The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-19


The archdeaconry session at st.
Marks Episcopal church. Dunmore.
opened with holy communion at 7.30
yesterday morning. Rev. f. J. Hough
ton conducted the service of the morn
ing. This was followed by a business
meeting in the guild room, when it
was decided to hold the next arch
deaconry session in Athens. A COM
mittee consisting of Rev. Rogers Israel,
DR.. II. l.. Jones and Rev. e. ]. Nc
Henry were named as a committee to
go to South Bethlehem, Feb. 2, when
, Bishop Talbot will be enthroned. After
morning prayer and holy communion.
Rev. DR.. II. l.. Jones, the brilliant rec
ter of st. Stephens church, Wilkes
Barre. gave an address on Social and
Ethical Aspects of Lords Day OBJ
servances," which for beauty of die
tion, general balance and power has
| seldom been equalled before an audi
| ence in this region. After describing
| the methods of the early church, he
said:
1--WE may not agree exactly as to the
precise ground of our obligation to keep
! the Lords Day, but we have the day
! and prize it as one of our most precious
| possessions. We look back through
! long line of centuries and see 1t rum
ming like a thread Of gold through the
/ days of the years. We ought to use
/ it according to its design and not for
| sake on it the assembling of ourselves
! together" He then spoke of the Amer
| lea Sunday, and of it's weighty influ-
ence on education and character. He
believed there are few who would blot
out the Lords Day and let business
, and pleasure roll on for seven days of
the week There is indeed a fearful
amount of proclamation of the sacred
day among us. but after all there eX-
lists in the land a general and deep re-
spect for the Sunday as a divine and
venerable institution. The Jewish Sab
bath with its microscopic prohibitions
was undoubtedly part of that educa-
, tive system appropriate to a race in
state of almost barbaric bondage. which
has long ago passed away. 1t has
been spiritually outgrown. We are no
longer under its law but under the
Masters law of love.
NEEDS OF HUMANITY.
With regard to the needs of human
| ity in the slums he was broad in his
views and yet he made a somewhat
unique statement in saying that it is
is well-nigh necessity to give the
poorer classes in the cities recreation
and health in the country on Sunday
that 1t would seem to be an act of
Christian Kindness to do this for them
on any day, even Sunday, and yet in
this course is danger of injuring them
in other ways. Nothing is thus being
done for them religiously. Make bet
ter people of them and you cannot
keep them where they are. No better
way exists than to give them and their
families a Christian Sunday. Let them
stop work and spend the day or at
least part Of it in the worship of their
God. Let the children go to Sunday
school to be instructed out of Cod s
word and you have done more for these
tired men and women than could have
been effected by Sunday picnics and
| steamboat excursions.
If formerly too strict ideas prevailed
regarding the keeping of the Lord s
Day, the reverse is to some extent
taking its place. While debating to no
mans conscience it may be said that
a certain amount Of quiet recreation
at such seasons of the day as shall
neither interfere with the worship in
Gods house or duty to the family home
may by parents and children be very
profitably enjoyed.
We may not condemn in many things
a freedom which would greatly have
shocked out fathers or ourselves some
years ago. But the Christian harms
both body and soul who suffers the
thoughts, feelings and engagements of
the Lords Day to be as those of COM
mon days. Do Christian men believe
that he who gave them their intellect
meant them to think incessantly of the
price OF iron or coal, the rate of wages,
the condition of the money market or
the furniture of their homes? In the
multitude of the thoughts within us
now many OF them have regard to the
eternal law of righteousness? What
better time for such thinking than on
the day that for centuries has been set
apart as the Lords day? If public
sentiment will allow it there will al
ways be much to interfere with its
proper observance. We shall have in
creasing railroad excursions on Sun
day If there are enough to patronize
them and the community will sane
tlon them. We shall have sacred con.
certs' If people are simple enough to be
deceived by name. 1t is for us in
dividually and collectively to entertain
right views on this subject and con-
sclentlously act upon them. Do not
attempt by the worship of God to buy
an indulgence for the reVelries of the
dining room. Do not allow social duties
or hospitality to override the deVout
duty of communion with God. Let us
seek to keep the day i'm the spirit of
: the New Testament as the day which
: hallows our real life"
2 The ladies of the church furnished
bountiful lunch to visitors in the guild
| room, after which a business session
3. with the archdeacon's report opened
: the afternoon. Rev. John II. Griffiths
r rector OF St. Peters church, Plymouth
4 gave fine exegesis. st. John, S-36.
THE EVENING SESSION,
Rev. w. dc +. Johnson, rector of
! Calvary church, Wilkes Barre, gave
the first address on the general sub
:, ject, "Paroohial Work" His topic was
Guild Work" He began his remai ks
by apologizing for attempting to tel
the Dunmore church anything about
guild work in which it excels. He EN-.
phasized the necessity of organizati
[ in everything Men demand it. The
{ church should not be asleep in these
: days when more and more the popula.
, tion is gathering into the great cities
II should be conceded that the church
has the right to organize in it's mission
which comes so close TO the human
heart. parish cannot exist without
a woman's guild.
! No parish in this diocese can be
2 found in which is destitute of an or.