, 1879-01-14

Tho meeting Of Congregational Mnisters
opened yesterday morning with reports irum
tue week OF prayer. Tho majority Of the
churches observed tlle week with special ncct-
ings. KindItnxs OF religious Interest have al-
ready begun !u several places. Indications arc
good Tor moro than tho usual amount Of revival
work this winter. The subject for discussion
was "Cnurrh Dlaclpline." The Kew E. F.
Wlllarns, Of ilyas Park, was the frat speaker.
liz claimed fur tbs subject m unusual degree OF
Importance IN oslr times and 1u thls part OF tho
country. lie maIntalpeti that tho way IL which
discipline ha,l been cnrrie1 out III this city for
TIC paat ten years aA resulted In nhout as much
evil rs good. II churches tnl undertaken It Mt
all, Il Ind been too much IN y technical and
lnstsali spirit. Thc result was, TINT there wcra
many In good und rcg14lar standing in the
churches WIN, II they had bGcn deAlt with
properly, would havu been reformed Or cSco.1,-
ln9 rcproac!! to the ,Chrlstlan pa,nc. Tho
Roy. Alr. Pound followed with q partial
admission os the alleged evil rrsuIts
q church dissipllntn, n duting tue past
New Testament disvspllne to be the gtcatcst
need of thu TINES. liz knew that our Western
churches wero atlty purtlally orGanxcsi. and but
little crystatIlzcd III tlcr aentlmcAt and 1,otles
grrat liabilities 0f loss ut membership, II latth-
fully carsiru cut. Yet in the long run hu be-
lieycd tho Church could offtrd tho luss. D!sclp-
llnc wuul.l tonu up the moral life of tho pauplo
anh lay the fouH'lattans 4t tho grcat"st moral
power ln the world. rhv Ray. Slmcon Hilbert,
vi thu Ad,s.net, was the next speukcr. lle
affirmed tIiat the wl,ole subject must b. consId-
urcu III tbs Hight OF ono great fact, viz: TINT
there were large humber II crooked stirks IL,
tho Chursh. They wero not exactly bud men,
neither where thor malicious In spirit. Hut they
had such pFotNhcraQt pretud!cca ~ to 1nakc
their life continual irritation to the brothcF-
| hood.' Fer surts cusca lie would mt advise e1.
communication. but thought some method OF
tlrulbntng them from fellowship most usgfuI. 1t
| wus hest tllat even solllo good nlGn tu by
| tlleulselvcs.n Dr. bayago thought 1t important
in speuking On lhc subject to dctne tl,c great
ohJrct Of dtsstpllne. u primary end in all
oirludrr. To accomplish tlls object. dis.
clultnc must TIC 80 conducted ~ to u'akc the
delinquent fccl ths III aesert Ut ILLS stn. FalllAE
IN the reform ot thc otIcudfng member, 1t was
tbs duty oI the Church 10 relieve itself of tho
responsibility ot hls sin by e1comnuntrai! lon
tho city which did not have duty vt discipline
toward asna IT IT. leading tnelubera. Religion
was too nl.1ct compromised BY such cases. Ills
elptnG would recover US to q greater deurcu VI
rcspect befuru the wurId. Secretary Powell! aist
believed In Church discipline, though 10 tur ri
with great evil. lie thought the trouble Wal
t'nxt churches calno 10 The ti.at ot the olYcndcl
Us must pcrents came tu thu punishment uI tbc!
children, with rouseti pasatOns aud 1 vtnuicttYx
spirit. Cner such clrcusllSt allccE 1t wa& tpossf
| biz to serlru justice or tnIuehge for good tslt
I agericye4 parttes II tllacpliuv could be coiuct
out in thc spirit with Which Il Ia eiltuinc4 tn tl
tibe It would, nu doubt, be one Vi the creates
Iurans fur good in thu Cn0rrh.
| The sttscuxstun continued with undated It,
icnst Til halt-past IL, when the meeting vi
Iuurusd.