Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-17
MAINE FREE BAPTlSTS.
i Resolution Passed to Form 4 State Is
SOciation.
Rev. C. e. Cate Discoarses Upon De-
nominational Comfy.

| The second day of the convention was taken
up in performing vast amount of interesting
work. In the forenoon two papers on state
| mission work, two on state educational work
and three relative to plans of state organiza-
ton were read. Each one bore the impress
of careful study of the subject treated. X.
| Deering, Esq. OF Portland took up the sub
| ject of state mission work in manner thai
was forcible and the analogy he brought GU,
was both pleasing and convincing. He liken-
| ed the mission work to a farm and compared
the different methods of farming in use
among the different denominations. An in
teresting paper on the same subject by Rev.
b. Minard of Houlton was read
Rev. j. NJ. Bailey, ID. ID. of Saco had .
vigorous paper on Plans of State Organiza-
tons. He did not favor the adjustment OF
| the yearly meetings but rather that they
should be kept up together with what addi-
tional features might be agreed upon. He
alone opposed one central organization. He
seemed to favor plan much
in accordance with that now in
| vogue in the Central Association of New
York and Pennsylvania. T.. ID. Wade Esq, of
Dover advocated in his paper on the same
| subject, that it would be well to copy certain
features of the plans employed by other de-
nominations and also to revise them so that
they should become adequate to the needs of
the Free Baptist denomination. The Rev
}. b. Jordan in his interesting paper on State
organization emphasized and clearly demon
strated the question in discussion.
Rev. S. c. Whitcomb of Pittsfield read
| paper whose subject was state education
work. Ignorance he said was not the foster
mother of devotion as advanced by some.
Education leads to a better understanding of
religion. 1t is the pious parent that is most
interested in educating his children. Edu-
cation and religion act together. Many
who have come into our schools
irreligious have felt the softening christian
spirit in those schools. Consider the loss to
the world if those who have attended school
at the Maine Central Institute and Bates
college had never entered them.
The speaker believed that the convention
| should legally adopt the school at Pittsfield.
The school is prospecting. The students
are choosing longer courses of study.
Much money he said had already been
raised towards fitting up one wing of the
building for a business department.
President Cheney of Bates speaking of
the Maine Central Institute, which is the
property of the churches in this State,
thought this school should come under the
direction of the State Association.
Mss l.. W Preble of Bangor had very
interesting paper on the subject of state
educational work. She drew very apt illus
trations from history The great work of
Paul, the best educated of all the apostles,
was referred to. To get wisdom, to be truly
| a tod iEt IL sba It,,i,
denomination one great thing needed is loyalty.
Those who had as lief be Epscopalian or
Methodist as Free Baptists had better unite
with them. We want loyalty to the schools of
our faith How many Free Baptists will send
their children to Amherst or Bowdoin instead
of Bates. Ii is well to dine out occasionally
but seems foolish to be eating at the
nelghbors for weeks in succession when you
can get better at home. The influences of
trivial things about the home were touched
upon very aptly. Every pastor should see
that in his parish there be a successful guild.
How many persons may be Influenced and
bettered thereby. As foundation, as a
capstone this book the bible, should be
used in all educational work.
AFTERNOON.
A large number were present at the devo-
|
noon session. Rev J. NJ. Remick of Bath
read the first paper at the opening of the af-
! IL rnoon meeting. The subject was State Mis-
sion Work. The growth of our foreign interest
| depends upon the home interest, said the
| speaker Mr.. Remick dwelt quite forcibiy
on the great work which our own country
furnishes the missionary. 1t is quite us nee
essary to create an appetite for spiritual food
as to supply the refreshment. He believed
| it better Tor the heather of Africa aud the
| Mahometan than for the heather in chris
tan community. There is vast work to be
done with the large foreign element annually
coming 10 this country, three
| hfths of which are Catholics
while many are nationaists, atheists, nlhi-
lists, antibible and anti-temperance. - Only
ALP millions of the 20 millions living in the
South are church members, What Ia field is
there. Millions yet unborn are to make
their homes in the far West. What Will
their homes he? Nearly one half the people
of Maine do not attend church. great
need of missionary work lies right in hearing
| of the church bell. The vast field of mis-
sionary work present in upper Penobscot was
referred to-
Rev. w. J. Twort of Lewiston then spoke
ON the subject of State Education. Fifty
|
considered fitting one to be considered at
meeting of this kind. Now, however, no de-
nomination is more interested in educational
work than the Free Baptist The good work
now being carried on at Bates College was
eioquentlv discussed, also the work of the
theological school at Lewiston. Nearly one
| half of the Free Baptist clergyman are grad
yates of this school, and this too. hen near
| " one fifth of the ministers in the State are
elderly men. Grace, grit and go are needed.
| Jesus called his disciples but they had three
wears training under their master before
| they were sent to preach unto the world
| Where Won find the successful worker you
find the student. The school lightens the
burden of study and systematizes the labor.
As Free Baptists we must do our duty by our
schools and especially by our divinity
schools The young man wants to attend a
school where he may be best fitted for ms
life work and with colleagues with whom he
is to labor in afteJ life.
After few remarks by the Rev. Mr.
Page the business committee reported to the
meeting.
| 1t was resolved, first, that this convention
is in favor of organizing Maine Free Bap-
list Association to be composed of the three
YEARLY meetings aud the State Missionary
| Society. President Cheney raised the ques-
tion MS to what would be done provided the
three yearly meetings should not choose to
mite in the convention 1t was thought that
,ro of Them would unite with the State Mis-
sion Society. The resolution was adopted
nv a unanimous vote. The delegates to the
association will be chosen at the quarterly
meetings. The re~ort of the committee was
adopted as whole.