Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-10
CITY AND COUNTY.
congregational Conferences.


Congregational Conference.
The conference re-assembled Wednesday
morning at quarter past nine o'clock, when
devotional exercises were participatedin, after
which remarks were made by several gentle
men, Rev. Mr.. Black of the Presbyterian
church of Ireland, said he had often heard of
the Puritan fathers of New England, but he had
never realized what work they had inaugu-
rated. Like countryman of his, who when
entranced with admiration in looking at Mag
ara Falls, was silently calculating how much
immense power for machinery there was in
that mighty torrent so his own thoughts had
now been upon the immense amount of good
that might be accomplished by the moral
agencies he had witnessed in Massachusetts.
lie had witnessed power sufficient to drive an
untold amount of mnral machinery. He
spoke OF the war, and hoped it would result
in making our country "A free and powerful
nation of christian civilization.
Rev. Mr.. Paine of Cincinnati said he had
preached, in the course of his forty years.
ministry, in Richmond, Charleston, and other
cities in the rebellious states, and also in the
west; and he wished to present the needs of
the boundless west, which latter, on account
of her rapidly increasing millions, will soon
be the ruling power in our union of states. In
order to properly instruct the teeming popu.
lation of the west, work is to be done, and
earnest and determined workers are needed.
He desired the prayers OF the conference to
be given for the west, and concluded by ex-
pressing the hope that when the war was end
ed, and freedom had been established by the
triumph of our government over its rebel foes,
the great resources Of this country may be
exerted for the carrying of religious truth to
all parts of the world.
At ten O'Clock the discussion of the Ques-
ton, 1.-The spirit of the gospel ilustia lated in
Its tendency to selt-propagation," was opened
with an essay by Rev. Ebenezer Cutler of
this city. He maintained that the spirit of
the gospel is opposed to that of the world,
they differing in everything, as selfshness
and love. The gospel is for the world but not
OF the ~oriu' 0N9~S ".~ ~" only eXemplifi-
cation If the gospel that the world ever saw
me tendency ~ sen-pIU p"sa.,o..
trated by the analogy Of the plant, which
yields fruit after its kind. So the latent power
and life of the gospel are planted in the hui
man breast, and will sometimes bear its own
fruit. The influence of the gospel spirit has
acted antecedently upon John the Baptist,
aid also upon the woman of Samaria, pro-
ducing in her heart true christian faith be-
fore its light had appeared to her, so that she
received Jesus with joy. The spirit of the Cos
pei cannot be transmitted as an inheritance from
father to son, but is the result OF regeneration
in the individual soul through divine grace
1t is not the result of development, hut it is
the sudden awakening of its power in the soul.
No Christian can inpart his own holiness to a
sinner, but he can and must furnish some of
the conditions of his reform. He must dis
suade him from error and persuade him to
truth, and must win him by living up TO the
spirit of the gospel, 1t was the restless, pro-
gressive, sef-propagating spirit of the gospel
which moved Paul and others of his time-a
power mighter than our wills. 1t is endowed
with power from on high and will be trium-
phant. Like the eastern banyan, the tree of
gospel truth, which was planted among the
hills of Judea, has been growing, its branches
bending in graceful curves, and reaching to
all parts of the world. Beneath its branches
the whole race OF mankind will yet sit in
brotherly fellowship, the happy result of the
self-propagating and energetic spirit of the
gospel.
After the conclusion of Mr.. ICutler's adj
dress, the discussion was continued by Rev.
Mr.. Davis of Fitchburg, who alluded to the
great W ork being accomplished among the
people whom our armies are rescuing from
the bonds of slavery, where the self propaga.
ting spirit of the gospel has been most clearly
manifested.
Rev. Mr.. Richardson of this city dissented
from some of the points of the address. He
believed that in the heart of childhhod was
planted a seed of spiritual good, which if
properly nourished will spring up into a bios
soming tree.
Rev. Mr.. Anthony of Marlboro spoke of in
dividual agency. The practical truth is that
iallH III US ulust grow anu expanu anu Work
out the gospel ssirit.
Rev. Mr.. Trask of Fitchburg thought every
true christian might by his moral example
propagate his own religious character, by win
ming others through its force aud power
Rev. VIM H. Beecher, of North Brook
field, said it was great mistake for churches
to pay so much regard for learning, intellect,
and eloquence in their preachers. We need
ed not these things much as an earnest
exemplifcation of the gospel spirit.
Rev. DR.. Sweetser of Worcester, thought
he had gathered correct idea of the address
and that it was to teach that love was the basis
of christian faith. The missions are the d.
rect results of the self propagating spirit of
the gospel, which inculcates working for the
good of others as well as for ourselves.
Prof. Barnes of Andover said this charac-
teristic of seIf-propagation was the character
istic of the gospel which lives in mems hearts.
Rev. Mr. Souther of Worcester spoke of a
conference in Maine more than thirty years
ago, the influence of which was far-Teaching.
Remarks followed by Rev. Mr.. Barney, DIR.
Allen OF Lowell, DIR. Alden OF Randolph, Rev.
Mr. Ihurston of Fall River, and others, when
aiter the transaction of some business, the
conference adjourned to l-2P.M.
| Inc afternoon session was commenced with
1 hi war;