1 of the religion he taught, the opinions of our worthy predecessors who were educated to believe concerning the depravity of our nature by Adam's transgression, and the propitiation for the sins of mankind by the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the Cross, would have been left behind as non-essential, without controversy or debate. my father's sad countenance and remembered his members of our Society lived in the life and power pleading with me; and, for his sake, I wished I could subscribe to those doctrines called "Orthodox." Strong were my petitions to my Heavenly Father that if I had all my life long been mistaken, he would open my eyes to see it, and enable me to come out of every doctrine and opinion that was not consistent with his will concerning me. Never has he given me to see that the early impressions on my mind, to obey his will inwardly revealed, as the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven, were to be given up, or any other substituted for this plain and simple way. And at this time, the more I read and heard of the declaration of their plan of salvation, the more I was confirmed in the belief of the all-sufficiency of the "Grace of God," through his mercy, to bring salvation to the obedient soul. I well remember in early life, when I read some of the writings of ancient Friends, and the declarations of the apostles in the New Testament concerning the blood of the body of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross, being the propitiation for the sins of mankind, I reflected and could not comprehend it, and asked my father for an explanation, telling him that when I sinned I suffered justly for my sins, and when I repented my Gracious Creator forgave me and received me again into favor; but I could not see or feel that it was just for that Holy Personage to suffer to atone for my sins. My dear father replied that the doctrine was too deep for my young and inexperienced mind; it was better for me to leave it, and attend simply to the teaching of the Spirit of Truth in my own soul, which was sufficient for me. This reply I repeated to him when he, in 1828, in great sincerity and concern, labored with me for (as he believed) my unbelief and unsoundness. He said, He said, "It may be I was deficient in thy education"; but after a time of solemn silence, added, "I have nothing better to recommend to thee, now, than obedience to this inward monitor." A few months after, when I was severely ill, seeing his exercised countenance as he sat by my bedside, I desired one of my attendants to say to him that my mind was quiet and peaceful as regarded the course I had taken, and, should my mortal life now close, I saw nothing in my way to rest and joy in Heaven. He seemed relieved, and I believed that the idea that there was no salvation for us was removed, and he often manifested that his love flowed to our members as well as to those of his portion of the Society of Friends. And now, as I write this, after years of reflection and observation of the effect of promulgating opinions and doctrines not essential in themselves, especially on the mission of Christ in that prepared body, I am confirmed in the belief that it tends to unprofitable discussion and controversy, and often to alienation of love for one another. Therefore, these should be avoided, taking in lieu thereof his own testimony of himself, that he came "to bear witness unto the Truth," testifying of those eternal principles that are indispensable to the happiness of mankind in this world and the world to come. Had all the Had love of God abounded in the heart, it would have been seen that obedience to him in all things was the "plan of salvation" ordained by him from the foundation of the world, and we should then have remained a united people of great influence in gathering the nations to the peaceable kingdom of him who was ushered into the world with the anthem, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men." PRINCIPLES AND TESTIMONIES OF FRIENDS. Eleventh MONTH 13, 1898. No. 46. OATHS. GOLDEN TEXT.-Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, that ye fall not under judgment.