The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-22
ADDRESS BY REV. G. M. BOYNTON
In Behalf Of the Congregational Sunday
School Publishing Society.

Yesterday morning Rov. George M. Boyn-
ton, ID. d.. of Boston, secretary of the Congre-
rational Sunday School and Publishing So
ciety, delivered an address III Its behalf at the
Plymouth Congregational Churcn. and in the
evening at the Beneicent Church.
He spoke first of the importance of an organ
for the preparation and dissemination Of
denominational literature. Every family
must provide for the needs OF its children.
The most important work is furnishing aids
for the study of the Bible and for the relig-
ious reading of the young. There are also
books which are important in the carrying
on Of the church prepared for pastors, clerks,
treasurers etc, as well as volumes historical
and doctrnal for the education and informa-
tion Of its members.
This publishing business is conducted upon
business principles and is not only no drain
upon the churches, but is the largest regular
contributor to the missionary work carried on
by the society, appropriating 5000 year for
that purpose and thus providing fer the run
ming expenses of the missionary department
The missionary work is that which most
interests the churches, and Is the only object
for which the society asks financial aid.
This is, first OF all, work for the young.
There are probably nine or ten millions of
children OF school age in our land not yet
reached by the Sunday school, or by any
Christian agency. This comprises that por-
tion of the community which can be moulded.
The young are always easier TO reach than
those who have come 10 middle life or beyond
it. The hearts of the parents are reached
through the children. Even though themselves
uninterested in religious things, they desire
better training for their children than they
can give About 500 sundsy schools are
organized each year. Through the child ac-
cess is found to the home; through the homes
the community is reached and moulded.
This is also work for young communities,
places that have been recently settled. A new
community may be moulded more readily
than old community, just as young life
may be shaped rather than one which has
become mature. Thousands of new communi-
ties have been reached by our own denomina-
tional agency and by others, and yet there
hundreds Of such communities still unreach-
ed, where there is no church, no Sunday, no
religious teaching. The difference between n
community reached early in its history and
one which had been allowed to grow up in
practical hoathonism was vividly illustrated.
This is work also for those who are young
in citizenship. One great question is how to
reicn tnOss WHO come 10 us IfOm Otner laflus
This is serious question in our great cities
in the East and in the wide prairies of the
West, where there are large foreign colonies
and where there are SO many of the older
people together who do not easily catch our
language or our ways. Their preaching must
be in their Language, but ths children are
taught in our schools. They learn our tongue
and they can be reached better by those who
teach them religious things in the language
which they have learned to prefer 10 that OF
their parents The way to assimilate this
foreisn population and the way to American
izc 1t is To teach the children; and the public
school alone cannot do it. They need TO be
taught American Christianity In the Sunday
school
These are the main lines Of our work. IL
has grown in its volume and in the favor of
the churches and in the realization OF its inn
portance. We have gathered the names of 50
Congregational churches which during the
last year were organized out of the schools
planted by this society. We claim for it.
therefore, that II is an important factor in the
evangelizstion of our own land II is the
foreruuner OF the church work, and In all its
relation 20 the advance OF our denomination
and 10 our part IN extending the Kingdom OF
Christ IL has borne. and is destined to bear,
an important part.