, 1873-05-02


On motion, tho resolutions wcro roforred to
tho BuHiuoss Committee.
: The Conference thon aa,ournoa for lunch.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Upon Tho reasHomlling Of tle neoting, nt
9t. Lonis. delivered an essay on ss1ho Blblo In
our Public Schools" Ho said It was extremely
difficult to detornino whotlor our Gov
she doeos coestasons ss ta dsasaBs
Of tho courts, and tho conduct Of tho rulers
wero contradictory md ambiguous concerning
religion. It was also difficult to determine Il II
ioua character upon tic public schools. TESo
common school systom undoubtedly had ita
origin in tho Christian Church. Tho Reforma-
tlon gavo It tts first 8ront Impulse aud tho puri-
joot Of learning to road was TINT tho Dlblo might
bo road. Tho Puritan school, therefore. could
oasiy bo imagined, In tho separation Of rolig-
ious from secular institutions tho schools went
thore Is anything religious about tho public
gcllool was tho reading Of u few yorBos from tho
Tlblo. Thoso who believe in tho union Of
Church and State woro ondcnvoring to bring
ioal religion. and continue tho Bible in tho
schools. Such uso Of tho Bible had resolved
itsolf, into q riso,, a religious worship, which
was hnt littlo understood BY =. tho scholars,
plain. Only by coasing to DO religious can tho
common scloo1s coaso to 10 aoctarian. The
roading OF tho Bblo WAS undoubtedly scctarian
practice, which croatea partisan Strife Uad tho
prominent citios tho Catholics would navo ro-
belled almost unanimously, and thus tho school
syBtom would havo boon materially injured. In
tho Bible WAS novor road, and, cortainly, tho
scholars wero nH moral as those Of any other
city. Tho law Of evolution, when thoroughly
understood, will disrupt tho union Of Church md
religion. Il was KNOW, now that sectarian cdu-
cation produced nothing but mediocrity. Bocinl
MORALS should ho inoulcatea in tho public;
religious theories shoald be confined to tho
matorial progress aud high montal culture will
come.
DISCUSSION.
DR.. Bellows said tho essay was a remarkably
clear and sound composition, II WrH from no
dsrespect to tho Diblo, from no deorease OF in- j.
torost In tho great aub5oct Of religion, that Uni
tarlans wore anxious to ronovo tho Bible from
to saye tho '' saorod book and rogoa from s' The
turmoil Of soctarianiam that they sought to
bring about tho change. In the days Of super
stitious belief 1t was doubtloBa good thing for
Of tho Church, but, in theBo days Of freedom OF
thought, such doyernment could not he
Thought of for q moment.
Tho Rev. Mr.. Wentto moved the adoption Of
the following:
.s.SU. Goe lle ~ 1'o4isuu ~ @ en
thnt az tho snto. and. -0'F'
WHEREAS, gcctlar instruction belongs to tho State
aud religious instruction to tho Church therefore,
Resolved That IL f neiihoc sytso nor nst to enforce
TIC reaulng Of inc o1Do IN 3n' puDIo acnools'
Adopted unanimoua'y.
The ley. Mr Haywood presented tho foAo""
ing. which called out considerable discussion:
Resolved TINT We heartily wocomo to our fellowship
those brethren who lopresent here 1nependent LII
n u er
S's' toy s'.s''a'',r' ~, w." w. -
to eonfer WITH these brohro,, and oxtond 10 them our
sympathy, and to neck possible methods of co-opora-
tion In tho great work OF Liberal Christianity.
A gentleman said that one fndopondent reltg-
ioniat lad left tho Conference because he thought
could not get hearing.
Tho resolutions woro adopted.
BustNEss COMMITTEE REPORT.
The Rev Robert Lairi Collier presented tho
following aa tho report Ut tho Business Commit
teo on Tic resolutions referred to them during
tho morniug session:
i Ina froasrv Of to hmerc.n Unitarian Asso-
thfn and tha ANAL exnnctaton nf receiving from tho
chnrcIca an INV ~ eonaeraia or adoouote aim dMrina
H. vnsr 1 !, y a m1man, ~ ssa enforcnes t.t
tho Yostern gccrotsry be instructed by tho A. o. to
oyo Ills atention 10 the noints Of principal ipor-
tanco to opon old Of labor for tic presont
which may need aid except special provision be- ado
, ~ ts H. Coh1efeneo 1or 'nas puiposs III eon'ec''on
tsaiu,d = TGat m n,n,star If ,,,ea morn, record
viii undar anv crcnmstanccs no sustained by thia
CpDfnrsuS6 Ill norton Of its missionary UGI4s
Mn roao]ut;ona vera odoptod.
sN as,EynsIrHr To T11E consr1rUrrou.
| makinr fho Executive Committee commit Of at
| least ona dn1epato from each Local Conference,
Wcstcr1, EnnSnrnnco. shall eopstItute Doard Of
n;rectnrs> who si,n1l haYe charge OF tie work Of
| Tho Confernnce wag alontod
| wv nav nnhnrt f,o1,ynr nffarnd a rnsnlufinr
| ,,,aHd;Dr thn rorafitntion an "a In mike 'fho
lila ~ 9ho 1onfnrencn Tha Wontern CON
| E.-.nan ~ 1rpi4nrtor and n+tar 1t,rfnt;,o
| n;sra,saan
oImlonoo. n iii L.. o4na ,.n .t H.. ,..
Tho matter WILL DO acted upon at tne no1s
| Conference.
| aIlscEL14ANEoUs,
| Tho Chair annointod tba Row Mcssra. Wondte
o,1 Gonvor ~ nnnfor viii, tho 1ainpntns from In
11aa liz non - ;1;n.ni Thwrohoa onj ~ artonl r.
| aopenaont Llueial onu1cues, ~, anu ~ oA'ooo W
them the synap­ o1 sue ContcfeMce'
Tho Rev. Dir. EorbuaA ouoTou the FOLLOWING,
which was adopted:
Resolved That Local Conferences bo requested to
oporate with and report to tho Western Conference IN
f