-Jas. 5 : 12. In the disturbed times in which George Fox began his public labors, it was customary to make people take oaths of allegiance to the ruling person or party, and thus it frequently happened that people were under oaths that were inconsistent with each other and even impossible of performance. As a consequence, oaths were carelessly taken and lightly esteemed, and in taking them men were truly taking the name of the Lord in vain. As early as 1651, George Fox wrote a protest on this subject to the Mayor of Derby, England, telling him to "take heed of oppressing the poor, and of imposing false oaths upon the people, or making them take oaths which they could not perform." These flagrant abuses and the injunction of Jesus "swear not at all," together with the spiritual insight that forbade two standards of truth, one for oaths and another for the affairs of daily life, led Friends to the radical position of refusing to take any oaths. whatever. In our time, owing to the consistency of early Friends in maintaining this testimony, any person may have the privilege of affirming instead of swearing; but there was no such choice open to the early Friends, so their refusal brought them in conflict with the law and the authorities of the state, and was the cause of many imprisonments and other persecutions. Here the inquiry may arise as to what there is in common between an oath and an affirmation that makes one a substitute for the other; and also wherein they differ so widely as to raise a religious testimony against the oath. against the oath. One form of each, taken from Abbott's Forms, in use in New York and several other States, will serve as illustrations. OATH taken upon the evangelists: [The officer extends the book, usually a complete Bible, to the witness, who takes hold of it, and the officer says:] 'You do solemnly swear that the evidence that you shall give in relation to the matter of difference now here depending between A. B. and Y. Z., shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth : so help you God." [Here A practical objection to the oath is its failure to accomplish its purpose. A person who will deliber deponent will raise the book to the lips.] [If the Bible is ately lie or equivocate in his business or other serious not used, the form is the same except that the witness raises his hand during the recital of the oath and at the end responds, "I do."] AFFIRMATION: [The officer says:] "You do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that the evidence you shall give in relation to the matter of difference now here pending between A. B. and Y. Z., shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. [And the deponent responds, “I do."] The first purpose of the oath and the affirmation is to ascertain whether the witness is willing to testify, that is, to answer questions developing the facts of the case. A further purpose of the oath and affirmation is to put the witness on his guard; for if after this formality he purposely says what is not true, he is guilty of perjury, for which the legal penalty is severe. Both forms describe the character of his testimony. It must be "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." When, therefore, he makes the promise involved in either form, he is duly cautioned against making careless, equivocal, and inadequate statements, and the law holds him equally responsible whether he swears or affirms. So far the two forms appear to be alike in purpose and effort. Why then are both used? In answer to this, it may be said that hundreds of years ago it was discovered that men had two standards of truth, one when they called God to witness and one when they did not. This meant that they really told the truth only when they invoked God in the matter, consider affairs of life, is found by experience to be untrustworthy when under oath. He may endeavor to be · careful, but habits of mind will assert themselves at critical moments, and at these times the only restraining influence is the fear of detection and the possible consequences of perjury. But this restraint is equally secured by the affirmation. It may be added that there are a great many people to-day besides Friends who refuse to take an oath, by a witness than that he prefers to affirm. and in many States no further statement need be made by a witness than that he prefers to affirm. THE INFLUENCE of Love.-Love is always building up. It puts some line of beauty on every life it touches. It gives new hope to discouraged ones, new strength to those who are weak, new joys to those who are sorrowing, thus enabling them to go on in life's ways when without the cheer they must have sunk down in their disheartenment. It helps the despairing to rise and start again. It makes life seem more worth while to everyone into whose eyes it looks, Its words are benedictions. Its every breath is full of inspiration. It does good and never evil all its days. It is like God, whose name is Love. It carries in its influence a perpetual revealing of God. It goes through the world like an angel of joy and peace, singing into human hearts the song of Heaven, scattering everywhere good seeds which shall yield a harvest of righteousness.-Westminster Teacher. LIVING SWEETLY UNDER TRIAL.