to let the war men run the government.
Lastly, our attitude and teaching on this subject
has been too largely negative. We have seemed to
deplore war, and given the impression that we would
rather see evil prevail than try to stop it by such means.
W^e should make clear that our belief is that there
is a more effective Vv^ay to overcome evil than by
military force, that we love righteousness, but that
the choice is not simply between war and unrestrained
riot of evil, but between moral and spiritual force on
one hand and the brute and brutalizing force of war
on the other.
"AS THE SPIRIT MAY MOVE/*
DR. W. H. VENx\BLE^ CINCINNATI^ OHIO.
(Not Present.)
"INFLUENCE OF OUAKERISM ON EDU-
CATION.
DR. R. G. BOONE^ CINCINNATI^ OHIO.
(Not Present.)
President Kelley was requested to read a short
biographical sketch from the "Life of Stephen Grelett,'*
which bears closely upon local events here, being an
account of his visit to this immediate vicinity and to
this Quarterly Meeting.
President Robert L. Kelley, of Earlhav.i College :
"I am sure it is a disappointment that Dr. Boone
is not here to discuss the subject of his paper. It is a
question upon which we have all been thinking to a
great extent, and one on Avhich we are in perfect unity.
Still I hate to say anything v/ithout special prepara-
tion, though I feel it is a subject that sliould be empha-
sized in his aljsence. What I shall say will be for the
most part of a general nature. It would be impossible
to enter into the details of the 'Influence of Quakerism
Upon Education' in the United States. So far as it
affects the state of Indiana, being reasonably well ac-
137
quainted with that part of the field, I might speak of
the influence of the Monthly and Quarterly Meeting
schools which Friends established everywhere. That
influence has never been stated anywhere. I had hoped
Dr. Boone would have spoken of it had he been here..
It should be worked out. There is no doubt of the
fact that Monthly Meeting and Quarterly Meeting;
schools, and others under the influence of Friends in
these western states of ours, had a tremendous effect
upon all this great Northwestern Territory as well as"
w^est of the Mississippi river. These were the fore-
runners of our present common school system, and
men who have any leaninc;- towards Friends unite in
giving to these schools and Friends tlic credit of estab-
lishing the present basic principles of education long
before the present public school system was on its feet.
They got many of their methods and im.pulse to high
ideals from these schools' under the care of Friends.
Some of the pioneer educators in Indiana Vv'ere memi-
bers of the Society of Friends, and prominent among
them was Barnabas C. Flobbs. Josejph G. Cannon, v/ho
is to be the next speaker in the House of R.epresenta-
tives, is one of the many v/ho are to occupy, or have
occupied a prominent place in public work, v/ho v/ere
educated by this man. He v/as one of the organizers of
the Norm.al state schools and liis influence is still felt.
The Reform School for Boys in Indiana was estab-
lished largely through tlie influence of Friends, and
much more miplit be mentioned.
''This point I am not discussing, but will leave
with the tliought that some who may follow me will
speak more fully of it. It is but a secondary thought in
connection with the work.
'T said last niglit, and v^'ith all my energy, 7 be-
lieve in the principles of Quakerism in connection ivith
my duties in cdiicaiional nork.' One reason wdiy I be-
138
lieve in the principles of Quakerism is because these
forefathers in whose honor we are assembled to-day
had such clear and practical insight into the nature of
God and man's relation to Him that they were enabled
to carry out their educational ideals/'
JVilsoii S. DocnCy Indianapolis^ hid. :
''I would call attention to the fact that Quakerism
has stood for the freedom of the individual. For the
idea of individualism, for the setting- free of the in-
dividual man to have for his Ruler that Divine Light
which might be within him. One of the cardinal prin-
-ciples of Quakerism is the freedom of the individual.
It was upon this western continent that individualism
v/as born. The world had not discovered its exist-
ence until it was revealed in this republic. This prin-
ciple which has had such an important influence in the
field of education, as everywhere else. Friends have
always insisted upon. That is not the end — it would
be a serious mistake to stop there. It has gone to
such an extent that it has caused separation, when we
should have been bound in unanimity. You must free
the individual, but you must always recognize that
the individual has a duty to the society, to the state
and to the community, and he must meet the demands
of the society, the state and the community.
''While Friends have always insisted upon the
freedom of the individual and the maintaining of the
individual man, there has aUvays been an underlying
recognition of the unity of society after all, of the
unity of human brotherhood. The true aim of life is
not merely selfish, but embraces our duty to our broth-
ers. Quakerism has stood for a two-fold idea, the in-
dividual free^ but at work in society to secure the best
results. These two doctrines have always been held
by Friends. We are a unit on the point that individuals
have a responsibility for the condition of the commun-
139
ity in which they Hve. This is the very high tide of
education at the present time — the quest of ideals.
AVe have had much to do with giving the world its
ideals. One of these is that 'religion must go hand in
hand with education/ A most significant step is that
religious culture must be a part and parcel of this
republic of ours. Last winter in Chicago there was
organized a 'Religious Association' of the educators
of the country. These are two most important points
and Friends have always stood for these. I had felt
that they should not be left out of this conference."
Dr. HayneSy of the Ohio State University :
"I feel that your program acted is, 'Try,' 'Experi-
ment.' As has been so admirably, told us, this is a
subject which is very near to the heart of every one
v/ho has been brought up in Friendly circles in any
degree whatsoever making you feel obliged to say a
word if requested.
"I was struck, however, by a note in Professor
Walton's remarks in the advice given to a young
teacher, that sympathy zcouid carry him through ercry-
thiiig. It enables one to get right at the heart of the
student. If we would ask ourselves what Quakerism
has had to do with education it seems to me we would
find that the ideals animating educational circles to-
day are the ideals Friends have held from the begin-
ning. Friends have taught their young people to en-
deavor to do things from the earliest times. Friends
have always tried to train up yonthftil citizens. Re-
ligion is zvork through morals, through ethics. I am
at present working to make better citizenship in the
state of Ohio and I owe a great deal to my Quaker
training: and give you this cordial greeting from the
Ohio State University."
Dr. Joseph S. Walton, of George School, Pa. :
"This subject is so large and has been so well
140
presented, but there is one phase of it that might be
emphasized. Every educator is acquainted with the
philosophical principle of what teachers call 'appercep-
tion.' No knowledge is of worth except that which is
assimilated, and which the individual mind can grasp.
It is not worth v/hile to know it because I told you —
because your fathers knew it, etc. In seeing this,
George Fox saw what educators of to-day are just
beginning to discover.
"It has been the custom to make the child embody
the teacher's or parent's idea or conception of what it
should be. Friends have departed from this way of
making a man out of a boy, or a woman out of a girl.
