USA > Maryland > Talbot County > Easton > Commemorative exercises of the two-hundredth anniversary of the Friends' Meeting-House at Third Haven. Including an account of the settlement of Friends in Talbot County, Maryland, from the year 1657 to the present time > Part 3
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as in the beginning. The unwearied stars still march to heavenly music, without deviation from their fixed course, and the earth still obeys His will unchanged.
How long these shall continue, we know not; but when heaven and earth shall pass away as a scroll, and be no more ; when the glory of the stars shall fade, and Time folds his snowy pinions in death,-this we know : that the Lord of Hosts stills reigns in majesty, for ever and ever, bringing to pass whatsoever He will.
To-day we pay our parting tribute of respect to this feeble structure, which, for two hundred years, has sheltered the weary traveler as he paused a moment in life's journey to reflect. Its work is over, its tottering frame must crumble to the dust. No more will we mingle beneath its roof in silent worship, but as a garment have we cast it aside forever.
Farewell ! the house of our fathers, farewell! Soon we we will have finished our work on earth, and, like thee, our mortal bodies will be distributed to the elements. During the tempest and whirlwind thou hast stood firm; may no storm of temptation find us too weak to resist its violence.
We are passing away ; our lives, like the waves, last but a moment ; our voices, like the sigh of the wind, are forgotten ; our forms are but clouds on the blue vault of life, changing and disappearing. In the impenetrable future, endless gen- erations will follow to take the places of those gone before. For them, as for us, will the rains descend, the flowers bloom, and the harvests be gathered in.
Let us hope that the principles of love and truth, which we have set forth here, will roll, as a placid river, down the countless ages to come; that the lives which embark on its bosom be gently borne to that haven of rest, where unnum- bered hosts dwell in eternal peace.
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Old Third Haven Meeting-House.
Written at the request of Samuel F. Troth, a member of Third Haven Meeting from 1801 to 1818, by his daughter, Sallie J. Troth. Read by Matilda J. Bartlett.
The oakes were felled, the beams were placed Two hundred years ago ; Two hundred years of summer's heat, Of cold, and winter's snow.
And, through those years, how many hearts Have met in worship there, Have listened to the preacher's voice, Or bowed in earnest prayer?
The birds have sung their lays above, The fresh wind stirred each tree, And others, in those by-gone days, Have heard and felt as we.
Our fathers' sires, and theirs, and theirs, Have sought that sheltered spot, And found that none who ask in faith Can say, " God answers not."
There came the bridegroom and the bride, And spake the binding word Before assembled friends, and-"in The presence of the Lord."
And near at hand, in quietness, How many lie at rest, Whose names are treasured household words, Whose memories are blest.
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Dear house ! we love its very walls, Its old oak beams are dear ! So oft in it our ancestors Have known the Master near.
But as the new years come and go, And other years fly past,
Its time must close as theirs has closed, Its service end at last.
And in the upper house of prayer, In peace and joy shall meet A ransomed throng, and bow them low At their Redeemer's feet.
And sing His praise, who, through the years, With gentle patient hand, A Shepherd true, has led his sheep Into Emmanuel's land.
May we, and many passed away, Rejoicingly meet there ;
And fill the upper courts with praise, As that was filled with prayer.
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The Quaker of the Olden Time.
Selection from Whittier. Read by Helen C. Shreve.
The Quaker of the olden time ! How calm 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 saw.
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.
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Oh ! spirit of that early day, So pure and strong and true, Be with us in the narrow way Our faithful fathers knew ! Give strength the evil to forsake, The cross of truth to bear, And love and reverent fear to make Our daily lives a prayer !
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Addresses.
