The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-10
THEIR TRIENNIAL.
CongregatiOnalists Are Holding
Their Session In Syracuse.
FIRST TINE EVER HELD IN NEW
YORK STATE.

Rev. DIR. A. I'll. CUNTS Eloquent Address
New Departure-Large Attendance
Congressman Dingley Moderator-Dr.
Brands Paper, Etc, Etc.
Syracuse, N Y, October 9.-For the
first time in the history of the Congrega-
tionai Church the Triennial Council met
in New York State today. The represen-
tative men of the denomination are
present, and the Council will be in
session till next Tuesday evening.
Promptly at ten O'Clock this morning
the Council was opened by the Moderator,
Rev. A. H. Quint Rev. E. II. Stickney
OF North Dakota Charles A. Jones of
PENNSYLVANIA, Charles Fl. Pope OF Maine,
Caleb f. Collins of North Carolina,
Robert N. Woods of Massachusetts, and
Sherrod Soule of Connecticut were
nominated telIers. The address Of well
come was then delivered by Rev. E. N.
Packard. D. D., of Syracuse, in which
the delegates were cordially welcomed to
the city.
DIR. CUNTS ADDRESS.
The Rev. DR.. Quint, the retiring
moderator, made a new departure and
delivered an elaborate address, in part as
follows:
''It has been decided by those in charge
of the opening of this triennial session,
the ninth of the series, to follow custom
our English brethren, whereby an ad-
dress, more Or less extended, is demanded
from the retiring moderator.
"You will not censure me, know, II
for the moment turn in memory to the
hour when at Oberlin, twenty -four years
ago. there came to me, as chairman OF the
preliminary committee of our churches,
the simple duty and the great honor OF
calling to order the members OF that nrst
council. l see before me- here and there,
one who was then present You VIII Ger.
tainly allow me to mention the faithful
registrar, who has served us SO efficiently
from that period until now But Bud
ington, the moderator; Bacon, who
preached the sermon; Ray Palmer. whose
beautiful hymn, beginning MY faith
looks up to Thee was sung then as
now; Langworthy and Wolcott from the
East; Atkinson and Dwinell from the
Pacific shore; Healy from the mouth OF
the Mississippi; and from the interme-
date States, Finney, Morgan, Sturtevant,
Andrews Chaplin, Turner, Poat, Ross,
Merriman, Mitchell; with Barstow, Rus
sell, Bradford, Hardy, Farnsworth, Grin
nell, and the warGoyernor, buckingham
have all gone, with many another, from
the church militant, where they fought a
good fight, to the church triumphant,
where they find the promised rest.
" hat in the present condition OF the
church, and particularly in the desire fol-
church unity, does Congegationalism sig
nify?. Let US attempt an answer.
'sYet, first. we are not separated from
the great Church of Christ by any dis
tinctive doctrines. We affirm no proyln-
cial theologies. We hold the historic faith
in common with all Christendom. The
constitution of this association OF church
es itself declares that the understanding
of the Scriptures by our churches is in &C
cordance with the faith commonly called
evangelical. 1t is the faith embodied in
! the consensus of the whole church. so
greatly and reverently do we recognize
the supremacy of the sublime facts OF re-
dempJion, in comparison with even the
most important of beliefs which distin-
guish any one part of the visible church
from any other part. that we are at dis
advantage when we come TO DISCUSS any
peculiaritieS of our own.
s'Congregationalism is almost ashamed
to be distinctive, and gladly it would be
merged in the undivided church, ii 1t
found the undivided Catholic church in
which to lose it's name. 1t is SO merged.
SO far as the mighty facts of Christ's roy
atty are concerned, and it refuses to be
separated from Christians of other organ
lied politics in the communion of faith,
or in the labors of the church universal
for the salvation of men. We have dread
ed,sa not to be called narrow, but to be
narrow in benefactions and labors for the
great cause. Our churches have beer
the favorite foraging fields of men who
sought for gifts to promote individual
enterprises outside of our established
work. although of the same character en-
terprses which appealed to sympathy ano
which may or may not have been wise
IN inception or judicious in management
Gifts have not been Iiiggardly, even wheI
appeals came from men of other denomi
nations for purely denominational use.
We have established thirty -four colleges
and universities outside of New England
had the money which our people have
given to kindred work outside OF oul
fold been given to these institutions, moi
one of the feeblest of ours would now be
lacking the generous endowments neces
sary to their highest success.
When our churches were entirely with
in the sound of the Atlantic surf the1l
very neighborhood and constant inter.
course gave them essential union But
when they began their extension over
broad areas more formal recognition OF
oneness came of itself. Experience has
demonstrated to us that the natural
utilization of all churches in such organ.
lied gatherings MS this present one, fol
discussing in Christian love matters OF
common concern to the churches, and fol
determining the best methods of broad
Christian work, without power to decree
or order is also safe and effective.
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