\Ve believe we have no right to substitute our notion
of what vv-e should like the child to be, for the ideal
to which God intended it should attain. Georsre Fox
was never insensitive to the fact that there is in the
child the image of God, and it is tlie teacher's and par-
ent's highest duty and noblest privilege to reveal to
the child some vision of that image. When the child
once catches a glimpse of that image, of that thing
which he yearns to he, tliere can be no stronger in-
centive to him or to her to try to attain to that ideal
im.agc. In dealing with a child, for misconduct
Friends' method is different from that of any other
^people. The Friend in the home has been doing what
the Friend in the school — with som^e exceptions —
has not been doing until recently. In the school the
Friend has not taught the child that tlie misconduct
cannot be paid for by the penalty. Punishment can-
not atojie for the misdemeanor. The teacher says, *You
do that, and I will do this.' The boy says, T will try
and see if it is worth the teacher's price.' He tries it
and finds it is worth more than the price. Quaker doc-
trine stands out against putting a price upon the mis-
demeanor. This principle of Quakerism is shown in
141
the conversation that took place between George Fox
and William Penn in reference to the inconsistency
of the latter wearing his sword, having embraced
Quakerism. 'Wear it as long as thou canst,' placed
the responsibility of deciding the question where it
belonged, and was entirely in harmony with the Quaker
idea of individual development. The teacher who de-
velops self-governm.ent in his school throws the child
back, not on the price of the offense but upon his con-
ception of what is right and wTong.
''There are first three things that a child should
know in order to properly govern himself. The child
should be able to distinguish between right and wTong
and do it himself. He should distinguish between
truth and falsehood for himself and not some one for
him. Tie should distinguish between the ugly and
the beautiful and do it for himself. But Friends dis-
counted this latter point. We all pride ourselves upon
seeing the difference between what is ugly and what
is beautiful. The child may not be able to see this at
first, but we should not decide for him, but let him
find it out himself with as little cost to himself as possi-
ble. We should re-incorporate into the system of
schools that are democratic this idea of self-govern-
ment. The parent and teacher can place the child in
a position v/here he can govern himself. How often
they have gone out from 'guarded' schools and at the
age of 21 years have gone forth to battle wdth that
which they have never confronted before.
"In religious matters we say to the child, 'govern
thyself, control thyself.' Quakerism has brought the
same principle into education in our secular schools.
Too many schools are military centers without the
uniforms, etc., where wrongdoing in any direction
means so much penalty. This is not Quaker doc-
trine."
SEVENTH DAY, 1 130 P. M.
Scth H. Ellis :
*'I will open this meeting by calling attention to
this little iron pot, the property of Mary Ann Brown
Mather. It belonged to her great-great-grandmother,
Esther Rogers. It is supposed to have been used by
her between 1780 and 1800 in coming over the moun-
tains when they came here. They camped out, and
cooked their potatoes in this pot. It is in good repair.
**As the dining room is still filled and some yet
waiting for their dinner we will not proceed with the
program for a while."
Martha McKay, Indianapolis, Ind. :
*T have the impression that young persons can-
not understand what sacrifices have been made in the
old time. There were eighteen hundred acres of land
in this vicinity owned by our grandfather, who
jeopardized his farm to assist in freeing the slaves.
The protest of the Welshes caused them to lose all.
For the first crop of corn he received nothing, as it
could not be disposed of except to go to the distillery,
and so my Grandfather Welsh said^ 'Let it He there
and rot on the ground.'
'*My grandfather and grandmother came to
Caesar's Creek. The day after they landed they let
everything go to come to this house to sit an hour, for
it was 'meeting day.'
"My grandfather would cut down the trees and
raise a little rye in order that the children might have
143
a little rye bread instead of corn bread. Grandfather
and grandmother winnowed the grain.
*'The Welches and Wales have not been men-
tioned, but they lost much by the mustering officers,
who took it all. An effort was made by them towards:
the introduction of good sheep into this country, but
the officers carried them all away. I am thankful to
be here where our forefathers lived, grateful for my
birth-right in the Society of Friends. My mother is>
9S years of age and her sister, Nancy Butterworth, is
present at these meetings at the age of 93. My father
lived to be 98. This centennial has caused many happy
memories to be recalled.
''Much of the traveling was done on horseback
in those days and Uncle Thomas Butterworth v^as
telling me about Nancy Butterworth and his pleasure
at being permitted to assist her to mount her horse at
the 'Upping Block,' as it was called."
'THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE OF QUA-
KERISM. THE IN-DWELLING AND IN-
SPEAKING SPIRIT OF GOD.
;DR. JOS. S. WALTON, PRES. OF GEORGE SCHOOL, PENNA.
My friends, the latest conclusion that comes to us
fTom the student of the most m.odern and approved
psychological study of man, is in a degree confirmation
of the same truth expressed by George Fox and his
people some centuries ago.
The student of the hum.an mind to-day, has in a
surprising and interesting manner reached the conclu-
sion that the human mind, (those psychological activ-
ities that make up the human mind, — those qualities
and gifts that we use in this life as instruments and
lay down when we are through vvith the responsibility
of this life, — ) are of themselves insufficient to satisfy
the lon<?infi:s of the human soul. I use that latter term
with the psychologist's meaning. Years ago George
Fox well understood and taught the same doctrine.
That part of us — that finite part — finds in itself
a lack of something v/hich will satisfy its most earnest
longing. Neither can we find, in v/hat men call cul-
ture, satisfaction for that which is constantly longing
to be satisfied.
Fox and his people said this thirst of the soul can
be satisfied only by communion with the Spirit. Jesus
<of Nazareth said the same thing.
145
Long- before the time of Jesus, way down among
the disciples of Confucius, it was said it could only be
accomplished by developing the man and bringing him
to the highest state of perfection and culture. The
policy of Confucius, entered upon long generations ago
was faithfully tried, and it has given us the Chinese
people who worship their ancestors.
Judging their principles from the results they at-
tained we know they have failed to satisfy.
Brahmanism v/ent to the other extreme. It said,
*' Instead of exalting the individual and ignoring God,
we \N\\\ exalt Brahma and ignore the individual."
Struggling through long centuries with this effort to
satisfy this something, they gave us Hindu Philosophy,
and the high culture wherein it is taught that God by
vieditation made the w'orld.
While tliey discovered much that was good and
true, they failed to do what many of us, too, have
failed in. vSince the days of Jev»'ish history, since the
days of Christianity, what failures there have been to
satisfy this longing!
There is in every human being the image of God,
and the soul, following its more or less clear visions
of that image, yearns to become like unto it. During
all ages and in all climes, religion has been the chief
business of man. The struggle to satisfy that un-
filled want has taken precedence to all other things.