Dr. James Carey Thomas, of Baltimore said :-
Having been unexpectedly asked by the chairman of this anniversary meeting to say a few words, I cannot forbear expressing how great an interest I have felt in listening to the history of the venerable house under whose roof we are assembled. These old buildings give a remarkable reality to past scenes. Last month, 7, 10, '84, the inhabitants of the town of Delft, in Holland, kept as a great and solemn occasion the three-hundredth anniversary of the assassination of William of Orange, the great hero and liberator of the Netherlands, rendered vivid by the existence of the house in which he was murdered, which stands unchanged, so that the descendants of the people freed by his self-denying efforts may still see the recess in the narrow staircase where Gerard, the assassin, stood waiting for his victim. The results of that great struggle still remain a blessing to Holland. So these old meeting-houses in this country and in England, remind us of the labor, the courage and the work of George Fox and his noble band of laborers more than two hundred years ago. The meeting- house, near Swarthmore Hall, where George Fox lived, is kept in its original condition, and preserves the Bible which Fox had chained to the gallery rail ; and near Chalfonte, Jordan's
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meeting-house, where William Penn often preached, and in whose quiet graveyard he lies buried, is still arranged, not only for the seating of a goodly number in the meeting-room, but has in the second-story rooms for the sleeping-place of travel- ing friends, and in the basement accommodation for the care of their horses. I have no doubt that the two forty-feet rooms in the second story of this old building might have been used as chambers for friends in the ministry. George Fox, the last of the great reformers, carried the theory of the Reformation to its ultimate result. Knowing by his own experience that in the soul's extremity human aid availed little, he realized that there was one who could speak to his condi- tion, even Jesus Christ. So he was able to bring men and women to Christ, and leave them there. He recognized that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, and pro- claimed equality of personal and individual right and respon- sibility to all men. The church was a collection of brethren and sisters, differing only as the recipients of different gifts and grace, which were to be recognized gladly. Believing that he is the best citizen of earth "whose citizenship is in heaven," he taught that the Christian has duties to be faith- fully performed in civil society as well as in the church. It was this conviction that has made Friends so prominent in all reforms that have had to do with the promotion of the welfare of their fellow-men. Obedience to daily requirement of duty, faithfulness to convictions of right, simple allegiance to the Lord, will make our lives, as theirs were, a blessing to all around us. May these lessons be the lessons that we shall learn in the remembrance of two hundred years ago, and of the men and women who then labored so faithfully and suc- cessfully.
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Clement Biddle, of Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania :-
It is meet that those who are interested in this monthly meeting should extend to other friends and neighbors an invi- tation to join them on this occasion. The feeling of my mind has been that they have indeed reason for gratitude to the Father of their being, that the lines have fallen to them in pleasant places in the outward; that all of us who live in this mild zone of the earth have reason thus; and whilst we cannot dwell too long on these points, the feeling of my mind has also been, on this occasion, that we have still greater rea- son for gratitude than this, in that we are more gifted in the inner than in the outward being.
I differ from our early " Historical Record " with regard, however, to the credit accorded in it for the enjoyment of the former of these gifts to Lord Baltimore. In the charter to Lord Baltimore was the provision that the laws passed in the Province should receive the advice, assent, and approba- tion of the people; and I think that this clause had more influence in producing the toleration policy pursued by Lord Baltimore than any inclination of his own. For he was a Catholic, and, as we look back upon him, we must look through the lives of two centuries, not by the lights of the present time ; and such a voluntary policy at that time would not have been in keeping with the man or his church. ' But toleration was a totally different idea from the great principle enunciated by George Fox; it was the idea of Roger Williams which gave tolerance to others in their worship, a mere indulgence, and an entirely different principle from that of George Fox, who said that men, male and female, were equal, and in each were inherent rights of freedom of conscience, and that these could not consequently be given by another. This was the ground of the founder of an adjoining State (Pennsylvania) ;
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and it is because of the benefits that have accrued from this freedom of civil law that we have reason to return gratitude indeed unto God on high. So that while we may be thankful that our forefathers were allowed to worship according to their faith without interference, yet toleration is one thing; but to recognize the Divine right of equality and freedom of con- science is quite another-that is freedom indeed. Therefore it is that we should prove ourselves Friends. We stand before the world professing the name of Friends-we should prove ourselves friends to them. Ye are my friends if ye do what- soever I command you.
I would say to the young here, who are entering, as it were, upon the development of their manhood and woman- hood, that with you it is just as you fulfill your destiny. As has been said, you are every one of you to be influences in the world either for good or for evil ; and if you will submit to the operations of his light and his Christ in your hearts, you will turn with thanks in the future to that which has been done in the past, your heavenly Father will open wide the doors of your hearts to his heavenly influence, his divine attributes, and you will be filled with that wisdom with which he sustains those faithful in his service. But you cannot rest upon that which has been done in the past. You each have missions to perform in life, and, as you expect to become children of the Light, you must accept these responsibilities, and labor in the service of your Lord amongst your fellows, as did Jesus while on earth ; and if you will thus, indeed, become co-workers and co-laborers with Him, you will realize all the happiness which was designed by Him for your portion here on earth, and the glorious compensation for your services in the hereafter.