-Many of us find life hard and full of pain. The world uses us Other people's clumsy feet tread upon our tender rudely and roughly. We suffer wrongs and injuries. spirits. We must endure misfortune, trials, disappointments. We cannot avoid these things, but we should not allow the harsh experiences to deaden our sensibilities or make us stoical or sour. The true problem of living is to keep our hearts sweet and gentle in the hardest conditions and experiences. neath the cold drifts, unhurt by the storm and by the winter you will find sweet flowers growing there besnowy blankets that have covered them. So should we keep our hearts tender and sensitive beneath life's fiercest winter blasts, and through the longest years of suffering and even of injustice and wrong treatment. That is true, victorious living.-J. R. Miller. ing that at other times they were privileged to equivo-If you remove the snow from the hillside in the late cate and mislead in various ways. As the courts required the highest degree of truth of which people were capable, they had to administer the oath as a means to this end, and that is still their reason for so doing. But when, after the rise of Friends, it was discovered that there were people who regarded a lie as an abomination in the sight of God whether he were specially invoked or not, it was found to be unnecessary to require of such people more than a promise that they would give evidence and use due care to have it express the truth. This is all that the affirmation means. But the oath, in its closing words, "so help me God," means that if the person fails to give true evidence, the help of God is to be withdrawn and that the person so prays. The objection to this and similar expressions is twofold; for a God of love could not answer such a prayer, and to use such a terrible form lightly or as a mere confirmation of one's truthfulness seems to border on sacrilege. The IN Our Father's house are many mansions. room that we spend most of our lives in, each of us at our tasks or our work-tables, may be in our Father's house, too; and it is only we that can secure that it shall be.-Alexander Maclaren. THE happiness of the man who lives for mere self interest here is in accumulation. The blessedness of the man who lives for God is in distribution.—Stopford A. Brooke. Friends' Intelligencer and Journal. EDITORS: HOWARD M. JENKINS. LYDIA H. Hall. RACHEL W. HILLBORN. PHILADELPHIA, ELENENTH MONTH 5, 1898. HOLD MEETINGS WHERE FRIENDS ARE. REFERENCE has been made, in a previous number of our paper, to the growing need of the establishment of meetings in new localities, where Friends are numerous enough to warrant it, and, as has been standing as to trust them sometimes with grave responsibilities. Let the thoughts of Friends, whose meetings are dwindling from causes such as we have here stated, and Friends who are located where meetings are afar off, consider seriously this problem and see if way will not open for a readjustment of meeting advantages. THE demand made by the Peace (?) Commissioners at Paris for the possession of the whole of said, a very few can do this if there is a living in- the Philippine Islands is a most deplorable proceedterest in the support of a meeting for public worshiping, the worst so far of the brood of evils issuing after the manner of Friends. This, indeed, is a serious question in many places where the demands of business and the modern methods of travel have removed our members apart from their former Friendly centres. In most cases perhaps these Friends are young, with families growing up around them, susceptible to the surrounding influences of modes of worship, Sabbath and other schools, from which their children will most likely receive their first impressions, which are apt to be lasting. Parents trained as Friends, feeling a love for assembling for Divine worship after the manner of their fathers, and not finding any such meeting available, naturally prefer the quiet of their own homes to gathering elsewhere, and this may lose them opportunity for growth in spiritual things, and their children also. Their old meeting is too far away to be reached, and it, too, is growing small by reason of removals from many causes. What is to be done? Leave the old place endeared by tender memories? Yes, if the truths held to be precious by Friends can be best preserved thereby. In our worldly affairs what do we do in such cases? Sentiment seldom holds us to endeared spots when better opportunities and more comfortable places are at our command. If this is wisdom in the sense of outward prosperity, will it not be wisdom when we consider the needs of our spiritual natures? And do we not consider the assembling for social Divine worship a spiritual need? That changes like these will entail a sacrifice of time and money is a fact that we must be willing to face, but they can be made gradually, and we must bear in mind that that for which we labor and make sacrifices becomes in time to us a treasure of great value. from the