It is true men have at times been inclined to confuse
the means for the end, but the underlying purpose
has been to satisfy that hunger in human nature, which
cannot be appeased with what the senses bring into
its experience.
Again and again have they turned into the dark
avenues of hate, avarice, jealousy and amibition, and
steeped their fair heritage in the blood of their
brother; and, as often have they turned away unsatis-
146
fied to Avcrship again at the shrine of the eternal.
Again and again have they turned into the alhiring
paths of self-gratihcation and sensual pleasure ; and, as
often have they turned away, unsatisfied, to worship
again at the shrine of the eternal.
Men have tried to bury themselves in business;
tried to satisfy themselves with wealth, and have be-
come engulfed in the channels of fortune-getting, only
to again turn back and once more vv'orship at the shrine
of the Holy of Holies.
And often, as he turns away to satisfy this long-
ing in the gratification of his own pleasure, in what
some people call the perfection of culture, he still feels
that something in his nature has never yet been satis-
fied.
Jesus of Nazareth saw this so clearly and spoke
of it to his disciples when he told them '' of the king-
dom to which he came to bear witness." Hovv^ far they
were from understanding — these disciples whom he
had chosen ! They did not choose him. How little did
they understand what he meant by that kir.gdom.
They felt in their hearts that lie v.-as " in touch " v/ith
something that they, too, would gladly be in touch
with.
Just a fev/ months ago, one glorious evening in the
mountains of Pennsylvania, a teacher, an artist, and a
college student sat on the top of one of their magnifi-
cent "mountains to watch the light of day go out.
The artist and the teacher vrere transported v/ith
the infiuence of the beauty of the day that faded out in
the glory of its fullness.
As the three went down from there into the dark-
ness, the student, '(feeling that he had missed some-
thing which the other two had observed), came up and
laid his hand on the teacher, and said:
'* Tell me what you men saw in the beauty and
147
glory of the sunset that I did not see." In his heart:
was the thought, — " If you got something out of that ;
sunset that I did not get, tell we where 1 may find it,
where I may go that I may bu}^ it." Poor young stu-
dent ! Like the young man who came to Jesus saying,
*' What shall I do to inherit eternal life ? " With the
Master's answer you are all familiar. He came — a
rich young ruler — thinking to buy the unpurchasable,
what men have struggled to buy and cannot buy. If
it could be bought out of his wealth and influence, he
had an abundance and was willing to pay. If it could-
be bartered for with his good name and good cliaracter
and his success in keeping the moral law, he had of that
and was willing to pay.
In his answer to the young man, Jesus did not;
reprove him as one he disliked, but as one whom he
loved. He told him he had gotten a moral estimate of
values which was altogether wrong. He must change
his base of value for the thing he v/as after could not
be bought. And then he said to his companions, '' How
hard it is for the rich man to satisfy this lonp'infr of
his soul."
The young man went away sorrov.'ful because ■-
Jesus svv'Cpt avvay his code of values, destroying his ■
price list, in telling him to substitute heavenly treasure ■
for earthly treasure. "How hard is it for them 'that
trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God." The
disciples were astonished, ^'hereupon Jesus, with his ■
characteristic povrer of illustration said: ''It were
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
With this utterance, we are told,' the disciples v;ere
astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves.
Who then can be saved?
Jesus, looking upon them saith, " With men it is-
im.possible but not with God :• forwitliVQad all things-
■ US
; are possible." It was hard then, as it has been ever
since, for men to see in this the fundamental principles
of Christianity.
Scholars have tried to explain this saying, and
much effort has been expended to show that camel
;• should be translated cable, therefore the meaning of
Jesus was that it was hard to put a cable through the
veye of a needle. Others again have tried to show that
the " eye of a needle " v/as the low and narrow gate of
ihe usual oriental city of those times, and the camel
could enter only v/ith great difficulty, by kneeling and
dispensing with some of its burden, etc.
Possibly he only wished to show the impossihiJity
of buying it. We would infer from the reading that
he meant to tell the rich young ruler, that his request
was wholly impossible. Just as impossible as it would
l)e for the camel to go through the eye of a needle.
That with riches and human estimates of moral worth
'■'It was impossible to buy the wherewithal that would
satisfy this yearning of the soul to experience the In-
ward Presence, and to incorporate into the natural
"body some of the spiritual body.
Ivlan had not the purchasing medium. With man,
a knowledge of the teachings of the spirit was im-
possible. With man, eternal life could not be bought.
\Vi;h God, on the other hand, it was possible; but it
nuist come some other way.
** The kinoflom of God is not meat and drink: but
srigJitroiisness, and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."
** My kingdom is righteousness and peace and
joy " — and some of us have stopped there, but he did
■ not. Paul interpreted it rightly when he said " in the
Kcly Ghost," in the spirit of righteousness, in the
■ spirit cf peace, in the spirit of joy. This lesson which
Paul harl learned so well was but vaguely compre-
\ hended by the disciples of Jesus at the time he contem-
149
plated his departure. *' It must needs be that I go ^
away, and I pray the Father, and He shall give
you another comforter, that He may abide with you ■
forever. * * * The Comforter, wliicli is the Holy •
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he r
shall teach you all things."
They still sought to satisfy the highest longings
of the human soul with the teachings of men. They
had found a '' Master," whom they could touch and
see and listen to. If he went away how could the
Comforter come? What was the Holy Ghost? What
v/as the Spirit of God? Vital questions that have been
asked many times since the day of Thomas and his
plcntitude of doubts.
This Inward Presence, this Spirit of God, this
glow of enlightenment, this In-dwelling Power ! What
peace and joy and satisfaction resulted from the ex-
perience !
This is the thouglit that the Society of Friends has^
struggled with so long. The '' Kingdom " that they
know ; the '* experience of experiences " that fhey
know; the "righteousness and peace and joy in the •
Holy Ghost " that they know, — all are idtliin tliev.i.
Friends have not used that word, " Holy Ghost," "
so much as the Colonists have, but the operation of
the Holy Spirit is the same, only in other terms, right-
eousness and peace and joy in this indwelling presence. .
As men spoke of these things, those who had not
known the experience naturally longed for it. What'
may v/e do to receive more life? How may we be -
saved from the infiuences that kill and inherit the in-
fluences that bring eternal life? This became, as it
ever had been, the burning question.
Doubting the history of this movement. In all ages
men have struggled to get around it, and to get where
they could buy this thing. They have w'orked out the.
150
doctrine of merit. By obedience to the ordinances of
the church, they could buy satisfaction for this long-
ing of human nature. The church had said, *' You can
buy that with your money. A man can cover a multi-
tude of sins if he pay money to the church."
