The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-06-24
The Unitarian State Conference.

evening, June 18th, and which was reported
in last weeks Journal to Wednesday noon,
continued to Thursday evening, though the
final meeting was held in the Unitarian
church in Castine.
THE ASSOCIATION.
| The Maine Unitarian Association cor
poration which manages the business affairs
of the Denomination in the State, held its
annual meeting Wednesday afternoon The
reports of the Secretary and Treasurer
showed the affairs to be in excellent con-
dition. The following officers were elected
President, j. W. Symonds, Portland.
Vice President, William Gore, Freeport.
! Secretary, George A. Emery, Saco.
| Treasurer, Mark P Emery, Portland
Finance Committee. J. W. Symonds,
Mark P. Emery, Geo. F. Talbot, Selden
Conner, Portland; J. D. Hopkins, Ellis
WORTH George A Emery, Saco.
THE woMEN's ALLIANCE.
The annual meeting of the Maine State
Unitarian Women's Alliance was held We'd
| nesday afternoon. The exercises opened
with hymn, responsive Scripture reading
and prayer.
The report of the Secretary showed II
branches of the Alliance, an Alliance con-
nected with all the Maine churches except
three. The report showed an increase
in interest and membership in all quarters
The treasurers report showed an en-
| couraging state of the finances, no debt and
money in the treasury.
10
showed active work not only in the indi-
viduas and churches, but an improving
missionary spirit throughout the State. A
large amount of liberal literature has been
distributed.
The following officers were elected;
| President, Mrs. Sarah Fairfield Hamilton
Saco.
Vice Presidents, Mrs. H. P. True, Augusta
Mrs. Florence Barry, kennebunk
| Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Mary III
Kelley, Portland.
| After the close of the business Mrs. NJ L.
Carter of Augusta read paper on "The
Beauty of the Psalms,' which showed great
| spiritual and intellectual research and was a
poem in itself
| The post office mission work was explain
ed and reported in practical papers by Miss
| Margaret E. Fox of Portland and Mrs. Geo.
I. Jackson of Bangor, The work. which is
| producing noticeable results, is a novel
method OF doing missionary work. When
an interested Unitarian hears or learns of a
man or woman who, from reading or Other
| cause is becoming interested in liberal theo-
| logy thought, the case is reported, and
the possible convert is supplied with litera-
ture in the lines along which he or she is
thinking.
The meeting closed with a hymn and
| benediction.
THE PLATFORM MEETING.
| Wednesday evening there was large at
tendance at the platform meeting" and
able and interesting papers were presented
The organ voluntary by Miss Mary E
Faunce, was followed by vocal solo by
Mrs Ralph H. Howes, both finely rendered
Rev. o. K. Crosby of Yarmouth offered
prayer.
| Rev. w. H. Ramsey of Pennington presid
ed and introduced the speakers, in brief and
and witty remarks in the case of each. The
papers were on "Our Gospel and its de-
mands, each of the speakers taking up one
class of workers and showing the demands
of the Gospel and its work upon that class
| The first paper was by Rev. S. G. Beach Of
Bangor, on "What our Gospel demands OF
the preacher He first stated that while
ministers may be capable of defining the
| 1utjaS of of W.
matter to tell just what the Gospel demands
of themselves. The preacher must believe
in the Gospel with his whole heart The
Gospel is best stated in the sermon on the
mount and in the parallels, but we find it
also in nature. The Gospel of Redemption
means making the world better. We are
told that redemption came through Jesus
Christ, but did it not also come through
Moses, Isaiah, Socrates and Plato? Preach
ing the Gospel must have tendency to bet
ter mankind. 1t is of little consequence
whether or not there is an open sea at the
north pole, whether the Norsemen came to
this country before Columbus, or what were
the dimensions of Noah's ark or Solomon 5
temple. The preaching of the Gospel must
| aim at higher truths.
Rev. j. L. Marsh of Saco followed with a
paper on "What our Gospel demands of the
church." Our Gospel demands more of those
who hold it than any other. 1t is for the
benefit of all who live in the world and it is
the same old Gospel that demanded so much
of and did so much for David. 1t is the same
good news of God-of life. 1t is GOSPEL
not for ourselves alone; we must not keep it
to ourselves; we must give it away. The
church must be a social institution in that it
serves the best welfare of the community in
which it exists. In all departments-relig-
ion, business, politics, social life-the Cos
pei demands that the power of the church be
felt. The churehs only excuse for existing
is the vitalizing influence it exerts. 1t must
be educational. 1t must work for the grad
ual betterment of the social life, not by mi
raculous conversion, but by educational
work. The church should be open to all,
rich or poor, educated or ignorant. The
church should be religious institution
Everything else it useless unless it begets a
spirit of reverence in the human heart. The
mission of our church is Unity.
The hymn THE Morning Light is Break
ing" was sung, after which Rev. W R. Hunt
of Ellsworth presented the third paper, on
"What our Gospel demands of young peo-