The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-29
Claiming Conference in
Session Today.
Delegates From Three States
at Olney Street Church.
Sermons and Essays on the Unita-
rian D0ctrine--BuSiness Session.

The sixty-first session OF the Charming
Conference opened last night a. the Olney
Street Unitarian Church with the custom
ary religious service.
This forenoon was devoted to the busi-
ness transactions of the organization,
and to series OF most interesting ad-
dresses from the young people. The
speakers this afternoon were Mrs. Mary
A. Lvermore and Mira. Isabel 9. Barrows.
THE OPENING SERMON.
The first service last evening was well
attended by the delegates representing
oil Unitarian churches of Rhode Island
and those of Eastern Connecticut and
Southern Mossach usetts.
Rev. William L. Furman, pastor OF the
church, opened the conference, and all OF
the Providence pastors OF the denomina-
tion participated. The sermon was de-
livered by Rev. Howard n. Brown of
Kings chapel, Boston.
His text was from Corinthians,
xv:47-"The first man is of the earth,
earthly; the second man is the Lord, from
heaven"
An abstract OF Mr. Browns discourse
is as follows:
II Is permeated by genuine spiritual
life, feels that great revelation OF God
has been made in Christ, and that
through him II has received knowledge
of the Infinite which it could have
gained in no other way. Leaders OF
Christian thought have always tried TO
Cefine and explain this revelation in
terms satisfactory to the understanding;
though in this, 1t must be confessed,
their labors have not been crowned with
entire success. The problem involves
many points set held In sharp debate, in
which there Is no immediate prospect
that a common agreement can be reached.
This division of counsels, however, will
not disturb the faith of any sincere and
simple minded follower OF Christ. The
diffrence arises through All attempt to
interpret facts deeply written in human
consciousness, and the facts remain,
whether we can explain them or not.
The fact of Christian consciousness, to
borrow the language OF st. Paul, is that
men who were sometime afar off are now
brought near TO God. And while the
leg ions fight out their controversies as TO
the meaning and extent Of the revelation
that has been made, multitudes go on
living in the light of the gnowledge of
the glory OF God, as 1t Is seen in the face
Of Jesus Christ.
We can understand that the character of
the Creator IL, to some extent, revealed in
all His works and must be- most clearly
revealed in what cJnhes closest to being a
finished creation. SO, IL there has lived
on the earth one human being whom his
Creator would call in any sense perfect
man. through that personality we may
see most of the purposes of God.
We can understand also that IL God
wished 10 declare His character more fully
to the children OF earth, there was no
way to make His message intellioible to
them, save 10 write IL in the character of
man.
But this mission OF Christ, as a revealer
of God, who is SO far above our modes Of
rs lie is mediated TO opr thought by
forms familiar TO our minds, nt .once
suggests TO us that Christ himself is far
away from our living world OF the pres
ent, and that in his case also we must