The Christian Church, after centuries of develop-
ment, said this pearl of great price could be bought;
'by good works ; Ipy a life of obedience ; by strict ob-
. servance of the ordinances of the church. The doc-
7 trine of merit was unfolded in great fullness. As the
* doctrine deteriorated, access to the Divine Presence,
. and deliverance from the burden of sin, received a
'. money value, until Martin Luther was raised up and
strengthened by this same in-dwelling spirit, to enter
"his protest and proclaim that to be brought into com-
munion with the Spirit of God is a free gift. Salvation
>is the gift of God. We are saved by grace. It is free
to all men. It is possible with God, impossible with
man. Luther's protest was to change the basis of
values, and to remove from man the idea that by the
accimiulation of his own estimated worth he could
buy from God the jewel of eternal life.
Later, the future came to be regarded as of more
value than the present. Luther lived to see the reac-
tion against his own doctrine. Men reasoned that if
their good deeds had no purchasing value, that if obe-
dience to the ordinances of the church could not win
for them the kingdom of heaven, — that if with their
characters and good names they could not barter for
life eternal, what v/as the necessity of keeping the law?
Why was it longer necessary to keep in the nar-
row path of rectitude, if the death of Jesus was a ran-
som for the soul? Come, let us eat, drink, and be
merry.
No one denounced this movement more vehe-
mently than Luther himself. Men struggled to get
151
away from the penalties that were crowding them,
that thev had been tausrht to look for.
So the cry went up as before, what shall I do to
be saved? The church said, "By the payment of so
much."
" By thy good works," the church said, " thou
shalt be saved."
Tiie reaction against Luther's doctrine of free
grace forced the eccleslastlcism of that day to rigid
extremes In order to off-set the tendency tov/ard im-
moral ^living. The theology that grev-/ up in the wake
of Lutlier's career placed great stress on the letter :
men cciild not be trusted to place their own construc-
tion and interpretation upon the operations of the
Spirit. This narrow and contracting attitude of the
different churches aroused among intelligent people,
especially, another reaction known even to this day as
Rationalism. This v.-as a movement against scholastic
Lutheran ism.
Rationalism declared for the supremacy of the
Human Reason. The engine could get up steam with-
out a fireman, and could run the track without a hand
at the throttle valve. The ocean-liner could carry Its
load of freight without any other hand on the helm
than tlmt of its own nature. The mother could per-
form the highest functions of mother love, could fol-
low the track of duty, could read the chart and mark
the pointings of that trembling little needle with no
other aid than the faculties and activities described by
the psychologist.
Rationalism raises human reason above scripture
and tradition, and accepts them only as far as they
come within the limits of Its comprehension.
Evangelical Protestantism, on the other hand,
makes the scripture alone the supreme rule, but uses
tradition and reason as means In ascertaining its true
152
sense. The Roman Catholic Church made scripture
and tradition the supreme rule of faith, laying the chief
stress on tradition, that is the teaching of an Infallible
church headed by an infallible Pope, as the judge of
the meaning of both.
From this it can be seen why it has been said that
the Reformation was the first step in the emancipa-
tion of Reason. The Rationalist goes further and says
the second step is emancipation from the tyranny of
the Bible. Against this tendency of Rationalism, Lu-
ther hurled the whole weight of his ardent nature. He
could not go back to the mother church and place in-
fallibility in the hands of ordinance interpreted by the
Pope and the traditions of the Church. He could not
go with the rationalist and place human reason above
the Bible. What did he do? He turned to his central
doctrine of justification by faith and made it the cri-
terion. In this he placed the material or subjective
principle of Protestantism above the formal or objec-
tive principle, and in doing this he strangely enough
anticipated George Fox, in placing the truth above
the witness of the truth, the doctrine of the Gospel
above the written Gospel, Christ above the Bible. He
did this with full knowledge of the fact that he first
learned Christ from the Bible, and especially from the
Epistles of Paul which gave him the key to his scheme
of salvation.
All of the Northern part of Europe was shaken
with the struggle between Lulheranism and German
Rationalism when Jolin Calvin arose. He was the best
Theologian among the Reformers. He declined to
abuse tlie human reason as Luther had done. He gave
it the hi^h office of being the hand-maid of revelation.
Calvin denied to the Church the right to make an arti-
cle of faith or to decide the canonicity of the Scrip-
tures. Consequently he placed the canon on the au-
165
thority of God who bears testimony to It through the
voice of the Spirit in the hearts of the behevers. ** The
eternal and individual truth of God," he says, ** is
not founded on the pleasure and judgment of men, and
can be as easily distinguished as light from darkness,
and white from black."
Here again we find George Fox and his people
anticipated in a surprising manner. Fox in his Jour-
nal (Vol. I, p. 90. Isaac T. Hopper Ed. 1831), says,
** I was to direct people to the Spirit that gave forth
The Scriptures, by which they might be led into all
truth, and so up to Christ and God, as those had been
who gave them forth."
The resemblance is found more marked in Robert
Barclay, v/ho says, (Apology, 6th Ed. 1736, p. yz.)
" But the Scripture authority and certainty depend
upon the Spirit, by which they were dictated : And the
reason why they were received as truth, is. Because
they proceeded from the Spirit."
It is not the purpose of this discussion to touch
more than that part of Calvinism that concerns the
rise of Quakerism. It was under the reaction against
Calvinism that the Society of Friends appeared. The
entire movement against scholastic Calvinism has been
called Arminianism. It was a theological contest with
the seat of war in Holland. Calvinism emphasizes
Divine Sovereignty and Free grace. Arminianism
emphasizes human responsibility. The one restricts
the Saving Grace to the elect ; the other extends it to
all men on the condition of Faith. Both are right in
what they assert ; both are v/rong in what they deny.
Arminianism spread from its native home into the
greater part of Northern Europe. The Arminians
were pioneers in the critical study of the Bible, and of
the early history of the church. They opposed strict
doctrinal tests, and naturally advocated toleration.
154
Arniiiiianism spread tlirongli England during the Car-
oline Period and became the prevalent faith in the
English Episcopal Church, and later its scholarly but
tepid spirit leavened the English theology of the eight-
eenth century. In the Methodist revival, Arminian-
ism acquired a peculiar life and fervency v.diich it had
not known in iis native haurjts or after it was trans-
planted to Great Britain.
Quakerism appeared at the time that Arminianism
was being transplanted to English soil. At a time
vvd'ien Holland and Britain were aglov/ with the strug-
gle between scholastic Calvinism and aggressive Ar-
minianism. At a time when the faithful followers of
Menno, v'ith their peace-loving instincts were offering
an asylum for the spirit-vreary souls of Northern
Europe.
