The Spiritualist newspaper > No.208, August 18th 1876

Aug. 18, 1876.
THE SPIRITUALIST.
27
Sec. 4. The Board shall immediately npon its appointment proceed to com.
plete its organisation by the appointment of a Secretary, who shall keep a
fair and full record of all its proceedings.
Sec. 5. The following Sub-committees shall be annually appointed
1. A Health Committee. Embracing the laws of health and disease and the
care of the sick.
2. A Committee on Education. Embracing the theory of human life, to¬
gether with the practical modes of its development; and charged also with the
supervision and control of the Sunday-school, with power to determine (a) the
method of instruction, (b) Who shall teach, (c) What shall be taught,
(d) To provide through books, maps, and oral teaching such instruction for
teachers as may be necessary to fit them for their work, (e) To draw an order
upon the Treasurer of the Society for the expenses of the school, subject to
the approval of the Executive Board. ,
3. A Committee on Social Life. Embracing the organisation of the social
element in the Society, in accordance with the principles of the sciences of
man and of society and the extension of these principles to the community,
the commonwealth, and the nation.
4. Committee on Reforms. Embracing the true method of such changes in
social, economic, and civic life as the evolution of the time brings to the surface
of society.
5. A Committee on Spiritual Life. Embracing whatever pertains to worship
and the development of spiritual life.
Sec. 6. The Sub-committees shall, at the end of each fiscal year, and two
weeks previous to the Annual Meeting of the Society, make full report, in
writing, of all their doings to the Executive Board.
Sec. 7. The Executive Board shall meet on the first Mondays in January,
April, July and October, or at the call of the President, through a notice from
the desk, whenever business demanding attention shall require it.
Sec. 8. Five members of the Board shall constitute a quorum, but a less
number may adjourn.
Sec. 9. The Executive Board shall, at each Annual Meeting of the Society,
submit a report, in writing, of the entire work of the year, whether done
through the Board or the Sub-committees.
Art. V. Meetings. Sec. 1. The Executive Board shall direct the Clerk
to call an Annual Meeting of the Society, agreeably with the — —
statutes, to be held at such time and place between the —— day of and
the day of , as they may elect.
Sec. 2. The fiscal year of the Society shall commence on the —— day of
—— in each year.
Sec. 3. The Executive Board shall call, upon requisition in writing, signed
by five members, such other meetings as the state of business may demand.
Art. VI. Elections. The officers and Executive Board shall be elected
annually by ballot, and shall serve till their successors are elected.
Art. VII. Quorum. Seven members shalLconstitute a quorum, but a less
number may adjourn.
Art. VIH. Appeals. In a case of dissatisfaction with the action of a
Sub-committee, appeal may be had to the Executive Board, and thence, if
satisfaction be not had, to the Society in lawful meeting assembled.
Art. IX. Amendments. Amendments, alterations or additions to this
Constitution may be proposed in writing at a legal meeting, but shall lie
over seven days before action shall be taken thereon.
Sec. 2. A two-thirds vote of members present at a legal meeting shall be
required to pass an amendment.
It was next moved that a committee of three be raised, to prepare an
address to the people, to go out with the declaration which this confer¬
ence sends to the country.
It was voted that the committee be authorised to prepare and print
the address as part of the minutes of the conference.
The conference then voted that a committee of twelve be raised,
divided into groups of threes, selected from the respective sections of the
country—north, middle, west, and south—empowered to oversee the
work of local organisation; and also empowered to call, at such time
and place, in the year 1877, as may seem to them fit, a delegate conven¬
tion, composed of five delegates from each society which shall be
formed within the year, and of such other persons, in places where
there are not enough to form a society, as may signify their sympathy
with the movement, and apply to the committee for credentials, which
convention shall have for its main business to decide the question of a
permanent national organisation, and to transact such other business as
may come before the convention.
Considerable discussion took place respecting the name of the new
movement. But a hearty and unanimous agreement was reached that
this was a question which ought to go over for final settlement to the
Delegate Convention next year. And it was voted that this body, for the
present, take the provisional title of “ The National Conference of
Spiritualists.”
After passing a vote that a copy of the minutes of the Conference be
sent to all the Spiritualist papers in the country, and thanking Mr.
Bliss for his kindness in the use of the hall, the Conference adjourned
to meet at the call of the committee of twelve.
Names of the committee: James Edward Bruce, M.D.; J. Hamilton
Dewey, M.D.; E. Gerry Brown; Rev. Wm. Fishbough; Eugene Cro¬
well, M.D.; E. P. Miller, M.D.; Rev. A. J. Fishback; E. C. Dunn,
M.D.; J. S. Avery, M.D.; Rev. Samuel Watson, D.D., with two other
names for the South, which Dr. Watson shall select.
All communications respecting the movement in general should be
addressed to the chairman of the committee of twelve, J. E. Bruce, New-
buryport, Mass.
Localities wishing to form societies, or societies wishing to notify the
committee of the fact of their organisation, etc., will take notice that J.
H. Dewey, of Boston, Mass., is chairman of the committee for New
England; Rev. William Fishbough, Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y., is chair¬
man for the Middle States; Rev. A. J. Fishback, Webster Grove, Mo.,
is chairman for the West; and Dr. Samuel Watson, Memphis, Tenn.,
for the South. J. E. Bruce, Secretary.