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Dr. Sarah Rogers, of Philadelphia, Pa .:-
(The first few sentences of the speaker were not exactly caught by the reporter, but it is thought they were as follows.) As I stand before you to-day, I exercise a privilege which I 1 never expected to find accorded me ; but I have felt as I have listened to the beautiful exercises this morning, and have sat in this house, erected two hundred years ago by the patient labors of our forefathers, that I too must give utterance to my feel- ings in this place of freedom in religious worship. I have felt many times that bonds were continually being thrown off, and privileges extended, but since sitting here I have realized it more than I ever did before. In this age of liberty of action and conscience, privileges which our forefathers were denied, I sometimes fear that we rest too much in our rights, and there- fore I have felt like rising in your midst, and asserting my mind's mission, that my duty may be fulfilled. You who are assembled here with us to-day,-for we know no distinction,- you know wherein your duties lie.
I have been thoroughly interested in listening to the his- tory of this house. The education of the young was early thought of, and one woman teacher was recorded. At that day it was not felt that woman was of so much importance as man ; but the men who came to this country, and founded this meeting-house, recognized the rights of woman, and accorded them to her. Later on, slavery was felt to be a curse, and Friends gave up the system of slavery. To-day we find our women filling places in life which are a credit to them. In this meeting I find there is no want of children ; train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it. I feel sometimes, that we do not yield enough to the prompt- ings of the Spirit within us, therefore I desire you to seek, each of you your own missions, and fulfill them.
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Lydia Price, of West Chester, Pa :-
The grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of the Lord endureth forever ; the word that was in the begin- ning, that has been in all ages of the world; it went into every man, and every woman; it went into the fathers, and the mothers who were wont to gather in this house for two hundred years,-the indwelling Spirit. And we who are called Friends have made the profession of being led and guided by this Spirit. Oh that we may always be worthy to be found as such, giving place unto its teachings! This in- dwelling Spirit-oh that we may be obedient to it! I have thought, while sitting here, that some of our spirits have been lifted up from this place to the mansions of our Father's house, this love which has been spoken of pervading our hearts, love of the Father, and love of our fellow-men, love for the eternal truth, and of God the father of all truth and of all the living. This Christ. We feel that God is love. And as we learn more of this inspeaking word-more of God's Holy Spirit, we feel as one who, having departed from home, has been gathered again to the heart of his God. The death which seems to overtake us, simply points to a life wherein no blind child can stray beyond its Father's sight. Oh! blessed is this thought, and truly blessed are they who come to know of this indwell- ing Spirit. . I would that we may all one day enter into it, that we may know of this love of which Jesus spoke when he said, "One commandment I give unto you : That you love one another as I love you." Oh that our lives may be of this unselfish nature, like the laying down of selfish life that we may be bound together in love, true to the principles of our fore- fathers, true to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, true to our consciences! Not that the truth which is the same forever deters advancement, but that our advancement should be so
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crossed by this perfect love that there should be no sectarian want of breadth in our principles. It is proper for us to feel that we are children of one great family, then are we Friends indeed, Friends of the Spirit, and we shall be a blessing to the world in which we live, and the earth be better for our having lived in it.
Edwin H. Coates, of Philadelphia, Pa. :-
The lines of a very eminent writer came very forcibly before my mind in looking on these old rafters before me, which we have called a meeting-house wherein your fathers and their fathers have worshiped for the last two hundred years.
" "T'is not in temples made with stone. The great Creator dwells; But on the mountain top he stands And in the lonely dells. Wherever fervent prayer is heard He stands recording every word.
In dell, on mountain, everywhere, He never fails to answer prayer.
The temple thy Creator owns, That temple is the heart, No costly pile of wood or stone, No work of human art.
The cloud-capped spire may point on high, And draw the lightning from the sky,
But 'tis the humble, modest flower That drinks in the refreshing shower, And, in return for favors given,
Breathes its sweet fragrance up to heaven.