While interestingly slmiilar to the Mennonites on
the one hand, and singularly allied to Mysticism on
the other, Quakerism was different from either. While
there was much in Arminianism it could have owned,
Quakerism was a distinct organism of itself, allied to,
but different from any of these movements. It was a
distinct off-shoot from the Reform.ation, and in some
respects closely allied' to Lutlier's effort to replant
primitive Christianity.
Like Luther, Fox placed the truth above the wit-
ness of truth ; the doctrine of the Gospel above the
WTitten Gospel; Christ above the Bible.
Fox did this in the attitude of spirit described by
William Penn v/hen he saw in the early reformers
kindred spirits.
'' They owned the spirit," he writes, " they owned
the Inspiration and Revelation, indeed, and grounded
their separation and reformation upon the sense and
understanding they received from it, in the reading of
the Holy Scriptures of truth: And this was their plea,
155
the scripture is the text, the Spirit the interpreter, and
that to every man for himself."
This brinjTfs us to the fundamental doctrine of
Quakerism, where to place the infallibility. Fox
agreed with Luther in denying this right to the or-
dinances of the church, denying it to the traditions of
the church. Fox agreed with the early reformers in
making the Scriptures the text, and the Spirit of God
the Holy Ghost, the In-dwelling Presence, the interpre-
ter of the text.
All the reformers that followed Luther denied that
''the Roman Church, indeed that any church, had a
right to impose upon the conscience articles of faith
without a clear warant in the word of God."
Fox went further and insisted that the Church had
no right to impose upon the conscience its interpreta-
tion of what is found in the Bible. Only as we are in
the same spirit as the men wdio wrote the Bible, only
as this In-dwelling Presence, this Spirit of God shines
in the conscience like a light, is the trutli made mxani-
fest, and no church ordinances made by men, no man-
made interpretation of the Bible shall take precedence
to the truth revealed by this witness of tlie truth in
the soul. In this Fox disagreed vvith the followers of
Luther, v/hile he agreed with the great reformer him-
self.
Indeed the fundamental principle of Quakerism
hinges on the doctrine of the In-dwelling Presence.
This brings the faith of Friends into close resemblance
to Mysticism, and yet while the relation is close the
•difference is marked. Mysticism runs like a thread
through all Christendom, a golden thread that may be
the very warp of all that Jesus taught. Mysticism
exalts feeling above knowledge. It is a phase of re-
ligious life in which reliance is placed upon spiritual
illumination, believed to transcend the ordinary powers
156
of the nnderstandino;. An endeavor of the human
mind to grasp the Divine essence, or ultimate reahty
of things, and to enjoy the blessedness of actual com-
munication with the highest. A form of religious be-
lief that is founded upon spiritual experiences, not dis-
criminated or tested and systematized in thought.
Mvsticism carried to its lop-ical result resembles Hin-
duism. Meditation takes precedence to volition.
Brahma by meditation created all things. Mysticism
undermines the human will and destroys its capacity
for Christ-like activities. Mysticism is an essential
part of the religious life, but it is only a part and
not all.
The M};stic believes that the part is greater than the
whole. Mysticism deforms the religious man, leaving
no room on which to build a church. Madame Guyon
was a mystic and a Catholic, and the very ritual that
the early Friends w^ould have despised, enabled her to
grow as a Mystic. Jacob Behmen v/as a Mystic and a
Protestant philosopher. He hurled aside the ritual
that Vv'as life to Madame Guyon, and Philosophy be-
came the slag that held the pure gold of Mysticism.
Jacob Behmen saw Nature rise out of God, and
men sink into God. To him God was th.e substantia,,
the underlying ground of all things. To him the trans-
ition of God's spirit to man, of light to our souls^
comes as an act of will, as an act of love, as an act of
adoration and worship.
The follov/ers of Behmen, the Behmenites, formed
societies and held in common with the Friends, that
salvation is nothing short of the very presence and life
of Christ in the believer. They refused to partake of
any religious doctrine except the pure ministrations of
the Spirit. Tlie will and the power of acting, the in-
tellect and the power of thinking were sv;allowed up
in the emotion? and the power of feeling.
157
They rejected from their rehgious Bill of Fare
any coarse food or waste, but insisted on the concen-
trated ministration of the Spirit only, forgetting that
human nature, in order to assimilate the best, must
partake of that which some would call useless. The
dairyman feeds waste in bulk to enable his herd to
assimilate the vital foods and secure the full value of a
balanced ration.
Fox and his people embodied much, if not all that
Avas valuable in Mysticism, and at the same time they
evolved a system of Church government as unique as
it was simple.
For them, yielding to the guidance of the Spirit
meant a life of religious activity, a life of philanthropic
activity. For them the operations of the Light meant
an intellectual awakening. Thinking, and feeling, and
acting came in their psychological order with the early
Friends. An enlarged wisdom shone out through their
intellectual natures. Mysticism glowed through their
emotional life, and a rare philanthropic and mission
spirit radiated from tiieir volitional activities. Quaker-
ism, in its primitive purity, appropriated the whole man
and all his activities, and to this day those who plant
themselves upon its primal and fundamental doctrine,
find that their whole nature is called into service.
Fox, Pcnn and Barclay out of their years of early
manhood, out of those years of activity in which the
fires of youth had not yet burned away, preached and
wrote the doctrine of the Inner Light. In later years
they and their followers laid more stress upon the
In-spcaking Voice, and still later the In-dwelling Pres-
ence received more attention from the Ministry.
Fox, Penn and Barclay used the word Light to
describe a condition rather than a cause. To them
the Inner Light was not necessarily confined to the
seeing of visions, and predicting the future. Indeed
158
this was the most insignificant part of it. The Inner
Light stood for a decided intellectual illumination.
These early Friends anticipated Froebel and the entire
Herbartian doctrine of Apperception. They said that
there was no knowledge of vv^orth except that appro-
priated by the individual mind. That is, the student
may see the demonstration of a problem in Geometry,
he may even perform the demonstration to the satis-
faction of his instructor and the enlightenment of his
classmates, and yet some time later, even weeks or
years later, the truth of that demonstration dawns upon
his mind like a light. He now sees it in a way that no
demonstration could reveal to him.
The primitive Friend declared that the act of
knowledj^e Vv'as not comr-lete until after the moment of
illumination.
The trend of their minds, and the influences of the
times carried this standard into the activities of re-
ligious life far more than in any other, and subjected!
their followers to the danger of placing a low value on
knowledge secured in any other way. Some of them'
have even gone so far as to call in question the utility
of the demonstration. Wait until it became self-evi-
dent.
The Light shining in the conscience manifested
all sin. It educated the conscience until it grew in
power to distinguish right from wrong. Lentil the'
wrongs of humanity so weighed upon the discerning-
spirit that he could not rest satisfied in sweeping his-
own door step, in keeping himself aloof from the
world. The Light led him out into the world to do the
Christ work as made manifest to his individual soul.
