The Portland daily press., 1897-01-28
CUMBERLAND CONFERENCE
The 164th Meeting Held at the Second
Parish Church Yesterday.

The 164th Meeting Held at the Second
Parish Church Yesterday,
The 164th meeting of the Cum berland
Congregational Conference was held at
the Second Parish church yesterday.
This was not the annual conference, but
for all that there was much larger at
tendance of clergymen and 1aity than is
customary, at the morning meeting.
Rev. E. p. Wilson was moderator, and
Rev. E. e. Aitken, of Windham, scribe.
The fifteen minutes at the NOR ming SEES
sion devoted to business was given up to
the announcement IF the committees on
carrying out the programme for the day,
the business meeting having been pre-
coded by devotional service.
Then came discussion: "The For
giveness of Our Enemies; What is
Lhrist's Ilawa" Rev., G. W. Reynolds
said that we must have Christ's spirit;
the conviction of forgiveness by Christ
in order to exerciee it, Each ona must
exercise it in his own life. The speaker
referred to it as ono of tho hard and
difficult things to do. He said the Su-
preme example of forgiveness was illus
trated by Christ's list words on the
cross.
Rev. Minot S. Hartwell aaid We must
be filled with the spirit OF God. We
must pray for our enemies, rise above
the old Adam that is in us and get new
Adap. No man can get SO near to
another as he can by praying fer him.
If man tries to injure you go into your
chamber and pray for him, and when
you get through you will feel SO changed
that you will want to throw your arms
about him and show your love for him.
that some of his people in distant prov
ince had revolted. He started out with
his officials, saving he intended to des-
troy the enemy. When he reached the
provjnce he met the insurgents, and
treated them go we'll that tie rebellion
Yves overthrown. His Ulcers, astonished
at his action, asked him If that WAS the
way he treated rebels. He replied,
+" Didn't l say would destroy my enc
mics? / have done so. have made them |
friends Jesus Christ has been plead |
ing with men for years to forgive tteir |
enemies. His last words were "Father, |
forgive them, for they know rot what |
they do. The world is asking US are
we true Christians or not. God can de- |
yelop us if we earnestly seek Him, and |
try to carry out His teachings
A member of the Conference thought
the great obstacle to success in this di
rection WINS the lack Of the spirit of for
glveness.
An address introducing the Lord j Sup
per followed, and this was succeeded by
the Communion. A recess was then
taken until afternoon, and the Con-
ference partook Of bountiful dinner
provided by the ladies of the church in
She vestry. During the dinner a large
graphophone delighted the audience by
its varied features
At D. m., the Conference reassembled.
The first hour WAS the missionary hour
and, before the opening of the hour, the
church was filed with very large con-
grsgation, that occupied nearly every
seat.
The topic for discussion was "Wkat is
the dominant motive IN missionary effort
today" and the parties who had been as
signed the duty Of speaking OH the sub
iect were Rev. DR.. Fem and Mrs. j. W.
D. Carter.
Dr. Fem emphasized the permanent
factors in missionary work; the spirit OF
Cod in man working out to lift up other
men; obedience TO the counsel of Christ
to 90 into all the world; not the saving
of individual men. The dominant
III olive in missionary work today is to
lift up the life Of community of a
nation; she universal, rather than the in
diyidual.
Mrs. J. W. D. Carter took the view
that missionary work is the working out
Of Gods life in us. She then took up the
statistical view of the work OF the Cum
bsrland Conference. The Conference
gives III cents per member each week
for all work, home and foreign; IN TACT
tie whole Christian work. Out OF this
sum one and quarter cents per week
goes for foreign work. Her closing point
was, the development of the CHRISTIAN
home in foreign lands Heathenism has
no homes, but the Introduction OF the
Christian religion brings in the idea OF
love and thoughtfulness for one another.
An animated discussion followed,
participated in by the ministers and lay
men. The points emphasized are that the
world was lost. and that Jesus Christ
came to save tho world. The great
motives in missionary work are love for