The Portland daily press., 1885-05-13
CONGRESS OF CHURCHES.
The Assembly at acknowledgements
tives of Various Denominations Discuss
Their Religion.

HARTFORD, Conn.,, May 12.-The congress of
churches was called to order at 10 Is a. m. BY
Governor Harrison. A large audience was
present, including many clergymen and others
from all parts of the country.
Rev. DIR. N. j. Burton opened the discussion
on the function of worship in promoting the
growth of the church.
Rev. Samuel M. Hopkins of Auburn, New
York, followed with remarks on the same sub
isct.
Rev. Father Grafton, of the Church of the
Advent, Boston, said that he welcomed all the
baptized as Christians, for all were one in
Christ 1t was not unity OF church which had
been lost, bat union among Christians
Rev. Thos. x. Bsecher of Elmira followed.
He said that the basis of the truth of worship
was the Holy Ghost the comforter. He HIM
self realizing the great responsibility unwil-
lingly assumed a had not been able to lead
his people to any church, but he had tried to
lead them to God.
President Long OF Antioch College followed,
declaring that the 18th century would go down
into history as an age OF light and liberty, and
explaining the progress of liberality since the
century opened.
The last speaker was Prof. Pling Earl Chase
of Haverford College, Pa, Quaker. He said
that worship must be the worship of Christ
Christ and the Holy Spirit are the watchwords
Of Quakerism. Can we not all adopt that
platform? He closed by alluding to the liberal
work accomplished by the Unitarisns.
4u6 Don6QlCGlOn was pronounced at l3,OU Dy
Rev. Mr.. Stewart of New York.
At the evening session Rev. Washington
GLADDEN., speaking on "the. attitude of the
secular press in America toward religion" said
that the attitude of the average American edi-
Tor toward religion is one OF calm superiority.
1t Is not the only topic he handles with an air
OF mastery. Art, philosophy, medicine, law.
political science, social economy, he under
stands Just as well as he does religion. The
daily papers which do not give proportion of
their space to religious news, he said. fail to
survive. There are, he said, a few daily
journals in the country inIwhich editorial COM
ment and criticism on current religious events
are fntelligently made. He appealed to the
newspapers to give still more attention to re
iIgIOus uows' ADUuuer rUruis 10 - sd is
that the newspaper may rise above its present
business Of initiating public opinion and take
the leadership of it attaining prophetic func-
tiOns and dignity. Clear conviction aud brave
utterance are now needed. The influence of
the counting loom Rpon editorial utterances is
far too apparent, and it is not successfully re-
sisted. Newspapers generally are owned by
men whose principal purpose is to make
money out of them, and herein is their weak
ness as instruments OF righteousness. If the
press is ever given the power which the pulpit
certainly has possessed and has not wholly lost
it will only be when its utteraDces are directed
toward some higher end than pecuniary profit,
and shaped by some other force than public
opinion. The press can never be of itself a re-
juvenatiDg power save as it possesses faith that
it can fight for and face frowning world and
waning subscription list. 1t is greatly to be
desired that the secular press of America
should continue to maintain q friendly attitude
toward religion, but IL Ia far more important
that it should have religion Of its own.
Mr.. GLADDEN. was followed by Rev. Julius
Fl. Ward, and the discussion was further con-
tnued by Rev. DR.. James M. Pullman of
Lynn, Mass He said he gave the result of the
inquiries be had made to several leading edi-
tors that in its commercial attitude the news
paper collects and gives such religious news as
its readers want.
Gen. Hawley followed. He said he had
looked into q Tory magazine of 1882 and
found there most melancholy predictions as to
the evil that free press would surely work.
Then In the Christian Review of 1884, he
found predictions that free press had been
brought in as an agency to break up existing
despotism. The second was nearer correct.
The speaker illustrated the growth of the
press in this country by census figures: In
1850 the sheets printed were 426, 600 600; 1860,
927 900 900; 1870 sos 000, 900 and 1880, 2,067,
100000. OF the II .3l4 periodicals published in
the United States, ,S63 constitute the secu-
lar press, devoted to news, politics and family
readings If this press is badly irreigious,
God save the republic. Out of 8 600 daily pa.
pers not one processes to be religious. So far
as it is good the secular press is part OF relig
ion and it cannot discount itself from religion
er OF great paper, Dana of the New York
SUM has said that every newspaper ought to
be religious paper. The papers have been
preparing the way for unity in great things
and charity in small. They have no full
creed bat many Of them believe this-that the
press publishes nearly everything. How do
all these people know what Robert Ingersoll
has been saying to condemn? Have they all
been to him or have they read it? II you don't
want this In the paper you must not have it
happen.
General Hawley said he did not believe the
pulpit had lost its power. No other orator had
. chance. A minister has a human voice
which never can be supplemented by cold type.
You ministers have the most powerful instrC-
mentality ever vouchsafed to mankind-all
the wealth OF tradition, sentiment and associa-
tion; all there is ia Chrlstendom to draw from,
aud you complain that the poor secular news
papers are drawing from the strength of the
pulpit. II so, it is your fault, not the news
papers.
The last speaker was Rev. Jas. Freeman
Clark Of Boston, who said that so long as the
church was sectarisn, it could not expect
assistance from the secular press. II the
church shall lay aside seetarianism, and ris6
unto the universal principle of love
to God and to man aud make every
principle of social progress its theme, then il
will find its ally in the secular press. 1t i:
the fault of the pulpit and church, not of ths
press II it does not help.