recent avoidable and therefore inexcusable war. on It will add to our responsibilities, which our public men in many instances show themselves incapable of handling; will increase the burdens of taxation, already heavy; will waste energies distant islands that ought to be applied at home; will commit us to adventurous and dangerous complications with other nations; will tend to increase the military power, and repress the spirit of civil liberty; and will stimulate in every way the profligacy which already so impairs our public service. Of the President and his advisers, the American people may well demand, (Isaiah 1., 12) “Who hath required this well demand, (Isaiah 1., 12) at your hand?” THE Young Friends' Associations are generally resuming their meetings, and a large part of them send reports to the INTELLIGENCER. We desire to have these reports, and think their publication is of value. We suggest some points in reference to them: (1) Be concise, but not scrappy; as to length, those in this week's issue are a fair average; (2) do ceedings, unless they have special importance; (3) do not not take up space by reporting the formal and routine progive summaries of matter already familiar,-for example the features of chapters in Janney's History; (4) let us have the reports punctually; (5) write plainly, especially proper names, and on one side of the paper. A LARGE measure of credit is given to the Solicitor General of the United States, John K. Richards, for his conduct of the case of the United States against the Joint Traffic Association. This was in his charge throughout, and is considered to have been ably managed, terminating in the decision, already noted, for the Government. J. K. Richards is from Ironton, Ohio, and is a graduate of Swarthmore College, of the Class of 1875. THE death of George E. Waring, Jr., of yellow fever, in New York City, last Seventh-day, removes from his activities the foremost sanitary engineer of this country. He was a man of much originative genius, and a good organizer, as his great work in cleaning the streets of New York showed. Last summer at the Mohonk Conference on International Arbitra It will be said also that such changes require mature and weighty judgment, which the young have not yet reached. It has been the experience of some similarly placed to note that nothing so steadies the tion, he was the presiding officer, and showed himself in young and causes their growth in wisdom and under-hearty sympathy with the movement. : A VALUED Friend in England, in a private letter, adds: "Your faithful line in the INTELLIGENCER has our cordial sympathy, I mean in regard to annexation. America's entry upon colonial dominion is a cardinal error of historic dimensions. One had hoped that the American genius would concentrate itself upon its home problems, instead of extending to what one fears may only demoralize the governing race.'' THE general meeting of Friends' Association will be held at West Chester, Pa., on Seventh-day, the 19th inst. Friends at West Chester are looking for a large attendance, and wish to entertain especially those who will remain to First-day. BIRTHS. FRASER.—At Sands Point, Long Island, N. Y., Ninth month 16, 1898, to Alfred Valentine and Martha Willetts Mott Fraser, a son, who is named Thomas Mott Fraser. JOHN.—At Millville, Pa., Tenth month 14, 1898, to J. Lemuel and S. Edith John, a son, who is named Harry Clifton. WAY.-At Stormstown, Pa., Tenth month 21, 1898, to Edwin B. and Martha W. Way, a daughter, who is named Lydia Lucretia. MARRIAGES. TAFT-KNIGHT.-In Philadelphia, Tenth month 19, 1898, Charles Chester Taft, of West Philadelphia, and Elizabeth Knight James, daughter of Edith C. and the late Joshua G. James, and granddaughter of the late Thomas and Elizabeth Knight James, of Byberry, Philadelphia. WILSON-WATSON.-At the home of the bride's parents, near Mechanicsville; in Buckingham township, Bucks county, Pa., Tenth month 19, 1898, by Friends' ceremony, William E. Wilson, son of the late Samuel Wilson, and Fannie Watson, daughter of Henry and Emeline P. Watson. DEATHS. COLES.-At the home of her son-in-law, Owen L. Dudley, near Moorestown, N. J., Tenth month 10, 1898, after a short illness, Lydia S., widow of John T. Coles, aged 66 years; a member of Chester Monthly Meeting. ELLIOTT.-At Ventnor, N. J., Tenth month 17, 1898, Margaretta Elliott, in her 85th year; a half sister of Samuel R. Shipley, of Philadelphia. GASKILL.-Tenth month 29, 1898, of typhoid fever, Redman Cooper Gaskill, aged 35 years, 10 months, 8 days, son of Caroline E. C., and the late Joshua W. Gaskill, and grandson of our aged friends Martha M. Gaskill and Sarah M. Lippincott; a member of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia. HOWELL.