The Portland daily press., 1898-09-21

of the nature of Christ shows how high
or life and g higher type of Christian may
be produced. Mr.. Yale said he did not
say hard things about the church, but ne
did emphasize the fact that the church
could produce manhood SO greably
superior to the best world type that the
people would flock to her. The church
and the world cannot go to God hand in
hand. The church must lead the way.
Rev. G. A. Lockwood of Kennebunk,
who was to have spoken on "The Right
Relation of Children to the Church, was
not able to be present, but his paper was
read to the conference.
Mr. Lockwood argued that environ
ment might play larger part in the de-
velopment of the character of the child
than heredity. The first
CHURCH OF TIE CHILD
is the home. The larger church home
into which the child afterwards enters
should contain the same elements of love
and comradeship which go to make the
ideal home. The ideal church of the Goth
century will be one with child loving
and child loved pastor, with deacons and
members sharing his feelings to the little
ones. A church with such a sentiment
has solved the question OF Its future. Out
of the home to membership in the church
a child should pass as naturally as ne
passes from school to school. Unfortu'
nately all children are not born into gooa
homes. To such children the church IS q
debtor and it is recognizing its indebted
ness in it's various methods of reaching
the young.
Rev G. S. Patton of Auburn, in speak
ing of "Church Services" was bright and
witty in his argument that there are TOO
many services crowded into Sunday, so
that by evening tho people are not Will
ing to attend and the pastor is tired out
Mr.. Patton drew an amusing comparison
between the times when the minister
preached all day and the present when he
oes from preaching service. to the Sun
day school, the junior Y. r. 5. =. h
the Bethel or Berean mission, the senior
Y. P. S. G. E., and the evening preach
ing or social service. The comparison
does not seem altogether congratulatory
one. In celebrating his argument, ME-
Patton said in substance among other
things which amused his hearers: l know
ministers who feel tired for days after one
of these Sundays. A tired and detected
minister is depressing individual
whether in the pulpit or out of it. am
painfully aware every Sunday evening
that the world does not go to church.
Why should we
HARRY TIE SAINTS
in an effort to do good to the sinners at
home?
I read in the papers of ciergymen who
hire orchestras and have stsreopticon ex-
hibitions to help along the evening SER
vice. That may do in the great cities but
it is not possible in the smaller places.
What are these efforts to make the eve
ming services interesting, but confession
that they have become drags what
shall we do. Prod the people, advertise
attractions and offer premiums for at
tendance or confess that we have crowded
the day too full? 1t does not follow that
the reduction in the work of the Cay
should be the evening service lna6
suffers now because it comes last and
there is too much earlier in thu day.
Rev. B. S. Kideout of Norway, whose
subject was ministerial Problems,
found that while they had new names,
the questions resolved themselves into the
old time fight with unbelief and sin. The
Sunday excursion and the Sunday news
paper are only modern aspects of the old
question of Sunday observance. A
Christian cannot lie in hammock on
Sunday and let the
DEVIL HOLD HIGH CARNIVAL.
These matters are grave questions. Mr..
Rideout believed they should be met by
earnest clergymen who had no doubt as
to what they would preach. The man
who has any doubts ahont Jesus Christ
should not be minister.
Then Mr.. Rideout took up ministerial
problem which he treated with a vlgor
which drew forth much applause. He al
luded to the ways employed in filling
pulpits and said: Some ministers do not
care to send photographs of themselves
and their wives to the church committee.
Some 90 not care to engage in scramble
which may be decided by the cut OF their
clothes to get an opportunity to preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ. There should
be bureau of information where
churches could learn of ministers without
parishes, And then, added Mr. Rideout,
there might be system by which
ministers could learn of the churches
through the means of blanks asking such
questions as these:
How many pastors has the church had?
How many factions has itS
Are there prominent members who ara
engaged in some immoral practice and
who will neither withdraw or
GIVE UP THEIR DEVILTRY?
Are there mem bers who will not speak
to each other even when they go side by
side to the communion tablet