Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-19
THE BAPTIST CONVENTION.
An Exceedingly Interesting Discussion
at This Mornings Session.

at This Mornings Session.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEES on PUBLrcA-
T'oNs AND BIBLE Distribution DRAWS OUT
THE VIEWS OF MANY OF THE DELEoArEs-
OTHER REPORTS SUBMITTED.
The second days meeting Of the annual con-
vention Of the Columbia Association Of Baptist
Churches began Mt 10 o'clock this morning at
Metropolitan Baptist Church. There was q
large attendance Of delegates and visitors and
the proceedings of the day proved to be OF the
| greatest interest and importance.
The first half hour of the morning session
was devoted to devotional exercises, which were
conducted by Mr.. d. C. Fountain Of Anacostia
Church.
| The chairman Of the committee on order of
exercises read the report of the committee.
This gave rise to a it'll, discussion, which was
| started by Rev. J. J. Muir, who
thought that the hour and half OF
| the afternoon session that was to
| DO given up to the discussion of
Sunday school interests was hardly Efficient.
| The three topics for discussion. as published
| In yesterdays STAR, he considered to be Of tho
| greatest Importance and demanded q large
! amount of attention.
he was followed by Rev. c. A. Stakely and
| others, but the report was adopted with the I'M
| derstancing that the order of exercises need
| not be rlgidly adhered to if it was found that
| the interests OF the cause demanded otherwise.
PUBLICATION AND BIBLE DISTRIBUTION.
| The report Of the committee on publications
and Bible distribution, read by Rev. c. C.
Meador, was also freely discussed before being
! adopted. The matter Of the distribution of
tracts and Testaments was treated at some
| length along with the distribution of "tho
Bible and other Baptist publications" Various
| views were expressed, but all agreed i'll the
opinion that the scattering of tracts was a sue
cess. Rev. j. W. White tho District Baptist
missionary, gave an account Of his work and
| the difficulties that lay in the way.
Hon. J. L. NJ. Curry, formerly Of Richmond,
but now OF this city, and the minister to Spain
| under Clevelands administration, folowe with
| a brief but able address. lie took exception to
+, the phrase 1.-THE Bible aud other Baptist publ
cations" which, he said, had received SO much
| commentator this morning He said
that there was no Baptist church for more than
| thousand years after the Bible was written
and he did not believe that the Old Testament
was Baptist book. But he thought that the
| Bible, and more especially the New Testament,
should be made more and more part of church
| worship.
| WHY MR.. cLAPP BECAME A BAPTIST.
MIR. A. M. Ciapp said that he was an older
Baptist than MIR. Curry and that he had become
a Baptist fl ON reading the New Testament and
|
| was Baptist on the line that had brought the
| Baptist churches mo such an association. Bury
| out OF sight the importance of baptism. the one
point that brings these people out to n reality
| and personality of their own, and the bed rock
| on which his religion was founded He was a
| Baptist because Christ was a Baptist and be-
cause Christs baptism was approved OF heaven.
What he wished especially however. was to
speak of Baptist publications. He saw that
what was needed in this city was a broad and
able paper that would represent the church of
the District, and would.be a credit to the de-
| nomination
He suggested the formation of a stock COM
pany for the publication Of a Baptist newspa-
| per, which would bring the truths of the church
into every household and every family.
| BAPTISM NOT THE ESPECIAL FEATURE.
| Rev. C. A. Stakely said that while baptism
was a matter Of great importance, it was
not the especial feature that distinguished the
Baptist church from other churches and that
| there were other more important features.
| Were lie called upon to namt oEe he would name
the principle of a regenerated church member
ship He was greatly in favor Of the distribu-
ton of Baptist literature, but at the same
time he Was thankful that the Presby-
terrain church. the Episcopalian church and the
| Roman Catholic church were engaged i'll the
| spreading of Bible literature among the peo-
pie. and he thought that the Baptist church
should be glad of every fragment of Gods
| truth that was given to the world.
Rev. Mr.. Meador spoke in favor of tho phrase
''the Bible and other Baptist publications. ~
He was followed by others who took the
| ground that baptism was the badge of the Bap-
fist church One OF the lay delegates answered
the question Why am l a Baptist" by saying
that it was because Christ was a Baptist
| and baptized by immersion. because the
baptist church was the oldest in existence.
| founded by Christ and His apostles, and it Is
| the same church now that it was them and be-
cause it was the mother of free democratic
form of government in this country. But he
| did not wish to speak i'll a derogatory way OF
| other denominations. for they were all we'll
enough in their way.
/ MR.. CURRY's EXPLANATION.
| Mr.. Curry rose to explain the reasons for his
remarks, that seemed to have given rise to con-
siderable unnecessary discussion. He had
| simply taken exception to a phrase in the re-
| port, because he had no desire to
give Just cause for otfense to the
| beloved brethren in othor demon nations,
| who are doing vast amount Of good i'll Gods
| name. He thanked his Maker and his God for
the good old Methodists and Presbytorians and
| other ministers as well those whom he had
heard as boy and man telling the story of Gods
| love and calling sinners TO repentance and 70
| Christ. He must ask the members of this associa-
ton not to make use of phrase that might
give olcEse lnferentially or by implication to
| brothers who are doing an equally good work
in Gods name, not only might but would, and.
| he must say, ought to give offense. He asked
| them to so to the very extreme of courtesy in
dealing with other brethren who are doing as
much. as cheerfully and well in the way o!
spreading the words OF God as are the Baptists
Rev. Mr.. Meador said that no offense had
been intended in the phrase, but he was glad
| the phrase had been used, since it had given
| rise to such an able discussion. He desired
| however, to erase the word ''other" before the
report went to vote.
"Is it untrue?" asked Mr.. Clapp.
NO." answered Mr.. Meador.
but it is unnecessary" said Prof Otis T.
| Mason.
very few were in favor of allowing the
| word to remain, but the report was unani
mously adopted with the phrase reading "tht
Bible and Baptist publications"
| TILE PLACE OF THE NEXT MEETING
Mr.. Clapp read the report of the committee
on place and preacher for the next annual
meeting The Fifth Street Baptist Church wal
selected and Rev. G. W. Mccullough of Ga,
Street Church. Georgetown. will deliver tn,
annual sermon, with Rev. r. Il. West
alternate. Tho report OF the committee OF
total abstinence was adopted without discussion
The treasurers report was read by Mr. Henri,
Beard the treasurer, and referred to an audit
ing committee, consisting of Messrs. L. B. Cur
tbs and II. W. Fenwick The report showed
that large amounts had been collected and dis
bursed IN church work and that the association
Is in furnishing condition.
Prof. Otis I. Mason of the obituary commit
tee read the report Of his committee, whicl
showed that during the past year thirty-si,