The record-union., 1896-10-08
INTERESTING PAPERS READ.
Yesterdays Session Of the State Congre-
Sational Association.
subjects Discussed by Delegates
Work Of the Women's Home
Mission, Etc.

The second day of the fOrtieth annual
meeting of the Congregational General
ASSOCIATION Of California was called to
0rder by the Moderator, Rev. George
b- Hatch There was fair attendance
ana great interest was manifested in
the Proceedings
Praise and prayer services were held,
s1ter which three papers were read
relating to Truths Needing Emphasis
To-day" Each was a masterful effort
and received the plaudits of the audi
ence
"Christ's Idea of Sin and Righteous
ness" was the subject handled by Rev.
Z. G. Baldwin. He would gladly be
c)assed as an optimist, if to be an Op-
timist meant to see things as clearly
as anyone else, and to have the most
constant and abiding faith in God and
his kingdom. There was no pesSimist
in the Bible and Christian life had no
room for him.
1t was strongly recommended in the
paper that pastors should form Bible
classes, the aim of which should be to
take a single subject and follow it
through the Bible-make it a study
without a teacher. No subject would
be more interesting than Christ's idea
of sin and Righteousness. Light was
what was necessary for thorough un-
derstanding of the Scripture, and light
could be found in no easier manner
than through study.
Professor Frank H. Foster next read
an interesting paper on THE Authority
of the Scripture" The contention was
that the Bible was the best authority OF
the Scriptures, and the records left by
the Apostles the best authority of the
life of Jesus. While Cicero was still
puZZling over his half-formed theory of
Immortality, that theory was thorough
ly understood by the Hebrews and has
by them been handed down to be the
greatest light of modern times The
authority for the Scriptures was best
exemplified by a divine knowledge of
the truths of immortality, and the bib
1ical system of thought was immeasur-
ably superior to all others. The confu-
sion caused by the neglect of this sys-
tenn at this day is to be deplored A
change was necessary; a word of au-
thority was needed; the tendency of
the world was to corrupt the Christian
idea; great corporations knew no Sab
bath except that business was brisker
on that day. The converting churches
were the biblical churches, and let bib
ical teaching cease and conversion
would cease. The word Of authority
should go out from them, and biblical
authority should be again sent out to
the people.
Congregationalism to-day depended,
he said only on the truths of God as
contained in the Bible. Without these
truths the church must fall. Biblical
authority was its foundation and with
cut IT the Christian religion was naught
The third paper was read by Rev.
Charles Van Norden, and was entitled
The Coming Jesus and the Coming
Kingdom" The centuries had come
and gone, the speaker said, but no per-
sonality survived like that of Jesus
The personality of the soldier and
statesman, the sculptor and the artist
had faded and passed, but that Of Jesus
remained. 1t was nature for persons to
turn to Jesus, and since the day when
Hypatia, when about to be inundated
upon the altar Of the church, extended
her arms to the mute figure represent
ing him, down to the present day the
fact remained. The kingdom of Jesus
had been coming since the days when
he himself walked the earth. It's ad-
vancement was to be seen every day
and was to be traced through the pages
of history
The emancipation Of women, Mr.. Van
Norden said, is one of the things which
shows the coming of the kingdom: the
emancipation of slaves Is another.
Never was the purchasing power of
money SO great as now, and this is to
lie seen in the pleasant homes through
out the land. The cry that the rich was
growing richer and the poor poorer IS
false, for in the history Of the world
never before was it's wealth SO evenly
distributed. The cry is that of the
socialist, and that cry only tended to-
ward holding off the coming Of the
kingdom for another generation or an
other century. 1t is the cry of anarchy,
pure and simple.
War has become Improbable simply
because Christianity has done away
with the slavery of captives, and with
Tapine and plunder. 1t is the coming of
the kingdom. Even armies recognize
the King, and in the midst of struggles
are still brothers.
general discussion of the subjects