The herald., 1895-06-12
THE BAPTIST CONVENTION
Opened Last Evening at Ocean
Park, Santa Monica
REV. CLEAVELAND'S ADDRESS
Over Thirty Members and Delegates on
tile Ground
Ard rore Expected to Spend the Rest
Of the Week by the Sad
REV. CLEAVELAND'S ADDRESS

Yesterday was a busy day at Ocean
Park with active preparations for the
Southern California Baptist convention.
Rev. W. W. Tinker, superintendent OF
home missions for Southern California
and Arizona, who has been the prime
mover in bringing the convention about,
was overseeing and directing the last de-
tails in making ready for the members
and delegates, many of whom, with their
families, will spend the rest OF the week
on the ground. All the new cottages
belonging to the Y. NJ. G. A. company,
together with number of tents on the
beach and the Just completed auditorium
have been rented for the convention, and
all day cots and bedding and other con
veniences were being distributed and put
in place. Each train bore its contin-
gent, and by night over thirty guests
were established Oh the grounds. A spe-
cIal train took down a large number at
I O clock for the first session last evening
and the auditorium was filled with peo-
pie who gave earnest attention to the an
nual sermon by Rev. George A. Cleave-
land of Riverside. That with music,
made up the programme for last evening,
and the text was First Samuel, 5:l'4-
The Ark and Dagon. Mr.. Cleaveland
commenced his address with reference to
the, bloody battles between The lsraelites
and the Philistines for the possession OF
the Ark of the Covenant that contained
the tales of the law. The Phillstines were
victorious. He dwelt on the fact that 1T
was matter of more than mere historl-
cal interest and that religious question
of vital importance is involved; that GOD
taught his people a lesson by it that they
could have been made to learn i'll no
other way. 1t warned, them that the
symbols of true religion are OF value only
when kept in the place and devoted to
Sos, ,inl, ln1
in its true p!ace-in the holy of holes at
Shiloh-the ark was a symbol of the pres
ence of the Lord among his people; taken
out of that place, il became only the let
ish of anap estate faith.
What was true of the ark then is true
religion Of Christ Kept in their places
they are help to faith and teach lessons
of vital importance: removed and made
20 serve some other purpose. they be-
come q source of weakness and tempta-
ton to sin. Mr.. Cleaveland then illus
trated the principle he was preaching'
with the different m odes of baptism. the
Lords supper and the church itself, which
when a simple organization OF Christians
for Christian work, Is faith and pless-
ing; but when used as door to heaven,
is only a snare and curse.
The speaker impressed unon his hear
ers that men have often plumed them
Christianity, when in reality they have
only succeeded in vanquishing some
person or party who had been masquer-
aiding in the Christian uniform, and
Rousseau, Votaire and the gross, un--
blushing hypocrisy of the priests and
people OF their time in France we've men
toned, with the fact that the same kind
of thing has been true many a time and
in many a place since those days. There
are a multitude. Of people ia America
said Mr. Cleaveland. whose religious con-
dition may be likened to that OF the Phil
istines, who have got just enough true
religion to destroy their old god without
giving them the help of Jehovah in its
place. In trying to patch up their own
religion with piece torn from that OF
Israel, the Phiistnes became prototype
OF the nineteenth century philosophers
goou in the teaching of Confucius, Moses.
Buddha. Plato. Christ. Hegel, Kant
Henry George and Others, and by COM
bining the selections make new religion
worthy of universal acceptance. Eclecti-
clsm is one of the most specious ana one
of the most baleful forms OF infidellty.
You cannot bring the Lord into partner
ship with the world, the flesh and the
devil--not even unde the terms of
church government. He will have the
whole business or none OF it.
The speaker then referred to the danger
OF IegallZed rum Selling. Ol tHe crazy
whim which bear the name OF Christian
Science. and then likened the present
with those other dark ages when God
developed the forces and produced the
men of the great reformation. Gods
work goes on unseen by human eye. un-
toucned by human hand. Quietly,
silently, but with resistless power, the
spirit moves among us, to break down
tina. which opposes the Kingdom of tho
Redeemer. But there is great morning
coming bye and bye, said the speaker in
conclusion wher the light will shine from
the one part of the heavens to the other
the last great dawn when the idols men
have worshiped will, falling be d stroyed.
and the Lord we have waited for will
come in the clouds of heaven with power
and great glory
This morning at II O. clock the organ |
ization OF the convention will take place,
with election of officers. This afternoon |
there will be ladies' meeting in the
chapel in the interest of foreign mis-
sions, and in the auditorium general |
business will he continued with dis |
cussion on foreign missions.
This evening there will be Il general |
meeting with foreign missions as the sub
ject. when addresses will be made by |
II o,, n Dood n of nc pnotos