There is a feeling of gratitude pervading my mind on this occasion as I see the large assembly who have favored us with their presence, who, although not strictly Friends, have yet come here to show their respect and love for these, our members. And
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I gladly look forward to that good time coming when we shall be very much nearer together than we are to-day; when we shall better understand each other than now ; when there will be but one feeling among men, and that will be a desire for all to rise higher and higher, and come into a greater enjoyment of those things which were given unto us to enjoy. And while I am glad and rejoiced in hearing that very remarkable history read to-day, giving credit to the society for its part in removing the curse of slavery, yet I think there is one thing which has been omitted. I want to call the attention of all present to another testimony which Friends always have borne, and continue to bear-that against war. Slavery has passed away, but there are still the clamorings of war. We see many nations still have a disposition to resort to the sword. And let me say this has been one of the many testimonies of Friends, and I am glad to bear that testimony. Friends have always held forth to the world the soundness of the principles of arbitration. And I have felt called upon to bear this testi- mony against war here to-day with every feeling of respect and deference toward those with whom we are assembled ; and I think there are none here who would not be glad if the time were here when the sword shall be beaten into the plow share and the spear into the pruning hook, and love and good- will pervade all the nations of the earth. To that end may we all labor, and when it does come will the earth be governed by Divine law, and Christ's spirit will prevail in our souls, so that we shall dwell in love and peace on earth until we come into that higher realm of love.
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Samuel J. Levick, of Philadelphia, Pa. :-
It must be manifest that the time is not far distant when this opportunity that has brought us together must come to a close, and we who are gathered here to-day from the various walks of life, must turn our faces homeward. My home, to-day, is in Philadelphia, but I spring on my paternal side of the house from those who have long been connected with Friends n this section. My ancestors were among those who as early as 1680 found a home on this peninsula, and they for many generations were interested in establishing and perpet- uating the great principles that we still are called together to present and maintain. These principles are the same which Jesus Christ handed down to us, and which were to redeem and to save those who were lost. These were the men who presented the great truths of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to the world, which had been covered by clouds and darkness. Barriers had risen up, oppression had come, and men had come to believe in other things than the doctrines taught by Jesus Christ. There was stamped upon the minds of men the belief that only in the Holy Scriptures was the source to be found from which flowed a knowledge of God ; that this was the only Divine revelation. And so it became necesary that there be teachers sent forth to preach to the peo- ple, and they had to be educated that the people might come to hear them. Thus it came to pass that there were no other means open to the people whereby they might become acquainted with the will of God but through this medium. Then came this illiterate man-illiterate certainly from the standpoint of to-day, but who had been faithful to his duties as they were assigned him, and while a mere boy he became sensible of the visitings of the Divine Spirit in his soul, and of its teachings. The Holy Scriptures were opened unto him,
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and he was shown that it was not enough for a man to be educated at Oxford or Cambridge to qualify him to preach the gospel. It needed something more than this, not that he should not be educated, but education was not a sufficient qualification. It required the qualification, which was the only one that the Apostles had. They were not of the learned men of that day ; they were fishermen, and Jesus called them, and told them to follow him and he would make them fishers of men. And so they received him into their hearts, obeyed his commandments and learned of him, and he sent them forth as sheep among wolves to preach the everlasting gospel, endowed only with a wisdom and power from on high. This was the qualification that was sent forth to redeem the world. This was the qualification that Fox had. This was what he pre- sented, and on the strength of this he became a mighty man of his day. When we contemplate the labor he endured, and the delay and suffering, and yet what he accomplished, we are compelled to believe that nothing but the sustaining hand of Almighty God could have enabled him to perform what he did. But we are not dependent upon the past for what we have, any more than the past was dependent upon its past, we have the same Christ, the same life, the same power to-day; and to as full an extent as was ever given to the children of men. We have greater advantages, but we must remember that where much is given much will be required; that we can- not shrink from the obligations that are imposed upon us. Every one here this morning has some duty. Not only may we work for our lives, but we may also work for the salvation of others. Let thy light so shine before men that they may see thy good works and glorify thy Father which is in heaven.
We come to commemorate the past, and it is well to
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commemorate the past in social rejoicing with our neighbors, . at the blessings which God in his love has placed here. He sent our fathers to a free and plenteous land, and we may thank him for this. We, their children, are now enjoying the fruits of their labors. But still, for us all, there is work assigned. Let us on and on and on, and by faithfulness in following his commandments we may more and more exalt our lives, and bring them nearer that true civilization and true life.
