The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-11-07
THE METHODIST MINISTERS.
Final Proceedings Of the Convention
Yesterday.

1U6 LulFu Jay seSslOu Va VIC DiosiASb
Ministers Association opened at $50 yester-
day with short devotional service, conduct
ed by Rev. Fl. F. A. Patterson Following
this meeting Presiding Elder Jones resumed
the chair, and there was an interesting dis.
cussion Of current literature by various
members uuder the style of five minute re-
views Of latest books read, etc.
at 9.45 the topic next ON the programme
was taken up: Best Methods of Ministerial
Study, paper, by Rev. j. A. Corey. 1t has
long been realized that there is lack of sys-
tenn In study. The environments, that is,
the room has much to do with this If there
is to be system 1t must begin in the arrange
ment of the room and its contents. There
is to he no rule laid down in regard to the
time of study. Some men can do their best
work in the night. but that is not natures
time. The power of abstraction is needed
In successful study. 1t will be possible for
five hours to be spent ia reading and study
without doing more than an half hours real
work. course of study regularly laid out
Is OF great advantage. Some one depart
ment of knowledge should be taken as spe-
cial field of knowledge. Speaking of the
preparation Of sermons he said that 1t should
be considered through the first days of the
week. but not fully planned out until Fri
day. ItshOuld be a practice to rewrite the
sermon from memory on Monday. Sermons,
he said, should never be fully written out.
he warned his hearers to bear in mind that
although the Lords day was working day
with them, they must remember to take
some other day Of rest. The Bible COM
mand six days shalt thou labor, but on the
seventh day thou shalt do no work." applied
to clergymen as well as to laymen even
| though the seventh day cannot be Sunday.
| 10 closing, he counselled ministers while
| striving to save the souls of other people,
not to forget themselves.
Rev. C. E. Bean of Scarboro was the first
| dlscussionist He said that he agreed with
Mr.. Corey that order and regularity, solitude
and intense study were best. He also found
tn at the study of contemporary events was
very beneficial.
Rev. l.. II. Bean and Rev. A. W. Pottle
| discussed the subject, agreeing with Mr..
Corey. Mr.. Pottle believed that while no
general rule could be laid down for all men.
yet each man should have rule for himself
which he should strictly carry out.
Rev. Mr.. Bragdon, Mr.. Green. Mr.. Frost
| and Mr.. Palmer also discussed the paper
agreeing with Mr.. Corey's points. Rev. Z.
T. e., Thayer spoke , OF the experience Of Ger
| up one subject outside Of his regular duties
| and sticking to IL for year and as result
| was now as well informed man as could be
found. He said he should like to hear
The presiding elder spoke at some length,
| repeating Bishop Simpsons advice to take
their time for study In the morning. He
spoke of his own experience in the ministry
had made in his studies He had a great
love for the study Of language and had per-
haps carried that too far TO the exclusion of
other things that might have been more
profitable, both for the people and for him
better for the pastor to understand his peO-
pie and their affairs rather than the affairs
of books.
Rev. E 9, Thayer then read a paper on
the Epworth League movement. He said he
thought that all churches could support
branches of the League that they would be
aids to the church, not hindrances 10 them.
| He then briefly sketched the rise of the
movement, claiming that it was a missing
| link In the church system and that its phe.
| nomeDal growth had been due to this. He
| said that 1t was doing more to call young
| people into the churches by giving them a
| system of general culture as we'll as relig-
ious instruction, than any other similar or
ganization.
At 11.15 the next topic, The Ministers
Attitude on the Labor Question, was taken
up. Rev. Mr.. Frost reading the essay. He
said that the trouble between laoor and cap
ital originated in the beginning of the fac
tory system of manufacturing and that it
had gone on from bad to worse.
since then. Now, that 1t had come to be
such general evil it is necessary for the
church to take the matter up. He thought
that bad morals rather than bad government
were responsible for the evils of the hour,
and that the church by purifying morals
could reform the wrongs. He gave it as his
opinion that the church could do all this, but
that the state could do nothing by fOrmulat-
| ing laws. He discussed profit sharing and
| cooperation, and claimed that they were the
| most Christian methods of doing business
| since they inspired both employers and en-
| even that Is only the edse of the promised
land. He advocated the theory Of Christian
Socialism, saying that when the churches
could urge the government to that there
would be some chance for improving the
world
Rev. d. B. Randall opened the discussion,
commencing Mr.. Frost's remarks as worthy
of wide dissemination.
Rev. Mr.. Palmer, the presiding elder, Rev.
Mr.. Randall, Mr. Bragdon, Mr. Parsons, Mr..
Thayer and Rev. Henry Blanchard, who
was invited to speak, took part in the dis
cussion, all substantially agreeing In Mr..
Frosts main point, that Christ's religion was
the only agent that could ever solve the labor
| problem.
Rev. Mr.. Bragdon read closing resolution
thanking the Clark Memorial church for its
Kindness to the members of the conference,
ana at l22O p. m. the session adjourned sine