This work instead of leading into diversities of direc-
tions and interests, instead of being dissipated in
wasteful and diverging channels, contained a marvel-
ous unity, as all work of the Spirit does. He who
159
knovrs the Presence of the Light and does the work
that it makes manifest, realizes the truth of that re-
mark of Jesns, ** I ani the Vine and ye are the
branches." On the rock of this unity the early Friend
built his church.
]^slartin Luther said : This thing man wants is
the gift of God. It is grace.
Whatever that doctrine came to mean to his fol-
lowers, this is what Luther said.
It is grace, that, by and through the teaching cf^
the Koly Spirit, gives satisfaction to the highest long^
ings of the human soul.
Thi's vx-ill show the very close agreement between
I'darvin Luther himself and George Fox. You do not
see the same agrcemer/i- Ijetwcen George Fox's follow-
ers and Martin Luther's foUov/ers. This part of it is
verv signi'icant, since Luther knew the doctrine that
we are saved by grace ; that it is a free gift given
by God to His children and not purchasable, any more
than a mother's love is purchasable. The child does
not buy its mother's love. The mother gives her love
even to the wayv/ard boy.
The peoi:>le v-ere intoxicated Vvith the new doctrine
of "freedom by Grace." But when people hear it, how
hard for them to put in into practice. The povv-er to
buv remission of sins had been swept away, Luther's-
follovv'crs were forced . to follov.^ ordinances in the
church. The people were not .able to understand what
was meant by religious freedom. Even to this day,
people in a Democracy can scarcely understand that
religious liberty is not license. They did not know that
the noblest form of liberty is the subjection of self in
servinc: others.
How very fev/ have the grace to understand the
fact that the locomotive engine that swings the moim-
tain curves as its wild scream echoes from cliff to cliff,.
160
is free as a locomotive, only when it is on the track,
only when its great heart throbs with the pulse of the
steam. Only when the hand of something other than
itself is on the throttle valve and controls that mighty
power. Without steam ; without the track ; without
the engineer, it is a helpless monster.
How few realize that the Ocean Grey Hound that
rocks on the billows of the deep, is free only when the
burden of its freight holds it down ; when the needle
trem1)les in the compass ; and when a hand other than
itself, rests on the helm. Without the cargo ; v/ithout
the compass ; without the pilot, the vessel would be-
come the victim of wind and tide, to be tossed ashore
a helpless wreck.
Freedom means to the mother heart that is so
full of love for her ov/n, that she is free only, (and she
knows it,) only when she has the opportunity to mani-
fest it to those she loves. If any force of circum-
stances take that opportunity from her, she feels that
she has lost this liberty. If her erring boy comes back,
her hand is the first to minister unto him. This was
rot well understood in that day and not very well in
tills democracy to-day. It was not understood by the
men who followed Martin Luth.er and tried to interpret
his teachings. W^ien Martin Luther said : '' Truth is
greater than the enunciation of truth ;" and whatever
is meant by the Gospel, is greater than the ivriifcn gos-
pel, he knew it from this Inward Presence, this ever-
sliining Light, with this close touch of spirit with
spirit, that came when men realized that the Spirit of
God was living in them.
For the want of a better word they spoke of that
experience as the *' Light." Fox spoke of it as the
'' enlightenment of the human understanding."
A geometric explanation makes us know the truth
concerning the fact demonstrated. The truth of the
161
proposition flashc? nj^on us like a light. The truth of
such mathematical demonstration is self-evident. It
is not necessary to go into a long reasoning with a
mother to show her that she loves that boy who has
gone astray. She knows it, and it is a self-evident fact
which permeates her vvhole nature.
But there is something even deeper than this, that
does not admit in any degree the necessity of demon-
stration, a matter so vital, that no heart can rest satis-
lied until it has itself known the experience.
This inward longing is not satisfied until we know
this inshining Light, shining like a hght in the con-
science. You never find oiie who has experienced it
confusing tliis light with the conscience.
The true Friend sees in the Inner-Light some-
thing more than an occasional gleam or flash of illu-
mination. He finds in it something more than an occa-
sional disturbance of his material and finite quietude,
sometlnng more than a convcrsional disturbance that
occurs once or twice in a life time. To him the Inner
Light betokens the Li-dwelling Presence, is the at-
tendant to the In-speaking Voice. To him the Inner
Li^rht results ''rom ati inner condition, in which the
spiritual man is nourished at the expense of the nat-
ural man. He sees v/ilh Paul, the resurrection of the
spirit. " It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power."
It is sown a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
Erahmanism recognizes the spiritual body, but in-
sists that its perfection is based on the destruction of
the natural body. Quakerism embodies the Christian
conception t'nat it is sown a natural body and raised a
spiritual body ; tliat tlicre is a natural body and a spirit-
ual body ; that this indwelling Presence with the Light
resuliing therefrom gathers from the natural sov/ing
a spiritual harvest.
162
For the Friend, conscience is a finite factor that
improves in the presence of the Spirit.
Spread a handful of iron filings on a sheet of
paper and move a magnet beneath. Each individual
iron filing is avvare of an inward presence. A new ac-
tivity enters into its being. With the passing of the
magnet it raises and lowers. It struggles to be free
from the dust and grease that environs it. Each filing
seems to be cognizant of its neighbor and they all form
into beautiful circles and curves in which the individ-
uals can raise and lower themselves without incon-
veniencing others. A unity enters into the nev/ life.
Bits of tin and material not embodying the true metal
refuse to respond. They deny the presence of the
magnet. They become a stumbling block in the way
of others. Conscience in the iron filing is capacity to
partake of the presence of the magnet, a presence
wdiich when received can be given again, v/ithout being
the loser.
He who receives the In-dwelling Spirit, has heard
His voice, and seen His light, receives something v/hich
he can give and not be the loser. He has found some-
thing that satisfies the highest longings of his nature.
He recognizes in the In-dwelling Spirit, man's oppor-
tunity to commune with somev^'hat more than him-
self, somewhat more than friends can bring to him.
He has found something greater than the most gifted
sermon or the most inspired Vvriting, yet — (and here
is the apparent paradox.) the thing he has found is
strangely dependent upon the something friendship
can give him, the something that the inspired writing
can give him.. The more he knows of the In-dwelling
Presence the more he appreciates the fellowship of
friends, the uplift of inspiration from others. The
more necessary does he find it to meet with others for
163
social worship, and the Bible becomes to him the B6ok
of all books.
What a dangerous path these fathers of ours
trod ! The fathers of this church escaped being swal-
lowed in the many chasms that yawned on every side.
They never turned Quakerism down to take up Mysti-
cism which is so alluring.
