The Portland daily press., 1898-09-21

re EOF Uuo ldiullJ, tu6 primary
social group? Family worship has been
apilnuono.. and religious instruction has
baen largely turned over to the Sunday
school. Now in the next twenty-five or
fifty years let us study the family.
Women need to be taught what they can
do in the matter of the education of their
children in connection with the public
schools. Fathers should know that it is
their duty to impart religious instruction
10 their children. There is nothing that
can take the place of the influence of the
father and mother in the life of the
family. In these ways DR.. Dixie thinks
that the tendency of the present may be
overcome and healthier state of things
brought about.
DIR. Dixie was followed by Rev. George
Lewis, d. D., of South Berwick, who
spoke on "The Ethics of Secret
Societies" comparing the benvolence OF
| secret orders with that of the church.
The member Of the secret order, he SAID,
befriended his brother member knowing
that he himself would be befriended II Ill
should befall him while the Good
Samaritan IMPLYING the church, old good
purely for the sake of doing 1t.
The Rev. N. II. Whittlesey, d. d.. OF
New Haven, Secretary Of tho Ministerial
Relief Committee and Fund of the Con-
gregational churches Of the United States
spoke on "The Duty of the Churches to
their Disabled Veterans" He said:
wish to thank those churches in this
State who have contributed to the Ma
tional Councils Minis terial Relief Fund.
! report encouraging progress. From the
original $40, 600 the fund has been built
up to about $4,000 At the outset the
annual income of the fund was sufficient
to assist only six persons or families.
This year we are helping forty eight, four
OF whom are from the foreign field.
Though the progress seems painfully
slow, yet in eight and half years, most
~ OF hard times, an increase OF eleven
fold In the size OF the fund and of eight
fold in the number of people helped and
oheered by it is somsthing for which to
thank God and take courage.
we be called on to contribute to nation
al fund? We are caring for our own
through our own State society," That
Is exactly what you are not doing. Your
own published minutes show that not
over one church in nine contributes an
nually to ministerial relief work through
any channel Your Maine Congregations
al Charitable Society is doing good
work, aiding eighteen persons or fam
lilies, something less than $500 apiece.
What then, is the use of a national
fund.-; 1t Is to supplement or supply the
lack of State organizations. There are
three classes of cases for whom this ma
tional aid is very necessary.
i. Those whose labors have been in
several States and who in old age or in
broken health or in Widowhood fall
through between the rules of the different
State societies. There is today an aged
minister in the great and wealthy State
OF New York, whose life has been spent
in the service of important churches in
the splendid Congregational State of Mas
sachusetts. he is utterly without health
or means OF earning a livelihood. His
wife is dying of cancer. The Massachu-
setts Board of Ministerial A i'd is debarred
from helping him by his non-resldence
there; and the New York society, by his
lack of a record of service there. Yet
somehow in his dire necessity the sgreat
denomination which has had his lifelong
service ought to come to his help. 1t
ought to "find way or make one''
could tell you of twenty cases Juss like it.
VIC ACOA q AAsuiohdl 1u1iu WulCll huOWS NJ
State lines, and it ought to be large
enough to meet all such cases. / don't
know yet whether we can vote this dear
old couple dollar or not, simply because
we haven't the money to vote.
2. Returned Foreign Missionaries.
The Congregational churches of the
whsle country unite In sending them
out to the depths of the Dark Continent,
to the loneliness of micronesia, to the
horrid scenes of massacre and outrage
in Armenia; and when they come hoEle
with health ruined or in old age, the
Congregational churches of the whole
country ought to unite in providing for
them through this National Ministerial
Relief Fund. We are already assisting
four persons or faD,ilies from the foreign
field. One of the best known mission
aries in the country said to me, "You are
helping to alleviate one of the two real
trials OF foreign missionary life One is,
the long separation from children during
their education. The other is the thought
of old age"
8. The third, and by far the most nu-
erOus and important class consists of our
pioneer Home Missionaries on the frontier
fields in the poor and sparsely settled
West and South. For hundred years we
have been sending them out as the pion-
GERS of civilization on our ever advancing
frontier. from Ohio to Oregon. At great
personal sacrifices they have made vast
contributions to all that is grandest in
our nation. have very recent applica
tion from widow whose husband served