The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-24

The Cumberland Conference of Congre.
gational churches was held with the
Bethel Society yesterday.
Rev. Mr.. Hack, of the Second Parish,
SCRIBE
The committee on nominations was ap-
pointed, consisting of Reys. Il. M. Cous-
ms. j. X. Aiken and Deacon j. M.
Gould Later they reported that the next
meeting be held January "a, 1896, with
the Warren church of Westbrook, with
sermon by Rev. Mr.. Mckinley of Var
mouth alternate Rev. Charles e. An
drews, and committee in charge, Rev.
| Messrs. Mann, Adams and Merrill. The
report was accepted,
| The first topic taken up at the morning
session was "The Kingdom of God. !"
First, its relation to the. state and to edu-
cation. discussed by Rev. Mr.. Adams OF
| Westbrook, and Mr.. J. r. Libby of Port
land, and secondly, it's relation to the
local community, discussed by Rev. VIM.
6. Mann. Rev. A. R. Wright, Rev. e.
NJ Cousins, Rev. Mr.. Mckinley and
Rev. l.. S. Bean.
Mr.. Adams spoke Of the unity of the
state as it was in the time of Moses. He
thought we should take the world as it
is today and Gods thought of what it
should be, and assimilate the two to
God thought He looked at the ques-
tion from spiritual standpoint.
Mr.. Libby dwelt upon the foes of the
Christian state, and upon the Chris
tan idea of education and the great
need of the individual receiving the
power of God SO as to become true
citizen.
Mr.. Mann dwelt upon the spiritual side
of his subject.
Rev. Mr.. Wright believed in organized
work for Christ. He spoke of picture
in RAMS Horn that caused him feelings
of amusement and then serious reflection
There was representation of seashore,
with man dressed like "a clergyman
leaning against a rock with telescope
at his eye. looking seward for the COM
ing of the Lord, while right back of him
was great wheat field, with the wheat
ripe, and the Lord standing in its midst
was pointing to the golden sheaves all
ready for the gathering. He believed in
the power of the individual acting on
the individual to accomplish good. DR..
Strong says the greatest power is.-sthe
power of consecrated individuality. Ly-
man Abbott said the power Of person
a. ,+ r.; <L,. viz ,f
society.
Mr.. Cousins thought. the Salvation
Army today was doing the most for the
salvation of society in proportion to its
means and numbers. Too much of our
work is too general; our sermons are
too general. The minister must have
an individual need in his mind. Then
the people will come to the minister for
help. prophecy in Isaiah says, the
people shall be brought back one by one
and the kingdom of God restored
Mr.. Mckinley said that the kingdom
meant where God was king, whether in
church or state A part Of God S world
| is in instruction against it's king. HUI
man life is divided into several spheres ::
1st, the individual; 2nd, family life. Is
God your king is the question that should
be asked by each of us. God must be
king in acts Of the legislature and the
official acts of its officers. In our New
England colleges the present danger
comes from leaving out the moral ele-
ment, that devotion to Christ that can
help on the kingdom. Our education
must be subordinate to Christ and our
literature also. A Portland bookseller
told the speaker that morning that the
sale of trashy literature mad greatly dim
inished the last few years. That was a
healthful sign, and it must keep on until
Christ is crowned. The right end will be
attained by bringing in the people one
by one. The first question must be what
Christ wants.
Mr.. L. S. Beam of the West Church,
had heard of nation born in day. In
that case the one by one theory was de-
molished He did not want to criticise
his brethren, but he believed that the
individual theory Of religion was unsafe.
Christ came to save race. The speaker
wouldn't dissatisfied to believe in re-
ligion that saved him and not his race.
He believed the multiplied activities were
greater than the individual. The world
is drifting either hell-ward or to the
kingdom of God, and that movement to-
day is more towards God s kingdom.
Rev. Mr.. Southworth then invited the
audience to dine in the hall above with
the ladies OF Bethel church; hymn was
sung, and the conference adjourned TO
afternoon.
AT 2 p. ms the regular conference was
preached by Rev. Rollin T. Hack, and
was followed by the communion. Then
Secretary Hood Of the Congregational
Building Society, spoke. A conference
| service followed.
The building of a new Congregational
church at South Portland and the en-
largement OF the Vest End church were
1t May Do as Much for You.
Mr. Fred Miller of Tryin0 I'll writes