The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-17
flFTY-EIGHIH SESSION
OF the Claiming Conference Held
in This City.
Annual Address OF Rev. Samuel Nj.
Crothers Of Cambridge-interesting
Essays-Board of Ofiics rs.

"Religious Indifference " was the sub
iect OF Rev samuel NJ Crothers' address,
at the Charming Conference In west
minister Unitarian Church last evening.
He discussed the question from his own
standpoint--thst VI n preacher and his
ella m was that TO make progress there
mrst first be sympathy between pulpit
and pews--the hearers must be Interested.
] or thoso that ere engsged in II there
Is nothing SO interesting as religious con-
troversy, while for those on the outside
there is nothing 80 stupid and apparently
use iess. But controversy Is not all there
j. in religion for II ii was men would lose all
sympathy aud fellowshipwould give way
20 a cold ind ference. And neither Is the
church necessarily made up OF
advanced thinkers. There In that
vast majority OF average men, the
men who keep up the worlds activity, the
ones who must then be interested more
or less in what the religious and pbiloso-
phical specialists make life study OF.
The man OF business IL not TO be ashamed
or discouraged II ne can follow under
standingly every intellectual movement.
IL IS not necessary, for the deeper and
better things OF religion are those which
We hnd Whom we Most faithfully care Tor
our own definite work.
Every man must take himself as his
own portion. But wisdom cries aloud at
the opening of the door and where the
ways meet. 1t is when men nave walked
steadfastly in their chosen way and
have come 10 the top OF that way
that they have done the highest thing.
Yet this Is not the end. 1t is then that
men find themselves near TO the table
lands of God. Their way has not come to
an end but has opened To a higher way.
In the hour of success men have seen
something higher than they and have
worshipped IT.
Religion must mean unity. Religion Is
interesting only where IL touches things
that belong to every life. That church is
the church of humanity which most
clearly and brevely speaks what every
man knows TO be true In his higher
moments.
At this forenoon's session there was
devotional meeting conducted by Rev.
James T.. Locke OF Brooklyn, Conn; an
essay OH the " Preac hers Relation to So
cial Subjects" by Rev. John w. Day of
Hingham, Mass; and after the collation.,
served at one o'clock, Rsv. William n.
Lyon of Boston read an essay on "Charles
Chluncey, or the Beginning of Liberal
Christianity in New England"
The 5Sth session was then adjourned.
The Charming Conference includes all
Unitarian Churches in Rhode Island,
sout hern Massachusetts, aud eastern Con-
necticut. Its present board OF officers is
as follows:
President--Job G.. Tripp OF Fair Haven,
Conn; vice president, William j. Gran
dali of Providence; treasurer, Charles "a.
Sheldon OF Providence; secretary, Rev.
w. III. Spencer OF Providence.
A number OF delegates from out OF town
churches is expected to-day.
At the business meeting held this FORE
noon, IL was voted TO raise 5000 among the
churches for home missionary work, 800
we o appropriated as an annual OK
penditure TO help defrsy the expenses
OF some student in the Harvard Divinity
School, and IL was also decided to build a
church at Vineyard Haven for the benefit
OF the summer visitors to the island OF
Martha Vineyard.
Two amend mcnts to the constitution
were adopted, the first and most import
ant one being such that the basis of fell
louship might be so broadened Gs to
bring the Channing Conference into line
with the national body.
The OF her amendment was that here
after two thirds OF he mem bers, instead
OF majority, constitute a quorum.
The next meeting OF the conference
will be held in April.