The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-12
ENDING THE CONFERENCE.
ADDRESSES ny THE REV PHGBE HAM,
1EORD And OTHERS.

The Pccuninry DimcultIe. OF the Church %
the MessIah-Dr. Gotthen On Free Thought
Edward Everett Hale on Unitarianissa.
The two days conference OF the Unita-
rlans in the Church OF the Messiah closed yes
terday. 1t had two obiects-one to enjoy an
exchange OF religious views. and another to
confer as 10 the best method the Church OF the
Messiah can take to get out Of its pecuniary
difficulties. There was an essay in the fore
noon on Three Steps of Liberal Religious
Progress" after which there was free discuss
sion on The Work TO which Liberals are
Called by the Exigencies Of the Times"
The rabbi. DR.. Gotthe OF the Fifth avenue
synagogue. was one Of the speakers. He said
that when he first came TO this country the
Rev. Dr. Chaplin told him that this is the soil
for free expression Of religious thought This
is the first time the speaker had seen IT, He
rejoiced to stand before Christian men and
women as one who still eXpounds the truths
delivered by former generations. The
Jews. he continued. have been more af-
fected by modern thought than any other
race. Skepticism is the redemption Of the
world: without II men are in the dark. Tho
speaker was once Talmudic jew. and veiled
his face and made broad his phva ,teaies but
that had been left behind. Not that there is no
use for ceremoniuls in religion. There is use
for them. Pictures and music that n church
Nhu XIV" " liiH - AhtA hifoA .UNypio
can know OF nrt. " The saddcst thing that has
ever happened" the Rabbi con ,luied. " is that
for eighteen CENTURIES hloodshed and persecu-
| ton nave been SO prevalent. iho triumph OF
| lil eral thought has abolished II. We outcnst
Jews have been waiting to hep you With With our our
| ing what | cnn 10 bridge the chasm between
Christianity and Judaism. The law OF right
Then the visitors were invited into the chapel
| 10y the women church members. whore a boun-
| In the afternoon a committee OF the nccredlt-
ed delegates from other States and OF the prOmi-
nent UnitHrinns in this city was appointed as
soon as the meeting reassembled. to take the
affairs Of the church into consideration and
brport back 70 the meeting. Meanwhile. the
| sided at the meeting, md speeches were made
by the Rcv. Phoebe Hanaiord and others The
| maiuder OF the afternoon session. and plead
| iorh wider sphere OF work for narons. These
| should be the ones. they conten1"d. 10 visit the
| sick or noor and not girls. who ouyht to be at
| home. The meeting ndlourned without hear
private conversation. said that 1t had adjourned
| without completing its work.,
In the evening session the Rev Edward Ever
opc % eU Of the sSsIPh ysnnr s" he Present. word
Of the Liberal Faith 70 the World that this is
woTR Of today In haar n our nj
| sermons about what hnppened ages ago. often
| tarians are not thus handicapped. They don't
| try to explain the doctrine OF atonelnent. OF
reconciliat9n or St Paus words. They be:
lievs in God. in man. and in Heaven ~ Christ
| explained then and as the Holy Spirit explains
| them. II the words God. man. and heaven
| are made dead words OF cin: then we must uss
| words Of to-day To- eXprr s. what they once did."
| Then the speaker said that he could add a
| great den 10 the apostolic "reei in the book OF
| Common Prayer. H. believed that the emf
grant arriving here should be- unmolest.d. thHt
| the State should provide homestead for the
poor. thnt woman should be allowed to work IN
her own way, that man should be as pure as
woman. that the Church should surround the
drunkard with care so that he may make an up
right man. and thnt the average age of man ls
three score years and ten. No beliefs. he added, a,
should be draped under venerable forms. Lib
eralism. he predicted. would yet have a NIL Shty
sway in mems hearts.
Speeches were also made 10y the Row Minot
]. Savage, and the Rev John S. Brooks Of Bos-
| ton the R-v. F elder I-rp-l. tl- Rev. Samuel
| Callhorp of Syracuse. and the Rev. DR.. Bellows
| OF this city