The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-27

Club Is and Its Purpose.
The Church Club of the diocese of
Maine, held its first dinner at the River
ton Park cafe last evening. 1t was very
pleasant occasion and one which the
members of the club who were present
will not soon forget.
The party. some 30 in number, left the
city at 6 o'clock and journed to the park
in the special car 'fBramhall."
: After % brief business session at which
a few routine matters were quickly dis
posed of, the company adjourned to the
cafe where one of Manager d. B. Smith S
excellent dinners was served. The tables
were arranged in the shape of the letter
u and were handsomely decorated.
The following gentlemen were present:
Treat Paine of Boston, Rev. J. S. Moody,
Rev. Charles T. Lee, Rt. Rev. Bishop
Nicely, John H. Cole, Rev. Walter G. Stew
art, Rev. H VI. Winckley, J. e. Prindle,
Geo. o. K. Cram, Rev. J. B. Shepherd,
H. W. Robinson, John NJ Glidden, j. A.
0ACLL4Aas L. W. LII aAlU; ON1A1 A1' ApfNSoSt
j. B. Coleman, G. B. Clark, E. B. Lock
wood, Il. E. Tibbetts, W. f. Hardy
Franklin Robinson, H. r. Clarke, Rev.
Charles M. Stills, W. L. Falconer, T. Fl.
Eaton, Rev. G. T. Ogden, J. B. Heating,
W. o. Thompson, E. W. Kalor.
In calling the meeting to order Gen.
Brown said after few words of intro
duction that this club belonged to the
Protestant Episcopal church of Maine
and the club was instituted for the pur-
pose of unfolding sthe great Catholic
church. He said that the limitations of
membership of this club were simple,
as any member of the church could be-
come member Of the club. Gen. Brown
said he hoped that every layman in
Maine would join this club, which has
for its purpose the building up of the
greatest and best church in the world.
Gen. Brown then introduced Bishop
Nicely as the first speaker of the evening.
Bishop Nicely said that he knew of no
movement among the laymen of the
diocese which he welcomed with greater
Joy than he did the Church Club Of
Maine. He saw in it a strong auxiliary
to his own work. The bishop said he had
never had as much experience with clubs
as some present may have had. He
thought perhaps that among a few there
was a conception that the church itself
was a club which one ought to join, or
leave at pleasure without being bound
to it by any ties such as ought to felt.
Just what would result from the founda-
ton of this club, Bishop Nicely said he did
not know. He could not foresee how
strong it might become, though he hoped
it might work for the growth of the
church He said he hoped that he was as
broad personally as was the church. He
called any man a member of the church
who loved the church, whether he differed
from him in theological questions or not.
All men are brethren who are striving
for the extension of the church and the
building up of Gods kingdom on earth.
He said that he wanted to feel in close
touch with the lay1nen of the church and
in this movement he saw an opportunity
of bringing about what he had long de-
sired to see.
Robert Treat Paine, the president of
the Massachusetts Church Club, was in
troduced as the next speaker. In begin
ming he asked what right Europeans had
to say that the American civilization
was one-sided affair, that this country
was devoted entirely to industrial pur-
suits. True it is that we are not old
enough to have made much progress in
art, but in deep religious feeling and
progress America is not far behind
Europe.
He went on to say that we are dealing
in ~ this country with tremendous
problems and in considering them men
will be brought together to work for
Gods church He dwelt for some time
on those problems which have interested
the church men of Boston, and alluded
briefly to each. He then referred to tho
arbitration treaty and quoted from
Blaine's welcoming speech to the dele
gates to the Pan-American Congress, and
this speech, Mr.. Paine believed. should
have great weight at the present time.
These words of Blaine encouraged the
movement for an arbitration treaty which
is not far away, though it now seems as
If it might never be obtained Then
there is tho question of municipal govern
nent which can alone be solved by church
organisation and by united effort on
the part Of Christian gentlemen. Cap
plause.)
Mr.. Paine went on to speak of the move
ment in favor of church unity. Unity
by submission is out of the question, but
to bring about church unity one should
cultivate the, historical sense and make
study of the simplicity of Christian life
in the years just following the berth of
Our Savior. He then read the first cove
nant of Massachusetts, which was very
simple and contained the whole creed of
the church in few sentences. Church
unity must be found in simplicity of
faith and all must make concessions in