St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-07-05
THE CONGREGATIONAL CLUB.


ooutn cnurcn pleasant time was ell
joyed until five o'clock, when the club
proceeded to business.
The Business Meeting.
Rev. c. H. Merrill as temporary chair
man called the meeting to order in the
afternoon and prayer was offered by
Rev. H. T. Barnard Of Bradford. The
minutes of the last meeting were read by
Rev. Z. A. George Of Newport, clerk of
the meeting The constitution and by
laws were presented by Rev. DR.. A. H.
Heath as chairman of the executive COM
mittee After free discussion both con-
stitution and bylaws were adopted.
The chair then appointed committee Of
five on nominations, who made their
report later in the evening.
After considerable discussion it was
voted to call the organization the Pas
sumpsic Congregational Club
The Supper.
A bountiful repast of good things was
provided by the ladies of the South
church, and about seventy-hve sat down
to the tastefully arranged tables. The
receipts go to the funds of the club. A
pleasant hour was spent in the enjoy
ment of the feast, and at 7.30 o'clock
the company adjourned to the audience
room of the church. which held a fair
sized audience to listen to the address Of
Rev. DR.. Newman.
The Evening Session.
The public exercises opened with music
by the Mahogany Quartette, followed
by prayer by Rev. Dr. A. H. Heath.
Rev. DR.. Edward T. Fairbanks spoke
few Introductory words and introduced
the speaker OF the evening, Rev. Dr. S.
N. Newman, of Washington, D. c.
DR.. Newman held the attention OF his
audience very closely throughout his
address, which was peculiarly appropri-
ate to this, the first session of the Pas
sumpSlc congregational lluD.
He said he felt somewhat embarrassed
before the meeting as he did not know
just what was expected of him. The
club had been rash in asking man from
a city where men sometimes get up to
say something and do not get through
all night, to address them. AS to the
subject on which he was expected to
speak, he had been given the universe for
his field and the cosmos for his stamping
ground. He proceeded to give sketch
OF the place occupied by Congregational
ism, and said he had come to feel that
Congregationaism bore scertain rela-
tion to the cosmos. BY means of Con-
gregational clubs we have place in
work which has not been done in the
past.
take it that all forms of life are only
channels of God, channels through which
God can work by means of our tempera
ments and dispositions. There are four
great types of work under which the
whole Christian world is laboring to-
day. The first type tries to find its reve-
lation of God in one man, that church
which calls its leader pope and claims
that Christ must have representative
on earth. The second type is the bishop
type, which claims authority for the
higher order of the ministry by apostolic
succession. Methodsm is a branch of
this type. 1t claims the revelation of
Gods grace comes down through a set
of men. 1t is wider than the first but |
still exclusive.
The third type is Presbyterianism, in
which all the revelation of Gods grace
comes through the presbytery. They
are the channel for everything.
The fourth type is the type to which
we belong. The personality of the be-
liever is recognized. No one of us has
any power to order the church We can
only express our opinion about anything.
1t is fellowship of believers. We stand
for the Congregational method
The Baptsts use this method in part
but they exclude other believers from the
table OF the Lord. The speaker said he
had not time to speak fully of all these
types, but went on to explain how Con-
gregationalists should approach the
work they have to do in the world.
What is our relation as Congregations
alsts to the world with all its suffering
Have we a certain channel of life through
which this revelation OF Gods authority
is to come to men?
He spoke of the restlessness of the day
the socialistic tendency of Individual
ism. Men have been tools in the past,
now they think Of themselves as men.
They wish to throw off all authority.
They are clammoring for equality. This
is one side of this tendency to individual.
ity, which should take the attention of
Congregationalism. We should under
stand its mission. There is danger that
true individuality be lost. Human indi-
representing God is what we
should look for Individuality in the
pew as well as in hepulpit. Individual
ty co-ordinated with other forms of ef-
.ort individuality fashioned after Gnd,s