The Portland daily press., 1890-11-06
Rev. Mr. Jones and Rev. John COLLINS also

Rev. Mr.. Jones and Rev. John Collins also
| spoke briefly on the subject.
DIR. Whitaker then gave two notices, one
| In regard to the dedication Of West End
| chapel, which will take place this after
| noon the other an invitation to members to
| Join the Method st Social Union.
Rev. ID. b. r ndall In closing the remarks
| ON DIR. Clymer motion, assured him Of the
continued regard Of the members OF the
| faith. After approving the minutes the ses-
| sion adjourned for dinner.
Dinner was served by the ladies OF the
parish In the supper room above the vestry
and at 1.30 D. m. a short devotional service
was held, being conducted by Rev. l.. IL.
Bean.
At2 o'clock the business meeting of the
session was resumed. Mr.. Jones in the chair.
The question, "Ought Women 20 be admit
ted to the General COnference% was taken
up. Rev. Dr. Whitaker read the essay which
Is the same that he presented TO MS own
church about week ago, opposing the ad-
mission OF women because there was no
precedent In the Bible for such action and as
women are expressly called the inferior OF
man. He said. speaking of the voting now
In progress, that the members OF the churches
were not voting either for or against the
question, and argued that PauPs admOnition
to women to keep silent in the church held
good now as governing this case.
Mr.. Lapham, who was appointed to open
the discussion, being absent, Rev. A. w.
Pottls opened. thoroughly agreeing with
Dr. Whitaker.
ground. He said that although DIR. Whita-
ker had all the logic on his side, yet logic
was not all there was In the world. In many
cases Intuition. which says something, and
Is argne1 down by logic aud fine reasoning
nevertheless comes out victorious In the end,
showing that tho intuition hit the truth.
There was an Intuition of the heart that
women should come in and they would In
spite OF logic. Providence decides some
Things against argument.
DR.. Clymer followed Mr. Collins, agreeing
with him that the question Of the admission
OF women was a divine question, and al
tnough logic may reason it out as unjust,
yet the conviction remained with him, aud
the speaker believed that there are great
many people who had similar conviction
He said that In his judgment the matter Of
sex should not enter into the question of
church membership.
Rev. d B. Randall also opposed the ma
ture Of the essay. He said that large pro-
portion OF IL was wholly irrelevant to the
question that was brought before the
churches for action. DIR. Whitaker had de
voted much time to the question of woman
suffrage and to the likelihood Of their preach
ing In the future. which were not pertinent
TO the subject at ALL
Cssing TO the scriptural prohibition, he
said that 1t was nothing but scrap OF Paul's
writing which contradicted itself in a few
verses, as II did In another place concerning
the Institution of marriage.
Rev. IL. freeman was the next speaker.
He replied TO Mr. Colllns's proposition that
intuiti0ns are against logical conclusions,
saying that he should regret to believe that
that was general fact.
Rev. f. A. Bragdon said he wanted to con-
slider the mans Side OF the case. He spoke
Of the case OF Miss Willard, who was elect
ed delegate by men, and VINO was not al
lowed to take seat In the conference. He
asxed the question IL whether the men
should not let the women sit In bodies to
which other men bad elected them"
Rev. Mr.. Berry suggested that while very
few had favored the admission because IL
would benefit the conference so far as he had
observed not one had opposed 1t because 1t
would iDlnre that body. He then answer
ed DIR. Whitaker's arguments founded on
the Bible. showing that while women were
not specified as church members, ministers
or class leaders, neither were men. One
was as much an innovation as the other, and
women were as much entitled to representa-
ticn In the conference as any laymen are.
DIR. Whitaker rej0ined at considerable
length to his critics.
"Divine Healing was the subject of the
next paper. opened by Rev. t. +. Jones.
Mr.. Jones doubted the efficacy of the faith.
cure, so-called, but wished TO divorce that
completely from divine healing proper, by
which he explained that spiritual healing
wa meant, and which was glorious reality
DIR. Clymer emphasized the fact that there
were many passages Of Scripture that made
a close parallel between spiritual healing
and physical healing.
DR.. Whitaker reminded the association
that many Of the diseases Of the world, even
as high as so per cent, are simply matters Ut
Imagination.
Rev. A. W. Pottle spoke of some mlracu-
l0us cases Of healing.
"Amusements, when and wnere harmless
and harmful" was the next subject consid-
IA
beth read the essay. He said that the sub
ject was one on which there was more DIVER
sity OF opinion than on all others that the
church had to consider. He thought that mis-
take was made when all amusements were
alike condemned or commended since there
are many kinds, some highly harmful, some
wholly harmless, IL not even desirable. 1t
Is impossible to go on forever In work with
out some relaxation. At the same time IL Is
highly Injurious to spend all OF ones time In
idleDess and pursuit Of amusements. He
enunciated several forms Of amusement, as
dancing, playing of games. etc.. which he
said many people considered as perfectly le-
gitimate and harmless. While that
may be the case, 1t Is not to
dances are almost wholly evil and must be
regarded as the enemies of the church. He
claimed that 1t caused uhh0ly waste Of time,
money and reputation and must have been
conceived In an unfrlendly quarter common
~ ouppOoCQ w Do U6ucdtu tu6 puEpOS6
OF c0rrupting thousands. Passing to the
theatre he quoted Aristotle, Seneca, Tacitus
and many others In all the ages In the opin-
lon that theatres were even more dangerous
to morals than dance halls were. 1t Is so
with all other forms Of public amusements.
III one would find harmless amusements let
him go to the Bible and TO the home. he will
find enough there to amuse him In the relax
alton OF work. Speaking OF excursions, he
said, tha. while they were well on week days
Itf % nt nm I.nr
Day, aud that 1t was regrettable TO learn
that the Boston Il Maine and Maine Central |
railroads had decided to run trains on Sun |
day during the year. In conclusion be |
enumerated many amusements which might |
be safely followed by anyone such as GRO |
quet, tennis, baseball, football, rowing, rid |
Ing, fishing, hunting aud many other out |
door exercises that would corrupt no ones |
morals, but would make him well and strong |
both In body and soul
Rev. ID. b. Randall was assigned the posi- |
tion Of first discussionist on this topic, but |
owing to the latene5s Of the hour and the
comprehensiveness Of Mr.. Canham's paper
he made no remarks.
Rev. K. o. Thayer next occupied some
time In statement Of the work OF the Ep-
worth League movement and several MEM
bers took part in the discussion.
At about $50 the meeting adjourned for
supper which was served In the supper room.
The evening session opened at z o'clock
with foreign missionary hour remarks be-
Ing made by several members all In the line
Of the close connection between the home
and the foreign societies.
At O'Clock Rev. Mr.. Kewley delivered an
eloquent sermon at the general evening
service.
This will be today's programme:
S:30-Devotonal services, conducted by III. +.
A. Patterson.
9OO-FIve minutes review Of the last book
rea or ske ch of the last sermon preached, by
those preachers not assigned to olher parts.
9.46-Best Methods of Ministerial Study, j. A. |
Corey, @. E. Bean.
IO.30-How can the Quarterly Conference Com
mittee be best Utilized? w. S. Jones, David
Pratt.
11.l5-The Ministers Attitude toward the
Labor Problem, j. NJ. Frost, John Collins.