Morning journal and courier., 1885-05-09
LIVE TOPICS.

,Ehe Session Next Week of the Amer
 ican Congress of Oh hurches-Vigorous
 and Free Discussions.
 The American congress of churches holds its session for 1885 at Hartford Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The object is to get free and untrammelled in terchange of opinions on the subjects named for discussion, or, as is announced in the statement put forth by the council, the ob- ject is ''to promote Christian union, and to advance the kingdom of God by free dis cussion of the great religious, moral and social questions of the time. There will be no vote taken, no result declared; it is sim ply an earnest endeavor to get all Protestant Christians into spirit of unity and fellow ship of purpose for the betterment of the world, to decrease the spirit of conflict and quarrel over dogma-in short, to further es- sential religion.
 The council which manages the congress is not comprehensive of the various bodies talk ing part, owing to various causes, but it ln- cludes Bishop Clark of Rhode Island, Rev. Chauncey Giles of Philadelphia, Rev. John Henry Hopkins of Williamsport, Pa., Rev. Dr. A. P. Peabody of Cambridge, Rev. Drs. Charles s. Robinson and William Ormiston of New York, Prof. Francis Wayland of Yale, and of local names James Francis and Revs. W. w. Newton, J. NJ. Turner and J. L. Jenkins of Pittsfeld, Rev. George Skene of Springfield, Rev. 0. H Hsmlin of Easthamp- ton and Justin Dewey of Great Harrington. The organization at Hartford has Gov. Harrison for chairman, and the list of vice-presidents includes worthy repre- sentatives of most of the Protestant denomi- nations of the county and from nearly all parts of the country. The Episcopal Bishops Howe and Futile, the Methodist Bishops Foss, Warren and Andrews, the Quaker President Chase of Haverford college, Editor Abbott nf fhe Christian Union and Editor Dexter of the Corgregationalst, President Carlisle of Spartanburg, S. C., General Clinton R. Fisk, Rev. Dr. Washington Gladden., Senators Dawes, Edmunds and Hawley, Rev. Dr. Atticus G. Haygood of OK
 ord, Ga, President Hitchcock ot Union Theological seminary New York, Pres iden Robinson of Brown university, Presi- lent Porter of Yale, and President Smith If Trinity, Representative John D. Long, James Freeman Clarke, Roswell Smith of the Century magazine, Rev. Dr. R. s. Storrs, ex-Governor Bishop of Ohio, Rev. F. J. Power of Washington, Rev. Dr. J. L. M. ,,urry of Richmond, Va, these are some of the names that strike the eye prominently. The list means more than such lists often do, for although it is made up by the council 1t is q rule that ''no one shall be announced as a e-president who has not slgnited his ac- ceptance of the appointment"
 The regulations of the congress provide for appointed writers and appointed and volun- 5ary speakers, and certainty of brisk, wig orous, constantly interesting variety of utter ance is assured by the rules that no writer shall occupy more than twenty-five minutes in the discussion, that appointed speakers must limit their addresses to twenty minutes and speak without manuscript, and that vol untary speakers can have only ten minutes, also without manuscript. It is required that anyone who wishes to speak must present his card, together with the name of the church with which he is connected, to the secretaries, and no one may speak until the president announces his name. Also no one will be permitted to speak twice on the same subject.
 The first session is Monday evening, when the discussion will be upon "The Relations of Divided Christendom to Aggressive Christianity" and comprises papers by Chancellor Crosby and Rev. John Henry Hopkins and an address by Rev. Frederick D. Power of the Campbellite or Christian church. The discussion of Tuesday morning will be on F'The Function of Worship i'll Pro- noting the Growth of the Church., with pa pers by. Rev.. Dr. Burton of Hart ford and Professor s. M. Hopkins of Auburn Theological seminary, and. ad- dresses by Rev. Charles c. Grafton of the Church of the Advent in Boston, and Rev. Dr. Boardman of Philadelphia. In the even- ing the subject is ''The Attitude of the Sec ular Press in America Toward Religion" Rev. Dr. Gladden. and Everett P. Wheeler, of New York, furnishing the paper and Rev. Dr. Pullman of Lynn and Senator and Edi- tor Hawley of Hartford the addresses. The congress will close Wednesday morning, con sidering at it's last session 'The Historical Christ as tho True Center of Theology, Flames Freeman Clarke reading paper and Presi dents Robinson of Brown and Porter of Yale giving addresses