The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-15

The Club Finds Itself in a Flourishing
Condition After the Summers Recess
A Large Number Present at the First
Gathering of the Winter season-Prof'
Chapman's Answer to Some Common
riticisms-Kemarks by Other Mem
bers.
The Portland Congregational Club held
last evening at the Preble house the first
session Of the autumn. The club was
instituted In 1870 and, while subject to
some vicissitudes in its experience of
thirteen years, it may find claim to quite
a remarkable degree Of success.
In their social feature the meetings of
the club have been justly credited with
decided attractiveness. As denomina-
tional association there have been stead
lily exemplifed in 1t the faith. the free
dom and the genial and solid fraternity
of Congregationalism. Intellectually
the Congregational Club, it is believed,
has maintained a high average in its
special addresses and its ordinary exer
cises. In Observation-Disclosures colrte-
sizes and amenities the club has not failed
in spirit or practice to show it's catholic
and brotherly tendencies. In fact, it is
not too much to say thai the club has
demonstrated its right to be, and vindi-
Gated it's title to enrolment in the good
ly list of sister organizations through
the country, while as an institution it
deserves well in it's relation to our city
and state.s
The present very prosperous condition
of the club is greatly due to its board Of
officers. OF these, the treasurer, Mr..
Chute, and the secretary, Mr.. Ell. H. Rick
er, have rendered the club efficient and
most faithful service, having been re-
elected again and again to the positions
they hold. The present president, Rev.
E. P. Wilson. has spared no pains to pro-
mote the interests of the organization,
| and that he has been eminently success
full is the universal commendation.
The Opening Meeting
of the season last evening drew a fine at
| tendance, and the social hour was full of
pleasant greetings and lively with the in
terchange Of thought on recent denomi-
| national and national events. Interest
| ing as the political situation is, it did not
altogether silence expressions of opinion
over the sayings and doingslof the great
autumn UNCONVENTIONAL meetings, with
their exciting questions touching belief
and administration.
! The club has grown accustomed to
good suppers at the Preble House, but
the tables last evening were unusually
well spread and were admirably served.
Following the banquet President Will
son, with few choice anecdotes point
ing his congratulations, called for
| business. Five candidates for member
ship were proposed. Joseph c. White
was elected member of the club.
The important committee of the year,
| to nominate the officers for 1898, was
constituted as follows: George F.
French Horace W. Shaylor, Osman Ad-
ans, George Libby, Fred B. Matthews
and w. L. Blake.
The special guest at this reassembling
for the new season was
Professor I'll. L. Chapman
| of Bowdoin, always most welcome as Wis
itor and speaker. In response to the in
vitation to address the club this evening
he presented an address on "The Fool
ishness of Preaching"
With a clear and discriminating
analysis of the preaching of the great
apostle to the gentiles, the question was
raised. care the sermons of our day
subject to the same disparaging criticism
that was passed upon the preaching OF
Paul? Is there an element in the SER
mons we have to listen to which vitiates
the preachers work into foolishness?
Is the major premise of criticism correct
that the sermonizing that deals largely
with Christian doctrine ana sringly OF
| n OF at all with ethical OF lne&l practice
is barren, weak, indeed worse, it is
| destructive?'
The speaker thought it sound to affirm
that the preacher is first Of all a herald
of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Hin
crucified and SO he must be
above all preacher of doc
trine. The preacher need moi
be disturbed about ethics and morals, if
he is faithfully presenting Christ and the
great doctrines which center about the
cross which was to the Greeks foolish
ness. The secret of the preaching pow
er today, as it was in the time of Paul,
is in the cross, and in that sign it must
now conquer, even as it conquered then.
1t may be true courage in the preacher
to let many books 60 unread, that he
may be profoundly versed in revelation.
That minister who puts forward the
great doctrine of sin and grace and
brings men to conversion thereby, is
doubtless doing the best thing for men
and society. The cross of Christ wisely
preached is, now as ever, the power Of
God unto salvation.
But another criticism is that religion is
to be separated from theology, that
theology and theologians are foolnish-
ness and fools. The same criticism exalts
uious emotion and makes it the be all
and end all of religion. But it is not
reasonable to suppose that simple faith
win suffer under a rational and devout
| ysrasaukaff0n 0f the great Christian doc