Mysticism exalts spirit above letter, but contains
nothing within itself upon which we can build a
church. It only asks for the heart and the emotions,
and nothing more. Rid of its logical conclusions it
takes us back to Brahmanism. It is alluring, but it
is death to the church. Our early fathers knew it
better than we know it. They gave us Quakerism that
need not die. It has all that is in Mysticism that is
worth having.
Quakerism developes individual character, the
operations of the spirit in each individual, so that he
can do that which no other man can do in that special
field, and differentiates him from every other man.
If I train this hand in some special line of handi-
work, there comes a delicacy in the fingers that is sim-
ply marvelous. One finger can be developed beyond
the rest. Different children in the same family can
be differently developed and yet retain a common in-
terest, just as those fingers develop a marvelous skill
as separate factors and yet are tied together in unity.
The children of one father have been pushed
off into miany kinds of work, yet is there any reason
Vv^hy they should not live together in unity?
A Friends' meeting gathered in a business capac-
ity, is strong in individuals, but when all are bound by
the spirit which makes for unity, the result i^ the most
beautiful union in the v/orld.
164
In the ministry it is the same. All guided by the
-spirit of truth and righteousness and making for a
beautiful unity. All that is of self, kept in subjection
to the great Overruling Spirit of Love.
Right here in the very centre of this activity we
:see in this centennial occasion, we are thankfully and
gratefully bovv'ing before the Father's hand and work-
ing together in unity. No part can separate itself
and work Vv'ith efficacy. Quakerism must give to the
world a practical lesson in universal brotherhood.
Men have tried to act alone. He can go so far, and
then he must stop, for the spirit of God dwelling in
him pushes him into some avenue of labor. Peter, in
his beat by the shore, was ''called" because Jesus saw
in him more than we would have seen.
John ^Yooln1an was "called." He knew and
loved the liberty which is opportunity to follow
the track of duty ; to help carry the burdens of life ;
to feel tlie presence and follow the pointings of a
Guide whose voice cannot be mistaken or misunder-
stood.
Tjie Spirit dv/elliiig in nian is the very element of
Quakerism. If it is worth anything, it requires that he
meet li's broLher, and as he takes his hand and sees, —
{net what the neighbors say of him,) — but the un-
frilf/iied, the possibilities that lie in him, the image
of Go;! not yet developed, that he labor henceforth
lo briiig forth that image in its perfection.
Suoh a man saw the unfulfilled in John B. Gough,
and by the Grace of God aided him to accomplish, de-
spite his many weaknesses, a mission in life which few
other men have performed.
This In-dwelling Spirit when it takes possession
'^f the individual, qualifies him for some special work.
165
It is not to prove that one doctrine is worth more than
another, not to show that one experience is worth
more than another that Quakerism exists. It pleads
to-day for this individual work which comes from this
In-dwelHng Presence that dwells in the individual
human heart. It is a process that is miraculous.
Go v/ith me into the cornfields in Ohio, ready to
harvest. Go just a few weeks before the corn is ready
to cut, and see the same miracle I V'/ould like to show
you in a man. Notice the stalk and the slender threads
of green silk, and on the top of the stalk, myria(fe of
grains of pollen.
If one little grain of pollen is deposited on that
thread of silk, a grain of corn is made. What God
puts into that tassel of corn, is many times too n^any
grains of pollen. He also puts into the human heaJt a
great abundance of that love v/hich dravvs men's hearts
to Him.
Does a mother say, " I have loved this vvayv^^ard
boy for nineteen years and he has not repaid me in
any way, I will love him no longer? I have expended
more than God ever intended I should spend and I will
stop?"
Oh ! the riches of God's mercy to lis, v/heq he
said : " I have sent my beloved Son out of the abun-
dance of my love towards men." '^ * '•'
We m^ay go astray, but through the mercy .that
God is showering upon us, through His Son, we are
saved. Never give up the struggle to get the mind
and the spirit of the child to understand. No hour
is too late to get influences just where they should be.
Never while living despair of the vjork v/hich the
Lord has placed in their hands. * * *
This is the rock upon which this people should
165 ]
once more rally. If this spirit is strong enough it
will bring back into vital, living, throbbing work, men
who long to be free, and to be satisfied.
Out of this centennial alone there might go force
enough, religious life enough, to make in the next
century as vital work for the church as was made by
9UX fathers here in .the .century which has gone by.
•I*
GOD IS LOVE.
ALBERT J. BROWN, PRES. WILMINGTON COLLEGE.
For a century the destinies of these people have
been worked out on this soil. In unity this site was
chosen, and the making of an interesting and strange
history begun.
To-day we celebrate the centennial of the found-
ing of the first Monthly Meeting of Friends west of
the Allegheny mountains. The century has had its
days of storm and oeril, and it has had its days of hope
and assurance. This is the reunion — the reassertion
of the law of love which unfolds to men the nature of
the life hidden with God.
The quality of the message of Quakerism and the
nature of the polity it expresses had its origin in the
conception which George Fox held of God. That he
made a contribution to the thought and life of his
time, destined to influence powerfully social and relig-
ious institutions of succeeding generations, history
fully substantiates. In a century of great men in
England he appeared^ — this cobbler's apprentice — and
remains even to this day unexplained save as he ex-
plained himself. The Spirit of God dwelt in him, and
moved upon his mind and heart.
The supreme thought which dominated the mind
of Fox was : "God is love," and dwells in the soul of
man. The finite in man finds its complement — the
Infinite God — through the operation of the Spirit on
168
the mind of the behever. Close to this idea stands an-
other essentially fundamental concept which George
Fox incorporated in his system of thouj;'ht. The char-
acter of God is revealed to men. It is revealed through
a conscious and enduring activity of Deity. So we
read of the Nazarene having been sent through love
to acquaint man with God ; and to redeem him from
sin, and to satisfv the vearnin""s of his soul.
What this man conceived in tlie solitude of the
moor or w^ood he v/rought out in social as v/ell as
personal experience. He brought forth a form of gov-
ernment singularly free from tlie ceremonial life of
the church which has dissipated its power; and politi-
cally free from unrighteous operations of governments
Vvhich involve war and poverty on one hand and class
distinctions on the other. It is a system of govern-
ment which, operated in love under the influence of
the Spirit, is unique and wonderful. But let the at-
tempt be made to operate this system without love,
and its framework vanishes and its organic force dis-
solves.
Love is the rational side of justice. God created
a moral v/orld where love can interpret life. He did
not create a judicial world wherein He seeks, night
and day, the destruction of the sinner. To the Vv^oman
who stood in shamic before her Lord surrounded by
her accusers He gave, out of His abundant love, life
instead of death, and when her accusers had fallen
back from the tragic scene blinded and smitten by the
light wdiich cleansed her, ''Go and sin no more" was
the message which fell sweetly upon her ears and float-
ed out on the wings of hope freighted witli love to the
generations which were to be.
