The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-18
TIE UNITARIAN CONFERENCE


At o o'clock Wednesday morning. the
delegates and others assembled in the spa
cious ball room OF the United States Hotel
for devotional exercises Prayer was led
by Rev. w. p. Tilden, of Boston, and
brief practical addresses were made by
Drs. j. Freeman Clarke, of Boston. A. ID.
Mayo, of Springfield, Mass. and S. IL.
Tefft, president of Humboldt college.
AT the Town Hall, the conference was
called to order by President Hoar, at 10 as.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Dir. ]. Cordner
of Montreal. President Hoar then hogan
his annual address by congratuating the
conference on the favorable auspices under
which such large number had assembled
We are Christians who recognize no earth
ly authority between man and his God.
We are Christians who believe in the mis-
sion OF Jesus Christ as God gives us to per
ceive. Wherever the spirit is, there is
liberty aud the power of His might. If we
are on the Lords side, then we arc rirht
and strong. God will save whatever there
is worth saving. He then spoke of the
dilatoriness of the delegates in arriving at
the hall, and said it was mans duty to at
tend to his devotons, but if he was pro-
missed to be otherwheres, then he should
be more fcrvent and occupy less time. In
consequence of the lateness of the hour he
should feel compelled to suspend his adj
dress at this point.
Mr.. John Kneeland of Boston, was
chosen secretary pro tenn.
Rev. Edward Everett Hale, chairman of
the Unitarian and other christian churches,
read his annual report, which was a lengthy
document from which we collate the most
important statements.
A lar,ror Of 6 ,l,, -,..4
arian body have been invited to this con-
ference than we have ever summoned be.
fore and much larger response has been
made. The increasing distrust of dogmatic
formulas results every year in the creation
of new independent churches, which will
not connect themselves with those large re.
ligious bodies which claim a right of super
vision over the doctrines taught in separate
churches. The council had supposed that
some such Independent churches might be
inclined to join In the discussions and in
the action of this conference In the hope
of enlarging the number OF such churches
in free communion with us, by whose SYM
pathy and counsel we might be helped, the
council gave notice early in the summer
that invitations would be sent TO any indie
pendent church, or any other church which
might wish to be present by delegates here.
Several churches not Unitarian, are in at
tendance in answer to invitations thus sent.
Men are coming to understand that unless
the service of God is perfect freedom, it is
not Gods service at all, and the presence
of any taskmaster between God and His
child is but an usurped interference, which
promotes in no case the welfare of the
child or the purity or energy of the SER
vice. The great communions of christians
which succeeded in doing Gods world and
bringing in His kingdom, seem to succeed
in proportion as they waive any supposed
right OF interfering or interposing in the af-
fairs of the several churches which COM
pose their organization. 1t is, for instance.
half a century since 1t was observed that
the thunders of the church of England
slept. They have slept ever since, as they
had slept long before. That church never
eXcommunlcatcs any one.
The national conference of Unitarian
and other christian churches, who are
either inbedendent or congregational in
interference from any quarter with their
forms, their methods or their creeGs, they
must be judged by their fruits, like all
other branches of the christian vine. The
council have no need to make this
statement to the churches who have
been united to this conference. But by
way of welcome to these "other churches
who meet with us for the first time, and by
way of announcing to the public what we
do not try to do as well as what we mean
to accomplish, it seems best to make in the
outset this statement as to the difference
between this conference and most general
councils of religious communions.
The council haye arranged, as at the last
biennial conference, that the secretaries of
local conferences shall present in person
the reports in detail of the missionary and
other work of their several bodies here.
1t remains for the council to give some
account of its work, and the enterprise
specially under the direction of the national
conference. 1t is probably true that the
history of liberal Christianity might be
traced with mole interest in some other
quarters. The progress of liberty in re-
ligion, and the triumphs Of religion
wherever man is left in liberty, have been
illustrated within few years past in other
cOmmunions than ours. Even the Roman
Catholic church makes its contribution
to the history of those triumphs The
Church of England adds hers. Her daugh-
ter in America has given birth to a new
born church which rejects the Nicene
Greed, and returns to the simplicity of that
ascrbed to the apostles. Baptists seek for
open communion and that part OF the
Congregational body which was once Cal
whistle, is tired of the Plymouth platform.
The Presbyterian church has shown its I'M
Willingness to condemn free inqurers for
hersey.
The council have received an invitation
from the government of the Protesten-
..I 30 H.. A
their annual conference, which meets next
week.
1t ought to be impossible any longer for
any body of sectaries to pretend that the
broad view of christianity by which we
stand is mere local or New England no.
ton. 1t has extended itself through Amer
lea, and, if we can judge by the number of
sermons written to overthrow it, it is
everywhere received in this country. 1t is
respected in every Protestant communion
of Europe.
We recommend that the standing com
mttee on fellow ship be enlarged with ref
erence to its appointment of six sub-com-
mittees from its own number. These six
subcommittee should communicate sever
ally with our friends in the African church,
with those in Great Britain, in France,
Holland and Belgium, in Germany and
Hungary, in the South OF Europe, and in
other places not named.
Il. E. HALE.
For the Council.
The committee on nominations was an
nounccd by the chair as follows, viz:
Gov. Thomas Talbot of Massachusetts,
Rev. e. e. Hale of Boston, ID. l.. Shorey
of Chicago, Hon. John Wells OF Boston,
Rev. S. II Calthrop of Syracuse. Rev. c..
G. Ames of Germantown, and Mark p.
Emery of Portland.
Reports from the various conferences
were then made and Mr. John Kneeland of
Boston read a report of the Sunday school
society
At the afternoon session resolution was
adopted, on motion of Rev. j. f. Moors,
from the business committee, that com
mitlee of five on finances be appointed by
the chair. After which Rev. II. Ii. Ship
pen read the report of the American Uni
tartan association. 1t was n carefully di-
| gested document. The chair appointed os