The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-17
ITS MEANING AND MISSION
REV. DR. LEYI GILBERT SPEAKS ON
 THE EPWORTH LEAGUE.

Union Meeting in Westville- Local Leagues Largely Represented-Dr. Gilbert Says of the Several Denominations; "In the Es- sentials They Should be United; in Nom essentials They should be Free"
 The Fpworth league of the city held the first grand group meeting at the Westville M. F. church last evening. The leagues of the city were largely represented at the meeting, which was cd at 8 o'clock with a praise service led by Eugene s. Willis of the East Pearl street M. E. church and devo- tional services conducted by Rev. MT. ripple of the Epworth M. E. church.
 Rev. Dr. Levi Gilbert of the Trinity M. E. church made the address of the evening, speaking on the subject of ''The Leagues Meaning and Mission"
 In the course of an earnest presenta- tion of his subject he said:
 'The league should be pledged to the abolishment of the saloon, and may God give its members the backbone and all of us the backbone to meet and overcome this great iniquity. The men and women of intelligence and back bone are the ones who will control the affairs of the world The Epworth league helps to develop just such men and women. To-day we are standing side by side of the great leaders of thought. In the early history of our denomination in this country 1t had many trials in erecting a system of education. To-day we have schools and colleges equal to the best of other denominations.
 ',The reason why people to-day are in one church more than another is because their friends are in that church and brought them there. We must not neglect the social side of our church life.
 'T had much rather young man Epworth league than in a cheap theater or low dancing hall Although the church is not a matrimonial bureau we ministers look complacently upon such things.
 lIcIc IS IO-utty lEO SItdltl uuly III cumbent upon the church than to show the warm, the social side of its life to the great homeless, homesick multi tudes who throng into the cities from the country. The church has seen a great movement among its young peo- pie.
 T am in sympathy with the Y. M. C. A., so will not be misunderstood in what I am about to say. The Y. M. c. A. is not doing work to-day among young men which the church cannot do although in the past it may have done a work that the church did not do Such is not true to-day, and it some times happens that the Y. M. c. A work as conducted detracts from the efficiency of the church by absorbing all the interest and effort of young men. I am not a sectarian or a bigot but I am a Methodist, and I believe il Is the duty of every member of the denomination to work and labor for it
 "One ought to know the history of his own church denomination. It is { shame for a Methodist not to know ot the Wesleys and the other leaders O1 the denomination. If there are young Congregationalists here I tell them the same. It is shame not to know o1 of Robinson: if Baptist, not to know of Roger Williams; If Unitarian, no Martineau; if a Universalist, not tt know of Charming.
 "In the essentials all the denomina tions should be united; In non-esser tials they should be free. In all things they should have charity"
 Following the address there was { consecratio service led by Franl Mansfield of Symmetrical M. E. church
 Miss Julia Green presided at the or gan.