Evening star., 1893-11-22
INTERESTS OF THE DENOMINATION.
Reports and Addresses Fill the
Time Of the Second Day.
SUNDAY SCHOOL WORKER


terday. In addition to the delegates repre-
senting the various churches belonging to
the association, the Baptists generally find
these sessions of much interest that
they like to attend. While the association
has good deal of business to transact, yet
the sessions are not given up to mere rou-
tne matters. There are discussions which
are apt to be enlivened by earnest and, per-
haps, witty encounters then there are ad-
dresses which are by no means dull, so
that altogether the sessions are a pleasant
blending of business with a proper degree
of recreation. AS the association each year
shows a marked advance in efficiency it is
evident that the methods employed are
productive of the best results.
At the session this morning there were
reports made and other business transacted.
Then an address was listened to from Rev.
MI. Bryan, former missionary in China,
and his address differed from a-s;ood many
missionary efforts in being instructive and
at the same time able to command the at
te1tion of the audience.
Pleasant fraternal addresses were made
by visiting brethren from the Maryland AS
ISOLATION.
b.. Tracts and Bibles.
The session this morning was opened
with devotional exercises which were con-
Quoted by Rev. H. 7. Stevenson, the pas
tor of Anacostia Church.
The Importance and value of the tracts
Whlch are printed was emphasized in the
report of the committee on Bible and tract
distribution. which was read by the chair
man, Rev Green Clay Smith. 1t was recon-
mended that a better system be adopted
by the churches. in order to make this class
Of literature more available.
Efforts to enlarge the distribution of the
bloie were urged. and in discussing the re-
port Mr.. Il. Richards expressed the opinion
that people should be made interested in
the book and thus its distribution would be
facilitated. He thought that even among
christian people there was lack of intelli-
gent reading of the Bible-a reading which
carried with it an understanding of its
meaning. The report was adopted.
The straitened financial condition of the
Baptist Home was plainly set forth in a re-
port which was read by Rev Dr. Stakely
In the absence of Mr. j. j. Darlington the
president of the board. The difficulties the
nome had to encounter in raising funds to
pay on note of $1,000, deferred purchase
money for the property now occupied by
the home, was recounted. AS result of
appeals to the churches the sum of slO23
was secured and the balance of the debt
was paid from the treasury, which left II
entirely empty. Even then enough money
was not available and the residue was maid
by the former president, Mr.. Henry Beard
AT present there is deficiency of $f33 and
no money on hand to buy fuel and other
supplies for the winter. In spite of the
hnancial difficulties. the record for the wear
cause for much thankfulness. Reference
was made to the loss of the services of Mr.
Hehry Beard, the president of the home
VINO resigned on account of his health
Inc bequeSt in the will of Mrs Susan
FITZGERALD of houses 4O7 and 400 18th street
northeast was thankfully mentioned II
was stated that Mrs Fitzgerald was not a
baptlst but her gift was entirely due to
ner great interest in the home and the USE
ful work IL was doing
The year, the report adds, has not been
one or unrelieved financial disaster or de-
preston. On the contrary viewed as a
whole, 1t marks a substantial advance in
the material prosperity of the home The
report was adopted.
Firing at short Range
Rev. X. 7. Bryan. formerly a missionary
at Shanghai, China, connected with the
foreign mission board of the Southern Ram
tist convention, was invited to deliver an
address. He prefaced his remarks by re-
Questing those present to come forward
and occupy the front seats. He said that
while he was in China he went hunting
with Chinese powder and discovered the
advantages of firing at short range. A
hymn was sung, and upon its conclusion a
larger proportion of the audience was near
the pulpit than in the vicinity of the doors
The speaker seemed to be gratified by this
change and plunged at once into his
speech, which described at the outset the
greatness and the wealth of the Chinese
empire In his opinion, if there was ever
race conflict in this world II would be
between the Mongolian and the European.
The former We're ready to conuuer the
world with rice bowl and chop sticks.
The meaning of this phrase was explained
to be that the Chinese by their economies
were able to live where other nationalities
would starve.
In reference to the work of missions, he
said that a great change had taken place
in recent years in the particular that the
missionaries instead of being restricted to
a few places were now given greater lib
erty of access throughout the empire
He spoke of the results in mastering the
native language and in cultivating a taste
for music on the part of the natives The
work of preaching, distributing the Bible
and tracts commented on.
The speaker said that he prepared tracts
on special subjects, and at one time during
drought he got out tract entitled How
to make rain, which consisted mainly of
verses from the Old Testament, where
drought is spoken of as punishment for
idol worship. The Chinese. he said at
times grew so desperate over the continued
lack of rain that they would bring their
idols out of the temples and expose them
to the hot sun, SO that the gods would be
made uncomfortable and become convinced
that it was time for rain.
He said that the Baptist Church was do
ing little in the foreign field as COM
pared with other denominations that he
felt as Dr. Hatcher talked recently before
SHOULD be done or else the foreign field
ought to be abandoned. The speaker stated
that the attitude of the people toward the
missionaries had charged materially and
there was now but little of the ignorant
prejudice which formerly hampered the
wCrk. He spoke of the progress made in
ChristianiZng China and said at the ratio
which existed between the present and the
past condition of the work that in a few
years there would be no more to convert
in the flowery kingdom.
The audience smiled when this conclu-
sion was reached and the speaker went on
to say that the reaping of the harvest was
already great and would in the future be
still more abundant. He expressed the
opinion that while legislative wall might
be constructed to keep the Chinese out of
this country, still the Chinese influence was
bound to come in. This influence was
hea then and ii was the duty as well as the
need of this country that it should be made
Christian.
Fraternal Greetings.
Upon the conclusion of the address, which
was delivered with great earnestness and
force, the moderator called attention to
the presence of a number of visiting
brethren and spoke of the cordial greeting
which the association desired to welcome
them. Rev. F. NJ. Ellis of the MARYLAND
Baptist Union Association was invited to
speak and made an earnest address. He
was followed by Rev. o. F. Gregory of the
same association, who gave statistics of