The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-17
STILL CONFERRING.
Second Days Session of Pacific
Coast Unitarians.
They Discuss the Church and Its Relation to
Thought-Rabbi Voorsangers Ed-
dress Resolutions.

At 9 o'clock yesterday morning the second
days session of the Pacific Unitarian Con-
ference was opened by devotional exercises
led by Rev. E. r. Watson of San Bernar-
dino.
Rev. DR.. Horatio N. Stebbins took for the
theme of his address, 'The Transformation
of Religious Thought" a philosophical re-
view of spiritual subjects. The review was
very liberal and comprehensive, fairly re-
plete with kindly illusions to those who
hold opposite religious views. LII the course
of his address he said:
EVOLUTION OF RELIGION.
1.-THE most interesting and urgent of all
studies is spiritual nature and being, and
their relation to the one great Being of the
universe" He sketcned the evolution of the
various forms of the different religions,
from the times of Monotheism 10 Unitarian
ism, arriving at the premise that every re-
ligion is derived from some other religion,
and expresses itself not as if religions were
beginning for the first time but as COM
mon inheritance. But the precise point where
nothing ends and something begins eludes
the vision, as no man can remember when
he first said l, but accepts his conscious
being as the fact that reveals to him that
lie 10 u DclbSy 81 ici5iou 1900 ou' Vi
the nebulfe of the impenetrable past. "Juda-
ism. Catholicism. Professionalism, the doctor
said. "were but new forms of old ideas, still
under the transformation. 10 what does
this transformation tend" he asked What
is the idea that inspires 1t? Ii l were to
state it the shortest way, it is the increasing
thought that this world-this world of earth
and souls-was never finished world. is not
a finished worl now, but an incipient begin
ming.
NEVER BEEN DEFINED.
" It is very interesting and at once most
important fact, that Christianity has never
been defined, and there is no prospect that it
ever will be. Jesus never defined anything
TO be believed in. He said, Believe in God,
Believe in Me. In no word of his has ne
ever intimated or suggested that intellectual
assent TO proposition. lie never said, Be
iieve it The great transformation OF reii-
gious thought was from things to parsons:
from 1t to God, and might it not be said
that this is the great contamination, the era
of the spirit. the fulfillment OF the Christian
ages? ..,-
the great transformation, from things to be-
ings, from creed to personality. For this
end Jesus thought, and the great Apostles,
catching the mighty theme, bear 1t on 10 the
iual glory and fnlfllment of the ages Of the
grace OF God. When all things shall be
Subdued unto him, then shall the Son, also
himself, be subject unto him that put all
things under him, that God may be all in
all"
JUDAISM AND UNITARIANIsM.
Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, who was re-
queSted to speak before the conference on
the Relation Of Judaism to Unitaranism,'
was warmly applauded as he mounted to
the pulpit. His address had been looked
forward to with considerable anticipation by
the conference, as it is and has Deen the
custom of the two churches to occupy near
relationship with each other, and 1t is not
pulpit.
In the course of his address he pointed out
many similar ties between ancient and mod
ern Judaism and the liberal faith. After
recOunting the lies between Jewish hearts,
ties arising from mutual suffering, he said:
"1hese things stir the Jews soul to brave
deeds on behalf of his down-trodden breth-
rem. Until the time when the voice of God.
through inspired men, shall proclaim liberty
of the land and to all the inhabitants thereof,
the Jew must keep his religious organization
intact and no true man, Uuitarian or Trini-
tartan, approaching the sacred mission and
the motives of the organization Of the Jews,
would wish to move single step to destroy
that organization" In closing, Rabbi Noor-
sanger delivered a fervent prayer, hoping
the time might come when, instead of ten
commandments there should be but two,
the love of God and the love of man.
Rev. p. 5. Thatcher gave an able address
on the Religious Aspect of the Church." in
which he stated that what people most
needed was q religion for to-day and not
one for tomorrow. Religion" he said, lis
a means to an end. That end is JOY eternal.
But it is not necessary that the world
should be sad when religious. Why not
have some of that joy now, here on earth p