Mr. W. H, Harrison will leave London for Scotland and the North
pf England towards the close of this month.
li
I
WHAT IS RELIGION?
Dr. Sexton, in the course of a lecture preached at Swindon, said■
What is religion ? This is a very large question, and one which has
been the source of endless controversies. Yet, after all, probably the
answer to it may be compressed into a very small compass. We
have it in the two great commandments of the Lord. Love to God
supremely, and love to man as an outcome of the love to God. If
a man does not love his brother, neither does he love God. The
word religion is derived from two Latin words, which mean to bind
again; and therefore, signifies the re-binding man to God, from whom
he has broken loose. This binding is by cords of love. The purpose of
religion is two-fold. First, that men should be good; second, that they
should give God the glory for their goodness. All religious symptoms
that fail of this are deficient in the essential feature of true religion.
Nor is this rule established by an arbitrary arrangement on the part
of God, but flows by an irresistible necessity from the constitution of
his nature and our own. It is the essence of love to wish to give some¬
thing of its own to another. God is Love, Perfect Love, Infinite Love.
Therefore, it is His desire to give of Himself to man. From this divine
desire man was created at first that he might receive the divine love,
appropriate it to himself, and live by it as of himself. This love is the
love of goodness, and, therefore, in proportion as a man loves goodness,
does he answer the purpose for which he was created. The primary
purpose of religion is to make man good. Selfishness is the opposite
of good. Now, to attribute to self that which comes from God is both
selfish and unjust. The second purpose of religion, therefore, is to make
man acknowledge that he owes all his goodness to God. If the ancient
religions are examined in the light of this grand truth, it will be seen
how utterly deficient they are, and how, while they vaguely point the
way to the glorious consummation which was to come, they themselves
fall far short of the true ideal. This principle will also form a test to
which we can bring the various Christian sects, with a view to ascertain
how far they are in accordance with the true religion.
THE LATE MR. RYMER, OF EALING.
(From the “ Harbinger of Light” Melbourne.)
The following biographical notice, from the Bendigo Advertiser of
the 16th May, of Mr. J. S. Rymer, of Sandhurst, formerly of Ealing,
London, England, will, no doubt, be read with interest by many of our
readers here and in England, to whom the departed gentleman was so
long and favourably known. Mr. Rymer became a sincere Spiritualist
many years ago in London, and remained so during his life in this
world, though nominally a member of the Church of England. His
funeral took place on Tuesday, the 17th May, and was attended to the
place of sepulture at the White Hills Cemetery, by a very numerous
cortege of all classes of the community, by whom he was much be¬
loved for his many sterling good qualities. All the solicitors of the
city walked in procession behind the hearse from the residence of the
deceased to the cemetery. At the Church of England, the service for
the dead was read by the Rev. W. R. Croxton, and by the same rev.
gentleman at the grave. A lady Spiritualist sent a beautiful bouquet
of flowers, which, by the hands of her husband, was placed on the
coffin, and, as was said by a gentleman present, was “a touching
tribute of respect to one who in this life was always spoken of as an
honest man.” The following is the notice referred to
“ The hand of death has again made itself felt in the ranks of the
old identities of the district; year by year are some of these old
familiar and kindly faces taken from us, and laid low and cold in their
last earthly resting place. We have with great regret to announce the
death of one of the oldest legal practitioners of this city, Mr. J. S.
Rymer, who expired on Sunday night at his residence, White Hills, at
the ripe old age of sixty-nine. The deceased gentleman has been
suffering from ill-health during the last few months, his affliction being
an attack of erysipelas, to which he finally succumbed. Mr. Rymer
was a resident of nineteen years standing, and, as a solicitor, had a
very extensive and lucrative practice, which he lately shared with his
son. When the deceased gentleman first arrived on Bendigo it was to
represent the firm of Klingender, Charlsley, and Rymer, of which he
was a member. After some time he withdrew from the firm, and
started practice on his own account, and his high-class abilities, legal
attainments, and extensive experience, gained in England, speedily
won for him numerous clients. In London he was a member of a
very influential firm of solicitors, who conducted an extensive equity
and Parliamentary agency business. The deceased gentleman was
widely respected for his undoubted honesty. One of his characteristics,
by which he gained so many friends and clients, was the thoroughly
disinterested and honest advice that he always tendered to anyone who
consulted him ; and often has he refused accepting a retainer in a case
to which he saw no good defence, counselling his clients to settle, and
thus save their pockets. Such men and actions are a credit to the
profession. It was because the fullest trust and reliance could be
placed upon Mr. Rymer’s integrity, and also upon his clever knowledge
of the law generally, that his practice grew to such dimensions, and the
firm of Rymer and Son became so much respected. The deceased
gentleman was of a particularly happy and genial turn of mind, and
relished a laugh and joke, even though at his own expense, with the
zest and good humour of a thorough Englishman and a gentleman.
His companionship was of the pleasantest and most enjoyable kind,
and as a friend he was warm-hearted, true, and sincere. During his
long years of residence in this city he made many friends, and won the
esteem of all with whom he came in contact, and it will be with
sincere regret that these will learn that the good-natured, kind-*
hearted, and honest old gentleman is now numbered with the dead.
Mr. Rymer some years ago took a deep interest in spiritual phenomena^