Rev. A. W. Lightburne, of M. E. Church, Easton, Md .:---
I have been very much interested in the historical study and personal reminiscences to which we have listened, and my mind has been specially engaged this morning in running a parallel, which has proved very beautiful to me, between the like careers of George Fox and John Wesley. And there is a striking similarity between these two men. Whilst one was born in 1624, I believe, and the other in 1703, yet both of these men were endued with the same spirit, and their life work was of the same character.
And it has seemed to me that although George Fox was precluded from any responsibility to John Wesley for the plans and methods which he adopted, and from any obligation for any special view of his mission, yet I think it would be impossible for me to say that of John Wesley in his relation to George Fox. And I do think that Methodism and John Wesley were greatly indebted to George Fox for their doctrine. And this is one thing that makes me feel at home here to-day. That doctrine is the doctrine of one light and of one life. That every man and every woman is to know individually that they are saved, not by any communication from any living person ; not through the mumblings of any priest ; but through the direct spiritual communication of God. Of course, this is
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. the doctrine of the Bible. It is this doctrine, and just this doctrine, which is the very spirit and the very life of the teach- ings of the Scriptures; and this is what gives the Bible its vitality in the world. I believe this is that hidden life principle in the blood which circulates through the veins, which circu- lation was discovered not so many years ago, although it existed very many years before its discovery. And as this blood carries life and freedom to all parts of the body, just so do I believe there is a salvation through this teaching of the gospel of Christ, this living principle. It is not the word, it is not the letter, but it is the spirit that giveth life. That is what we read in the 6th chapter, 63d verse of St. John : " What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." That is the reason that Jesus Christ said, " It is expedient that I go away; ye shall see greater things, and know greater things; for after I go away, I shall send you a comforter." So it was that Jesus was to establish his church, not .our church, but the church of the living God, in the hearts of men the world over ; and on the day of Pente- cost, when the disciples were gathered together in the temple, the Spirit of the Living God came over them as with the sound of a rushing wind. The Holy Ghost filled them, and they spoke the word of the Living God in sixteen languages. That was the establishment of the Church. It was the descent of the power of Almighty God. This is to be our salvation, and if we put our faith and hope in other things, it is idolatry of means and methods, rather than reverence of the Spirit of the Living God.
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Closing Exercises.
Letters were received from the following Friends : Mary S. Lippincott, Camden, N. J. ; S. and L. J. Roberts, Philadel- phia, Pa. ; Isaac Martindale, Camden, N. J .; Harriet E. Kirk, Johnsville, Pa .; Sarah Hoopes, West Chester, Pa .; Rebecca M. Thomas, Sandy Springs, Md. ; Joseph S. Hartley, Alliance, Ohio; Allen Flitcraft, Chester, Pa .; Mary G. Moore, Fallston, Md .; Henry F. Willis, Preston, Md .; William Wood, Gwynedd, Pa .; Joseph B. Livezey, Clarksboro, N. J .; Edith W. Atlee, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Darlington Hoopse, Sarah. Hunt, West Grove, Pa .; H. and V. E. Ridgely, Dover, Del .; Susan Roberts, Rebecca N. Iredell, Bristol, Pa. ; S. S. Ash, Philadelphia, Pa. ; Priscilla S. Walton, Ercildoun, Pa. ; Rachael T. Hoopes, For- rest Hill, Md .; Jonathan Plumley, Chicago, Ill .; N. I. King, Baltimore, Md., and others,-some of which were read by Joseph Bartlett.
The exercises prepared by the committee being completed, we were favored by voluntary expressions from many present.
Lydia Hall, of West Chester, added briefly expressed words of encouragement. The meeting closed with fervently expressed prayer by Dr. J. Carey Thomas.
The general expressions of satisfaction by those present, the spiritual awakening, the pleasant social mingling with vis- iting friends, has caused a feeling of thankfulness that it has
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been our privilege to enjoy the peace, prosperity, religious freedom and advancement of this enlightened age. We trust that when the exercises of to-day shall have receded into the dim past, that those who are to follow us, and, through faithful- ness, shall have ascended to a higher plane, a purer civilization, accompanied with all the blessings we are led to hope for in the growing future, they may turn to a perusal of their quaint exercises, and feel a pleasure therein. We feel that this occasion has renewed our zeal. The retrospective character of these exercises seem to embue our hearts with the full realization that we are all subject to the inward teachings of the Father, alike subject to his divine laws, alike rewarded for faithful- ness.
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