The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-06-26
The Maine Baptist Anniversaries.

By the arrangement of the trains many of
the delegates were in Bangor on Monday eve.
1t was therefore deemed best to have the
evening devoted more especially to Sunday
School work
Rev. S. ID. Anderson, Jr., of Portland read
paper on The Place and Character of Concerts
in S. S. Work. Rev. f. w. Brakeman of Au-
burn followed with paper on The Most Eff
fective Method of Presenting the Lesson.
The fifty-ffth annual meeting of the Maine
Baptist Missionary Convention met at Column
bia street church ON Tuesday, at 8 a. m. The
Vice President, Rev. III. E. Robins, d. d. was
in the chair. The devotional exercises were
conducted by Rev. E. Worth of Kennebunk.
The report of the board was then presented
by the Secretary, Rev. j. Kicker, d. d.
He referred to lack of financial support dur
ing the year, tracing lack of funds to two
cause.-the death of some insufficient givers,
and the general business depression. The Sec
rotary stated, however, that retrenchment had
not yet materially interferrcd with the work,
but rrrI,try J: clams resting upon us and
the announcements offered by the blessings
received should induce us to think earnestly
and to assist freely in order that the work may
continue.
AT 10 O'Clock paper was read by A. J.
Padelford of Calais Subject-''Is there dam
ger that our churches are becoming seculariz-
ed?' He thought he saw evidences of such a
tendency, and suggested remedies
1. In the work of preachers, that thew
should preach the whole truth, love, Justice.
holiness and sin, and that they should aim at
both conversion and instruction. 1t is danger
GUS for a minister to give his whole attention
to but one of these ends.
2. In the choice of pastors by the churches
they should regard character efficiency and
spirituality more than mere smartness or super
fetal popularity.
3. In general religious work we should
avoid depending too much on spasmodic eff
forts Even the week of prayer may be iniu-
rious ii regarded as the more special time for
religious effort.
Again we should be careful about the recep-
ton of converts. The tendency is to regard
number rather than charity, quantity rather
than quality. This is to be deplored and to be
abandoned; and still again there are defects in
the education of converts.
Other evil influences were just referred to-
such as yielding to influential but irreligious
members OF the society, questionable means of
raising money, ETC., especially the attempt, to
be especially deprecated, Of divorcing the secu-
lar from the religious by such members. Aim
IN all departments of life to be true. Let the
preacher seek to build on the ground of regen-
GRAFTON, noble and holy character
AT ll.l5 Rev. w. III. Smaller read a report as
requested at the convention last year. on Sab
bath Dissertation. He referred to the fact that
the Sabbath was not of Jewish origin. 1t was
at creation established for the world 1t was
only reinforced for the Jews as thew were
urged to remember the Sabbath day. The
design as to manner Of observance was that if
should be a day of rest-sanctified rest It
came not to destroy but to fulfill the law. He
hallowed the day by act and precept The
Apostles, even though they changed the day,
did not abolish the Sabbath as an institution,