—At the home of her niece, R. Alice Birdsall, Lincoln, Va.,.Tenth month 2, 1898, Rebecca Howell, aged 88 years and 5 days; a member of Goose Creek Monthly Meeting. * JAMISON.—At the residence of Allen S. Jamison, Philadelphia, Tenth month 29, 1898, Charles R. Jamison, aged 79 years. Interment at Quakertown, Bucks county, Pa. MATSON.—Tenth month 29, 1898, at the residence of his sister, Camden, N. J., Walker Matson, aged 78 years; son of the late Samuel and Phebe Matson; a member of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia. He was admitted a member, on application, over 57 years ago, and manifested his interest by a regular attendance of our meetings. In early life he took part in the Anti-Slavery movement, and has ever manifested a desire to live uprightly and in harmony with the Divine will. Although his illness, from apoplexy, was but a few days, he was prepared for the change, and doubtless has entered into the joy of his Lord. T. NUNEVILLER.-At Germantown, Philadelphia, Tenth month 29, 1898, John Nuneviller, in his 72d year. Interment at Fair Hill. PALMER.—At Germantown, Seventh month 2, 1898, Matilda J., widow of John Palmer, aged 93 years, 8 months, 9 days; a member of the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia. She was the last of the children of the late Richard and Sarah Jackson, of Philadelphia, PALMER.—Suddenly, Tenth month 23, 1898, at her late. residence, Langhorne, Pa., Anna R., wife of the late Joseph Palmer, and daughter of Sarah R. and the late Samuel H. Paxson, aged 55 years; a member of Middletown Monthly Meeting. Another of our loved ones has passed on to the higher life; and we who knew her so well and loved her so tenderly, will sadly miss her. For many years she has been too frail to mingle in the social circle, but she patiently and cheerfully submitted, murmuring not, but greeting all cordially, and with a bright smile, even when so oppressed as scarcely to be able to speak. As the rose that has faded leaves its fragrance, so will the sweet and humble spirit of our friend leave her influence. May we find consolation in the thought, our loss is her eternal gain." "That J. A FRIEND, writing us, says: "I cannot quite understand how our Friends can feel easy not to make a greater effort in behalf of these poor, persecuted people. Your fund shows less than $200 received, when surely it might have been several times that amount. I fear one reason for apathy is that some Friends hold too lightly our testimony against war, and have consequently imperfect sympathy for those who, like the Doukhobortsi, believe in following, in this respect, as in others, the teachings of Jesus." It is expected that Aylmer Maude, who has been arranging for the reception and location of those of the immigrants who are now coming over, will be in Philadelphia next week, and he will desire to confer with those who are interested in the work. He expects to return to England soon. Wilson Sturge, the English Friend in Cyprus, telegraphed on the 14th of last month that there is still considerable fever among the immigrants in that island, and thirty deaths have occurred since the landing. Bearing in mind,” says the London Friend, "the privations and exposure to which these poor people have been subjected for the past two years, and the crowding of so many of them for some time in Batoum and on board the steamer, which they themselves engaged without providing for the proper accommodation of so large a number of persons (as they had no person of sufficient experience to guide them in doing so), it cannot be wondered at that this sickness follows them for a time.' The rate of mortality, four per week, in 1,100 persons, is about half of what they experienced in the Caucasus. The winter, now approaching, is a healthy and pleasant season in Cyprus. the immigration has not entirely ceased. We are glad to say that our receipt of funds for the aid of BALTIMORE YEARLY MEETING. LATE on the afternoon of the 28th ult., some of the Friends from other sections of the country arrived at Park Avenue meeting-house, Baltimore, to attend the yearly meeting. There were sleeping accommodations provided, on the second and third floors, for 63 women and 55 men. In the basement, meals are served to all those visiting Friends who wish to remain. On Sixth-day evening, the Committee on Indian Affairs met to consider the report of the Executive Committee. On Seventh-day, two sessions of the Meeting of Ministers and Elders were held. A matter of special interest was the decision to devote the time, each morning during yearly meeting, between 9.15 and 9.45, to devotional meetings. Minutes of approval from their respective meetings were read, and a cordial welcome given to Samuel S. Ash and wife, from Philadelphia, Joel Borton and wife, from Woodstown, N. J., Sarah Linvill and Anna Smith, from Philadelphia. Serena Minard, a member of Genesee