Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-03

There were something more than three score
OF the leaders of the Unitarian faith gathered
in All Souls Church this morning for the sec
ond days session of the Unitarian conference
of the middle states and Canada. The program
for today's exercises plans for three sessions,
one this morning. one this afternoon at 2:20
o'clock and one this evening at 8 O'Clock, when
there will be four short addresses made
The first part of the morning, from 9:l5 to 10
O'Clock, was taken up with a devotional meeting
| conducted by Rev. Charles E. st. John of
! Pittsburg. The general topic of the service
was the sense of personal relation and nesrness
to God, and there were a number of interesting
and earnest remarks made by different dele
gates to the conference. Strictly speaking. they
were not delegates, for this conference Is not a
delegate body.
INSTRUCTION IN THE BTBLE.
'How to Instruct Young People in the Right
Use of the Bible was the subject of a forty
minutes paper by Rev. S. z. Calthrop Of SYRIA.
cuse, n. Y. The speaker began by saying that
the subject was far too large a one ever 10 deal
with properly, SO be would confine him.
self to certain instances that would
show what he wanted to prove
He would begin by showing how it ought not
to be taught. He laid special stress upon the
''naturalness'' of the new theology. The old
theology. he said, knew il all, and when it came
into hostility with facts, SO much the worse for
the facts. The new theology does not attempt
to deal with the origin of the physical body.
for it knows that is matter thai belongs to
physiological science. 1t does not dis
turb Itself with the matter of
the stars in heaven. for it knows
that belongs to the realms of astronomical
science. To properly teach the Bible, Rev. Mr..
Calthrop said. one must always remember how
L.
There Is the legend of Adam and Eve and the
Garden of Eden. There is the legend of the
deluge and of the Tower of Babel. The latter
is wholly ignoble. The legend of the deiuge Is
noble. The story of Jonah and the whale is a
noble story. but it is story after all.
"a few days ago" said Mr.. Calthrop. "Mr
Tallmadge said to a congregation that pre-
sumo was made up Of rational people that
unless Jonah was actually and literally swal-
lowed by the monster and remained three days
in the belly of tine whale then Jesus was either
dupe or an impostor. Fancy placing the Ser
mon on the Mount and its author upon the
foundation Of that story of Jonah and the
whale. 1T was good story and the Writer'S of
the Bible had a right to use ii just lEsop
might use a fable to point his moral
Teach the story. for IL will interest children.
and few minutes judicious questioning by the
teacher would bring out from class of scholars
under ten years of age what are the noble and
what the ignoble stories and legends. Teach the
immortal story of the birth Of Jesus Christ, but
teach it in the same way"
METHODS THAT SHOULD DE PURSUED.
Mr.. Calthrop then went on at some length to !
explain the methods that should be pursued in |
teaching the Bible. He accented the i'm |
portance of distinguishing carefully between |
what was essential and what merely IL |
Illustrative The book. he said. is a good book |
but it is not Christianity. There is danger OF /
that are but facts OF the second rate after ALL |
There is too much danger Of losing the pound |
of gold in sitting through the ton of quartz.
The essayist then went on to explain the ten |
cts Of the Unitarian faith as il should be laid
down before the young. At the close of his
paper there a discussion, participated in by
three OF those present, upon the subject of the
paper. Rev. Mr.. May criticized the use
by ministers Of what he called the
dialect of creeds. He objected 10
the phrases, the Son Of God, Christ. the words
that 90 with the story of a supernatural resur-
rection, and all else o: that sort. III mis- hearers
were humanitarians they should not depart
from the phraseo.ogy OF humanitarianism. for
any such departur resulted naturally In the
confusion.
Rev. Mr.. Wright protested earnestly that
Unitarians were not sufficiently enterprising
and wide awake. They were not sufficiently
educated in their own beliefs, Ior did they
preach and teach with sufficient earnestness
and freedom what they actually did believe.
Mrs. Dix also spoke.
CHILDREN AND DocTRIN.L INSTRUCTION.
"Shall We Instruct Our Children in the Doc
trines of Unitarianism?" was the subject Of q
carefully prepared essay by Rev. W. NJ. Gil
bert of Vineland, n. J. The question, he
thought. simply resolved itself into whether we
shall teach children what we believe Is
true and right Of God. If We answer
the general question in a negative manner we
are thrown back upon three alternatives.
Either must teach them what We actually
do not believe. what is affirmed upon the affir-
nation OF others, or we must let them
go untaught altogether. Mere negation is not
food for any soul. and the fact that a child
goes untaught is no reason for thinking 1t will
go free from all opinions. The only true way
to answer the question is to answer il in the
affirmative.
A positive advantage from teaching the young
accrues TO the adult teacher for one must IN
derstand subject very well indeed in order to
make il inteliigibie to child sermon to the
young frequently demands and receives more
intellectual endeavor than any discourse pre-
pared for those of more advanced years. Many
preacher can preach long and deep dis
course, when he has not had time TO prepare a
short, clear and explicit narrative Of what he
wishes TO say.
Another benefit that arises from teaching
comes TO the children themselves, and is an
added argument in favor of answering
the question in an affirmative way. We
believe in giving our children the best we
can OF food. clothing and shelter; why not the
best then when We come TO tell them of God?
That our children should know the best of us,
they must know and understand our best be-
liefs out of which grow our noblest and WORTH
est purposes.
The third reason for answering this general
question in the Affirmative arises out of the
benefits that the community and posterity can
derive from the Unitarian Church. III the
church is to be made the greatest possible good
to humanity. its children must be
educated in the doctrines of Unitarianism.
The general question simply resolves itself into
the three questions: Shall we do the best we
can for ourselves? Shall we do the best can
for our children? Shall We do the best can
for the welfare OF the community and for pos
terity. Mr.. Gilbert found answer for all
three questions in one unhesitating yes.
The reading of Mr.. Gilbert's paper was fol-
lowed by discussion along the line OF thought
laid down by him. The discussion led by
Rev. q. II. Badger. This was followed by a
paper read by Miss Lucy Jones of Brook
vile. Me-, who spoke OF what she thought
should be taught the children in Sunday
schools. Pure morality should be instilled,
while all such matters as religious inspiration
WORK OF THE CONFERENCE.
''Our Conference.-The Origin and Work,