Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-14

treasurer of the Wesleyan Foreign Mission So
ciety, and prayer was offered by the Rev. Jos.
Nettleton, minister of London, but formerly
missionary to the Fiji Islands.
''Woman's Work in the Church. was the gen.
eral topic for the session. and the first and
longest essay was by Rev. BENZ. St. James Fry
DID,, Of st. Louis. Mo.
DIR. Fry began with u number Of references
from the New Testament to show what it was
originally intended the work of the church
should be. As to womans part in this work, it
was the Jews who first placed women on a plane
OF anything like equality with man. 1t was not
until Jesus began His mission upon earth that
women received degree of consideration
greater than ever before. Her more delicate
organism and her motherhood have ALWAYS
made woman bear the brunt of human suffering,
There was ninch in the doctrines of Christ and
In His purity of life that was peculiarly attract
i've to women. He taught law of chastity for
men that even civilization has never enforced
but that promised well nigh an earthly paradise
on earth for women.
From the first women have been foremost in
Christian work, and the women took upon
themselves the service Of love that Christ
preached in His sermon on the mount. 1t was
not, however, necessary to outline what women
have done for Christianity from the first CEN
fury down to the present. Professionalism has
failed to properly employ her women IN the
work Of bringing the world to Christ through
fear Of following too closely in the footsteps Of
how much she has lost through this course Of
action. No Protestant church has made as
much service OF her women as the Methodist.
Many a woman has had her first experience in
practical work from Christ, in her labors in the
Sunday school, or in her visits to the homes of
her scholars in whom she has interested herself.
John Wesley devoted the best of his efforts
to his work among the poor, and Methodism to-
day may well lay clam to much Of the spirit Of
Wesley in it The women have begun to see
uha< Aal1 49, a.
them. When few years ago il was seen that
the church in its work could not well penetrate
the home to reach the children who would soon
be the most important element in the COM
munity then the Woman's Foreign Missionary
Society at once sent out women missionaries to
do good work for Christ
DR.. Fry closed his paper with a reference to
the work that has been done and is being done
by the Womans Foreign and Home Missionary
Societies, the Epworth League and the other
forms that womans work has taken and an
earnest plea for formal recognition Of womans
place in church work.
MAKE WOMAN EQUAL WITH NAN
Rev. William German of the Irish Methodist
church followed DR.. Fry in an invited address
in which he said that he hoped the church
would soon remove the last barrier that stands
in the way of woman and elevated her to the
place where she may work on an equality of
honors and responsibilities with man. Womans
ability to fill such a position, the speaker
maintained. did not need a vindication at this
late day and he showed by specific examples
her ability to stand In the front ranks in
literature, arts and the sciences. She might
teach and work and all that but she must not
preach. though it would be hard TO say how
many women help their husbands sermons.
Motherh hood is her highest attribute and all pay
her reverence, and justly. for her gentleness
and womauliness. but in the church let no door
be closed upon her because OF her crime in
that she il a woman. II she Is obnoxious in
tine pulpit then take away the pulpit, but leave
the woman. The doors Of the stage open
willingly to her and she may take a leading
part in theosophy, and if she will she may be-
come q Blavatsky or an Annie Besant, but the
places of honor in the church are not open to
her, though they should be.
Her fitness to be mans co-worker in the
church Is everywhere now confessed. 1t has
been fully and abundantly proved She might
sing hymns and work in the homes; she might
teach her son to preach; she might, perhaps,
help her husband to prepare his sermon, but
she could not preach Truly her element was
motherhood; but motherhood the divinest
accent Of peace too often absent from the mag
culine voice. That there should be need for
the organizations OF women for the regenera-
ton of women was a blot upon the church
which should be wiped out. On the battle,
field women stood by the cot like an angel Of
God. She had anointed the soldiers wounds,
and as his life ebbed she poured into his ear
the story of Christ.
With the advancing corruption Of the church
Of Rome had grown the theory that woman
would do little good. but much harm. But
Methodi.m, thank God, had been the Zerubabel
OF her liberty.
PROF. =. p. lands.
The next speaker on the program, Prof. ].
p. lands, ID. D., Of the United Brethren in
Christ, said that no did not wish to be one whit
behind the preceding speakers in the warmth
aud eloquence of his tribute to woman. He
believed that woman had abundantly proved
her ability 10 do more than to cook a good
| dinner. crochet or preside in the parlor. He
/ had the greatest respect and reverence for n
good woman. few years ago he had with all
humility and earnestness asked one of them to
be his wife and to share his few joys-and sor-
/ rows, and she had shown the good judgment of
accepting the offer. and his reverence and ad-
| mirstion for good woman had been on the in
| crease ever since. In all lines of work. intel
| lectual and moral, woman had shown herself
| competent 70 stand with the best, but nowhere
had her abilities and virtues shown forth with
as much brlliancy a. they do in the work Of
| saving souls to God.
| Among the requisites Of the minister are
| such Qualities as piety, earnestness, devotion
and tact, but never had man been given tho
monopoly OF all these thinga In answer to tho