FRIENDS' CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 8

FRIENDS' CONFERENCE.

first'-business of -the-.'Conference of ; the ' Society,.of 'Friends yesterday.• morning' was to ■-'.iu'thorue'.l-.the Csending/;bf, a cablegram of; greeting''to .the' Yearly/ Meeting, which will,, be'held; shortly in- London. ■'•. •■■: v •;■.'-.; .' ,■Methods ofi".assisting]the.Friorids' Foreign; Missions; were, next'"', ■ and certain suggestions were approved. .■ ■■•• .'■■ ■ ■■' " .: ■ ffie'clerk read' the credentials of Dr.-Hodg-kjn; Mrs. Hbdgkin; and'their son and daugh-/ ter: from English meetings: of Friends, and a: number of, Friends bore impressive testimony -to the-value/of,the; visit. ■ ■-;•.••• ■/-. ■ . ' 'i 'iln the course of a 'discussion ..oE'the origanisatibn of .the Society,"Dr. Hodgkin-and. : other-' speakers • strbngly. : advised 'the' adoption by 'New Zealand Friends of a. system of fede-. ' rated • :. such;-' as. had,' existed in ■England and elsewhere ever since- the time of, George 'Fox.* :.- .-■: • / ':-':■' : - V-//.. ■■'•''■ ■;.!'.■- ; - During the afternoon, opportunities were,' fbund'/f or; an ' exhibition:, of some beautiful ; water".ool6ur ; ;'sketche3 by".Miss.',V.:Hodgkin,;: aridjfor a -visit; to,the.Friends': Hostel.^ ; '.,-. ;;.•; i •At'J.theiafteTnoon sitting, Dr. Hodgldn, de-; , livereda' -lecture the founder' of the' Society of Friends,'whom .he'.described-,' as .belonging'■ to : the same' class as Moses, Paul,vMohamm©d,' Luther, .and v Carlyle-r-nlen.'like 'those' igneous -'rocks that!caine hisaiig hot from' the heart of earth, -broke through the sedimentary 1 strata (#bicn f :might-bp ; likeiied.jto' another-class of, me^; c aiid;'chajiged ; thovface"pf the••■planet , !-: Eos ,'was.. an/original; thinker,: standiig: apart : frpiai i'or.: opposing V both; the ■ Anglft-Catholics ■ aid ike, Calvinistio 'Puritans of his; day.. The ab'lert\work / ;'m ? def&ce;of. ; lris > 'posijtion^ , 'Baj>' clay's ,'Apology."- i 7was /veiled, atr. ■tMk'on. the.Westmins^r'Confcssionii-rli,op-position' to yiew/ Fp'x, : : thbugh r&-:' : .rietencing- .the' Bible,,'strongly' insisted .'that*' notvit, :but- the.: Holy" Spirit's' voice-.to the, (individual. (3hristian::.was;i;he; primary; rule offatth^:'.,THe"Puritan 'was, always ready'to'rise.' thW,,BVord.-of.;,the Lord- and .of in.- &■£!■ fence of >his "crpedjlwhile'Fox] Held' caiise,-was utterly;: forbidden 1 tb.the'Cnristia'n.- "Afteriskotching■ Fox-his early;.spin,;' tual ■struggles'; 'his. emergence';into'the'.faith; of; a': 'his. life, of and; preaching; -yaried.'by. 'imprisonment, l^.and ' his• statesmanlike iachievemenfjbf.' the organ-f isation .of ,: QuakerismrrDr.','Hbdgkin alluded :tp,i.liesrplatibnship.;;botween fFox's .teaching. and/modera/.thonght. ' 'As■ a believer, in the \ ' "Universal'.and,.SayingLight," his readiness. ■.tjraok^w]^g'e''-rdiglouSjinstinbti:;an6\;'as'piri^ : tions in' minds which had never comounder, ;tho;inflnehce of tho" Christian Revelation dis-'. tinguish«d.' himAfavonrably- from'.'almost all ■; of his.time, .and was in'haf-' mpny;with some of the,best,and most hopeful .teaching of'.our/, :owii. day. '■•''..■ His protest. : a|diiist ; the - Puritan /attitude 'towards \ the -Bible .waslone which required ', to. be.made,.'< though to-day , one might hayo some .difficulty 1 in r accepting even/Fox's.position, -"The-Bible ■is: , , not '• the ;wprd> but. tile /words of;. Qod',"--.^e.'MQ.Vyears/that;had'.."passed.'since the. death ;,pf..Fox,'na3'witi^ossea f many, changes,' and■ sevoral -layers;of ■ sedim'eiitary rocks had.' :.been/,deposited.;pver.:,tne fierco lava stream •■'6f:ihis".preaohing';..bnt"he.'was. 'a real prophot of ,the.Most High, and,the world was in some; respecte albetter and a happier.place because: herwas.not 'disobedient to tie Heavenly yisAaAi:Q : -'! '■[':'' - :: v' :; . y- , - 1 --, ! :' : ■"■'■'■': ] }i l 'V '' v .../ !

;Capiam ■'■Blackbnrne attended .the Evening, sitting, , r and v'an .:address .on tho opium question.' -.A resolution; Was' unanimously'passed :■ deploring' tho action -of-the Empiro-in■.connection with',.the opinin 'traffic' wrth.China. :.:' v '^;:. : - -UVi;.'\: ■■ :■ - :,.-?■:■:<