St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-11
Waterman Protests.
PLAIN TALK ON RELIGION.
The HalfY early Meeting of Uni
tartan Clergy and Laity.

The HalfY early Meeting of Uni
tartan Clergy and Laity.
The real business of the semi-annual
meeting of the Minnesota Unitarian
conference was transacted yesterday.
The sessions were held in Unity church,
j. ID. Ludden, of st. Paul, presiding, in
the absence of Judge l.. w. Collins, of
st. Cloud. The ministers present were {:
Rev. L. A. harvey, Winona; Rev. S. NJ.
Crothers, st. Paul; Rev. Kristofer Jansen,
Minneapolis; Rev. Z. r. Wilkes, Luverne
Rev. C. J. Staples, st. Cloud; Rev. II. G..
Putnam, North Dakota; Rev. NJ. Mills, West
Superior Rev. j. II. Crooker, Madison, Wis. !;
Rev. T. B. Forbush, Chicago; Rev. Helen G.
Putnam. South Dakota and Rev. Eliza L.
Wilkes, Sioux Falls.
The morning session was taken up in
hearing the reports OF missionary COM
mitteeS of the different churches. 1t
was stated that new church will be
dedicated at West Superior in July end
one at St. Cloud in September. The
general condition OF the church was re-
ported as being good. Where there are
no pastors, day services are held. A
stu dent of Harvard university will do
missionary work during the summer
vacation at MankatO, st. Feter and other
places. \ resolution was passed eX-
pressing appreciation of the work ac-
complshed by Rev. and Mrs. Green
man, of WinOna.
AT the afternoon meeting short adj
dresses were delivered upon the mis-
tionary outlook by Rev. S. B. Forbush.
of Chicago. the representative Of the
American Unitarian association; Rev.
j. II. Hooker, of Madison, Wis, and by
Rev. S. NJ. Crothers, of ST. Paul.
Tea and social conversation was the
order during the early evening in the
church parlOrs.
A platform meeting was held at D.
m, which VAS presided over by Rev.
Woodman, of st. Cloud, the topic under
discussion being, "Religious Forces in
America To-day" The discussion was
opened by Rev. Il. NJ. Simmons, of
Minneapolis, in an address character
lied by terseness. He declared conser-
vative ideas to be one of the religious
forces of to-day, and that those ideas
are being broadened by modern thought.
These ideas he declared are working IN
the church so that Catholics modify the
confessional, or ignore much of the
former requirements. The Episcopal
church is modifying the thirty-nine ar
ticles, and the Presbyterians are modi-
flying their doctrines. He believed that
the Christians of to-day are getting
in God. That the silent force of thought
is more powerful than the noisy ma
chinery of the church.
Rev. Charles j. Staples, of st. Cloud,
delivered an Interesting talk, in which
he said there is something beyond the
sight that is greater than church cere-
mony, and which is deeper than the
theories of the Iheologians. The great
religious force is God, and not the
church ritual. The religion of the an
cient was belief in material or tan
gible God that might be set up as is the
painting of an artist. His definition of
the religious drift of to-day is the effort
of man to come into harmony with
something better than himself. He be-
HeveS in religious force similar to the
reverence of home.
Rev. f. B. Forbush, of Chicago, said
all force comes from God. 1t is found
in the prattling child. He believed in
one religion, one intellectual force, that
of the Internal spirit, which moves hu-
manity by the infinite light of God.
Rev. Eliza L. Wilkes, of Sioux Falls,
spoke of seeing SO much of irreligious
people, but she believed in honesty of
thought and action. a daily religion OF
seeing good in nature and acting from
right purpose. She would not criticize
tHe Olu cHurcH any more tnan she would
her old mother. She believes that sci.
ence is one of the great religious forces
in America to-day. Criticism of the ritu-
alists is another of those forces. Inger.
soil is a religious force, and when you
get men to smile at the Old terrorS OF
the church you get them nearer religion
The most religious persons of her ac
Quaintance are men who do not pray
but have regard for law and hate sham
She could trust God to bring such to 6
higher life