The Washington times., 1895-06-24
DR.. Kent's Account of the Con-
gress of Liberal Religions.
GOOD FEELING PREVAILED
Universalists, Unitarians, Jews, In
dependent, and Orthodox Churches
Were Observation-Disclosures Not
Yet Prepared for Union Looking 10
Surrender of ofDenominat tionalTenets.

A report from the American Congress of
Liberal Religions occupied the attention OF
the Peoples Church at Typographical Tenn
pie yesterday morning. II was made by the
pastor, Rev. Alexander Kent, who has just
returned from the annual meeting at
Chicago. Hes some ten general organiZa-
tions Of Universalists, Unitarians, and
Jews, with twenty liberal and Independent
churches and three orthodox churches, were
represented in the gathering of 100 dele
gates
As he had foIeseen, the proposed con-
sideration of the various liberal forces OF
America in a formal way. was not accom-
plished. Good feeling and interchange of
the friendliest sentiment prevailed through
out, but the sects represented were not
PREPARED for closer union that might look
10 a rdenominationalt tenets.
DELEGATES ALL AT SEA.
DR.. Kent himself urged the proposition
made by Rabbi Hirsh for chair of scien-
tific sociology upon a basis independent
OF existing economic theories. But the
congress was unprepared to act upon this
suggestion for definite work The dele
gates We're all at sea as to the practical
application of the general principles of
ethics and religion. They distrusted the
nationalist and socialist solutions Of the
industrial problem. This condition was
itself a proof of the need of scientific
teaching in sociology.
The most encouraging thing about the
congress was the report OF the missionary
committee, appointed at the last congress,
showing how gladly the doctrines of a
more liberal religion are received. Two
new societies had been organized and are
prosperous.
Jenkin Lloyd Jones, the inspirer of the
movement, said the Congress has come
to stay, not as n decoration nor as an op-
portunity for rhetoric, but to apply prin-
ciples that have been so long inactive as
to threaten impotence TO those who hold
them. Talk unapplied, words unutil-
iZed, speech not harnessed to the work of
the world, make for imbecility.''
TREND OF THE TINES.
A pleasant feature of the congress was
that such men as Dr. Mornerie, of Lon
don and the Church of England, ami Prof
Heron, of the Congregational Church,
felt free to take place on the platform
among the speakers. 1t shows the trend
of the times. Dr. Mornerie's utterances
would sound radical to an Episcopal con-
gregation, but they were mild to the ears
of the audience he addressed. But while
the congress generally was in advance of
DR.. Mornerie theologically, it was very
far behind Dr. Heron on social questions
They had received the principles whichDr
Heron announced, but they had not yet
perceived the applications to which DR..
Heron called their attention.
DR.. Kent will speak next Sunday of what
he saw in Chicago outside the congress, es-
pecially of the Civic Federation, the Hull
House settlement, where college-bred men
and women have located down on Halsted
orr ;fJc Np Nhsad
personal contact to lift them up to decent
existence, and of the board of trade which
he visited with a member who talked freely
of the operations.