The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-01
NHw HAvnN East CONSOLATION.
one hundred and Eighty-eighth Annual
Meatinn M Nrnrtl, HnYen.

| IAis venerable eccleslaStlcal pody
heid a very interesting meeting Wed
nesday In the pleasant village of North
Haven There were present Pastors
Banks Pelton, Countryman, James
Mitchell, Beach, Page, Kerr and Lath-
rop. The visiting clergymen, Gallup Of
Madison, Reynolds of North Haven,
Paddock of Idaho, and Munson of New
Haven were invited to sit as correspond
ing members. A large number of ladies
and gentlemen represented the church.
es as delegates,
The meeting was called to order by
Rev. Mr. James, when Rev. Mr.. Lath-
rop was chosen moderator and Rev.
Mr.. Countryman scribe Rev. George
w. Banks was elected director of the
Home Missionary society of Connecti-
cut Messrs. Clark, Linsley and an
other were elected a committee to
whom churches within the limits Of the
consolation should apply for aid Pas
tors James and Pelton and Deacon w.
| -@A-'NNS WIN NhOScll w ltpItSSHl LliS
consolation at the meeting of the AM
erican Board next month in New Ha-
Ven. Messrs. James, Banks and Elliott
We're constituted delegates to the next
national council. Three brethren,
James, Pelton and Page were made a
committee to render the Ferry street
church any friendly offices in co-opera-
ton with the Congregational union. A
special committee on fellowship meet
inss is composed of Messrs. Banks.
Lathrop and G. c. Linsley
a devotional service was conducted
very happily by Rev. George A. Pelton.
The singing of the assembly was of I'M
usual quality. Everybody seemed to
sing, and to sing devoutly and music
ally.
The question for discussion was.
why DO So Many People Neglect Pub
lie Worship" Rev Mr.. Banks opened
the subject He had lately measured
the circumference of a black walnut
tree in his town, Guilford, finding it
nineteen feet, one foot from the ground.
An old man who recently died at the
age of ninety-six remembered that he
gathered nuts from that tree when a
; child, and the tree looked to him as
large as it now is. That tree was prob
ably here when the pioneers came to
this wilderness. A similar antiquity
has Congregationalism amidst the other
religious institutions of this common
wealth. And it covered the land one
new town has no Congregational
church, and two others are served by
one church; all the other towns of the
state have from one to sixteen Congre-
: gational churches But the progress of
these organizations the last five years
has not been satisfying. There has
been an average gain of only ten MEM
bers per church in five years, while the
decrease in benevolent offerings during
this period has been $4,000, not includ-
ing legacies in which there has been Il
decrease Of $4S5,O00. Mark the small
ness of the gain, the greatness Of the
loss
Mr.. Il. S. Coleman of the Grand ave-
nue. Baptist church unfolded the sub
ject as it has appeared to him. There
are allurements in the Shore the bicy-
: Gle, the trolley car; and we often fail
to make allowances for tempting con-
ditions. A minister and some of his
i parishioners inspected some of the
shady parts of a great city, at the con-
clusion of which the minister remarked
that he had no idea what temptations
many people have to contend with.
Moreover, converts often find in the
church q lack of the afdor which one
would expect, and SO are disheartened.
They want to do something good and use
, full and may not find the encourag cement
and direction which they need. The IT.
religious discern resentments and their
faults in religious people, and they al
low the fact to be hindrance to them.
; 1t would be well to look upon the neg
' lects of worldly persons with more con-
| sderateness and more patience.
Rev. Mr.. Countryman followed with
< a speech which was filled with judi
cious thought, racly expressed. Church
: services, he believes, are as attractive
E as they ought to be- The blame fol
: non-attendance does not lie in the sane
Y tuary. The spirit Of the age is antag.
onistic to the gospel of Christ. 1t is
b materialistic, devotedto gain. 1t is criti.
t cal inquiries whether the Bible means
e this or that, and seems deficient in re
spect for Heavens Book Notice
O again, how largely the principle of fear
h of reverential awe, has disappeared
= from among men. Then, again, recrea
tons on Sunday are made easy and en-
ticing, trolley cars, shore resorts, bicy
Gle pleasure, The speaker alleged tina
= one must sacrifice something if h
:, would enter the Kingdom of Christ
: is not all easiness. Mr.. Countrymai
laid especial emphasis on q prope
home training. In boyhood, he and hi
: brother were required to attend publ,
y worship, and he believed the inf1uenc,
II of such a requirement to be good-tha
u nine times in ten it will tend to estab
lish habit of attending church and t,
make valuable citizens The speake
desired, withal, that there might be un
= firing effort to represent religion a
juicy, sympathetic, pleasant.
Pastor Lathrop had learned from de
: nominational statistics that at presen
'. the increase of Episcopalians and Meth
!. odists in Connecticut is twice that o
y Congregationalists; and that Will
: Congregational churches in the countr
: regions are merely holding their owr
n those in the cities of the state are no
n gaining proportionately to the increas
: of population. He feels that our hop
W lies in the character and work of tn
country churches; for the strength @
n the city is derived from the country
d and if the young do not acquire a col
rect character before they go to the cit
= to live, there is much reason to douh