Love lays down lavv^s of life and conduct, then ap-
peals to men to obey them. What a man feels, in the
presence of God, is due him from anoth.er man, he
169
must, in turn, when occasion demands, render to
others. Such a faith took hold of Fox and his dis-
ciples, and the generations of people called Quakers
who have succeeded them. This principle the Holy
Spirit taught them in the silent meditation v/hich fol-
lowed the spirit-conceived m.essage from the Gospel.
Love is the power Vv-hich unihes life and makes it
intelligent. It is a social tie which binds and makes
us one in thought and achievement. It stills the pas-
sions of men and clarifies the reason. It diminishes the
discords and exalts the harmonies of daily living.
Love operates through personality. George Fox
was the person who conceived the idea of, and is the
person who lives in our institutions. These institutions
are stable because that personality v/as stable His
philosopliy was worked out slov.dy and painfully. Tvien
have thought him mad. He was driven by the Spirit,
as the prophets of elder ages v;cre. to the mountains
or deserts or forests, to see the "llamjlng bush," or
''horsemen and chariots of fire." ''The panic born are
still born, not having touched life." For years this
man, who emierged from his century untarnished in
name and mighty in acliievement, vv-alked alone in the
silence of the night, the gleam.ing stars keeping v/atch
over head, or stood in some lonely vrood by day aside
from the haunts of men, "treading tlic Vv'ine-press
alone." Then One with the gift of life spoke to his
condition and brought forth a man of power.
Love seeks to operate in all phases of human ac-
tivity. It admits of no class distinctions, thereby ex-
cluding most of the ground work of social and indus-
trial contention. It holds the life of every man sacred
and can not j^o to war. It believes everv man is born
free and equal before the law, and can not countenance
slavery. It m.aintains the body is the temple of the
Holy Ghost and therefore can not sanction the mianu-
170
facture and sale of intoxicants as beverages. It is
grounded upon the principle of justice to all men, and
therefore can not recognize strikes and lockouts nor a
crushing wage system in a country of wealth. To the
answer we receive for maintaining such a standard of
life let it be said : ''Call it ideal and impractical and go
on warring industrially and suffering the pain of
broken friendship, and the withering of soul ; live by it
and find life." When the spirit of God is in m.en their
councils are great in wisdom and influence.
Years ago I came into the body of Friends by the
principle of adoption. At that time I had not heard
of the division. When in college a friend asked if I
were Hicksite or Orthodox, and I replied ''I do not
knov/. I can not tell."
My Friends ! After the experience of these meet-
ings where we have been so graciously blessed, it seems
we are one, again, after an hundred years. The God
of our larger destinies has kept watch above his own,
and brought forth this scene.
This is autumn, and the harvest is being gathered.
The splendor of purple and gold lies, like a rich mantle,
on these hills and valleys. Likewise the fruit of the
Spirit has been manifest in this centennial commemo-
ration, and the mantle of love has covered us all.
Our souls have spoken to each other. What was truest
and most divine has consecrated these days and hal-
lowed this spot. Wc can never forget, for God is
here.
I have thought of the century which is past. I
have thought of the pain and anguish borne ; of the
glory which faded when the sky of faith was gray with
storm ; of the dead who may not know of this holy
hour, until the judgment day. ^
171
Out of all the differences of the past let us trust
there may come a higher unity than men yet have
known, when spirit answereth to spirit — it is well
with my soul. "May God be merciful to us and bless
us, and cause His face to shine upon us." May He
"keep watch over us all for an hundred hundred years.
*ii
Scth H. Ellis, V/aynesvillc, Ohio :
"Before we enter into the Silence I want to voice
the sentiment of this whole house, to express our ap-
preciation of the work of the large number of young
people and of all w^ho have busied themselves to see
that everything- has been done in good order. We are
under obligations to them and we thank them for their
attentions to us in the dining rocm and elsewhere. We
are certainly under great obligations to them, for they
have shown every self-denial in giving up all these
meetings to serve us.
"VVe undertook this with a great deal of anxiety.
We went into it in the spirit of God and I believe we
are not mistaken in thinking His Spirit has brooded
over us, and v/e have had a grand time to our profit,
and I hope to His glory. I v/ish to thank those who
have appeared on the program. We feel deeply our
obligations to the men and vvomen who have appeared
on this program comang from their far away homes,
from Indianapolis and other points in the West with-
out one cent of compensation. We appreciate it. God
bless you for it. As one of the presiding officers I
feel under great obligations. Some said we would
have disagreements, but we have had none. We trust-
ed in God and His grace has been sufficient for us, as
it always will be. Praise be to His Holy Name."
.Chas. A. Broivn, Waynesvillc, O. :
"As one of the officers upon whom the responsi-
bility of presiding at these meetings rested, I feel it
173
right to say that I am so thankful for that spirit of
unity which has prevailed in these meetings and that it
has been a pleasure and a delight to me throughout."
EH Jay, Richmond, hid. :
*'I desire to take this opportunity to express my
heartfelt gratitude, and I feel that I express the senti-
ment of the people — each and all — who compose
this large and exceedingly interesting audience."
Samuel R. Bat tin y Sehna, O., in a brief sentence
or two relieved the pressure on the hearts of the great
assembly by expressing thanks to the presiding officers
and appreciation of their faithfulness and service.
Scth FI. Ellis:
'This is truly an hour of heart-v/orship and
thanksgiving to God."
Pra^^cr — Our Father, we feel this to be a season
of thanksgiving, and we would acknowledge the power
of Thy gracious love when it takes hold upon the
hearts of men. Prepare us for the service that lies
before us in the remainder of life's journey that we
may labor to Thy honor and glory now and evermore.
Amen.
"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the oil
which is poured upon the head and flows down upon
the beard."
174
Esther S, Wallace, Richmond, Ind. :
"Father of All! God! What we are is due to-
Thee. What we may become is due to Thy goodness,.
Thy love and Thy power."
Seth H. Ellis:
"The time has come for us to separate and leave
this place, where we have gathered together in .love
as brothers and sisters, and Thy Holy Spirit has been
with us. We thank Thee for the. history of the past,,
for the noble men and women who planned this feast,
for their lives and their testimonies. Their work is
finished. Grant that those of us who linger yet a
few days may accomplish our work. Help us to keep
in submission to Thy will. The old with the burden
of the years upon them, the middle-aged engaged in
the active duties of life, and the young as they are
preparing themselves to take up the responsibilities
which must sooner or later come to them.
"May the peace of God, which passeth all under-
standing, dwell in our hearts and keep us in divine
love through Jesus Christ our Lord."
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
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