Yearly Meeting, was also in attendance. At 5 p. m., on Seventh-day, the Committee on Philanthropic Labor met. The officers had previously compiled a report from those received from the Sup In erintendents of the various departments, which was approved to be forwarded to the yearly meeting. the evening the Representative Committee held a meeting. On First-day morning two meetings were held at Park Avenue, one in the main room, the other in the lecture-room. The audience was, no doubt, much decreased by the inclemency of the weather. In the former, after gathering, Anna Smith offered prayer, asking power to worship God aright. Joel Borton enlarged upon the text: "Turn on the light, that we may see and become more enlightened." He compared our light to the great search-light in Chicago at the time of the World's Fair, which penetrated every corner to which it was turned. "When I say 'turn on the light,' I mean turn to the principles taught by Jesus, and carry them out in our daily life. We are human light-houses, placed here to light others as well as ourselves. Just as the windows of a light-house have to be cleaned daily, that the light may shine forth, so must we be cleansed daily that our light may shed its radiance. Our light is the light within us; the windows are our conscience, and unless we use the grace of God daily, our conscience will not allow the light to shine out brightly.' Sarah Linvill's message was that our Heavenly Father is all love, and the earnest seeker after truth will always meet with a ready response. Mordecai Mordecai Price followed, and Serena Minard desired that we should apply diligence to spiritual affairs, and seek in a spirit of watchfulness. Rachel M. Lippincott closed the meeting with an earnest prayer. The meeting in the lecture-room was opened by Jesse Hoge. He emphasized the need of coming near to our Heavenly Father, and relying upon him as a comforter. The cultivation of the spirit is one of the highest professions of man; without that spirit we can do nothing good. | John J. Cornell gave a very clear exposition of the saying of Jesus: "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you. I have yet many things to say unto you, but dependence on the outward to a dependency on the ye cannot bear them now. We must turn from a spirit within to guide us as individuals. When we, like they, are in a sorrowing condition, we cannot bear more. He urged us to cast our dependence, in every trial, on the arms of a loving Father. He will be our comforter. He will lead us in those paths that tend unto all truth, Phineas J. Nichols reminded us that we receive God's blessing in proportion as we bow in humility and ask for it. Hiram Griest offered a prayer of thankfulness for the privileges and blessings that are vouchsafed to us. Pauline W. Holme followed with a few remarks on the query, What makes us true Friends? In the afternoon the Youths' Meeting was largely attended. After calling the representatives, and responsive reading of the 11th Psalm, there was a recitation, followed by one of Anna D. Andrews's Joel Borton delivered a very suggestive and excellent attractive and interesting "Blackboard Lessons." address on the extension of our First-day schools. Edward Farquhar made a few remarks on Bible study. He wished to dispel the idea that, as there was so much of war and confusion in the Old Testament, it might have an influence in that direction. This would not be the case if it were used as a whole, but to use the Old Testament without the New was a mutilation. The meeting in the evening was opened by John J. Cornell in a very impressive discourse upon the thesis that spirituality is consistent with the needs of the day. Sarah Linvill then enlarged on some of the comforting promises of the Bible. After some remarks by Samuel S. Ash, John J. S. R. M. Cornell closed the meeting with prayer. NEWS OF FRIENDS. EASTON AND GRANVILLE HALF YEAR MEETING. EASTON and Granville Half Year Meeting was held for the first time as a Half Year Meeting, on Fourthday, Tenth month 26, at Easton, N. Y. The meeting-house, which stands on the top of a hill, passed its centennial more than twenty years ago. Although remodelled inside, the outside preserves its former appearance. appearance. The attendance was good, considering the hard rain and the distances many of the monthly meetings are from Easton. The religious meeting was addressed by Philip S. Dorland, of Saratoga Monthly Meeting. The business meeting, which is held jointly, transacted the usual business. At the close, all were invited to partake of the bountiful lunch prepared by Easton Friends. The afternoon meeting was spent in talking over the advisability of starting a Friends' Association in the neighborhood of Easton. The meeting was opened by a paper by John Cox, Jr., of New York. |