The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-11-12
CONVENTIONS BIGGEST DAY
(contlnued from FIrst Pagel

afternoon, November 20, at . CLOCK, 10
discuss the matter,
AT noon Rev. MIR, Bone of st, Gather
ines, Canada, and Rev. Mr., Lamb,
held an out of door meeting on the
steps Of Center church, after which Mr..
Bone distributed tracts and circulars.
The devotional services of the after
noon were conducted by Mr.. and Mrs.
Elderkin, and prayer was made by
Rev. Andrew Gilliston of Vermont. By
this time the church was completely
filled, every available seat being filled,
and the outside aisles and spaces near
the entrance doors were filled with a
standing crowd. There were fully 1,600
persons present, all anxious to hear
Rev. Russell III. Conwell of the Grace
Baptist church temple, Philadelphia,
and we'll known as a lecturer, speak on
Progress and New Phases of the
Work" Mr.. Conwell said that the spec
ial line of work which he intended to
discuss was that of the Institutional
church. This plan he has thoroughly in
vestigated, and has put into practical
operation in his own church in Philadel-
phia, He said that the institutional
church is one in which is found Christs
plan of the trinity work. We read in
the New Testament that Christ went
about in synagogues healing the sick,
teaching and preaching the gospel, The
purpose of the Institutional church,
is then three fold in its purpose in the
same way, and a church which has any
other purpose is not institutional. These
three purposes may be presented in
various ways. The old church form was
to preach the gospel only, and many of
the older brethren at present think that
this is the chief thing and insist that
by preaching the word is the only
means of salvation in this world. Of
course the gospel must be preached, but
church which does only this, but the
church which only has preaching Sun
day and at stated intervals is in no
sense of the term an Institutional
church. The latter is in true sense
an institution, kept open all during the
week. Christ went about teaching, and
the best authorities now say that He
was teaching schools in the synagogue.
The reason why so many people are in
want, ignorance and sin in the slums of
a great city is because they don't know
enough to earn their own living. If q
good is done, but if the people in these
circumstances are put in schools and
learned to be intellectually strong then
good really is accomplished The best
help is to learn a man to help himself,
and this is the best charity.
At present over 1000 attend the Tenn
pie cottage in Philadelphia, and all are
those who could not get an education
were 1t not for the advantages offered
them by the institution. Similar col
leges are in operation in Toledo, Cleve-
land, Boston, New York, and two in
the southern states. Even in country
churches the scheme of education cam
be carried out. Let a Sunday school
teacher volunteer to teach a class in
the church and if the old deacons can
be persuaded to open UP the vestry for
such purpose, children may be taught
to read, primary mathematics, princi-
pies of chemistry, etc. From one class
a week this school will grow until the
vestry becomes real school house. and
the larger the school the better and
the believers in an institutional church
think that by this instruction. evil will
be overcome, and said Mr.. Conwell:
1--WE believe in every possible way to
do this and in shooting the devil in any
way We can and with any sort of pow
der" AS the institutional church
spreads out it will become "the" church,
since it will fill long felt need. 1t will
in few years be the only church.
After the church school has progress
ed a while the need for library will be
felt and the question will arise as to
how to get it, and the impression will
be that it can't be afforded Don't
ask for donations from rich men," said
Mr.. Conwell, "the gifts of many bless
a church. Make it known in church
Sunday morning that a library is want
ed and ask each one to bring the next
Sunday any books they are done with
for a school library One church with
a membership of 100 not long ago re-
;eived on the second Sunday after the
need was made known 2100 volumes,
and in my own church I gave out such
a notice and the next Sunday 2,700 vol
umes were brought in, out of which
were selected 2,250 good reference books,
which would have cost $4,000 at least.
Such schools bring within Christian in
fiuences many to whom we can talk
with more of an understanding than we
otherwise could
Every church should carry out the
work of Christ in visiting the sick. 1t
is a great thing for the spiritual well
fare of church to have a hospital
where young people may work and visit
the SICK and follow the example given
to humanity by the Saviour Himself.
Sectarian lines should not be allowed
to come between the Christian and his
work. To go to the house of pain is
better for the Christian than to go to
the house of health.
If a pastor thinks his people are dull
in church, and wishes them to become
real spiritual, let him get them to visit a
hospital. and after seeing the suffering
there. they can undergo his sermons
without f1inching QaugEter).
Because there was formerly only
preaching in the church the young men
wishing to do something else went out
side the church and formed a Y M. c.
A., an organization which is now doing
one of the greatest works in the line
of teaching, preaching and caring for
the sick. The w. C. T. U. is likewise
one of the mightiest organizations for
good in the country, and was organized
L L, 4